Key Takeaways
- Steven Adams told reporters at Houston Rockets media day that Grand Theft Auto VI's release will cause a league-wide dip in NBA and NFL performance throughout November.
- Grand Theft Auto VI launches Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preloads starting Nov. 12, and has already drawn roughly 5.28 million pre-orders since June 25.
- Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said he might wait for a bye week to start playing the game, while Cooper Flagg and LeBron James have both hyped the release.
Steven Adams stepped up to the podium at Rockets media day and delivered a league-wide weather forecast, calling for a November slump caused entirely by a video game.
The Houston center told reporters that Grand Theft Auto VI's arrival will drag down the quality of play across professional sports for a full month.
"You guys should anticipate November. The performance of the league, league-wide, GTA is dropping. So look at the NFL, look at all the leagues, and watch them plummet, mate. Just for the month of November, performance is gonna go down,” he joked. “It should come back up, though. Most of the boys will get it done. Hopefully they finish the game... Coaching as well, by the way. The coaching and scouts are going to be horrendous, just for November, but it should bounce back in December, hopefully.”
Media day doubled as the opening of Houston's training camp. Adams is heading into his third year with the Rockets after ankle surgery in February ended his season early.
Rockstar's heavily-hyped game launches Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preloads opening a week earlier on Nov. 12, roughly a month into the NBA regular season and squarely in the thick of the NFL schedule. Roughly 5.28 million pre-orders have already been placed since they opened globally on June 25.
The bit works because athletes keep volunteering evidence. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said earlier this month that he might hold off until "a break or bye week" to start playing.
In other GTA VI news, Rockstar Games and Atlantic Records announced Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album earlier this month. The project, which features 34 original songs, will launch the same day that the game drops, Nov. 19.
