Exclusive: Catching up with NBA 2K23 cover athlete Diana Taurasi
Basketball fans of all stripes love the popular video game franchise NBA 2K, and the latest edition is full of new features, exciting gameplay and adorned with some of the game’s best players as cover athletes.
Devin Booker and Michael Jordan will be two of the stars of NBA 2K23, while the franchise tapped legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi as the cover athletes for the WNBA edition of the game.
Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, a five-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time WNBA champion. She’s one of the best to ever do it and a fitting cover athlete for NBA 2K23.
Our Cameron Tabatabaie chatted with Taurasi to celebrate this next milestone in her career. In an interview conducted at the end of June, Taurasi discussed her favorite video games, the state of athletics in the United States and the importance of some of the difficult headlines and issues in the world today.
This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
CT: We’re talking to the WNBA is all-time leading scorer, you have three titles and five gold medals. I would put you in that GOAT category. But I feel like that term is overused. So let me ask you this. When you hear the term, “the GOAT,” what do you think of? And do you think you are in that rarefied air?
DT: It’s funny, that’s not for me to really answer. I just go out there and play. I really don’t know what that’s all about.I think it’s, you know, like you said, it’s, it’s very overused. So in, in in that way, I don’t use it.
CT: Yeah, maybe that was an impossible question. But yeah, I thought I’d ask what about away from basketball? Who is your who’s on your, the highest list of people you root for? Just athletes in general?
DT: Well, I mean, I have a dying love for the Argentinian national soccer team. So Lionel Messi is a guy that I just follow. You know, obviously, with Barcelona, then with PSG, and the Argentinian national team — so that’s, that’s one person I follow really closely. And, you know, there’s other athletes here and there that I that I love to watch, and, and every time they’re on TV, I make sure to tune in, sure.
CT: So let’s pivot. Let’s talk about the game. You are now a cover athlete, which, however valuable that parlance is, it’s a big thing in the culture. So first, what was your first reaction when you found out that this was going to be a thing, that you were going to be one of the cover athletes for 2K23?
DT: I mean, it’s pretty amazing. Just to think about being on a cover of, you know, to play a game that I played, you know, for for a lot of years, and, you know, obviously gaming, in my generation early on was, you know, one of the biggest and most popular things for kids to do.
And to think that you know, Sue [Bird] and I on the cover, it’s really special. You know, it says a lot where our game has gone and, for you know, women athletes to have this platform, and especially in basketball, which, you know, not only have we dedicate our whole lives to our whole careers to it’s a big step for us.
CT: Naturally, I have questions dedicated to that, but as a kind of a softball, what was your favorite video game growing up?
DT: So my was Excitebike. On the OG Nintendo, that was my favorite, favorite games.
CT: You’re really reaching back into the past. Okay. And kind of similar, did you have a favorite role model growing up? Either athletic or not?
DT: For me, it was always my parents. It was always my mom’s, you know, way she always took care of our family. And, you know, my dad, every single day grinded — he got up for work every single day. I remember him getting up at 4:30 in the morning, and, you know, driving to the factory, getting back home at six, getting back in the car at 6:30, taking me to basketball practice, you know, driving around all all around LA to get to all the different AAU tournaments and practices. So I mean, for me, it was always my parents, and you know, how well they work together as a unit.
CT: Amazing, that that’s way better than any canned answer you could have gave. Actually, my next question is, how has motherhood changed the way you approach celebrity? Because you’re now a mother of two. And that’s, that’s obviously very different.
DT: Yeah, you know, I try to just, you know, stay very discreet and just, you know, try to live life as normal as possible. You know, we’re out, and if people come up, you know, I kind of explained it to Leo who’s getting a little bit bigger. He’s four and a half now. Because people always coming up to you, and, you know, I just play a little bit of basketball and they recognize me and, you know, he kind of nods and shakes his head.
CT: So I’m sure you’ve seen the the 2K promotional stuff and all of that, does it does it stop getting weird or is it still kind of a shock to see yourself in a movie or an ad?
DT: No, it’s still it’s you know, you still feel like a little kid when things like this happen, you know, doesn’t matter how many you know, magazine covers you’re on, but you know, when you’re on, you know, the biggest video game in the world, and this is going to be played by millions of people. all across the world who love basketball, that’s a big deal.
CT: Is there anything about this version of 2k that fans should be extra excited about? Other than obviously, the, the athletes on the cover?
DT: Well, I mean, if you know anything about 2k, you know, every year they up their game. You know, when it comes to graphics and different moves and, you know, different player modes. I think, you know, the 2k fanatic is gonna really enjoy all the advancements in this game.
CT: Well, I will tell you that I love to wear an Adidas sweatsuit at the My Park park. So if you see someone balling up in an Adidas Sweatsuit, that’s me.
Alright. how about the real game? So we’re recording on Tuesday, the 28th. Last night, you had seven, three pointers. When do you know you’re in the zone? Did you know?
DT: Well, I hit my first three and I thought this might be a good night for me, you know, sometimes, you know, when you get some early looks early, and, you know, they go in and you just feel like you can get to certain spots on the court and get your shot off. I think that’s when you know you’re gonna have a good night. So, you know, last night it worked out. And more importantly, we got we got to w which is desperately needed right now.
CT: Alright, I want to talk about Every Kid Sports. This is an organization that 2K parters with and it’s really exciting. So what they do is they provide access and funding to low income youth. And on their website, they say plainly, “every kid deserves the chance to play sports.”
As an athlete, as a mother, as a former kid, what do you think of them hear that phrase, “every kid deserves to the chance to play sports”?
DT: I mean, it’s so important. And I think a lot of times we say that, you know, “every kid should play,” but you know what? Sometimes you need financial help to actually get on the court, you know, to get on the field, to buy cleats, to have shoes, to have gym time. Sometimes you need that financial help to actually get you in the gym, and get you to fall in love with playing the sport.
And, you know, there’s nothing better for young kids than to be on a team, to have discipline, and responsibility. I think that builds a lot of character. And the more kids, the more little girls and little boys, we can get playing sports, I think it’s going to help society. It’s going to help them in the long run.
CT: Totally agree. I cut my teeth in after school program and summer camps, and I think sports mean the world to kids. So shout out to Every Kid Sports and the work they’re doing. And to 2K for partnering with them.
I want to stick with this. What do you think are some barriers right now that exists in athletics for young girls and young women?
DT: Yeah, I think it’s, like we talked about before, it’s the opportunity. You know, a lot of times you go to these different organizations, and they have, you know, 10 boys teams and one girls team. I think, the more girls we can get into the gym, and make sure it’s fun.
You know, a lot of these teams get serious pretty quickly. But, you know, the point of basketball and of sports is to have fun, is to enjoy yourself, along with the competitiveness. I think the initial getting them into the gym and getting them to enjoy the games is just as important.
CT: Totally agree. And including Every Kid Sports, what are some exciting points or growth points that you see in athletics for young women and young girls right now?
DT: I mean, there’s just so much opportunity. And when you see the momentum of, where we’re at as a society when it comes to women’s sports, I think that gives little girls, you know, an extra sense of dreaming. That, you know what, if I do this, I can, you know, be in the Olympics, I can be in the WNBA, I can be, you know, a professional women’s soccer player, I can be Serena.
You know, and I think it’s really important at a really young age to be able to see that and, and to try to emulate it.
CT: Alright, so I have a few kinds of junk food questions, kind of fun stuff that we can get into. And then, if we have time, and if you’re interested, I have a few more serious questions, but let’s do kind of the easy stuff first.
So you played the White Mamba and the new Space Jam movie, which was really a crazy movie — with great, great respect, Don Cheadle really stole the show for me. But can you give me one story, either from set or from promoting the movie?
DT: Yeah, well, we actually, it was pretty cool one, the day we shot that scene, we were all on set. And, you know, it was, you know, LeBron [James] was there, Klay [Thompson], Nneka [Ogwumike], Dame [Lillard]. And it was just interesting to be in the same building with everyone and seeing how many people it takes to shoot one scene that takes ten seconds in the movie. And, you know, just just to have that, you know, group of talent all together, you know, trying to make it happen not on the court, but as actors and actresses was pretty funny.
CT: So I cover the Celtics, among other things, and, you know, we just saw the Celtics come up short And I suspect that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were a little too young. And I don’t mean immature, I don’t mean they did anything wrong. I just think that the person that you are when you’re 24 is very different than the person than you are when you’re 28 or 34.
And so apropos of the Celtics themselves, I’m wondering if you can talk to that experience. I mean, now, you’re someone who’s been in the league for quite a while, how do you approach the game differently? When you’re 24 versus 34? Or even older than that?
DT: Absolutely. When you’re 24, you have no clue what’s going on. And that’s why those experiences are so important when you’re able to get those that early. I mean, when you talk about, you know, Brown and Tatum, in their short careers, they’ve done a lot already, they’ve gained all this knowledge and experience that’s going to help them down the down the line.
And, you know, you just see the game differently. The older you get, you know, different scenarios and situations don’t seem as daunting once you’ve been in them a couple of times, and you can really focus on the things that are important to get the job done. And, you know, being a Laker fan, I wasn’t too mad. But the Celtics you know, they got a great thing going, and, you know, the Celtics are gonna be there for a while.
CT: So, like I said, I have a few questions that if you if your answer is, “you know what, I’ve already spoken about this,” That’s great. But if you have something to say, I would love to hear your thoughts.
It’s June 28th. I’m just so curious about how, as a league, and as a community, you guys are approaching the Brittney Griner situation, which is obviously something that no one knows how to deal with, because it’s not something we deal with day to day. But what are the conversations like, among players and personnel?
DT: Well, you know, obviously, our main focus is to get BG home as soon as possible. I mean, she’s been, you know, in Russian prison way too long. And, you know, we’re trying our hardest to make sure, you know, the US government, the task force that’s, you know, assigned to get BG home, to do everything possible to get her home, you know, safe as possible.
That’s really the only focus that I have every single day. And, you know, I’ve been able to have conversations with, you know, people that, are privy to some important information. And that’s literally the message that that we have: we’re not going to stop until she gets home.
CT: The WNBA has really become a leader in speaking truth to power and standing up, by and large, for what you agree with, even if it’s against, you know, members of the WNBA orbit. What does that mean to you to be a part of this association in these kind of moments?
DT: You know, I think it’s elite. We’ve stood up for a lot of the things that are important to us, you know, personally, and more importantly, for society.
And I think that’s happened in a lot of realms, whether it’s, you know, voting and in different civil rights. And obviously, with BG, we’re, you know, we’re going forward as a league to make sure she gets home.
CT: I’m curious what conversations in the aftermath of Roe being overturned have been like. I mean, it obviously affects the WNBA workforce in a very specific way, although it affects all of us.
DT: It’s devastating to think that we can overturn 50 years of progress by a vote of just nine people and it just shows you how important voting is, you know, not only in the presidential elections, but you know, in the midterms.
it’s something that, as Americans, we have to take very seriously, just like that your civil rights can be ripped from you. And I think it’s devastating for, for all women, and it should be devastating for all men too, you know, it’s something when you can’t have control of your own body, I don’t think that sits well with with anyone and it should.
CT: I couldn’t have said it better myself. Where do you think your concerned basketball fan goes with all of this enthusiasm for change or anger for the lack there of, what what advice would you give to a fan that wants to do right in the world but doesn’t know where to go next?
DT: Well, you know, like I said, I think you make your fight very verbal, and you vocalize that by voting. And you get other people to vote and you get your message out, you do it in a way where it’s informative, and people can understand it, and the way it affects, you know, people in different ways.
And I think sometimes as Americans, we don’t get that information, you know, in a way where we can understand it, and how it affects different communities down the line. So it’s something that we have to be better at, I think, you know, as Americans.
CT: Sure, and thanks so much. I mean, I just would be remiss if I didn’t bring these [issues] up, because they’re bigger than ball. But I’ll do our due diligence, and I’ll get you out of here with a 2K question.
So Diana Taurasi, you are the cover athlete, alongside Sue Bird, for the 2K23 WNBA edition. When you pick up that game, what two WNBA teams are you gonna play as?
DT: Well, I know I’m gonna pick Phoenix and then I’ll let the computer pick the loser.
CT: All right! Well, congratulations again, I sure you’re through the moon and I’m so excited to play the game.
DT: Thank you so much. Likewise. Alright, have a good one.
