“I’m a 2K guy”: Mack Wilson talks video games, community and celebrity basketball match

Image credit: NBA Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson will host a community event and celebrity basketball game on Saturday, May 10th, at Corona del Sol in Tempe. The community event begins at 11 a.m., with the hoops game scheduled for 1 p.m. Celebrities scheduled to be in attendance include Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, Patriots … Continued The post “I’m a 2K guy”: Mack Wilson talks video games, community and celebrity basketball match appeared first on Esports Insider.

May 6, 2025 - 19:45

“I’m a 2K guy”: Mack Wilson talks video games, community and celebrity basketball match

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson will host a community event and celebrity basketball game on Saturday, May 10th, at Corona del Sol in Tempe.

The community event begins at 11 a.m., with the hoops game scheduled for 1 p.m.

Celebrities scheduled to be in attendance include Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison, Jr., free agent pass-rusher Matthew Judon, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold and more.

The community day is free. Tickets for the basketball game can be purchased here.

Wilson did an exclusive Q&A with Esports Insider to talk about the event, his thoughts on the Cardinals, his video game preferences, playing for Bill Belichick the year he got fired, the success of ex-Browns teammate Baker Mayfield and more.

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Esports Insider: How’s your hoops game?

Mack Wilson: “Oh, I can hoop. For sure.”

ESI: Who do you think will be the best player on the court besides yourself?

Mack Wilson: “I’ve seen Marv, and Marv is smooth. This guy Robert Fomby, BDot, they’re pretty good. Terrell Owens can hoop too. There’s going to be some talent out there.”

ESI: You’ve done a lot of different things for charity. How important is that to you?

Mack Wilson: “It’s important. First and foremost, for me personally, growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, where I’m from, and not having that support system as a young kid. I felt like it steers kids in the wrong direction at a young age. I was blessed and fortunate enough to find God at an early age and go down my own path, leave my friends behind. So I feel like it’s important, man.

“For us as athletes, with the money we make, it’s the least we can do, give back in the community in any way possible. Show our faces and have conversations with the kids. There could be one little thing you say to them that will touch them, and that can be the turning point of their life. You never know. I enjoy doing it for that reason.”

ESI: So it’s the basketball game, but also a community day beforehand?

Mack Wilson: “Yeah, the community day starts at 11 a.m. with free food, free activities for the kids. Tons of stuff for them to do, and we’ll have some players out there to be with the kids before they have to warm up. It’s going to be cool, man, and I hope a lot of people come out to support this great cause. They’ll get a chance to hang out with some of the guys.”

ESI: Another cool event you’ve done in the past was a Twitch stream of Call of Duty for charity. How was that one?

Mack Wilson: “That was a fun one. Well, I wasn’t as good at Call of Duty back then, so that wasn’t fun for me, but it was cool chatting and interacting with the kids, for sure.”

ESI: Do you like playing video games with current or past teammates?

Mack Wilson: “I don’t play games with anybody on (the Cardinals), but I’ve got a few guys around the league. Like, DeVonta Smith, I’ve been playing a game with him since we were in college. He’s a guy I always play with, and then some other guys I grew up with.”

ESI: You prefer the sports video games?

Mack Wilson: “(Smith) likes Call of Duty a lot so I’ll play that with him, but I like 2K. I’m a 2K guy.”

nba 2k league banner chain series event 2022 — Image credit: NBA 2K League

ESI: Looking at the Cardinals, they’ve added a lot to the defense. What are your feelings about what this defense can be? Seems like a unit that can be improved quite a bit.

Mack Wilson: “Definitely, man. This group has no ceiling. I honestly feel like we have the opportunity to be the top defense in this league. We’ve just got to put it together. Take it a day at a time, believe in each other, build that camaraderie amongst each other, build that trust, and let it come together. JG and Monti did a great job with the new additions and the draft picks. They filled the needs we needed on the team. I’m excited, bro. I can’t wait to see how everything fits together.”

ESI: They didn’t do as much on offense, but Marv can make a leap going into Year 2. You’ve got Trey McBride and Kyler coming back. When you look at this team as a whole, what’s the ceiling?

Mack Wilson: “We expect to be a dominant team. We expect to add that fuel from last season to this season and build off it. We know what type of team we can be. It’s all about going out there and putting our best foot forward every day, and then seeing where we end up. We’ve obviously got a bad taste in our mouth from a lot of games last season. To be able to run it back with a majority of the same guys, we’re gonna have a good shot, man. We’ve just got to believe in it and put the work in.”

ESI: Playoffs definitely feel like a realistic expectation, right? You were close last year, the talent has been upgraded and a lot of the main guys are back. Is that fair to say?

Mack Wilson: “That’s always going to be the goal every year. We’ve just got to be able to put everything together. Dominate from start to finish and see where we end up. I like our chances though.”

ESI: You’ve played with many talented quarterbacks in college or the NFL, like Jalen Hurts, Tua, Baker Mayfield. How do you feel about Kyler’s talent, now that you’ve seen him up-close for a year, and where he can take the offense?

Mack Wilson: “Kyler’s a rare breed. He’s in his own category and can do a lot of special things. Let’s not get it twisted: he’s a great quarterback. He’s won a lot of games, so obviously that’s why he’s been here for the longest, and I honestly feel like this year he’s going to do what he’s got to do to take us there.

“From the atmosphere I feel in the building, from seeing his work ethic, from seeing him approach things, I can just tell he has a chip on his shoulder. He just wants to win games. It’s that simple. He’s working hard, bro, and I genuinely feel like Kyler is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. This year, he’s going to show everybody that.”