Justin Bieber Debuts in 'NBA 2K13' Before Basketball Movie Release
Justin Bieber is more than an 18-year-old Canadian crooner with over 28 million Twitter followers – he is also a star in the basketball video game "NBA 2K13".
Although the video game is generally reserved for professional basketball players, Bieber is one of a few celebrities who are not athletes that are featured in the release. The video game, executive produced by rapper Jay-Z, will also feature celebrities JB Smoove, Wale, Bow Wow, Chamillionaire, Sean Kingston, Meek Mill and reality television stars Vinny Guadagnino and Pauly D from "Jersey Shore".
When Bieber, an admitted basketball fan who claims he has moves on the court, caught wind of his debut in the video game he made sure to tweet about his excitement.
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"Shoutout to @Ronnie2K for putting #TeamBieber in #NBA2K13," Bieber tweeted recently. "I'm running the pt. #SWAGGY."
The video game was released in the U.S. this week on Xbox 360, PS3, PlayStation Vita, Wii and PC systems. While Bieber is most known for his singing, the pop star has spoken about his passion for basketball in the past, and even won a charity event at former NBA center Shaquille O'Neal's house.
"I did like a little charity basketball game at Shaq's house for Pencils of Promise. We did a little charity basketball game, and I won," Bieber told MTV earlier this year.
Bieber's basketball skills at the celebrity basketball game reportedly got him noticed by actor Mark Wahlberg who wanted to cast him in an upcoming basketball film.
"He loves the idea," Wahlberg told MTV earlier this year. "He's been sending me video, he sent me a video of himself, and, yeah, I think he's really talented."
According to Wahlberg, the film will be similar to the 1986 movie "Color of Money," directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Tom Cruise, in which a young cocky protege is mentored by an older man who teaches him the ins and outs of pool. Wahlberg told MTV that he initially wanted to play the younger protege in the film before Bieber was cast for the part.
"Wait till you see me and Bieber in the flick. Think of like 'The Color of Money,'" the actor told MTV last year. "So I get this call from Paramount [where they tell me about the story about] an old guy and a young guy. I'm like, 'Cool, let's get Jack [Nicholson]. Let's get Robert De Niro. Let's get Robert Duvall.' And they go, 'What about Garrett Hedlund?"
Although Wahlberg initially told MTV about the upcoming film last year, Bieber explained that there were a few setbacks with the movie that has kept fans from seeing him debut as a lead actor in a motion picture.
"I'm still working on this movie with Mark Wahlberg," Bieber told MTV News last May. "I don't know what the deal is. Turns out they're rewriting the script or something, trying to make it fit better and stuff."
