The Paradox of Play: Unraveling Professional Athletes’ Battle with Gaming Addiction

Released: January 10, 2025

Why Professional Athletes Battle with Gaming Addictions

By Movieguide® Contributor

As gaming has become increasingly popular, numerous professional athletes have embraced the hobby, finding themselves ensnared by addiction, which negatively impacts their performance.

Traditionally, athletes and gamers have been seen as contrasting figures, but that perception has shifted. Even the top athletes globally, such as Lebron James, partake in video games, often to an excessive degree. In October, James disclosed that he ranks among the top 100 players in Madden NFL 25, a title with millions of dedicated fans. Multiple other athletes have demonstrated comparable skills in an array of games, showcasing the extensive interest.

“Devon Booker, KD, all those athletes are engaged in Call of Duty. I believe Luka [Dončić] has achieved a diamond or platinum [rank] in Overwatch. I’m aware that Robin and Brook Lopez also participate in Overwatch,” NBA star Channing Frye mentioned to CNN. “So I would estimate that 75% of players [in the NBA] indulge in video games.”

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Cam Adair, the founder of Game Quitters, a support network for those grappling with gaming addiction, recounts an instance where an NFL player forfeited tens of millions due to focusing on video games over football.

“This player was on the rise, really gaining momentum, and was on the verge of signing a significant, multi-year contract,” Adair explained to CNN. “And his agent reached out to me because he was rather worried about the amount of gaming he was indulging in. It wasn’t directly affecting his performance on the field at that point, but the agent was a bit anxious about its impact on his off-the-field time.”

“Eventually, this player’s performance began to diminish and injuries accumulated, and ultimately, he missed out on that multi-year deal,” he continued. “At that time, that contract would have been approximately $14 million annually on a multi-year basis. [Gaming] didn’t prevent him from playing in the NFL, but it resulted in tens of millions of dollars lost.”

Naturally, this issue isn’t limited to professional athletes, but it poses a significant concern for college coaches as well, particularly since their players must also juggle academic responsibilities alongside their sport. With even less leisure time, it raises alarms when valuable hours are consumed by video gaming.

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