Video games are typically looked down upon as an unproductive time-consuming activity.
But for Wizards 2020 first-round pick Deni Avdija, video games help him learn athletic traits he may not have picked up back home in Israel.
For the 6-foot-9 small forward, the Madden franchise served some valuable lessons which Avdija got to put on display when the Wizards social team filmed a preseason practice full of downcourt bombs with the pigskin.
"I like to know things...I used to watch a lot of NFL, used to play a lot of Madden and got familiar with all the different players," Avdija told Chris Miller. "I used to get my friends involved. I used to play with my friends, teach all my friends to play and they actually liked it."
Whether it was the defensive instincts to cut out the short route to begin the clip or his fly route towards the end, Avdija certainly could be put to good use wearing Burgundy and Gold too.
"I saw videos here and there sometimes and I would catch the technique sometimes. I had an idea of what I wanted to do. It's not like I was trying to catch a basketball," he said.
While football itself may not be popular in Avdija's home country, his love for PlayStation fun while stateside has certainly provided dividends for moments like that one.