Kids today really need to get outside more…

so they find an arcade to play NBA Jam.

As vintage arcades continue to pop-up around the country (at least 2 in Columbus, Ohio) with NBA Jam being one of the prized centerpieces along with Mortal Kombat and Asteroids, my dad introduced me to the greatest basketball video game ever made in the form of a compact disc for the PC. Burning the nets and climbing two stories for a monster dunk was a thrill-a-minute. Playing this video game with friends was (and is) always a blast.

For this Throwback Thursday, I present to you the fascinating backstory of the popular video game NBA Jam.

Going head-to-head with friends in NBA Jam makes for an awesome time, especially when rediscovering your youth at an arcade. And the games are also intensely competitive. But when I was younger and my dad took a break from his work to challenge me or vice versa, those days were fun curve balls (wrong sport, but you get the point). It was as if I had discovered this secret portal in the universe because I had a dad who liked to play (and was pretty good at) video games.

Boomshakalaka!