Sure, Madden NFL has a Twitter feed, but only NBA 2K lets me troll virtual Derrick Rose with a tweet after a big game. It's moments like that, ultimately, that set NBA 2K15 apart from other sports sims. Much as I chuckled at Drummond's delivery, I still felt guilty about picking up stakes and moving to the New York Knicks after the Detroit Pistons had given me my shot. If sports games are about fulfilling the fantasy of being a pro athlete or having direct control of your favorite team, then being mentored by a virtual version of a familiar athlete is an extension of that sort of wish fulfillment. Stilted as they are, though, the player voice-overs are also oddly thrilling.

Far from detracting from the overall experience, however, I think it actually adds to it, if only because it never fails to crack me up.

Mostly, it means bearing witness to the range of a guy like Detroit's Andre Drummond, who has exactly one tone of voice for every mood that he's trying to convey, whether it's outraged, jubilant, or cajoling: a bored monotone of the sort that you often hear players use with the media. If NBA 2K15 has taught me anything, it's that getting real-life NBA players to act in your game often brings with it hilarious results.

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