Monday Tip-Off: Vic Van Lier & Media Literacy

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on Vic Van Lier from NBA 2K16’s MyCAREER story “Livin’ Da Dream”, and media literacy in general.

When the NBA Centel’s Twitter/X was temporarily shut down in February, it led to an outpouring of support for the satirical social media account. Several teams dedicated their victories on February 26th to NBA Centel, and there was much rejoicing when it was reinstated. Unsurprisingly, the official NBA 2K account jumped on the trend, but took it a step further by including a headshot of Vic Van Lier in their tribute. While I’d normally be tempted to cite Alex Krokus’ “Life of a Meme” comic here, I have to tip my hat to 2K’s social media team for making an enjoyable reference.

Since then, NBA Centel’s account has been reinstated, which means they can go back to fooling alleged analysts into believing fictional stories. And while we’re on the subject of stories and media literacy, let’s talk about Vic Van Lier and Spike Lee’s “Livin’ Da Dream” in NBA 2K16. Quite a few people replied to 2K’s aforementioned post with memories of that tale, paying tribute to Vic Van Lier and referring to his fatal accident as one of the saddest moments in the history of MyCAREER. Look, entertainment is subjective, and we’re all entitled to our opinions. However, when it comes to Vic and NBA 2K16’s story, I have to wonder…did people pay attention?

For those who don’t play MyCAREER, skipped NBA 2K16, or just don’t remember the particulars, here’s a quick overview of “Livin’ Da Dream”. Our MyPLAYER, Frequency Vibrations (aka Freq) is a future star from Harlem, with a twin sister Cee-Cee and a best friend named Vic Van Lier. Cee-Cee becomes his manager, while Vic becomes…well, a coattail-riding nuisance who declares himself an FOF: “Friend of Freq”. Freq is warned to distance himself after one too many incidents, Vic dies in a crash following a car chase, and his ghost reveals a tragic back story. Oh, and Freq also accidentally killed or severely injured someone, and Vic’s parents had AIDS.

Suffice it to say that it’s much heavier than your usual MyCAREER story! That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though future games didn’t get quite as dark (or dedicate more time to the story than to gameplay in your rookie season). While it isn’t my favourite MyCAREER story and probably not the tone it should usually take, I do applaud it for pushing the envelope, and setting the stage for more cinematic tales with high profile actors and filmmakers. To that point, I realise that Spike Lee is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and I’m not. Still, if Ryan Hollins and Kendrick Perkins can weigh in on the GOAT debate, I can critique the plot and themes of a MyCAREER story!

To be blunt, I didn’t find Vic Van Lier to be as sympathetic as other MyCAREER gamers clearly did. Look up the cutscenes for “Livin’ Da Dream” on YouTube, and you’ll see quite a few people expressing sorrow for Vic’s demise, and expressing their dislike – even hatred – of the team owner for forcing Freq to cut off his childhood friend. I do get it. It doesn’t help that the owner starts talking about money, seemingly prioritising it over friendship or even just basketball. He is the power, and Freq is the protagonist defying the power. It’s clear that life hasn’t been easy for Vic even before we learn his full back story, so the owner can come across as coldly antagonistic.

Here’s the thing though: he was right. He was absolutely right! Vic was becoming an expensive distraction that threatened Freq’s career. Dom Pagnotti can spin it any way he likes, but teams were definitely going to think twice about signing Freq with that kind of baggage. The owner’s story about his college friend who was a card-counting whiz was also poignant. He knows what it’s like to be thick as thieves with a friend, but also that that doesn’t mean letting them drag you down a bad path; that as painful as it may be to lose that friendship, you can’t keep those people in your life. Freq can pout when he’s told “Vic Gotta Go“, but the owner is the adult, giving a kid a lesson.

And yet, you’ll see reactions to those cutscenes talking about how the owner is unfair and controlling. Again, it doesn’t help that he mentions money in that conversation, but the point is that Freq is in the NBA, and is expected to be mature and professional. Vic may be a friend who genuinely loves Freq like a brother, but he’s also clearly a user, out of control, and ultimately trouble. Also, the fact that he attempts to guilt Freq by bringing up his dark secret – the confrontation that got out horribly of hand – and insinuating that he’s doing Freq a favour by keeping his mouth shut, doesn’t paint him in the best light. Sure, he has a sympathetic tale, but he’s still a pretty lousy friend!

The funny thing is that “Livin’ Da Dream” is in many ways a PG sequel to Spike Lee’s He Got Game, right down to Al Palagonia digitally reprising his role as agent Dom Pagnotti. One of the themes of that film was that young athletes destined for stardom must be wary of hangers-on, of being made to feel guilty if they don’t support their friends and share their newfound wealth. The message was more explicit in He Got Game, but I do think that’s the moral of “Livin’ Da Dream” as well. Yes, Vic Van Lier is a tragic character, but he was also irresponsible, childish, and likely to cause Freq’s downfall. The owner was harsh, but only because Freq was so stubbornly ignorant.

I’m guessing that age is a factor here. I was already in my thirties when NBA 2K16 was released and I played through its MyCAREER story. Instead of identifying with Freq and thinking “cutting Vic off is just wrong”, I could only think “you stupid kid, Vic is a bad friend who’s using you and will ruin your career, get rid of him!” I pitied him, I understood Freq’s dilemma, but I found myself siding with the mature people in the room, who could see the bigger picture and weren’t about to excuse Vic Van Lier’s troublemaking. So many of the comments dragging the team owner come across as the “ugh, adults are so UNFAIR” sentiments that we all uttered as kids and teenagers.

With that being said, that’s somewhat unfair to younger gamers. It also ignores that plenty of people above the age of 25 also struggle with media literacy! For example, look at the way too many in the Internet Wrestling Community argue that the clear heel in an angle isn’t actually the villain. I realise that for a lot of pro wrestling fans, it’s a bit; a meme. However, there are many others who will try to justify the actions of a heel under the notion that “the best villains always have a point”. Of course, not only is this a narrow view of villains, but fans end up turning the heel into the face in the story, in turn undermining the whole idea that having a point makes a great villain.

This happens in other media as well, along with shades of grey somehow making a villain more sympathetic, while a hero’s flaws conversely turn them into the bad guy. Of course, sometimes this is just being a contrarian for the sake of it. Blatant plot points and even dialogue will be ignored or explained away by headcanon, twisting the characters and story however you see fit. Granted, grey morality and ambiguous heroism and villainy are themes in many stories, but sometimes the audience just sees what it wants. Since I brought it up, NBA Centel is a fine example of people lacking media literacy, which again involves members of the media who should know better!

Still, let’s say that I’ve got it wrong, and that Vic Van Lier is more sympathetic than I give him credit for, and that the team owner is the antagonist of “Livin’ Da Dream”. If so, the story didn’t do a good enough job of making Vic likeable, and leaned too far into giving the allegedly villainous owner a valid point. In other words, using shades of grey painted a picture that wasn’t intended. However, I believe my interpretation is what was intended: that Vic is a tragic character, but also a complication for Freq; in a way, an antagonist. The owner seems callous, but his harsh advice comes from a place of caring, and experience that Freq lacks. It’s a story of a lost soul, and a tough lesson.

“It’s not that deep” is one of those thought-terminating clichés that I’ve really come to dislike. Used properly, it’s a good, snarky rejoinder to a nonsensical take that’s read far too much into something. Used improperly, it reveals a superficial thinker who can’t entertain thought experiments, or recognise themes and metaphors. To that end, you don’t need to look too deep into “Livin’ Da Dream” to see the obvious message. While we can’t all relate to being a rich and famous NBA player, a problematic friend that we need to distance ourselves from for our own good – no matter how much we may love them – is a universal theme. It’s part of growing up and being responsible.

Consider this. Vic’s partying has resulted in run-ins with the law, which has cost Freq thousands of dollars (thankfully, this doesn’t come out of your VC!). He’s also implied to be taking advantage of Freq’s generosity, as well as his celebrity. He interferes in Freq’s business dealings, hits on his girlfriend Yvette, tries some emotional blackmail, and for his final act in life, gets into a high speed chase (in Freq’s car) that could’ve ended up taking more lives than just his. Meanwhile, the team owner tells Freq to cut off a toxic friend who’s nothing but trouble. I’m sorry, but this isn’t a 90s kid’s film where the stern authority figure is automatically the villain just because he’s no fun!

Again, I’m not suggesting that Vic isn’t sympathetic, and I admire that 2K had the guts to run with such dark themes in what is generally an all-ages basketball video game. I appreciate the complexity; the shades of grey. I also thought it was funny that 2K’s social media team referenced the “late” Vic Van Lier in their tribute to a parody NBA news account. However, seeing those responses reminded me that to this day, it seems that so many people missed the point of “Livin’ Da Dream” and the character of Vic Van Lier. I’m not calling him a villain in the strictest sense, and it was a tragic end for him, but I only have so much sympathy for a bullet the protagonist thankfully dodged.

Mind you, I still like him better than B-Fresh. That’s an incredibly low bar, though.

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