NBA's Jarrett Allen Found Out He Was An All-Star While Playing Pokemon, Couldn't Pause Game

You'd think that learning of your first-ever selection for an NBA All-Star game would be a moment worth celebrating wholeheartedly and for hours--in the case of Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, however, Pokemon Legends: Arceus took priority.

According to Fear the Sword's Evan Dammarell, Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff said Allen's conversation regarding being named to the team was very short because he was playing Pokemon Legends: Arceus and couldn't pause the game. He wasn't ungrateful, but when you can't pause a game, you can't pause a game.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is quite good, if you haven't heard, so this commitment to the game isn't unwarranted. Perhaps Allen had just spotted a new monster and needed to capture it before it was too late? In our Pokemon Legends: Arceus review, Steve Watts gave the game an 8/10 and said "its distinct qualities set it apart from the core series and ultimately elevate it."

Allen is a fan of other Nintendo properties, as well. In fact, he thinks Mario is the greatest athlete of the generation. He's a replacement this year for James Harden, who is of course best known for his work as himself in FIFA 18.

This is hardly the first time a video game has gotten in the way of a professional commitment. Henry Cavill was playing World of Warcraft when he got the phone call offering him the Superman role for Man of Steel.