EA Sports put one big question to rest when they announced that "NBA Jam" would be available with "NBA Elite 11" for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in addition to being sold on its own exclusively for the Wii. And while we know that Dennis Rodman, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird will appear in the game, we still don't know which unlockable celebrities in the tradition of Bill Clinton, George Clinton and Warren Moon will be included. Here are ten faces that EA should consider:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
This one seems like the biggest gimme of all. Obama is already making an appearance in "Madden NFL 11" this year, so an "NBA Jam" follow-up would be perfectly reasonable.
BILL MURRAY
Murray has been known to visit NBA arenas and show up at NCAA tournament games, and let's not forget his appearance in "Space Jam." The real question is who out there wouldn't want to suit him up for a few dunks?
LADY GAGA
The use of one of her onstage costume pieces alone would make her a spectacle on the court in "NBA Jam," and seeing her take it to the house against Shaq would make for a groundbreaking moment in video game sports.
BRETT FAVRE
Having just decided to come back for another year in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, Favre now holds the position previously held by Moon. It's only fitting that he should have a shot at following him into "NBA Jam" as well.
JASON WEST & VINCE ZAMPELLA
West and Zampella have yet to announce their first EA-published game at Respawn Entertainment, but as long as they're on good terms with EA, this would be an easy chance for them to bask in all the fame they've attracted in 2010. The fan service it could deliver would be off the charts.
JOHN MADDEN
Now that "NBA Jam" is at EA Sports, there's no good reason for them to pass on inserting the biggest celebrity under their brand umbrella. Helicopter jams from the man who rides in the Madden Cruiser would generate plenty of "fire."
COMMANDER SHEPARD
Previous "NBA Jam" installments were lacking in sci-fi, unless you count George Clinton. This is yet one more golden cross-promotional opportunity that would double as extremely attractive gamer bait to "Mass Effect" players.
JUSTIN BIEBER
Your eyes may be rolling at this one, but if Air Dog doesn't return to this edition of "NBA Jam," there's only one face in the universe ideally suited to inherit his pint-size stature and all-star abilities. Furthermore, such a move would instantly supercharge this game's popularity in the world of Bieber fandom.
SMOKE MONSTER JOHN LOCKE
Imagine for second that you could unlock the biggest badass on "Lost." Now picture him dribbling circles around everyone listed above with "Mortal Kombat"-style Smoke effects rising off of him and tell me the rest of your day is not going to be spent sending emails to EA Sports.
Who do you want to be able to unlock in the new "NBA Jam"? What do you think of our selections? Share your responses and your own picks in the comment section below.