Fans of every major sport have spent the past several days dedicating hours to numerous online games that test their ability to build a roster capable of delivering a perfect season.
It all started with the NBA version of those games with 82-0 and SixRings being the most popular choices.
From there, the offerings have expanded to 20-0 Challenge and 17-0 on FirstDown.studio for the NFL, Diamond-Draft’s 162-0 for MLB, CapWages.com’s 82-0 for the NHL, The Perfect Team for college football, 32-0 for college basketball, 38-0 for soccer and MainEventer.com for pro wrestling.
There is little doubt that 82-0 for the NBA has gained the most traction, as NBA players and teams have referenced it on social media.
The Chicago Bulls posted an 82-0 team composed entirely of Bulls legends, led by Michael Jordan, while the Golden State Warriors made mention of the importance of legendary center Wilt Chamberlain in 82-0:
Since Chamberlain averaged 41.5 points and 25.1 rebounds per game over six seasons with the Warriors in the 1960s, having him on an 82-0 roster essentially became a cheat code of sorts.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton joked that he was done with 82-0 after he created a team made up of five of the greatest players of all time, only to end up with a 77-5 record:
Few things are more fun for a sports fan than testing their knowledge and playing the role of a general manager, which is likely why the roster-building games have gained such rapid popularity.