Tyreke Evans and Deron Williams (photo. Katrin Auch for Activition)

While playing Call of Duty online, have you ever wondered if you had ever faced off with an NBA player unknowingly? If you’re a first-person shooting fiend, chances are that it’s a possibility. New Jersey’s Deron Williams and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans are two more NBA players who say they love to play the popular video game franchise, Call of Duty.

Yesterday with the much-anticipated release of “Escalation,” the second map pack (four new multiplayer maps, ranging from a luxurious Cuban hotel to a Russian farm town, and one Zombie experience) for “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” the two NBA stars got to head out to Treyarch Studios in Santa Monica, California to check out the new maps. They faced off in an epic Grudge Match to determine which of the two was nicer on the sticks.

I got a chance to catch up with Williams and Evans just before they took to the screens to start setting claymores and sleight-of-handing each other to death. And if you’re wondering, Deron’s team prevailed over Tyreke’s team 4-2.

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Dime: Tell me how you got involved with Treyarch and the Call of Duty guys?

Deron Williams: I actually did an ESPN the Magazine interview about a year ago for Call of Duty. I dunno how that developed. I think they knew it was my favorite game. It’s really the only game that I play. So I think that’s how it got under way and they told me about the opportunity to come here and see where the game is made and have a chance to beat up on Tyreke so I was up for that.

Tyreke Evans: For me, I play Call of Duty in my off time and especially now that the season is over. I’ve started playing a lot. I just wanted to come out here to Treyarch and see the game and the new maps that they designed and see how it was going to look.

Dime: Tell me a little bit about the new maps that are releasing today. Did you guys get a chance to mess around with them at all?

DW: Yeah, we are doing that in a little bit after we get done talking to all of you guys. We will go down there and play.

Dime: Deron, you said this was kinda your favorite game. How would you guys rate your skills? Do you guys legitimately play a lot or is this the type of game where you can only play at certain times?

DW: I play a lot. I’m not the greatest. I’ve only prestiged once. Other people have prestiged 15 or 20 times, so I don’t play enough to prestige that much but when I get the chance (I play). I have four kids to look after.

TE: I’m more free (laughs). I don’t have four kids or nothing like that. I get a chance to play video games (a lot), especially whenever my friends come over to my house. We get to play the game, have fun and just chill and fall back.

Dime: As far as the league, it seems like there is a big video game culture in the entire league. Do you think that just comes from the age demographic and you guys being on the road all the time?

DW: Yeah, I think it’s everything that you said. We have a lot of free time. A lot of the guys are young and still kids in their own life. Video games are a way for guys to have fun and enjoy themselves.

Deron Williams (photo. Katrin Auch for Activition)

Dime: Who are some of the best video game players that you guys have seen that are in the NBA?

TE: In what game?

Dime: Call of Duty.

TE: (chuckles) I’ve seen Nate Robinson play. He’s pretty good.

Dime: Is there anyone you know that is really big into video games, playing constantly and always up on what games are coming out and things like that?

DW: There’s a lot of people like that. That’s probably half of the NBA.

Dime: When you play, do you normally play online, with people you know or do you just get on and run with anybody?

DW: I play online. I play Call of Duty online most of them.

TE: I play with some friends and when we get on there, I can get online too and talk some trash to some of the people that are online.

Dime: How would you describe your style as a Call of Duty player? Do you have specific maps you like? Specific weapons or perks?

DW: Yeah, I use all of my classes. I fill them up. My favorite map is Nuketown because you can just run around killing people. I like the small maps.

TE: I like the other maps where I can hide so I won’t be getting killed. I’m trying to hide a lot. I try to camp out and wait for people to run by and then start shooting at ‘em (laughs).

DW: Yeah, we are trying to play the new maps, man. I think it’s going to be fun to see them. It doesn’t give anybody an advantage because we don’t know the maps so we are even.