NBA 2K22 player discovers Super Mario in-game with unexpected crossover
An NBA 2K22 player was stunned after discovering Super Mario in-game in the form of a tattoo on Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala.
Each year, the popular basketball-sim NBA 2K gets more and more visually realistic. This year’s version, NBA 2K22, is no exception as players are nearly indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts.
The NBA 2K developers, Visual Concepts, have achieved such realistic recreations of real NBA players by replicating their real tattoos into the game.
One player’s tattoo specifically has caught fans’ attention for bringing Super Mario into the 2K universe.
NBA 2K22 player shocked to find Super Mario
On May 26, Reddit userLow_Confusion200posted a picture of Thunder player Mike Muscala with a back tattoo of Tanooki Mario from Super Mario Bros 3.
Muscala has had the Tanooki Mario tattoo for years, and it seems like the Nintendo mascot made it into the game as a piece of art on Mike’s body.
THe post instantly shot up to the top of the NBA 2K subreddit with 300 upvotes.
Fans under the post pointed out how Nintendo might not be too happy to see their character in a game they have no hand in.
One user said, “Nintendo lawsuit incoming.”
Despite the potential legal problems that could stem from including his Nintendo tattoo, fans enjoyed the unexpected crossover.
Let’s see that Super Mario Bros. 3 tattoo again from Mike Muscala.pic.twitter.com/86ctynNdsT
— 𝚁𝚎𝚢-𝚁𝚎𝚢🤞🏾✌🏾 (@TheNoLookPass)June 21, 2025
Muscala has become beloved by many basketball fans for his gaming-inspired tattoo which has now appeared in many NBA broadcasts over the years.
Hopefully, one day, the NBA and Nintendo universes can collide once againNBA Street Vol. 3style.
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