“You’re banned.”

That’s what Trevor Ariza told Clint Capela a few years back. The EA SPORTS FIFA tournament he was organising for the Houston Rockets roster was for fun. Pros weren’t welcome.

And, boy, Ariza had good reason. For Capela wouldn’t only have slam-dunked the rest of the Rockets roster, but the hulking centre believes he’d overthrow no less than the reigning FIFA eWorld Cup champion, Mosaad 'Msdossary' Aldossary.

“I’d definitely beat [him],” Capela told FIFA.com. “I don’t joke. I think of myself as a professional. I play around two hours every day, online against other players. I’ve never played against anybody better than me.”

One NBA player swallowed a potent enough bravery shake to challenge Capela at FIFA. Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers’ reigning NBA All-Star, was born in Cameroon the year Roger Milla became the oldest marksman in FIFA World Cup™ history. ‘The Process’ is a lifelong football fan, counts several footballers among his friends, and is considered excellent at the EA SPORTS title. Taking on Capela, however, was a mountain too high for the 7ft centre.

“He quit!” Capela explained. “I won the first game and was 3-0 up at half-time in the second. There’s no way back from being 3-0 down, so he just got up and walked out, said he couldn’t take it anymore!”

FIFA-mania has swept the NBA in recent years. “I play FIFA all the time,” revealed Steph Curry, the two-time MVP and arguably the greatest three-point shooter in history. So, too, does Lebron James, the Akron Hammer daring to challenge Michael Jordan’s reign as the greatest of all-time and the man Tite claimed helped him revitalise Brazil.

The video game was even what Giannis Antetokounmpo bought himself as a first treat for being drafted into the NBA in 2013. “I love playing FIFA,” said ‘The Greek Freak’. Paul George, the five-time NBA All-Star, is another avid gamer who has challenged his ten million-plus social media followers to remote rumbles.

Others FIFA-playing NBA stars include Mike Conley Jr, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gobert, Gerald Green, Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross and John Wall. And all-time greats Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Steve Nash are soccer diehards who enjoy imitating their heroes with a remote in their giant hands. There is, however, zero doubt who’s the NBA daddy when it comes to FIFA.

“I’ve loved FIFA since I was five years old,” continued Capela, who likes to play as Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain. “I got FIFA 2000 for Christmas and I’ve been addicted ever since.

“I have never met anybody better than me. I’ve lost a couple of games over the last 19 years, but I have always been the better player, got them back.”

The Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup continues this weekend. But be warned: whoever conquers the Grand Final may have a 6ft 10ins hulk calling them out for a showdown!