NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

It’s time to enjoy some virtual hardwood highlights in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week! This is a weekly feature curated by Derek (aka Dee4Three) spotlighting the best plays from the basketball gaming community, which includes a few of our own memorable clips from time to time. Submit your clips in the Forum, or hit up Derek on Twitter!

Dunks dominate this week’s Top 10 Plays from the virtual hardwood and blacktop alike, but it’s not just about throwing it down; there are some nifty moves and crafty passes preceding those spectacular slams! Once again, Stildo33’s retro roster mods for NBA 2K19 are on display, and a few old favourites have been used to create new memories. Enjoy ten more great highlights from the basketball gaming community! I’m sure you’ll agree that once again, the number one play has earned the top spot.

What was your favourite highlight this week? Sound off in the comments below, and once again, get in on the fun by sending us your spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood or blacktop. All basketball games are welcome, new and old! Also, be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

It isn’t too often that we get new file additions for NBA 2K16 these days, but there are a couple of releases today. 720G chicagodude has released a couple of 2021 jersey updates, which you can pick up at the links below!

720G chicagodude
Brooklyn Nets 2021 Statement Jersey
Phoenix Suns 2021 City Jersey

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five issues that keep sneaking back into NBA 2K games.

Look, video game design is more difficult than a lot of gamers believe it to be. I know it sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but it bears repeating because there are people out there who seem to think creating the perfect basketball title is as simple as typing plain English into a word processor. Even more cynically, there’s a belief that the developers are capable of creating a much better game, but intentionally holding back on doing so in order to sell next year’s release. I can see the thought process behind that, but if creating a near-flawless game were feasible, it would’ve happened already.

What I’m getting at here is that video game development is challenging. Developers do care about making a great game – the suits may not, but the people actually putting in hard work absolutely do – and they want us to enjoy the fruits of their labour. In all fairness, NBA 2K has maintained a consistently high level of quality throughout the years. Even some of the more problematic and controversial releases over the past decade are still a far cry from being the worst hoops games ever made. There are some legacy issues that manage to keep sneaking back into new NBA 2K titles though, and with a new generation upon us, now is the time to shut them out.

Read More »

Today’s file additions for NBA 2K20 feature the latest retro courts from Bassman58. They’re also compatible with NBA 2K21 PC. Download them all at the links below!

Bassman58
Milwaukee Bucks 1970-71 Milwaukee Arena
New York Knicks 1994-95 Madison Square Garden
Portland Trail Blazers 1990-91 Memorial Coliseum
Golden State Warriors 1990-91 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Los Angeles Lakers 1970-71 Forum
New York Knicks Madison 1971-72 Square Garden

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking a look back at another collection of players that became familiar faces in strange places.

Yes, it’s time for a fifth instalment in my ongoing series profiling familiar faces that ended up in strange places! In case you missed the previous articles, or the title is a bit too esoteric, this series looks back at well-known players that are generally associated with a particular team, and their stints wearing unfamiliar jerseys that looked strange at the time as well as in hindsight. Because video games capture these unusual stints, I’m also looking at them through the lens of the virtual hardwood. As I’ve said before, I love the “interactive almanac” aspect of old video games!

The ten familiar faces in strange places that I’m profiling this time around feature a mix of several big names, as well as some prominent role players from back in the day. Although it’s more jarring to see All-Stars and future Hall of Fame inductees wearing unfamiliar uniforms, we can still come to associate long-tenured role players with a certain team as well. As such, it’s similarly strange when they move on to a new club, both in real life and in video games. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

A freshly posted developer blog and a handful of Tweets from the official NBA 2K Twitter have given us our first look at NBA 2K22! In addition to screenshots of cover players Luka Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, and Candace Parker, we’ve been given some early information about the game.

In addition to outling some of the offensive and defensive gameplay improvements we can expect to see in NBA 2K22, the first look has also dropped some tidbits about modes. Seasons will be returning in MyTEAM, and have now been added to MyCAREER and The W. The Draft will also be returning to MyTEAM, and as previously noted, there will be cross-gen progression.

Both The City and The Neighborhood have been re-designed. There’s a new Quest system in The City, which will be more closely integrated with the MyCAREER experience. Online matchmaking has also been added in Next Gen, which is something that I’ve long been pushing for. MyNBA and MyWNBA gamers can expect some new features as well. A Game Informer preview has also confirmed that Rookieville has been dropped, and Next Gen MyCAREER will take a different approach with storytelling.

As always, I encourage you to check out the blog in full. I’ve recapped it in further detail below however, where you can also find the first look NBA 2K22 screenshots. What are your thoughts? Have your say in the comments, and join in the discussion here in the Forum!

Read More »

Today’s file additions for NBA 2K21 PC include retro player faces, throwback jerseys for the New York Knicks, and ESPN and FOX scoreboards. Download them all at the links below!

NoXeMo
2013-2017 New York Knicks Jerseys
J.R. Smith Retro Face
LeBron James Heat Face
Tyson Chandler Retro Face
Tony Parker 2 Faces Pack
Derek Fisher 2 Faces Pack
Jason Kidd Old Face

mjk2000
1977 George McGinnis Face
1978 Henry Bibby Face
1977 Artis Gilmore Face
1978 Rich Kelley Face
1977 Otto Moore Face

Karinge
ESPN & FOX 2021 Scoreboard (Updated to Final version)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Start your week here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the matter of basketball games featuring commercials.

It’s fair to say that we have mixed feelings about advertising. While we do understand that it’s a necessary part of running a business and that commercials support things we like, we find them annoying. The appeal of recording TV – either through DVR now or VCR back in the day – and watching it later instead of live, is that we can skip the ads. We consider ads intrusive, yet memorable ones become part of pop culture. One only has to look at the Super Bowl commercials and their popularity. And of course, product placement also draws scorn, as does sponsored content.

Like it or not, advertising is everywhere, and it looks like it’s coming to video games, too. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. While various developers including EA have recently signed deals with an in-game advertising platform named playerWON that will allow them to place ads in their games and incentivise gamers to watch them by offering rewards, it’s not the first time we’ve seen this mobile gaming model in Triple-A titles. That’s not to say that I approve. Like most gamers I’m sure, I rolled my eyes and grumbled at the news. It did get me thinking about the history of commercials in basketball gaming though, and previous attempts to advertise on the virtual hardwood.

Read More »

Episode #384 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

The cover players, release date, and pre-order bonuses for NBA 2K22 have been revealed, confirming leaks and speculation, and drawing some boorish comments about one player in particular. Unfortunately, the PC version will be a prior gen port once again this year, and we have some thoughts to share on that. Despite the remarks of one wannabe content creator, PC gamers have a right to be dismayed…and to play NBA 2K, for that matter. The lack of a demo on all platforms is likewise disappointing. Elsewhere, a Tweet mentioning a partnership between LeBron James and EA has people talking, though we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves (again). We also touch on Steam Deck, and some listener responses to last week’s mailbag topics.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:15:29 — 52.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

It’s time to enjoy some virtual hardwood highlights in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week! This is a weekly feature curated by Derek (aka Dee4Three) spotlighting the best plays from the basketball gaming community, which includes a few of our own memorable clips from time to time. Submit your clips in the Forum, or hit up Derek on Twitter!

On top of the usual assortment of dunks and alley-oops – which are always spectacular – this week’s Top 10 Plays features some “I can’t believe that happened/worked!” moments. It’s always satisfying to experience such organic highlights, and I’m sure you’ll agree that they’re fun to watch when they happen for your fellow gamers, too! Once again we have quite a variety of games in this week’s countdown, including a first time appearance from NBA Live Mobile. Remember, if it’s a great moment in a basketball video game, it’s eligible for the Top 10!

What was your favourite highlight this week? Sound off in the comments below, and once again, get in on the fun by sending us your spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood or blacktop. All basketball games are welcome, new and old! Also, be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

If you’ve tuned in to the NLSC Podcast as of late, you will have heard Dee4Three and I talking about the Classic Seasons mods for NBA 2K19 PC, created by Stildo33 and company. With the server shutdown last year, it’s obviously been more difficult for the rosters to be distributed.

Fortunately, that’s no longer the case! Stildo33 has uploaded the rosters so that they can be downloaded the “old-fashioned” way, along with the necessary art packs. You can find all of the download links here in the NBA 2K19 Modding section.

Presently, the Classic Seasons mods for NBA 2K19 cover 1988-89 through to 1993-94. The releases that are currently available came out last December, but new versions are being worked on. Additionally, further seasons are also in the pipeline, with the 1995 mod already well under way.

If you’re still playing NBA 2K19 PC, and even if you’re not, I highly recommend checking out the mods. A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into them, and as you can see from the videos and screenshots users of the mod have been posting, it’s resulted in highly accurate performance. The mods have been put to good use in games being played over Parsec, and you can check out some highlights over on our YouTube channel. Congratulations and thanks to Stildo33 and company for all of their hard work so far!

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is another list of cover players that you may not recall being the face of a game.

In my first Friday Five article on cover players that you may not recall, I focused on international/alternate covers that likely flew under the radar for even the keenest of hoops gamers. For Part 2, I’m focusing on players who were the main/only cover athlete for their respective titles, but due to either their standing in the league at the time, their game being somewhat overlooked and forgotten, or a combination of the two, they’re less likely to be remembered for being cover players at one point. That’s not to say nobody recalls their appearances on covers, but it’s easy enough to forget.

Looking back, there have been some unusual and surprising cover players. There are explanations, of course. As basketball games have become more popular, the choice of cover player has become more significant, if only as an indication of the strength of the brand. Younger players who grew up with video games naturally tend to be more excited about endorsing them, likely viewing them the same way older players looked upon appearing on a Wheaties box or the cover of Sports Illustrated. On top of that, when there were more NBA games on the market, not every title could secure a top star. With that being said, here are five more cover players that may surprise you.

Read More »

The preview season for NBA 2K22 has officially tipped off with the reveal of the covers, and it turns out the leaks were accurate! Luka Doncic will appear on the standard edition cover of NBA 2K22, while the NBA 75th Anniversary cover will feature Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant. Additionally, a cover featuring Candace Parker will be a GameStop exclusive.

NBA 2K22 will be coming out September 10th, 2021. The game is already available to pre-order, and this year’s bonuses have been revealed. As in previous years, the pre-order bonuses include VC, MT, MyTEAM packs, and boosts and gear for your MyPLAYER. See below for the full breakdown of the bonuses for each edition.

Unfortunately, it’s been confirmed that the PC version of NBA 2K22 will be a Prior Gen port (i.e. identical to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), and will not include any Next Gen features. On a more positive note, while there won’t be any cross-platform play, MyTEAM progression will carry across on the same console family, as was the case in NBA 2K21.

Check out the NBA 2K22 covers below, leave your thoughts in the comments, and join in the discussion taking place here in the Forum! I’ve also created an article for NBA 2K22 here in our Wiki, and as always, your help in keeping it up to date would be appreciated. Let the preview season begin!

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking another look back at NBA Live 07, and considering whether or not it’s still the worst game in the NBA Live series.

Since I followed up with further impressions of NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360 after my retrospective for our 25th Anniversary of NBA Live celebrations, I’ve decided to take another look back at NBA Live 07. As with the aforementioned article, I’d originally planned to do this as part of some “overtime” 25th Anniversary content, but at this point, I feel it would be more appropriate to repurpose those ideas for my Wayback Wednesday features. After all, we’re now significantly past the dates marking the 25th Anniversary of NBA Live on both console (1994) and PC (March 1995).

Although I do stand by what I said in my previous retrospective, sometimes games are worth a second or third look with fresher eyes and different perspectives. I found that I liked the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 much better after giving it another chance and adjusting to its style of play. I’ve also developed a greater appreciation for NBA Live 10. It admittedly seems a very unlikely prospect with NBA Live 07, as it has a well-earned reputation as one of the worst games in the series, if not the worst NBA Live release. Nevertheless, I’m interested in giving it one more chance, and drawing some comparisons to other flawed titles. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

Here are the latest file additions for NBA 2K13! Today’s releases include Pyromania1983’s fictional jerseys for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks, and the latest version of PatTheHead’s retro roster pack featuring hundreds of new face updates by Oldstyle2k. Download all of today’s NBA 2K13 file additions at the links below!

Pyromania1983
Pyromania1983’s Fictional Oklahoma City Thunder Uniform Concepts
Pyromania1983’s Fictional Boston Celtics Uniform Concepts
Pyromania1983’s Fictional Dallas Mavericks Uniform Concepts

PatTheHead
1946/47 to 1989/90 ABA + NBA Seasons (Updated to v5.6)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.