We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with a few thoughts on the suggestion that every game in the NBA 2K series gets labelled the “worst game ever”, until its successors make it retroactively liked.

There are apologists in the basketball gaming community, who shamelessly shill and defend NBA 2K at every turn. Of course, there are also haters who are disinterested in offering fair and constructive criticism. You’ve got also got fans who can sometimes be overzealous in looking at things through rose-coloured glasses, and critics who don’t necessarily take certain factors into account. There are many opinions that are expressed loudly, and they aren’t always the most nuanced takes. Thanks to their volume however, they’re the ones that stand out, even if they’re in the minority.

And then, there’s the alleged phenomenon of every NBA 2K being labelled the worst in the series, only to be praised when the next game is released. Frankly, this notion that the community bashes every single game before retroactively loving it isn’t fair or accurate. If you go back to some user reviews of older games, you’ll find plenty of positivity. However, there’s truth in saying that some gamers seemingly dislike every new release, while others appear to change their tune years later. It leads to criticism being downplayed on the basis that “every new game is always hated”. We even see developers allude to that notion when defensively duelling with disgruntled gamers.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #412 of the NLSC Podcast!

After last week’s show, we’ve been moved to revisit NBA Live 2001 and NBA Live 2002. Though both were controversial releases in our community, they definitely have their bright spots. Speaking of old NBA Live games, work continues on our All-Time Teams Roster for NBA Live 96 PC. There’s also been an exciting development as far as modding NBA Live 10 on PlayStation 3. As for the future of the series, while NBA Live 23 hasn’t been announced, it’s clear that we’re not the only basketball gamers hoping that the series will return. We discuss the likelihood of it finally happening this year, and revisit our expectations. We then open up the mailbag to discuss the community’s Wishlist for a hypothetical NBA Live 23.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:19:57 — 55.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee4Three! New and old games alike are featured in this celebration of spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood. To submit your clips, post them in this topic, or hit up Dee on Twitter.

We’re up to Week 37 of the NLSC Top 10 Plays, and the community isn’t slowing down with their spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood! As always, this week’s countdown features a variety of games and highlights, though NBA 2K17 has clearly been a popular choice as of late. Not surprisingly, Nate and Roger also had another NBA Live 2001 highlight for us. More surprisingly, there was an appearance from the NBA Elite 11 Demo this week, but we mean what we say: as long as it’s a basketball video game, it’s welcome in the countdown!

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 best plays! Remember, as long as it’s a basketball game, it’s eligible for the countdown. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five concepts that ended up changing NBA 2K forever.

I’m no psychologist, but I’d hazard a guess and say that most of us have experienced an aversion to change at some point in our lives. Whether it’s apprehension of new surroundings, nostalgia goggles, or just plain comfort with the current arrangements, we’d prefer things not to change. Not to get too deep here – again, I’m no psychologist – but it’s important to accept change as part of life, and be able to adjust and grow. Of course, not all change is desirable, and change for change’s sake can prove to be a bad idea. Given the choice, it would’ve been preferable to leave things as they were.

We’ve seen a lot of these changes in basketball video games over the years. Many have been for the best, representing revolution and evolution within the genre. Others haven’t panned out so well. In the case of the latter, some of those concepts have only lasted a game or two before the developers scrapped them in favour of a new and better solution; or perhaps, returned to an old approach that still works best. Other concepts unfortunately stick around despite their negative impact, or at the very least, mixed results. For better or worse, these concepts have forever changed the NBA 2K series as we know it, either from a mechanical or philosophical standpoint.

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Too many files go missing over the years, be they unofficial mods or official updates. It’s our goal to preserve files whenever we can, and to that end, we invite everyone to make use of our upload facilities to add any files from your archives. In that spirit, I’ve uploaded the official rosters for the PC version of NBA 2K10.

You can find the official rosters for NBA 2K10 PC here. In addition to the final update from May 7th 2010, you can find older updates under the dropdown menu above the Download button. I believe that all of the updates are accounted for, dating back to the first two in October 2009. Simply place them in your NBA 2K10 saves folder, and load them as necessary.

Unfortunately, while we’ve been able to preserve official updates for the PC versions of NBA 2K10, NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, NBA 2K13, and NBA 2K14, we don’t have any updates for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 versions of those games. If anybody still has those files to share, we’d certainly welcome them being added to our Downloads database!

Once again, we’d also like to preserve community-made mods whenever possible. If you happen to have any stored in your backups, please feel free to upload them as well. Just make sure that they’re credited to the original author. As always, if you have your own work to share, by all means utilise our upload facilities! Whether a mod is for the latest game or an old favourite, it has a place here.

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 the truly glorious menus found in the PC version of NBA Live 97.

The nostalgic rush you get from a beloved old basketball video game begins long before you hit the virtual hardwood. It’s there upon the first glimpse of the boot-up screens and introduction videos. The first notes of the soundtrack will take you back to all the hours you spent with a game when it was brand new. And then, there are the menus. For many of us, our memories of our favourite basketball games also include spending a sizeable chunk of time in the menus: setting up games, creating players, updating the rosters, and sometimes just enjoying listening to the music.

As such, there are some frontends that stick in our minds. If we vividly remember the menu from a particular game, it’s either because it was visually appealing and easy to navigate, or incredibly ugly and clunky. When it comes to the menus in NBA Live 97, I’d definitely describe them as the former. I know I’ve touched on the menus in NBA Live 97 PC in my retrospective of the game, but I believe that they’re worthy of their own article. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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skoadam and slimm44 have recently released V88 of U R Basketball for NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14 PC! The latest release features 2022 season rosters that are accurate as of January 6th. Key features of V88 are as follows:

• All teams with full 2021/2022 rosters
• All teams with new accurate arenas
• All teams with new accurate courts
• All teams with new accurate dornas
• Added new jerseys
• Around +150 new portraits
• All contracts and extensions updated
• All jersey numbers updated
• All rotations/minutes updated
• 2021/22 schedule implemented

U R Basketball for NBA 2K14 can be downloaded here; please see the release topic here for more information and support. The NBA 2K13 mod is available here, while the release and support topic can be found here. As per the previous bulletin, updates to shoes, Draft Classes, and other aspects of this massive mod pack are still in the pipeline. Stay tuned to skoadam’s topics in the Modding sections for further updates!

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 a retrospective of the teams’ jerseys that I’ve ended up wearing in my various games of MyCAREER.

Retrospectives are usually the domain of Wayback Wednesday, but this is a topic that feels more suitable to tipping off the week with. Kenny has previously reflected on some of his most memorable experiences in MyCAREER, which highlights how many different jerseys his MyPLAYERs have worn. Now that I’ve mostly moved on from the mode, I also find myself looking back at my favourite MyCAREER games, and my preferred approach. Suffice to say that I wasn’t as adventurous as Kenny as far as playing around with different builds, or taking my talents to different teams!

With that being said, I did end up wearing a few teams’ jerseys throughout my various MyCAREER games. I’m glad that I did. As is the case with my franchise gaming over the years, the temptation of playing with the Chicago Bulls and leading them back to the top has been too strong to pass up. However, just as I’ve enjoyed dabbling with using other teams in season and franchise modes, eschewing the Bulls’ jerseys for another uniform in MyCAREER has also been rewarding. While I like the ability to choose my destination, there’s authenticity in the Draft having uncertainty. Thanks to donning a variety of jerseys, I’ve made some great memories in MyCAREER games.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #411 of the NLSC Podcast!

We have two more guests from the community this week, as we’re joined by Nate and Roger. The duo run the NBA Live 2001 Highlights account on Instagram, and also have a YouTube channel. They discuss their love of NBA Live 2001, which they’ve been enthusiastically playing for over 20 years. Suffice to say, they certainly know the game inside and out! From generic jumping ratings and a unique Create-a-Player feature to gameplay mechanics and the most effective strategies, there’s plenty to reflect on. Nate and Roger also talk about other old basketball video games that they play, and their thoughts on recent NBA 2K games. We also reminisce about some of the players that we grew up watching, especially those who became Virtual Hardwood Legends.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:41:50 — 70.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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!

This week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays has a strong retro motif, with fun moments from several virtual hardwood classics. Both versions of NBA 2K14 make an appearance, along with NBA Live’s forerunners, Lakers vs. Celtics and Bulls vs. Blazers. There’s also a great self-alley-oop from AND 1 Streetball, a somewhat overlooked game from the PlayStation 2/original Xbox era. And yes, just in case you’re wondering, I totally meant to throw that pass in my contribution to the countdown. Alright, perhaps not, but the important thing is that it worked!

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.

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 annoying file management issues encountered in various basketball games.

Saving our progress in basketball video games is something that we take for granted. Even going back to some of the oldest titles, the ability to save games and rosters was a common feature. After all, it’s impossible to finish a lengthy season in one session. Editing the rosters each and every time you boot up the game is a chore, though there are a couple of old games that required you to do just that. As technology improved and storage space increased, basketball games evolved beyond having just a couple of save slots, and a lone custom roster file.

As such, for several years and console generations now, we’ve had file management functionality that is pleasingly accommodating. There will be times when certain needs aren’t met, but generally speaking, it’s easy to preserve saved games and custom rosters, and manage them accordingly. Of course, technological improvements mean little in the face of poor design choices or subpar coding. Some games do err when it comes to their file management functionality, or are simply undesirably limited. From inefficient utilisation of storage space to technical issues, these are some of the more annoying problems that we encounter in basketball game file management systems.

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Today’s file additions for NBA 2K17 PC include a new face for Kevin Durant, jersey updates for the 2022 season, and fixed compression shorts. Download them all at the links below!

SimonLee
Kevin Durant Face (Converted from 2K21)

Jango
Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 Jersey
Detroit Pistons 2021-22 Jersey Pack
Compression Shorts Update

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 the oddball classic teams that have been featured in NBA 2K.

One of the best things about the classic teams in NBA 2K is that over the years, the developers have sought to include more unorthodox choices. As fantastic as The Jordan Challenge and NBA’s Greatest were, limiting the selection of classic teams to MJ’s squads and their opponents, or teams connected to fifteen of the league’s all-time best players, didn’t demonstrate much imagination. I love that we have teams such as the 2000 Trail Blazers and Raptors, and the 1997 Heat. NBA 2K needn’t only include truly legendary teams, as there are other interesting squads that are fun to play with.

With that being said, there have been some oddball choices when it comes to the classic teams found in various NBA 2K games. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were bad choices that shouldn’t have been included, though in some cases there was arguably a better option. They do stand out as puzzling picks or ill-fitting inclusions, if for no other reason than they lack a suitable opponent. These oddball choices are something that’s been on my mind when playing with classic teams recently, so let’s take a look back…way back…

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If you’re a devotee of the retro content in NBA 2K, you’re probably aware of the deficiencies and inaccuracies found in the classic teams. From missing players to copy and paste attributes and animations, those squads leave much to be desired. As such, if you’re on PlayStation 5, you’ll want to check out MJWizards’ Completed Classic Teams Roster for NBA 2K22!

In the roster, each classic team has at least 12 real players, and up to 15 when possible. MJWizards has done a simply phenomenal job creating the missing players’ faces, as well as replacing the head coach faces with appropriate lookalikes. Jumpshot and signature animations have been edited for optimal accuracy, along with ratings, tendencies, and bio data.

You can find the NBA 2K22 Completed Classic Teams Roster in the Roster Creator under the name Completed Retro Project, shared by crazyh16. Additionally, MJWizards has released a roster that currently includes four bonus retro teams: the 2002 Wizards, 1993 Suns, 2000 Pacers, and 1993 Nets. You can find that roster under the name Completed Retro Extra.

Please see below for a full list of the key features, as well as a video preview of the project. For more information, or just to say thanks, check out MJWizards’ release topic here in the NBA 2K22 Modding section.

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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 an ode to physical media, a concept that may not be as outdated in 2022 as many people think.

Late last year, I made a couple of purchases that may seem very odd, namely the disc versions of NBA 2K21 for PlayStation 5 and NBA 2K14 for PC. Seeing as how I own digital copies of both games, it may sound like an unnecessary double-dip, even at the bargain bin price that I paid (and in NBA 2K21’s case, I used part of the balance of a gift card). Of course, I am an admitted collector of basketball video games, which perhaps makes my motivation more understandable. NBA 2K14 PC is a particularly interesting item, as it was the final disc release for that platform.

My continued interest in physical media probably seems weirder, and an indication of an “old head” mindset. Here’s the thing, though. I’m not against digital content and streaming services. I make use of both, and understand their advantages over physical media. I also understand their disadvantages. Whether they want to admit it or not, a lot of people who once sneered at anyone who still valued physical media are starting to see those drawbacks, too. In short, many people are realising that the convenience of digital has a price when it comes to future accessibility, the second hand market, and even the concept of ownership. What isn’t tangible is proving to be fleeting.

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