The NBA 2K27 preview season is officially underway, but gamers are still playing and modding NBA 2K26, as evident from today’s mod releases! SexCurryBeats has released a couple of new basketballs, specifically the Molten BG5000 and Worn Spalding Silver Series, while Chad Curney has updated his WNBA on ESPN logo pack. Download all of the latest NBA 2K26 mod releases at the links below!

SexCurryBeats
Molten BG5000 FIBA Ball
Worn Spalding Silver Series

Chad Curney
WNBA On ESPN Team Logos (Updated to V4.0)

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 Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the freeze-frame player introductions in seventh gen NBA Live 07 and NBA Live 08.

For all the talk about how as we grow older we also grow more close-minded, I have to say that when it comes to basketball video games, I’ve had the opposite experience. When I was a younger basketball gamer, I was very particular about certain aspects of the virtual hardwood. Not only did I struggle to enjoy sim titles that felt different to NBA Live, but I had some rather strict criteria and a few petty gripes when it came to critiquing my favourite hoops series. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with having strong preferences, but I definitely took some things way too seriously!

To that end, while I do stand by some of my criticisms all these years later, I have lightened up about other things that used to bother me. An obvious example is the comedic cutscenes in NBA Live 2003. While I still think they went a little overboard with them and they’re not the tone I’d prefer in a sim game, I can find the humour in them nowadays, and appreciate how they gave the game character. The freeze-frame player introductions in NBA Live 07 and NBA Live 08 are another example of a stylistic choice that I’ve warmed up to. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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In the wake of last week’s cover reveal, the NBA 2K27 gameplay trailer has dropped! As expected, it features this year’s cover players and other prominent names – including LeBron James in his new Philadelphia 76ers jersey – strutting their stuff with a series of cinematic highlights. We’ll likely have to wait a few weeks to see any raw gameplay.

To that point, the roadmap for the NBA 2K27 preview season has also been revealed. Unlike previous years where we had weekly developer insights and other previews, this year there’s going to be one big reveal of all the key information on August 18th. Notably, this reveal will come a day after the pre-order discount and limited-time bonus are no longer available.

However, in addition to the gameplay trailer and preview season roadmap, we do have some early information about NBA 2K27. There have been changes to the contest logic from AI players, and the implementation of the dunk meter. Rucker Park is part of The City, which will use a familiar map with new aesthetics. Cap Breakers return, and there are new Badges for MyPLAYERs. There are also a couple of user-friendly changes to the Auction House.

Check out a summary of those snippets below, along with the NBA 2K27 gameplay trailer and a screenshot of LeBron James! Share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion in the NBA 2K27 section of the Forum. Obviously this year’s preview season is going to be a little different, but nevertheless we’ll be covering any news as it comes in, and providing commentary on those details. To that end, be sure to tune into Episode #641 of the NLSC Podcast for our reactions to the cover reveals, pre-order bonuses, and first-look screenshots.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #641 of the NLSC Podcast!

The NBA 2K27 preview season is now officially underway following the reveal of the cover players for the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultra Editions of the game, as well as their pre-order bonuses and a handful of first-look screenshots. To that end, this week we join the community in reacting to our first glimpse of NBA 2K27, as well as the prices and pre-order bonuses for all three editions. We also draw some comparisons to the pre-order bonuses for NBA 2K17 ten years ago, discuss the drawbacks of digital-only premium editions, and touch on the controversy surrounding the cover art for the Standard Edition of NBA 2K27, which was seemingly taken from a proposed design on social media.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 49:30 — 34.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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!

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 some thoughts on how every basketball video game is someone’s first, and how that’s connected to issues with repetition.

The longer that you’re a fan of something, the more difficult it is to not become at least a little cynical and jaded. It’s incredibly difficult to top the excitement we felt when everything about our hobbies and interests was fresh and new. Indeed, it’s why when we experience something delightful after being a fan or enthusiast for a long time, we’re inclined to describe that joy as “feeling like a kid again”. Whether it’s getting hooked on a video game, seeing your favourite team win a championship, or watching a successful reboot of a nostalgic TV show, it’s a wonderful feeling!

Of course, there are reasons that we become jaded and cynical, and it’s not just a case of aging into a grumpy older person. I mean, I can’t deny that that happens, but it’s not just the years, but the experiences within them. As far as NBA 2K is concerned, take modes like MyCAREER and MyTEAM for example. The journey to superstardom or a stacked fantasy squad can be an absolute blast the first few times that you travel that path. After a while though, it begins to feel repetitive. Starting over from square one quickly becomes more of a chore. It’s an issue that many long-time gamers would like to see future titles address, but there’s a catch here: it’s always someone’s first game.

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The NBA 2K27 preview season is officially underway, as the covers were revealed this week, along with some first-look screenshots and pre-order details. This year’s cover players are Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, and Derrick Rose. Furthermore, we have confirmation that NBA 2K27 will not be available for Gen 8 consoles (i.e. PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch). It will be coming out on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 on September 4th, 2026.

Victor Wembanyama appears on the cover of the Standard Edition of NBA 2K27, which will have a physical release. Caitlin Clark and Derrick Rose appear on the covers of the Deluxe and Ultra Editions of NBA 2K27 respectively, though both are digital-only releases. The Deluxe and Ultra Editions aren’t available in some regions, as they contain pre-order bonuses related to the game’s recurrent revenue and gambling mechanics.

NBA 2K27 is already available to pre-order. As for the pre-order bonuses, it’s the usual assortment of VC, MyTEAM cards, and boosts for MyCAREER; at least in the two more expensive editions. The Standard Edition only includes 10,000 VC, not counting any bonuses that may be offered by local retailers. Up to seven days of Early Access is available when pre-ordering the Deluxe and Ultra Editions of NBA 2K27. Additional bonuses for both NBA 2K26 and NBA 2K27 are available if you pre-order the premium editions of the latter before August 17th.

The first-look screenshots show off the three cover players, as well as Cooper Flagg. We’ve also gotten a glimpse of the “2K Mart”, an in-game shop. No other details are available at this time, but we’ll soon be getting a roadmap for the rest of the NBA 2K27 preview season. Based on previous years, I’d expect weekly developer insights through August, a gameplay trailer, and a few other snippets here and there. As always, we’ll be aggregating the news and previews, while highlighting the key information.

In the meantime, you can check out the artwork for the NBA2K27 covers below, along with the first-look screenshots and a breakdown of the pre-order bonuses. Got any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in the newly-launched NBA 2K27 section in our Forum! I’ll also be adding a portal for NBA 2K27 here on the main site shortly, so stay tuned for that and more details on the game as they’re released.

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Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.

With LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers, it seems a safe bet that we’ll be seeing his virtual likeness sporting his new jersey in the NLSC Top 10 Plays very soon! In the meantime though, this week we have a couple of timely LeBron highlights, albeit from his Cavaliers and Lakers stints. Kobe Bryant is also pulling off some crazy aerial wizardry, in a countdown packed with poster dunks and a couple of wild shots. Seven different basketball video games are on display in the latest countdown, from NBA Live 2004 through to NBA Bounce. Let’s get to the action!

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 old school roster modding techniques that – for the most part – stopped being necessary in newer titles.

When it comes to modding – roster or otherwise – there are some techniques that have remained fairly similar across decades of games, and even between different series. With rosters, the ratings and other attributes need to be accurately assigned so that players perform as expected. Many of the basic techniques of modding textures and models for faces, jerseys, courts, logos, arenas, and so forth apply to multiple games, though the specifics and necessary tools may certainly differ. If nothing else, while there may be some unique steps, there’ll be familiarity in the process and results.

Mind you, there have also been some noticeable differences as basketball games have become more sophisticated, and changed their file formats. As someone whose entry into roster modding came with NBA Live 96 for PC, I can absolutely attest to that! To that point, I enjoy looking back at how the hobby has changed throughout the years. I’m undoubtedly glad that changes to the games have made roster modding easier, but I’ll admit that I do have nostalgia for the techniques we had to use in the early days. It inspired us to problem-solve and to be creative in our solutions; something I believe that these five old school roster modding techniques demonstrate! Let’s begin with…

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A new patch has come through for NBA The Run. As always, the new update should download automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try checking for updates manually, or restart your console or Steam client.

The patch adds three rookies to NBA The Run, namely AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer. All three are locked however, and must be purchased for 5000 CRED apiece. You’ll also need to have reached Level 25 in order to purchase them. The rookies all have unique jumpshots and trick moves.

A new ruleset – “Block Party” – has also been added. Under these rules, games are played to 15, with blocked shots subtracting a point from your opponent’s score (down to zero, so no negative points). This ruleset has been set to Common rarity. Meanwhile, the Oop City and Dunkfest rulesets have been set to Rare.

Bug fixes, tuning tweaks, and other enhancements are also included in the latest patch for NBA The Run. Please see below for the full patch notes, which you can also find here in our Wiki. The PC version of NBA The Run is currently on sale for anyone who’s been waiting for a discount. However, if you’d like to hear some honest impressions of the game before you buy, tune in to Episode #635 of the NLSC Podcast for our detailed review.

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This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m pondering another historical NBA What If, specifically what if Shaq had stayed in Orlando in 1996?

Earlier this month, I reminisced about the 1996 offseason. It was always going to be nostalgic to me being the first offseason that I experienced after becoming a hardcore basketball fan, but on top of that, it turned out to be an extremely important one in NBA history. A number of notable names switched teams, either via free agency or blockbuster trade. Although they obviously hadn’t achieved legendary status as yet, the Draft Class of 1996 was nevertheless exciting and full of promise. And of course, Shaquille O’Neal joining the Los Angeles Lakers was the move of the offseason!

Needless to say, Shaq signing with LA not only drastically altered the future of the Lakers, but also the fortunes of the Orlando Magic. The move worked out for Shaq, though he has admitted to having some regrets about leaving Orlando in 1996. Now, hindsight is 20/20, and retired players have demonstrated that they don’t have any qualms about twisting stories to improve their image in the eyes of fans. Still, had Orlando handled the situation better, perhaps Shaq would’ve stuck around longer. It’s another interesting What If, so let’s take a look back…way back…

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #640 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we do tend to take our basketball gaming fairly seriously – especially when it comes to the sim titles – sometimes it’s fun to get a little silly on the virtual hardwood; or indeed, rather looney! To that end, this week we’re reviewing Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, which not only includes NBA Jam-style basketball, but also soccer, tennis, and golf. Despite being intended for a younger audience, we definitely had a good time with it! We also recap a co-op game of basketball in Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars for the Sega Genesis, and join the community in discussing some other cartoon sports games that we’ve enjoyed over the years.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 51:48 — 35.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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!

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 some thoughts on what we stand to lose – like tears in rain, to quote Roy Batty – with the continued push to end physical media.

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #638 of the NLSC Podcast, Sony has recently announced that the production of PlayStation game discs will end in January 2028, marking a shift to digital-only releases. To say that there’s been significant backlash to the announcement is to put it mildly! Also, despite what executives and shills may try to claim, the pushback isn’t just coming from grumpy old heads nostalgically clinging to an outdated medium. Gamers have brought the receipts, demonstrating that with many popular titles, physical and digital sales are still quite close in number.

There’s a reason for that, and it has nothing to do with being unable to grasp or adapt to modern trends and technology, as so many sneering shills will suggest. There are advantages and disadvantages to both physical media and digital releases, and thus reasons why we may prefer one over the other, or pick and choose the distribution method on a case-by-case basis. However, with moves like Sony’s decision to end disc releases for PlayStation games, and the decline in physical media in favour of streaming services, it’s building towards a troublingly anti-consumer future. And so, like tears in rain, some wonderful benefits of physical media are going to be lost.

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We’ve seen some excellent mod releases for NBA 2K26 from SexCurryBeats recently, but this time, he’s got something new for basketball gamers still playing NBA 2K14! If you’d like to hit the virtual hardwood in an LA Fitness gym, pick up his mod at the link below, and rename the file to either use it for Blacktop or your team of choice.

SexCurryBeats
LA Fitness 2K14

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 Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.

Analytics enthusiasts may favour three-pointers, but around these parts, we love dunks most of all! As this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays demonstrates, the community has been having a blast throwing it down on the virtual hardwood, resulting in another countdown filled with spectacular slams. School is also in session with two College Hoops 2K8 highlights, including a clutch three; yes, we do enjoy those as well! A couple of mods and custom rosters are also on display, and eight different basketball video games are featured. Let’s get to the action!

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 reasons that I’ve shelved and abandoned my basketball video game saves over the years.

For a franchise or career mode gamer, there’s nothing better than getting hooked on a title and seeing a season (or several) through to the end. As I’ve said before – and I stand by it – completion is what we make it on the virtual hardwood. When it comes to sim games in particular, I don’t believe that it’s necessary to win a championship – or even just finish an entire season – to have enjoyed a title and feel that you got your money’s worth out of it. In fact, I’ve yet to play through at least one season from start to finish in several of my all-time favourite basketball video games!

That’s not to say that I don’t wish that I did, or that I wouldn’t be open to doing so as a retro basketball gaming experience now. Moreover, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t try to finish seasons in those old favourites. Unfortunately, those attempts were derailed, and so countless saves ended up being shelved and eventually abandoned. Mind you, while some abandoned and lost saves represent wistful What Ifs, others either were successfully completed, or I had very good reasons to quit while I was ahead! I’m sure this is something that many basketball gamers can relate to, so let’s look a look at five reasons I’ve shelved and abandoned saves, along with a few memorable examples.

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