NBA

With the Miami Heat winning their second straight championship, the 2012/2013 NBA season is now in the books. What are your thoughts on last season? How would you rate it? Cast your vote in our new poll and be sure to join in all of the discussion of the 2012/2013 season, the 2013 Playoffs and NBA Finals and of course, the upcoming offseason in the NBA & Basketball section of the NLSC Forum.

Our last poll asked the obvious question of who would win the 2013 NBA Championship. 46% of voters correctly predicted the Miami Heat to win it all, while a slight majority of 54% obviously picked the Spurs. Interestingly, our poll for last year’s NBA Finals yielded a very similar result, with only 45% of voters picking the Heat to win while the remaining 55% picked the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Miami Heat are the 2013 NBA Champions after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a thrilling Game 7, making it two in a row for the team from South Beach. LeBron James received his second NBA Finals MVP trophy after an oustanding game in which he scored 37 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out four assists, while making some clutch baskets including a dagger in the final 30 seconds.

Were you watching Game 7? What are your thoughts on the 2013 NBA Finals? Feel free to leave a comment below and of course, join in the discussion that’s taking place here in the NBA & Basketball Talk section of the NLSC Forum.

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming this week with Episode #33 of the NLSC Podcast! In the wake of E3 and our four part series of special episodes, we talk about a couple of other news items that have since emerged, a couple of topics we’ve overlooked in recent weeks and of course, the 2013 NBA Finals.

• With E3 in the books, we’re now awaiting the next step in the NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 preview seasons, but we do have a couple of tidbits to mention.
• EA Sports are doing away with their online passes. We’re cautiously optimistic about that.
• We discuss the candid post from a Microsoft engineer regarding the Xbox One, as well as a funny moment from the E3 demonstrations.
• Talking about current basketball games for a moment, Leftos gives us a rundown of the latest exciting breakthrough in the modding community for NBA 2K13.
• The NBA Finals is tied at three games apiece, heading for a Game 7 in Miami. We give our thoughts on the last two games and our predictions for the grand finale.
• Joey Crawford may or may not get a mention or two during the course of our NBA Finals discussion. One of us may get carried away with a rant.
• Ben offers a few spoiler-free impressions of The Last of Us.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:55:03 — 61.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Like what you heard? Disagree with our opinions? As always, we invite you to give us your take on this week’s episode, either in the comments below or in this thread in the Forum.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! For those of you who may be unfamiliar with The Friday Five, this is a weekly feature that I post on Fridays in which I pick a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, then give my thoughts on the matter as either a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

I had originally intended to return to talking about basketball video games this week, but with E3 2013 right around the corner, a couple of the topics I have in mind should probably wait until we’ve caught another glimpse or two of this year’s titles. Additionally, with LeBron James and the Miami Heat back in the NBA Finals, another topic has piqued my interest, namely the inevitable comparisons to Michael Jordan. Having caught a couple of interesting comments on Twitter and from various sportswriters, I felt compelled to offer five thoughts on the comparisons between the greatest player in the league right now and the player that many consider to be the greatest of all-time.

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The 2012/2013 NBA season is drawing to a close while the basketball video game preview season is just beginning, which gives us plenty to talk about in Episode #32 of the NLSC Podcast. Join Leftos, Ben and myself as we run down the latest news, look ahead to the 2013 NBA Finals and even drop a literary quote.

• 2K Sports are set to do something with NBA 2K14 on June 6th, coinciding with Game 1 of the NBA Finals. NBA Live 14 meanwhile has been confirmed for E3.
• Leftos provides an update on the latest additions to NBA Stats Tracker.
• A couple of us are hitting digital broadcasting milestones, which leads to a bit of reminiscing.
• Getting back to business, we reflect on the Eastern Conference Finals, talk about sportsmanship and consider what’s next for the Pacers.
• The Spurs and Heat will be meeting in the NBA Finals. Two of us give our predictions, with one of us throwing caution to the wind.
• We have a word or two to say about the careers of 1995 co-Rookies of the Year Grant Hill and Jason Kidd, both of whom announced their retirement this week.
• As usual, we talk about the latest next gen console news, before wrapping up the show with talk of games we’re playing at the moment and ones we’re looking forward to seeing at E3.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:44:24 — 82.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, feel free to give us your thoughts on the show and anything we discussed in the comments below, as well as in this thread.

With the 2013 NBA Finals beginning in just a couple of days, our new poll asks the obvious question: “Who will be the 2013 NBA Champions?” Will the Miami Heat defend their crown, or will the San Antonio Spurs win their fifth title in as many Finals appearances? Cast your vote now and be sure to join in all of the discussion that’s taking place here in the NBA & Basketball Talk section of the NLSC Forum.

Our last poll asked “Which mode have you been playing most in NBA 2K13?” As it turns out, MyCAREER has been the most popular mode this year, garnering 50% of the vote. Association was the second most popular mode of choice with 25% of the vote, with a further 1% of voters preferring Online Association. 5% are mostly playing other online modes such as MyTEAM, 7% are sticking with NBA Today games and 3% favour Blacktop. A final 9% indicated that they aren’t playing NBA 2K13 at all.

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! For those of you who are checking out The Friday Five for the first time, this is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

Last week, I listed my Top 5 Favourite NBA Finals Series, limiting myself to just two of the Bulls’ six championships and saving the other four for my honourable mentions. Having covered my five favourites, this week I’ll be counting down my Top 5 Least Favourite NBA Finals Series. These are the NBA Finals series that I felt were lacklustre, anti-climactic or for one reason or another, just not as enjoyable as I would have liked.

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Leftos returns to make it a trio once more as we talk about the latest news and events in the basketball gaming community in Episode #31 of the NLSC Podcast. Join us this week as we recap a few news and notes from the community, talk about the 2013 Conference Finals and offer more thoughts on the next generation of consoles. On tap this week:

• Leftos is back, as not even wild sandstorms can suppress his passion for his digital broadcasting duties!
• We remind everyone to show off their creativity by creating some custom NBA Live 14 covers, thanks to hiteshom’s template. The possibility of Kyrie Irving being the NBA Live 14 cover player is also discussed.
• Some fun ideas for upcoming podcasts are brought up, as we invite the community to let us know if they’re interested.
• Taking a look at the latest news and releases from our modding community, we recognise some big releases while once again bringing up the idea of an open source approach.
• TGsoGood’s work adding female players and WNBA jerseys to NBA 2K13 leads to a discussion about video games based on women’s sports.
• This week’s NBA discussion focuses on the Conference Finals. The Grizzlies are out, the Spurs are in the Finals and the Heat and Pacers are still battling it out.
• How do we see the Eastern Conference Finals and potential NBA Finals matchups playing out?
• At the risk of sounding unoriginal, we don’t care for the job the referees are doing, or the way certain players are flopping.
• The discussion moves to the latest news and info surrounding the next gen consoles. Leftos offers his reactions to the announcement of the Xbox One.
• We close with some additional NBA Live and NBA 2K news.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:14:58 — 68.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, we invite your feedback on this week’s episode in the comments below, as well as in this thread. We’re also interested to hear whether you like some of the ideas we threw out for some of our upcoming episodes, so let us know what you think.

It’s Friday again, which means it’s time for another edition of The Friday Five! If this is your first time checking out The Friday Five, this is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in Top 5 countdown format.

The Conference Finals are now underway, which means we’re getting closer and closer to crowning this year’s NBA Champion. With the start of the 2013 NBA Finals just a couple of weeks away, I’ve decided to count down my five favourite and five least favourite NBA Finals series over the next two editions of The Friday Five. This week, I’m tipping things off with the positive list, my Top 5 Favourite NBA Finals Series.

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After featuring our biggest panel last week in our longest episode to date, we’re down to a duo this week as illness and personal matters rule out a couple of regulars. Nevertheless, please join Ben and myself as we discuss the latest NBA Live 14 news, talk next gen consoles and get caught up on the latest NBA news and results.

• Without much in the way of community news this week, we dive straight into this week’s headlines.
• We give our thoughts on EA Sports’ pre-rendered trailers, how much we can take from them and what we want to see in further previews of NBA Live 14.
• I have a thing or two to say on the use of the words “cartoonish” and “cartoony” when critiquing basketball video games.
• Microsoft has revealed their next gen console, the Xbox One. We rundown the specs and offer our reactions.
• Moving on to the NBA discussion, we’ve arrived at the Conference Finals. Who’s making it through to the championship round?
• A few other recent items of NBA news are discussed.
• We finish up by reading some of your thoughts on last week’s topic, realism in basketball games compared to what we see on TV. Thanks for your input!

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:41:52 — 55.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, feel free to give us your feedback on the show, as well as your thoughts on everything we discussed, either in the comments below or in this thread in the NLSC Forum.

It’s Friday, already? It is indeed, which means it’s time for another edition of The Friday Five! For anyone who’s checking out The Friday Five for the first time, this is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

If you’ve been keeping up with the results of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, you’re no doubt aware that my favourite team, the Chicago Bulls, have been eliminated in the second round in five games at the hands of the defending champion Miami Heat. As such, I’ll be looking for other ways to enjoy and maintain my interest in the rest of the postseason. If you’re in a similar position, here are five suggestions for you to consider.

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It’s our biggest panel in our biggest podcast to date, as six of us get together with a special guest for an in-depth discussion on basketball video games. Join Leftos, Arcane, JaoSming, Pdub, Qballer and myself as we’re joined by special guest Da_Czar in Episode #29 of the NLSC Podcast! On the show this week:

• We welcome a couple of people back to the Podcast and keep our fingers crossed that everything will work out fine with a larger panel.
• Before we get to the main topic of discussion, we run down a few noteworthy news items, beginning with an exciting new discovery in court modding for NBA 2K.
• Also in the news this week: NBA Live 14 has unofficially been announced, the Kings are staying put and 2K are seeking playtesters in the Bay Area.
• With the news out of the way, we launch into our main discussion: realism in basketball video games compared to what we see on TV.
• We’re joined by Da_Czar, President of the Sim Nation, who certainly has a few thoughts on the matter at hand.
• Following a discussion on what constitutes cheese, Czar makes a believer out of arcade enthusiast JaoSming.
• After tossing around ideas for how basketball games can become more realistic, we reflect on the current product and speculate on what the near future holds.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 3:11:15 — 95.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

We hope you enjoy listening to this week’s episode as much as we enjoyed recording it; as always, feel free to give us your thoughts on the show and everything we discussed in the comments below, as well as in this thread. A huge thanks once again to Da_Czar for joining us, don’t forget to check out SimNation Radio every Friday, follow Czar on Twitter @Da_Czar and read more of his insights on the Sim Citi blog. Also be sure to check out our interview with Czar here.

It’s a four man panel once again this week as Leftos, Arcane, JaoSming and I get together to talk about some of our favourite topics in Episode #28 of the NLSC Podcast. Join us as we chat about the latest happenings in the community, news and results from the 2013 NBA Playoffs and of course, basketball video games. A brief overview of the show is as follows:

• After the introductions, Leftos tips off the show with a piece of trivia that caught his eye, courtesy of the NBA Stats Tracker.
• JaoSming provides us with a rundown of the NBA Stats Tracker, as well as the recently released RED Modding Center for NBA 2K13.
• We talk about some of the mods that have already been created with the new REDitor, as well as a few upcoming projects.
• Moving on to this week’s NBA discussion, Arcane provides a rundown of the latest news and results.
• We give our thoughts on LeBron James winning the MVP, Damian Lillard winning Rookie of the Year and the first round of the Playoffs.
• In another round of predictions, we go all the way through to the 2013 NBA Finals.
• We go over a couple of tidbits concerning NBA Live 14, speculating a little on last week’s developments.
• As the show draws to a close, JaoSming brings up a topic that we’re eager to discuss on next week’s episode.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:58:01 — 59.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, we welcome your thoughts on the show and all of the topics that we discussed, so by all means leave a comment below or in this thread. Feel free to weigh in on next week’s topic and we’ll read out some of your thoughts after we’ve provided our own perspective.

The usual trio becomes a quartet this week as JaoSming joins Leftos, Arcane and myself to talk basketball and basketball video games on Episode #27 of the NLSC Podcast. As always, we cover a multitude of matters related to basketball and gaming in this week’s episode, so tune in and enjoy our discussion of the following topics:

• It’s been over a week since we recorded a podcast and even longer since we had JaoSming on the show, so we warm up with a little joking, banter and talk of astronomical discoveries in Vermont.
• We talk about some recent modding controversies and potential changes to modding culture, as it pertains to permission and credits.
• Corey Andress of Under the Code has posted a couple of great articles on how NBA Live can make a comeback, prompting discussion on the points he raised and how they not only apply to NBA Live, but also NBA 2K.
• I follow up on Qballer’s response to last week’s Friday Five, the 5 Best Songs in Basketball Video Games.
• Moving on to the NBA Playoffs, we congratulate the Spurs and ponder what’s next for the Lakers.
• We run down the rest of the results so far and make a few predictions for the remainder of the first round.
• I give Leftos an opportunity to talk about the Pistons, who aren’t in the Playoffs.
• We give our thoughts on Jason Collins and some of the reactions to the news.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:38:10 — 84.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode and invite you to post your feedback, including any of your thoughts on the topics that we discussed. We also invite you to give us your suggestions for topics you’d like to hear us talk about in future podcasts, so have your say in the comments below as well as in this thread in the NLSC Forum.

We’ve come to another Friday here at the NLSC, so it’s time for a new edition of The Friday Five! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Five, this is a weekly feature that I post on Fridays, containing my thoughts on a variety of topics that are related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, presented as either a list of five items or a Top 5 countdown.

Last week, I threw on my nostalgia goggles and talked about some aspects of the NBA in the 90s that I miss and how I feel they made the league more enjoyable during that era. As I said though, I’m still very much an NBA fan and certainly do enjoy the current product, so this week I’m going in the other direction and taking a look at five ways the league is more enjoyable now.

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