NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

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 features that were planned for basketball video games, but ultimately fell through.

We’re in the midst of another preview season, waiting to hear about all the changes, additions, and improvements in this year’s games. Of course, one of the perennial worries in our community is that popular features will be ruined by changes or, worse yet, removed altogether. It’s particularly frustrating when we look back at some of our favourite games and see features that are no longer available. It especially stings when they were originally implemented in the early days of basketball gaming, yet have been missing for several years.

That’s a tough enough pill to swallow, but it’s arguably even worse when we hear about great features and content during the preview season, only for it to ultimately fall through. Hearing about plans that didn’t come to fruition after the fact also leaves us wondering what might have been, as does discovering the remnants of scrapped features in game files. Features are never axed for malicious reasons; rather, factors such as time constraints, licensing issues, and other unfortunate circumstances are what cause them to fall through. They’re interesting trivia notes and What Ifs though, so let’s take a look at five of them, including one you won’t have heard before.

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2K has announced that the NBA 2K20 Demo will be available on August 21st 2019, going live at 12:01 AM Pacific Time. It will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, but not PC. Contrary to the limitations in The Prelude in previous years, it seems as though we’ll be able to try out more than one build before the full game is released.

Starting on August 21st at 12:01 am PT, you can get an early start on your MyCAREER while testing out the new MyPLAYER builder and hitting the court two weeks ahead of the game’s launch by downloading the NBA 2K20 Demo. In the NBA 2K20 Demo, you can try out multiple MyPLAYER configurations to create the player that best fits your play-style, which will be carried over to NBA 2K20 at launch on September 6th. The NBA 2K20 Demo will be available exclusively on Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

This certainly comes as good news, as previous glimpses of the game via The Prelude offered little in the way of replay value, forcing gamers to choose one Archetype to trial in a single playthrough of the early stages of MyCAREER. Providing the opportunity to test out more than one Archetype has been a common request, so it’s nice to see 2K taking the community’s suggestion on board. As yet, there’s no word on whether or not any changes have been made to Archetypes this year.

Another controversial issue that has dogged The Prelude in recent years is that its gameplay settings are juiced up, providing an inaccurate snapshot of what to expect in the full game. This is obviously something we won’t know until after we’ve played both, but hopefully this year’s demo will take a more honest approach.

What are your expectations for the NBA 2K20 Demo? Have your say in the comments below, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

The NBA 2K20 preview season may have tipped off, but our community is still creating some great content for NBA 2K19 PC. Today’s file additions include the latest face, court, jersey, and roster updates, as well as a game editing tool. Check them all out at the links below!

Warriors64
Antibes Sharks Court (French Basketball League)
JDA Dijon Court (French Basketball League)

pinoy21
Houston Rockets 2019-20 Jersey (pinoy21)
Miami Heat Blue Vice City Jersey (pinoy21)
Oklahoma City Thunder 2019-20 Jersey – Leaked Design (pinoy21)

MonkeyManJSV
Marcus Smart Face

Modstar.CN
NBA 2K19 Game Entertainment Wizard

Torogi
RKJ No Injuries Roster (With New Retro Teams) (Updated to v2.6)

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.

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 mystery teaser covers that used to get us talking about upcoming cover player reveals.

As discussed in Episode #291 of the NLSC Podcast, there’s currently a bit of worried speculation regarding NBA Live 20, due to a lack of news. While there’s evidence to suggest that those concerns are jumping the gun, it is unusual that there haven’t been any official announcements regarding this year’s expected release from EA Sports. It isn’t the first time that news about NBA Live has been slow, or that the cover player ended up being announced quite late, but given the series’ rocky history over the past decade, the speculation is at least understandable.

Speaking of cover players and reveals, that’s something which has become a much bigger deal than it used to be a long time ago. Back in the 90s, long before basketball titles and gaming in general became the juggernaut of today, there wasn’t nearly as much importance placed on the cover player. A star was generally preferred, but it wasn’t always a top tier player. Quite a few games settled for “someone who’s in the NBA”, who may or may not have a chance at becoming a superstar. It wasn’t until NBA Live 2003 that the cover player was a big part of the pre-release hype, which also started a trend of mystery teaser covers. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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I’m a little behind in posting this, but the NBA 2K20 soundtrack has been revealed. This year’s track list includes artists such as Drake, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Run the Jewels, Meek Mill, Ariana Grande, and the late Nipsey Hussle. It’s available to listen to here on Spotify.

For the first time ever, new songs will be added to the game post-release. Additionally, 2K are teaming up with UnitedMasters to give new artists an opportunity to be featured. Unsigned artists are invited to submit their entries for a chance to be included on the soundtrack.

I’ve added the NBA 2K20 soundtrack (as it currently stands) to our Wiki. You can also check out the full track listing below. Got any thoughts on the soundtrack? Feel free to share them in the comments section, as well as here in the NLSC Forum.

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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 a few thoughts on the delicate act of balancing the amount of positivity and negativity as a content creator.

There’s a reason that I’m still running the NLSC going on eighteen years this August. There’s a reason I decided that I would take the risk on paying for our own hosting after our previous host discontinued their services, and it looked like we might have to shut down after twenty years online. Basketball video games are still a hobby that I enjoy, and enjoy to the extent that I want to create content as part of a community that I discovered way back in 1997. The NLSC was one of my favourite sites before I took over running it, and since that time, it’s become a gratifying creative outlet for me.

I’ve enjoyed establishing original content beyond mods and basketball gaming news: the NLSC Podcast, The Friday Five, Wayback Wednesday, and this feature, Monday Tip-Off. I like covering a variety of topics in these features, from advice and stories about what I’m playing, to constructive articles about improving the games and what I hope is interesting trivia. I’m always aiming for variety in the games that I talk about, but I’m not just balancing coverage between NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other titles. As I discuss all manner of topics regarding basketball video games, I’m trying my best to maintain a healthy balance between positivity and negativity in my features.

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Episode #291 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! It’s another solo show this week so there’s obviously no featured discussion, but between NBA 2K20 news, NBA Live 19 rosters, speculation about NBA Live 20, and updates from the modding community, I have a few thoughts to share.

As expected, the NBA 2K20 ratings reveal wasn’t without controversy. While fans debate their accuracy and the merits of NBA 2K’s approach to ratings, the best response belongs to whoever is running the Denver Nuggets’ Twitter account. In other news, NBA Live 19 received a surprising roster update featuring offseason moves. Despite being a welcome surprise, it does invite worrisome speculation about NBA Live 20, though it doesn’t help to jump the gun. Meanwhile, in our community, there are some modding projects and other upcoming features worth spotlighting. Check them out, and stay tuned!

Tune in below!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 30:50 — 21.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

What are your thoughts on the latest NBA 2K20 previews, and the speculation surrounding NBA Live 20? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

A new content update has added offseason moves to the NBA Live 19 rosters. The update doesn’t include any of the new rookies such as top pick Zion Williamson, but it moves Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan to the Nets, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Clippers, Anthony Davis to the Lakers, and so on.

Although it’s unusual for a game to receive further roster updates beyond the Finals, it isn’t unprecedented. This generation, both NBA Live 14 and NBA Live 16 received post-Draft updates that lacked rookies, but accounted for free agency and trades. NBA Live 10 also continued to receive roster updates following the cancellation of NBA Elite 11, and though it might not have been intended, NBA Live 09 was also updated alongside NBA Live 10 during the 2010 season.

While these updates to the NBA Live 19 rosters are a welcome surprise, they’ve also stirred up some worried speculation about NBA Live 20. Although NBA Live 20 has been listed as a future release on a financial report for EA Sports, there has yet to be any official announcement or previews of the game. Combined with the lack of an announcement regarding a new deal with the NBA when NBA 2K renewed its license earlier this year, this offseason roster update has raised questions about the series’ future.

It all remains speculation for now, and as noted, it’s not the first time NBA Live has received a bonus update. At the same time, on two of those occasions there was a subsequent gap in releases, though the 2011 season updates for NBA Live 10 were announced in conjunction with the official cancellation of NBA Elite 11. For my part, I certainly don’t want to irresponsibly and erroneously report on the situation or give legs to a baseless rumour, especially when a financial report has indicated that NBA Live 20 is coming. However, until further announcements and previews allay any concerns, the speculation is understandable.

Until then, we’ll stay on top of the situation as best we can. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on the offseason update for the NBA Live 19 rosters in the comments section below, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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 things that I’ve learned playing in the Jordan Rec Center in NBA 2K19.

Having wrapped up my second season in NBA 2K19’s MyCAREER, I haven’t felt the desire to play a third year. Since the Bulls went out and signed Ben Simmons, I have thought about playing a few games here and there while simulating the rest, but I’ve not done so as yet. I have been playing online however, just to see what the scene is like this late in the year. After several sessions in The Playground and Jordan Rec Center, I’d have to conclude that not much has changed since the game was launched. The gameplay, the user base, the overall vibe and atmosphere…it’s all the same.

The lack of change has come as a disappointment as far as the Jordan Rec Center is concerned. With team Pro-Am hamstrung by the enforcement of five users per side, the Jordan Rec Center became the online mode of choice for the NLSC squad. It soon became apparent that it wasn’t going to deliver the same fun experience that team Pro-Am did for us in NBA 2K16 and NBA 2K17, and to a far lesser extent, NBA 2K18. At this point, I’m the only member of the squad who’s jumping online on a regular basis, so I’ve been playing with randoms. Here’s my take on the Jordan Rec Center after playing it extensively this year, with friends and randoms alike.

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Following the earlier beta release, eskayelle has uploaded the finalised version of the NBA Jam 2K20 Tournament Edition mod for the Super Nintendo version of NBA Jam TE! The patch can be applied to an SNES ROM, and played in an emulator. Key features of the mod are as follows:

• Updated rosters! Starters and bench strength from the end of the 2018-19 season are here!
• New players! Luka Doncic, Evan Fornier, Clint Capela, Moe Harkless, Myles Turner, Seth Curry, Zion Williamson…are all in the game.
• All 30 teams are playable, the Grizzlies, World Champion Raptors and Pelicans prominently displayed on an Others team.
• Beat the game to access the 2019 All-Stars, expanded rosters, and legacy players!
• New and old secret players are obtainable via initials and button combinations.
• Bad boys Barkley, Laimbeer, and Rodman are all at your fingertips!
• More sound clips! Wizards! Thunder! Plus a couple surprises!
• Contemporary logos are combined with some old favorites.
• “Greyscaled” uniform portraits for more seamless future roster swaps.
• Battle from worst to first based on the 2018-19 season standings and Playoffs.
• Bug fixes from past hacks remain in the game!
• Got a hankerin’ to put on a hurtin’? Injury stats max out at a whopping 50! No shove, no love!
• Konami codes from the previous hacks get you expanded rosters, plus either the 2019 All-Stars or the Grizzlies/Raptors/Pelicans.
• Plus a few new court colors sprinkled in for fun…

Download NBA Jam 2K20 Tournament Edition here, and check out this topic in the NLSC Forum for more information, previews, support, or just to say thanks!

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 difficulty of running with the Chicago Bulls in video games of the early 2000s.

Dusting off old favourites and other interesting hoops titles from yesteryear makes me feel old myself, but that doesn’t compare to the knowledge that my favourite team, the Chicago Bulls, are twenty-one years removed from their most recent championship. It was an incredible time to be a Bulls fan in the 90s, though it has made the subsequent ups and downs quite frustrating to endure at times. It’s been difficult watching them miss out on top free agents, lose their own promising players through free agency or questionable trades, and endure misfortune such as Derrick Rose’s multiple injuries.

Of course, the virtual hardwood is a place where frustrated NBA fans can turn around the fortunes of their favourite team, and I’ve created some fun memories running with the virtual Bulls over the years. In the aftermath of The Last Dance, I’ve overachieved with the Baby Bulls in my memorable NBA Live 2004 and NBA Live 06 Dynasties. More recently, I’ve taken them to back-to-back championships in MyCAREER. In the early 2000s however, it was rough playing with them in video games, as I’m sure my fellow long-time gamers and Bulls fans can attest. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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As previously announced, the NBA 2K20 Ratings Reveal took place on a livestream on Twitter. Over the course of the stream, 2K revealed the top-rated stars, duos, and rookies in this year’s game, along with the best three-point shooters. In the process, they also dropped some more First Look screenshots, and discussed how the ratings are devised.

The two best active players are LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, with Overall Ratings of 97. MVP and last year’s cover player Giannis Antetokounmpo is right behind them at 96 Overall, tying him with Kevin Durant and James Harden. Unsurprisingly, top pick Zion Williamson is the highest rated rookie at 81 Overall, with Ja Morant in second place at 79. Thirteen active players in total will be rated in the 90s at launch, with LeBron James and cover player Anthony Davis (94 Overall) being the highest rated duo with an average Overall Rating of 95.5. Appropriately enough, Steph Curry is the top three-point shooter with a maxed-out rating of 99.

See below for a breakdown of the NBA 2K20 Ratings Reveal, along with a handful of screenshots. What do you make of the ratings that have been revealed? Have your say in the comments section below, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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New offseason rosters for NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14 are here, courtesy of skoadam and slimm44! The key features of V70 of U R Basketball 2K14 are as follows:

• 2020 Rosters accurate as of July 14th
• 2020 Rosters with uninjured rotations
• Updated faces of 2020 Roster and 2019 Draft players (Chasedown, EC2K, many more)
• 2020 Season/Association screens

Key features of U R Basketball 2K13 V64 are as follows:

• 2020 Rosters accurate as of July 14th
• 2019 EOS Roster based on End of the Season stats
• Added a few missing jerseys for 2019, 2019EOS, 2020 Rosters
• Added real 2019 All-Star logos
• 2020 Roster with uninjured rotations
• 2020 Roster with updated coaches
• 2020 Roster with updated ages, years pro
• Updated faces of 2020 and 2019 Draft players (Chasedown, EC2K, many more)
• 2020 Season/Association screens

Download URB 2K14 here, and find the release/support topic here in the Forum. URB 2K13 can be downloaded here, while its release/support topic can be found here. Make sure that you download the correct version of U R Basketball for the game you’re playing!

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 interesting and important question that continues to be hotly debated: should NBA Live be more like NBA 2K?

As NBA Live continues to rebuild and re-establish itself in the face of NBA 2K’s dominance, there is a debate among basketball gamers as to the best direction for the game. There are gamers who would prefer that NBA Live remains distinctly different to NBA 2K in focus, style, and approach, and generally reject any suggestions that Live should borrow ideas from 2K. Conversely, as noted here on Reddit, there are others who would prefer that NBA Live essentially copy NBA 2K, but for a few details here and there (such as avoiding 2K’s approach to microtransactions).

Naturally, between those two extremes are more nuanced suggestions about NBA Live doing its own thing, while also borrowing some of NBA 2K’s best ideas (and in some cases, putting its own spin on them). To that end, of course, there’s still debate as to which ideas should be borrowed, how closely NBA Live should mimic what NBA 2K is doing, and to what extent any 2K concepts should be reworked. It leaves us with the question of whether or not NBA Live should be more like NBA 2K, or as the thread over on Reddit put it, “NBA 2K re-skinned” rather than NBA Live. For me, the answer is yes…and no.

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Episode #290 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! I’m flying solo in this week’s return show, which catches up on the first snippets of this year’s preview season, a couple of recent patches, and one of the craziest offseasons in recent memory (if not all-time).

Forget March Madness; July has tipped off the craziness as far as the NBA and virtual hardwood are concerned! The cover players and pre-order bonuses for NBA 2K20 have been revealed, and there’s some good news as the Early Tip-Off Weekend is no more. A teaser trailer and a few screenshots have also given us a glimpse of the game, and if nothing else, the lighting looks promising. NBA 2K19 has also received a patch that encourages NBA 2K20 pre-orders, along with a couple of minor fixes. Meanwhile, NBA Live 19 has received further tuning for shooting and shot contests, which was great to see following issues with Patch 1.25. Finally, there was a flurry of big names changing jerseys through trades and free agency. It’s going to be a wild year in the real NBA, and on the virtual hardwood!

Tune in below!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:01:57 — 42.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

What are your thoughts on the latest patches, previews, and offseason movement? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.