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Wayback Wednesday: NBA Finals Series, Portrayed by NBA 2K14

Wayback Wednesday: NBA Finals Series, Portrayed by NBA 2K14

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 NBA Finals series that can be portrayed by NBA 2K14 on PlayStation 4.

The time I’ve spent with the PlayStation 4 version of NBA 2K14 is one of the longest retro basketball gaming kicks I’ve ever been on. It’s been extremely rewarding to play through four full seasons in MyCAREER, leaving me with a save file jam packed with memories that I can pick up again whenever the mood strikes. I also played a number of exhibition games with retro teams and then-current 2014 rosters alike. In short, I was making up for not spending that much time with NBA 2K14 when it was released almost ten years ago.

Much like my extended NBA Live 10 kick in 2021, I’ve felt inspired to continue to explore NBA 2K14 through some Wayback Wednesday features. Today, it’s a look at all of the NBA Finals series that can be portrayed through NBA 2K14 screenshots. As with my features looking back at the players in NBA Live 10 whose rookie jerseys were included as retros, as well as the makeshift classic teams that could be created and using it to reflect on “What If” scenarios, it was an interesting challenge to see just how many NBA Finals series I could represent using NBA 2K14. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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NBA 2K23 Mod Releases: Bulls & Lakers Jerseys

NBA 2K23 Cover Art

The latest NBA 2K23 mod releases feature Pinoy21’s jersey updates for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Download them both at the links below!

Pinoy21
Chicago Bulls Jersey (Pinoy21)
Los Angeles Lakers Jersey (Pinoy21)

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.

Monday Tip-Off: Comparing VC to In-Universe Salaries…Again

Monday Tip-Off: Comparing VC to In-Universe Salaries...Again

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 by returning to a topic that I’ve covered before: the in-universe value of VC, when compared to MyCAREER salaries.

It’s been three years since I’ve broached what was once an annual topic: comparing VC earnings to in-universe salaries. The reason for that, quite simply, is that I didn’t play much of NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K22. After playing through four years of college in NBA 2K21’s The Long Shadow, I didn’t touch the game much after that. I wasn’t a fan of NBA 2K22, so I wasn’t able to get far enough into MyCAREER to have an NBA salary. However, on top of enjoying NBA 2K23 far more, this year’s mode gets us into the league much quicker, giving us access to all of the necessary figures.

In case you’re not sure what I’m getting at here, I’m comparing the VC earnings that are your MyPLAYER’s base salary to its reported amount in dollars, as per the listing in your player card. Obviously, the issues with VC are readily apparent when you compare your VC salary with the prices of items and upgrades, not to mention the real world cost if you pay to skip the grind. However, looking at the in-universe value of VC really drives home how ridiculous the prices are, while hitting back at the shills who try to use “paying for things is realistic” as some kind of gotcha in defense of 2K’s greed. With that being said, let’s compare VC to in-universe salaries…again.

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NLSC Podcast #448: NBA Showdown 94, Virtual Injuries, & Early 2000s Nostalgia

NLSC Podcast Logo

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #448 of the NLSC Podcast!

After circling back to our plans to revisit NBA Showdown 94, we connected on Parsec for a head-to-head game. Although it was a lot of fun, we can’t help but reflect on what a massive jump NBA Live 95 made in just one year. We also recap our other basketball gaming sessions from the past week, which included another co-op game of NBA Live 2003, and a devastating injury in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER. Additionally, we discuss our future plans with NBA 2K23, and feeling more inclined to play old favourites instead as of late. In this week’s mailbag, the community tells us which retro hoops titles they’d pick up if they had $20 to spend.

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!

NBA Live 2003 Rockets vs Suns Parsec Highlights

NBA Live 2003 Rockets vs Suns Parsec Highlights

In addition to our sessions, Dee4Three has been connecting with a number of people from the NLSC Forum and wider basketball gaming community to play games using Parsec. He recently connected with Forum member JuicyShaqMeat for a co-op session of NBA Live 2003 that produced several highlights.

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast, though NBA Live 2003’s arcade-leaning gameplay may not be to the taste of hardcore simheads, it can be an extremely fun game when you enjoy it for what it is. Indeed, these highlights demonstrate the loose, fast-paced fun that can be had with NBA Live 2003. Even underdog teams like the 2003 Rockets and Suns are a blast to play with and against, on top of being a fun trip down memory lane. Catch the reel below, or watch it over on YouTube!

Once again, Dee has been spearheading our efforts to upload more content to our YouTube channel, from highlight reels to the Top 10 Plays of the Week. There’s so much more that we want to do with the channel moving forward, so please give it a look, and subscribe while you’re there! We’d also love to hear your memories of NBA Live 2003, so feel free to share them in the comments below.

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: October 15th, 2022

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week

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.

Every week, the community comes through with great highlights for the NLSC Top 10 Plays, and the latest countdown is no exception. Elbow passes, crazy lobs, and jaw-dropping poster dunks are on the menu as always, frequently with an entrée of slick moves and canny defensive plays. Six games are represented this week ranging from NBA Live 2003 through to NBA 2K23, and we also have a couple of first time contributors. From exhibition games to MyCAREER to MyLEAGUE with retro rosters, these highlights should tell you just how much fun the community is having with basketball games right now!

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.

NBA 2K23 MyTEAM Domination Southeast Highlights

NBA 2K23 MyTEAM Domination Southeast Highlights

As we’ve been discussing on the NLSC Podcast, Dee4Three has been working his way through Domination in NBA 2K23 MyTEAM. He’s recently completed all of the Southeast challenges, and has put together a highlight reel of his triumphs.

With players like Shaquille O’Neal and Xavier McDaniel on his squad, you can expect a ton of rim-shaking dunks! Unsurprisingly, Michael Jordan, Dee Brown, and Vince Carter also provide plenty of high-flying highlights and crafty moves. Seattle SuperSonics fans will no doubt enjoy seeing that classic branding being put to good use, as Dee pays tribute to a team that a lot of people still miss dearly. Watch the reel below, or catch it over on YouTube!

We’ve been making regular uploads to our YouTube channel over the past year or so, with Dee spearheading that endeavour with highlight reels, Parsec tournaments, and of course, the Top 10 Plays of the Week. We want to do even more video content moving forward, so check out our channel and be sure to subscribe! In the meantime, have you been playing Domination in NBA 2K23 MyTEAM? How far along are you? Let us know in the comments, and join in the discussion here in the Forum!

The Friday Five: 5 Players Who Only Appeared on Certain Teams in Games (Part 6)

The Friday Five: 5 Players Who Only Appeared on Certain Teams in Games (Part 6)

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 Part 6 in an ongoing series where I look at players who only appeared on certain teams in video games.

Can you believe this topic has produced six instalments of The Friday Five? Actually, it’s not altogether surprising. With the amount of player movement in the NBA, the timing of video game releases, and the eventual introduction of regular official roster updates, stints where players never officially tallied a minute for a certain team have made their way onto the virtual hardwood. It’s something that’s happened for a lot of players who are career journeymen, and generally benchwarmers and training camp fodder. However, it’s also happened with some bigger names as well.

With that being said, the five examples that I’m profiling this time were not big name players. I’m sure most long-time basketball fans will recognise at least some of them though, especially as one is a streetball legend. It’s easy to forget the “phantom stints” that can only be found in video games when it comes to players that move around a lot, but when you revisit an old title, the memories come flooding back. Alternatively, you’ll be led down a rabbit hole when something looks like a mistake! Along with familiar faces in strange and familiar places, it’s an aspect of basketball video game trivia that I really enjoy exploring. To that end, let’s get to five more examples!

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NBA Live 2003 All-Time Lakers vs Celtics Highlights

NBA Live 2003 All-Time Lakers vs Celtics Highlights

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast, I spent an evening putting together a rough draft of an All-Time Teams roster for NBA Live 2003 PC. We recently connected on Parsec, and tested out that work-in-progress mod in a co-op game.

Although the roster is still in its very early stages, the default assets allowed me to assemble fairly complete versions of the All-Time Lakers and All-Time Celtics. Dee and I opted to control the All-Time Celtics, with both teams wearing the throwbacks that are available in NBA Live 2003. It was a fun, fast-paced game featuring high-flying dunks, NBA Live 2003’s trademark booming swats, and some timely three-pointers. We eked out the win, and the fun we had has certainly encouraged me to keep working on the roster! Check out the highlights below, or catch them over on YouTube.

Once again, moving forward I’ll be making a much better effort to share our video content here on the NLSC, but don’t forget that you can see it first when it’s uploaded to our YouTube channel! Be sure to subscribe as we’re always looking to do more basketball gaming videos, from highlight reels and game retrospectives to various tutorials.

Wayback Wednesday: Retro Teams You Can Create in NBA 2K14 PS4/X1

Wayback Wednesday: Retro Teams You Can Create in NBA 2K14 PS4/X1

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 some alternative retro teams that you can create in the PS4/X1 version of NBA 2K14.

While I was on my extended retro kick with NBA 2K14 for PS4, I played several games with the retro teams. There aren’t as many to choose from as in later games, and while inter-era games can be fun, I do like to re-create historical matchups. As such, after a while I tried my hand at creating some alternative retro teams. I’ve already discussed my fondness for minimalist modding, and given the content that’s available and the lack of Create-a-Player in NBA 2K14 PS4/X1, it was a stimulating challenge to see how many new retro squads could be assembled.

To that point, there are some obvious limitations when you don’t have the benefit of mods and external roster editing, to say nothing of having to destroy the lone custom roster save file. However, as long as you have a backup on hand – either via USB or cloud storage – you can mess around and add some new retro teams to NBA 2K14 PS4, and later restore a cleaner custom roster as necessary. If you’re keen to find out how you can change up your retro gaming, let’s take a look back…way back…

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NBA 2K23 Mod Releases: New Jerseys From Pinoy21

NBA 2K23 Cover Art

Today’s NBA 2K23 mod releases feature the latest jersey updates from Pinoy21. Download them all at the links below!

Pinoy21
Brooklyn Nets Jersey (Pinoy21)
Houston Rockets Jersey (Pinoy21)
Utah Jazz Jersey (Pinoy21) (Updated to v2.0)
Detroit Pistons Jersey (Pinoy21) (Updated to v3.0)

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.

Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K14 MyCAREER Trading Cards

Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K14 MyCAREER Trading Cards

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 collection of virtual trading cards, based on my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER.

I’m wrapping up my kick with the PlayStation 4 version of NBA 2K14 with a month of Wayback Wednesday features, but I also wanted to pay further tribute to the fun I’ve had in MyCAREER. Playing through four full seasons was an absolute blast, and I look forward to continuing the journey in Year 5 when I’m ready for a break from NBA 2K23. Although I’m putting the game and my story topic on the shelf for the moment, I’ve created one last bit of content based on my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER: a series of trading cards.

Now, graphic design certainly isn’t my forte, and the layout I’ve chosen is not exactly original. Indeed, it’s intended to pay tribute to a series of cards by Fleer that were one of the last sets that I actively collected as a teenager back in the late 90s. NBA trading cards hold a lot of nostalgia for me, and playing through NBA 2K14 MyCAREER was a throwback experience, too. On top of being an older game, it also reminded me of the importance of enjoying the journey rather than mindlessly grinding, and feeling enthusiastic enough to create a story topic. As such, these virtual trading cards are meant to commemorate what’s been a fun journey in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER so far.

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NLSC Podcast #447: Fun With NBA Live 2003 & NBA 2K23

NLSC Podcast Logo

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast!

After putting together a rough draft of an All-Time Teams roster for NBA Live 2003 PC, we decided to test it out over Parsec. The result was a fun co-op game, and incentive to keep working on the project! We’ve still been having a blast with NBA 2K23 as well, and recap our recent sessions with MyTEAM, MyNBA, MyCAREER, and 3v3 Pro-Am. We also feel compelled to call out egotistical influencers who dismiss opinions based on follower counts, and remind everyone that you don’t need to be a “big name” to have a worthy opinion. After brainstorming some more modding ideas, we open up the mailbag to discuss ideas on how to improve customisation features.

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!

NBA 2K19 Mod Releases: Legends Roster

NBA 2K19 Cover Art

Server shutdowns remove access to some great custom rosters, but fortunately, they can still be shared offline. Today’s NBA 2K19 mod releases feature a re-upload of Brian Mazique’s Ultimate Legends Roster, courtesy of sticky-fingers. Check it out at the link below!

Brian Mazique
Ultimate Legends Roster 4

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.

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: October 8th, 2022

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week

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.

The NLSC Top 10 Plays often ends up featuring a motif, with dunking not surprisingly being a particularly popular one. This week’s countdown is getting a little more specific however, as the latest submissions included a variety of one-handed posters. Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Paul George, Andre Iguodala, Dominique Wilkins, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, are all skying to the rim and embarrassing defenders across a variety of games from NBA Live 2004 through to NBA 2K23. LookyDaGamer also continues to dominate the blacktop, and there’s a celebration that Draymond Green would probably approve of!

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.