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Wayback Wednesday: The Dream Team in NBA 2K17

Wayback Wednesday: The Dream Team in NBA 2K17

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 Dream Team in NBA 2K17.

They’ve often been cited as the greatest basketball team ever assembled. They swept their way to the gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, famously winning by an average of 44 points per game while never calling timeout. Eleven of its players are enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame for their individual accomplishments, and the team itself was collectively inducted in 2009. Eight years later, the team would also be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Simply put, the Dream Team was a squad for the ages.

As far as the virtual hardwood is concerned, the Dream Team has made a handful of official appearances in video games. They were the cover stars of EA Sports’ Team USA Basketball, and were included in NBA 2K13; appearances that I’ve previously covered here in Wayback Wednesday. The most recent game to officially feature the Dream Team was NBA 2K17, an appearance that stands out as somewhat different – and indeed slightly controversial – compared to previous releases. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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Wayback Wednesday: NBA Returns After Extended Absences (Part 3)

Wayback Wednesday: NBA Returns After Extended Absences (Part 3)

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 more NBA players that made returns after extended absences from the league.

Look, when it comes to NBA trivia and its representation in video games, I can’t get enough! When The BBall Pundit suggested this topic, it required a bit of research, which is always fun. We remember the big names that made returns to the NBA after extended absences – at least two years or more – but there have been other key role players and memorable journeymen that surprised us when they inked new contracts. Perhaps it’s a reminder to never underestimate the intrigue of a young player who still has potential to fulfil, or a capable veteran who can slot right back into a lineup.

In case it isn’t clear, I should note that by returns after extended absences, I’m talking about players who were out of the league entirely. Someone like Klay Thompson, who missed two consecutive seasons due to injury, doesn’t count as he was still on the Warriors’ roster. Comebacks after missing multiple years due to injury is another topic altogether – and there are certainly some interesting examples I could cover – but this is about players who were retired or out of the league and not expected to return. With that being said, let’s take a look back…way back…

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The Friday Five: 5 Times NBL Players Appeared in Classic Games

The Friday Five

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 lists five times that NBL players appeared in classic NBA video games.

After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the original start of the season, the Australian NBL is tipping off its 2021 campaign today. I’ve always been more of an NBA fan, but I do have an affinity for my country’s league; even if my hometown has lost two teams since the league was founded here in 1979. In any event, it’s been great to see the NBL grow, and become a viable path to the NBA. Not only have more and more home-grown talents made it to the NBA, but American players are opting for the NBL over college. Examples include Terrance Ferguson, and more recently, LaMelo Ball.

The number of players who spent time in both leagues has resulted in several NBL alumni appearing in NBA video games. Luc Longley played two games for the Perth Wildcats in 1986 before he was drafted in 1991, and became the first Australian to play in the NBA. Journeyman point guard Doug Overton played a season for the Illawarra Hawks before beginning his NBA career with the Washington Bullets. You may be familiar with them thanks to their NBA careers and video game appearances, as well as more recent NBL alumni such as Joe Ingles and Torrey Craig. There are some older appearances you may not recall however, such as these five examples.

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Team USA 2012 & 2016 Added to NBA 2K21

Following on from the announcement of the 2017 Toronto Raptors and 2019 Golden State Warriors being added in NBA 2K21, the official NBA 2K Twitter has revealed that Team USA 2012 and 2016 will also be featured in this year’s game. Once again 2K shared a couple of teaser images, which you can check out below.

Notably, there’s no mention of the 1992 Dream Team, or any other US squad. The Dream Team was previously featured in NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K17 in its entirety, despite Charles Barkley usually declining to appear in video games owing to his stance on older players being inadequately compensated. It would appear that this time, 2K were unable to come to another once-off arrangement with Sir Charles.

With that being said, it remains to be seen if any other classic teams will be added, whether it’s more throwback NBA teams, Team USA squads, or indeed any other FIBA content, seeing as how the Australian Boomers were previously featured in NBA 2K17. If so, it seems that those reveals will make up the final trickle of information ahead of NBA 2K21 Current Gen’s release on September 4th.

Got any thoughts? Share them in the comments below, and join in the discussion here in the Forum!

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Wayback Wednesday: Aussies in Basketball Games

Wayback Wednesdays: Aussies in Basketball Games

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 history of Aussies in basketball games.

If you listen to the NLSC Podcast or pay close attention to the way I spell certain words, you’ll know that I’m an Aussie. Being a basketball fan in Australia hasn’t always been easy, even with the NBA’s explosion in popularity in the 90s, as well as the heyday of our own local league, the NBL. Sadly, the sport hasn’t always had the most favourable reputation with many of my fellow Aussies. While those of us who love hoops do so passionately, it’s always battled cricket, tennis, and at least three different codes of football (rugby, Australian Rules, and soccer) for popularity.

I’ve always felt that our struggles on the world stage have contributed to the game’s up-and-down popularity down under. The Boomers are yet to win an Olympic medal, but just this past week, they scored a huge win over the USA in the second exhibition game played in Melbourne; the first time they’ve ever defeated the US. It helps that we have a few more Aussies in the NBA these days, which also means that we see them on the virtual hardwood. In honour of the Boomers’ big win, I’m reflecting on the history of Aussies in basketball games. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #172

NLSC Podcast Logo

Episode #172 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane, Kenny, and I as we discuss all of the NBA 2K17 news that had broken before we started recording, the 2016 Olympics in Rio (specifically the Australian Boomers), and our worst ever session of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K16.

On this week’s show…

  • 2K has been releasing NBA 2K17 screenshots all week, which has given us all something to analyse. What do we make of the screens that have been released so far?
  • What we really want to see, however, is gameplay, and deep dive developer blogs. Once again, we discuss how quiet this preview season has been.
  • On a brighter note, NBA 2K17 will be appearing at Gamescom, which should at least mean more to talk about next week…and shaky, over-the-shoulder footage.
  • In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: We have what is easily our worst and least enjoyable session of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K16, but we’re not ready to give up…yet. Also, more on Arcane’s MyCAREER.
  • LeBron James will remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the largest per-year contract in NBA history. He’s also taken some shots at Michael Jordan.
  • The basketball tournament at the 2016 Olympics in Rio continues to be an exciting one, as the Australian Boomers are in the thick of the medal hunt.
  • We play another round of Trivia Time! This week’s segment highlights the importance of doing the proper research when devising questions.
  • Episode #172 of the NLSC Podcast wraps up with a cool story about Michael Jordan and a passionate fan.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.