Tag Archives: MyNBA Eras

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #634 of the NLSC Podcast!

With the preview season and indeed the release of NBA 2K27 looming on the horizon, what are we hoping to see from this year’s sim basketball game from Visual Concepts? This week, we join the community in sharing some of our key Wishlist items, from our most-desired gameplay improvements to ideas for enhancing modes, features, and content. Needless to say, we’re hoping for more authenticity, accessibility, and quality! We also discuss a couple of details about NBA 2K27 that have already leaked, including the release date, Standard Edition cover player, and the end of support for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On a sad note, we also pay tribute to the late Stacey King, who passed away at the weekend.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 57:35 — 39.9MB)

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!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #632 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we’ve been playing basketball video games for decades now, the hobby is still capable of surprising us. To that end, what are some of the biggest surprises – both positive and negative – in basketball gaming in 2026? This week we’re sharing and discussing what amazes and astonishes us when it comes to the virtual hardwood, from the quality of the games and modern design philosophies, to the lack of competition and changes in community attitudes. That includes touching on the shift in modding culture, and the general discourse when it comes to basketball gaming issues. Our listeners also weigh in with what surprises them the most – for better or worse – with basketball video games today.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 58:50 — 40.8MB)

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 MyNBA Eras has made it unlikely that we’ll see any new classic teams added to NBA 2K.

Way back in 2016, I posted a Friday Five listing five classic teams that I’d like to see included in future NBA 2K games. I revisited the topic with a second article in 2018, and it ultimately became an ongoing Friday Five series. Some of those squads have since been added to the games. No, I’m not trying to take credit for that! Many of those additions were very popular and obvious choices, so I highly doubt that I had any influence here. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed seeing the selection of classic teams expand, and there’s never any harm in throwing out suggestions.

However, the most recent instalment in that series – Part 13 – was back in 2022. There are a few reasons why I haven’t circled back to that topic for just over four years now. For a start, at this point I’ve already covered many of the teams that I’m interested in. Again, some are already included in the games, while others are unlikely to be added. As I’ve discussed before, this generation of NBA 2K games has left me cold, so I’m less enthusiastic about discussing ideas for future releases in general. On top of that though, the addition of MyNBA Eras makes it seem far less likely that we’ll see new standalone classic teams. Of course, it could be argued that that’s actually for the best.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #620 of the NLSC Podcast!

The NBA 2K series has been packed full of retro content for over a decade now, but despite some major additions throughout the years, the overall quality still leaves us wanting. After reflecting on the issue of quantity over quality and the general lack of care for classic teams and players, we join the community in discussing how we’d enhance the retro content in future NBA 2K games. From fixes and updates that are absolutely essential to some more ambitious ideas that would make the retro content even more fun to use, there’s plenty that can and should be done. We also touch on how this lack of attention to detail is also already affecting the new collegiate content that recently debuted in NBA 2K.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 52:48 — 36.6MB)

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!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #619 of the NLSC Podcast!

It’s Michael Jordan’s 63rd Birthday, so we’re taking the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion about His Airness! This includes listing some of his biggest accomplishments, and recalling our favourite memories of watching him with both the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. We also discuss MJ’s interesting history in video games, as despite a common reputation of never appearing on the virtual hardwood, he was in fact a fixture of early releases. Of course, we also have to touch on modding him into so many later titles! We also read out some of the community’s favourite real life and video game memories of Michael Jordan, and unsurprisingly, there are some familiar stories!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:02:48 — 43.5MB)

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!

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 swansong of the original Roster Player concept in 1999 season releases.

It’s New Year’s Eve, so I’m sure that many of us are ready to party like it’s 1999…or at least, those of us who are old enough to get that reference are, anyway! Ham-fisted pop culture references aside, while I wouldn’t say that 1999 has been on my mind all throughout 2025, it has come up a couple of times in Wayback Wednesday features in the form of NBA Live 99. Granted, the game was actually released in 1998 and only the PC version featured updated rosters via an official patch, but it remains a 1999 season release, albeit one that had to launch with final 1998 rosters due to the lockout.

This meant that NBA Live 99 still included a Roster Player on the Chicago Bulls in place of Michael Jordan, who officially retired in early 1999 as the lockout drew to a close. To that end, while the 1998 season was MJ’s last until his comeback with the Washington Wizards, his Roster Player remained active on the virtual hardwood in 1999 season releases. It marked the final use of a Roster Player, at least as the concept was originally devised. As we prepare to leave 2025 behind, let’s take a look back – way back – at an overlooked milestone in basketball gaming.

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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 fictional players in sim basketball games.

By definition, sim basketball games are anchored in reality. Unlike arcade games, we don’t expect or desire to see mascots and other secret characters being playable on team rosters. However, we are invited to create fictional scenarios through fantasy drafts and the trades and signings of our choice in franchise play, as well as the card collecting and old school custom teams modes. We can also inject NBA Legends and classic teams into the current NBA, play inter-era exhibitions, and mod in fictional characters. The All-Time Teams in NBA 2K are ready-made fantasy scenarios, too.

In other words, sim games aren’t always serious business, or about playing with real rosters, be they contemporary or historical. That is still the default starting point, of course. Any breaks from reality that we see are either at our discretion, or intrinsic to the concept of a specific mode. Furthermore, these fictional scenarios still involve real players. We’re generally not clamouring to see completely fictional characters inserted into modes where rosters are expected to reflect reality; at least to begin with. With that being said, we have seen fictional players who aren’t placeholders take part in modes based around the real NBA. I certainly have mixed feelings about that idea.

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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 roadblocks that stood in my way of returning to franchise gaming for far too long.

At long last, I’ve returned to franchise gaming on the virtual hardwood. It’s been a goal of mine since 2017, so to say that it’s overdue is a massive understatement! It feels great to be back, and while it hasn’t completely replaced career mode play in my basketball gaming rotation, I anticipate splitting my time more evenly between the two moving forward. That’s because I’ve been able to overcome the roadblocks that were the cause of my lengthy detour from franchise gaming. As soon as I was able to start those new franchise games, I was hooked, just as I was all those years ago.

Of course, that may sound melodramatic. What roadblocks can there be when those modes are readily available, and I can freely choose to play whatever I want? Well, it’s not quite that simple. From habits I’d formed to various concerns about the modes in recent titles, it’s been more difficult than I’d anticipated to return to what was once my mode of choice, and the flagship experience in sim basketball video games. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has fallen into a basketball gaming rut that has lasted for way too long. To that end, hopefully discussing the roadblocks that I encountered can help you to overcome any that stand in the way of your virtual hardwood fun.

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As you may have seen, the latest NBA 2K26 Courtside Report covers MyNBA and MyGM. Not surprisingly, it isn’t as lengthy as the insight into MyTEAM, but there are some interesting additions this year.

Playoffs mode is now available online and supports up to 16 users, each controlling a team. MyGM has 30 team-specific storylines, and some other new RPG elements. Different simulation speeds allow for swifter progress or deeper trade logic, and simulation has been sped up in general. As previously noted, Dynamic Banners will be added as you win championships, though only in the Modern Era. Player DNA now also allows one MyPLAYER to be inserted into each custom roster, and MyWNBA includes the expansion Golden State Valkyries.

Once again, I’d encourage you to read the Courtside Report for a full breakdown of what to expect in NBA 2K26 MyNBA and MyGM, but I have summarised the key points below. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum!

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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 ways to improve MyNBA Eras.

MyNBA Eras is one of the most impressive modes in the history of basketball video games. The ability to wind back the clock and start a franchise game in previous eras, with the league evolving with expansion, re-branding, and even different rules and formats, is a concept that once seemed impossible. As is the case with any historical content in sports video games, there are obviously limitations. Licensing and likeness rights are the biggest issue, so if nothing else, we can expect to see some placeholders standing in for players who can’t be included.

Beyond that, I never want to downplay the hard work that has gone into creating a mode that so many of us fantasised about, but never expected to see. With that being said of course, this doesn’t mean we can’t critique MyNBA Eras, or suggest ways in which it could be better. It certainly helps that the framework is already in place, and generally speaking, the mode functions as intended while making the most of its huge but incomplete roster of historical players. Hopefully Take-Two can continue to work with the NBRPA to add those missing players, but in the meantime, there are some improvements that can be made to the content and experience that’s already on offer.

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Today’s NBA 2K25 mod releases feature updated versions of a couple of previous uploads, specifically a pack of WNBA logos and a retro Boston Celtics court. Check them out at the links below!

ChadCur33
WNBA On ESPN Logos (Updated to v2.0)

texacali
Boston Celtics LeBron Era Court (Updated to v2.0)

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.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #585 of the NLSC Podcast!

As we reach the midway point of 2025, the preview season for NBA 2K26 is suddenly looming on the horizon. With that in mind, what are we hoping to see in the next sim basketball game from 2K Sports? This week, we join the community in discussing our Wishlists for NBA 2K26, beginning with our suggestions for improvements to gameplay, mechanics, and controls, and then moving on to our ideas for modes, features, content, presentation, and other aspects of the game. Although we did feel more positive about NBA 2K25 and remain cautiously optimistic about NBA 2K26, there are definitely some key enhancements and additions that can and should be made in this year’s release!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:17:12 — 53.4MB)

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’ve got a couple of mod releases to spice up the Eras rosters in NBA 2K25 today, as texacali has created LeBron Era court updates for the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, while Allyc4t has released some 1997 Indiana Pacers courts. Check them out at the links below!

texacali
Philadelphia 76ers LeBron Era Court
Milwaukee Bucks LeBron Era Court

Allyc4t
Indiana Pacers 1996-97 Courts

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.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #582 of the NLSC Podcast!

With the 2025 NBA season rapidly drawing to a close, how will we be spending our Summer (or for that matter, our Winter) on the virtual hardwood? This week, we join the community in discussing the basketball video games that we plan to play and mod in the coming months. While NBA 2K25 will remain in the lineup, it’s clear that basketball gamers will still be sticking with some old favourites! We also discuss if and how the offseason impacts our basketball gaming habits, some of the mods that we’d like to work on, and other video games that will likely be in our rotations when we need a break from hoops. Spoiler: a new Garfield Kart game might just be among them!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 42:30 — 29.5MB)

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!

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 Dennis Rodman and his changing hair colour on the virtual hardwood.

For decades now, it’s been common to see NBA players with prominent tattoos. Other players have made fashion statements through their hairstyles, sometimes bleaching or colouring their locks in some way. Jeremy Sochan is an example of both, sporting ink and adopting some very colourful looks during his three year NBA career. To that point though, Sochan brings to mind another power forward that once played for the Spurs, wore #10, and was infamous for his numerous tattoos and ever-changing hair colour. I am of course referring to Dennis Rodman!

The Worm’s unique style and unapologetic self-expression at times overshadowed his brilliance on the court, but there was no denying his popularity in the 90s; especially after he was traded to the Chicago Bulls and became an integral part of their second threepeat. Naturally, Rodman’s counterpart on the virtual hardwood was expected to capture this look, which was indeed achieved through unique textures and models. Quite impressively however, several old games also went so far as to give Dennis Rodman changing hair colour as well. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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