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 reflecting on where a number of NBA Legends ideally should have retired.
With the 2026 NBA season underway, some of the biggest names in the league are continuing lengthy careers. LeBron James is embarking on a record-setting 23rd NBA campaign, which indeed may not be his last. Stephen Curry is in his 17th year, while former teammate Kevin Durant is in his 18th (though it would’ve been his 19th if not for missing the entire 2020 season). Of course, only Curry is still with the team that he began his NBA career with. As such, he’s the most likely of the three to retire with his original club, and having never left to boot.
Mind you, while it sometimes seems that superstars move around more often than they used to, even decades ago future Hall of Famers were wrapping up their storied careers on different teams. That’s how we’ve come to see so many familiar faces in strange places! To that end, while we focus on the accomplishments of those Legends and where they were in their prime more so than we do their weird final stints, we may still wish that they retired in the “right” place. Thanks to basketball video games, we can see what that would’ve looked like. Let’s take a look back…way back…
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 confession: I can’t (totally) hate the open worlds in NBA 2K.
I’ve discussed the problems with MyCAREER incorporating open worlds before. I dedicated a Monday Tip-Off column to explaining how it gives the mode an identity crisis, forcing an ill-fitting concept into a genre that doesn’t need it. I further outlined some of the major issues with mixing open worlds with sports games in a Friday Five article. From pointless time wasting to propping up recurrent revenue mechanics to putting an end to offline MyCAREER, there’s a lot to dislike – even hate – about NBA 2K’s open worlds. I stand by all of that criticism.
However, I have to confess that I can’t and don’t completely hate the open worlds of The Neighborhood and The City! That’s not to say that I believe they’re absolutely necessary, because again, I stand by my previous criticisms. Nevertheless, I do have a certain appreciation for them, and they ultimately didn’t prevent me from enjoying my time with MyCAREER in NBA 2K19. Granted, you don’t have much choice except to grow accustomed to the open world approach if you want to play MyCAREER! Still, when it’s done right, the concept definitely has its moments. And so, I won’t deny that I’ve found The Neighborhood and The City to be engaging and enjoyable…at times.
From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #600 of the NLSC Podcast!
It’s the 600th Episode of the NLSC Podcast! A huge shout out to all of our listeners and the NLSC community at large for continuing to support all of our content throughout the years! To mark the milestone, this week we’re simply getting on the mics to chat about basketball gaming. We share our latest thoughts on NBA 2K26, and reflect on some of the other games that we’re currently playing, including our NBA 2K9 Association. We also once again touch on the joy of Virtual Hardwood Legends, discuss how realism can sometimes feel unrealistic in basketball video games, and share some interesting roster trivia about real players and their virtual counterparts alike.
Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 49:32 — 113.7MB)
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!
Today’s mod releases for NBA 2K23 feature a couple of Utah Jazz court packs from Lethanos, representing the 2000s and 2010s. Lethanos has also indicated that the courts are compatible with NBA 2K20, NBA 2K21, NBA 2K22, and NBA 2K24. Pick up the packs at the links below!
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.
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 underrated game modes.
I feel as though I say this whenever I cover a topic where the words “underrated” or “overrated” are used, but it bears repeating that they are relative and subjective terms. Many things can be both underrated and overrated depending on one’s point of view, and one person’s opinion needn’t necessarily represent the consensus. Even if there is a consensus, you could argue that once something is widely seen as underrated or overrated, it ceases to be either since opinion has levelled out (or indeed flipped). It’s fair to say that “underappreciated” and “overhyped” may be more suitable terms.
That’s certainly how I’m using the term “underrated” when I talk about game modes. I see them as underrated because they often aren’t recalled with the same fondness or nostalgia despite their quality. As such, I believe they’re worthy of more appreciation for how fun they were, as well as their creativity and technological achievements. The fact that these games modes were either exclusive to one title or otherwise short-lived definitely contributes to them being underrated; or underappreciated, or overlooked, or whatever synonym you prefer. Bottom line, they deserve more praise, and in that spirit, let’s talk about five underrated game modes in both sim and arcade hoops titles.
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 reflections on how I’ve lost enthusiasm for new basketball video games.
When the preview season for NBA 2K26 officially tipped off in early July, I was filled with dread. Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to aggregating the news and discussing the upcoming game. Likewise, I wasn’t excited for September to arrive so that I could get my hands on it. The anticipation that I once felt for new games – even when I was hooked on the current one – simply wasn’t there. It helped temper my expectations, but as I discussed in Episode #596 of the NLSC Podcast, NBA 2K26 still failed to reach the low bar that I’d set for it.
Moreover, as I said on the show, NBA 2K26 proved to be a breaking point for me. I already felt disappointed and disillusioned with the ninth generation, but this was the final straw. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my enthusiasm for new games. Even though it’s a year away, I’m not excited about going through another preview season. I’m dreading having to play and talk about future NBA 2K releases. I can’t feel optimistic about the future of the series, or the chances that we’ll see the return of NBA Live; especially after EA Sports rescinded their proposal for a college game. Call it an extreme case of the New Game Blues if you like, but I’m not sure how I can get that enthusiasm back.
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 my suggestions on how to fix the connected experiences in MyCAREER.
This is far from the first time that I’ve discussed criticisms of the competitive scene in NBA 2K, specifically the online team play experiences connected to MyCAREER. To that point, I’m going to be treading some familiar ground here today, from grinding to proper matchmaking functionality. That’s because the same issues continue to hold back the connected experiences in MyCAREER, and improvements are well overdue. As popular as the online scene in NBA 2K may be, the quality of the experience lags behind other games, and is nowhere near where it needs to be.
You can see the frustration everywhere. It’s been mentioned in our Forum, over on Operation Sports, on social media, and in numerous threads in the official NBA 2K subreddit. So many gamers see the issues, and apart from the ones who want to shout down all criticism – usually thanks to selfish zero-sum thinking – people want to see the scene improve. The concepts of the connected modes in MyCAREER have the potential to be so much better than they are, and I speak from my own experience when I say that they’ve shown flashes of that brilliance. Until these improvements are made however, the connected experiences in MyCAREER will continue to suffer.
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 reflections on MyCAREER stories that have gone untold…at least from my perspective.
Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m glad to have escaped the basketball gaming habits that had me in a rut. Although I can still have fun with MyCAREER – as my ongoing game in NBA 2K14 clearly demonstrates – I don’t miss the annual ritual of starting over from scratch with a ridiculously low-rated MyPLAYER. I don’t miss diligently doing every extracurricular activity to maximise my VC earnings so that I don’t have to spend money to speed up the process. I don’t miss weathering an awful grind until MyCAREER is fun, knowing that I’ll have to do it all over again next year.
With that being said, I would’ve liked to have spent a bit more time in MyCAREER in recent years, if only so that I could comment on their stories like I have for previous games. Although I’ve been quite critical of some of the MyCAREER stories, I’ve also greatly enjoyed others, and come to appreciate the concept in general. Of course, what I really miss is the ability to go back and experience the MyCAREER stories in recent NBA 2K games. Now that the mode is no longer available in any form offline, a big chunk of eighth and ninth gen NBA 2K releases isn’t available for retro/throwback gaming. And so for me, these MyCAREER stories will sadly remain untold What Ifs.
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.
Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.
There are some interesting trends in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays. Gamers are clearly enjoying recent releases, with NBA 2K24 and NBA 2K25 showing up a couple of times. However, the classics are also still in people’s rotations, as NBA Live 2003, NBA Live 2005, and even NBA Live 99 make an appearance! Unsurprisingly, NBA 2K14 also remains a favourite. Of course, the main thing is that every game is producing some spectacular virtual hardwood highlights, as Shawn Kemp, Vince Carter, and other stars past and present are rocking the rim, swatting shots, and generally putting on a show. Let’s get to the action!
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.
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 major problems with open worlds in sports video games.
Since the introduction of The Neighborhood in NBA 2K18, open worlds have been a core part of the MyCAREER experience. Whether an urban complex, a cruise ship, or a beachfront town, they’ve taken MyCAREER and its connected modes from menus to an environment that can be explored. The Neighborhood has since given way to the much larger open world of The City in the flagship version of NBA 2K, although it was condensed slightly in NBA 2K25. Elsewhere, WWE 2K25 now features The Island, and EA Sports are reportedly also looking to bring open worlds to their games.
Now, I have nothing against open worlds in video games. I’m a fan of both the Grand Theft Auto and Fallout series, so I know how much fun the concept can be. However, I don’t believe open worlds belong in sports video games like NBA 2K or WWE 2K. Sure, they can be made to work, facilitating the MMORPG aspects of career modes nowadays. To that point though, I don’t think that it results in a better experience for gamers, particularly anyone who prefers traditional career mode gameplay. With that in mind, here are five big problems that are created when open worlds are forced into sports games, and therefore five reasons why they shouldn’t be a part of those titles!
Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.
It’s hardly a secret that we love dunks in the NLSC Top 10 Plays, but those aren’t the only spectacular highlights in basketball, real or virtual. To that point, dunks are actually in the minority in this week’s countdown, as the community demonstrates that an elusive layup, slick move into a jumper that finds all net, or a big defensive stop, can be just as entertaining as a slam. Dunk lovers needn’t worry however, as you’ll still see some awesome jams. There’s great variety all around this week, as seven different games from NBA 2K6 to NBA 2K25 are on display. But enough talk; let’s get to the action!
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.
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 why we should never say never when it comes to basketball games and modding, even though I probably will.
As a Millennial, Don Bluth movies were part of my childhood. Some of them I saw a bit later on because I was too young (or not yet born) when they first came out, but they certainly had an impact on me. That includes An American Tail, the story of a young mouse named Fievel who is separated from his family during their journey to the United States. It’s a classic children’s film with some memorable musical numbers, one of which is the uplifting “Never Say Never”. It’s one of those iconic scenes from a movie that I watched when I was very young that became embedded in my memory.
I’d like to say that the message also resonated with me. In a way it did, but I’ll admit that as much as I try to be optimistic, open-minded, and imaginative, there have been times when, like Fievel, I’ve resigned myself to the notion of “never”. To that point though, it’s refreshing when your pessimism is proven wrong, and a lesson that we should never say never…well, to some things, anyway! When it comes to basketball video games and modding, I’ve been prone to writing off possibilities out of hand. This has led to some incorrect predictions and reminders to think outside the box! So, while I’d like to pledge that I’ll never say never again, I’m sure that it will happen.
Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.
The real NBA has produced some ridiculous buzzer beaters from long range this week, so it’s only appropriate that the latest edition of the NLSC Top 10 Plays reflects that trend on the virtual hardwood! In addition to those clutch shots, you’ll also find perfectly-timed alley-oops, crafty moves, and the usual assortment of thunderous poster dunks. Six different games are featured in this week’s countdown, from the often-underappreciated NBA Live 09 through to NBA 2K25. You know that our community is going to put on a show, so let’s get to the action!
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.
Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.
Whenever an edition of the NLSC Top 10 Plays begins with a slick crossover to a vicious poster dunk that could easily rank in the top five most weeks, you know you’re in for a treat! This week’s countdown brings the goods with spectacular slams, disdainfully ferocious swats, and a rare trick shot off of a hustle play. A few mods are also on display, which is always great to see but especially so during March Modness. Six different games are featured this time around, ranging from NBA 2K14 through to NBA 2K25. Let’s get to the action!
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.
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