Tag Archives: NBA Live 2003

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #628 of the NLSC Podcast!

While it’s certainly exciting to be on the cutting edge of gaming technology, we’re not always in a rush to upgrade our hardware and play the (supposedly) most advanced versions of basketball video games. This week, we’re taking a look at why many basketball gamers often opt to stick with last gen hoops titles – ourselves included – and some of the benefits of delaying a jump to the next generation. We also touch on next gen elitism and gatekeeping – in particular, the “you’re broke” crowd – and the community shares their experiences in sticking with last gen basketball video games. Suffice it to say that it’s been a more common practice over the years than some people may think!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:02:02 — 43.0MB)

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!

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 that basketball games fail to properly represent big men on the court.

Although I came to favour creating point guards for my career mode avatars, and my all-time favourite player is a shooting guard, I definitely have an affinity for big men in basketball and basketball video games alike. Back in the 90s, I loved watching the superb post play of Hakeem Olajuwon, the raw power of Shaquille O’Neal, and the spectacular slams of Shawn Kemp. As one of the taller kids who ended up playing centre at school and in my local junior league, those were the players that I tried to emulate in one way or another.

Naturally, whenever I play basketball video games, I want to use those big men like their real life counterparts as well. However, that hasn’t always been possible. From reflecting the advantage that comes with height and size, to accurately depicting skills and play styles, big men often haven’t felt like themselves on the virtual hardwood. In the case of older games, primitive mechanics and AI are frequently to blame, but even newer titles have their issues. Furthermore, misconceptions and stereotypes have also led to big men having wildly inaccurate ratings and other attributes. With that being said, here are five common ways that basketball video games get big men wrong.

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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 things in basketball video games that became retroactive Easter eggs.

Can there be such a thing as retroactive Easter eggs? After all, by definition, Easter eggs in video games and other media are deliberately placed with the intention of being found; even if takes a long time. To that point, there have been many secrets in video games that remained hidden for decades, but they were always present. In that sense, there’s nothing retroactive about them. Of course, when it comes to fictional works, reveals and ret-cons can certainly turn minor details into retroactive Easter eggs by giving them new meaning and importance.

Similarly, future events can re-contextualise content in basketball video games, as well as associated materials such as preview media. When we look back at them with the benefit of hindsight, they become retroactive Easter eggs. Even when they’re not exactly hidden and there’s a straightforward explanation for their presence – and there generally is – they’re now far more exciting to find. And so, if you enjoy revisiting old basketball video games as I do, you’re basically guaranteed to encounter retroactive Easter eggs, from forgotten cameos to amusing coincidences. Indeed, on top of many old favourites holding up superbly, these are great reasons to dust off some classics.

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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 whether a franchise mode game can ever truly be failed.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: completion is what we make it in basketball video games. There are also different reasons to play video games in general, with completion being but one of them. For example, our NLSC THRILLHO squad played over 500 games of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K17. We didn’t win any tournaments, snare any prizes for a top ranking, or reach a definitive end point. However, we were having so much fun that we kept meeting up to play all those games, and in doing so, created many fond memories. Competition and camaraderie were the point, not completion.

Traditional NBA season play, whether in the form of a single season, franchise, or career mode, is obviously a little different. Sure, it’s also about competing and having fun along the way, but the format provides a long-term goal: finish at least one season and ideally cap it off with a championship. Franchise modes have also grown deeper over the years, inviting us to customise the experience to our liking and take on more responsibilities. It’s all too easy to get impatient and bored during a long season, or find that setting up the board was more fun than playing the game. Completion is what we make it, but even so, is it ever fair to say that a franchise game has “failed”?

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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.

One thing’s for sure: the slams you’ll find in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays are far more exciting than the 2026 Dunk Contest! Sure, that’s a low bar to clear, but the community soars far above it with some spectacular jams on the virtual hardwood. It’s not often that you’ll see NBA Live 07 for Xbox 360 in the countdown, but even it was able to put this year’s contest to shame with some wild stuff from Tyrus Thomas! However, the top spot goes to another clutch bucket from a gamer with a knack for crazy finishes. Seven different games are featured this time around, from NBA Live 2003 through to NBA Bounce. 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.

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 how my attitude towards the Courtside Comedy cutscenes in NBA Live 2003 has changed over the years.

When I wrote about NBA Live 2003’s Courtside Comedy cutscenes almost ten years ago, my perspective was definitely still influenced by the disappointment I felt back in 2002. Although I noted that they were undoubtedly nostalgic in a weird kind of way, I reiterated that the tone wasn’t ideal for a sim game. Indeed, I still feel that way! As such, I believe that dropping the silly hi-jinks in NBA Live 2004 was the right move. After all, while video games are meant to be fun and not everything has to be super serious, atmosphere is important, and unwanted silliness can easily ruin the vibe.

However, as the years have gone by, I’ve developed more of an appreciation for the Courtside Comedy cutscenes. That’s not to say that I wish they’d continued to appear in future NBA Live games – again, I do stand by my criticism of them – but they were a bold experiment that, for better or worse, were undeniably memorable. Besides, it’s not as though they were universally disliked! On top of respecting differing opinions on the Courtside Comedy cutscenes, I’ll admit to enjoying them on some level myself. Why the change of heart? Let’s take a look back…way back…

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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 finding basketball gaming’s answer to Tecmo Super Bowl.

Tecmo Super Bowl is undoubtedly an iconic video game. Fully-licensed NFL teams and players, well-designed gameplay, stat tracking, and the dominance of virtual Bo Jackson, all helped cement it as a legendary release. That legend has only grown over time, thanks to emulation facilitating a modding scene that has kept the game dutifully updated and enthusiastically played right through to today. When it comes to a cult following in the retro gaming and modding scene, Tecmo Super Bowl is right up there with the original Doom games.

Basketball is my sport however, so I’m left wondering: is there an equivalent retro hoops title to Tecmo Super Bowl? For that matter, could there be? Obviously, there are a handful of old favourites still being updated, but these days those titles rarely approach the same vintage as Tecmo Super Bowl. It stands to reason. It could be argued that sim basketball games that hold up decades later didn’t come along until the mid 90s, or even the mid 2000s. Once they evolved to that point, we ended up with several great releases that remained moddable and playable years later. With that in mind, which titles could potentially be basketball gaming’s Tecmo Super Bowl?

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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 inaccuracies regarding the All-Stars in various basketball video games.

Another All-Star Game will be upon us next week. I admit that I highly doubt I’ll be watching it. What was once a spectacular exhibition of the best players in the NBA competing in the ultimate pick-up game has turned into a boring display that we can’t even call basketball. From the lack of effort by a spoiled generation of players to ridiculous formats under the tournament-obsessed Adam Silver, the All-Star Game absolutely stinks now. It’s a damn shame, as its spits on the legacy of all the great players who paved the way for today’s “stars” to get paid $40 million to load-manage.

Whoops, I went full Grumpy Old Man there! It is tough not to grumble though, as the All-Star Game used to be something I really enjoyed. Sadly, over the past decade or so, it’s completely lost its appeal and competitive spirit. I still have fond memories of what the event used to be of course, and that also carries over to the virtual hardwood. Over the years, it’s been a blast to play with the All-Star teams in games, as well as the Rookie Challenge/Rising Stars squads when they’re available. As with many other aspects of basketball video game rosters though, the virtual All-Star teams have had some rather weird and interesting inaccuracies. Here are five that I’ve encountered!

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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 how NBA 2K gamers that are still playing on Last Gen consoles deserve better.

I’ll admit that I’m surprised we’re still seeing NBA 2K come out for the Last Gen consoles. Back in 2023, I speculated that we might be reaching the end of the road for NBA 2K on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, based on the minimal previews and lack of substantial post-release support. Obviously that didn’t turn out to be the case, with NBA 2K25 and NBA 2K26 both receiving Last Gen releases. While I wouldn’t be shocked if the series leaves PS4 and X1 behind in 2026, there’s actually a decent chance that NBA 2K27 will still be released on those consoles.

And you know what? I have absolutely no problem with that! Although I can play the New Gen version on my PlayStation 5 or PC, plenty of people don’t have that option, either by choice or circumstance. To that end, I truly loathe the elitist attitude that a contingent of Next Gen/New Gen gamers display, from mocking people for financial hardship to believing that Last Gen gamers don’t deserve a good product. The fact of the matter is that everyone who is still playing NBA 2K on a Last Gen console for whatever reason has deserved better than what they’ve received and how they’ve been treated the last few years. Only a shameless corporate shill would argue otherwise.

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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 how challenging it can be to accurately rate a fading star in basketball video games.

Since they became a visible part of basketball video games, player ratings have been a contentious issue. We’ve rarely been completely happy with the ratings in the official rosters, sometimes for very good reasons; particularly when it comes to the historical players! Developers have also shared stories about players arguing about their ratings when they come in for motion capture or face scans. On a lighter note, when Hassan Whiteside returned to the NBA for the 2015 season and began turning in some good performances for the Heat, he joked about doing it to get his NBA 2K ratings up.

As someone who used to maintain current roster updates for NBA Live on PC, there were certainly ratings in the default rosters that I disagreed with. At the same time, I also sympathised with the producers who were responsible for those official rosters, because it’s impossible to please everyone. We all have different views on how certain players should be rated – with bias often being a factor – as well as how player ratings should be handled across the board. All roster makers end up settling on a system of some kind, me included. Even so, some players have proved particularly challenging to rate over the years, and a fading star will generally be among the most difficult.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #610 of the NLSC Podcast!

With the NBA Live 19 servers shutting down next January, a recent kick has inspired us to take another look back at the final release in the NBA Live series…at least for now. From new perspectives on the last official patch and the gameplay experience, to thoughts on Ultimate Team, The Streets World Tour, Legends ratings, and depth, we reflect on our overall impressions of the game after giving it another chance. We also touch on developing a greater appreciation for other games upon revisiting them with fresh eyes, Ultimate Team lineups, where NBA Live 19 ranks in the series, and what should be done differently if NBA Live ever returns with a new console/PC release.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 52:06 — 36.1MB)

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!

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.

Real world Legends and Virtual Hardwood Legends collide once again in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays, as both Michael Jordan and Alonzo Gee provide dazzling displays of aerial artistry! Likewise, Kobe Bryant and Jacque Vaughn both came up big in the clutch, leading their teams to satisfying victories. Eight different basketball video games are featured in this week’s countdown, from NBA in the Zone all the way up to NBA 2K26. You know that our Top 10 is the best way to get hyped for a weekend on the virtual hardwood, so 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.

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 lost basketball video game saves that I’m tempted to reboot and play once again.

Decades of basketball gaming has resulted in far too many of my saves being lost. Sometimes it’s due to unfortunate technical issues, but all too often, I’ve made the mistake of believing that I was done with a particular game and carelessly discarded those files. As I’ve come to realise – especially with my preference for retro basketball gaming in recent years – I’m actually quite likely to revisit old favourites and make them a part of my rotation once again! To that point, it’s a shame that I can’t resume those lost Season, Franchise, and Dynasty saves when I dust off classic titles.

Of course, while the original saves may be lost, the ideas live on! With that in mind, while recovering those lost saves is highly unlikely unless I discover some backups somewhere – and trust me, I’ve already looked – I can always re-create them. Now that I’ve made my return to franchise gaming and reignited my passion for playing through seasons, I’m open to making that something I do with any old favourites that I end up getting hooked on. Sure, it wouldn’t be a true continuation of those lost saves, and it’d be tough to truly re-create the magic of the original experiences. I do think it’d be a lot of fun, though! With that being said, I’m quite tempted to reboot these five lost saves.

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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 virtual counterparts of some of basketball’s biggest names are featured in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays! Michael Jordan, who makes multiple appearances. Kobe Bryant. LeBron James. Steven Hunter. Alright, that last one is a little out of place, but as in real life, role players can produce some spectacular moments in video games. Indeed, it’s how they become Virtual Hardwood Legends! In any case, this week’s countdown features another ten plays to get you hyped up for a weekend of basketball gaming, with four different titles on display from NBA Live 2003 through to NBA 2K26. 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.

Earlier this week in Episode #607 of the NLSC Podcast, Michael Jordan and Victor Wembanyama were named as players to show a budding basketball fan to get them hooked on hoops. Very appropriately, the virtual counterparts of both players are featured in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays, alongside other stars past and present. Whether you enjoy alley-oops, poster dunks, ankle-breakers, big blocks, trick shots, or gamewinners, our latest countdown is sure to delight you…and as always, fire you up for a weekend on the virtual hardwood. 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.