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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 putting some Legends back in uniform in NBA 2K9.
As I’ve mentioned before, whenever I’m hooked on an older basketball video game, part of my retro kick involves messing around with the rosters. I particularly enjoy this is in any game that has Legends and retro jerseys, as it allows me to set up some historical scenarios. While playing NBA 2K9 ahead of producing my retrospective, I ended up putting many of the Legends back in uniform. It turned out to be a fun way to talk about some strange stints that weren’t captured in the rosters of any other video games (aside from one that I felt was too important not to cover).
Before I re-created those examples of familiar faces in strange places using NBA 2K9 though, I was placing Legends back in the uniforms that they famously wore. It may seem like an unusual thing to do when there are so many games – and for that matter, mods – that allow me to play with historical rosters. However, there’s just something really fun and satisfying about messing around with a game’s retro content! NBA 2K9 doesn’t feature the largest selection of Legends in the 2K series, but it has enough to depict some memorable moments in NBA history. Let’s take a look back…way back…
Battle of the Bigs, 90s Style
As a 90s kid, this certainly feels like the logical place to start! Although the decade was dominated by a wing player – Michael Jordan, obviously – there were plenty of battles between superstar big men. Indeed, in between Chicago’s threepeats, the focus was on the matchup in the middle. If you go back and watch the 1994 NBA Finals, you’ll hear the commentators talking about how Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Patrick Ewing is the most significant showdown of centres since Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in 1969. It went on to be an epic seven-game series – infamously interrupted by the O.J. Simpson chase – with Hakeem and the Houston Rockets winning their first title.
The following year, The Dream – now flanked by former college teammate Clyde Drexler – powered the Rockets to an incredible underdog run that saw them become the lowest seed to win a championship. They capped off this legendary performance with a sweep of a young Orlando Magic team led by Shaquille O’Neal. Along the way, Hakeem also battled David Robinson, including a memorable performance after The Admiral was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. NBA 2K9 doesn’t have enough players from the 1994 or 1995 NBA Finals to stage a proper matchup, but one can at least showcase some of the battles of the bigs that took place during the decade.
That also includes Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, as younger versions of those two Hall of Famers are featured among the Legends in NBA 2K9. That allowed me to capture some screenshots representing the famous Knicks vs. Heat battles from the late 90s, which produced one of my favourite Ewing highlights when he dunked on Zo. There’s also a couple of Mt. Mutombo vs. Shaq matchups that can be depicted in NBA 2K9, from clashes early in their careers with the Nuggets and Magic to their meetings in the 2001 and 2003 NBA Finals. Olajuwon, O’Neal, Ewing, Robinson, Mourning, and Mutombo…the 90s sure were stacked when it came to centres!
The Last Dance & Other 90s Moments
Unfortunately Michael Jordan isn’t among the Legends in NBA 2K9, and unlike NBA 2K10, we don’t really have the tools to properly add him. On the bright side, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are available in the 90s All-Stars, representing two thirds of the Bulls’ Big Three in The Last Dance and the previous two championships. They can match up with Karl Malone and Jeff Hornacek – like MJ, John Stockton is absent – sporting jerseys that are a throwback to the 1998 NBA Finals. As much as I enjoy highlights from the first threepeat, I wasn’t a hardcore basketball fan until the second trio of championships, so 1996 through 1998 represents the peak of my nostalgia.
I mentioned the fierce battles between the Knicks and Heat during the late 90s, which saw a ton of physicality that turned into brawls and subsequently suspensions. Former Hornets teammates Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson – who had already fallen out while in Charlotte – were suspended after fighting in Game 4, though neither landed a punch. I was tickled to have been able to capture a tense-looking moment between the two after putting both Legends back in those uniforms in NBA 2K9! Meanwhile, Tim Hardaway suiting up for the Heat on the virtual hardwood not only brought back fond memories of those infamous series, but also his appearance on NBA Live 98’s cover.
A year before joining the Knicks, Larry Johnson formed a duo with Glen Rice, whom the Hornets acquired in return for Mourning. Although he began his career with the Heat and went on to win a ring with the Lakers, I still generally picture G-Money in the Hornets’ pinstripes. Unfortunately Phoenix’s iconic sunburst uniforms aren’t in NBA 2K9, but Legends Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, and Tom Chambers did sport the throwbacks that are available. Other 90s memories that can be depicted include Grant Hill in the Pistons’ teal, Dennis Rodman on the Spurs, Rolando Blackman and Xavier McDaniel’s Knicks stints, and the Rockets’ rather divisive “pyjama” uniforms.
Those ’70s Screenshots
Whenever I want to depict the ABA in video games, my go-to screenshot is Julius Erving vs. George Gervin. It’s unoriginal, I know, but it’s certainly fitting! They were two of the league’s biggest stars, and more importantly, the NBA Legends who are both ABA alumni and frequently featured in video games like NBA 2K9. Throw in the code to unlock the ABA ball, and it indeed feels like an appropriate way to pay respect. On the NBA side of things, the later stints of Hall of Fame guards Oscar Robertson and Lenny Wilkens, and Earl Monroe’s final Bullets season, can all be depicted using the relevant throwbacks in NBA 2K9’s selection of classic jerseys.
There are some tremendous Legends from the 1970s in NBA 2K9. You’ll find Bob McAdoo, and he can be placed in a Buffalo Braves uniform. Connie Hawkins is there to sport a Suns throwback. Bob Lanier and Dave Bing represent the Pistons teams that came between the Fort Wayne and Bad Boys days. Rick Barry can wear the Warriors jersey he donned during the 1975 NBA Finals, and shoot his trademark underhand free throws. However, the player that I often think of as the face of the NBA in the 70s – at least when it comes to the Legends in NBA 2K9 – is the late Bill Walton. The wild, curly mane, headband, and free-spirited persona, are the obvious reasons why!
Walton can be paired up with Maurice Lucas, his teammate on the 1977 champion Portland Trail Blazers, in the appropriate uniforms. Thanks to the aforementioned Buffalo Braves jersey, NBA 2K9 can also depict Moses Malone’s brief and often-forgotten stint with the team. Pre-Jordan Bulls Legends Artis Gilmore and Norm Van Lier can don their old script jersey. As someone born in 1984, the 70s were before my time, but I find that era in hoops history to be fascinating. It’s been maligned over the years and there certainly are reasons for that, but from the presence of the ABA to the number of champions – including some first-time winners – it’s an interesting decade.
The NBA: It’s Fantastic!
While 90s basketball had me and so many others saying “I love this game“, the NBA of the 80s lived up to its slogan, too. 80s uniforms have been popular throwbacks for some time now, and there’s a good selection of them in NBA 2K9 along with Legends of the era. Alex English and Dan Issel can sport the Nuggets’ rainbow skyline jerseys, and Reggie Theus suits the Bulls’ early 80s retro that MJ wore in his rookie year. The Hawks’ home jersey from the 80s is there for Dominique Wilkins to wear as he throws down dunks with authority. Young Clyde Drexler can battle Sidney Moncrief, in a showdown of one of history’s best high-flyers and an all-time great wing defender.
One rivalry that we unfortunately can’t re-create with visual accuracy in NBA 2K9 is the Lakers vs. Celtics showdowns of the 80s. A handful of the relevant Lakers and Celtics Legends are in NBA 2K9, but only the Celtics have era-appropriate throwback jerseys. Honestly, to me it doesn’t make much sense to include Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper without the purple and gold uniforms of Showtime, but that’s how it is! Instead, we can depict the Celtics vs. 76ers rivalry of the 80s thanks to accurate jerseys and the inclusion of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish for Boston, and Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Maurice Cheeks for Philadelphia.
We can even wind it back a bit further with Moses, and have him facing the Celtics while wearing #24 for the Rockets. Malone was a two-time Most Valuable Player and three-time rebound champion in Houston, leading an underdog Rockets team to the Finals against a young Larry Bird’s Celtics. It was Bird who would win his first NBA title, but Moses’ Rockets took the favoured Celtics to six games, and also defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Learning about the stars of the 80s and watching those wonderful highlights is one of the reasons I abhor today’s disdain for NBA history, but also why I enjoy playing with these all-time greats.
Pioneering Legends in NBA 2K9
It’s tough to get era-accurate screenshots of the Legends in NBA 2K9 the further back you go. As it is, many of the above scenarios have some inaccuracies, whether I’m using a jersey that’s from around the same time rather than the specific year, or some detail from 2009 is visible in the background. Winding it back to the 60s is extremely challenging, though! Even ignoring the occasional 21st century detail, much like the Showtime Lakers, the necessary throwbacks aren’t there in NBA 2K9 to pair with the Legends. For the sake of recognising the pioneers and early stars of the sport though, I was able to capture some historical screenshots that I feel are at least close enough.
The 76ers jerseys aren’t quite right, but whenever a video game allows me to depict the legendary rivalry between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, I have to capture a screenshot of them looking horns. NBA 2K9 includes some of their teammates among its array of Legends, specifically Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Bill Sharman, and Hal Greer. Dave Cowens is another Legend that can be put back in Celtics Green, while Nate Thurmond can model the San Francisco Warriors jersey he wore when he faced former teammate Wilt in the 1967 Finals. Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas can also be placed in the Cincinnati Royals jersey that both wore before moving on in the 70s.
George Mikan is the only Lakers Legend with an era-appropriate throwback, while there’s a Syracuse Nationals jersey for Dolph Schayes. It’s not quite accurate to their meeting in 1954, but you get the idea! The same NBA home videos that allowed me to develop an appreciation for the 80s also instilled respect for the earlier eras. Once again, my nostalgia is obviously rooted in what is often referred to as the Jordan Era, but I still have tremendous respect for the all-time greats that played before I became a hardcore hoop head. They don’t have the best representation in video games, but I enjoyed putting those Legends back in uniform in NBA 2K9 to the best of my ability.
Other Legends & Throwback Stints in NBA 2K9
When I was preparing my previous article on strange stints that could be represented using Legends and retro jerseys in NBA 2K9, I set up as many examples as I could. I ultimately chose to focus on the ones that can’t be found in any contemporary video games, to keep the list relatively short and not repeat stories I’ve already covered. I also wanted to draw a line between stints that were truly strange, and ones that were just relatively short-lived and overshadowed. Additionally, while I originally focused on Legends, I also took some active (or recently-active) players in NBA 2K9, and put them back in the jerseys of the teams that most NBA fans tend to associate them with.
Nate “Tiny” Archibald’s best individual seasons – which include becoming the first player to lead the league in scoring and assists in the same campaign – were with the Royals/Kings. In NBA 2K9 however, we can place him on the Celtics, where he won a title as their starting point guard. Tom Chambers’ best years were with Seattle and Phoenix, but he had a couple of solid seasons backing up Karl Malone in Utah. As nomadic as he was, Moses Malone has few stints that are truly strange, but his Hawks tenure stands out for including his final All-Star selection. Chris Mullin and Detlef Schrempf aren’t best-remembered as Pacers, but their time with Indiana was solid.
Maurice Lucas finished his career back in Portland, meaning he played with both Bill Walton and Clyde Drexler. Speaking of Walton, his Celtics stint can be re-created, as can Maurice Cheeks’ late-career tenure in New York. As far as active players, Allen Iverson can return to the 76ers in the jersey he sports on the cover of NBA 2K2, along with some of his contemporary teammates. Antoine Walker can reclaim #8 for the Celtics, and a few of the 2003 Kings can be reunited. Tracy McGrady can team up with Vince Carter in Toronto, or Grant Hill in Orlando. Jermaine O’Neal, Eddie Jones, Steve Nash, and young Jason Kidd, can also be placed into some throwback scenarios.
Final Thoughts on Legends in NBA 2K9
All in all, the selection of Legends in NBA 2K9 – and retro jerseys for that matter – is quite good. I’ve come to appreciate how NBA 2K used to feature East and West All-Decade teams from the 70s through to the 90s, with a combined 50s/60s squad. This allowed them to include more all-time greats from the 70s onwards, while keeping the selection of earlier Legends focused on ones who remained well-known decades later. There are Legends that NBA Live hadn’t included at that point, such as Bob McAdoo and Artis Gilmore. The array of throwback uniforms is certainly sufficient, especially when you consider NBA Live didn’t have them on seventh gen until NBA Live 10.
With that being said, there are some disappointing omissions. Obviously 2K’s hands were tied as far as likeness rights, and Legends such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were going to be a long-shot. However, it’s a shame that absentees included John Stockton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Jerry West, and even Reggie Miller, who EA Sports had managed to license for prior gen versions of NBA Live. The absence of some iconic uniforms, particularly the Lakers and Pistons jerseys from the 80s, ABA throwbacks for the Nuggets, and Phoenix’s Barkley-era sunburst uniforms, is also most unfortunate for history buffs who love those designs.
However, it was far beyond what NBA Live was offering, especially with the seventh gen version of NBA Live 09 not featuring any Legends or retro jerseys. I don’t say that to damn NBA 2K9 with faint praise. Strong gameplay and a deep flagship mode in The Association were the main factors in NBA 2K overtaking NBA Live, but going the extra mile with historical content certainly helped 2K win over basketball gamers as well. The series has since reached incredible heights with its retro content, but the selection of Legends and throwback jerseys in NBA 2K9 was still more than ample. It’s undoubtedly made a game that I’ve come to really enjoy even more fun to play.
