Wayback Wednesday: Long-Gone Players in NBA 2K11

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 long-gone players that were unexpectedly present in NBA 2K11.

Even in the early days of basketball gaming, it wasn’t unusual for players who were no longer in the league to make it into the active rosters of a title. Usually, this was due to the roster cut-off date, and the timing and circumstances of their departure. However, they were often still on a team’s roster. When games began including a Free Agents Pool, it was generally empty by default. By the early 2000s though, it had become far more common to see a selection of players in the Free Agents Pool who were unsigned when the game’s rosters were finalised; a trend that continues today.

We’ve never been told the exact circumstances that allow players to appear as free agents, but we can make some educated guesses. Extrapolating from the names we’ve seen in the Free Agents Pool over the years, it appears that they must have been under contract at the end of the previous season, signed to a guaranteed contract during a game’s development (but released before the rosters were finalised), or retired with time left on their deal. That accounts for most free agents in games over the years, but there are exceptions. Notably, the selection of Free Agents in NBA 2K11 includes a few players who were long-gone by that point. Let’s take a look back…way back…

First, let’s define “long-gone”. A “long time” is a relative term depending on factors such as our age and the specific matter at hand. In some respects, two or three years don’t count as a particularly long time; especially the older you get. However, it only takes a few years to see some significant turnover in the NBA, with players leaving and new ones arriving. Since NBA 2K11 is set in the 2011 season, I’m counting any players who were out of the NBA by the end of 2008 as long-gone. After all, that’s two full seasons and two video games in between. If nothing else, we wouldn’t usually expect these players to still be available in the Free Agents Pool in a 2011 season title.

Smush Parker

Despite a relatively short NBA career – he wasn’t even 27 when he played his final game – Smush Parker did achieve some notoriety. In addition to his distinct nickname, he’s infamously remembered as the best option in a weak point guard rotation for the post-Shaq Lakers. Smush is also a player Kobe wasn’t fond of; though, as someone who was making roster updates for NBA Live back then, I also recall him as a player that a few Lakers fans insisted needed much better ratings! He was out of the league by 2008 after a stint with the Clippers, and also failed to latch on with the Nuggets in the offseason. It’s therefore surprising that he’s available as a free agent in NBA 2K11.

Kirk Snyder

With a career even shorter than Smush Parker’s, Kirk Snyder was also out of the NBA by 2008. He actually had a decent run with the Timberwolves before his time in the league drew to a close, as he started 18 of the 27 games he played for them and posted his best numbers since his second year when he played for the New Orleans Hornets. Although Snyder remained unsigned after the 2008 season concluded, Minnesota didn’t actually renounce his free agent exception rights until July 2010, when NBA 2K11 was in development. I’m not sure if that played a role in 2K’s ability to include him in the rosters, but obviously they were able to, since he’s there as a free agent.

D.J. Strawberry

The son of baseball star Darryl Strawberry, D.J. Strawberry didn’t quite have the same impact in the NBA as he father did in Major League Baseball. Although Strawberry is still active, most recently playing in Egypt, his NBA career finished in 2008 after only 33 games with the Phoenix Suns. However, there may be a reason for his inclusion in NBA 2K11 despite being long-gone at that point. The New Orleans Hornets did sign him in September, only to waive him in late October. Those moves happened too late to affect NBA 2K11 – which came out in early October – but Strawberry did play for the Lakers in the 2010 Summer League, so his return may have been anticipated.

David Noel

One of the less successful players to wear #34 for the Milwaukee Bucks – a number that will undoubtedly someday be retired for Giannis Antetokounmpo – college slam dunk champion David Noel only played a single season in the NBA. He was actually on the Bucks’ roster through the 2008 season, though he remained either inactive or on assignment to the D-League. Noel signed with the Clippers in the 2008 offseason but was a training camp cut, and didn’t get another shot at the NBA. His continued to play in the D-League and overseas until 2017, and is now an assistant coach for the G League’s Capital City Go-Go. His inclusion in NBA 2K11 is a mystery, though!

DerMarr Johnson

Taken sixth overall in the infamously underwhelming 2000 Draft, DerMarr Johnson did have potential as an athletic swingman. Unfortunately his career was derailed by a car accident during the 2002 offseason, though he was very lucky not to be paralysed. After missing the entire 2003 season, Johnson returned to action, but his career never really took off. He played five games for the San Antonio Spurs in 2008, and spent the rest of his career overseas. Like D.J. Strawberry, he did actually get signed during the 2010 offseason, though it happened too late to have impacted NBA 2K11. He’s in the game’s rosters though, which if nothing else helps out with retro season mods.

Mickael Gelabale

French forward Mickael Gelabale is still playing in his home country, and he also represents them in international competition. Drafted in 2005 but not debuting in the NBA until 2006, Gelabale was a member of the last Seattle SuperSonics squad in 2008. An ACL injury cut his second season short, and he wasn’t re-signed as the team relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder. The Lakers signed him in the 2009 offseason and released him in October, which likely accounts for him being leftover in NBA 2K11. While he wouldn’t play in the NBA in 2011, he did actually have a second NBA run in 2013, starting 13 out of 36 games for the Timberwolves.

Allan Ray

My most vivid memory of Allan Ray is when he got his eye poked in college (viewer discretion is advised for that linked clip, even though it isn’t too graphic). Luckily he recovered, though he went undrafted in 2006 before the Boston Celtics took a chance on him. It wasn’t a good year for the Celtics. Red Auerbach’s passing cast a shadow over the season, Paul Pierce missed 35 games, and they went 24-58. Ray was a bright spot late in the year, finishing fourth among rookies in three-point shooting. However, the Celtics acquired Ray Allen in the offseason, leaving no room for Allan Ray. He’s another one-and-done player from 2007 that somehow made it into NBA 2K11.

Daniel Ewing

Now a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers, Daniel Ewing spent the entirety of his brief NBA career with the Clippers. He also played professionally until 2019, but his last NBA game came in 2007, after two seasons where he appeared in over 60 games and started a handful of them. Ewing, the 32nd pick of the 2005 Draft, didn’t sign another NBA contract after the Clippers let him go in July 2007. He did make a few Summer League appearances though, including one game for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010. Like other players on this list, that may be how and why Ewing appeared in NBA 2K11 despite being long-gone, though it ultimately didn’t result in an NBA return.

Mike Sweetney

There are a number of players whose careers were much shorter than I remember. I’d ascribe it to working on roster updates for NBA Live back in the day and seeing their names over and over again, leading to me thinking they were around longer than they were. Mike Sweetney is a good example of such a player. Sweetney, who struggled with his weight during his NBA career, played his final game in the league in 2007. He was invited to the Celtics training camp in 2009 and 2011 though, even appearing in a preseason game on the latter occasion. It’s therefore surprising to see him in NBA 2K11, though like Daniel Ewing, he did play one game in the 2010 Summer League.

Ronald Dupree

Although he didn’t have the most distinguished NBA career, Ronald Dupree can claim one very noteworthy trivia fact: he’s the last player ever to be signed by the Seattle SuperSonics, who inked him to a ten-day contract in April 2008. His four games with the Sonics were his last official NBA appearances until December 2010, when he had a short stint with the Toronto Raptors. Dupree had signed with the Utah Jazz in the 2009 offseason though, and also played for Denver in the 2010 Summer League. Since Dupree did actually end up returning to the NBA in the 2011 season – albeit briefly – his inclusion among the free agents in NBA 2K11 didn’t go to waste.

Keith McLeod

If you were challenged to name the player who started the most games at point guard for the Utah Jazz between the eras of John Stockton and Deron Williams, would you know off the top of your head that it was Keith McLeod? I’d certainly forgotten that, which underscores how long it’s been since I was maintaining 2005 and 2006 season rosters! McLeod’s final NBA games came for the Indiana Pacers in 2007 though, after he was traded by the Golden State Warriors in the deal that set up the “We Believe” run. In between brief offseason stints with the Mavericks in 2008 and the Jazz again in 2011, McLeod played in the 2010 Summer League, and appears in NBA 2K11.

Bobby Jones

Not to be confused with the Hall of Famer, Bobby Jones actually debuted with the Philadelphia 76ers some twenty-three years after his more successful namesake won a championship with them back in 1983. He then earned a more dubious distinction by becoming the first player to play for five different teams in a single season during his second and final NBA campaign. Jones didn’t receive another NBA contract after the Sacramento Kings let him go in 2008, though he did play in the Summer League, which seems to have earned more than a few players spots as free agents in NBA 2K11. Like a majority of those players however, it wasn’t a precursor to a return.

Orien Greene

A second round pick in 2005, Orien Greene spent his first three NBA seasons playing sparingly for some terrible Celtics, Pacers, and Kings teams. In fact, he was cut by the Kings in November 2007, after appearing in only seven games. Greene spent the next couple of years playing overseas – including a stint in Australia – as well as in the D-League. It therefore isn’t clear how he managed to be included as a free agent in NBA 2K11 despite being long-gone and well-past his last NBA contract at that point, but it’s useful that he was. The New Jersey Nets signed Greene to a ten-day contract in February, allowing him to play three final NBA games during the 2011 season.

Nick Fazekas

It’s funny how players with brief and relatively unremarkable NBA careers can nevertheless be part of events that have a significant impact on the league! Nick Fazekas only played four games for the Mavericks before they released him, and a further 22 games for the Clippers before wrapping up his NBA career in 2008. His virtual hardwood career lasted longer, thanks to his unlikely inclusion in NBA 2K11. More importantly however, his release in February 2008 made room for Dallas to sign Keith Van Horn, which facilitated the trade that brought in Jason Kidd for a second stint, which in turn helped the Mavericks to finally win a championship in 2011.

Dijon Thompson

Like so many of the long-gone players in NBA 2K11, Dijon Thompson’s name jumps out at me because I was making roster updates for NBA Live in the mid 2000s. He played all of 16 games for the Suns and Hawks, so someone looking to make a truly terrible pun would say that he didn’t cut the mustard at the NBA level. Dijon was out of the league by January 2007 following his second ten-day contract with the Hawks, with no further transactions to explain his inclusion in NBA 2K11. Incidentally, his transaction listing in his RealGM profile is an example of how Basketball Reference makes mistakes, as the latter lists the wrong dates for his phantom Warriors stint.

Donell Taylor

Undrafted out of UAB in 2005, Donell Taylor signed with the Wizards and played limited minutes as a reserve for two seasons in Washington. He was a late cut before the 2008 season tipped off, spending the bulk of his pro career playing overseas with a couple of stints in the D-League. While his presence as a free agent in NBA 2K11 is unexpected, it’s probably the result of him being signed by the Bobcats and Blazers in the 2008 and 2009 offseasons respectively. Throw in his annual Summer League appearances – and full season in the D-League in 2010 – and it may have seemed like a return was likely. It wasn’t, but he was possibly licensed to appear just in case.

Salim Stoudamire

A cousin of Damon Stoudamire, Terrence Jones, and Grant Williams, former Hawk Salim Stoudamire had a solid rookie season in 2006. Taken with the first pick of the second round, he averaged 9.7 ppg in 20.3 mpg, and shot 38% from downtown. His first season was his best campaign however, and the Hawks didn’t retain him in 2008. He didn’t play a further minute in the NBA, but preseason stints with the Spurs and Bucks in 2008 and 2009 seemingly account for him being licensed to appear in NBA 2K11, along with the other long-gone players. Stoudamire actually played in the D-League in 2011, so his presence would’ve been handy if it had led to an NBA stint.

Lynn Greer

In Southwest Philadelphia, born and raised, Lynn Greer spent most of his days shooting some b-ball against future NBA alumni, including Kobe Bryant, Richard Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace. His father, Lynn Greer Sr., was also taken 170th overall in the 1973 Draft, but never played in the league. Junior had one up on his old man in that regard, but played only 41 games for the Bucks in 2007, after beginning his career in Europe in 2002. He returned to Europe after his stint in Milwaukee, and remained there until he retired in 2015, never pursuing a return to the NBA. As such, it’s not entirely clear how he ended up being included as a free agent in NBA 2K11.

Jackie Butler

I’ll admit that I sometimes get Jackie Butler mixed up with DeJuan Blair, another centre who once wore #45 for the Spurs. Butler’s NBA career was over before Blair arrived, however. Furthermore, it’s Butler that won a title with the Spurs in 2007, while Blair was the 6’7″ pivot without an ACL in either knee following surgery in high school. Of course, Butler didn’t actually see any action in the postseason when the Spurs won their fourth title, and was traded to the Rockets for Vassilis Spanoulis in the offseason (more on him later). Houston cut him before the season began and he didn’t play pro basketball again, so his appearance in NBA 2K11 is another mystery!

Awvee Storey

Another obscure player that I recall thanks to my time updating rosters in NBA Live during the mid 2000s is Awvee Storey. His unique name also helps it to stick in my mind! Unfortunately, Storey is also remembered for a violent altercation. During his D-League stint in 2006, he punched teammate Martynas Andriuskevicius, causing a serious injury and earning a dismissal from the league. He played one more season in the NBA with the Bucks in 2008, but was cut by the Nets – with whom he began his career – during the following preseason. Storey retired in 2010, which makes him one of the most surprising inclusions out of all the long-gone players found in NBA 2K11.

Justin Reed

As I noted in my long-running series documenting players who only appeared for certain teams in video games, Justin Reed’s NBA career concluded with a phantom stint with the Houston Rockets. Crosschecking the usual sources, Reed didn’t sign any further NBA contracts, but did play two years in the D-League before retiring. This makes him another player who was gone by the 2008 season at the latest, that was inexplicably included in NBA 2K11. Though his NBA career was brief, Reed earned Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-SEC honours in college while playing at Ole Miss, and was on their All-Century team. He sadly died in 2017 from angiosarcoma.

Viktor Khryapa

One of only eleven NBA players to wear #38, I remember Viktor Khryapa because he played his final two seasons for my favourite team, the Bulls. He didn’t see a lot of court time though, in stark contrast to his second season with the Trail Blazers where he started 53 out of 69 games. It’s no surprise that he was frustrated, leading to a buyout in February 2008. This allowed him to return to Russia and rejoin CSKA Moscow, where he continued to play until 2018. As with the other long-gone players in NBA 2K11, Khryapa was obviously able to legally appear in the game, but the nature of his departure two years prior – and unlikelihood to return – makes it unusual.

David Harrison

It’s fair to say that controversy both helped and hindered David Harrison’s career. He played extra minutes as a rookie thanks to the Malice at the Palace resulting in several suspensions; ironically, he was charged for his involvement, but not penalised by the league. However, in 2008, the Pacers would suspend him following an incident in the Spurs’ locker room stemming from being hit in the face by Matt Bonner. Harrison was also suspended for marijuana use, an infraction that admittedly seems quaint now. He had a brief stint with the Timberwolves during the 2008 preseason but was cut, which effectively ended his NBA career. Nevertheless, he’s a free agent in NBA 2K11.

Vassilis Spanoulis

Frustration with a lack of playing time drove EuroLeague legend Vassilis Spanoulis out of the NBA in August 2007, just as it did Viktor Khryapa some six months later. Spanoulis infamously clashed with Rockets’ coach Jeff Van Gundy; a dispute where there was arguably fault on both sides, though Spanoulis’ agent comparing his plight to slavery was a poor decision. The Spurs acquired him in a trade that involved the aforementioned Jackie Butler, with the intention of playing him. His mind was made up though, and he returned to Greece. Spanoulis’ acrimonious departure from the NBA after only one season makes his appearance in NBA 2K11 most unexpected.

Lawrence Roberts

In the early 2000s, Baylor University’s basketball team was rocked by scandal. It ended up costing them some promising players who were not involved, and naturally wanted to distance themselves from the school. That included Lawrence Roberts, who went on to success at Mississippi State after transferring in 2003. His NBA career wasn’t quite as impressive as he barely played his rookie season, but he did see more time in his second year. Memphis didn’t re-sign him though, and he played overseas until 2015. He’s yet another player who was out of the league by 2007 after only a year or two, yet somehow appears in NBA 2K11 despite being long-gone by then.

Luke Jackson

Once again, seeing players in the Free Agents Pool in my roster updates for years after they’d left the league has led to me erroneously recalling them as being around for longer than they were. Luke Jackson is another such player. In reality, he didn’t even play a full season’s worth of games over a four year NBA career, which ended in February 2008. Jackson had other opportunities, signing with Portland in 2008 and then Memphis in 2010, so his appearance in NBA 2K11 isn’t altogether surprising. Notably, the Heat once waived Penny Hardaway to make room for Jackson, and he was both a teammate of LeBron James as a rookie, and wore #6 before him in Miami.

Julius Hodge

If you want proof that video games help obscure players to stick in your mind, then Julius Hodge is a great example! He played just 23 games with a career average of 4.3 mpg, yet I’ll instantly recognise his name. His last game was in February 2007, but the Nets signed him to a two-year, non-guaranteed deal in 2008 – cutting him in October – which is likely why he’s in NBA 2K11. Hodge played overseas until 2015, including a controversial stint here in Australia. It turned out his recruitment to the 36ers had been paid for with embezzled funds (not his fault), and after joining the Melbourne Tigers and returning to Adelaide, he drew ire with a post-game gesture (definitely his fault).

John Lucas III

While his father, John Lucas II, had been taken first overall by Houston in 1976, John Lucas III went undrafted despite two solid years at Oklahoma State after transferring from Baylor in the wake of the aforementioned scandal. As it happened though, the Rockets called him up from the D-League, giving him his father’s old #15. His tenure in Houston ended after just two years with minimal playing time, but he remained on NBA teams’ radars. After being a preseason cut by the Thunder and Heat in 2008 and 2009, the Bulls also cut him in the 2010 offseason, only to end up signing him during the season and keeping him through 2012, thus justifying his inclusion in NBA 2K11.

James Augustine

Lauded for his skill and athleticism during his college career at the University of Illinois, James Augustine is an example of how success at the collegiate level doesn’t always translate to the NBA. Or perhaps, he never got a fair chance to strut his stuff. Either way, Augustine played just 27 games over two years with the Magic after they drafted him in the second round in 2006. After they cut him in 2008, he left the NBA behind for good, playing in Europe until 2018. It stands as a reminder that anyone who makes it to the NBA was still a top player at some level. Of course, this doesn’t explain how or why he’s a free agent in NBA 2K11, but he’s hardly alone there!

Jamal Sampson

Chalk Jamal Sampson up as another player I thought was around for longer due to how often I saw his name when working on roster updates for NBA Live! He was definitely long-gone by the time that NBA 2K11 came out though, as he played his final game in the Nuggets’ 2007 regular season finale, and then rode the bench in their five game first round loss to the Spurs in the Playoffs. He attempted to latch on with the Mavericks later that year and with the Raptors in 2008, and he even had a shot at returning to the NBA with the Celtics following the 2011 lockout. It wasn’t to be, though obviously Jamal Sampson’s career was prolonged on the virtual hardwood.

Justin Williams

The Kings must’ve liked what they saw when they signed undrafted Justin Williams in 2006. Although they released him, they picked him up again following a stint in the D-League, even waiving veteran Maurice Taylor to do so. Notably, he played in the 2007 Valentine’s Day game against the Hornets, when the latter wore special once-off red jerseys. A year later however, the Kings released Williams in conjunction with trading Mike Bibby to Atlanta, leading to one final game with the Rockets on a ten-day contract. His preseason stints with the Warriors and Bobcats in 2008 were not successful, and Williams was long-gone by the time he appeared in NBA 2K11.

Ha Seung-Jin

Let’s end this list of long-gone players who appeared on the Free Agents in NBA 2K11 with what is easily the weirdest example. South Korean big man Ha Seung-Jin is one of the largest players in league history, listed at 7’3″ and 305 lbs. The Blazers drafted him 46th overall in 2004, and he played 46 games over the next two seasons. He played his final NBA game in April 2006, was traded to Milwaukee in July, and then released in October. Ha continued to play professionally in Korea until 2019, but there was absolutely no reason for him to be in NBA 2K11. He’s also the lowest-rated player in the game at a dismal 40 Overall; even worse than a brand new MyPLAYER!

We can make some educated guesses as to why many of these long-gone players were free agents in NBA 2K11, though others are truly puzzling given how likeness rights seemingly work. It’s fair to say that most of them are unnecessary inclusions, but that isn’t a bad thing. They’ve facilitated roster updates for future seasons, as they can be safely overwritten. Their presence also saves a ton of time if you feel like winding back the clock with some retro roster mods, particularly the 2006-2008 seasons. That alone makes their inclusion worthwhile, even if they aren’t needed otherwise. They’re a fun treat for modders, and they make for some interesting trivia, all these years later.

Note: This article originally referred to Viktor Khryapa as being from Ukraine. Khryapa was actually born in the Ukrainian SSR and has Russian nationality, representing them in international competition. Thanks to Pep for the correction!