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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 taking a look back at a few of the free agents who were in NBA Live 16, and putting them back in uniform.
To say that the roster customisation options in the eighth gen NBA Live releases were a disappointment is a massive understatement. After all, they were missing entirely until a patch added roster editing to NBA Live 18, and even then, the functionality was botched and buggy come NBA Live 19. Still, it’s far easier to set up a custom roster or fantasy scenario in those two titles, compared to the first three releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Indeed, outside of the official roster updates – which are no longer available – Dynasty mode is the only way to see players in a new jersey.
It’s also the only place that you’ll see the selection of Free Agents that are included in NBA Live 16. To that point, there are some veterans still in the game that, if we could create custom rosters, would’ve allowed us to set up some fun scenarios. It can still be done in Dynasty, but with the limitations of the salary cap and an inability to edit jersey numbers, re-creating lineups is quite a challenge. Nevertheless, I’ve been able to place some of those NBA Live 16 Free Agents back in a uniform that they once wore, correct number and all. Let’s take a look back…way back…
Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks)
Although Ray Allen played his final NBA game in the 2014 NBA Finals, he didn’t officially retire until November 2016. His reluctance to call it a day and interest in continuing his career even after sitting out the entire 2015 season kept him on the minds of basketball fans and pundits, and in the Free Agents Pool in games such as NBA Live 16. Around that time, he was mulling the possibility of trying to latch on with a contender – unsurprisingly, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were supposedly his top choices – but for this exercise, I’m taking him back to the beginning of his career by placing him on the Milwaukee Bucks, in a 90s alternate.
Michael Beasley (Miami Heat)
It’s funny to think that for a while, there was a debate as to whether the Bulls messed up by taking Derrick Rose over Michael Beasley; another fine example of the folly of hot takes. While D-Rose’s career produced some What Ifs due to his injuries, there’s no way Beasley goes before him in a do-over! Beasley was cast aside to accommodate LeBron James’ Decision in 2010, though he did return for a second stint with Miami that ran through 2015. He latched on with the Rockets in March 2016, but is in the Free Agents in the default rosters of NBA Live 16. Given that he’s sporting #30, I’ve placed him back on the team that (ever-so-briefly) once pegged him as their future.
Luke Ridnour (Minnesota Timberwolves)
There are a number of players whose careers really deserved to end with more dignity than they were afforded. Glen Rice and Kenny Anderson’s benchwarming stints with the Clippers ending with their release are good examples, but Luke Ridnour being traded four times in the span of six days in the 2015 offseason certainly counts. To his credit, he approached the situation with good humour and professionalism, though he ultimately opted to sit out the 2016 season before officially retiring. Ridnour’s best years came early on with the Seattle Supersonics, but he had a good run with the Timberwolves as well, while wearing the jersey that’s still available in NBA Live 16.
Jason Richardson (Golden State Warriors)
A member of the “We Believe Warriors”, Jason Richardson spent most of his career with Golden State, though by the time he appeared in the Free Agents in NBA Live 16, it’d been eight years since he’d played for the team. Indeed, knee injuries meant that he was far removed from the player that won back-to-back dunk contests and was a threat to put defenders on a poster on a nightly basis. As such, while he intended to play the 2016 season with the Hawks, he ended up retiring a month after signing with them. It felt only right to temporarily release Draymond Green so that J-Rich could sport #23 in a throwback jersey that he did actually once wear with the Warriors.
Gerald Wallace (Boston Celtics & Philadelphia 76ers)
Charlotte may not have picked a popular name when they returned to the NBA as the Bobcats in 2004, but they gave Gerald Wallace – then stuck deep on the Sacramento Kings’ bench – a chance to shine. He established himself as a fine two-way player who could dazzle crowds with his dunks, but as he entered his 30s, injuries sent his career into a rapid spiral. Wallace was included in the big trade that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, and resulted in his final NBA stint. If you’re playing Dynasty in NBA Live 16, you can place him back in Boston, or indeed have the 76ers pick him up as they did in July 2015, before he was cut and ultimately retired in September.
Carlos Boozer (Chicago Bulls)
Like every other team except the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls were destined to lose the LeBron James sweepstakes in the 2010 offseason. They didn’t come away empty-handed though, as they snagged Carlos Boozer from the Utah Jazz. Boozer had four solid years in Chicago, and all these years later, I still think it was one of their best moves in the post-championship era. His Jazz years were still his peak, though NBA Live 16 doesn’t include Utah’s uniforms from that era. That’s why I decided to place him back on the Bulls for this exercise, though it’s not a move I’d make in a proper Dynasty game. With Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah up front, minutes would be scarce!
Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
With the Paul George era in Indiana already fading from memory, the Danny Granger era is well and truly on the way to being ancient history! Funnily enough, his 25.8 ppg in the 2009 season is the highest single season average for the Pacers since 2000. In fact, you need to go back to the ABA and the days of George McGinnis and Billy Knight to find Pacers with higher scoring averages! As with other players who were Free Agents in NBA Live 16, injuries brought about a quick decline, and with the emergence of Paul George, Danny Granger was traded in 2014. His career ended with phantom stints in Phoenix and Detroit, but he looks better back in a Pacers uniform.
Jason Maxiell (Detroit Pistons)
It’s always interesting to see a role player enjoy a lengthy stint with a team, akin to a franchise player (well, back in the day, anyway). As a capable power forward, Jason Maxiell might seem like the kind of player who’d be thrown into a deal by a Pistons team that was trying to stay competitive as the 2000s wore on. However, after signing an extension in 2009, he ended up playing his first eight seasons for the team that drafted him. Following stints with the Magic and Hornets, he played overseas before signing with Detroit in 2017 and retiring a Piston; an honour that’s usually reserved for All-Stars. It only makes sense to have him don their jersey again in NBA Live 16.
Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis Grizzlies)
The second overall pick in 2009, 7’3″ Hasheem Thabeet became the highest-drafted player to be sent to the D-League (former number one pick Anthony Bennett has since claimed that dubious honour). While it was an unprecedented move, it wasn’t exactly surprising, as he was as raw a prospect as we’d seen taken that high in some time. The Grizzlies gave up on him halfway through his second season, and by the time he was among the Free Agents in NBA Live 16, he’d played his last NBA game. By releasing Brandan Wright, it frees up #34 for him back in Memphis. In case you’re wondering, Virtual Hardwood Legend Thabeet is still playing in his home country of Tanzania.
Brendan Haywood (Dallas Mavericks)
Notably, Brendan Haywood is one of four players to have played with both Michael Jordan and LeBron James on an NBA team (Scott Williams, Jerry Stackhouse, and Larry Hughes are the others). Like Stackhouse and Hughes, Haywood played with MJ in Washington, and it’s where he had his best seasons, peaking in 2008. Joining the Mavericks to back up Tyson Chandler in the middle earned him a ring in 2011, at the expense of his future teammate, LeBron. Since NBA Live 16 doesn’t include the appropriate Wizards jersey, I’ve placed him back on the Mavericks. After all, he actually saw action in the 2011 Finals, but rode the bench for the Cavaliers in 2015.
Andrei Kirilenko (Utah Jazz)
As I’ve often lamented, modern basketball discourse sadly overlooks some extremely talented players because of an obsession with inflated stats. However, anyone who saw them play knows just how good they were. Andrei Kirilenko has become a prime example of such a player, being one of the best defenders to come along in the 2000s. A constant 5×5 threat who achieved that mark three times – only Hakeem Olajuwon has done it more with six – he was a staple of some respectably tough Utah Jazz teams following the Stockton & Malone era. Kirilenko’s NBA career ended in 2014 with a phantom stint in Philly, but we can celebrate his Jazz years in their mountain jersey.
Sim Bhullar (Sacramento Kings)
Canadian big man Gursimran Singh “Sim” Bhullar became the first NBA player of Indian descent by playing three games for the Kings in the 2015 season. That’s the extent of his NBA career to date, so it may seem odd to spotlight him among these other more distinguished Free Agents in NBA Live 16. However, he also tied Chuck Nevitt and NLSC Forum favourite Pavel Podkolzin as the sixth-tallest player in NBA history, standing 7’5″. Furthermore, he’s since returned as a rather powerful card in MyTEAM, featuring generously-boosted ratings. Bhullar is still playing in Taiwan, but as for his brief NBA tenure, it can be re-created and preserved in NBA Live 16.
John Salmons (Chicago Bulls)
Journeyman John Salmons is somewhat difficult to associate with a single team. He technically spent most of his career with the Kings, albeit over two different stints that both included midseason trades out of Sacramento. More to the point though, as far as stints that we can replicate in NBA Live 16 with an accurate jersey and the number 15 that he’s sporting, his Bulls tenure is it. That suits me as I was in favour of the deal that brought him to Chicago, but of course, a year later he was traded to Milwaukee for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick (way to go, GarPax!). It isn’t the most notable tenure on this list, but sentimentally, I wanted to include it since it can be re-created.
Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers)
While the late Kobe Bryant didn’t have many nice things to say about Smush Parker, another point guard from the 2007 Lakers ended up earning the Mamba’s respect. A key reserve on the 2009 and 2010 championship teams, Jordan Farmar was welcomed back by Kobe and the Lakers in 2013, following a stint with the Nets and a season in Europe. Injuries cut his 2014 campaign short, and after playing just 36 games for the Clippers the following year, Farmar returned to Europe. He joined the Grizzlies late in the 2016 season, but can still be found in the Free Agents in NBA Live 16’s default rosters, facilitating a virtual comeback with the team where he enjoyed his best years.
Nazr Mohammed (Chicago Bulls)
Obviously, LeBron’s longevity is unique as far as still playing at a high level, though who knows what Kobe’s final years might’ve looked like if not for his injuries. With that being said, with the way that veteran role players are shooed out of the league, such longevity is a big deal for them too (even if their numbers aren’t). To that end, it may surprise a lot of people to hear that Nazr Mohammed had an 18-year career! Three of those years were with the Bulls, where he became one of two players in league history to wear #48. Since he still has that number on the Free Agents in NBA Live 16, it’s more interesting to send him back to Chicago rather than on to OKC.
Jermaine O’Neal (Indiana Pacers)
We’ve covered some more obscure players and benchwarmers here, so let’s get back to the bigger names as we wrap up! After spending a year with the Warriors in 2014, Jermaine O’Neal opted for family life; a noble decision that wasn’t without a tinge of regret when the team won it all in 2015. Although his career was essentially over, he still hadn’t officially retired yet, allowing him to appear on the Free Agents in NBA Live 16. Since he’s wearing #7 and the Pacers have their pinstripe throwbacks, I’ve placed him back where his career took off and he came closest to a ring. And of course, who knows what might have happened if not for the Malice at the Palace?
Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls)
Derrick Rose may have the bigger What If hanging over his career, but with the way that Ben Gordon exited the NBA his early 30s, right as it was evolving into a style that would’ve really benefitted his game, I’m left to wonder what could’ve been with him, too. It’s strange that he never got another shot at the league, as many teams really could’ve used his shooting. That of course includes the Bulls. I’d have loved to have seen him back in Chicago, and the idea is too tempting not to set up on the virtual hardwood. In fact, looking back, a Bulls Dynasty where I sign Gordon and take the team to a title would’ve been a great way for me to get hooked on NBA Live 16.
Setting up these scenarios with the various Free Agents in NBA Live 16’s Dynasty mode was fun, but it sure was time-consuming having to start a new game for every transaction! It demonstrates the importance of essential staples such as roster editing, and how the NBA Live development team misjudged the needs and desires of their fanbase during the eighth generation. However, spending some time with Dynasty in NBA Live 16 has reminded me that despite lacking the depth of NBA 2K’s franchise mode, it still had the potential to be a fun experience. With my penchant for retro basketball gaming, that Ben Gordon scenario is one that I’ll certainly keep in mind.
