An “Era” is what we call a specific point in time that you can start playing a new MyNBA save. The MyNBA Eras mode is designed to be a time machine straight out of the box; all you need to do is pick your Era and go. If you’re a power user and want to tweak your roster or settings, we’ve still got you covered! We’re confident that you’ll be incredibly pleased with what MyNBA Eras brings to the table this year!
The previous MyNBA experience is now dubbed the “Modern Era”—if you’re a longtime fan of the mode and just want to dive into an Online League and play with your friends, no worries! The franchise goodness that you all know and love is still there, ready and raring to go. Start from the beginning of the regular season, the previous offseason, or Start Today once the season is underway. In NBA 2K23, there are four Eras in total. We’ve already covered the Modern era, so let’s discuss the other three Eras available at starting points.
It’s impossible to talk about basketball in the 1980s without mentioning the rivalry between Magic Johnson’s Showtime Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics. Fans of NBA 2K might recall the homage paid to their storied rivalry in NBA 2K12, where Bird and Magic (along with His Airness) graced the cover and were featured heavily in the “NBA’s Greatest” mode. With one look at the record books, it’s easy to see why. The Lakers and Celtics accounted for 65% of the teams in the Finals in the 1980s, and the clashes between Bird and Magic are the stuff of legend.
The ‘80s featured a ton of terrific players throughout the league: Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Isiah Thomas, George Gervin, Alex English, Julius “Dr. J” Erving—the list goes on and on. But with so many iconic teams and players, what would be the best year to start with, to give the richest experience for MyNBA Eras? We have a good spread of years to pick from with the Lakers and Celtics rivalry in full swing, but simply looking at the players it can be a little tough to choose from so many amazing rosters.
However, let’s go back to the realm of “what if.” What would be one of the most fascinating ways to rewrite history? Who would be the most fascinating player to change the course of history? We would want a player coming into the league that would make your MyNBA story unique straight from the first offseason. Let’s hop back to 2K12 for a moment. Along with Magic and Bird, there was a third player present on the cover that would shape the NBA for decades to come: Michael Jordan.
With the Magic Vs. Bird Era in MyNBA Eras, we’re starting in 1983. This gives you a full season to get your affairs in order and prepare for the ensuing 1984 offseason, where you can guide your team to try and draft the likes of Michael, Akeem, or any of the other star-studded members of the 1984 draft class.
MyNBA Eras makes it easy to use your own or a community-created draft class if that’s what you’re into, but we’ll automatically supply our own 2K year-appropriate draft class so you can rewrite history the way you see fit. Did you miss out on Jordan in the ‘84 Draft? No problem, a 7-foot Center out of Georgetown by the name of Patrick Ewing awaits you in the 1985 Draft.
There’s no need to beat around the bush for the next Era. It would be impossible to have the greatest eras in NBA history without one focused on one of the most prolific players to ever palm a basketball: Michael Jordan.
The Jordan Era puts you right at the beginning of Michael’s dominant run with the Chicago Bulls in 1991, and features threats to Air Jordan’s legacy abound—the tail end of Isiah Thomas’ Bad Boys Pistons, Stockton and Malone, Hakeem’s Rockets, and Ewing’s Knicks. Could MJ have gone for more than a double three-peat? There is only one way to find out!
The other big question of The Jordan Era has to do with the upcoming 1992 Draft, with a particular superstar in Shaquille O’Neal up for grabs. One of the greatest centers to ever play the game, O’Neal, a generational powerhouse, will undoubtedly shake up the NBA wherever he lands. Will it be with you?
For our third historic Era, we’ll be going back to the year 2002. The Eastern Conference’s reign of dominance had subsided in the late ‘90s, giving way to a new generation of talent in the West: Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves, and Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks.
Yet, no talk of 2000s basketball can be complete without talking about one name in particular: the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. Shaq’s impact as one of the most unstoppable players in league history can’t be denied, but after the early 2000s three-peat, Kobe secured two more rings for the Purple and Gold and cemented himself as the successor to Michael Jordan’s throne.
Savvy basketball fans might start to notice a pattern in the Eras—they always feature a fun and interesting roster to start with, and always have some notable players in the upcoming draft to be excited about. With one of the greatest NBA draft classes of all time, you’ll be negotiating hard-to-trade-for-picks to get the draft rights to:
In addition to these players there’s many more. With such a bright future, we’re sure you’re going to love seeing what the NBA can become in The Kobe Era!
This is exciting stuff, right? Each Era starting point allows for a full 80-year franchise. You’ll run all the way up to the present and well, well beyond. We’re absolutely thrilled to make Eras a reality in NBA 2K23. It’s been a “dream feature” for the franchise team for over a decade, because we knew that in order to get it right, we’d need EVERYONE on the entire NBA 2K team to make a heavy contribution. Huge thanks to the audio team, environment team, gameplay team, graphics team, presentation team, and roster team for all they’ve done to make Eras a feature we know you will all love.
To this point, we’ve touched on the format of Eras. Now we’ll move on and give you an even deeper dive into what you can expect from each Era.
One of the first things you’ll notice when jumping into Eras gameplay is that every team has a floor that’s accurate to the Era year. We’ve spent a ton of time going over game footage, trying to make sure we get the details right so that when you play as the San Diego Clippers, it really does feel like a slice of history comes to life.
With a few exceptions, every team has at least one unique floor per Era, with a few teams getting more if they had a big rebranding or relocation; approximately 100(!) new floors in total across all Eras. The long-term goal is to eventually have every floor as close to the year-to-year changes as possible, but for now, we’re confident that you’ll be able to have a great time with all of the versions available in Eras.
One particularly immersive thing you will notice in Eras arenas is that we went to all of our partner sponsors and worked with them to get the ACTUAL logos and brand markings they used in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s. It sounds small, but it really adds to the authenticity of the experience when you are in the moment!
In the same vein as the arena floors, we worked to get as many uniforms as possible for each of the teams. Thanks to years of effort by the MyTEAM folks, we started with a pretty large library and have done our best to pair them up with each of the teams so you should be seeing uniform changes at least once per Era, if not more frequently. When a team relocates, we make sure we have matching uniforms to fit the new city.
One incredibly satisfying visual addition you will find in MyNBA Eras is something we put on display in last week’s reveal trailer for The Jordan Challenge. Our team here at Visual Concepts went and created an era-specific filter system that was intricately designed to recreate the television experience of watching these games as they were originally broadcast during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s!
Beyond LOOKING the part, with respect to the quality of the broadcast, the team has also gone back and created era-specific broadcast elements. In 1983, you will experience a broadcast that is simple in design and nature, with big block letters, and a simple scorebug. As we progress into the ‘90s, you will start to see an evolved presentation as technology is improving in leaps and bounds. By the time we get to the 2000s, things start to get a little more current (though, not entirely!). The team has spared no expense in bringing you the ultimate, authentic experience this year with MyNBA Eras in NBA 2K23.
On the commentary end of the spectrum, the audio team really outdid themselves this year. Historically, they’ve kept our commentary booth up-to-date and added new content to our colossal bank of audio lines to keep gameplay as fresh as possible. But with the introduction of Eras, the question became: does it make sense to have the same commentary team for 4 different Eras? The obvious answer is that it doesn’t. To shed the accumulated work of thousands of recording hours would be bold to say the least, but that’s precisely what we’ve done—we’ve started a new bank of audio with a revised booth!
From the years 1983-2002, your commentary booth is going to consist of Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg, and new addition Mike Fratello (aka The Czar). Bringing in Fratello provides a huge boost to the presentation of this era of the NBA as he lived through this entire range as both a coach and a sports broadcaster. He brings to the table many stories and insights that only he can convey with such elegance and grace—his voice brings the past alive once again! From the years 2002-2020, Fratello steps aside and makes way for Greg Anthony to provide a more current flavor to the evolving booth. Once 2021 hits, we open up our full multi-team commentary booth with additional sideline reports, guest commentators, the works. For years now, NBA 2K has paved the way for commentary presentation, and NBA 2K23 takes that to the next level this year!
We’ve done our best to make sure that the base MyNBA Eras experience fully supports teams automatically joining the league in the right years (think Miami Heat, Vancouver Grizzlies, etc.) and rebrand/relocate (think Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, etc.) as those teams did historically. Other than a few minor exceptions, everything is in, including the San Diego Clippers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the various history of moves from the Hornets/Bobcats/Pelicans.
That said, we want to make sure that MyNBA Eras remains the sandbox you’ve known and loved for years now. It was a goal to make the rebranding, relocation, and league expansion easy for those that wanted to see history unfold as it did in the past, but also make it easy to change them. If you want to take the league in a completely new direction, you can absolutely make it happen. 36 teams in 1983? Sure. No team relocations allowed, ever? You got it. To do that, we have the new Historical Rule Changes time period that effectively happens during each offseason.
Here, we give you a brief overview of everything that happened, while also giving you the option to disable any individual change if you don’t want to see it occur. It’s a really nice way of taking in what’s different around the league, and which teams and arenas might be worth taking a closer look at for new content in the upcoming season.
In addition, we make sure that most of the normal rule changes that were introduced over the league’s history are present. It’d be impossible to think of Jordan-era gameplay without hand checking, so that’s an option and enables more aggressive defense on the sticks. The league shifting from zone defenses being illegal to legal, the playoff format changes, it’s all here, and it’s all the bread and butter of what makes MyNBA Eras a feature that stands above all other similar modes in the market! If you would like more details on just some of the gameplay changes we’ve added this year, give the ‘Gameplay Authenticity’ section of our Jordan Challenge Courtside Report a read for further details!
It’s impossible to touch on everything that has gone into MyNBA Eras. In addition to the previous points mentioned, we’ve done our best to add several small touches to help make the mode feel like a unique experience:
MyNBA Eras was created by basketball fans, for basketball fans, and we know you’re going to love it!
As you can imagine, the lion’s share of our time this year went into MyNBA Eras, but we also made time to work in a few improvements to the core franchise gameplay you enjoy every year. Here’s a quick summary of some of the new features and updates we’ve made:
It’s been a very productive year for not only our franchise team, but every team involved in the creation of this new experience. MyNBA Eras was a colossal undertaking. We weren’t initially sure if we could do everything we wanted in one development cycle and still make the mode feel as great as we imagined, but we’ve been burning the midnight oil—and have delivered! With confidence, we can say that NBA 2K23 is a banner year for our MyNBA fans. We are very proud to use actions to prove our dedication to this core audience.
As always, we want to hear from you, and we welcome and encourage any and all feedback! After you’ve spent some time diving into MyNBA Eras, please let us know where you would like to see us go next. In the meantime, we will continue doing our absolute best to deliver the best franchise mode in sports gaming. Until we speak next, enjoy, and we can’t wait to hear your answers to “what if” as YOU rewrite history with MyNBA Eras!
Now that you’ve read about MyNBA Eras in NBA 2K23, join our Discord server and let us know what you think!
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"MyNBA","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/7mf59e45fTYCnALvvBnUYI/a9e0d2f846ae19ac7b27170be23cf54d/2KSMKT_NBA2K23_CourtsideReport_1024x1100.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"MyNBA","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/3s3r6DpCp8W9s0j7yeCsOK/13e7edb78305c5613a2f8fefff25c4b4/2KSMKT_NBA2K23_CourtsideReport_1920x810.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-08-18T18:18:08.771Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"3DUoUDN8x8yASWo6d2ldPl","slug":"courtside-report","title":"Courtside Reports","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"subheading":"COURTSIDE REPORT"},"thumb":{"title":"MyNba","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/1YRVBlUeBzH8Nb4rzIQbRk/a7a504cc8af06f8a3945eaf040ead2d6/2KSMKT_NBA2K23_CourtsideReport_828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"Courtside Reports","class":"","href":"courtside-report","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"Courtside Reports"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":true,"shouldShowReadTime":true},{"id":"16601254993315","slug":"/courtside-report/the-jordan-challenge","tags":["n23"],"title":"THE JORDAN CHALLENGE","summary":"Relive Michael Jordan’s career from his early days as a college sensation to his game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals. Recreate his gravity-defying acrobatic shots and experience each moment as if you were there.","localeCode":"en-US","content":"Pioneered in NBA 2K11, The Jordan Challenge was a groundbreaking sports game mode that allowed for NBA fans to relive their favorite and most memorable moments from Michael Jordan’s storied career. It’s been over a decade since then and we felt that now is the perfect time to retell Jordan’s ascension from college standout to NBA legend in NBA 2K23 on both New Gen and Current Gen.
One of the core differences between our audience in 2K11 and 2K23 is that many of our players in the latter never got the experience of watching Michael Jordan play in-person or live on television. Everything they know about the player is from short clips, YouTube videos, and/or tales from family members who saw a man win six NBA Championships in a single decade. In NBA 2K23’s Jordan Challenge, fans from any generation will be able to enjoy the definitive retelling of Michael Jordan’s career through our completely immersive narrative experience.
In NBA 2K23, The Jordan Challenge consists of 15 unique game experiences beginning from Jordan’s humble beginnings at the University of North Carolina and culminating with the final shot he ever took for the Chicago Bulls, one that elevated him to a six-time NBA Champion. The complete presentational package is richer than anything we have ever put together, allowing for each game to look, feel, and sound like it’s being played in the actual year it is taking place in. In this mode, you will experience:
Our ‘kitchen sink’ approach of including EVERYTHING we could think of doesn’t stop with the above. What good is the above if the on-court experience doesn’t live up to how the sport was played during this era? Let’s dig in to those details…
The game of basketball has changed so much over the course of the last 40 years. Enhancing our on-court experience to support the Jordan Challenge was a major priority for the team this year. The Jordan Challenge is not just the same modern-day gameplay with classic teams and uniforms. We scouted, studied, and made key gameplay changes to fit the feel of each era to make each game feel like time traveling through NBA history.
For starters, the game was much slower paced in Jordan’s day. In the ‘80s-era games, you will notice a much heavier focus on the post and mid-range game. This is supported through slider settings, AI, tendencies, and playbooks custom to the era. We also rewrote our transition game for the 1980s. It features tighter transition lanes and more players cutting to the basket with a numbers advantage, as opposed to the spotting up for three you see in today’s NBA.
You can run sets from some of the greatest coaching minds in NBA history: Jack Ramsay, Hubie Brown, Dick Motta, Lenny Wilkens, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Rick Adelman and more. On the defensive end, we’ve rewritten our matchup logic so that when Jordan plays against Dominique Wilkins, they’ll match up and try to outscore each other in the Shootout challenge. In other games, you’ll see more complex cross matches. When you play as Jordan against the Cavaliers, Winston Bennett guards Jordan, Jordan takes Craig Ehlo, Ehlo guards Scottie Pippen, and Pippen guards Bennett. If you are able to score well at a high enough efficiency, Ehlo will eventually take over defensive responsibilities for Jordan.
Basketball in the 1980s and 1990s was much more physical than present day; this is accurately modeled in our floor game and in the paint. Hand-checking and hard-hitting body-ups bring a completely different feel to the one-on-one battles compared to the more free-flowing game of today. We also made sure that all the rules (like illegal defense) are accurately represented properly for each particular game. Playing with Jordan against the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons is probably the most obvious example of where you see the grit and physicality of old school basketball. The Pistons will employ their famous ‘Jordan Rules,’ a set of defensive strategies they used to try and contain MJ.
On the signature style front, you’ll see our biggest upgrade yet. Magic Johnson has his signature no-look passes, and a number of classic greats have all-new jump shot, layup, and dunk packages. We also made every effort to ensure that our dribble move set and finishing moves were era-appropriate. This means moves like the “shammgod” crossover and euro-step layups won’t be firing off in Jordan Challenge games. And of course, the Jordan Challenge wouldn’t be complete without capturing some of the big moments that everyone remembers: Jordan’s famous shrug against Portland, the 1997 Finals flu game, The Shot over Ehlo, and Jordan’s famous game-winner over Bryon Russell to seal his final championship. These are just some of the memories that have been accurately recreated in NBA 2K23.
We paid attention to every possible detail creating the Jordan Challenge, and then some. The end result is a breathtaking recreation of a bygone era that we know you will enjoy! Below, you’ll find a detailed glimpse at each challenge and the history behind the moment.
The 1982 National Championship featured future Hall of Famers, legendary matchups, and the first glimpse of Michael Jordan’s clutch gene. Down 62-61 with less than 20 seconds to play, MJ, a first-year Tar Heel, clinched the title with a go-ahead jump shot with 15 seconds left in regulation. Many players, not just freshmen, would’ve folded under the bright lights and intensity of a national championship, but not No. 23. Experience Jordan’s first iconic shot by recreating the magic of the 1982 National Championship.
67,596 fans descended upon the Hoosier Dome in 1984 to witness a clash between NBA giants, as the USA Olympic Team, led by Michael Jordan, went toe-to-toe with Magic Johnson and the NBA All-Stars. In a game featuring NBA legends like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Isiah Thomas, and more, Jordan proved, as a rookie, he was capable of defeating some of the game’s greatest stars.
In Michael Jordan’s second NBA Playoff series, the then-22-year-old guard showed immense poise against the formidable Boston Celtics. MJ’s Game 2 takeover is the stuff of legend, giving Larry Bird and company the business en route to a 63-point eruption. Jordan was near-unguardable, making acrobatic layups among towering defenders and nailing jump shot after jump shot. Unleash Jordan’s historic offensive onslaught again in NBA 2K23.
Despite playing only 29 minutes, Michael Jordan led all scorers with 40 points with a field goal percentage of .739. Take the court as His Airness against a stacked lineup of Western Conference All-Stars including Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more.
Elimination games provide the ultimate test for any competitor looking to establish themselves as a ‘clutch player.’ The Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers sat tied 2-2 entering a win-or-go-home Game 5 in Cleveland, setting the stage for a masterful performance from Jordan. The North Carolina native hung 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on the Cavs, giving his team a one-point win to advance. Showcase Jordan’s varied skill set and dash Cleveland’s playoff hopes.
When recollecting many of Jordan’s must-see duels, his battles with Dominique Wilkins can’t go overlooked. Against one of the premier playmakers in Atlanta Hawks history, Jordan averaged 31.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 45 games. On the flip side, Wilkins averaged 29.8 points and 6.8 rebounds versus Michael Jordan in his career. When the duo squared off, it was a heavyweight title match, and you can relive it in the Jordan Challenge.
Some of Jordan’s best games came against the Cavs, but none were more impressive than his 69-point performance. For 50 minutes, Jordan taught a masterclass in scoring, rebounding, and assists, finishing the game with a career-high in points and rebounds with 18. Jordan consistently nailed jump shots, registering 23 field goals, while hitting 21 of his 23 free-throw attempts. Deliver one of the league’s most memorable moments by recreating his historic game.
There was no love lost between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons in the early ‘90s, and their rivalry came to a head in Game 3 of the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals. With the ECF series tied 1-1, Jordan lifted his team to victory the best way he knew how by dropping 46 points and adding five steals for good measure. Duke it out in front of a deafening Chicago crowd in an Eastern Conference heavyweight battle.
At last, Jordan hoists his first Larry O’Brien trophy by defeating the Showtime Lakers, led by Magic Johnson. For six years, the highly coveted championship trophy eluded Jordan, despite his best efforts. The then-27-year-old shooting guard proved he could meet the lofty expectations thrust upon him by defeating a team filled with Hall-of-Fame talent. Bask in the limelight as streamers and confetti fall at your feet.
Once Jordan captured his first title, he developed an insatiable hunger for more rings. In his second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, Jordan set the tone early against the Portland Trailblazers, putting the game out of reach by the end of the first half. MJ led all scorers with 39 points, serving as the primary contributor in the Bulls’ 33-point blowout win.
Former college rivals square off once again, this time at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. At the height of their power, Jordan and Patrick Ewing gave the fans in attendance their money’s worth, trading buckets and elbows in a physical duel. Ewing’s 36 points would typically be enough to beat a team on any given night, but Jordan’s 55 points proved to be too much to overcome. This game is yet another reminder of Jordan’s greatness, and you can experience it firsthand.
Michael Jordan’s fourth championship title was arguably one of his toughest tests. Facing a Seattle Supersonics squad equipped with lockdown defender Gary Payton, also known as ‘The Glove,’ every possession was a slugfest. Payton tried his best to smother Jordan throughout the series, successfully limiting him to a .263 field goal percentage in Game 6, but the offensive assassin found a way to thwart the Supersonics’ championship plan. Dig deep to clinch the title in a grueling battle against formidable foes.
Flu-ridden and teetering on the edge of collapse, Michael Jordan battled sickness and fatigue for 44 minutes and 17 seconds against the Utah Jazz. The famous ‘Flu Game’ is legendary and widely considered one of Jordan’s finest moments as a basketball player. The Bulls found themselves in a less-than-ideal situation early in Game 5, trailing by 16 at one point. Somehow, Jordan managed to power his team back within striking distance, and eventually secured the win. When the clock struck double zero, Jordan had 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He left everything he had on the court.
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA with a swagger and an air of confidence that resembled shades of Michael Jordan, but whether he was MJ’s heir to the throne remained to be seen. Bryant, who grew up idolizing Jordan, went at his idol all game, determined to prove he was worthy of receiving the torch. The Lower Merion High School product dropped 33 points against MJ and the Bulls, but Jordan’s 36 were a reminder that he still reigned supreme. Teach the up-and-coming Bryant a few things en route to a commanding win.
The Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls decided their 1997 NBA Finals matchup wasn’t enough, so they ran it back in 1998. All but one game in the series was decided by five points or less, making for some dramatic finishes, with Game 6 serving as the climactic crescendo. To the tune of 45 points, Jordan cemented his legacy and secured his sixth championship title by sending Bryon Russell skidding in the lane with a deadly crossover and drilling the go-ahead bucket with five seconds remaining in the game. Recapture the magic of those final moments and celebrate one of Jordan’s greatest feats.
Available on ALL versions of NBA 2K23, we can’t wait for you to get your hands on The Jordan Challenge! This definitive re-telling of Michael Jordan’s career was a passion project for our development team. To honor such an important person who shaped the NBA into what it is today…what a privilege for all of us here at Visual Concepts. We sincerely hope you enjoy playing The Jordan Challenge as much as we had fun building it. We’ll see you on the hardwood!
Now that you’ve read about The Jordan Challenge in NBA 2K23, join our Discord server and let us know what you think!
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"Courtside Report #2 - The Jordan Challenge","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/76HXWXdeuYd6RPDPikw7zu/3ed6f4e7623e47b55dd43ff54155c130/08_08_NBA_2K23_COURTSIDE_REPORT_JORDAN_CHALLENGE_10676_1024x1100.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"Courtside Report #2 - The Jordan Challenge","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/1YonX7wPd8c58cngR0yMNC/885b783e127b518bcb2ac0d9ef45364d/08_08_NBA_2K23_COURTSIDE_REPORT_JORDAN_CHALLENGE_10676_1920x810.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-08-17T11:09:25.256Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"3DUoUDN8x8yASWo6d2ldPl","slug":"courtside-report","title":"Courtside Reports","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"subheading":"COURTSIDE REPORT"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 The Jordan Challenge","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/GoOAvo5O9qCTw2oss5ZpU/e885e159f9ac81a6843e76af8e8ba823/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_10676_828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"Courtside Reports","class":"","href":"courtside-report","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"Courtside Reports"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":true,"shouldShowReadTime":true},{"id":"16589157256215","slug":"/courtside-report/gameplay-enhancements","tags":["n23"],"title":"GAMEPLAY ENHANCEMENTS","summary":"NBA 2K23’s gameplay has a bevy of new improvements to complement any skill set. Flex on the rim, finesse your way to the rack, and experience more authentic animations.","localeCode":"en-US","content":"NBA 2K23 is nearly here and it features gameplay enhancements that elevate the competitive intensity in all facets. The main pillar for us this year can be summed up with one word: Authenticity. The team worked hard to create as much parity as possible in the on-court gameplay between Current and New Gen. Below, we’ve detailed all there is to know about the updates coming in the latest iteration of the NBA 2K franchise.
The defense was a point of emphasis in last year's game, but NBA 2K23 is so jam-packed with new features and upgrades on the offensive end of the floor that it's a perfect starting point. NBA 2K22 was a banner year for perimeter players: small guards had a slew of advantages over their taller counterparts, and outside shooting reigned supreme in online matches. Thinking about how we could bring more authenticity to our game, we looked at how virtual games were playing out compared to the real-life NBA, and it was clear that we needed to give more love to slashers who love to finish at the rim. This meant expanding the tools for attacking the basket.
The most obvious upgrade is the addition of new gesture combos to the Pro Stick. Internally, we refer to the new mechanics as double throws (flicking the Pro Stick in a direction, letting it go back to center, and then quickly moving the Pro Stick back in the same direction) and switchbacks (flicking the Pro Stick in a direction, letting it center, and then quickly moving the Pro Stick in the opposite direction). These new gestures introduce a lot of new weapons for both shooting and ball handling.
For dunking, the metered skill dunks from NBA 2K22 (ability to force difficult dunks in traffic with a timed shot meter) return, but the new commands allow us to expand the dunking controls to let you dunk exactly how you want without accidentally firing off a skill dunk you weren’t expecting. When driving to the basket with the Sprint trigger held, the new Pro Stick control map for dunks is as follows:
You’ll notice with this new map, you now have control over rim hangs. For New Gen, we’ve taken that control to an all-new level with physics-based simulated rim hangs! This is an incredibly entertaining and wonderfully complex piece of tech that’s been in development for a couple of years now. It allows you to control when and how you hang on the rim after a dunk.
The controls are simple. Use one of the new rim-hang dunk gestures mentioned above when driving toward the hoop, but keep the Sprint trigger held when the player gets their hands on the rim. You’ll hang indefinitely as long as you keep the trigger held, and you can use the Left Stick to adjust the momentum of your swinging body and the Right Stick to pull yourself up on the rim. This is all done through a physical simulation, as opposed to canned animations—it looks and feels amazing. It’s one of the most fun things to do in the City (available on New Gen only), but watch out for techs if you hang too long in NBA games.
For slashers who want to finish with a little more finesse, double throw gestures are used for hop-step layups while switchback gestures are used for euro-step and cradle layups, which feels very natural. A simple hold left or right will perform an all-new set of quick scoop layups. These are great, especially for small guards who want to quickly flip the ball up around defenders before they can react and block the shot.
For the bigger/stronger players, you’ll also experience a lot of new contact layup content that properly shows what should happen when players like Giannis Antetokounmpo plow through everyone in their path.
In addition, we’ve added several new layup packages for both New Gen and Current Gen, including Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and more!
For post players, double throws can be used for post drop steps and hop shots. Switchback gestures will give you shimmy shots and hooks. There are a bunch of new signature post shots and hooks to choose from this year as well.
Dribbling in NBA 2K has taken on a life of its own and has become a sort of game within the game. Ball handlers are going to enjoy ‘combo-ing up’ in NBA 2K23, as the new gesture combos give you even more options for your arsenal. Switchback gestures will now perform dedicated signature double cross and hesi (hesitation) cross combo moves that you can assign as part of the Moving Crossover signature package—which has grown from 15 options to 28. Learning the speed of your stick throws and the timing of your signature animations is especially important now.
You can chain your player’s normal signature size-ups by rocking the Pro Stick back and forth rhythmically. Rapid double throws will give you the aforementioned new combos. And flicking the Pro Stick back and forth repeatedly will give you a whole different set of animations called Signature Combos that look incredible.
Another major dribbling change is the introduction of “attacking size-ups.” One of the things we wanted to improve with dribbling in NBA 2K was that, while the size-up moves looked cool, they weren’t very useful. The new attacking size-ups provide a lot more side-to-side movement and are much better at forcing the defense to drop and shift, allowing you to bait them one way and then attack the other—something all great ball handlers do so well in real life.
While it’s fun to clown your opponents with a flurry of flashy dribbles, we don’t want to encourage players to dribble the entire shot clock out while their teammates fall asleep. Energy will deplete much quicker when spamming too many moves together, so it’s important to be efficient and not “play with your food” too long. There’s a long list of size-ups to learn on paper, but they’re all very simple and feel natural in practice. Jump into 2KU Freestyle Practice to play around with different stick throw timings and you’ll get the hang of it after a few minutes.
Another new feature to prevent over-dribbling is the concept of Adrenaline Boosts. There are three available boosts per player, per possession, shown as three small bars under the stamina meter.
Boosts are consumed every time you perform a hard go or explosive sprint launch. Once your three boosts are gone, you’ll notice that your speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession. As with dribble combos, it’s important to play smart basketball and be efficient with your movement rather than zig-zagging back and forth aimlessly trying to get around the defense.
Shooting also gets some nice upgrades for NBA 2K23. In NBA 2K22, success from the outside was heavily weighted toward coverage. If you could get an open look, you could balance out poor ratings and inaccurate timing. This year, we wanted a more authentic shooting model that captures the essence of a great NBA shooter’s capabilities.
The first major change is the addition of shooting attributes. Since the inception of signature jump shots in 2K basketball, animations have been more or less aesthetic but functionally the same. This year, each signature jump shot has unique shooting stats that help determine its effectiveness.
We’re also adding a huge number of shot animations to choose from, over double the amount of any previous version of 2K, and they're much more accurate to each player’s real-life jumper. For MyPLAYERs, shot animations will be gated by shooting ratings, so you’ll have to play around with all the options to figure out what works best for your skill set and playing style. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more variety in the community’s sig shot selection with this next evolution of shots.
There are also five new shot meters to choose from, with 15 more that can be unlocked through Seasons over the coming year! Some big, some small, some above the head, some to the side, and some below the shooter. Each meter completely fills to the end, which is your ideal release point, then empties on the late side ala 2K17-2K20. The new shot meter options were a common ask from the community, so we’re sure everyone will find an option they like and then some.
You’ll also notice a subtle change to how shot feedback works this year. We use shot arcs to help indicate whether you’re early (high arc), late (flat arc), or on time (ideal arc), so by paying attention you can easily tell right away if your release is off. Also, with Shot Feedback enabled, we’re delaying the timing/coverage overlay and green release animations from coming up until the ball hits the basket. It’s a small change, but it really brings back some of the drama that the green lights sometimes lacked, and also encourages everyone to continue to play through the possession rather than giving up and getting back in transition early.
For the playmakers out there, you’ll find some new tools at your disposal as well. The Lead to Basket pass makes its return to New Gen so that it works the same way as Current Gen, allowing you to simply press and hold Y/TRIANGLE to get your receiver to cut to the basket and release the button to throw the pass.
Another alternative is the new Spot Up pass mechanic. If you press and hold B/CIRCLE, the receiver you’re pointing at with the left stick will perform a quick V or flare cut to get open on the perimeter. It’s a very useful quick-hitting play to get an open look when you don’t have time to run a full-blown play for your teammate. MyPLAYERs can also equip a signature passing style to mimic some of the best floor generals of all time, including Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Jason Williams, LeBron James, and more.
Whether you prefer to drive the lane, back defenders down in the post, or spot up from behind the arc, NBA 2K23 offers a wide variety of tools that cater to your offensive gameplan.
As always, defense remains a huge priority for the gameplay team. We know all the offensive upgrades in the world don’t make for a fun game if there are no counters to stop them, so let’s talk about some of the great enhancements on the other end of the floor.
Shot defense received a nice overhaul for NBA 2K23. Up until last year, we used a simple shot defense calculation that looked at two specific points: the location of the defender when the shot started and the proximity to the ball at release. It worked well, but also had its shortcomings. If the defender’s hand or arm moved slightly into a bad position, right at the point of our shot release calculation, you could get a bad coverage score even though it looked like a very good contest.
This year, we’ve created a system that evaluates the defensive player’s contesting hand throughout a window of the shooting motion. This larger sample set provides way more accurate results and helps line up the coverage numbers to what players expect based on what they see happening on-screen.
For the floor game, on-ball defensive movement and body ups received a major refresh with new content that more accurately depicts today’s 1-on-1 player interactions. You’ll also notice a new indicator on the ball handler when in guarding position. This is the new defensive shading mechanic. The three bars on the indicator represent three zones: Straight up, Shade left, and Shade right. The zone the defender’s in is shown in red. If the ball handler attempts to attack a red lane, they’ll get cut off, lose their dribble, or fumble the ball.
Great defenders can anticipate where the ball handler is attacking and will now be more clearly rewarded for it. The shading system works for both on-ball defenders guarding the perimeter as well as the post and does a good job communicating to both the offense and defense why collisions resolve the way they do.
Shot blocking has been refined quite a bit this year as well. With NBA 2K22, we made a huge effort to improve block targeting and give players the ability to deter any shot that comes into the paint. For NBA 2K23, blocks have been tuned to a more realistic level, leading to much more predictable outcomes, with the right players making appropriate stops when timing their block attempts well. No more small guards pulling off LeBron James-level chase-down blocks like last year. You’ll also notice a distinct improvement in ball security for good dunkers.
In the past, it was always risky trying to pull off tomahawks and back scratchers with defenders even remotely nearby. We’ve made some changes to encourage good dunkers to use a greater repertoire of dunk packages. Feel the reward of highlight-reel dunks with significant Takeover boosts in the right situations without fear of always getting the ball knocked out on the way up. The shot blocking system also now contains “fly-by” blocks. When closing out late on perimeter shooters, the fly-by’s will do a better job trying to get a hand up while preventing defenders from slamming into the shooter and sending them to the line.
Ball strips are new and improved this year with tons of new content and better coverage. So if you’re a smaller defender, quick hands can be just as effective in slowing down slashers and bigs in the paint as a good shot blocker. We’ve also added failed strip contact layups to make sure defender’s steal inputs are respected instead of getting ignored.
When the ball does get knocked loose by a block or steal, you’ll see greatly improved sideline awareness during scramble plays. Pickups near the out of bounds lines are much more reliable, as are diving ball saves that throw the ball back in play. I’ve seen some amazing 50/50 ball saves that would make Dennis Rodman and Alex Caruso proud!
One of the first things everyone does when they pick up a new version of 2K is experiment with building a new MyPLAYER. This year, the major goals for the Player Builder were refinement, polish, and balance. You still have complete control to build any type of player you want, but the new builder ensures that all builds, regardless of size or specialty, are fun and balanced.
The 5v5 environment used last year to test work-in-progress player builds, is also now accompanied by a 3v3 environment. For New Gen players, this is especially useful if you love to hoop on the City courts and want to make sure your player can hang in the streets.
Another huge addition to the build system is that animation purchases will now be account-bound rather than specific to one save file. In other words, if you purchase an animation for your playshot build, it will then be available to equip on your slasher build, assuming your player meets all the animation’s requirements. For Current Gen users, you’re no longer limited by the pie chart build system from the last couple years as it’s been replaced with the more robust Player Builder that New Gen uses.
The most impactful change, when it comes to building players, is in the form of a new badge system for New Gen. When looking at telemetry from previous years, we noticed that players often gravitated towards the same badges and, as a result, became a little overpowered by stacking certain badges together. This year, we’re moving to a tiered badge system. There are 16 badges per attribute category: eight in Tier 1, four in Tier 2, and four in Tier 3. Tier 1 badges are the least powerful for your player, but also cost the least amount of badge points. Costs go up as you climb the tiers and acquire the more impactful badges. The basic idea is that you’ll need to equip a certain number of badges in the lower tiers before you can equip badges in the highest.
The motive behind this change was to encourage players to make some tough choices when creating their badge recipes, make loadouts more valuable as a feature, and bring a better overall balance to the badge game in general. Along with the tiers, we’re also introducing “Core” badges, which are four unique badge slots (one in each attribute category) that can be filled with badges that don’t count toward your badge points. Each badge will have a challenge requirement that, once met, will allow the badge to be placed into a core badge slot. We also made several changes to the badges themselves, which are highlighted below:
FINISHING
SHOOTING
PLAYMAKING
DEFENSE/REBOUNDING
Takeovers are special abilities you can equip on your MyPLAYER that you can activate after building up your Takeover meters. Basically, like getting hot in real life. While the primary and secondary Takeovers remain the same, Team Takeover has been redesigned.
In the last couple of versions, a player would activate Team Takeover for the entire team and make everybody hot after filling up the primary, secondary, and then Team Takeover meters in sequential order. For NBA 2K23, Team Takeover works as a cooperative team system with the entire team sharing a single meter. Each player on the team has an equal portion that they’re responsible for filling up by performing well on the court and being good teammates. Once each player has filled up their portion of the meter, Team Takeover automatically fires off for the entire team. The new design makes a lot more sense and does a better job representing what it means to be hot as a team and to take over the game as a unit.
NBA 2K23 is packed with AI goodness on both ends of the floor for new gen consoles. Here are some of the highlights that the AI engineers and Da Czar have cooked up for you.
The first thing we wanted to address this year was how the offensive AI uses its dribble move arsenal to attack. The goal was to make the AI more aggressive in setting up its moves, and more deliberate with what moves it used based on different situations. We’ve enhanced the AI’s ability to understand the defender’s positioning using the new defensive shading system we previously talked about. AI ball handlers will better assess the situation and then dip into their arsenal of moves to make the most appropriate attack. They now understand how to set up the defender, read the defender’s counter, and then attack openings with appropriate combos based on their move set and tendencies.
In order to make the AI attack more effective, we knew we had to mix up the timing of the AI’s drive attempts. To do this, we engineered the AI to prefer the earliest attack opening, or what we call, first move attack priority. If given the opportunity, the AI will attack quickly after a single move or before a move is even performed. However, if a user remains in great guarding position, the AI will continue to set up with single and double moves to try and create an opening.
In addition to making the AI ball handlers attack more intelligently, we also wanted to make sure they replicated their real life counterparts authentically. So, we built a brand new signature AI attack system that allows us to assign all of the stars a dynamic signature attack package that contains up to four signature combinations. Each single combination can contain up to 4 single move sets or two combo move sets. We can even create variations that allow for AI move progression.
For example, we can combine Kevin Durant’s between the legs cross, with a between the legs cross and step back. With early move priority, these moves won’t be scripted. He can launch and attack after the between the legs as a single move, or launch after the between the legs cross. If the user is still in great guarding position, he can decide to attack with any of the other combos in his attack package or just pull up for a shot. It’s a very powerful system that we can dynamically update throughout the season, and ensures that our AI is never predictable in its one-on-one game.
The next major improvement is the AI’s execution of the pick and roll. For NBA 2K23, the roll man understands how to keep a spacing relationship with the ball handler and can vary their roll path to the rim, based on the ball and how they’re being defended. To complement this, the AI passer has also been given a much better understanding of open vs. covered passing lanes, alley-oop opportunities, and lob pass opportunities over the top of the defense.You will have to check up on scorers coming off ball screens in this year’s game. The AI is acutely aware of what shots are available based on defensive coverage, so you’ll see AI scorers use a variety of reads to score on the pick and roll.
On the coaching side of things, dynamic game-plans give us flexibility in how the AI chooses to scheme their offenses from one game to the next. AI coaches will track efficiency by looking at points per possession for play types, freelance pick and roll, freelance post, and freelance isolation actions. They’ll also track mismatch attempts for isolation and post, as well as mid-range and three-point shooting possessions.
Instead of pre-determining between a team’s top scorers and who should get the lion’s share of the offensive possessions, the AI coach performs pre-game matchup evaluations, adding more weight to the player with the better matchup. It can also dynamically change weights as the game goes on based on efficiency for each scorer on the floor. If LeBron James has the better matchup and is scoring well, the game-plan will dive deeper and add more weight to the plays he’s most successful with. On the flip side, the AI will also adjust if their primary scorer is struggling. So, if LeBron is having an off night, you’ll see the 2nd and 3rd scoring options get more plays run for them.
Last year, we built and re-wrote almost all of our major defensive systems. This year was all about refining them to deliver our best effort to date. Every phase of our defensive game has improved. From transition defense, where we can identify when the ball handler has been picked up, allowing the anchor to leave the paint and get to their man, to making the “NO THREES” setting work as intended. Rotations are sharper and more varied; pick and roll defense is tighter and smarter; and this year, players can choose to turn off drive, pick and roll. We’ve also improved cutter help individually as well to have more control over their Defensive Focus settings.
NBA 2K23 also features performance-based defensive adjustments. In the past we knew how many points and assists the leading scorers had on offense and would make adjustments based on that information. However, the adjustments the AI made had to be generic because it wasn’t obvious how a given player racked up that scoring and assist total. This year our refactored success and action engine can track exactly how scorers are doing their damage. This engine can decipher post-scoring, off-screen actions, isolations and whether or not players are getting buckets at the rim. It can detect spot-up shots vs. players who like to come down and fire up long distance threes after a few dribble moves. Each of these scenarios have their own defensive adjustments that the AI will automatically roll out depending on how efficiently the scorers are making shots. As a user, with our adaptive engine turned on, these adjustments will automatically be made for you. But if you choose, you can also make your own adjustments using the defensive settings.
The defensive AI is stingier with sending help until we know the opponent can actually take advantage of a particular opening. So at the beginning of games, you may notice drastically less help as your teammates wait to see if your opponent can actually take advantage of an open lane compared to last year. Of course, you’re free to turn off the auto adjustments and make your teammates help right from the jump if that’s the way you want to run your defense.
This year, on both ends of the court, you’ll see improved gameplay that should translate to more wins, and more seamless actions. We can't wait for the community to experience this year’s gameplay, explore the all-new features, and discover a lot of the hidden things we’ve snuck into the game. NBA 2K23 hits the shelves September 9, but you can reserve your copy today!\\n
Now that you’ve read about all the new gameplay enhancements in NBA 2K23, join our NBA 2K Community Discord server and let us know what you think!
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"Courtside Report #1 - Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/6co9lIPSrq6WDXyF36J1PK/ce44b79a210d065075689184fdbe05ec/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_1024x1100__1_.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"Courtside Report #1 - Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/7uogZasNMU6uetwHSii62P/82bba0fbdf50a0509ffb799ab4fbf5b4/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_1920x810__1_.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-08-18T17:54:31.121Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"3DUoUDN8x8yASWo6d2ldPl","slug":"courtside-report","title":"Courtside Reports","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"subheading":"COURTSIDE REPORT"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/1zR9GsQJbHKW0xGsvhNuTM/cfb20a9ccfd386ed84a054d32afbce19/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"Courtside Reports","class":"","href":"courtside-report","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"Courtside Reports"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":true,"shouldShowReadTime":true},{"id":"16566740470365","slug":"/athletes/devin-booker","tags":["n23"],"title":"DEVIN BOOKER","summary":"","localeCode":"en-US","content":"Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan and Moss Point, Mississippi
DOB: October 30, 1996
College: Kentucky
Height: 6’5”
Experience: 7 Seasons
Draft: 2015, Round 1, No. 13 Overall
Devin Booker’s rise from budding talent to blazing sharpshooter over the last few seasons has established him as one of the brightest stars in the league, and more importantly lifted his team into the postseason for back-to-back years. A three-point champion, gold medalist, and three time all-star, Booker is poised to take over as a face of the league. The NBA has only witnessed six players score 70 points or more in a game, and Booker is one of them, joining Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, David Thompson, and David Robinson.
\\r
After being in the NBA for seven years, Book has made an impact not only on but off the court as well. In addition to averaging 23.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game during his career, he is paving the way for the next generation of players by building courts around the country. In 2021, Booker partnered with 2K Foundations to build and renovate basketball courts in Moss Point, Miss., where he honed his skills playing high school basketball. Booker is inspiring people with his silky smooth jumper on the court and with his philanthropic efforts in the community, which is why he’s the perfect choice to be the NBA 2K23 cover athlete.
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Cover Athlete Devin Booker","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/14J766Hb1eH5yXbDlSjHnm/8023187f1bf888533c52006053c3711c/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-BOOKER_COMBINED-MOBILE-1024x1100-R2__1_.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Cover Athlete Devin Booker","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/5bbSXv8IQIaKqZuDp0jVPU/43bdc044a626972689759370f310386a/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-BOOKER_COMBINED-DESKTOP-1920x810-R2__1_.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-07-07T11:16:24.350Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"7sFxR8yUeQ8OS5JPCHrXoy","slug":"athletes","title":"COVER ATHLETES","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"relatedArticlesHeading":"OUR ATHLETES","subheading":"OUR ATHLETES"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Cover Athlete Devin Booker","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/4oCqsi6G8MfDjHKhjhBtrP/d43164117e00d78c0cf85dfafeb3b906/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-STD_THUMBNAIL-828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"COVER ATHLETES","class":"","href":"athletes","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"COVER ATHLETES"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":false,"shouldShowReadTime":false},{"id":"16566726694685","slug":"/athletes/sue-and-diana","tags":["n23"],"title":"SUE BIRD & DIANA TAURASI","summary":"","localeCode":"en-US","content":"Hometown: Syosset, New York
DOB: October 16, 1980
College: Connecticut
Height: 5’9”
Experience: 18 Seasons
Draft: 2002, Round 1, No. 1 Overall
The WNBA’s all-time leader in assists and career starts ticks all the boxes as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Sue Bird has built a legacy over her 20 years in the league by leading the Seattle Storm to four WNBA titles and breaking a long list of records along the way. You name it, she’s done it. From becoming the only player to appear in 500 games to starting every game she’s ever played, Bird is as reliable and durable as they come. Even at 41 years old, the former UConn Huskie is still going strong, continuing to add to her all-time assists total and chasing another championship ring. Bird will go down as one of the best to ever lace up a pair of basketball shoes, so it’s only natural to have her grace the cover of NBA 2K23* for her final WNBA season.
Hometown: Chino, California
DOB: June 11, 1982
College: Connecticut
Height: 6’
Experience: 17 Seasons
Draft: 2004, Round 1, No. 1 Overall
Voted in 2021 as the WNBA’s GOAT, Taurasi has been dominating the league for almost two decades. As the leader of the Phoenix Mercury, she has hoisted the championship trophy three times. Her individual accomplishments consist of 10 All-Star selections, WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, and 10 All-WNBA First Team selections. While Taurasi’s WNBA resume is robust, one of her most notable achievements is on the international stage. The California native is a five-time Olympic gold medalist—one of only two athletes to reach this significant milestone, the other being Sue Bird. Wherever she’s gone, Taurasi has led her teams to success. Her imprint isn’t just on the WNBA, but basketball as a whole, making her a clear choice for the NBA 2K23 cover*.
*The WNBA edition is available only in the US (physical only)
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"NBA 2K23 WNBA Cover Athletes","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/5jNpCfcnQrAvStiGxeaf4N/75308444aed1edc046d559ee51ccacae/NBA23-WEBSITE-RETAIL_PAGE-RETAIL_MARQUEE_5-WNBA_EDITION-MOBILE-1024x1100.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"NBA 2K23 WNBA Cover Athletes","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/69VG49l5aKXakB6OKXA2xr/23b6cdca7442496465a6c0f3831a0373/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-SHORT_MARQUEE-WNBA_EDITION-DESKTOP-1920x810__1_.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-07-07T11:18:07.893Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"7sFxR8yUeQ8OS5JPCHrXoy","slug":"athletes","title":"COVER ATHLETES","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"relatedArticlesHeading":"OUR ATHLETES","subheading":"OUR ATHLETES"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Cover Athletes Diana & Sue","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/1icNhuiUsLZdEFHFl6Qf0g/1e5fd0c362c857bc9ee6b7c2304b86f1/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-WNBA_THUMBNAIL-828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"COVER ATHLETES","class":"","href":"athletes","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"COVER ATHLETES"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":false,"shouldShowReadTime":false},{"id":"6nTwFSh3ogo3rPhWCnExQ","slug":"/athletes/michael-jordan","tags":["n23"],"title":"MICHAEL JORDAN","summary":"","localeCode":"en-US","content":"Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
DOB: February 17, 1963
College: North Carolina
Height: 6’6”
Experience: 15 Seasons
Draft: 1984, Round 1, No. 3 Overall
Before he became Air Jordan, Michael Jordan spent three years at the University of North Carolina, where he made a name for himself after hitting a game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship his freshman year—the first of many iconic buzzer-beaters. \\r
MJ entered the league in 1984 as a lanky teen with clear potential, raw athleticism, and a hunger to become one of the greatest players and athletes the world has ever seen. In his first season in the NBA, he was selected for the All-Star team, earned Rookie of the Year, and averaged an absurd 28.2 points, unheard of for a first-year player. Jordan possesses rare skills that made it easy for him to transition from college to the pros, a transition many players struggle with across all sports.
\\r
It didn’t take long for Jordan's greatness to captivate Chicago, the United States, and the globe. In 1987 he defied the laws of gravity and took flight from the free-throw line in the Slam Dunk Contest, taking home the hardware as Slam Dunk champion. The ‘80s were filled with some of his most magical highlights, but what he’d go on to achieve in the ‘90s was a spectacle to behold.\\r
By 1991, Jordan and the Bulls had emerged as a powerhouse team in the Eastern Conference, taking down Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks and Charles Barkley’s Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Playoffs. Next up: a 4-1 series win over the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, earning him his first of six championship titles. Jordan was truly a one-of-a-kind talent on the court, receiving five Most Valuable Player awards, 14 All-Star selections, a Defensive Player of the Year in 1988, and a trophy case full of other accolades. NBA 2K23 wouldn’t feel complete without one of the greatest to ever wear No. 23.
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/17PNsm8kX9bVEoHlTljkqh/2690e699cc198d4388f4f1075c15bbe5/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-MJ_COMBINED-MOBILE-1024x1100-R2__1_.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/5khBqi9lDfhQb4OO6TRGkJ/c6861fa29051b3f8ca03399c90d05231/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-MJ_COMBINED-DESKTOP-1920x810-R2__1_.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-07-07T11:18:51.953Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"7sFxR8yUeQ8OS5JPCHrXoy","slug":"athletes","title":"COVER ATHLETES","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"relatedArticlesHeading":"OUR ATHLETES","subheading":"OUR ATHLETES"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/TzeQXu0MK0PeacxF289Aw/69b7b0b5a579e5eeb6342f5ddceb149b/NBA23-WEBSITE-ATHLETE_HUB-MODULE1-CHAMP_THUMBNAIL-828x828__2_.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"COVER ATHLETES","class":"","href":"athletes","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"COVER ATHLETES"},"siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":false,"shouldShowReadTime":false}]},"articleSlugsByLocale":{},"currentArticle":{"id":"16589157256215","slug":"/courtside-report/gameplay-enhancements","tags":["n23"],"title":"GAMEPLAY ENHANCEMENTS","summary":"NBA 2K23’s gameplay has a bevy of new improvements to complement any skill set. Flex on the rim, finesse your way to the rack, and experience more authentic animations.","localeCode":"en-US","content":"NBA 2K23 is nearly here and it features gameplay enhancements that elevate the competitive intensity in all facets. The main pillar for us this year can be summed up with one word: Authenticity. The team worked hard to create as much parity as possible in the on-court gameplay between Current and New Gen. Below, we’ve detailed all there is to know about the updates coming in the latest iteration of the NBA 2K franchise.
The defense was a point of emphasis in last year's game, but NBA 2K23 is so jam-packed with new features and upgrades on the offensive end of the floor that it's a perfect starting point. NBA 2K22 was a banner year for perimeter players: small guards had a slew of advantages over their taller counterparts, and outside shooting reigned supreme in online matches. Thinking about how we could bring more authenticity to our game, we looked at how virtual games were playing out compared to the real-life NBA, and it was clear that we needed to give more love to slashers who love to finish at the rim. This meant expanding the tools for attacking the basket.
The most obvious upgrade is the addition of new gesture combos to the Pro Stick. Internally, we refer to the new mechanics as double throws (flicking the Pro Stick in a direction, letting it go back to center, and then quickly moving the Pro Stick back in the same direction) and switchbacks (flicking the Pro Stick in a direction, letting it center, and then quickly moving the Pro Stick in the opposite direction). These new gestures introduce a lot of new weapons for both shooting and ball handling.
For dunking, the metered skill dunks from NBA 2K22 (ability to force difficult dunks in traffic with a timed shot meter) return, but the new commands allow us to expand the dunking controls to let you dunk exactly how you want without accidentally firing off a skill dunk you weren’t expecting. When driving to the basket with the Sprint trigger held, the new Pro Stick control map for dunks is as follows:
You’ll notice with this new map, you now have control over rim hangs. For New Gen, we’ve taken that control to an all-new level with physics-based simulated rim hangs! This is an incredibly entertaining and wonderfully complex piece of tech that’s been in development for a couple of years now. It allows you to control when and how you hang on the rim after a dunk.
The controls are simple. Use one of the new rim-hang dunk gestures mentioned above when driving toward the hoop, but keep the Sprint trigger held when the player gets their hands on the rim. You’ll hang indefinitely as long as you keep the trigger held, and you can use the Left Stick to adjust the momentum of your swinging body and the Right Stick to pull yourself up on the rim. This is all done through a physical simulation, as opposed to canned animations—it looks and feels amazing. It’s one of the most fun things to do in the City (available on New Gen only), but watch out for techs if you hang too long in NBA games.
For slashers who want to finish with a little more finesse, double throw gestures are used for hop-step layups while switchback gestures are used for euro-step and cradle layups, which feels very natural. A simple hold left or right will perform an all-new set of quick scoop layups. These are great, especially for small guards who want to quickly flip the ball up around defenders before they can react and block the shot.
For the bigger/stronger players, you’ll also experience a lot of new contact layup content that properly shows what should happen when players like Giannis Antetokounmpo plow through everyone in their path.
In addition, we’ve added several new layup packages for both New Gen and Current Gen, including Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and more!
For post players, double throws can be used for post drop steps and hop shots. Switchback gestures will give you shimmy shots and hooks. There are a bunch of new signature post shots and hooks to choose from this year as well.
Dribbling in NBA 2K has taken on a life of its own and has become a sort of game within the game. Ball handlers are going to enjoy ‘combo-ing up’ in NBA 2K23, as the new gesture combos give you even more options for your arsenal. Switchback gestures will now perform dedicated signature double cross and hesi (hesitation) cross combo moves that you can assign as part of the Moving Crossover signature package—which has grown from 15 options to 28. Learning the speed of your stick throws and the timing of your signature animations is especially important now.
You can chain your player’s normal signature size-ups by rocking the Pro Stick back and forth rhythmically. Rapid double throws will give you the aforementioned new combos. And flicking the Pro Stick back and forth repeatedly will give you a whole different set of animations called Signature Combos that look incredible.
Another major dribbling change is the introduction of “attacking size-ups.” One of the things we wanted to improve with dribbling in NBA 2K was that, while the size-up moves looked cool, they weren’t very useful. The new attacking size-ups provide a lot more side-to-side movement and are much better at forcing the defense to drop and shift, allowing you to bait them one way and then attack the other—something all great ball handlers do so well in real life.
While it’s fun to clown your opponents with a flurry of flashy dribbles, we don’t want to encourage players to dribble the entire shot clock out while their teammates fall asleep. Energy will deplete much quicker when spamming too many moves together, so it’s important to be efficient and not “play with your food” too long. There’s a long list of size-ups to learn on paper, but they’re all very simple and feel natural in practice. Jump into 2KU Freestyle Practice to play around with different stick throw timings and you’ll get the hang of it after a few minutes.
Another new feature to prevent over-dribbling is the concept of Adrenaline Boosts. There are three available boosts per player, per possession, shown as three small bars under the stamina meter.
Boosts are consumed every time you perform a hard go or explosive sprint launch. Once your three boosts are gone, you’ll notice that your speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession. As with dribble combos, it’s important to play smart basketball and be efficient with your movement rather than zig-zagging back and forth aimlessly trying to get around the defense.
Shooting also gets some nice upgrades for NBA 2K23. In NBA 2K22, success from the outside was heavily weighted toward coverage. If you could get an open look, you could balance out poor ratings and inaccurate timing. This year, we wanted a more authentic shooting model that captures the essence of a great NBA shooter’s capabilities.
The first major change is the addition of shooting attributes. Since the inception of signature jump shots in 2K basketball, animations have been more or less aesthetic but functionally the same. This year, each signature jump shot has unique shooting stats that help determine its effectiveness.
We’re also adding a huge number of shot animations to choose from, over double the amount of any previous version of 2K, and they're much more accurate to each player’s real-life jumper. For MyPLAYERs, shot animations will be gated by shooting ratings, so you’ll have to play around with all the options to figure out what works best for your skill set and playing style. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more variety in the community’s sig shot selection with this next evolution of shots.
There are also five new shot meters to choose from, with 15 more that can be unlocked through Seasons over the coming year! Some big, some small, some above the head, some to the side, and some below the shooter. Each meter completely fills to the end, which is your ideal release point, then empties on the late side ala 2K17-2K20. The new shot meter options were a common ask from the community, so we’re sure everyone will find an option they like and then some.
You’ll also notice a subtle change to how shot feedback works this year. We use shot arcs to help indicate whether you’re early (high arc), late (flat arc), or on time (ideal arc), so by paying attention you can easily tell right away if your release is off. Also, with Shot Feedback enabled, we’re delaying the timing/coverage overlay and green release animations from coming up until the ball hits the basket. It’s a small change, but it really brings back some of the drama that the green lights sometimes lacked, and also encourages everyone to continue to play through the possession rather than giving up and getting back in transition early.
For the playmakers out there, you’ll find some new tools at your disposal as well. The Lead to Basket pass makes its return to New Gen so that it works the same way as Current Gen, allowing you to simply press and hold Y/TRIANGLE to get your receiver to cut to the basket and release the button to throw the pass.
Another alternative is the new Spot Up pass mechanic. If you press and hold B/CIRCLE, the receiver you’re pointing at with the left stick will perform a quick V or flare cut to get open on the perimeter. It’s a very useful quick-hitting play to get an open look when you don’t have time to run a full-blown play for your teammate. MyPLAYERs can also equip a signature passing style to mimic some of the best floor generals of all time, including Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Jason Williams, LeBron James, and more.
Whether you prefer to drive the lane, back defenders down in the post, or spot up from behind the arc, NBA 2K23 offers a wide variety of tools that cater to your offensive gameplan.
As always, defense remains a huge priority for the gameplay team. We know all the offensive upgrades in the world don’t make for a fun game if there are no counters to stop them, so let’s talk about some of the great enhancements on the other end of the floor.
Shot defense received a nice overhaul for NBA 2K23. Up until last year, we used a simple shot defense calculation that looked at two specific points: the location of the defender when the shot started and the proximity to the ball at release. It worked well, but also had its shortcomings. If the defender’s hand or arm moved slightly into a bad position, right at the point of our shot release calculation, you could get a bad coverage score even though it looked like a very good contest.
This year, we’ve created a system that evaluates the defensive player’s contesting hand throughout a window of the shooting motion. This larger sample set provides way more accurate results and helps line up the coverage numbers to what players expect based on what they see happening on-screen.
For the floor game, on-ball defensive movement and body ups received a major refresh with new content that more accurately depicts today’s 1-on-1 player interactions. You’ll also notice a new indicator on the ball handler when in guarding position. This is the new defensive shading mechanic. The three bars on the indicator represent three zones: Straight up, Shade left, and Shade right. The zone the defender’s in is shown in red. If the ball handler attempts to attack a red lane, they’ll get cut off, lose their dribble, or fumble the ball.
Great defenders can anticipate where the ball handler is attacking and will now be more clearly rewarded for it. The shading system works for both on-ball defenders guarding the perimeter as well as the post and does a good job communicating to both the offense and defense why collisions resolve the way they do.
Shot blocking has been refined quite a bit this year as well. With NBA 2K22, we made a huge effort to improve block targeting and give players the ability to deter any shot that comes into the paint. For NBA 2K23, blocks have been tuned to a more realistic level, leading to much more predictable outcomes, with the right players making appropriate stops when timing their block attempts well. No more small guards pulling off LeBron James-level chase-down blocks like last year. You’ll also notice a distinct improvement in ball security for good dunkers.
In the past, it was always risky trying to pull off tomahawks and back scratchers with defenders even remotely nearby. We’ve made some changes to encourage good dunkers to use a greater repertoire of dunk packages. Feel the reward of highlight-reel dunks with significant Takeover boosts in the right situations without fear of always getting the ball knocked out on the way up. The shot blocking system also now contains “fly-by” blocks. When closing out late on perimeter shooters, the fly-by’s will do a better job trying to get a hand up while preventing defenders from slamming into the shooter and sending them to the line.
Ball strips are new and improved this year with tons of new content and better coverage. So if you’re a smaller defender, quick hands can be just as effective in slowing down slashers and bigs in the paint as a good shot blocker. We’ve also added failed strip contact layups to make sure defender’s steal inputs are respected instead of getting ignored.
When the ball does get knocked loose by a block or steal, you’ll see greatly improved sideline awareness during scramble plays. Pickups near the out of bounds lines are much more reliable, as are diving ball saves that throw the ball back in play. I’ve seen some amazing 50/50 ball saves that would make Dennis Rodman and Alex Caruso proud!
One of the first things everyone does when they pick up a new version of 2K is experiment with building a new MyPLAYER. This year, the major goals for the Player Builder were refinement, polish, and balance. You still have complete control to build any type of player you want, but the new builder ensures that all builds, regardless of size or specialty, are fun and balanced.
The 5v5 environment used last year to test work-in-progress player builds, is also now accompanied by a 3v3 environment. For New Gen players, this is especially useful if you love to hoop on the City courts and want to make sure your player can hang in the streets.
Another huge addition to the build system is that animation purchases will now be account-bound rather than specific to one save file. In other words, if you purchase an animation for your playshot build, it will then be available to equip on your slasher build, assuming your player meets all the animation’s requirements. For Current Gen users, you’re no longer limited by the pie chart build system from the last couple years as it’s been replaced with the more robust Player Builder that New Gen uses.
The most impactful change, when it comes to building players, is in the form of a new badge system for New Gen. When looking at telemetry from previous years, we noticed that players often gravitated towards the same badges and, as a result, became a little overpowered by stacking certain badges together. This year, we’re moving to a tiered badge system. There are 16 badges per attribute category: eight in Tier 1, four in Tier 2, and four in Tier 3. Tier 1 badges are the least powerful for your player, but also cost the least amount of badge points. Costs go up as you climb the tiers and acquire the more impactful badges. The basic idea is that you’ll need to equip a certain number of badges in the lower tiers before you can equip badges in the highest.
The motive behind this change was to encourage players to make some tough choices when creating their badge recipes, make loadouts more valuable as a feature, and bring a better overall balance to the badge game in general. Along with the tiers, we’re also introducing “Core” badges, which are four unique badge slots (one in each attribute category) that can be filled with badges that don’t count toward your badge points. Each badge will have a challenge requirement that, once met, will allow the badge to be placed into a core badge slot. We also made several changes to the badges themselves, which are highlighted below:
FINISHING
SHOOTING
PLAYMAKING
DEFENSE/REBOUNDING
Takeovers are special abilities you can equip on your MyPLAYER that you can activate after building up your Takeover meters. Basically, like getting hot in real life. While the primary and secondary Takeovers remain the same, Team Takeover has been redesigned.
In the last couple of versions, a player would activate Team Takeover for the entire team and make everybody hot after filling up the primary, secondary, and then Team Takeover meters in sequential order. For NBA 2K23, Team Takeover works as a cooperative team system with the entire team sharing a single meter. Each player on the team has an equal portion that they’re responsible for filling up by performing well on the court and being good teammates. Once each player has filled up their portion of the meter, Team Takeover automatically fires off for the entire team. The new design makes a lot more sense and does a better job representing what it means to be hot as a team and to take over the game as a unit.
NBA 2K23 is packed with AI goodness on both ends of the floor for new gen consoles. Here are some of the highlights that the AI engineers and Da Czar have cooked up for you.
The first thing we wanted to address this year was how the offensive AI uses its dribble move arsenal to attack. The goal was to make the AI more aggressive in setting up its moves, and more deliberate with what moves it used based on different situations. We’ve enhanced the AI’s ability to understand the defender’s positioning using the new defensive shading system we previously talked about. AI ball handlers will better assess the situation and then dip into their arsenal of moves to make the most appropriate attack. They now understand how to set up the defender, read the defender’s counter, and then attack openings with appropriate combos based on their move set and tendencies.
In order to make the AI attack more effective, we knew we had to mix up the timing of the AI’s drive attempts. To do this, we engineered the AI to prefer the earliest attack opening, or what we call, first move attack priority. If given the opportunity, the AI will attack quickly after a single move or before a move is even performed. However, if a user remains in great guarding position, the AI will continue to set up with single and double moves to try and create an opening.
In addition to making the AI ball handlers attack more intelligently, we also wanted to make sure they replicated their real life counterparts authentically. So, we built a brand new signature AI attack system that allows us to assign all of the stars a dynamic signature attack package that contains up to four signature combinations. Each single combination can contain up to 4 single move sets or two combo move sets. We can even create variations that allow for AI move progression.
For example, we can combine Kevin Durant’s between the legs cross, with a between the legs cross and step back. With early move priority, these moves won’t be scripted. He can launch and attack after the between the legs as a single move, or launch after the between the legs cross. If the user is still in great guarding position, he can decide to attack with any of the other combos in his attack package or just pull up for a shot. It’s a very powerful system that we can dynamically update throughout the season, and ensures that our AI is never predictable in its one-on-one game.
The next major improvement is the AI’s execution of the pick and roll. For NBA 2K23, the roll man understands how to keep a spacing relationship with the ball handler and can vary their roll path to the rim, based on the ball and how they’re being defended. To complement this, the AI passer has also been given a much better understanding of open vs. covered passing lanes, alley-oop opportunities, and lob pass opportunities over the top of the defense.You will have to check up on scorers coming off ball screens in this year’s game. The AI is acutely aware of what shots are available based on defensive coverage, so you’ll see AI scorers use a variety of reads to score on the pick and roll.
On the coaching side of things, dynamic game-plans give us flexibility in how the AI chooses to scheme their offenses from one game to the next. AI coaches will track efficiency by looking at points per possession for play types, freelance pick and roll, freelance post, and freelance isolation actions. They’ll also track mismatch attempts for isolation and post, as well as mid-range and three-point shooting possessions.
Instead of pre-determining between a team’s top scorers and who should get the lion’s share of the offensive possessions, the AI coach performs pre-game matchup evaluations, adding more weight to the player with the better matchup. It can also dynamically change weights as the game goes on based on efficiency for each scorer on the floor. If LeBron James has the better matchup and is scoring well, the game-plan will dive deeper and add more weight to the plays he’s most successful with. On the flip side, the AI will also adjust if their primary scorer is struggling. So, if LeBron is having an off night, you’ll see the 2nd and 3rd scoring options get more plays run for them.
Last year, we built and re-wrote almost all of our major defensive systems. This year was all about refining them to deliver our best effort to date. Every phase of our defensive game has improved. From transition defense, where we can identify when the ball handler has been picked up, allowing the anchor to leave the paint and get to their man, to making the “NO THREES” setting work as intended. Rotations are sharper and more varied; pick and roll defense is tighter and smarter; and this year, players can choose to turn off drive, pick and roll. We’ve also improved cutter help individually as well to have more control over their Defensive Focus settings.
NBA 2K23 also features performance-based defensive adjustments. In the past we knew how many points and assists the leading scorers had on offense and would make adjustments based on that information. However, the adjustments the AI made had to be generic because it wasn’t obvious how a given player racked up that scoring and assist total. This year our refactored success and action engine can track exactly how scorers are doing their damage. This engine can decipher post-scoring, off-screen actions, isolations and whether or not players are getting buckets at the rim. It can detect spot-up shots vs. players who like to come down and fire up long distance threes after a few dribble moves. Each of these scenarios have their own defensive adjustments that the AI will automatically roll out depending on how efficiently the scorers are making shots. As a user, with our adaptive engine turned on, these adjustments will automatically be made for you. But if you choose, you can also make your own adjustments using the defensive settings.
The defensive AI is stingier with sending help until we know the opponent can actually take advantage of a particular opening. So at the beginning of games, you may notice drastically less help as your teammates wait to see if your opponent can actually take advantage of an open lane compared to last year. Of course, you’re free to turn off the auto adjustments and make your teammates help right from the jump if that’s the way you want to run your defense.
This year, on both ends of the court, you’ll see improved gameplay that should translate to more wins, and more seamless actions. We can't wait for the community to experience this year’s gameplay, explore the all-new features, and discover a lot of the hidden things we’ve snuck into the game. NBA 2K23 hits the shelves September 9, but you can reserve your copy today!\\n
Now that you’ve read about all the new gameplay enhancements in NBA 2K23, join our NBA 2K Community Discord server and let us know what you think!
","heroImageSet":{"imageMobile":{"title":"Courtside Report #1 - Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/6co9lIPSrq6WDXyF36J1PK/ce44b79a210d065075689184fdbe05ec/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_1024x1100__1_.jpg","height":1100,"width":1024},"imageDesktop":{"title":"Courtside Report #1 - Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/7uogZasNMU6uetwHSii62P/82bba0fbdf50a0509ffb799ab4fbf5b4/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_1920x810__1_.jpg","height":810,"width":1920}},"publishDate":"2022-08-18T17:54:31.121Z","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"category":{"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"id":"3DUoUDN8x8yASWo6d2ldPl","slug":"courtside-report","title":"Courtside Reports","promoted":false,"disableLink":false,"subheading":"COURTSIDE REPORT"},"thumb":{"title":"NBA 2K23 Gameplay Enhancements","src":"//assets.2k.com/1a6ngf98576c/1zR9GsQJbHKW0xGsvhNuTM/cfb20a9ccfd386ed84a054d32afbce19/07_29_NBA_2K23_Courtside_Report_0085_828x828.jpg","height":828,"width":828},"breadcrumbLinks":[],"shouldShowBreadcrumbs":false,"shouldShowSiblingLinks":false,"parentLink":{"id":"","title":"Courtside Reports","class":"","href":"courtside-report","level":"category","type":"link","target":"_self","content":"Courtside Reports"},"shareUrl":"share.link","shareLabel":"Share","siblingLinksPlacement":"below-page","shouldShowSidebar":true,"shouldShowReadTime":true},"currentLocaleCode":"en-US"}}}'