The 15 Best 'NBA 2K' Games of All-Time, Ranked

Release Date: October 6, 2009

Of course, Kobe Bryant graces various versions of the covers of NBA 2K24 which just came out, but the first time he ever appeared on the cover of an NBA game was with NBA 2K10. Even better, the game covers the 2009-2010 season, which avid fans will know that Kobe won with the Lakers. The game was the first to introduce "MyPLAYER," which has since been a staple in the series. "NBA Today" was also brought into the series with this game, so it was a game of some truly monumental advancements for NBA 2K. What’s stopping this game from stealing a higher spot is a slew of bugs and technical problems, some of which it left behind shortly after release, but some of which stayed.

Release Date: October 7, 2008

The late 2000s were a time when 2K was ahead of the competition, but still had a lot of room to grow. With their 2008 game, they took the opportunity to upgrade a bunch of presentation features that had the game feeling like a much more complete experience and certainly one closer to a real-life NBA season. The game was a big one for those who enjoyed its strong sense of realism and its deep customization aspects.

Release Date: September 19, 2017

The 2017 edition of NBA 2K is the latest edition of the game to make this list. For a lot of people’s money, this is where the series started to spiral downward into a game that only made minor improvements each year. 2K18 admittedly only made a few improvements from its own predecessor, but the game was extremely refined by 2K17 anyway. This game also still introduced All-Time teams, which is fun for online and offline fans of the game and only adds to the debate of which franchise has the best players of all time.

Release Date: October 4, 2011

2011 saw that 2K’s NBA series continued to make the big strides that it was known for at this point. 2K12 generally brought back what fans loved about some aspects of the game or improved on other already acclaimed aspects of the game. One area where significant noticeable improvements were made was in the commentary, which might not be something the average gamer looks to for a fun experience, but makes every game a well-rounded presentation, bringing the game to life.

Release Date: October 31, 2000

2K1 might be a rough play for fans who are somewhat new to the series, but the second game in NBA 2K’s run is incredible. Astonishingly, it featured online multiplayer and introduced the "Association" and "General Manager" modes to the game. Overall, it’s just such a fun retro experience even today. What better way to capture the magic of the early 2000s NBA than to play a game that was made right in that era? One of the main knocks against it is simply that it was only released on the Sega Dreamcast console.

Release Date: September 29, 2015

While not considered the best game in the 2K series from a gameplay standpoint, 2K16 has to make any 2K list due to the sheer anticipation. The hype wasn’t just about the video game, it was also where the NBA was at that particular point in time. The Golden State Warriors' reign had just begun, with the team beating the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals a couple of months before.

James had just returned to Cleveland after a four-year stint in Miami, and while the Warriors were a solid team, they weren’t the favorites to win the championship that year. The rise of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, combined with their bench, backcourt, and veteran leadership, proved to be the beginning of a new era. Curry, Anthony Davis, and James Harden were the cover features, and the game itself was a major turning point of the "MyCAREER" mode. 

Release Date: September 27, 2005

There are some people who will argue that 2K6 doesn’t belong on this list, and we can understand that point of view. However, we feel that this installment still deserves a spot because it was a turning point in terms of game mechanics. Unfortunately, the success of NBA Live 06 overshadowed 2K6, so people aren’t truly familiar with its impact.

The graphics were great for the year 2005, the simulation was crazy, and playing with the 05/06 version of Kobe Bryant was something that we can appreciate even more now. Shaquille O’Neal (who was playing with the Miami Heat at that time), was that year’s cover feature and enjoyed a friendly competition with his then-teammate Dwyane Wade, who was the Live 06 cover athlete.

Release Date: October 21, 2003

ESPN NBA Basketball is technically NBA 2K4 and had all of the elements that previous 2K Installments offered up to that point. Allen Iverson was the cover athlete in what wound up being his last 2K cover feature, and this was the first 2K game to really emphasize the ESPN broadcasting component.

If you go back and look at any other 2K game prior to 2K4, the entire gameplay was eerily quiet. There were no ‘announcers’ or ‘sideline reporters’ checking in through the game, and you could barely hear the crowd. We didn’t think much of it since it was the norm back then, but the introduction of "live broadcasting" made us realize how strange that really was. The graphics and presentation were also enhanced from the previous year, giving players an overall better experience.

Release Date: October 7, 2002

2K3 is another oldie but goodie that played a huge role in developing the many features that later 2K games have expanded upon. It was the first year of a three-year partnership with ESPN, and the overall Sportscenter vibe helped take the game to the next level because it made you feel like your ‘highlights’ were going to be the ones to make the countdown. The controls were slightly better from the year before, and the streetball element was especially cool considering the state of urban and hip-hop culture at that particular time. The 2K soundtracks have always been one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game, and the 03 edition remains one of the best.

Release Date: October 5, 2010

2K11 wasn’t much different from 2K10 in terms of its features and what it offered, but it was another one of those games whose impact was influenced by the current state of the NBA. To understand the landscape: Lebron James had just joined the Miami Heat the previous summer alongside Chris Bosh to team up with Dwyane Wade and form a "Big 3." 2K10 marked the first game in which the Big 3 would be officially featured. Michael Jordan was the cover athlete, which proved to be an exciting addition to the game, and the "Jordan Challenge" mode was one of its biggest features.  

Release Date: October 6, 2009

We are putting this game on here not just because of our guy Kobe, but because 2K10 was the first real start of the 2K series overpowering NBA Live. 2K10 introduced "Blacktop" online, a mode where you can play with any current or historic NBA player, or your MyCAREER player if you wish. Blacktop online was a game-changer in the basketball gaming community, as it came during the very early phases of YouTube game reviews and streaming. 

Release Date: October 2, 2012

This is where things are going to start getting tricky. Every 2K game introduces something new, but in terms of overall gameplay and controls, 2K hasn’t really changed that much over the last few years if we are being completely honest (and the last two years haven’t been received that positively). So at a certain point, ranking 2K games becomes a matter of what that particular game introduced, the hype/impact surrounding the release, and how it was received. With 2K13 it was the incorporation of both the 1992 and 2012 Olympic teams and the Jay-Z narrations. The gameplay was solid as well (though some had issues with the dribble controls), and 2K13 was the first game that really highlighted sneaker culture. A solid game for sure.

Release Date: October 23, 2001

Believe it or not, the older 2K games just may be better in terms of overall development because the changes were more significant from year to year since the game (and technology) was in its early stages. 2K2 was huge because it was the first time the series was available on PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. This helped to expand the 2K audience by making the game more accessible. 2K2 was also the first game to accurately reflect players' abilities and skill sets. Before 2001, you could have Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan draining 3s from just about anywhere on the court, and while that was fun, it wasn’t realistic at all. At some point, basketball video games were going to have to match real life, and 2K2 was the start of that.

Release Date: September 20, 2016

2K16 was a tough act to follow, but 2K17 delivered with its MyLeague mode. Mechanically speaking, the game wasn’t too much different from its predecessor, but it was the first time in 2K that expansion teams could be added, and all 30 NBA teams could be relocated to different areas. While the realistic elements of a game are important, the fantasy elements still remain critical as well. We all know that you can’t move a team with a click of a button in real-time, but being able to do it in a game is wildly fun.

Release Date: October 1, 2013

We are going to take the bold stance of putting 2k14 number one. Why? Lebron James. Now you may be rolling your eyes, but James being on the cover was truly iconic because people had been begging him for years to be on the cover of either Live or 2K. The biggest star in the league not having a cover feature was something of an anomaly, and when James was announced, it caused mass hysteria. People who had stopped playing 2K (or basketball games in general) picked up 2K14 just because James was going to be on the cover. 2K14 also saw the introduction of MyPARK, which was probably the official mark of 2K overtaking NBA Live.