From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #525 of the NLSC Podcast! Which basketball video games have been the easiest and hardest to put up stats in over the years? This week, we join the community in discussing the titles that stick out in our minds, as well as the statistics that either eluded us or seemingly piled up way too easily. …

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #524 of the NLSC Podcast! After feeling inspired to revisit the Super Nintendo version of the original NBA Jam, we were reminded of just how fun the game still is in 2024…and also, just how unfair it can be when the AI is determined to win and begins rubber-banding! Once again we draw comparisons…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #523 of the NLSC Podcast! Through decades of watching real basketball and playing basketball video games alike, we’ve become fans of a number of memorable uniforms. To that end, this week we join the community in naming our top three favourite NBA jerseys of all-time, along with some honourable m…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #522 of the NLSC Podcast! Obviously we’re big fans of and advocates for PC gaming, but are the benefits worth the drawbacks and potential expense in 2024? You can probably guess our short answer to that question, but nevertheless, this week we join the community in discussing the pros and cons of…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #521 of the NLSC Podcast! Could an unlicensed basketball video game possibly provide a viable alternative to NBA 2K, assuming that it had great gameplay, deep customisation and sharing options, a robust franchise mode, and a price tag of $39.99 USD? This week, we join the community in discussing …

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #520 of the NLSC Podcast! Which generation produced the best NBA Live and NBA 2K games? This week, we join the community in nominating the golden age for each series. We also recap our exciting co-op Parsec sessions with NBA Live 2000 PC and NBA 2K2 for GameCube, which in turn leads us to reflect…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #519 of the NLSC Podcast! We’re tipping things off this week with a strange (but not altogether surprising) incident on Twitter/X. Indeed, the quality of discourse on social media is on our minds this week, as we feel compelled to respond to the latest ridiculous narrative being pushed about Mich…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #518 of the NLSC Podcast! While we have our concerns about future releases, we’re arguably in a golden age for retro gaming! To that end, we note the further improvements to PCSX2 and Windows 11’s ability to run NBA Action 98 without issues, and recap our recent sessions with ESPN NBA Basketball …

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #517 of the NLSC Podcast! The community has really been cooking with their submissions for the NLSC Top 10 Plays as of late. Indeed, we’re still excited about last week’s countdown! To that end, we recap what was a diverse array of spectacular virtual hardwood moments from a variety of titles, an…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #516 of the NLSC Podcast! Suffice to say, we’ve been on a major NBA Live kick lately! To that point, we’ve got some extremely enjoyable sessions with NBA Live 97, NBA Live 2004, NBA Live 06 (both versions), NBA Live 09, and NBA Live 10 to recap. We also join the community in reflecting on the NBA…

Following up on last week's show, we react to Take-Two's defense of Virtual Currency as "fictions". On a slightly less contentious note, in response to a post on our Discord, we weigh in on the NBA Jam vs. NBA Street debate. We also recap a session with NBA Live 2002, join the community in talking about preferred camera angles, and open up the mail…

NBA 2K24 is prompting gamers to accept new Terms of Service with updated clauses regarding class action lawsuits and digital purchases. We discuss how the move has further eroded goodwill, with language that comes across as threatening in the wake of recent legal action against Take-Two. We also criticise the silence from influencers, as well as th…

If we could bring back just one Triple-A release as an alternative to NBA 2K, what type of game would we choose: NBA sim, NBA arcade, street, or college basketball? This week we join the community in answering that very tough question! We also recap a session revisiting Konami's ESPN NBA 2Night, and open up the mailbag to discuss the players that g…

It's Wishlist season once again, so this week, we join the community in listing our top three gameplay wishes for NBA 2K25! Not surprisingly, many of us have similar thoughts on what we want to see. We also discuss NBA ShootOut (aka Total NBA '96) and Sony's NBA 08, reflect on past-their-prime players still having something left in the tank, and pr…

Three SkillsUSA Alumni – Aaron Robles, Laila Mirza and Matt DiBara – were the featured keynote speakers at the Opening Ceremony for SkillsUSA's 2023 National Leadership and Skills Conference Opening Session.By SkillsUSA

What is the most important and impactful position in basketball? Or indeed, is there one? Both we and our listeners share our thoughts on traditional roles, and players stepping outside of them throughout the years. We naturally draw comparisons to basketball video games, from Fantasy Draft preferences to how real hoops influences our style on the …

Are the NBA 2K League competitors the best in the world at the game? Both we and the community have some thoughts on that, as well as a ridiculous comparison to real NBA players. We also recap a fun session with Street Hoops by Black Ops Entertainment, discuss sportsmanship in real basketball, and invite the community to share their basketball gami…

A new year has tipped off at the NLSC, and that means we have some basketball gaming resolutions! There's also a new NBA 2K Playgrounds game out on Roblox, and honestly, we're underwhelmed by what we've seen of it. On a brighter note, we join the community in reflecting on what we were doing on the virtual hardwood throughout 2023, from solo sessio…

It's our 2023 Christmas Special! After celebrating the arrival of a brand new desktop, we recap a couple of games of NBA Live 16, played with Christmas Day jerseys of course. We also join the community in listing the players and teams that we're enjoying watching so far in the 2024 season, and reflect on some of our favourite Christmas gifts involv…

With the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament wrapping up, we have some thoughts to share. We also discuss Austin Rivers' comments about the face of the league, compare editions of NCAA Basketball, and advocate for exhibition play on the virtual hardwood. The post NLSC Podcast #507: NBA Chat, Tournament Edition appeared first on NLSC.…

A class action lawsuit is accusing Take-Two of theft, with particular focus on NBA 2K's server shutdowns and the subsequent loss of VC balance. While we aren't lawyers, we do have some thoughts on the situation, as does the community! We also discuss the use of Cronus Zen controllers and other methods of cheating in NBA 2K online, as well as some i…

Is Slam 'N Jam 96 the worst arcade basketball video game that we've ever played? It's definitely a candidate! We reflect on a co-op session in the PlayStation version, as well as having a much better time with NBA Live 16, and continuing our Road Trip in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. In this week's mailbag, we join the community in sharing stories abou…

Last Wednesday marked a decade since NBA 2K14's release on PlayStation 4, so this week we're celebrating the tenth anniversary of an iconic game! We reflect on our experiences with both versions of NBA 2K14 over the years, and read some memories that the community shared with us. We also catch up on our past week of basketball gaming, and look back…

We're all about good vibes and enhancing everyone's basketball gaming, from recommendations about an Android emulator to advocating for freely available mods! Speaking of modding, we cover a few ongoing projects from members of the community, including a 2009 roster for NBA Live 10 PS3. We also ask the community which console they'd choose if they …

Koality Games has released a new version of Hoop Land for mobile devices, and after giving it a try, we're hoping to see it come to PC! We're far less excited about NBA 2K24 right now though, and based on the responses to this week's community question, not to mention the lack of mods, highlights, and discussion, it's clear we're not alone. We also…

The 2024 NBA season has tipped off, and we've resolved to follow it with more enthusiasm from the start! To that end, we're sharing our thoughts as the new campaign gets underway, from our early picks for contenders and pretenders to what we expect from our favourite teams. Also, since it's Halloween, we reflect on spooky moments on the virtual har…

It's our 500th episode, so this week we're celebrating with some classic clips from over eleven years of shows! Join us as we dip into the archives and react to some memorable moments, from the original test pilot in 2010 to a couple of fantastic guests. We also recap our sessions with NBA 2K10 PC using the recently-released fixed official roster, …

How would we create the worst possible NBA Live and NBA 2K games, using elements from previous releases? This week, we join the community in choosing the worst mechanics in both series. We also reflect on our recent sessions with Blacktop in NBA 2K14, Road to the EBC in NBA 2K6, and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition using johnz1's Legends On Fire Edition mo…

Revisiting NBA in the Zone 2 and NBA 2K13 has us reflecting on the fun approach of the sim-arcade hybrid, and comparing retro season roster mods to MyNBA Eras. We also discuss the WNBA Players Association calling out NBA 2K24's terrible player likenesses, imagine the ideal gameplay for NBA 2K and NBA Live by combining our favourite mechanics from p…

NBA 2K24 has been out for almost a month, and honestly, we're not feeling it right now. To that end, we join our listeners in giving the game a score out of ten. This leads us to reflect on the lack of choices in the basketball gaming space, compared to the array of titles that we once enjoyed. We speculate on why no one is stepping up to offer an …

We recently connected on Parsec to revisit a couple of our all-time favourite basketball video games: NBA 2K17 and NBA Live 06 on PC. We discuss the strong points of each game and why they hold up, as well as the satisfying feeling of playing them with mods that we made! We're also interested in the community's all-time favourites, so in this week'…

Last week we discussed our first impressions of NBA 2K24, but how are we feeling after more time on the sticks? This week we join the community in sharing our second impressions of NBA 2K24's gameplay, as well as our thoughts on the disappointingly greedy approach to MyTEAM and MyCAREER. We also catch up on a couple of older titles that are in our …

NBA 2K24 is here! We've spent some time with both versions of the game, and have some initial impressions to share. While we're mostly focusing on gameplay this week, we also share some early impressions of modes and features, as well as react to some of the issues with MyTEAM and MyCAREER that gamers are reporting. We also open up the mailbag to s…

With the release of NBA 2K24 looming, we discuss the latest details on MyTEAM, MyCAREER, and The City, and whether it's affected our anticipation and excitement for the game. We also reflect on a recent Monday Tip-Off ranking 25 all-time favourite basketball video games, and the community shares their thoughts on NBA 2K24 gameplay previews in this …

This week, we're reacting to the NBA 2K24 gameplay blog and ProPLAY trailer, Mamba Moments reveal, and details on MyPLAYER builds and Badge progression. We also recap fun sessions with NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, celebrate another big milestone, and join the community in sharing some of our favourite memories of Kobe Bryant. The post NLSC Podcast #49…

This week's episode is all about the announcement that NBA 2K24 will feature Season Passes in MyTEAM and MyCAREER. We join the community in sharing our opinions on the concept, point out the hypocrisy and greed of the suits, and consider the possible impact it will have on this year's game and future titles alike. The post NLSC Podcast #491: A Tipp…

As we await the first previews of NBA 2K24, a war of words has broken out between Sim Nation, comp players, and the cheesers. We discuss the toxicity of the discourse, and share some thoughts from the community. We also recap what we've been playing (and modding) this past week, and discuss personal agendas with Top 10 lists. The post NLSC Podcast …

How much should basketball video games cost, from the base price to any microtransactions we may indulge in? A recent NBA 2K24 rumour prompts us to join the community in discussing fair prices and practices. We also respond to Jeff Teague's comparison of James Harden and Dwyane Wade, and recommend a new PlayStation 1 emulator. The post NLSC Podcast…

Brooke Gatchell, SkillsUSA's Social Media Specialist joins us for a breakdown of social media and how a SkillsUSA chapter can use it to share news about their programs.By SkillsUSA

Much to our excitement, NBA Live 09 is now playable via the PS3 emulator! We reflect on a session with the game, and compare it to NBA Live 10. Meanwhile, the roadmap for the NBA 2K24 preview season has set us thinking about what to expect come August 14th. We also discuss ideas for ProPLAY, and quiz the community on NBA Action 98 ratings. The post…

This week, we're taking a look back at NBA Action 98, the forerunner to NBA 2K on PC and Sega Saturn. We also discuss fun sessions with Legends in NBA Live 18 Ultimate Team, retro PC gaming controllers, a surprising teaser regarding MyCAREER in NBA 2K24, and our first virtual NBA Championships, before opening up the mailbag for some NBA 2K13 rating…

As we await further previews, how hyped are we for NBA 2K24? Along with the community, we rate our excitement level out of ten. We also recap sessions with NBA Live 18, NBA Live 08, and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, comment on another Tweet from a virtual hardwood elitist, and open up the mailbag to discover some surprising clutch ratings circa 2007. T…

The NBA 2K24 preview season is officially underway, with some tidbits that have the community buzzing. To that end, we break down everything we know so far, including some bad news for PC gamers. We also recap a fun Parsec session with NBA 2K14 Next Gen, reflect on a Tweet that really resonated, and touch on devious practices. The post NLSC Podcast…

The community has spoken: we want a new college basketball game, whether it's from EA, 2K, or both! From licensed players to gameplay and features, we discuss our expectations for a hypothetical release. We also talk about the bewildering attempts to rehabilitate NBA 2K18's image, Damian Lillard's trade request, and NBA 2K17 ratings trivia. The pos…

We're taking a look back at Sony's NBA 07 for PlayStation 3, after using PS Rewired to play a H2H game on original hardware. That prompts us to reflect on the different ways that we connect to play basketball games, and the community spirit of those initiatives. We also touch on the debate between Sim Nation and Left-Right Cheesers, and open up ano…

What will the basketball gaming landscape look like in five years? This week, we join the community in speculating on the future of our favourite genre of video games! We also reflect on the Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA Championship, and recap recent sessions playing NBA 2K9 and NBA 2K14. The post NLSC Podcast #482: Basketball Gaming in F…

How long does the allure of the latest basketball game last? This week, we join the community in discussing when and why we've chosen to move on from the current release. We also follow up on last week's look back at NBA Live 15 by revisiting the even more controversial NBA Live 14, and reflect on the fun we've been having with NBA 2K14. The post N…

A fun session of NBA Live 15 prompts us to take a deep dive into the game, not just discussing its cons, but also some pros that are often overlooked. We also recap a co-op session of NBA Live 06 PC, and join the community in talking about our real life playing styles, and how that translates to the virtual hardwood. The post NLSC Podcast #480: Is …

Our attention turns to real basketball this week, including the Denver Nuggets making the Finals, Carmelo Anthony retiring, and Scottie Pippen losing his mind! We also join the community in sharing our own pre-game pump-up rituals. As for the virtual hardwood, we debunk a false narrative regarding NBA Live and NBA 2K, and reflect on ESPN NBA 2K5 ra…

Games we wish we played more, and seasons we wish we could've finished, are common tales among basketball gamers. This week, we're joining the community in discussing our biggest regrets! We also address recent NBA Live rumours, reflect on some spectacular highlights, and provide an update on Year 6 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER. The post NLSC Podcast #478:…