Not only will the upcoming "NBA 2K18" video game feature a total of 62 classic teams after adding 17 this year, but it'll also introduce all-time teams for the current 30 NBA franchises. The best players from the history of those teams will be brought together for the first time ever in an official capacity.
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With a deep pool of historical players whose rights were acquired originally for classic teams representing specific seasons, and a comprehensive player creator system, for years fans have been putting together rosters themselves and sharing them with others. Creators will still be forced to do that to fix some omissions, such as the high-profile holdouts Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, who won't be found on their respective Sixers/Suns and Pacers teams.
Other notable names missing include Rasheed Wallace, Gilbert Arenas, Brandon Roy and Moses Malone. (Here are the complete rosters for all 30 of the teams, which includes the ratings for each player on the roster.) Additionally, Seattle fans (and likely OKC fans) will understandably be upset to learn that the Thunder's all-time team is made up of mostly Sonics players.
2K Sports previously announced that a second year of The Prelude will release Sept. 8 for Xbox One and PS4. Acting as a free demo of sorts, The Prelude provides an opportunity to get a start on the MyCareer story mode with the progress made carrying over to the full game. With "NBA 2K17" it was the college portion of the story that played out. It has not been specified what the experience will be this time around.
"NBA 2K18" will let you play through a story as a general manager, joining its other story-based mode which is centered on being a player. The game will release Sept. 15 to those who preorder. Shaquille O'Neal is featured on the two pricey special editions of the game, which will be sold for $150 and $100, respectively.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and can be reached on Twitter@Pastapadre.