'NBA 2K' Knows Exactly What Fans Want - Soap Opera Style Drama

by Preston Tolliver
Gone are the boring days where you could buy a basketball game and focus on silly things like controlling a player whose primary focus is to play basketball, because “NBA 2K17” has realized that there are more important things than that. Finally, it’s come around to what I’ve believed for a long time – that the one thing basketball needs to make it entertaining is some daytime soap opera-level of drama.
 
In the game’s MyCareer mode, you’re a high school and college standout, nicknamed “Pres,” which is short for “President,” but could also be considered short for “Preston,” which, if you’ll look above here, you’ll see is my name and so that’s pretty dope. You declare for college – you can choose one of eight schools, and so I decided to take my talents to Michigan State, where I quickly cemented my place as the school’s best player to ever don a Spartan jersey (Suck it, Magic).
 
From there, you’re thrown into the draft, but don’t worry – you’ll still have plenty of time for things not revolving around basketball. For example, you have ample opportunity to set the controller down and watch the long, several minutes-long, one-after-another cutscenes of you and your college roommate playing video games (it’s almost surreal playing a video game in which you get to watch your player play a video game), or of you and your girlfriend sitting outside in the dark, talking about things that people in relationships usually talk about, or answering a million text messages after each practice, a task that feels almost like work, which is awesome because there’s nothing I like to do more while I’m at home than to field almost as many complaints from people as I do at the office. The game actually gives you the opportunity to ignore those messages, but half of them are from your mom telling you she loves you, so you really get to develop your player, right down to just how big of an asshole you are.
 
Now, because the game takes realism to a new level, prompting you to endure through practice after practice with Michael B. Jordan, there’s a lot I haven’t been able to check out on the game just yet. After all, the life of a basketball star is a pretty busy one, especially when 80 percent of that life is spent dealing with all the other crap. But I have a few notes:

• In MyCareer, you befriend a new star, Justice Young. This guy is voiced by the aforementioned Mr. Jordan, which makes sense, because Mr. Jordan is a celebrity who makes decent movies and probably likes basketball and can probably play OK. Where it gets weird, though, is that he also LOOKS like Michael B. Jordan, which is something I hope the good samaritans at 2K Sports try to expand on in some sort of downloadable content later on, because I’m sure his backstory is far more interesting than this “Pres.” For example, is Michael B. Jordan actually an understudy for a big role about basketball? Is he Daniel Day Lewis-ing AN ENTIRE BASKETBALL CAREER? Is he in witness protection? Was he forced to change his name and go undercover (but in plain sight???) as a basketball player after witnessing the mob kill a dude? Please, 2K. Give me his story. Give me cutscenes between games of Jordan looking over his shoulder, waking up in cold sweats, and running through restaurant kitchens while trying to get away from sketchy-looking dudes sent by the mob boss to tie up loose ends. Give me HIS story.

• I started the MyGM mode, because I was intrigued by 2K’s announcement earlier this year that they were expanding the locations where you could build your team. Sure, an Arkansas team would be nice, but they really went above and beyond this year. There are a few new places like Omaha, Neb., or Honolulu (snooze), but where they really hit home was that they let you build NEW teams in cities that already have established franchises. Hate the Mavericks as much as I do? Good. Cut them out and create the Dallas CubanSucks. Or have two Dallas franchises in the league. And two Sacramento teams. Who doesn’t want that?

• One of my favorite parts of any 2K games is the classic rosters they throw in. Great for nostalgia and beating the hell out of whatever poor sap chooses to play as the Brooklyn Nets. Where I was really impressed, though, was with the inclusion of the 2004-05 Suns. Sure, the game last year had the run-and-gun Suns, but 2K took a risk this year and trimmed the fat, getting Steve Nash TF off the team, because he’s arguably the worst player in the history of both the Phoenix Suns and white basketball players.

  
The game obviously has its flaws. All games do. But there’s one thing 2K has proven with their latest installment, and it’s that damn, do they know their demographic.

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