What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time?

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What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time?

NBA Jam T.E. (1994)
33
25%
NBA Live 95 (1994)
16
12%
NBA 2k1 (2000)
4
3%
NBA Street Vol. 2 (2003)
22
17%
NBA 2k11 (2010)
30
23%
Other
25
19%
 
Total votes: 130

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ryan in Maine
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#41 » by ryan in Maine » Fri Oct 3, 2025 11:43 pm

Nothing beats 2K on the Dreamcast for me lol. I'll Dreamcast my lone vote now.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#42 » by meekrab » Fri Oct 3, 2025 11:59 pm

NBA Hangtime was the best of the Jam series, it added spin moves and alley oops, five players on the roster from each team and you could create your own player. There was some other random bull too like hotspots on the floor where you could get up to 9 points for a shot. Imagine bringing your dog to the assfault and seeing that!
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#43 » by Mean_Streets » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:00 am

ryan in Maine wrote:Nothing beats 2K on the Dreamcast for me lol. I'll Dreamcast my lone vote now.


I was wondering when someone was going to vote for 2k1. :lol:

Although I played more NBA Live as a kid/teen, my cousin had 2k1 and I was impressed at how real the gameplay felt for its time and it had depth that basketball games didn't have at the time. Lots of modes from a deep franchise mode to street mode and even had online play. Not bad for a game made in 2000.

It doesn't get the recognition it deserves because it was only available on Sega Dreamcast. Lots of gamers missed out on this game.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#44 » by Quattro » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:01 am

For me nothing will beat the original NBA Jam. I pumped enough quarters into that game back when i was in school to pay a decent chunk off my mortgage.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#45 » by KyRo23 » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:09 am

I think NBA live 2003 was such a jump from previous games. NBA Live really started to explode before 2k started edging them out. Such an amazing game
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#46 » by ryan in Maine » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:12 am

Mean_Streets wrote:
ryan in Maine wrote:Nothing beats 2K on the Dreamcast for me lol. I'll Dreamcast my lone vote now.


I was wondering when someone was going to vote for 2k1. :lol:

Although I played more NBA Live as a kid/teen, my cousin had 2k1 and I was impressed at how real the gameplay felt for its time and it had depth that basketball games didn't have at the time. Lots of modes from franchise to street mode and even had online play. Not bad for a game made in 2000.

It doesn't get the recognition it deserves because it was only available on Sega Dreamcast. Lots of gamers missed out on this game.

Hands down the best look/feel of the genre. It was rough around the edges, but it will always be my favorite for hours of head to head combat with your homies. It's the only basketball game i ever felt like i was truly in control esp on offense. It had a massive catalog of moves.

You're probably right in that it just didn't make the rounds. If you didn't have a Dreamcast you missed out lol.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#47 » by Mean_Streets » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:16 am

KyRo23 wrote:I think NBA live 2003 was such a jump from previous games. NBA Live really started to explode before 2k started edging them out. Such an amazing game

That game was fun. Very arcade-like. I still remember the scorekeepers pronouncing Ginboli's name wrong everytime he scored. NBA Live '04 was completely different from '03, but in a good way. Felt more realistic compared to the arcade style 2003 had.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#48 » by Tracymcgoaty » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:19 am

Espn NBA2k5 and nothing will ever come close to it ever.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#49 » by bonita_the_frog » Sat Oct 4, 2025 12:58 am

PRguy23 wrote:Nintendo switch and switch 2 can barely hear the fan. Xbox x and ps5 the fan sounds are low. The ps4 sounded like a jet engine. Lol.

Thanks very interesting :D true i never like jet engines eVer

FollowTheSound wrote:It depends the PS2 model, the last edition of the ps2 fat and ps2 slim are very silent. the scph 50xxx and 90xxx models. For 2k12 get a ps3 tho, the later slim models and superslim models are very silent too.

Yep i was going to get 2k12 until i saw youtube videos of NBA LIVE 2003 its my favorite now :D

Mean_Streets wrote:
bonita_the_frog wrote:Are there any video game consoles that don't make a fan sound (as in, the air sound that comes from it)?
I'll buy a console but only if its got no fan sound coming out of it.
I was hoping ps2 has no fan sound, because that has nba2k12 at least, so I'd buy that.
But turns out ps2 has a fan sound according to google, so are there any consoles that don't?

Random post, lol. But google tells me PS1 is the last gaming system to not have a fan.

Thank you i'm getting PS1 because i was watching youtube videos of past games and NBA LIVE 2003 is the best because the players stop their footsteps perfectly instead of sliding always, and when they dunk it makes really impressive sounds!
My Dad's bestie has a PS1 so going to his house today to grab it and will buy NBA LIVE 2003 on ebay :D
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#50 » by infinite11285 » Sat Oct 4, 2025 1:08 am

An absolute gem.

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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#51 » by dremill24 » Sat Oct 4, 2025 1:12 am

NBA Jam and NBA Street were legit

NBA Live 2003 deserves a mention if only for the soundtrack :lol:
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#52 » by FollowTheSound » Sat Oct 4, 2025 1:18 am

bonita_the_frog wrote:
PRguy23 wrote:Nintendo switch and switch 2 can barely hear the fan. Xbox x and ps5 the fan sounds are low. The ps4 sounded like a jet engine. Lol.

Thanks very interesting :D true i never like jet engines eVer

FollowTheSound wrote:It depends the PS2 model, the last edition of the ps2 fat and ps2 slim are very silent. the scph 50xxx and 90xxx models. For 2k12 get a ps3 tho, the later slim models and superslim models are very silent too.

Yep i was going to get 2k12 until i saw youtube videos of NBA LIVE 2003 its my favorite now :D

Mean_Streets wrote:
bonita_the_frog wrote:Are there any video game consoles that don't make a fan sound (as in, the air sound that comes from it)?
I'll buy a console but only if its got no fan sound coming out of it.
I was hoping ps2 has no fan sound, because that has nba2k12 at least, so I'd buy that.
But turns out ps2 has a fan sound according to google, so are there any consoles that don't?

Random post, lol. But google tells me PS1 is the last gaming system to not have a fan.

Thank you i'm getting PS1 because i was watching youtube videos of past games and NBA LIVE 2003 is the best because the players stop their footsteps perfectly instead of sliding always, and when they dunk it makes really impressive sounds!
My Dad's bestie has a PS1 so going to his house today to grab it and will buy NBA LIVE 2003 on ebay :D


PS2s and PS3s are backwards compatible with PS1 games and upscale them btw!
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#53 » by bonita_the_frog » Sat Oct 4, 2025 1:19 am

FollowTheSound wrote:PS2s and PS3s are backwards compatible with PS1 games and upscale them btw!

Ps1 discs work when you push them into Ps2 and Ps3? that's handy

infinite11285 wrote:An absolute gem.

Spoiler:
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I've never played that but that photo looks really delicious :D and whenever i've seen pictures of the Bulls players and Blazers players together from 1992 it looks really yum :D their uniforms look so tasty together.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#54 » by Mean_Streets » Sat Oct 4, 2025 2:10 am

If you are able to get a ps2 that doesn't have a lot of fan noise I would go for that. the GOAT console in my book. So many great sports games and just games in general. The most fun I had was on the ps2.

Could also play all the great NBA Live games from Live 2003-2006, not to mention NBA Street Vol 2.

Also had top tier football games if that's your thing.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#55 » by KingFox » Sat Oct 4, 2025 5:36 am

3ddman23 wrote:Nba street vol 2 had everything in a choke hold. Everyone I knew was playing that game even if they didn't like basketball or sports.

I remember the soundtrack being incredible as well. If we can only choose from the games listed, then I guess I'll go with 2K11. NBA Live and NBA Courtside (GameCube) were super fun to play in the early 2000's though. I remember franchise mode on NBA Live being so freaking cool to play and simulate, now 2K couldn't care less about anything outside of online play and creating a team/player :roll:
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#56 » by durden_tyler » Sat Oct 4, 2025 5:45 am

Live '98. Not sure why, but maybe because we cut classes just to play those. LOL
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#57 » by Kent » Sat Oct 4, 2025 5:51 am

Live 04
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#58 » by bkkrh » Sat Oct 4, 2025 6:03 am

I voted NBA Live 95, since this game, similar to NHL Hockey and Fifa 96 was a complete game changer on what seemed possible until then in sport video games. Having complete rosters, fully licensed players with pictures and stats, being able to play a full season with stat count, playoffs and so on.

I played it first on SNES at a friends´place, I only had a NES back then. After a few months I convinced my parents that instead of a birthday gift we will buy a decent PC that I´ll share with my dad, since he thought about getting one, so after waiting 6-7 months I finally could play the PC version of it and NHL 95 and was blown away by all the improved presentation parts.

It´s a really good list, though.
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#59 » by Calvin Klein » Sat Oct 4, 2025 6:28 am

NBA Jam
Lakers vs Celtics
Tecmo NBA Basketball
NBA Live 95
NBA Live 2000


Those were my games :D
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Re: What’s the greatest basketball video game of all time? 

Post#60 » by cupcakesnake » Sat Oct 4, 2025 1:33 pm

I'm going to have to go with Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden

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