The NBA 2K series is regarded by many as the best annually released sports game franchise, but which games are the real best in the series’ long history?
It’s oftentimes hard to make any one game in an series full of annual releases stand out, but ups and downs are inevitable. NBA 2K has had more ups than most other sports games franchises, and it was strong enough to force EA Sports to largely tap out on professional basketball. With that in mind, it’s worth going over the history of the NBA 2K game franchise before picking out the overall best NBA 2K games in history.
| Game | Year |
|---|---|
| NBA 2K | 1999 |
| NBA 2K1 | 2000 |
| NBA 2K2 | 2001 |
| NBA 2K3 | 2002 |
| ESPN NBA Basketball | 2003 |
| ESPN NBA 2K5 | 2004 |
| NBA 2K6 | 2005 |
| NBA 2K7 | 2006 |
| NBA 2K8 | 2007 |
| NBA 2K Online | 2008 |
| NBA 2K9 | 2008 |
| NBA 2K10 | 2009 |
| NBA 2K11 | 2010 |
| NBA 2K12 | 2011 |
| NBA 2K13 | 2012 |
| NBA 2K14 | 2013 |
| NBA 2K15 | 2014 |
| NBA 2K16 | 2015 |
| NBA 2K17 | 2016 |
| NBA 2KVR Experience | 2016 |
| NBA Playgrounds | 2017 |
| NBA 2K18 | 2017 |
| NBA 2K Online 2 | 2018 |
| NBA 2K19 | 2018 |
| NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 | 2018 |
| NBA 2K Mobile | 2018 |
| NBA 2K20 | 2019 |
| NBA 2K21 | 2020 |
| NBA 2K22 | 2021 |
| NBA 2K23 | 2022 |
| NBA 2K24 | 2023 |
| NBA 2K25 | 2024 |
| NBA 2K All Star | 2025 |
| NBA 2K26 | 2025 |
The NBA 2K franchise was originally published by Sega and was exclusively available for the Sega Dreamcast, a rarity among major sports game franchises. It was joined by other critically-acclaimed Sega-exclusive sports titles, most notably NFL 2K. Shortly after the Dreamcast was discontinued, NBA 2K2 and its immediate successors were released on all major competing consoles: the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Xbox, with later games in the franchise also coming to the PC platform. That original move also coincided with a short-lived rebranding based on a partnership with sports media giant ESPN.
Overall, NBA 2K games have been available across multiple platforms, but not consistently. NBA 2K has an on-again, off-again relationship with Nintendo and didn’t release its first PC game until 2008.
Alongside the annually released mainline games, the NBA 2K series has a few notable spin-off titles.
The original spin-off was the NBA 2K Online series. These games were primarily tailored for select Asian markets, most notably China. The first arrived in 2008 with a sequel arriving in 2018. A mobile version of NBA 2K Online, titled NBA 2K All Star, arrived in 2025.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch
Separate from those are the NBA Playgrounds games. There have been two installments in this series, both developed by Saber Interactive as part of its “playgrounds” line of games, which also includes the likes of Basketball Playgrounds and WWE Battlegrounds. NBA 2K Playgrounds offers a more arcade-like experience rather than the realistic sim approach of the mainline NBA 2K titles. The games received mixed reviews and it’s uncertain whether the series will continue beyond its last sequel released in 2018.
Early installments in the NBA 2K franchise are generally regarded as the best in the history of the franchise, though these games are now dated by today’s standards.
The early 2000s are largely regarded as the heyday for modern sports games, with NFL 2K, Madden, Pro Evolution Soccer, MVP Baseball, and EA’s NHL series all releasing multiple critically-acclaimed games. Alongside these were more niche sports games like the Tony Hawk skateboarding games, SSX snowboarding, and Virtua Tennis, all of which were also lauded by critics.
The NBA 2K games were part of that heyday, with the earliest installments standing among the best-reviewed games in the franchise. But they’re not alone, as some more recent additions have reached those heights. Here are all the best NBA 2K games.
When it comes to sports games that have aged immaculately, NBA 2K17 is the best bet. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game are among the top-rated sports games of the 2010s. In fact, a strong case can be made that NBA 2K17 is the best game in the franchise, period.
The gameplay was a generally strong offering, upped from previous years by overhauled dribbling techniques. Alongside this were improvements made to MyGM and MyCareer modes that gave players plenty of reason for multiple runs.
(Image Credit: Sega)
NBA 2K1 was a forerunner to modern basketball games, but has largely been forgotten about over time. The game received excellent reviews due to its graphics, gameplay, and robust content offering. Most notably, the game offered online multiplayer all the way back in the year 2000.
The big issue with NBA 2K1 is the simple fact that it launched on a dying platform. The Sega Dreamcast was less than 18 months from its death when NBA 2K1 launched as a Sega-published exclusive. This saw it largely fly under the radar, despite being one of the top-rated video games of any genre in 2000.
(Image Credit: Sega)
NBA 2K3 marked something of a turning point for the series, and a general pivot for the sports game genre as a whole. The technical power of the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube allowed developers to start emphasizing realism in a way that just wasn’t possible on prior gaming hardware.
While EA Sports’ NBA Live titles were slower to make that pivot, that wasn’t the case with the 2K series. 2K Games dove into new technology, with NBA 2K3 marking where the series really started to differ from its competition. This wasn’t universally popular, as some preferred the feel of NBA Live. But game was an absolute success for 2K.
(Image Credit: 2K Games)
2K Games had something of a mixed transition from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox generation to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This was evident in NBA 2K10, which was generally praised for its gameplay and online features, but suffered from slowdown and graphical issues. NBA 2K11 ironed out many of these issues and added a novel gameplay feature to the mix that made it stand out from the pack.
This novel feature was the Jordan Challenge, which tasked players with emulating some of the basketball star’s greatest moments. 2K Sports would later take this approach and make it a staple part of some of its other sports franchises.
(Image Credit: 2K Games)
NBA 2K24 was a critical low point in the series that effectively put it into something of a rebuilding mode. Unpopular gameplay changes relative to 2K23 combined with heavy-handed attempts to force players into micro-transactions made for one of the least-popular versions of the game, ever. Things improved with 2K25, but NBA 2K26 was even better.
NBA 2K26 | Official Gameplay Trailer
The game doesn’t radically transform the NBA 2K formula, but offers a well-polished experience that’s supported by the game’s robust content offerings. It doesn’t review as well as some of the other top installments of the series, but it’s the best-reviewed NBA 2K game of the 2020s.
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
