Wayback Wednesday: The Oddball Classic Teams

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking a look back at the oddball classic teams that have been featured in NBA 2K.

One of the best things about the classic teams in NBA 2K is that over the years, the developers have sought to include more unorthodox choices. As fantastic as The Jordan Challenge and NBA’s Greatest were, limiting the selection of classic teams to MJ’s squads and their opponents, or teams connected to fifteen of the league’s all-time best players, didn’t demonstrate much imagination. I love that we have teams such as the 2000 Trail Blazers and Raptors, and the 1997 Heat. NBA 2K needn’t only include truly legendary teams, as there are other interesting squads that are fun to play with.

With that being said, there have been some oddball choices when it comes to the classic teams found in various NBA 2K games. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were bad choices that shouldn’t have been included, though in some cases there was arguably a better option. They do stand out as puzzling picks or ill-fitting inclusions, if for no other reason than they lack a suitable opponent. These oddball choices are something that’s been on my mind when playing with classic teams recently, so let’s take a look back…way back…

1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers

On paper, the 1977 76ers squad may not seem like one of the oddball classic teams. They made the NBA Finals that year, it was Julius Erving’s first season in the NBA, and their roster featured some other noteworthy names, including Darryl Dawkins, World B. Free, Joe Bryant (Kobe’s father), and Doug Collins, just to name a few. To that first point though, the 1977 Trail Blazers – the team that defeated the 76ers in the Finals – have not yet been included. The ’77 Sixers are on an island with NBA 2K’s selection of classic teams, an oddball with potential opponents that are several years before or after their time. They’re a great extra, but they stand out without a rival.

1970-71 Atlanta Hawks

Let’s be honest here. There’s only one reason that the 1971 Atlanta Hawks have been previously featured in NBA 2K, and his name is “Pistol Pete” Maravich. In fairness, it was a great idea to use NBA’s Greatest to expand the assortment of Legends with the choice of opponents for the featured players. 1971 was Pistol Pete’s rookie year, and since the 1972 Lakers were in the game for Wilt Chamberlain’s challenge, it was easy to also include the ’71 team and have Jerry West square off with Maravich. You could say that it was overkill though, and the 1971 Hawks were not a great team. When 2K lost the likeness rights for several of their players, they were unsurprisingly removed.

1984-85 Philadelphia 76ers

There are similarities here with the other Julius Erving-led retro 76ers squad. Both of those classic teams do make sense, but are nevertheless oddball choices. The 1985 team does at least have a designated rival in the ’85 Bucks, who were added as their opponent in NBA’s Greatest. However, that team was a couple of years removed from their 1983 championship squad, who also faced the Bucks in the Playoffs. Admittedly Terry Cummings wasn’t on that Bucks team, but the 1985 76ers have a noteworthy absence in Charles Barkley, who was a rookie that year. I can see the logic behind the 1985 matchup, but the inevitable glaring omission of Sir Charles was to its detriment.

1997-1998 San Antonio Spurs

Originally added as an opponent for the 1998 Utah Jazz in NBA’s Greatest, the ’98 Spurs became one of NBA 2K’s oddball classic teams in subsequent years, where it would’ve made sense to replace them with the 1999 squad. Sure, the 1998 team was a strong outfit that’s significant as it was Tim Duncan’s rookie year, but I’d suggest that his first championship team in 1999 is markedly more important from an historical point of view. Perhaps “oddball” is a bit harsh, but the 1998 Spurs are an example of stagnation with NBA 2K’s classic teams. I usually don’t advocate for teams to be removed as I’m all for extra content, but some could be swapped for better choices.

2005-2006 Memphis Grizzlies

As I said, I’m all for extra content. All criticism aside, I’m not unhappy that oddball classic teams have made their way into the games over the years. However, it’s quite obvious when teams have been thrown together because their players are in the game thanks to another retro squad, or are still active in the league. That definitely describes the 2006 Grizzlies, and while it was nice to have a young Pau Gasol team in the game, that specific year wasn’t particularly significant. I do like that they provide the 2006 Heat with a suitable opponent, but there’s no doubt that they’re padding the numbers. They’re also far less appealing with Gasol unlicensed and absent as of this writing.

2013-2014 Indiana Pacers

Speaking of padding the number of classic teams, that brings us to our next oddball squad: the 2014 Pacers. They were indeed a successful team that gave the Miami Heat a bit of a scare in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row, but I doubt there was widespread nostalgia for them; especially as we were only three years removed from them being a unit when they were added in NBA 2K18. In lieu of 2K being able to license Reggie Miller, it makes sense to find the next best option for a retro Indiana team that Pacers fans can enjoy. For the wider audience though, they weren’t particularly retro at the time, and not necessarily that interesting years later.

2018-2019 Toronto Raptors

I’m in two minds about this situation. On one hand, I like the idea of establishing a tradition where last year’s champion and runner-up are included as retro teams, and swapped out accordingly in the following game. On the other hand, it’s not really in the spirit of classic teams, being way too soon for nostalgia to kick in. Ironically, such teams are also prone to losing players quicker than older squads, since they’re not yet under the same licensing agreement as retired players. There’s significance to the 2019 Champion Raptors of course, but they didn’t truly add to the roster of classic teams in NBA 2K21. Again, it was more just a case of padding the numbers.

1964-65 Boston Celtics & Los Angeles Lakers

Returning to NBA 2K12 and NBA’s Greatest, the classic teams for Bill Russell’s game were two more oddball choices in hindsight. They’re logical in that the 1965 NBA Finals were another clash in the storied rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best choice for the era. The 1963 Celtics featured Bob Cousy in his final year, and there’s enough overlap between the ’63 and ’65 squads for both clubs to make their older team viable. As was the case with the 1998 Spurs, they could’ve been swapped out for the 1963 teams in the years that have followed, keeping the selection of classic teams fresh and optimally significant.

1989-90 Cleveland Cavaliers (Post-NBA 2K11)

The 1990 Cavs were a perfect fit in NBA 2K11, which included MJ’s career high 69-point performance against them as part of The Jordan Challenge. When the 1990 Bulls were replaced by the 1989 squad for Isiah Thomas’ NBA’s Greatest game in NBA 2K12, the ’90 Cavs couldn’t be partnered with a year-appropriate opponent. They should’ve been rolled back to 1989 as well, which would’ve added Ron Harper to the lineup, and matched up with the ’89 Bulls who they faced in a memorable first round Playoff series. Once again, it’s an example of ignoring the existing classic teams even when they become kind of oddball, rather than substituting better squads.

Although I’ve given these classic teams the seemingly unflattering label of oddball and suggested possible alternatives, I’m hardly upset or outraged that they’ve ended up in NBA 2K games. As I’ve often emphasised, extra content never goes astray, and is hardly intrusive. It’s fair to question and criticise however, especially when viable substitutions could be made to improve the selection of classic teams. All the same, there’s novelty in some of the choices that were made, not to mention a few of them facilitated the inclusion of players prior to the addition of the All-Time squads. They may stand out as oddball, but I much prefer their presence to never having them at all.

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