Wayback Wednesday: NBA Live 16 Retro Jerseys
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the retro jerseys in NBA Live 16.
Retro jerseys were hardly a new feature by the time NBA Live 16 was released in 2015. Of course, it was a feature that was bewilderingly and frustratingly lost when NBA Live made the jump to the seventh generation, before finally returning in NBA Live 10. Following the series’ extended hiatus in the wake of NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13 being cancelled, the eighth generation NBA Live releases all included retro jerseys. Indeed, this was something that they definitely did better than their seventh generation counterparts.
With that being said, NBA Live 16 stands out as having the best array of retro jerseys among its eighth gen NBA Live brethren. Granted, it still fell short of NBA 2K16 and other eighth gen NBA 2K titles in that regard, but upon revisiting the game last year, I was nevertheless surprised and impressed by the inclusion of certain uniforms. They have appeared in other releases, but considering that they weren’t part of designated Hardwood Classics nights during the 2016 campaign, including them went above and beyond what was essential. Let’s take a look back…way back…
When the series returned in 2013 with NBA Live 14, the game featured a selection of 21 retro jerseys. While this was better than nothing, it paled in comparison to the huge array of throwbacks in previous titles, not to mention NBA 2K14. There were some welcome inclusions of course, such as 90s throwbacks for the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic, and other favourites. Still, after NBA Live 10 had made a point of bringing back retro jerseys, it was an underwhelming selection (though far from the biggest issue in NBA Live 14). NBA Live 15 upped the selection of retro jerseys to 47, bringing back classics such as the original Toronto Raptors uniforms.
NBA Live 16 expanded on the number of retro jerseys, bringing the total to 78. As in NBA Live 15, 27 of the 30 teams had at least one throwback, compared to just 13 in NBA Live 14. Notably, the 78 retro jerseys in NBA Live 16 allowed teams to have complete home and away sets, with a few teams having several throwbacks to choose from. Only the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Oklahoma City Thunder lacked retro jerseys in NBA Live 16. This was understandable for the Pelicans and Thunder – though Seattle Supersonics uniforms would’ve been a treat – but the Hawks’ lack of throwbacks was disappointing, as NBA Live 14 and 15 had featured them.
Before I delve into some of the interesting throwbacks in NBA Live 16, it’s worth noting that as in NBA Live 14 and 15, the Miami Heat boasted one of the largest selections of jerseys. In addition to the home, away, and alternate uniforms, the Heat could wear the Miami Floridians’ home jersey, their original home and away jerseys, the red alternate introduced in 1995, the “Back in Black” alternate from 2012, and the “White Hot” alternate from 2013. Admittedly the latter two weren’t all that “retro” in games set in 2014, 2015, or 2016, but they were both popular designs for a team that had made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, and won two titles back-to-back.
Yes, it’s undoubtedly preferable whenever a game includes as many retro jerseys as possible, but at the bare minimum, we expect to see the ones that will be worn during any Hardwood Classics nights in the season it’s set in. To that end, NBA Live 14 and NBA Live 15 accounted for most of the required uniforms, with the exception of the 90s Nuggets and 80s Hawks throwbacks respectively. Conversely, NBA Live 16 features all nine retro jerseys for the teams that participated in Hardwood Classics nights during the 2016 season. Once again, all three games featured throwbacks that weren’t worn that year and thus weren’t essential, but were still welcome inclusions.
That includes a handful of jerseys that were worn on Hardwood Classics nights prior to the 2014, 2015, and 2016 seasons, such as the Bulls’ and Pacers’ pinstripe uniforms, Milwaukee’s alternate featuring a big Buck, and the Lakers’ original gold and purple home jersey. A handful of ABA throwbacks were also present, specifically eight of the nine uniforms that were worn during the 2012 season in celebration of the league’s 45th anniversary. Only the Carolina Cougars jersey, worn by the Charlotte Bobcats – who were in the process of reacquiring the Hornets moniker from New Orleans – was not featured. These eight ABA uniforms can be found in NBA Live 14, 15, and 16.
Considering that NBA Live 14 came out a couple of years after that 45th anniversary celebration, it’s interesting – and certainly appreciated – that eight of the nine ABA throwbacks were included in its selection of retro jerseys. Furthermore, in NBA Live 14, 15, and 16, the Golden State Warriors can wear the road uniform of the Oakland Oaks, despite not sharing a lineage with the ABA charter team, or ever sporting it in real life (as far as I can tell, anyway). NBA Live 16 also includes a Memphis Sounds jersey as it was the Grizzlies’ Hardwood Classics throwback that year, for a total of ten retro jerseys representing the long-defunct American Basketball Association.
Again, as welcome as it was to see those uniforms in NBA Live 16, it was somewhat unexpected. Until I went back and double-checked NBA Live 14 and 15, as well as the history of Hardwood Classics nights, I wondered if it was a nod to the ABA’s final season, which was the 1975-76 campaign some forty years earlier. It would appear to just be a holdover from the 45th anniversary of the league’s founding however, along with a new throwback chosen for the 2016 season, and the Oaks’ uniform thrown in for good measure. The ABA arguably doesn’t get enough credit for its impact on the NBA and basketball, so I definitely have no complaints about it being represented!
I also enjoy the selection of retro jerseys in NBA Live 16 beyond the ABA uniforms and the throwbacks that were included for the season’s Hardwood Classics nights. A number of classic jerseys from the 80s and 90s were added, including the original home and away jerseys for the Charlotte Hornets and Vancouver Grizzlies, the Utah Jazz’s mountaintop uniforms (including the black alternate), the Sacramento Kings’ late 90s black and purple alternate, and the Houston Rockets’ “pyjama” pinstripe jerseys that a lot of people dislike, but I’ve always loved. The 1950s Detroit Pistons and late 70s to mid 80s Milwaukee Bucks throwbacks were likewise fun additions.
This array of retro jerseys obviously isn’t unique to NBA Live 16. The selection is even bigger in NBA 2K16, and also includes the Carolina Cougars uniform that was worn in 2012 (the Oakland Oaks retro appears to be an NBA Live exclusive, though). Furthermore, the sixth generation NBA Live titles and their PC counterparts had a ton of throwbacks, comparable to NBA 2K’s selections and often including at least one matching set of retro home and away jerseys per team. What makes the retro jerseys in NBA Live 16 noteworthy – apart from including some designs that I’m a fan of – is that it’s the last time the series went above and beyond with its throwback uniforms.
Unfortunately, NBA Live 18 and 19 only included the retro jerseys that were worn on Hardwood Classics nights during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. While that was certainly accurate, and clearly preferable to omitting them altogether, it was the absolute bare minimum. Given the variety of throwbacks for all of the teams in NBA 2K18 and 2K19 – and not just ones that were in the game thanks to the classic squads – it was a disappointing effort, for seemingly no good reason. As with the earlier eighth gen NBA Live releases, there were more pressing issues, but it was still an example of losing content. It was a repeat of a mistake that was made at the start of seventh gen.
Moreover, it exemplifies a common complaint that was a significant factor in NBA Live’s downfall. While NBA 2K continued to innovate and add as much historical and bonus content as possible, NBA Live remained rather barebones, only accounting for the absolute essentials (and even then, vital staples remained missing for far too long). Instead of expanding the selection of retro jerseys beyond what was necessary, NBA Live 18 and 19 focused on adding clothing items to be worn in The Streets, which neglected the core NBA experience. As much as I’ve come to appreciate The Streets in NBA Live 18, I maintain that this wasn’t the right direction for the series to take.
Now, NBA Live 18 had great potential that I believe ultimately went to waste, and in many ways it was more technically sound than NBA Live 16. However, NBA Live 16 was – at least to date – the last game in the series that was truly NBA-focused, and its selection of retro jerseys is a great example of that. It may sound melodramatic since gameplay is paramount and modes are what keep us hooked, but it’s a symptom of a bigger problem. NBA Live went from a series that brought us Legends, throwback uniforms, the first NBA franchise mode, and even alternate venues that some gamers might not even notice, to missing staples such as roster editing and Playoffs mode.
To that point, NBA Live 16 does have its shortcomings. On a positive note though, it is one of the better eighth gen NBA Live games. As always, that may sound like I’m damning it with faint praise, but upon revisiting it late last year, it did hold up better than I remembered. Sure, there’s lingering roughness and “streamlined” modes, but I do enjoy it. The selection of retro jerseys definitely doesn’t go astray here, as they can help freshen up the aesthetics with throwback charm. They’re an example of the series going beyond what’s absolutely necessary, and I appreciate the extended celebration of the ABA. If NBA Live ever returns, it’s an approach that I hope EA keeps in mind.
ABA Jerseys in NBA Live 16
Retro NBA Jerseys in NBA Live 16
The post Wayback Wednesday: NBA Live 16 Retro Jerseys appeared first on NLSC.