Wayback Wednesday: Viable Legends Teams in NBA Live 8th Gen

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 Legends teams that would’ve been viable in eighth generation NBA Live titles.

A couple of years ago, I reflected on the misuse of Legends in NBA Live. While the series made a big splash with historical content when Michael Jordan and other all-time greats were added in NBA Live 2000, it’s had countless missed opportunities since then. From losing the rights to include certain Legends to leaving them out of the seventh generation releases entirely, NBA Live hasn’t done an impressive job with historical content. Legends were thankfully present in the eighth generation NBA Live games, but were exclusive to specific modes.

This is one of the reasons why Ultimate Team has been one of my favourite modes in eighth gen NBA Live: it’s where I can actually play with Legends! Of course, I wish that they were more readily available. To that point, some people have argued that that wouldn’t be feasible, as it would draw attention to how thin NBA Live’s historical content is compared to what’s on offer in NBA 2K. However, while NBA 2K does boast a massive array of retro players and classic squads, eighth gen NBA Live games could’ve viably included some Legends teams. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Upon diving back into Ultimate Team in NBA Live 19 and noticing just how many Hall of Famers were featured in the Legends Fantasy Challenge, I was inspired to compile a list of all the historical players that had been licensed for the game. I was interested to see if there were enough of them to make the traditional All-Decade teams viable. After all, while that would obviously fall short of what’s available in NBA 2K, it would still be an acceptable minimum amount of retro content to provide for exhibition play. As it turned out, decade-based Legends teams would’ve definitely been possible in NBA Live 19, and earlier eighth gen NBA Live titles for that matter.

To that end, I’ve assembled these suggestions for All-Decade teams featuring both the Legends and a few stars that were currently active in NBA Live 19. Needless to say, there are some notable omissions due to certain players being exclusive to NBA 2K, but the lineups we could’ve had at our disposable would’ve still been a blast to play with! It would’ve also been nice to have a selection of retro jerseys for them to wear; indeed, the lack of throwbacks is a major disappointment in NBA Live 19, in Ultimate Team and other game modes. With that being said, let’s take a look at the Legends teams that we viably could’ve – and should’ve – had in eighth generation NBA Live!

50s & 60s All-Stars

The original selection of Decade All-Stars in NBA Live included separate squads of 50s and 60s Legends. That isn’t viable in the eighth generation releases, but there are enough players from those decades to field a combined team. This is what NBA 2K has done with their All-Decade squads, and I think it’s the better approach. While I respect the early pioneers and am not against their inclusion in games, I think it’s fair to focus on the recognisable greats from the 60s onwards. A 50s/60s team featuring Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, George Mikan, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek, all proudly represent this pioneering era.

Starters

C: Wilt Chamberlain
PF: Bill Russell
SF: Elgin Baylor
SG: Jerry West
PG: Oscar Robertson

Bench

• John Havlicek
• George Mikan
• Bob Pettit
• Bob Cousy
• Willis Reed
• Jerry Lucas
• Dolph Schayes
• Lenny Wilkens (Inactive/Alternate)
• Billy Cunningham (Inactive/Alternate)

70s All-Stars

There are enough Legends from the 70s in eighth gen NBA Live to field their own team. However, a couple of them do overlap with the 80s squad; more on that in a moment. Much like the combined 50s & 60s team, I’m borrowing this idea from NBA 2K’s approach to the All-Decade squads. The Decade All-Stars in NBA Live didn’t double up with Legends, but if a player can belong to multiple eras, I think that’s the better way to go. And so, that 70s squad that eighth gen NBA Live should’ve had would therefore include Julius Erving, George Gervin, Bill Walton, Pete Maravich, Bob McAdoo, Nate Archibald, David Thompson, Walt Frazier, and Earl Monroe.

Starters

C: Bill Walton
PF: Elvin Hayes
SF: Julius Erving
SG: George Gervin
PG: Pete Maravich

Bench

• Bob McAdoo
• Nate Archibald
• David Thompson
• Wes Unseld
• Earl Monroe
• Walt Frazier
• Bob Lanier
• Dave Bing (Inactive/Alternate)

80s East All-Stars

Another benefit of NBA 2K’s approach to including Legends on multiple All-Decade teams was the ability to field both East and West squads. Not only did this avoid pigeonholing players in a single decade, but it allowed some additional greats to be featured. Fortunately, there are enough Legends from the 80s in eighth gen NBA Live to follow this format, though admittedly not as effectively. While the East is led by all-time greats such as Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas, and Dominique Wilkins, the bench is filled out with a couple of non-All-Stars in Spud Webb and Darryl Dawkins. Nevertheless, I still think they’d be a fun squad to use.

Starters

C: Moses Malone
PF: Larry Bird
SF: Dominique Wilkins
SG: Julius Erving
PG: Isiah Thomas

Bench

• Kevin McHale
• Robert Parish
• Michael Ray Richardson
• Bill Laimbeer
• Bernard King
• Darryl Dawkins
• Spud Webb

80s West All-Stars

A squad of 80s Legends from the West in eighth gen NBA Live would have similar issues to their Eastern Conference counterpart. Although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is notably absent and I’m borrowing some stars who are often more associated with the 90s, a lineup that includes Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, and Alex English is far from shabby. Kurt Rambis and Manute Bol wouldn’t normally be prime candidates for a team like this though, and even four-time All-Star Otis Birdsong is a stretch. All the same, an approach of separate East and West 80s All-Stars would indeed be viable in NBA Live 19 and its predecessors.

Starters

C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Karl Malone
SF: James Worthy
SG: Clyde Drexler
PG: Magic Johnson

Bench

• George Gervin
• A.C. Green
• Alex English
• Otis Birdsong
• World B. Free
• Kurt Rambis
• Manute Bol

80s All-Stars (Combined)

What if we were to take NBA Live’s approach to its Decade All-Stars and field a combined 80s All-Stars squad instead? It certainly makes it easier to fill the bench with players who absolutely belong on such a team! Then again, whittling down the list of 24 80s Legends that are in NBA Live 19 to a lineup of 12 (or 15, if we’re to include three inactive players) does present a challenge. Logically, the ten starters from the East and West squads need to be included, so that’s what I’ve done here. It’s tough to put Alex English, Bernard King, and Bill Laimbeer on the inactive list, but Clyde Drexler, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Isiah Thomas are stiff competition.

Starters

C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Larry Bird
SF: Dominique Wilkins
SG: Julius Erving
PG: Magic Johnson

Bench

• Moses Malone
• Isiah Thomas
• Kevin McHale
• Robert Parish
• Clyde Drexler
• James Worthy
• George Gervin
• Alex English (Inactive/Alternate)
• Bernard King (Inactive/Alternate)
• Bill Laimbeer (Inactive/Alternate)

90s East All-Stars

Naturally, any 90s All-Stars team that’s missing Michael Jordan isn’t going to feel complete, but unfortunately he’s exclusive to NBA 2K. Reggie Miller is also absent, so we have to make the best of the situation at shooting guard. To that point, I’ve opted for a duo of point guards in the backcourt, namely Penny and Tim Hardaway. With Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen, Glen Rice, Grant Hill, Patrick Ewing, Dennis Rodman, and other 90s stars available, the East can still boast a strong and enjoyable lineup. Best of all, every player that I’ve chosen for this potential 90s East All-Stars team did receive at least one All-Star selection in the Conference during the decade.

Starters

C: Shaquille O’Neal
PF: Grant Hill
SF: Scottie Pippen
SG: Penny Hardaway
PG: Tim Hardaway

Bench

• Patrick Ewing
• Dennis Rodman
• Glen Rice
• Larry Johnson
• Joe Dumars
• Mark Price
• Alonzo Mourning
• Kenny Anderson (Inactive/Alternate)
• Reggie Lewis (Inactive/Alternate)
• Hersey Hawkins (Inactive/Alternate)

90s West All-Stars

Much like NBA 2K, Charles Barkley is one of the most notable absences when it comes to the Legends in NBA Live. If he were in NBA Live 19, he could’ve feasibly appeared on the 90s East or 90s West squad. Indeed, he could’ve been on both; NBA 2K has doubled up with stars on both of a decade’s teams before. I’ve tried to avoid that here, which is why I left Shaq off the West after including him on the East. Mind you, the West is still stacked in the middle with Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Dikembe Mutombo. Throw in Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler, Mitch Richmond, Gary Payton, and more, and we could’ve had an epic clash of 90s stars.

Starters

C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Karl Malone
SF: Chris Mullin
SG: Clyde Drexler
PG: John Stockton

Bench

• David Robinson
• Shawn Kemp
• Mitch Richmond
• Gary Payton
• Latrell Sprewell
• Dikembe Mutombo
• Kevin Johnson
• Sean Elliott (Inactive/Alternate)
• Jason Kidd (Inactive/Alternate)
• Jeff Hornacek (Inactive/Alternate)

90s All-Stars (Combined)

Once again, MJ, Chuck, and Reggie will always be conspicuous by their absence if they’re not available to include in All-Decade squads. However, there’s still plenty of star power – and a couple of tough decisions to make – with the 90s Legends that are available in NBA Live 19. We can definitely debate replacing a couple of players with other greats, but with the lineup I’m proposing here, we have iconic duos such as Olajuwon and Drexler and Stockton and Malone, great dunkers like The Reignman, Shaq, and Pip, and flashy playmakers in Penny Hardaway and The Glove. We can even reunite Run-TMC! A glance at this squad tells you how great the decade was.

Starters

C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Karl Malone
SF: Scottie Pippen
SG: Clyde Drexler
PG: John Stockton

Bench

• Shaquille O’Neal
• Shawn Kemp
• Grant Hill
• Penny Hardaway
• Gary Payton
• Mitch Richmond
• David Robinson
• Patrick Ewing (Inactive/Alternate)
• Tim Hardaway (Inactive/Alternate)
• Chris Mullin (Inactive/Alternate)

2000s East All-Stars

Because NBA Live neglected Legends through the sixth generation and omitted them from the seventh generation entirely, there was never a 2000s All-Stars squad outside of mods. Since NBA Live 19 had enough Legends from the aughts to assemble East, West, and combined squads, I figured I’d go ahead and do so! Beginning in the East, we can field a spectacular starting five of LeBron James, Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, and Dwight Howard, while the bench features Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. The East of the 2000s wasn’t nearly as strong as the West up front, but Jermaine O’Neal and Ben Wallace are here to round out the squad nicely.

Starters

C: Dwight Howard
PF: LeBron James
SF: Vince Carter
SG: Dwyane Wade
PG: Allen Iverson

Bench

• Paul Pierce
• Jason Kidd
• Joe Johnson
• Jermaine O’Neal
• Ben Wallace
• Ray Allen
• Chauncey Billups
• Richard Hamilton (Inactive/Alternate)
• Jerry Stackhouse (Inactive/Alternate)
• Gerald Wallace (Inactive/Alternate)

2000s West All-Stars

Just as Michael Jordan’s absence leaves a huge hole on the 90s All-Stars, Kobe Bryant is sorely missed when it comes to the 2000s squads. As such, while Tracy McGrady could feasibly be placed on the East team, I’ve opted to recognise his years with the Rockets by including him on the West. Steve Nash, Tony Parker, and Chris Paul also make for a strong backcourt rotation. The West of the 2000s was utterly stacked with big men though, including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, and of course, Shaq. Throw in Carmelo Anthony and a few other big names of the decade, and it’s no surprise that the West was clearly best in the 2000s.

Starters

C: Shaquille O’Neal
PF: Tim Duncan
SF: Kevin Garnett
SG: Tracy McGrady
PG: Steve Nash

 Bench

• Dirk Nowitzki
• Chris Webber
• Carmelo Anthony
• Yao Ming
• Tony Parker
• Amar’e Stoudemire
• Chris Paul
• Shawn Marion (Inactive/Alternate)
• Elton Brand (Inactive/Alternate)
• Baron Davis (Inactive/Alternate)

2000s All-Stars (Combined)

As was the case with the combined 90s All-Stars team, there are some unfortunate snubs here, and thus changes you could argue. I do believe that the lineup that I’ve chosen represents the top stars of the New Millennium from both the East and West, though. I’ve left off a couple that remained stars into the 2010s – more on that in a moment – to ensure that the players that were dominating the league throughout the decade were all included. I did consider starting T-Mac or Vince Carter ahead of Wade for the fun they bring with their dunks as well as superior outside shooting, but in any case, I believe this lineup represents the players who ruled the NBA after Y2K.

Starters

C: Shaquille O’Neal
PF: Tim Duncan
SF: LeBron James
SG: Dwyane Wade
PG: Allen Iverson

Bench

• Tracy McGrady
• Vince Carter
• Jason Kidd
• Chris Webber
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Dwight Howard
• Paul Pierce
• Carmelo Anthony (Inactive/Alternate)
• Yao Ming (Inactive/Alternate)
• Tony Parker (Inactive/Alternate)

2010s East All-Stars

Although the 2010s obviously weren’t yet over when NBA Live 19 was released in 2018, I don’t think it would’ve been premature to include a 2010s squad (or indeed, 2010s East and West teams). It’d basically be a lineup of contemporary stars, which would be fun to put on the virtual hardwood against the greats of yesteryear. Starting in the East, you’ve got familiar faces like LeBron, Wade, and Melo. They’re joined by Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. I went back and forth about including Dwight Howard on the East, but three of his All-Star selections in the 2010s came with the Magic, and it balances out the lineups.

Starters

C: Dwight Howard
PF: Carmelo Anthony
SF: LeBron James
SG: Kyrie Irving
PG: Derrick Rose

Bench

• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Dwyane Wade
• John Wall
• Paul George
• Jimmy Butler
• Rajon Rondo
• Al Horford
• Kemba Walker (Inactive/Alternate)
• DeMar DeRozan (Inactive/Alternate)
• Kyle Lowry (Inactive/Alternate)

2010s West All-Stars

Despite being hampered by injuries in his last few years, Kobe definitely could’ve earned a spot on the 2010s West All-Stars (as well as the combined squad). Since he isn’t present, James Harden is the obvious choice to start at shooting guard. You can’t leave out the Splash Brothers, so Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are also here, along with Kevin Durant. Lob City is accounted for with Blake Griffin and CP3. Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook are available to produce plenty of highlights. Not unlike the 2000s, the 2010s West squad is stronger than the East team – even without Kobe – but it’d still be a fun showdown, against each other or earlier eras.

Starters

C: Anthony Davis
PF: Blake Griffin
SF: Kevin Durant
SG: James Harden
PG: Stephen Curry

Bench

• Russell Westbrook
• Chris Paul
• Klay Thompson
• Damian Lillard
• DeMarcus Cousins
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Kawhi Leonard
• Pau Gasol (Inactive/Alternate)
• Kevin Love (Inactive/Alternate)
• Tony Parker (Inactive/Alternate)

2010s All-Stars (Combined)

Combining the two 2010s All-Stars squads into one team distilled the lineup down to the decade’s best, but it was still a tough decision. For example, I’m not entirely happy with including Damian Lillard via the inactive list, but it was hard to put him ahead of CP3, and the team is chock full of outstanding point guards. Sadly, Derrick Rose was an easier choice as an inactive/alternate player, but I think he should be there for those who want to flash back to his MVP days. Look, you know my heart belongs to the 90s and I’ll always push back on the ridiculous “plumbers and dentists” rhetoric. With that being said, this 2010s squad can definitely hang with anyone on the virtual hardwood.

Starters

C: Anthony Davis
PF: Kevin Durant
SF: LeBron James
SG: James Harden
PG: Stephen Curry

Bench

• Carmelo Anthony
• Kyrie Irving
• Russell Westbrook
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Klay Thompson
• Chris Paul
• Blake Griffin
• Damian Lillard (Inactive/Alternate)
• Kawhi Leonard (Inactive/Alternate)
• Derrick Rose (Inactive/Alternate)

Other Players & Final Thoughts on Legends in 8th Gen NBA Live

I went back and forth about including Drazen Petrovic on the 90s East All-Stars team. NBA 2K has featured him on that squad in the past, and obviously he’s a Hall of Fame player, but I decided to stick with players who had NBA All-Star selections. That’s also why I chose not to include Jason “White Chocolate” Williams on the 2000s team. He’s been a blast to have in Ultimate Team, but again, he wasn’t ever an All-Star. As for players with All-Star selections that I omitted such as Draymond Green, Luol Deng, Rashard Lewis, Andre Iguodala, and Gerald Wallace, it came down to other players being more historically significant, or more fun to play with in video games.

All the same, it’s cool that there’s a surplus of historical players and all-time great Legends in NBA Live 19, and other eighth gen releases in the series. Some notable one-time All-Stars from the 90s include Horace Grant, John Starks, and Charles Oakley. Robert Horry, Muggsy Bogues, and Steve Kerr were never All-Stars, but they’re fun to have in the game. To that end, a Role Players team or a Legends Pool featuring all of the retro players wouldn’t have gone astray. Again, it demonstrates the lack of imagination with NBA Live’s historical content over the years. Granted, it falls short of what’s in NBA 2K, but NBA Live still had plenty of Legends to work with.

Of course, by making Legends exclusive to Ultimate Team, Court Battles, and The Streets World Tour in NBA Live 19, it added an incentive to play those modes, not to mention potentially drop some real money to rip open Ultimate Team packs. Greed, laziness, and underestimating the appeal of certain content are the main factors that stand in the way of getting cool stuff in video games. Nevertheless, while so much more could’ve been done with Legends in eighth gen NBA Live – such as these All-Decade teams – at least they were included in some form. It’s certainly given me a reason to revisit that generation of NBA Live titles, and have some fun with them.

The post Wayback Wednesday: Viable Legends Teams in NBA Live 8th Gen appeared first on NLSC.