NBA 2K is a series of basketball sports simulation video games developed by Visual Concepts and released annually since 1999.

[4][5][6][7][8] Another mainstay of the series is a mode allowing the player to assume control of an NBA franchise, acting as general manager.

The game mode progressed even further on NBA 2K19, with a MyTeam tournament between the best Xbox and PS4 players for a prize of $250,000 occurring.

[18][19] Several games in the series feature a mode which allows the player to hold a slam dunk contest.

The original NBA 2K game was initially released in November 1999 for the Dreamcast, featuring Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers as the cover athlete.

The game features a commentary team consisting of Bob Fitzgerald and Tom Tolbert; Kevin Frazier hosts pre-game shows.

[50][51] In June 2008, 2K Sports announced that they were partnering with Tencent to release an online version of NBA 2K for the Chinese market.

[54] The commentary team consists of Harlan and Clark Kellogg, with Cheryl Miller serving as sideline reporter.

[60] Harlan and Kellogg return as commentators, while Doris Burke replaces Miller as sideline reporter.

It features Derrick Rose as its cover athlete and allows the player to compete in activities related to the main game's MyPlayer mode.

The cover athletes are Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan (for the second straight year).

[24][25] Steve Kerr joins Harlan and Kellogg in the commentary booth, and Burke returns as sideline reporter.

[77] MyTeam makes its debut in NBA 2K13, the mode focuses on building your very own fantasy team and compete against other people.

Jay Z is credited as executive producer of the game; among other things, he curated the soundtrack, which consists of 24 songs.

[82] NBA 2K14 was also the first year they introduced "The Park" as an additional mode to take your MyPlayer to the streets along with other users and play with them on a variety of courts.

The pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows now feature the returning Kenny Smith, in addition to Johnson and O'Neal.

[97][98] The game features four different cover athletes, Paul George, Kobe Bryant, Danilo Gallinari, and Pau Gasol.

Seven different commentators are present, namely Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg, Greg Anthony, Brent Barry, Chris Webber, and Steve Smith, while David Aldridge replaces Burke as sideline reporter.

[100] The game's soundtrack was compiled by Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons, and Noah Shebib, and features 50 songs.

[109][110] The Legend Edition/Legend Edition Gold versions of the game, which include various physical and digital extras, features Shaquille O'Neal as the cover athlete.

[111][112][113] The Canadian version of the game features DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors as its cover athlete.

[114][115] The Nike Connect Special Edition for the game features Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors as the cover.

[124] In addition, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett both return as guest commentators, with analyst Bill Simmons being added to the announcer roster.

The guest commentator roster of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Bill Simmons all return for 2K20.

Elements of the series that are frequently praised include its presentation, specifically its commentary,[140] attention to detail, and soundtrack, its abundance of content, its overall gameplay, and its consistency in terms of yearly releases without any drastic dips in quality.

[1][2][3] Conversely, later installments have been criticized for their technical issues, particularly in regards to the online components; the introduction of microtransactions; and the quality of some of the more story-focused incarnations of the MyCareer mode.

[144][145] Specifically concerning sales, the NBA 2K series has established itself as one of the better-selling video game franchises.

In February 2017, the National Basketball Association, in conjunction with Take-Two Interactive, announced the creation of an esports league centering on the NBA 2K franchise.

[161] LeBron James had submitted a statement supporting Take-Two, in that he asserted he has given the company the license use his image in their cases, which included his tattoos from Solid Oak Sketches, but this conclusion was thrown out by the judge.

Hayden has failed to register the copyrights until after NBA 2K16 was released, leaving 2K17 and onward potentially liable to be determined in a court trial.