The game's soundtrack, which features 50 licensed songs, was curated by Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons, and Noah Shebib.

[6] There are eleven different commentators and announcers, including Kevin Harlan, Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, David Aldridge, Brent Barry, Steve Smith and Doris Burke.

MyGM is more focused on maintaining a realistic, functioning team and impressing the owner, whereas MyLeague offers far more customization options.

In both modes, the player simulates through seasons, changing personnel, playing in games themselves, and participating in off-season activities, such as the draft.

[16] A storyline, written and directed by Creed scriptwriter Aaron Covington, is also present; it features appearances by actors Michael B. Jordan and Hannibal Buress, among others.

[25][26] The standard edition cover art for the game, featuring Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, was unveiled in June 2016.

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in particular is a player that gameplay director Mike Wang said was problematic to balance in NBA 2K16.

In an attempt to allow for some exceptions, Wang says Visual Concepts has had to come up with a system that allows certain players to not be penalized for taking historically bad shots.

[9] NBA 2K17's soundtrack was curated by Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons, and Noah Shebib, and features 50 licensed songs.

[32] A companion app, titled MyNBA2K17, for iOS and Android is available alongside the game; it features Karl-Anthony Towns as its cover athlete.

[33] Additionally, a free title for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live called The Prelude is also available; in it, the player can create their MyPlayer for use in the main game's MyCareer mode.

He thought the game engine was starting to show its age, resulting in inconsistent character models and technical issues.

Carsillo commended the MyCareer mode for making the player feel like an actual NBA star and embracing the role-playing game elements, saying that he felt compelled to continue playing.

He praised the presentation, specifically the crowd movement and player bodies, the amount of content, including the tweaks to the MyCareer and MyGM modes, and the commentary, which he called the most impressive in sports games.

[45] In criticizing the tutorials and commending the gameplay, visuals, and MyCareer mode, GameSpot's Mat Paget summarized his review with: "After finally devoting a significant amount of time to one of these games, I now see why it's such a well-regarded series, and it makes me wish that every sport got the same treatment that basketball does in NBA 2K17."

[46] GamesRadar's Richard Grisham scored the game a 4.5 out of 5, writing: "NBA 2K17 is once again a strong, diverse title that beautifully represents the style and culture of professional basketball."

Specifically, Grisham praised the "smooth, smart" gameplay, "superb" presentation, and the wealth of content and options available to the player.

It features worthwhile updates to the dribbling and shooting mechanics, and backs up those improvements off the court in ways that make me care about managing my team.

Paprocki summarized his review with: "Taken as a whole, NBA 2K17 is a worthy if subtle upgrade to an already extensive, even exhaustive, sports sim.

With a renewed focus on tangible gameplay improvements and general realism, this year’s iteration of the longstanding franchise feels like the best yet.

MyCareer remains a wonderful way to live [out] your NBA fantasy and MyGM mode has enough depth to keep players coming back for months on end.

Aside from what’s actually in the package, the greatest thing about NBA 2K17 is that it proves that Visual Concepts and 2K have no intention to grow complacent in their quest for the perfect basketball video game.