While a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers when selected for the cover, Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics prior to the game's release.

Assets for a team are acquired through various means, including randomized card packs and the auction house.

[9] The 2K Sports Pre-game show returned with hosts Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny "The Jet" Smith.

While the in-game main commentators are Kevin Harlan and Greg Anthony with additional voices of Doris Burke, Clark Kellogg, Steve Smith, Chris Webber and Brent Barry.

[15] As a result, developer Visual Concepts announced that a revised cover featuring Irving in a Celtics uniform would be released due to the trade.

[16][17] The special edition versions of the game, which include various physical and digital extras, feature Shaquille O'Neal as the cover athlete.

[25] A companion app, titled MyNBA2K18, for iOS and Android is available alongside the game; it features Kristaps Porziņģis as its cover athlete.

[26] Like previous games in the series, NBA 2K18 features a licensed soundtrack; it consists of 49 songs.

In their 8.4/10 review, IGN wrote: "NBA 2K18 impresses by making players behave more like their real-life counterparts than ever before.

"[36] Game Informer gave it a 9/10, writing, "NBA 2K18 has a few holes in its game – the series needs to improve its writing, the ballyhooed MyCareer Neighborhood hub falls flat, and the tech powering the series is nearing retirement age.

That said, boil the game down to its essentials and you have a rock-solid, well-balanced sports sim that provides an immensely entertaining shoulder-to-shoulder same-couch multiplayer experience.

"[34] Polygon gave the game 7/10, praising the visuals but criticizing the reliance on microtransactions, saying: "Of course, it's no surprise that NBA 2K18 looks good; the series has looked the part since its advent on the Dreamcast, staying relevant visually and staking out its own part of basketball culture.

The growing push to spend real dollars on VC impacts those looking to build even the most basic of player avatars.

"[33] The biggest issue Kotaku brought up was the amount of advertising and time wasted playing the MyCareer.

In older games, the MyCareer was spent in your apartment, shooting around and buying shoes from the comfort of your bed.

But in NBA 2K18, to perform a simple act such as cutting your hair or changing your shirt, you need to walk a long distance down the street.

In a hub where you can meet other players but not interact with them, NBA 2K18's MyCareer mode falls flat compared to previous years.

[49] 2K's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, announced that the game sold 6 million copies just a month after release.