Step One: Practice Shooting In Practice Mode On Hall Of Fame Mode Settings And The Camera View You Use In Games

Go into free style practice mode and set it to Hall of Fame mode plus the default speed setting of 55. Also use the same camera view that you use in the games you play.

The first thing thing you will want to do is take your team into freestyle practice mode. Once in the practice mode, you will want to go into the game play settings and turn it on Hall of Fame mode. The reason I recommend shooting on Hall of Fame mode in practice is because it’s the hardest mode to get a perfect release on. If you can do it on Hall of Fame mode setting, you will find it much easier to shoot on the lower levels of Rookie, Pro, Allstar and Superstar. I also suggest that you use the default speed setting of 55. I am assuming that this is the same speed that is used online. It’s a good idea to use the same speed settings across all modes so that your timing is the same throughout every game mode for everyone’s release on your team. I also set my camera view to 2k, the view I use in the games I play. You don’t want to practice in one view and play games in another camera view. The timing and feel will be different if you do.

Step Two: Turn On The Shot Indicator And Shot Quality Feedback

Turn on shot timing feedback and shot quality feedback in the presentation menu.

Once you have done that, you will want to go to the menu again and choose presentation. Inside there, turn on shot timing feedback and adjust shot quality feedback to “all shots”.

In addition to the shot indicator and shot quality feedback, one other thing you may not notice at first is that when you shoot, the circle under the player you are shooting with will flash blue when you should release the shot. The blue circle that flashes under your player does so automatically. You don’t have to turn that indicator on in the settings.

With these settings turned on and the circle under your player flashing blue at the proper time, you will be set to master each player on your teams shot release.

Step Three: Learn The Proper Way To Shoot

On the PS3, there are two ways to shoot the basic jumpshot. The first way is to hit the square and release. The second way is to use the right stick. I usually pull and let it go for the release.

The question is should you use the square to shoot with or the right stick? While “The Kid” uses the square button sometimes and the right stick others, as your Coach, I strongly recommend using the right stick for all shots. I suggest using the stick for all of your shots. Your layups, your dunks and your jump shots. If you use the stick for all of them, then when it’s time to shoot a layup with your hand opposite the defender, you won’t have to switch to the stick. You’ll already be in “stick” mode on all shots.

I also think that when I let go of the stick to release my jump shot that it feels more like a shot in real life. But that’s just me.

To dunk, you will want to hold the R2 button and push the right stick forward. Pushing the stick in the other directions to dunk will change the type of dunk your player does. For example, to do a reverse dunk for some players, you would hold R2 and pull the right stick toward you. A player’s dunk package determines what kind of dunk he does. I noticed that Roy Hibbert doesn’t do a reverse dunk.

To shoot a layup, move the right stick to the hand you want to shoot with. Keep an eye on the defense and shoot with the hand away from the defense.

Step Four: Learn What A Perfect Shot Release Is

A picture of the perfect shot release.

The first step in perfecting your shot release timing is to start shooting with one of the players on your team. As you do, you will notice the shot stick timing indicator in the top center part of the screen. It will show one of three settings:

1. Early – The shot indicator will show it just behind the players head and be in red
2. Perfect Release – The shot indicator will show at the top of the indicator and be in green
3. Late – The indicator will show at the front of the players head and be in red.

You can also tell whether you released the shot early, perfect or late by without a shot indicator by watching the result of your shot. If you release it early, it will be long, perfect and it will probably go in and late it will come up short. This is handy if you are playing online where there is no shot indicator. You can tell by looking at what your shot does by how you timed it.

The other thing that is important to note is that just because you release it in the green zone, doesn’t mean that you will hit it every time. It’s just more likely. Also, think of each release zone having a broader window of time rather than an exact early, an exact perfect or an exact late. This means that the shot indicator could be green and the release not be exactly perfect but still go in. It will also depend on the player you use, their ratings and hot zones from where you are shooting from. In games it will also depend on the defense and situation at the time.

Step Five: Practice Shooting With Each Player On Your Team To Learn Each Player’s Perfect Shot Release

If you watch the circle under your player's feet, it will flash blue when you should release the shot. Practice with each player to master their specific shot release.

The next step then, is to practice shooing with each player on your team. In practice mode, you can substitute each player into practice mode to work on your timing. Your goal should be to learn to be able to get a perfect release with each player. You’ll notice that each player on your team will have a different type of shot and because of this they will also have a different time you need to release the shot. This makes the game fun and challenging.

Mastering each player’s proper release point might seem hard to do at first, but with practice, you can do it and once you learn how to do it, if you decide to play with another team in the league, it won’t take you nearly as long to figure out. Here are some extra tips to master your shot releases.

With each player:

• Experiment with the release to learn when you need to let go to get green every time you shoot.
• Watch for the circle to flash to learn when you should release.
• Watch each player’s shooting hand and try and release when it starts to move forward.
• Watch for other “tells” a player might show that indicates the right time to release. For example, Dirk Nowitzki kicks his legs out when you should release.
• Take lots of shots in practice mode.
• Start with one player, work on mastering their shot release until it becomes second nature. Then, work on the next guy on your team.

If you do those things, you will definitely improve your shot releases. Start with one player, master their shot release, and then work on another. Before you know it, you will have mastered everyone on your team.

Keep in mind that you can release a shot perfectly and it won’t go in every single time. It doesn’t in real life and it won’t in the game either.

Step Six: Learn What Shots Your Players Shoot Best By Looking At Each Player’s Hot Zones And Shot Ratings

Here you can see Danny Granger's hot zones. The red spots are his favorite hot spots, the gray he's neutral about and the blue spots are the ones he doesn't shoot as well in. In general he will shoot better from the red, than the gray and better from the gray than the blue.

While it might be obvious that you won’t shoot three’s with your center if he’s a horrible outside shooter, it might not be so obvious where to shoot with the other players on your team. Can they shoot three’s? Are they a better mid range shooter? Do they like certain spots on the floor over others. If you have played basketball in real life, you know that you had certain spots on the floor that you liked to shoot from. For me, it was the wing behind the three point line. The players on your team are exactly the same. To figure this out, there are basically two things you want to look at:

1. Your player’s hot zones.
2. Your player’s shot ratings.

There are fourteen zones on the hot zone chart. The outer ring is the three point ring, the ring just inside of that is the midrange zone, the ring just inside of that is the close zone and finally, the ring inside the take charge circle is the inside zone.

You’ll notice that the hot zones are color coded. Red for hot, gray for neutral and blue for cold. From my experience, what it means is that in a red zone, maybe in practice you would hit 7 or more from that zone out of ten. A neutral zone, maybe 6 or more and blue 5 or more. Any given time, you might hit more or less just like a real shooting practice would be.

It’s not an exact science. You can hit shots from all zones. You can miss shots from all zones. From the same spot, you will probably hit more shots if the zone is red than grey and more from grey than from the blue.

By looking at David West's shot ratings, I can tell he's got a close and midrange rating of 90 which is awesome. Once I realized that I knew I had to take more shots with West from the midrange and close zones if I was open than with the other players on the team if possible. And if he wasn't open, find a way to get him open!

Knowing your players hot zones is only part of the equation. The second part is how well your player shoots within each ring. You can find this by going into the substitution menu and looking at a players ratings.

Each player has ratings for inside, close, medium range and three point shots.

The higher the rating the better the shooter. If you get to know your team and know for example, that one player is a good shooter from medium range and you are set and open with that player, get a perfect release and it’s in a hotzone, you will have a better chance it will go in.

Step Seven: Learn To Take Good Shots By Improving Your Shot Quality And Shot Selection

If you look closely, you can see that in this game I was 28-37 from the field. This was 76% from the field. It's hard to lose when you shoot 76% from the field. To shoot a high percentage from the field, you need to learn to take good shots. I remember when people would hit everything against me and I'd think how did they do that? I don't think that anymore.

If you hit a high percentage of your shots, there is a pretty good chance you will win the game. To do that, you have to learn to take good shots. The first step in doing that is by paying attention to the shot quality grade in the upper left corner of the screen when you take a shot. Each shot is graded from a high of “A+” to a low of “F”. The more A+’s you get, the more likely you are to score. Again, and this is important to note, it doesn’t mean you will make every shot. It just means that you have a greater chance it will go in. You get A+’s by taking good wide open set shots in the areas your player shoots well from. You get lower grades by taking shots with a hand in your face or outside your players range or by poorly releasing the ball during the shot.

What is a good shot?

My goal on each possession is a dunk. I shoot a very high percentage from there. It makes sense then that I should shoot from here the most. A couple of dunks back to back also has another benefit - it helps swing momentum my way. I do everything I can to get a good shot in the inside zone.

When I play the game, I do the best I can to take good shots. I don’t always succeed but for the most part I do a pretty good job. It depends on my mood and focus at that particular time as well as how good of a defender my opponent is. Because I think the game for the most part is just a matter of shooting a higher field goal percentage than my opponent, my goal is to shoot as high a percentage as possible and keep my turnovers down. I will definitely be in the game if I do that that’s for sure. I consider a good shot to meet the following criteria.

• You are within the three closest circles of the hot zones (and mostly the first two). Those are the “inside” zone, the “close” zone and the “medium” zone. I do everything I can to get shots in that range. A dunk is ideal.
• You wait until all five of your guys are down court with you. There are more rebounders that way as well. Unless you have numbers on the fast break, pull it out set it up.
• You work the ball around and don’t take the first available shot. You can always pretty much get a three. A few passes and you might get a dunk instead.
• Your feet are set. You aren’t leaning, running or fading away.
• You are open and the shot is not being challenged.
• You use a shot fake if you are in range of a defender (most important in the inside zone) to get the defender off his feet and move to get a better wide open set shot.
• You get a perfect release.
• You shoot in a hot zone for your player.
• You shoot in a zone that your player is highly rated for.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take threes. But take open ones where your feet are set with the right players in their favorite spots. The guidelines above will definitely improve your shooting percentage.

Plus, there’s an added benefit that if you shoot from inside a lot, you will also get fouled. This will result in going to the line more often and ultimately getting a few and one’s during the course of a game. I have even fouled out Lebron online before because it. That’s an extreme case, but stuff like that does happen.

What is a bad shot?

A bad shot is basically the opposite of the above. A bad shot has the following characteristics.

• You are shooting all of your shots from the outside two zones.
• You force the fast break when you don’t have an advantage. There are attacking more defenders, going one on three for example.
• You take quick shots before all of your players are down the court with you.
• Your feet are not set. You are leaning, running or fading away.
• You have defense in your face.
• You don’t get a good release.
• You shoot with the wrong players in the wrong spots in the wrong zones.

Can you still hit bad shots? Of course you can. It just means you will shoot a lower percentage than you could have over the course of a game and it will make it harder for you to win the game.

Good shooters (shooters with stars and the 3 icons next to their feet) can often hit shots that other players wouldn’t normally hit. But even then, it’s best to get good shots with them as well. Give yourself the best chance to hit the shot and those guys will be unstoppable.

Step Eight: Follow A Regular Practice Routine To Keep Sharp

Once you know all of the above, the next step is to put together a practice routine to improve your teams overall shooting as a whole and keep it sharp. What I recommend is working with each player on your team and practice shooting from all the zones they would realistically shoot from in games on a regular basis. I would try and do a full routine once a week. I’d take 10 shots from each zone and strive for a perfect release on each shot. Here’s the routine I would follow:

• Shoot ten shots from each zone working your way around the gym. Try your best to get a green shot stick timing indicator and A+ grade on each shot.
• Spend more time taking shots your player would take in the game. So don’t worry about taking shots with your centers from three point range unless that’s one of their specialties.
• Record your practice results to find your best hot spots. Your timing might be better in one zone over another.
• Spend extra time practicing threes with your three point specialists and more time shooting midrange shots with your midrange specialists.
• Before I play each day, I would take a few shots in practice mode with some of my key players in some of their favorite spots that I know I will use during the games.

Chart your shots made and shots attempted from each zone. Here is the list of zones.

Step Nine: Analyze Your Game Performance By Reviewing The Shot Charts For Each Player And Compare That Performance To Your Practice Sessions

This is what you want your shot chart to look like at the end of the game. Incredibly I lost this game but I was playing against the Heat and turned it over 15 times. Because of my great shot selection and hot shooting, I was within striking distance at the end. Normally, I would have won this game against anyone else. What can I say it was a Heat cheeser playing Lebron at the one spot against my 6 foot Collison. Used to, a guy like this would have blown me out by 40 before I learned to improve my shooting and shot selection...lol. Notice though that I only took four shots outside the inner two circles. And I made them count by hitting all four of them. Keep in mind too that this was against the swarming Heat defense that was all over me. I don't mind the cheesers because it's great practice and makes me a better player. You shouldn't either. Nine times out of ten I would win this game. That one time loss doesn't bother me. Shooting like this is the best defense against your opponent as well because they can't run the break off your missed shots.

The final step to improving your overall shooting percentage in NBA 2K12 is to see how you shoot in actual games and compare that to your practice sessions. At the end of each game, a shot chart is available for each player. It tells you what zone they shot in and the number they made or missed. This is your best tool because it tells you where your shots come from when you have to face an actual defense and will tell you where you need to practice. Knowing where you tend to shoot in the games will help you improve your practice routine.

See where those shots are coming from and start recording those shots in a spreadsheet. By tracking your actual shooting from games, you will be able to find out the following:

• Are you getting good shots inside the first three zones?
• Are the bulk of your shots coming from your best shooters in those zones?
• Are you shooting most of your shots outside the inner three circles?
• Are you shooting from a players zones who are cold?
• Could you shoot with different players who might shoot better that have higher ratings?

Although I think it goes without saying, the number one thing you can do to improve your overall shooting is shoot with the guys on your team that are the best shooters. If you can’t shoot with them, make sure you are not shooting with the guy who is the worst percentage shooter on your team. Here’s the spreadsheet I’ve started for my Indiana Pacers.

Step Ten: Don’t Ignore Game Momentum

There is one other thing that affects your shooting in NBA 2K12. That is the momentum of the game. If the other team is flying high getting fast breaks, dunks and three’s you will find that it will be harder to make shots. This is more so when you are on the road and the crowd is going crazy. During these times of the games, you will want to buckle down and get a good shot within the first two zones – inside and close – preferably a dunk. Otherwise, even perfect shot releases may not go down if momentum is not on your side. Conversely, if you are on a roll, have been finishing fast breaks and dunking the ball, if you get an open three you are more likely to sink it if you using the right shooters and are open.

If you hit a few shots in a row, you may also see a red fire symbol next to your player. Sometimes people think that this gives you the green light to shoot from anywhere and you will hit the shot. It just means you will be a little more likely to hit your next shot. Keep taking good shots and don’t take shots you wouldn’t normally take. Getting to the free throw line also warms your guy up and can trigger the fire symbol. If you miss a few shots in a row, instead of a red fire symbol, you will see a blue ice symbol. When you see this, it’s probably more likely you will miss. I also would watch shooting jump shots when your player is tired. You will know he is tired when you see the “G” Gatorade symbol. Call time out to get some rest.

I have also noticed is that some shooters don’t shoot well every game. They can have an off game. It could be the defender they are up against. Whatever the reason, be prepared to give a “heat check” to other players on your team when you find one struggling. They often pick up the slack and if you find someone that is getting the job done, keep working it until your opponent stops it.

If you follow ten step guide NBA 2K12 shooting tips, you will be well on your way to shooting a higher percentage and winning more games. Good luck!

If you like this guide and it helped you, do me a favor and share it on the internet where ever you can.

So after I decided to make the Indiana Pacers the team I wanted to master, I knew one of the first things I would need to do besides master their shot releases was to master their free throw shot releases.

The best way to do that is to go into free throw practice mode and start shooting free throws with all the players on your roster. Once you are in there, it’s a good idea to have a game plan in mind to get the most out of your practice session.

The first thing that you need to know once you get into the gym to practice your free throws is that you will be at the line already with an info box underneath you that has the player’s information that you are shooting with. Next to that, you will find four release points. Those are too early, slightly early, perfect and late. To the right, you will see your free throws made, free throws attempted and your percentage of made free throws. These tools help you keep track of your progress.

Each player on your team will have a different release. You’ll need to learn the timing of when to release the shot for each player. What you will want to do is take a few shots. As you take these shots, the game will tell you whether you were early, perfect or late. Pay close attention to this feedback and adjust your release accordingly.

Some players have releases that are easy to master because their “window” of perfect release is big. With some players, they have smaller windows of perfect release and it’s harder to nail it. It will take some practice to get their releases perfectly.

Here are a couple of tips to help you. While I don’t use it, you will notice that the circle under your player will flash blue right at the point of the perfect release. I tend to watch their hands. When their hands stop their backward motion and begin to move towards the basket, somewhere in there will be your perfect release.

Once you get the hang of finding a players perfect release, here are three drills that I use to improve my free throws in NBA 2K12. I recommend doing them at least once a week.

DRILL #1 – Shoot 50 shots with each player and record your percentage.

I like to go in and shoot with every player on my roster. I think 50 is a good number. With 12 players on your roster this means you will shoot about 600 free throws. This will take you about an hour. My goal with each player is two fold. The first is to hit as many out of 50 as I can. The second is to get as high a percentage of perfect releases as I can. I think it’s also a good idea to record these practice sessions so you can see if you are improving or not.

Here’s a spreadsheet that shows my practice sessions so you can see how I record my results.

DRILL #2 – Shoot with each player until you hit 10 consecutive free throws in a row

The next drill I do sometimes is to shoot with each player on my team until I hit 10 in a row. This is extra tough with some players but it really makes you take the time to find each player’s perfect release. With some players, you will nail the 10 right away but with others it’s going to be a challenge.

I shoot all10 free throws even if I don’t hit all ten. I then go to the menu and reset the counter. Then I start another ten. Even if I miss one of the first few, I still shoot all ten. Then I reset. I repeat this until I get 10 in a row with each player.

DRILL #3 – Shoot as many consecutive free throws as you can with each player

Another thing I like to do is see how many free throws I can make in a row with each player. I shoot until I hit and then shoot until I miss. If I miss the first shot, I will reset the counter. Then shoot again. If I hit that shot I will keep shooting until I miss a shot.

If you do these things, you will quickly find that you can shoot a very high percentage from the line. I shoot over 80 percent from the line as a team with my Pacers after just two sessions.

Here’s a video of one of my practice sessions.

Aside from that, it’s a great feature to add to the game and we had a lot of fun unlocking all of the legends to play whenever we wanted. The first step is in unlocking the greatest players in history is to play each game and win with the great highlighted for that particular game.

Here is a list of the NBA’s greatest in the game. Once you win, then you unlock the rosters for the teams listed.

Michael Jordan Teams Unlocked 92-93 Hornets Bulls 85-86, 90-91, 92-93, 97-98

Magic Johnson 90-91 Trailblazers Lakers 90-91 Byron Scott fav

Larry Bird 85-86 Hawks 85-86 Celtics

Julius Erving 84-85 Bucks Sixers 76-77, 84-85

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 85-86 Celtics Lakers 86-87 Byron Scott

Wilt Chamberlain 71-72 Knicks 71-72 Lakers Jerry West

Hakeem Olajuwon 93-94 Nuggets 93-94 Rockets Kenny Smith

Oscar Robertson 70-71 Lakers 70-71 Bucks

Isiah Thomas 88-89 Bulls and 88-89 Pistons

Karl Malone 97-98 Spurs 97-98 Jazz Hornacek

Bill Russell 64-65 Lakers 65-65 Celtics Sanders

Scottie Pippen 95-96 Supersonics 95-96 Bulls Scottie Pippen

Patrick Ewing 94-95 Magic 94-95 Knicks John Starks

Jerry West 70-71 Hawks 70-71 Lakers Jerry West

John Stockton 97-98 Lakers 97-98 Jazz Hornacek

Favorite guy Jerry West, Oscar Robertson

Least favorite Bill Russell Julius Erving

Once you unlock the teams, you can the use them in for Quick games. Once you unlock all 15 games, you can then use two players in the NBA’s greatest mode.

Tips:

You don’t have to use the greatest guy on the team. All you have to do is win. You can use any player.

You can play on rookie mode so that it’s easy.

Play again on higher level to get more challenging play.

Rookie mode was harder than we expected. But that was when we first started playing. It would probably be

If you preordered the game you can unlock 90-91 Warriors and Sacramento Kings 01-02 with the code you were given at the time of purchase. Unfortunately, once it’s used, you can’t use the code again.

It was cool to see Phil Jackson as a player and we were disappointed that we couldn’t see the shotstick in the Bill Russell game. My funnest game was scoring 98 points with Oscar Robertson. He has a sweet jumper.

Moving players around. Playing them online

Another tip is if you want to play it quickly, play one minute quarters to go quicker through it.

That said, we know that there are a lot of fans of the game who want to know how to get the most out of My Player and so we decided we would take everything we know and discover and collect it on this page and call it “The Ultimate Strategy Guide To The NBA2K My Player Mode.” It’s my hope that you’ll have all of your questions answered right here on this page. If there is something you want to know, please put your question at the bottom and we will make sure to include it here as well.

What You Will Learn In This Guide

• What Is The My Player Mode?
• How To Create Your Player
• Should You Be  A Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward or Center?
• How To Play Well In The Rookie Showcase
• How To Decide What Team To Play For So You Can Answer The Draft Interview Questions
• How To Get An A+ Teammate Grade
• How To Earn Skill Points
• Which Attributes Should I Raise First?
• How To Achieve The Milestones?
• Should I Play Every Game Or Just The Key Games
• Should You Request A Trade Or Play Out Your Contract?

What Is NBA2K’s My Player Mode

Here's My Player After I Was Drafted By The Suns

When my friend and I were younger, we envisioned a day when you could create yourself in the game, practice and get better and eventually play in the NBA game. (We took it a step further and imagined we would play against all other created players online which is kind of here as well but not quite.) While we dreamed this up in the early nineties, that day is now here.

In My Player mode, you can create a likeness of yourself, decide what type of player you will be and get drafted by an NBA team. You then have a chance to earn more minutes, get into the starting lineup and eventually work your way up to winning and NBA title and becoming inducted into the Hall of Fame.

My Player – The Creation

Before you can start playing, your My Player career starts with “The Creation”. This is where you will be able to customize your My Player and make him look the way you want as well as choose what position you want to play as well as what type of player you want to be. There are a number of sections you’ll need to flip through to create your My Player. The first time through, I missed several options that I discovered earlier.

The are ten sections to creating your My Player. Those sections are:

1. 

   When you create your My Player, the Vitals section is the most critical screen as most of these options cannot be changed once you begin your career.

   Vitals – In the vitals section, you can pick your name. While you can pick your own name, we recommend using an alias in case at some point you take your My Player online you will retain some privacy. You can also pick a nickname. You can pick your favorite college as well. Probably the most important parts of this section are what position you pick to play as well as your play style. Obviously, you can pick a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward or center. If this is your first time playing My Player, we suggest picking a point guard so that you will have more opportunities to handle the ball. While that will be your natural position, depending on the team that drafted you, you will most likely play as shooting guard some too before you crack the starting lineup. As you get more experience with how it works, our next position we would consider is center to learn how to post and rebound. As far as play styles go, if you go with a point guard, it might be best to choose 3 point specialist so you can shoot better right out of the gate. We still shoot poorly when we first start. Just keep in mind that you will get better the more you play as you acquire additional skill points to upgrade your attributes. As you do, you will perform better. Play Styles by positions: Point guards – All around, pass first, scoring, defensive, 3 point specialist, athletic. Shooting guards – All around, scoring, defensive, 3 point specialist, athletic, slashing. Small forwards – all around, scoring, defensive, 3 point specialist, athletic, slashing, point forward. Power forwards – All around, defensive, athletic, back to basket, face up, rebounding. Center – All around, defensive, athletic, back to basket, face up, rebounding.It’s here that you will also pick what your number is, whether you are right or left handed. You can also choose four play types. At first, we use the default play types. Your age is also an option. You can be any age from 19-28 years old. We suggest starting at 19. Ultimately, if you have played organized basketball you probably have a general idea of the type of player you like to be (or wanted to be). Let that be your main guide. As My Player, I decided on Coach2K with a nickname of Mr. Fundamentals because I want to promote solid traditional game play for the most part. I also like to shoot the three.

2. General – In the general section, the most important part of this section is your players height and weight. Point guards can be 5’7″ to 6’7″. Shooting guards can be 5’10″ to 6’9″. Small forwards can be 6’4″ to 7’0″. Power forwards can be 6’5″ to 7’1″. Centers can be 6’8″ to 7’2″. Because I wanted some height at shooting guard, I went with 6’7″. As far as weight, I picked 225. For ideas on weight, look at actual players in the game to match up your weight to your height. The rest is just about looks.
3. Head – More options on how you look.
4. Hair- More options on how you look.
5. Accessories – Things you can wear. I use team color one so I will match my uniforms.
6. Tattoos – Various options for tattoos.
7. Shoes – Many different options for shoes. I also use team color one so I will match
8. Attributes – Once you choose your position and play style, you cannot change these.
9. Abilities – Once you choose your position and play style, you cannot change these.
10. Signature – In the signature section, you can customize your shot releases. This is something you can change later. What you will want to do here is use a shot release you can master. I personally use Gilbert Arenas. Shot timing is key to hitting shots.

Once you have finished creating your My Player, choose a save file and move on.

The Rookie Showcase

Perform well in The Rookie Showcase and increaes the chances your My Player will be drafted higher.

After you create your My Player, the first step in your upcoming career is to play in “The Rookie Showcase”. The Rookie Showcase is your only chance to impress the NBA scouts (along with the pre-draft interviews) and affects where you will be drafted in the NBA Draft. The game is between the Rookie Stars versus The Elites. You will be on The Elites. My game was at Showcase Arena in New York City. It looks like the game is really at Madison Square Garden even though in my video it was called Showcase Arena.

At the end of the 1st half, you will get a scouting report that tells you what you need to work on and whether your draft stock is rising, falling or staying the same.

In Coach2K’s rookie showcase, my team won 87-76. I had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists and received an A+ Teammate grade. I didn’t shoot very well with 33% from the field and turned the ball over twice. The key to performing well is playing good team basketball. Take good shots, don’t turn the ball over and get your teammates involved. For more information on how to get an A+ Teammate grade, see the section below that discusses how to get an A+. Just do the best that you can and move on.

I received 1570 skill points in the game which I could use before I start my career.

Pre-Draft Interviews

In the Pre-Draft Interviews, you'll have the chance to interview with three teams.

Once you complete The Rookie Showcase, you will be taken right to the pre-draft interviews. Here, you will be interviewed by three teams with picks in the first round. Each team will you ask you two questions. For each question, you will have a choice of four different responses. Depending on how you answer the questions, you might affect whether that team picks you. As far as what we recommend for pre-draft strategy, if you don’t want to play with a team, say so if given the opportunity. Ultimately no matter where you go, you will play so it doesn’t matter as much as you might think. Although some people prefer not to go to a team that is loaded at their position.

As Coach2K, I was interviewed by the Warriors, the Suns and the Rockets. My strategy was to not play at Golden State and I said so. I was agreeable to playing with the Suns and the Rockets. In our experience, we have never gone to a team we didn’t interview with. If you don’t like the team that eventually drafts you, you can always request a trade after five games.

The Draft

Coach2K with David Stern after being drafted at number 13 by the Phoenix Suns.

After your pre-draft interviews, you will receive a report that projects where you will go in the draft. Coach2K was projected to go to the Suns with the 13th pick. Then, the NBA draft commences with David Stern hosting. Now that the lock out is over, the rookies are in the draft. We experimented with how high we could go in the draft as well as how low we could go. The Kid went as high as number ten to the Milwaukee Bucks and when he tanked The Rookie Showcase and got a Teammate Grade of F he went as low as number 23rd to the Houston Rockets. We think that you will most likely be drafted between the 11th and 18th picks. We also think that draft order has a lot to do with the position you play as well as the number of rookies at your position. Of course, in the pre-draft interviews if you tell a team you don’t want to play there while telling another team you want to play with them, that could affect your overall draft spot. Your performance in The Rookie Showcase probably affects it as well. Playing horrible still means you go in the first round which is different from last year when The Kid did get drafted in the second round.

Here is the draft order:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Utah Jazz
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Washington Wizards
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons <—— Highest we’ve been drafted
9. Charlotte Bobcats
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Utah Jazz
13. Phoenix Suns <—— Coach2K drafted, The Kid drafted —— >
14. Houston Rockets
15. Indiana Pacers
16. Detroit Pistons
17. New York Knicks
18. Washington Wizards
19. Charlotte Bobcats
20. Minnesota Timberwolves
21. Portland Trailblazers
22. Denver Nuggets
23. Houston Rockets <—— Lowest we’ve been drafted – on purpose
24. Oklahoma City Thunder
25. Boston Celtics
26. Dallas Mavericks
27. New Jersey Nets
28. Chicago Bulls
29. San Antonio Spurs
30. Chicago Bulls

As far as Coach2K, I went number 13 to the Phoenix Suns.

Rookie Contract Negotiations

There are no contract negotiations after the draft. You have to take what they give you.

When the draft is over, you will go straight to draft negotiations. As a rookie, you have little say over your contract as it is basically based on your draft position. It will contain what role the team expects you to play and will pay you the maximum you can be paid at your draft position.

Coach2K was offered a $1.65 million dollar annual salary and a role as a bench player.

The rookie contract is for two years. At the end of two years, you will be able to negotiate a new contract. Chances are you will be a much better player than when you first started and will be able to command a much higher salary.

After you accept the contract, your rookie season will begin. Right before your rookie season, you will receive a welcome letter from the team that drafted you announcing your first endorsement. It’s a billboard that says “The Future Has Arrived”. We always joke that when you request a trade, it should say, “The Future Has Departed”.

Set Your My Player Settings

Before you start playing your My Player in actual games, go into the settings an adjust them. These are my initial settings for Coach2K.

After your contract negotiations are finished, the next thing that we did was go into and adjust them for the type of game that we wanted to play. The first step is to go into controller settings. I make the shot stick camera relative and always turn passing icons on, along with icon passing and total control passing. I then go into game mode settings and change it to the level I want, simulation mode, 12 minute quarters and run plays off. I still turn on the ability to see plays because out of bounds plays still use them. I personally leave autosave on. Some people like Chris Smoove recommend turning it off for the drills to get speed increases. I don’t worrry about it.

The most important thing to me was setting my quarter length to twelve. At first, when you are coming off the bench, you will only play about twenty total minutes. Later, the games will last longer but the additional time gives you time to get your Teammate Grade up. I think it’s more like real basketball since that is what you would play in real life. Of course if you are short on time, reduce the quarter length.

As far as playing level, I started on Pro my first season because I wanted to enjoy it. I may increase the difficulty level after the first season. I also use simulation over default. I’m a fairly new player (just started playing last year) so I started easier although I have won on Hall of Fame mode before with the Indiana Pacers. Just work your way up as you get better each year.

The other thing that I like to do is turn off commentary and use the on court sounds maxed up. This makes me feel like I’m actually playing because if you think about it, you don’t hear commentary while you are playing. But that’s just me. It will save your settings once you set them if you have auto save on and you’ll be all set.

Shoot Around With Your My Player And Scrimmage

Practicing Coach2K's shot release. Find a shot release you can master. Change it if you need to.

The next thing you will want to do is go into the shoot around section and work on your shot release. Make sure that when you go into shoot around mode that you adjust the settings so you can see the shot stick indicator and the shot quality. Then, once you have done that, start practicing your shot release.

Practice so that you can get your shot release on the green. If it is red, it is too early or late. Watch the indicator. The blue circle flashes under your player to also give you and idea of when you should release your shot. After awhile, it will become second nature. Even once you get your release right, it doesn’t mean that it will always go in. It depends on the defense, whether you are tired, where you took the shot from, what kind of shot you took and the game situation.

Do your best to take shots where you have both feet set and are open. Avoid taking leaners, fadeaways and spin jumpers until your abilities reflect you can do those well and you have practiced them. Expect that you won’t shoot well at the beginning of your career and expect that you will also miss layups quite often. It’s just the way the game works. One additional My Player tip: Remember to utilize the shot fake in games.

I also scrimmaged with the team once to get a feel for who was on the team. But I didn’t do it again after that. I tend to practice in my games.

My Strategy On How To Get And Use Skill Points To Increase Your My Player Attributes And Abilities

Once you start playing games, your first goal is to win. Within that goal, your secondary mission is to play well so that you can get skill points to increase your attributes. These are then ways to increase your skill points.

• Do the drills – Doing drills gives you additional skill points. The drills rate you as gold, bronze or silver. Get a gold and get a plus one attribute for certain attributes. You don’t have access to the drills all the time. You start off being able to do three. Then over time, you get additional chances to do the drills. I just do them in order as I get additional drills.
• Play games and play well – Playing smart by taking good shots, taking care of the ball, getting assists and playing good defense.
• Meeting in games objectives – Before each game, you will be given a list of three objectives that if you achieve them will give you additional skill points.
• Dynamic in game goals – During the game you will have a chance to achieve and objective based on the game situation to achieve additional skill points.
• Be named player of the game.
• Get an A+ Teammate Grade – Getting a top grade gives you more skill points.
• Achieve Milestones – Reaching milestones increases your skill points.
• The Key Game Multiplier – The key game multiplier doubles your skill points. By achieving more milestones in those games, you will maximize your skill points bonus. I just play within the game while trying to achieve milestones.

Play an all around good game and get an A+ Teammate Grade.

How To Get An A+ Teammate Grade

Getting an A+ Teammate Grade should be your objective every time your player steps on the floor. If you get an A+ it basically means you played a complete game on both ends of the floor. It means that you played good defense, took good shots and worked with your team to do the best that you could do to win.

At first, it might seem like getting an A+ is difficult but as your player progresses, you’ll find it easier because he will be stronger and you will have more experience.

Here are some tips to get the A+:

• Play 12 minute quarters. The extra time gives you more time to get your grade up.
• When the guy you are guarding has the ball, call for a double team. This works best if your guy is the point guard because he has the ball more often. As soon as they throw the ball in, call for a double team. On the PS3, you do that by hitting L1 for a count of one. Get your hands up and get up into the offensive player. You might tip the pass, steal the ball, get a jump ball or cause a turnover. Double team in the corners especially, when he is trying to cross the half court line and when your opponent picks up the ball.If he passes the ball, the moment he gets it back call for the double team again. Some players are great at avoiding the double team. Others find the open man who hits the shot. Do the best can to help your teammate cover the open guy. You might lose the possession or the game but will save your Teammate Grade.
• Don’t let your guy score. The best way that you can accomplish this is to make sure he doesn’t get the ball. Defend your opponent all over the court and don’t help. If he does get the ball, call for the double team and force him to get rid of it.
• Don’t take bad shots. Look to take open set shots off of pick and rolls. Avoid taking leaners, spin jumpers and fadeaways until your player has those abilities.
• Don’t foul. If you constantly hit the steal button, you will get called for fouls. Just get your hands up by using the right stick.
• Get assists. Pass the ball to your teammates. Find the open guy by moving the ball around the court. The best way to get ball movement is to move to the part of the court where the player you want to get involved in the offense is. He’ll move from that area. If he moves to the basket, hit him while he is cutting and he’ll probably lay it in.
• Box out when shots go up. Get between your man and the basket and hold L2 and R2. Then try and time your jump to get the rebound.
• Set screens by using the circle button. Set back screens so your teammates can cut to the basket rather than screens that on the top.
• Don’t call for pass. If you aren’t open, it will only count against you.
• Don’t try and take bad charges.
• Get steals and blocks.

The things above will help you get to an A+ Teammate Grade. Here are other things we found that impact your grade.

Things that raise your teammate grade: Draw Foul, Make Free Throw, Make 2 of 2 Free Throws, Alley Oop Pass, Good Time Out, Fill Lane Correctly, Tipped Pass, Post Move Score, Steal, Good Pass, Good Shot Selection, Assist, Pass Leading To Assist, Pass Leading To Foul, Blocked Shot, Last Second Shot, Last Minute Go Ahead Basket, Slam Dunk, And One, Convert And One, Good Transition Defense, Stopped Fast Break, Good Shot Defense, Good Foul, Forced Pick Up, Successful Double Team, Smart Double Team, Good Off-Ball Screen, Good On-Ball Screen, Good Ball Movement, Successful Box Out, Offensive Rebound, Defensive Rebound, Fast Break Score, Win Jump Ball, Slam Dunk, Contact Dunk, Set Screen For Score, Double Move Leading To Score

Things that lower your teammate grade: Personal Foul, Pumped Fake Into Foul, Allow Jump Ball, Bad Take Charge Attempt, Bad Steal Attempt, Bad Block Attempt, Steal/Block Leading To Score, Allow Offensive Rebound, Bad Spacing, Leave Assignment, Bad Call For Pass, Excessive Call For Pass, Allow Man To Score, Allow Score Off Turnover, Turnover, Bad Pass, Allow Inside Pass, Bad Shot Selection, Miss 2 of 2 Free Throws, Shot Blocked, Lose Ball, Goal tending, Basket Interference

Dynamic Goals

Dynamic goals appear while you are actually playing a game. They are based on what is going on in the game at that time. By completing dynamic goals, you can earn more skill points. These are the dynamic goals we have seen so far:

• Heat up
• Record a quadruple single
• Break team record
• Stop that man

Milestones

My Player Milestones

These are the My Player milestones you want to achieve.

Game

• Score 5 points in a single game – 50 SP
• Score 10 points in a single game – 150 SP
• Score 20 points in a single game – 350 SP
• Score 30 points in a single game – 500 SP
• Score 40 points in a single game – 750 SP
• Score 50 points in a single game – 1000 SP
• Score 75 points in a single game – 1500 SP
• Record a double-double – 300 SP
• Record a triple-double – 750 SP
• Record 5 assists in a single game – 250 SP
• Record 10 assists in a single game – 500 SP
• Record 20 assists in a single game – 750 SP
• Record 5 rebounds in a single game – 250 SP
• Record 10 rebounds in a single game – 500 SP
• Record 5 points and 5 rebounds in a single game – 350 SP
• Record 2 steals in a single game – 200 SP
• Record 3 steals in a single game – 350 SP
• Record 5 steals in a single game – 750 SP
• Record 10 steals in a single game – 1500 SP
• Record 1 block in a single game – 200 SP
• Record 2 blocks in a single game – 400 SP
• Record 3 steals and 3 blocks in a single game – 1000 SP
• Finish a game with 0 turnovers (greater than 5 minutes played) – 150 SP
• Finish a game with 0 turnovers (greater than 10 minutes played) – 300 SP
• Finish a game with 0 turnovers (greater than 25 minutes played) – 600 SP
• Make 2 3 point field goals in a single game – 300 SP
• Make 5 3 point field goals in a single game – 750 SP
• Make 10 3 point field goals in a single game – 1500 SP
• Shoot 50% in a single game (min 6 shots) – 250 SP
• Shoot 60% in a single game (min 10 shots) – 500 SP
• Shoot 100% in a single game (min 10 shots) – 1500 SP
• Make 5 FTs in a single game – 200 SP
• Make 10 FTs in a single game – 400 SP
• Shoot 100% from 3-Point range in a single game (min 5 shots) – 750 SP
• Make 5 dunks in a single game – 300 SP
• Make 10 dunks in a single game – 500 SP
• Record 5 highlight plays in a single game – 250 SP
• Record 10 highlight plays in a single game – 500 SP
• Convert an And-One – 100 SP
• Convert 3 And-Ones in a single game – 300 SP
• Get 30 points and 10 assists in a single game – 300 SP
• Get 40 points and 10 assists in a single game – 400 SP
• Get 50 points and 10 assists in a single game – 500 SP
• Play in a triple OT game – 300 SP
• Get 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a single game – 500 SP
• Get 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals in a single game – 5000 SP
• Get 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a single game without missing a FG or FT – 1250 SP

Season

• Get an A+ Teammate Grade – 100 SP
• Break a Single Season Record (Pts, Reb, Ast, Stl, Blk, 3PT) – 1000 SP
• Make 20 consecutive Free Throws – 300 SP
• Make 50 consecutive Free Throws – 500 SP
• Make 100 consecutive Free Throws – 1000 SP
• Record 650 assists in a single season – 2500 SP
• Record less than 150 turnovers in a single season (min 65 games) – 750 SP
• Make 100 3-Point field goals in a single season – 1000 SP
• Record 175 steals in a single season – 1000 SP
• Record 250 steals in a single season – 2500 SP
• Record 25 double-doubles in a single season – 1000 SP
• Win Scoring Title (must qualify for League Leaders) – 2500 SP
• Lead league in Assists at end of season (must qualify for League Leaders) – 2500 SP
• Lead league in Steals at end of season (must qualify for League Leaders) – 1000 SP
• Lead league in 3PM at end of season (must qualify for League Leaders) – 1500 SP
• Finish season with a PER of 30+ – 750 SP
• Finish season in Top 10 for Scoring, Assists ans Steals – 5000 SP
• Score in double figures in 75 games in a single season – 1000 SP
• Get 20 Points and 10 Assists in 10 consecutive games – 500 SP
• Get 20 Points and 10 Assists in 25 consecutive games – 1000 SP
• Get 2 Steals and 2 Blocks in 5 consecutive games – 750 SP
• Make 5 3-Point field goals in 10 consecutive games – 750 SP
• Get 10 Point, 5 Rebounds, and 5 Assists in 10 consecutive games – 500 SP
• Record 0 Turnovers in 10 consecutive games – 1000 SP
• Record 0 Turnovers in 25 consecutive games – 2500 SP
• Shoot 50% from the field (min. 10 shots) in 10 consecutive games – 500 SP
• Shoot 50% from the field (min. 10 shots) in 25 consecutive games – 1000 SP
• Make 8 consecutive 3-Point field goals – 300 SP
• Make 15 consecutive 3-Point field goals – 1250 SP

Career

• Play in an NBA game – 500 SP
• Score 100 career points – 500 SP
• Score 500 career points -1000 SP
• Score 1000 career points – 2500 SP
• Score 5000 career points – 7500 SP
• Score 10000 career points – 10000 SP
• Score 20000 career points – 20000 SP
• Score 30000 career points – 35000 SP
• Score 38388 career points – 50000 SP
• Get selected to either of the NBA All Rookie Teams – 2500 SP
• Get selected to either of the All-Defensive Teams – 2500 SP
• Get selected to any of the All-NBA Teams – 3500 SP
• Get selected to the All-Star Team – 2000 SP
• Get selected to 5 All-Star Teams – 10000 SP
• Get selected as the NBA Player of the Week – 1500 SP
• Get selected as the NBA Player of the Month – 2500 SP
• Get selected as the NBA Rookie of the Month – 2500 SP
• Win the MVP Award – 7500 SP
• Win Finals MVP – 1000 SP
• Win an NBA Title – 1500 SP
• WIn three NBA Titles – 3000 SP
• WIn five NBA Titles – 5000 SP
• Make the Playoffs 4 times – 2000 SP
• Make the Conference Finals 2 times – 2000 SP
• Play in 50 NBA games – 750 SP
• Play in 150 NBA games – 1500 SP
• Play in 500 NBA games – 3500 SP
• Play in 1000 NBA games – 7500 SP
• Get 10 A+ Teammate Grades – 250 SP
• Get 25 A+ Teammate Grades – 500 SP
• Get 50 A+ Teammate Grades – 1000 SP
• Record 5 career triple doubles – 2000 SP
• Record 10 career triple doubles – 2500 SP
• Record 25 career triple doubles – 2500 SP
• Record 100 career assists – 1500 SP
• Record 250 career assists – 3000 SP
• Record 500 career assists – 4000 SP
• Record 1000 career assists – 6000 SP
• Record 2500 career assists – 7000 SP
• Record 5000 career assists – 9000 SP
• Record 7500 career assists – 10000 SP
• Make 500 career 3-Point field goals – 2500 SP
• Make 1000 career 3-Point field goals – 5000 SP
• Record 100 career steals – 3500 SP
• Record 500 career steals – 5000 SP
• Record 1000 career steals – 7500 SP
• Record 2500 career steals – 10000 SP
• Record 250 career double-doubles – 5000 SP
• Record 100 career rebounds – 1000 SP
• Record 250 career rebounds – 2000 SP
• Record 500 career rebounds – 3000 SP
• Record 1000 career rebounds – 4000 SP
• Record 2500 career rebounds – 5000 SP

Hall of Fame
The goal of My Player is to reach the Hall of Fame. In order to make the hall of fame, you have to complete 10 of the 15 following tasks. If you do that you will make the Hall of Fame.

• Score 10000 career points
• Record 2500 career assists
• Record 1000 career steals
• Get selected to 5 All-Star Teams
• Win the MVP Award
• Win and NBA Title
• Make the Playoffs 4 times
• Make the Conference Finals 2 times
• Win Scoring Title (must qualify for League Leaders)
• Lead league in Assist at end of season (must qualify for League Leaders)
• Finish season in Top 10 for Scoring, Assists and Steals
• Get 50 A+ Teammate Grades
• Break a Single Season Record (Pts, Reb, Ast, Stl, Blk, 3PT)
• Record 250 career double -doubles
• Record 25 career triple doubles

Endorsements

Over the course of your career, you will receive some endorsements. These are the endorsements we have received.

1. Introductory letter with a billboard that says: “The Future Has Arrived”.
2. Welcome letter from Michael Jordan
3. 2k Sports Magazine Cover
4. Come Fly With Us Billboard
5. Dime Magazine Cover
6. Jordan Letter – Brand Ambassador
7. Where Amazing Happens
8. 2k Style Magazine Cover
9. Urban Billboard
10. Defend your home court billboard
11. Player of the month billboard
12. Signature Shoe

Attributes

Offense

Shot Inside – Ability to shoot from underneath the basket

Shot Close – Ability to shoot from close-range

Shot Medium – Abilty to shoot from mid-range

Shot 3 PT – Ability to shoot from 3PT

Free Throw – Ability to shoot free throws

Shot Low Post – Ability to shoot from the post

Layup – Ability to make layups, contact layups and alley layups

Dunk – Affects dunk success, ability to dunk in traffic and alley dunks

Standing Dunk – Ability to perform standing dunks

Shoot in Traffic – Ability to shoot while in traffic

Off Hand Dribbling – Ability to perform dribble moves with the non-dominant hand

Ball Security – Ability to secure the ball while dribbling

Pass – Ability to throw accurate passes

Hands – Ability to catch the ball

Offensive Rebound – Ability to grab offensive rebounds

Defense

Defensive Low Post – Ability to defend in the post

Block – Ability to block shots

Steal – Ability to steal the ball

Defensive Rebound – Ability to grab defensive rebounds

On-Ball Defense – Ability to guard and react when defending the ball handler

Physical

Hustle – Ability to dive for loose balls

Speed – Affects how fast the player can run at full sprint

Stamina – Affects the fatigue leve while on the court

Vertical – Leaping ability on dunks, rebounds, blocks and jump balls

Durability – Ability to avoid injuries

Quickness – Affects player agility while moving around the court

Strength – Determines how successful the player will be when backing down in the post

Mental

Offensive Clutch – Ability to perform in late game situations

Defensive Cluth – Ability to perform on defense in late game situations

Emotion – Affects the type of reaction to referee calls

Defensive Awareness – Help defense ability when picking up the ball handler

Offensive Awareness – Ability to react to loose balls and double teams

Consistency – Ability to keep a shooting streak or get out of a shooting slump

Abilities (Poor, Average, Good, Great)

Shooting

Fadeway – Ability to shoot fadeaways

Dribble Pull Up – Ability to shoot dribble pull ups

Spin Jumper – Ability to shoot a spin jumper

Stepback jumper – Ability to shoot a step back jumper

Runner – Ability to shoot a runner

Layups/Dunks

Hopstep Layup/Dunk – Ability to perform a hopstep layup

Spin Layup/Dunk – Ability to dunk or layup from a spin

Eurostep Layup/Dunk – Ability to perform a eurostep layup

Dribbling

Sizeup – Ability to perform sizeup moves

Hesitation – Ability to perform hesitation moves

Crossover – Ability to perform crossover and double crosses

In and Out – Ability to perform in and out move

Spin – Ability to perform spin moves

Behind Back – Ability to perform behind the back moves

Stepback – Ability to perform stepback moves

Post Moves

Post Drive – Ability to perform drives from the post

Post Spin – Ability to perform spins from the post

Post Fadeaway – Ability to shoot a post fadeaway

Post Hop Shot – Ability to shoot a hop shot from the post

Post Shimmy Shot – Ability to shoot singel and double shimmy shots

Post Hook – Ability to shoot a hook shot from post

Post Dropstep Layup/Dunk – Ability to dunk or layup from a dropstep

My Purchases

Points

Skill Points

Activities

Host Youth Basketball Clinic – Boosts local fan support

Charitable Contributions – Boost league wide popularity

Team Party – Boosts team chemistry

Legends Training Camps

Point Guards Jerry West $3M, John Stockton $4M, Isiah Thomas $6M, Magic Johnson $9M

Shooting Guards Michael Jordan $10M

Small Forwards Scottie Pippen $5M, Julius Erving $4M, Larry Bird $8M

Power Forwards Karl Malone $1M

Centers Hakeem $8M, Bill Russell $1M, Kareem $7M

Signature moves

Jumper

Runner

Dunk

Layup

Free Throw

Shoes increase ability

Questions to answer

How to get an A+ teammate grade

What stats to raise first

What position to be

What play style to be

What kind of team you want to go to

Should stay or ask for a trade

How to score

How to get assists

How to rebound

How to steal

How to block

How to make the hall of fame

How to get the ball on offense

How to get your milestones

When will I start

How to get your shot release right

How to pick and roll

How to defend the inbound pass for steals

Blocking at the end of the shot clock

I spent most of NBA 2k11 learning to play against Hall of Fame mode. But playing online is the ultimate opponent. The computer AI while vastly improved, still can’t match the wits of another human opponent who can adjust much faster to what you are trying to do.

I’ve played the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic at this point.

My initial thoughts on NBA 2k12 online play is that it seems the 3 falls pretty easy for my opponents. But overall, the experience has been fine so far with the exception of a couple of lockups before connecting to the game. I just figured that 2ksports was doing some maintenance at the time because today was fine.

Playing online also helps you figure out how to play against so many different variations of defenses. I’ve been full court pressed, zoned and man to manned. My usual routine is to fall behind early because I turn it over and give up a bunch of easy buckets a lot of times when I play someone new. With the exception of one game, I won the second halves of three of the games which tells me that I am adjusting to what I’m seeing. I just have been getting out of the gate slow.

I wonder if any one else will play the Pacers online. I kind of doubt it. From a defensive stand point, the get sliced up pretty well at this point. My philosophy is this. I start with the basics and improve them one step at a time. Right now, I am working on mastering the offensive side of the ball.

I’ve also completed the NBA’s Greatest Mode as well as training camp.

I’ll start to put together my first few lessons here shortly. In the meantime, follow me on twitter for updates.

It was during that season that I developed what I call my NBA 2k coaching philosophy on which this site is based. Basically, I have a theory that you can win with any team in the league if you play sound fundamental basketball.

Most players played NBA 2k11 with one of the big three – the Heat, the Lakers and the Celtics. And for good reason. Those teams are very talented. I’ve also played online against the Bulls, the Thunder, the Knicks and the Clippers most recently. So I know that there are people who play with the the lesser teams in the game.

That I think is a good thing. Because I think it shows that if you can win with those teams you know how to play basketball.

For me personally, I decided that it didn’t mean a whole lot to win with the Lakers on pro and since then have vowed to play with my hometown team – the Indiana Pacers. And, I also decided that it would also mean more to win on hall of fame mode in the game.

Let me tell you, winning on hall of fame mode is very challenging. People complain about it online all the time.

Embarking on winning on hall of fame mode with my Pacers would be even more challenging.

I fired up a new season and began playing. 50 games later, I won my first game on hall of fame mode. I was thrilled.

But my quest is still not complete because I still did not play the best basketball I know I could play in the game. It was one dimensional. I scored 65 points with Darren Collison. Every shot was a three except for two free throws to ice the game. It was a victory though and I’m very happy I got it.

The process in which I got that first victory though is what I want to talk about here because it is the mindset that will determine how I teach you how to play the game of basketball on NBA 2k.

I started with the premise – that you can win with any team.

I started with one guy – to attempt to master his game.

I started with one play – to get that guy open.

I then added another play – and set out to master it to get him open.

I then worked on another player to work on his game and repeated the process.

Is my game complete yet? No it is not. Because I have 12 guys to master. I have to master their free throws. Master their shot releases. Master their movement on the court. Master the offense.

And then, I will start working on the defensive side of the ball.

Mastering NBA 2k11 is just like mastering anything else. You master one small skill and then you master the next. Eventually, you master the game.

So if you are here looking for money plays, or cheese plays or an easy way to win – you won’t find it here. But if you want to master the game of basketball then you have come to the right place.

Do I win every game? No. Am I a master yet? No. And that’s part of the fun, because you I will let you see all of my mistakes while I teach you how to play the game.

NBA 2k12 comes out soon. I am fired up. Shortly after it comes out, I’ll start my lessons.