Happy 38th Birthday to DeAndre Jordan! In addition to winning a title with the Nuggets in 2023, an Olympic gold medal in 2016, and leading the Clippers in career games, rebounds, and blocks, DeAndre has the best career field goal percentage in regular season and Playoff history.

Happy 40th Birthday to Jason Thompson! The 12th pick of the 2008 Draft, Thompson holds the record for most games played with the Kings during their tenure in Sacramento. Yes, more than Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Mitch Richmond, Mike Bibby, DeMarcus Cousins, or Vlade Divac!

Also tune in on... YouTube: youtu.be/twl4xPhYn18 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1TfB... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

Episode #640 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! This week, @andrewnlsc.bsky.social and Derek review Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, and join the community in reminiscing about other cartoon sports games.

ICYMI, NLSC Podcast Ep #639 discussed recent dislikes and delights, in basketball gaming and beyond! Tune in on... NLSC: www.nba-live.com/nlsc-podcast... YouTube: youtu.be/-FkiPwlgI64 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5vCK... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n... New show out soon!

LeBron James on Real Madrid in NBA 2K17. As we wait for LeBron to announce his latest free agency decision, what's the wildest scenario that you can imagine?

Happy 30th Birthday to Ben Simmons! Born in Melbourne, Simmons lived in Newcastle from the age of 18 months, and played representative basketball for the Hunters before returning to Victoria at age 10. Entering his second season, he graced the Australian cover of NBA 2K19.

Isiah Thomas receives an explanation from the referee in NBA Live 2003. On this day in 2000, Zeke was named the new head coach of the Indiana Pacers, replacing his old rival Larry Bird. Let it be known that the Pacers' best season under Isiah came in 2003, when they went 48-34.

Happy 51st Birthday to Ray Allen! The former NBA career leader in three-pointers made only hit fewer than 100 threes in a season once. He connected on 74 triples in the lockout season of 1999 while playing all 50 games; on pace to hit over 120 in a full-length campaign.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks on Chris Paul in NBA 2K21. On this day in 2021, Giannis tallied 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks as he led the Milwaukee Bucks to a Game 6 victory, and their first NBA Championship in 50 years.

Happy 33rd Birthday to Steven Adams! Among NBA players from New Zealand, Adams has played the most games, totalling more than three times as many on-court appearances as his fellow Kiwis combined.

Yao Ming in NBA Live 10. On this day in 2011, Yao Ming announced his retirement at the age of 30. Sadly, injuries cut short his NBA career - he played a combined 514 regular season and Playoff games - but Yao undoubtedly made an impact on the league and basketball as a whole.

In light of Sony's recent announcement regarding the planned end of game discs, this week's Monday Tip-Off shares some more thoughts on what we stand to lose with physical media (complete with an apologetically ham-fisted Blade Runner reference).

Fort Wayne Mad Ants vs. Idaho Stampede in NBA 09 (PS3). On this day in 2005, the National Basketball Development League was renamed the NBA Development League, often shortened to D-League. It has of course since become the NBA G League and is named after its sponsor, Gatorade.

"A roster management function that had always been immediately available - one that most franchise gamers would want to utilise before tipping off a new season - now had to be purchased." ICYMI, NBA 2K14 MyGM & The Red Flags We Ignored: www.nba-live.com/mto-nba-2k14...

Happy 41st Birthday to LaMarcus Aldridge! After a solid rookie season where he was primarily a reserve, Aldridge made a huge leap as a full-time starter in his second year, finishing third in Most Improved Player voting. He remained a starter until his final two seasons.

Sean Elliott in NBA Live 95 (PC). On this day in 1994, Elliott was traded to the Spurs, less than a year after they'd traded him to the Pistons for Dennis Rodman. As such, Elliott and Rodman joined the list of players who became teammates after being traded for each other.

Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars (Genesis) Down 30-17 going into the 4th quarter, Plucky Duck, Montana Max and Dizzy Devil go on a 20 to 6 run to close the game and get the win. Derek and Andrew controlled the winners. Video by Dee4Three.

Happy 42nd Birthday to Adam Morrison! The cover player of NCAA March Madness 07, Morrison also starred in a series of promos for NBA Live 07, including this one: Mustache. We never did get that series where he drives a muscle car and solves mysteries in the offseason, though.

Gamers, What is your favourite cartoon-related sports game of all-time? We will discuss this topic on the next NLSC Podcast!

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports (PC). Porky Pig is a combination of Michael Jordan and Steph Curry. Video by Dee4Three.

Download a custom LA Fitness gym court in today's NBA 2K14 Mod Releases.

Happy 52nd Birthday to Derek Anderson! One of nine future NBA players on the 1996 National Champion Kentucky Wildcats, in 1997 Anderson became part of a core of young Cavaliers players surrounding the newly-acquired Shawn Kemp. He went on to win a title with the Heat in 2006.

Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan in NBA 2K19. On this day in 2018, the Spurs traded the 2014 Finals MVP to the Raptors for All-Star DeRozan. The deal paid off for Toronto, as they went on to win the championship. A second Raptors stint for Kawhi is currently up in the air.

Jason Kidd vs. Stephon Marbury in NBA Live 2002 (PS2). On this day in 2001, the two All-Star point guards were traded for each other. The deal led to the Nets making back-to-back NBA Finals, and necessitated an update to the cover art of NBA ShootOut 2002 featuring Starbury.

Shaquille O'Neal bio card in NBA Live 97 (PC). On this day in 1996, Shaq signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. As The Diesel was under an exclusive deal with EA Sports at the time, NBA Live 97 was the only game that officially included the biggest move of the 1996 offseason.

Happy 29th Birthday to Bam Adebayo! Bam definitely turned some heads when he scored 83 points against the Wizards last season, besting Kobe Bryant for the second-highest single-game mark behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100.

It's time for the July 18th 2026 edition of the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated as always by Derek! Dunks dominate the countdown this week, but school is also in session with College Hoops 2K8 providing a lesson in staying cool in the clutch.

Happy 55th Birthday to Anfernee Hardaway! A young, healthy Penny really could do it all, and seemed destined to rank among the all-time greats. Decades later, he's still fun to use in video games, though it's tough to accurately imitate his smooth style of play!

Happy 29th Birthday OG Anunoby! The two-time champion made one of the biggest plays of the 2026 NBA Finals, with his clutch tip-in putting the Knicks up 3-1 and on the brink of breaking their 53-year championship drought.

Happy 54th Birthday to Eric Williams! Like the rest of the Class of 1995, Williams couldn't be included in 16-bit NBA Live 96 due to a lockout. However, they were unlockable via entering their names into Edit Player. The rookies were included in NBA Live 96 for PC and PS1.

Happy 55th Birthday to Calbert Cheaney! Cheaney was a consistent starter for the Washington Bullets/Wizards from 1994 to 1998. The former Indiana Hoosier also had a cameo as himself in Blue Chips, playing for his alma mater against the fictional Western University Dolphins.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Antoine Walker wearing old jerseys in NBA Live 06 (PC). On this day in 2000, Abdur-Rahim replaced Grant Hill on Team USA, due to Hill's broken ankle; an injury that would be a big story for years to come. Reef and Team USA went on to win gold in Sydney.

ICYMI, catch up on last week's NLSC Top 10 Plays! Please keep sending your best virtual hardwood moments to Derek (Dee4Three in our Forum, Dee4threeG on X)! All basketball video games are welcome, current and classic.

Happy 53rd Birthday to Horacio Llamas! Latching on with the injury-riddled Phoenix Suns midway through the 1997 season, Llamas became the first Mexican player in NBA history.

Gary Payton and Karl Malone signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Live 2004. On this day in 2003, the Lakers held a press conference introducing their big free agent acquisitions. Notably, The Mailman held up a #32 jersey - Magic Johnson's number - but ultimately wore #11.

Connie Hawkins in NBA 2K10. Remembering the late Hall of Famer on his birthday. Hawk's career was cut short due to a combination of an unfair blackballing and knee injuries, but he was an all-time great talent who dazzled fans with his scoring acumen and aerial highlights.

Even in our all-time favourite basketball games, our seasons can end up on ice. This week's Friday Five looks at some common reasons why we abandon our virtual hardwood saves.

Three new Blacktop courts - including Rucker Park - can be found in today's NBA 2K26 Mod Releases.

Nate Thurmond in a Chicago throwback in NBA 2K9. Remembering Thurmond on the tenth anniversary of his passing. In his Bulls debut on October 18th 1974, Nate the Great tallied the NBA's first (official) quadruple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks.

Happy 45th Birthday to Zach Randolph! After two seasons as a bench player full of potential and promise in Portland, Z-Bo flourished as a starter, being named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2004. Later in his career, he was an integral part of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies.

"While some moves certainly stretch believability, we need that element of surprise and unlikelihood in addition to the more sensible trades and signings." ICYMI, 5 Realistic Events That Feel Unrealistic in Games: www.nba-live.com/tff-5-realis...

NBA Live 2004 (PS2) 🏀 90s All-Stars vs. 80s All-Stars NLSC three-player co-op vs. the CPU. We controlled the 90s All-Stars. 🔵 Derek 🟠 KidKash202 🟣 Andrew 🎥 Full Game Highlights: youtu.be/8QuMxIqLLcc Video by Dee4Three.

Happy 54th Birthday to Khalid Reeves! Reeves still holds the single season record for points at Arizona. Drafted 12th overall in 1994, in his second season he was traded twice: first to the Hornets in the Alonzo Mourning deal, then to the Nets in the Kenny Anderson swap.

The hidden players in 16-bit NBA Live 96 are fondly remembered by long-time basketball gamers, but do they count as official appearances? This week's Wayback Wednesday dives into the matter, and some other interesting trivia about the game's rosters.

Happy 37th Birthday to Anthony Randolph! An NLSC Forum favourite, Randolph wore number 15 for the Denver Nuggets for two seasons between Carmelo Anthony's departure and Nikola Jokic's arrival. Though he left the NBA in 2014, he continued to play in Europe until 2023.

Dikembe Mutombo bio card in NBA Live 97 (PC). On this day in 1996, free agent Mt. Mutombo signed with the Atlanta Hawks. Bernie Bickerstaff, who was the GM of the Denver Nuggets at the time, would later comment that not re-signing Mutombo was his biggest front office regret.

Happy 36th Birthday to Damian Lillard! The nine-time All-Star, 2013 Rookie of the Year, NBA 75th Anniversary Team member, and NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K21 cover player, has started in all 900 regular season games and all 68 Playoff games that he's played in his career to date.

Happy 51st Birthday to Erick Dampier! A day before his 35th birthday in 2010, Dampier was traded to Charlotte. The then-Bobcats released him in September, allowing him to latch on with the Miami Heat come November. NBA 2K11's default rosters capture his phantom Bobcats stint.

Shaquille O'Neal in NBA Live 2005 (PC). On this day in 2004, the Lakers traded Shaq to the Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, a 2006 first round pick, and a 2007 second round pick, ending the Shaq-Kobe era in Los Angeles and setting up Miami to be a contender.