Another year is almost in the books! As 2025 draws to a close, we join the community in discussing the basketball and basketball gaming gifts that we gave and received this holiday season. From shoes, shirts, and collectibles, to video games, DVDs, and new basketballs, it's clear that we're all still as passionate as ever about real hoops and the virtual hardwood alike.

What Ifs are an intriguing topic in basketball discussions, especially when they involve comebacks that could've been, and comebacks that could potentially still occur. To that end, this week we're reflecting on some historical comeback rumours and returns that were reportedly close to happening, both of which we would've enjoyed seeing. We also discuss whether there are any recently-retired players that could still have an impact if they returned today.

With the NBA Live 19 servers shutting down, a recent kick has inspired a look back at the final release in the NBA Live series. We reflect on our overall impressions of the game after giving it another chance, from the tuning of the last patch and overall gameplay experience to thoughts on Ultimate Team, The Streets World Tour, Legends, and depth. We also discuss fresh eyes leading to new perspectives, where NBA Live 19 ranks, and what a new game must do differently.

During a recent podcast appearance, former NBA coach turned analyst Stan Van Gundy opined that the best 20 players in NBA history have all played within the last 20 years. This week, we join the community in responding to that claim and a couple of his other recent hot takes, as well as speculate on the motivations behind making them. We also discuss a few other popular but erroneous historical narratives that are about to complicate the GOAT debate.

With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S likely to be superseded within the next few years, what are our thoughts on the current generation of NBA 2K games? This week, we're ranking NBA 2K21 through NBA 2K26 from best to worst, with a few members of the community also weighing in with their rankings. We also discuss our overall view of Ninth Gen NBA 2K, noting some of the key mistakes the series has made, as well as some of the things that it has done right.

If you wanted to introduce someone to basketball, which players do you think stand the best chance of making them fall in love with the sport? This week, we're joining the community in naming our picks for both past and present players that we believe would get a new fan completely hooked on hoops.

Valve has announced the return of the Steam Machine, with the console-like gaming PC slated for release in early 2026. This week, we're joining the community in reacting to the news, including giving our thoughts on the announced specifications, discussing the potential advantages and disadvantages of a console-PC hybrid gaming device, stating our level of interest in possibly picking one up, and speculating on what it's likely to cost.

The price of video games remains a hot topic in 2025. Many people opine that they're too expensive, but plenty of others actually defend the current costs, and indeed suggest that video games should be even more expensive than they already are. This week, we dive into the issue, and join the community in suggesting what we believe would be fair prices for Triple-A games, indie games, online-only titles, and mobile releases.

With the acquisition of the NBA license, Play by Play Studios' The Run: Got Next is now titled NBA The Run, and is slated for release some time in 2026. To that end, this week we join the community in reacting to the initial previews and teaser trailer. Although it's aiming to be a worthy successor to the NBA Street series and we'd like to see it turn out well, we'd be lying if we said we didn't have some concerns at this point in time.

A week into the 2026 NBA season, the league has been rocked by a gambling scandal. Not only that, but many fans - us included - have been irritated by the amount of flopping and free throws. This week, we join the community in discussing these controversies, along with a few other NBA matters that are getting us down. We also talk about whether video games make up for disappointment with real basketball, and getting ejected on the virtual hardwood.

Customer service, value for money, and quality products are topics that are on our minds this week. This comes in the wake of an eBay purchase that unfortunately became a deeply unpleasant transaction, as well as the first big patch for NBA 2K26 failing to make the game better (and indeed, arguably making it worse). On a lighter note, we also recap a successful upgrade to Windows 11, before wrapping up the show with some quick 2026 NBA predictions.

Electronic Arts has recently been acquired in one of the biggest deals in the history of video games. This week, we share our thoughts on the news and what it might mean for the future of basketball gaming. We also note some of the reactions to the deal that we've seen from the wider gaming community on social media. Needless to say, it's proving to be quite a controversial move!

It's the 600th Episode of the NLSC Podcast! A huge shout out to all of our listeners and the NLSC community at large for continuing to support all of our content throughout the years! To mark the milestone, this week we're simply getting on the mics to chat about basketball gaming. We share our latest thoughts on NBA 2K26, and reflect on some of the other games that we're currently playing, including our NBA 2K9 Association. We also once again touch on the joy of Virtual Hardwood Legends, discuss how realism can sometimes feel unrealistic in basketball video games, and share some interesting roster trivia about real players and their virtual counterparts alike.

Music is a vital part of the atmosphere in basketball video games, and as such, is often connected to our nostalgia for them. This week, we join the community in reflecting on basketball video game music, from our all-time favourite soundtracks and standout songs to the tunes that just didn't seem to be a good fit for the virtual hardwood.

Why do we still play basketball video games? This week, we discuss the factors that keep us hooked on the virtual hardwood, from a love of competition and shared experiences to the way it allows us to feel connected to and indeed more informed about our favourite sport. We also reflect on the lingering stigma surrounding gaming as an adult, and push back on the notion that it's a childish hobby that needs to be left behind.

Need help mastering NBA 2K26? This week's show provides some detailed tips, from what to do on the sticks to suggestions for gameplay sliders and camera settings! We also join the community in discussing how we're playing NBA 2K26, along with the other basketball games that are currently in our rotations. Speaking of which, our NBA 2K9 Bulls Association continues to be a blast, leading us to reflect on the game's quality and how we'd rank it.

In a shocking and rather unfortunate development, EA Sports rescinded their proposal for a college basketball game in light of Take-Two reaching agreements with several schools to develop their own "college basketball experience". This week, we join the community in reacting to the news and speculating on what we can expect from 2K. We also follow up on last week's show with some further impressions of NBA 2K26.

NBA 2K26 is already in gamers' hands thanks to the early access pre-order bonus provided by the Superstar and Leave No Doubt editions. As such, this week we join the community in sharing our first impressions of this year's release! From gameplay to the Eras rosters, this episode is a comprehensive breakdown of the pros and cons that we've observed so far. We also discuss some disappointing roster sharing news, as well as the concept of aura farming.

With NBA 2K26 right around the corner, a community event has given us a detailed look at the game in action. We share our thoughts on what we've seen so far, as well as what the influencers who attended the event are saying. In particular, we note how valid criticism is once again being shot down ahead of the game's release. We also cover some of the key points of the Courtside Report on MyNBA and MyGM, and recall our favourite basketball nicknames.

As the NBA 2K26 preview season rolls on, the big news revealed last week was that the WNBA has now been integrated into MyTEAM. The announcement drew some mixed reactions, so this week we're providing our take on the situation, and also reading out some thoughts from our listeners. We also react to some of the other key points in the NBA 2K26 MyTEAM Courtside Report, from Game Changer Cards to the promise of greater rewards.