The 2023-2024 NBA basketball season starts on October 24th, 2023, and runs until April 14th, 2024. Alas, that is still a ways off, leaving us with plenty of time to kill until late October. As you wait, what are you doing to keep yourself entertained? Maybe you are placing some NBA futures bets or even trying to predict the 2024 NBA draft. Something else you can do while you are waiting is play some basketball video games.
Basketball Video Games to Check Out
While you look forward to the NBA 2023-2024 season, here are some top video games to play.
- Freestyle 2: Street Basketball
Freestyle 2: Street Basketball is the sequel to the original Freestyle: Street Basketball game, which shut down years ago. This game is not as well known as the NBA 2K series (see below), but it has gained a following of dedicated fans who enjoy its unique style.
The description reads, “‘Freestyle 2’ is a multiplayer online basketball game and the the sequel to ‘Freestyle: Street Basketball’. Join up with hundreds of players online in a stylish basketball experience where every match is a super match!”
When you play Freestyle 2: Street Basketball, you can choose which of five positions/classes you want to play. There is a lot of customization available, and you will also appreciate the cool art style of the cel-shaded graphics. For those looking for arcade-style basketball fun, it is a must-play title.
- NBA 2K Series
If you are going to play just one basketball game, you should pick up the latest entry in the iconic NBA 2K series. At the time of this writing, that is NBA 2K23, but NBA 2K24 will be releasing on September 8th, 2023. So, we recommend that you wait a little longer if you can so you can grab it.
NBA 2K has been around since the 1990s, making it an incredibly long-running and successful franchise. The games are developed by Visual Concepts. Originally, the publisher was Sega Sports, but now it is 2K Sports under Take Two Interactive.
Unlike Freestyle 2: Street Basketball, the NBA 2K series is built to offer a realistic simulation of professional basketball. Like other popular sports sim series, the 2K series features new installments each year that are updated to mirror what is going on in the real-life NBA.
As usual, there are multiple editions of this year’s NBA 2K game available. Editions of NBA 2K24 include the Kobe Bryant Edition/Standard Edition, the Black Mamba Edition, the 25th Anniversary Edition, and the WNBA Edition. If you are looking for cool bonus content, be sure to purchase either the Black Mamba Edition or the 25th Anniversary Edition.
You may want to pre-order NBA 2K24; doing so will give you access to additional special bonuses that will not be available to those who wait until launch to purchase the game.
Because the NBA 2K series is such a big deal, it is available across most modern platforms, so you should be able to play it so long as you are on a major system.
- BasketDudes Online
Another fun basketball video game you can play while you are waiting for the next NBA season is BasketDudes Online. The description reads, “BasketDudes is a F2P Basketball game developed in Spain by BitToon. This game is in love with customization and pushes every aspect of customization as you build a 15 team ‘dream team’ and pursue your goal of the WBC Championship against AI and Player controlled rivals.”
Some of the features that make BasketDudes a blast to play include Dream Team Builder, Schools, Player Fashion, Fatigue and a Tournament System.
- Dunk Nation
Looking for a casual, simple game that you can enjoy playing on your mobile device? You can try downloading Dunk Nation. Rather than simulating the entire game of basketball, Dunk Nation focuses on just what the title describes: dunking the ball.
Gameplay is simple and straightforward. You just tap on your screen to dunk the ball. The game is timed, so your goal is to try and dunk the ball on time so you can keep racking up your score. Your score will be higher if you can get the ball straight through the hoop without it contacting the edge.
Enjoy These Basketball Video Games
It can be frustrating waiting for the NBA season to get started. But it does not need to be boring. You now know some basketball video games that you can check out.
As you can see, there really is something for everyone out there. Whether you want a realistic basketball sim game, an arcade-style basketball game, or a simple mobile dunk game, you can find what you are looking for.
Any one of these games can bring you many hours of entertainment. The time will pass by quickly, and before you know it, you will be ready to watch and wager on the next NBA season.
