NLSC Podcast

While it's exciting to be on the cutting edge of gaming technology, we're not always in a rush to upgrade. This week, we're taking a look at why basketball gamers often stick with last gen hoops titles - ourselves included - and some of the benefits of delaying a jump to the next generation. We also touch on next gen elitism and gatekeeping, and the community shares their experiences sticking with...

We're back on the air after an unfortunate technical mishap last week, and ready to take a deep dive into the PlayStation version of NBA Live 96! After recapping a couple of our sessions with the game, we discuss its features and on-court experience, break down the results of a simulated season, and draw comparisons to the 16-bit and PC versions. We also join the community in discussing which vers...

We've recently been connecting to play Konami's NBA Starting Five 2005, which was a Japanese-exclusive release. That has inspired us to take an in-depth look at the game, in which we break down its classic teams and other content, and share our impressions of its gameplay, modes, presentation, and other features. We also join the community in discussing whether we would've bought it in addition to...

Namo Gamo has announced Super Basketball Classics, a follow-up to the original Basketball Classics released back in 2019. The new game is a throwback to the 16-bit era of basketball gaming, and will also feature the Harlem Globetrotters. This week, we share our thoughts on what we know about Super Basketball Classics so far, and also make some suggestions regarding what we'd like to see in terms o...

A new MVP mixtape trailer has been posted for NBA The Run, which is scheduled for release at some point in 2026. This week, we react to the trailer and the latest information on the game, courtesy of a recently re-posted Q&A that Play By Play Studios held on X back in December. The community also weighs in with their thoughts on the latest previews, including their level of excitement and how much...

Bam Adebayo now owns the second-highest mark for scoring in a single NBA game with 83 points; a performance that has certainly drawn mixed reactions from fans and pundits alike. This week, we join the community in giving our thoughts on Bam's 83-point game, and discuss what we believe separates legitimate records and other statistical feats from manufactured accomplishments. The post NLSC Podcast...

There's a lot of fun to be had taking on the CPU solo or co-operatively in basketball video games. However, we also have countless fond memories of epic battles with friends, family, and online opponents. This week, we join the community in recalling the best players we've ever faced on the virtual hardwood, and some of the lessons that we took from those showdowns. We also recap a fun game of NBA...

At this point, it's undeniable that tanking has become a huge problem in the NBA, with Commissioner Adam Silver openly pledging to fix the issue. We have our own thoughts on the matter of course, so this week we join the community in discussing our opinions of tanking and the impact that it's had on the league, as well as some possible solutions that might at least curb it. The post NLSC Podcast #...

NBA 2K has been packed full of retro content for over a decade now, but despite some major additions, the overall quality still leaves us wanting. This week, we join the community in discussing how we'd enhance the retro content in future NBA 2K games, from fixes that are absolutely essential to some more ambitious ideas that would make the historical teams and players even more fun to use. The po...

It's Michael Jordan's 63rd Birthday, so we're taking the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion about His Airness! In addition to listing some of MJ's biggest accomplishments and recalling our favourite memories of him in real life - both with the Bulls and the Wizards - we discuss his interesting history in basketball video games. We also read out some of the community's favourite real life a...

Another NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and it's inspired us to reflect on some of the most notable midseason swaps. To that end, this week we're reacting to Complex's list of the Top 20 trade deadline deals in league history. We also join the community in recalling memorable deals that our favourite teams have made - or could've made - as well as franchise mode trades that we can't believe...

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation of NBA 2K games - and their PC ports - saw some fantastic hits, but also a couple of disappointing misses. With that in mind, how would we personally rank the eighth gen NBA 2K releases? That's the challenge before us this week, as we take a look back and rank NBA 2K14 through NBA 2K20 from worst to best. The post NLSC Podcast #617: Ranking NBA 2K on PS4 &...

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you witnessed some of the biggest moments in basketball history? This week, we join the community in recalling how we personally experienced memorable events in hoops - NBA or otherwise - from exciting plays and incredible outcomes to shocking news and other moments that stuck with us. The post NLSC Podcast #616: Witnessing Basketball His...

Recent comments by Paul Pierce and Danny Green regarding Michael Jordan supposedly having a "limited bag" have prompted us to reflect on one of the most commonly used buzzwords in basketball discourse these days. To that end, this week we join the community in discussing what we think having a bag means and looks like, and the players past and present that we believe boast the deepest bags. The po...

Who are the most dominant players when they're controlled by the CPU in basketball video games? This week, we join the community in discussing some of the most unguardable players on the virtual hardwood, at least when they're in the hands of the AI. We also reflect on the frustration of not always being able to light it up with those same players ourselves, and mention a few players who haven't b...

Happy New Year, fellow basketball gamers and hardcore hoop heads! As 2026 gets underway, we're tipping things off by joining the community in discussing our plans for this year when it comes to basketball gaming and real basketball alike. We also reflect on the most recent game in our co-op Chicago Bulls Association in NBA 2K9, which saw us pick up a very satisfying victory. The post NLSC Podcast...

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. The post NLSC Podcast #612:...

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 playe...

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 perspect...

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 na...

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...

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. The post NLSC Podcast #607: New to Basketball? These Are The Players To Study appeared first on NLSC...

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...

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 t...

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 h...