Why I Love You... NBA 2K

With Christmas gone I just want to take the time to discuss one of the most important video game franchises of my life... NBA 2k. Our love affair started in early 2001 when a young 5 year old played his first game of NBA 2k2. I was young and dumb and didn't know much about basketball except for Mike, Kobe and Shaq. Then we progress to 2K3 where I started getting a better feel for the game and used Iverson more often. The real maturity came when I got 2k5 with Ben Wallace on the cover. It was one of the top games of my childhood. This is for two reasons.

1) I played it for 4 years because I didn't get another game until 2K9

2) LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, and Dwyane Wade were all present in the game but I stuck to the Cavs with the yellow hardwood classic jersey.

I remember the day I got 2K9. I was making a deposit and my cousin came in the house looking for me. He gave me the game as a late birthday present and I was so happy that I took it and embraced him without even washing my hands. 2K9 was a continuation of my obsessive use of the Cavaliers and LeBron James, every game I played LeBron was there. Bulls vs Cavs, Spurs vs Cavs, Grizzlies vs Cavs, 2K Development Team vs Cavs...

Then comes 2k11 that game was significant because it was my first time creating a My Player, and the triumphant return of Michael Jordan, 10 years since I controlled him on the PS2. The collectible Jordans caused my new found love for sneakers and the Jordan challenges were simply magnificent. One of the proudest moments of my life was when I did the Flu Game after two attempts in one sitting. My first MP was a 6'9 big man from Haiti named Deon Sandford. After some annoying rookie showcases with the ball hogging John Wall I was drafted by the Grizzlies and immediately wanted a trade after 7 games with an average of 4ppg. My last day at Memphis, the fans were chanting "TRAAAAAADE HIM, TRAAAAAAADE HIM!!" while I was shooting my free throws. I went to OKC where Kevin Durant and I kept fighting over who was the best on the team. My career high 44 point game proved my dominance.

2k12 brought in more classic match-ups and blew me away with the Greatest Challenges. My favorite was the Pippen challenge where I scored over 30 with Scottie and only 9 with Mike.

 I got 2k13 as a Christmas gift and I’m currently in a career with the Rockets. Let's hope that goes well...

2k increased my love for basketball, introduced me to players I haven't heard of and gave me something to do on my weekends instead of getting out of the house and mingling. There were some memories that weren't good. From getting pissed off because T-Mac was impossible to defend in 2k5 to popping the left trigger off my controller from throwing it because I got mad that I blew an 18 point lead to the Kings in 2k12. But I had more victorious ones such as a game winning near half court 3 with Nick Young in Association mode 2k11, clutch 3 pointer with Anthony Parker in 2k12, and 40 point games with LeBron throughout. NBA 2k has been a larger than life figure in my life and millions of others.

And that's why I love you- NBA 2K