NBA 2K18 will bring two new forms of retro teams into the game this year, with the introduction of all-time teams for all 30 franchises, as well as classic teams from the past two decades. The all-time teams are a collection of players from each franchise’s history, which make for an All-Star team of sorts for each franchise.
The classic teams, however, are just a team from the past that was iconic in some way or another, and the game is bringing them back to life for the current gamer to get a chance to play with.
In total, there are 17 classic teams on NBA 2K18. Originally, 16 teams were announced, but a late addition brought the “We Believe” Warriors from 2007-08 into the mix, to the delight of Baron Davis and others.
Aye @Ronnie2K we all the way back !!! With this one !! @NBA2K #NBA2k pic.twitter.com/CNXYfKYWqD
— Baron Davis (@BaronDavis) August 23, 2017
Three franchises, the Warriors, Knicks, and Grizzlies, got two classic teams in the game each, while the other 11 squads are from different franchises. Below, you can find a list of the full 17 classic teams that will be available to play in NBA 2K18, rosters for each team can be found by clicking on the team name.
1996-97 Heat: The Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning led squad that won 61 regular season games, only to run into the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1998-99 Knicks: Allan Houston, Patrick Ewing, and company made the franchise’s most recent trip to the Finals, losing to the Spurs.
2001-02 Kings: A legendary squad with Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Peja Stojakovic that was the West’s top seed, but fell to the Lakers in a classic Western Conference Finals.
2001-02 Nets: The team that met the Lakers in those Finals, led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin.
2003-04 Lakers: The All-Star Lakers, with Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Shaq, and Kobe that stunningly lost to the Pistons in the Finals.
2004-05 Spurs: One of only two title winning teams on the list. This was arguably the peak of Tim Duncan’s prime.
2005-06 Grizzlies: Pau Gasol’s finest ride during his time in Memphis is commemorated in this game.
2006-07 Warriors: The “We Believe” Warriors with Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and others that stunned the top seeded Mavs in the first round.
2007-08 Nuggets: The Allen Iverson year in Denver, in which he paired with Carmelo Anthony and averaged 26.4 points per game on an 8-seed.
2007-08 Hornets: Chris Paul and David West’s finest season together in New Orleans in which they were the 2-seed in the West.
2010-11 Bulls: You can relive the glory days of young, uninjured Derrick Rose with his MVP season squad.
2010-11 Mavericks: The other title winners on the list, as Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, and company took down the Heat in the Finals.
2011-12 Knicks: The other lockout Knicks make the list, meaning they’re bringing Linsanity back to the video game world.
2011-12 Thunder: The Thunder’s closest run to a title with James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook, before Harden was dealt away.
2012-13 Grizzlies: The peak of the Grit N Grind era was the 2012-13 squad that made it to the Western Conference Finals.
2013-14 Pacers: This was the finest of the Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson teams, that consistently ran into LeBron James’ Heat in the playoffs.
2015-16 Warriors: The greatest regular season team in NBA history, that managed to blow a 3-1 Finals lead.
