Basketball fans are ready to return to the parquet, with the most eagerly awaited annual event in the gaming sector. It has in fact officially arrived on the shelves (physical and virtual) NBA 2K24, the new game dedicated to the world of basketball. An edition that chose to pay homage to one of the most iconic numbers 24 in the history of sport. We are talking about Kobe Bryantlegend of the Los Angeles Lakers who tragically passed away some time after his retirement, here is the protagonist of the cover and of a special mode entirely dedicated to him.
NBA 2K24, all the news about the game
Despite being an annual title, NBA 2K24 brings some new features that will surely win over fans of the genre. Starting from ProPLAYa new technology that will help make the most of the actions on the parquet for the new generation consoles.
It has also been updated for the latter The city, becoming even more alive and explorable. Day and night will liven up the spaces, where we will be able to dedicate ourselves to many exciting games and slowly build our player’s path from humble beginnings to the Hall of Fame to compete for the title of GOAT, Greatest Of All Time.
And speaking of adults, the most important new feature in this edition of NBA 2K24 is certainly the mode Mamba Moments, which we mentioned above. As the name suggests, which recalls Black Mamba, the nickname used by Kobe Bryant during his career, it will be a part of the game entirely dedicated to the great champion.
It will surely make the happiness of the people biggest fans of this playerbecause it will allow you to retrace his entire career. We will start from the beginning and his youthful adventures, up to his triumphs and consecration, reliving all the key moments. A unique emotion to experience with the pad in your hand, remembering how much this player meant to the world of basketball, on and off the court.
From champion to champion
On the occasion of the launch of NBA 2K24, we had the opportunity to speak with a great champion who is passionate about basketball, namely Simon Barlaam, gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and fresh off six triumphs at the World Swimming Championships in Manchester this summer. We talked to him about how important video games are for professional athletes, but also of his love for basketball. Here’s how it went…
What is your relationship with gaming and video games in general?
In general I am what many call casual gamers. I’m very casual. But if there are games that I’m passionate about, I’ll gladly look into them. Lately I’ve been using the Nintendo Switch a lot which is convenient to carry around. I play in college or on trips, on the train, on the plane. I use those moments to give myself some time to just play with myself. Or when I’m in the company of friends and playing games locally, maybe even just trivia that many of you can do with your phone, or clearly 2K games like sports games, which you can participate in together.
Speaking of which, I imagine you’ve already tried NBA 2K24: how did you like it? What are your immediate impressions?
Really nice, I can’t wait to have it so I can look through it properly. There are a lot of modes. The first one I would try is definitely the Mamba Moments, which must be really nice. Obviously after having understood the commands as best as possible. There is also the mode with the simplest controls which is often one of the obstacles for those approaching 2K. Obviously basketball is a sport with thousands of variations and therefore transferring it to a video game with four buttons in front and four in the back is not so simple. Even just the fact that on a graphical level you can see a player age over time, depending on the year you get him, is a really cool thing that they’ve done. I can’t wait to try it, but I’m very confident.
What is the relationship of an athlete with sports games? Could it be a way to “switch off” without losing concentration?
It is true! Especially in team games, for example, for me as I play a very individual sport, you experience them much more as games than as sports. Then in the ways more related to the career side it becomes interesting to discover what a colleague of yours from another country, from another sport, from another world experiences. But at the same time you already know better or worse what you are facing so it is relatively nothing new for you. So yes, I like it both because I’m very passionate about basketball and I know all the players, and as a way to get together with friends and use the game to spend time together, more than just something for me.
One last question, speaking of basketball and the NBA: regardless of who the GOAT is, who do you think is the player who best embodies the essence of basketball in history?
I’m always torn between two. I am very close to Kobe Bryant, but I believe that the essence of basketball is MJ, Michael Jordan. It’s a very obvious answer, but he’s basketball, he’s what made basketball what it is.
A nice chat with Simon Barlaamwaiting to be able to fully dive in NBA 2K24. And you, have you already taken it? How did you like this title? Have you already embarked on Kobe’s historic exploits?
NBA 2K24 is available per PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch e PC.