Why are the classic teams so popular?

[timbeau0805]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

It's too bad that today's NBA will most likely never see the kind of heated rivalries it used to.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

Hands down the NBA was better back in the 80s and 90s. Today the league is full of prima donnas who will play for the highest dollar.

In the 80s you had the following rivalries:

Lakers/Celtics

Bulls/Pistons

Pistons/Lakers

Hawks/Cavs

Pistons/Celtics

In the 90s you had:

Bulls/Knicks

Bulls/Pacers

Knicks/Pacers

Sonics/Blazers

Rockets/Knicks

Rockets/Hawks

I mean hell it was too many rivalries to name. Jordan against Bird. Bird & Magic. Hakeen & Ewing. Hakeem & Moses Malone. Parish & Kareem. Jordan & Reggie Miller. Malone & Rodman.

Seriously in the regular season it was intense, but came playoff times you knew somebody was going end up with stiches before the series was over. They actually battled.

Took more skill back then to play. Now they got zone defense, a shorter 3pt line, ticky tack fouls.

[RoyceDa59]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

Even though I am 23 right now I watched a lot of Basketball growing up during the 90's. Basketball seemed more competitive. Every team even if they were bad had its stars from the Hawks to the Clippers, just awesome. From guys like Mookie Blaylock, to Rex Chapman.

[statum71]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

I dont think its any of the options listed. I think it just seems popular online cause most ppl online are old enough to remember the Jordan days. I know if I told anyone I knew who liked basketball that 2K11 had classic teams in it, they wouldn't really care much because they never grew up watching anyone on those classic teams.

Well then the people you know must be young then. I have to disagree. I personally know of 4 to 5 different people I've told that are getting 2K for the first time because they found out about all the greats in the game.

So the notion that people in person wouldn't be intrigued is false.

But then again you said yourself those people didn't grow up watching them. So that wouldn't apply to them anyway. They're too young.

[ybtherockstar]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

I agree with you guys. I think basketball was just more competitive back in the 90's when i started watching basketball. There was more rivalries,more physical play which made it funner to watch. Now there are only a few major stars that have rivalries and like one of you guys said everybody hates kobe and lebron now. So it just brings back memories of the "good ole days" when a game is made like nba 2k11.

[tomriddle]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

the nba landscape is just different now

the league protects its players so much you cannot play physical anymore or enforce the rules of the past.. ie: no layups

I dont know how many of you guys are Bulls/Knicks fans.. but the Knicks specially had a no layups rule and there was one play I can remember

Pippen got the ball on the wing.. drove down the middle intending to slam it.. John Starks clotheslines him down instead of allowing the jam/layup

......it was a flagrant, no suspension, no nothing, Bulls Knicks baby.. it was physical rough play

imagine that play now? Starks woulda been suspended half a season

it just cant happen.. nba's been neutered, so to speak.. and in doing so have taken away the real "Blood hated rivalries" of the past formed out of the battles fought on the court

sad but true

[jdeb8]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

One of the problems is how many more teams there are, there are now 30 teams in the league so the pool of talent is diluted over more teams, imagine if they eliminated 7 teams from todays game. The best players from those 7 teams would be absorbed into the remaining 23 teams and thus the overall average talent of each lineup would be higher. You cant build teams like the Laker/Celtic teams with so many greats because there are just too many teams.

I also think the players just played harder, I too was a die hard knicks fan in the 90's even though we never won, they were still a great team to root for.

Go & watch some replays of Knicks/Rockets NBA finals games.. say Game 6 which was a nice intense one. Watch that game and pay attention to the hustle, effort and leave it all on the court attitude you could see in the players. People are going break neck on every play. The crowd was so much more into the games too.

After that go & watch Game 7 of last years NBA finals between lakers/celtics and just see the difference in the level of effort, hustle & determination.

I think a big part of it is nostalgia too, NBA games started mainly in the 90's and so those of us who grew up playing NBA games, fell in love with the NBA back then and so now that we get a chance to take some of those teams out for a run again.. its just awesome!

I wish the bench's were in the game too

[statum71]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

One of the problems is how many more teams there are, there are now 30 teams in the league so the pool of talent is diluted over more teams, imagine if they eliminated 7 teams from todays game. The best players from those 7 teams would be absorbed into the remaining 23 teams and thus the overall average talent of each lineup would be higher. You cant build teams like the Laker/Celtic teams with so many greats because there are just too many teams.

I can see your point in that. But also free agency plays a big part in how rivalries have died too. If you're a Knick...then be a Knick a hate the dang Bulls. Period!

But the players gotta get that money so we can't blame 'em.

[blklightning]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

Hands down the NBA was better back in the 80s and 90s. Today the league is full of prima donnas who will play for the highest dollar.

In the 80s you had the following rivalries:



I mean hell it was too many rivalries to name. Jordan against Bird. Bird & Magic. Hakeen & Ewing. Hakeem & Moses Malone. Parish & Kareem. Jordan & Reggie Miller. Malone & Rodman.

Seriously in the regular season it was intense, but came playoff times you knew somebody was going end up with stiches before the series was over. They actually battled.

Took more skill back then to play. Now they got zone defense, a shorter 3pt line, ticky tack fouls.

agreed. i don't even watch the nba of today unless it's the finals. 80s-90s nba was great.

[t-mac357]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

It's a combination of both. I gives the game so much more replay ability. Playing with classic teams and NBA legends never gets old.

[Morydees]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

Definitely a combo for me.

[poloelite]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

One of the problems is how many more teams there are, there are now 30 teams in the league so the pool of talent is diluted over more teams, imagine if they eliminated 7 teams from todays game. The best players from those 7 teams would be absorbed into the remaining 23 teams and thus the overall average talent of each lineup would be higher. You cant build teams like the Laker/Celtic teams with so many greats because there are just too many teams.

I also think the players just played harder, I too was a die hard knicks fan in the 90's even though we never won, they were still a great team to root for.

Go & watch some replays of Knicks/Rockets NBA finals games.. say Game 6 which was a nice intense one. Watch that game and pay attention to the hustle, effort and leave it all on the court attitude you could see in the players. People are going break neck on every play. The crowd was so much more into the games too.

After that go & watch Game 7 of last years NBA finals between lakers/celtics and just see the difference in the level of effort, hustle & determination.

I think a big part of it is nostalgia too, NBA games started mainly in the 90's and so those of us who grew up playing NBA games, fell in love with the NBA back then and so now that we get a chance to take some of those teams out for a run again.. its just awesome!

I wish the bench's were in the game too

There is a roster on 2kshare (360) that has all the benches done pretty well. There are like 3 Jordan Challenge modes you can't use them on, but other than that you have full go!!

[_-King-_]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

Like others have said, people want to play as legends on the best basketball game.

[statum71]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

It's a combination of both. I gives the game so much more replay ability. Playing with classic teams and NBA legends never gets old.

Yes. Lots of replay value.

I don't like when people talk about two-year development cycle. But I could easily play this game for 2 years and be happy.

[BrianFifaFan]

Re: Why are the classic teams so popular?

For me it's a combo. I'm 44, and that's when Basketball was at it's peak for me. All of those classic teams are ones I watched during my heyday. To replay all of those classic battles is priceless to me. The irony is that I'll probably play those games more than Association, my normal favorite mode. I can't see myself wanting to play with the Cavs a whole season, and I'm not gonna hop on the bandwagon and take my talents to South Beach! Maybe I'll do the Pacers, they are only 1 1/2 hours away......