NBA 2K25 Facing Backlash for Removal of Fan Favorite Players

NBA 2K25 is set to officially release on September 6, 2024. The popular basketball game is a staple for sports fans, especially this time of year as the NBA season approaches.

With several different game modes, one of the elements fans love most about NBA 2K is the ability to revisit different eras with classic teams. This often includes teams like the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers and Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls, or more recent classic teams like the Kevin Durant era Golden State Warriors and Lob City LA Clippers.

In a post on X from popular basketball content creator and YouTuber @doubledworth, it was revealed that some fan favorite players are no longer in NBA 2K:

Players no longer on the game, just that we’ve seen:

John Wall (All Time Wizards)
Serge Ibaka (‘12 Thunder)
Andre Iguodala (‘16, ‘17 Warriors)
Blake Griffin (‘14 Clippers)

😂
— Denver (@doubledworth) September 3, 2024

This is due to the company no longer having rights to these players now that they are out of the NBA, but that has not stopped 2K from facing backlash for not finding a way to keep these fan favorite players in the game.

"All those teams are basically worthless now lmao," @KingWRLD3x wrote.

All those teams are basically worthless now lmao
— Wavy🏄🏾‍♂️ (@KingWRLD3x) September 3, 2024

"Come on bruh this is ridiculous," @__DeBe___ added.

Come on bruh this is ridiculous
— DeBe (@__DeBe___) September 3, 2024

"Whats the point of the Lob City Clippers being there without Blake," @HR_6IX responded.

Whats the point of the Lob City Clippers being there without Blake 💀
— 🎩 (@HR_6IX) September 3, 2024

"2k got the worst players rights team of all time dead serious," @MattTalksBall wrote.

2k got the worst players rights team of all time dead serious https://t.co/hRHMzJi63F
— Matt (@MattTalksBall) September 3, 2024

"If I can’t rebuild the early 2010s Wizards, I will not be buying," @alex_vs_wizards said.

If I can’t rebuild the early 2010s Wizards, I will not be buying https://t.co/xl1BwV03a4
— Alex (@alex_vs_wizards) September 3, 2024

As fans have pointed out, the removal of players like Griffin and Wall completely removes any desire to use their classic teams in the game. Both players were also fan favorites for MyTeam, an Ultimate Team mode where fans can build their own team with any collection of players from different eras.

While Wall is still attempting an NBA comeback, Griffin announced his retirement earlier this summer.

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