Over the last decade or so, the NBA 2K games have been the go-to option for every fan who wants to enjoy a good basketball game. Of course, the NBA 2K games aren't perfect. If anything, their popularity has been decreasing rapidly in the last few years.
But still, due to a lack of choice, most fans end up buying or playing it in one way or another. Speaking of why the game is not as beloved today as it once was, there are several reasons playing a role in that.
For starters, the game has seemingly become repetitive in recent times. Fans feel like they are playing the same NBA 2K game with just the latest team patch. Hopefully, 2K can fix this issue with the release of NBA 2K23.
Apart from this, another issue is the fact that legends of the sport, such as Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, have been missing from several editions of the game. The reason why they aren't in the game is due to the fact that they are not compensated by 2K for using them in the games.
In fact, Charles Barkley once went on a rant about why he is not on NBA 2K games. He explained that due to the fact that 2K games are not providing compensation to other retired players who might not be as financially sound as others, he will never make an appearance in the game.
The reason I am not on 2K is because they would not give me money. They make a lot of money on that game. What I said to them was we as players have not done enough for the retired players' association.
That's a perfectly reasonable reason for not allowing 2K to feature him in the game. Fortunately, it feels like the NBA has taken a step in the right direction. The league announced to pay $24.5 million to former ABA players to help them have a decent life.
Keeping that in mind, it could also mean that 2K might pay some amount to retired players as well. If that's the case, then we might finally see the likes of Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller appear in NBA 2K games.
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