NBA 2K23: 10 Awesome ‘What If’ Scenarios To Try Out In MyNBA

The latest addition to the hallowed NBA 2K franchise is NBA 2K23 and with it comes a brand new spin on the MyNBA mode. The “eras” aspect of it allows gamers to take over the league at various points throughout the past few decades, meaning you can rewrite history.

That has set the table for some of the most creative gamers of NBA 2K to come up with interesting ideas on how they want to play. Do they move legendary players to teams they never played for? Do they try to interrupt a dynasty? The possibilities make for a great case of ‘what if.’

No Injuries To Certain Great Players

Whenever the topic of ‘what if’ in sports comes up, there’s always mention of great players who had their careers shortened by injuries. In the NBA, that includes the likes of Grant Hill, Derrick Rose, Penny Hardaway, Brandon Roy, and so many others.

With MyNBA Eras, you can experience what their careers could’ve been. If Rose never goes down, do the Bulls topple the Big Three Heat before they ever win? Could Grant Hill have reached Jordan’s level? Maybe you could even make sure Paul George and Kawhi Leonard stayed healthy on the modern Clippers. These are the things you can discover or make happen.

Test Players In Different Eras

The game offers up an interesting setup where you can place players in different eras. Some fans have already taken to YouTube to show off what this experiment would be like. For example, basketball fans have always wondered what LeBron James would be like if he played in the hard-hitting ’90s.

You can give that a shot and try so many other things out. Would Stephen Curry be able to succeed in a league without three-pointers? Would Michael Jordan still be the GOAT in today’s era of shooting and more versatile players?

Win Titles With The Best Teams To Never Do So

The history of the NBA is littered with teams that were among the best ever, only to fall just short of winning a championship. MyNBA will allow you to try and rectify that, whether it be the 73-9 2016 Golden State Warriors or the 2002 Sacramento Kings.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg too. Maybe you can bring a title to Utah the way that the great teams of the ’90s couldn’t or maybe you can turn things around for the 2007 Mavericks who lost in the first round. There are so many teams you can help revisit their destiny.

Stop Michael Jordan’s Dynasty

The Chicago Bulls are one of sport’s greatest dynasties, winning three straight titles in the early ’90s and three more in a row later in the decade. Teams like the SuperSonics, Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Lakers all had a shot at stopping them.

Now, you have the chance to do just that. The beauty of this mode is that you can try to pull it off with one of those teams or go a totally different route as other top ’90s squads like the Rockets, Knicks, Pacers, or so many others.

More Magic vs. Bird

One of the eras in the game is known simply as “Magic vs. Bird.” These two icons had their careers intertwined from the day they were drafted and they met several times in the NBA Finals, adding to the storied Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry, the subject of HBO’s Winning Time series.

They were friendly rivals and they helped save the league but what if they faced off even more frequently? The few years where they didn’t clash in the finals could be changed and you could truly see which of these legends had the upper hand.

Draft Michael Jordan Somewhere Else

When it comes to the NBA Draft, fans always feel for the Portland Trail Blazers, who famously missed out on two all-time great players. In 2007, they took Greg Oden over Kevin Durant and in 1984, they selected Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan.

So, what if they didn’t make that call and instead actually drafted Michael Jordan? That would change the course of history and maybe the Blazers become champions. You could also have a completely different team end up with him since the game starts the season before he comes out.

Keep Kobe & Shaq Together

The Lakers are the last team in major American sports to three-peat as champions, doing so from 2000 until 2002. They lost to the Spurs in 2003 and then got trounced in the 2004 NBA Finals, ending the era of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal as a duo.

The two greats had famous arguments and some issues that prevented them from growing together and possibly winning more. Well, you get the chance to win a fourth or fifth straight title with them or even go further by keeping them together.

Win 8 Straight With Michael Jordan

As noted, Michael Jordan’s Bulls won three straight titles from 1991 to 1993 and then again from 1996 to 1998. The main thing that kept them from winning more was that Jordan retired in the middle to try his hand at baseball.

With MyNBA, you can see what would’ve happened if he stuck around. You can control the Bulls and try to win those years that Jordan wasn’t fully around, going for eight straight titles, which only happened back in the ’60s with Bill Russell.

Mix & Match Eras

It’s one thing to put a player like Curry or James in a past era and even to move Hakeem Olajuwon and Kobe Bryan into the modern era. However, it’s a totally different case to move entire teams over.

Doing this would allow you to play out the games everyone has only discussed hypothetically in the past. The Kevin Durant Warriors against the ’90s Bulls or the Kobe and Shaq team against the Showtime Lakers are possibilities. Maybe make a league of the 30 greatest teams ever and see what happens.

Change The 2003 Draft

There’s always an argument for which draft class is the best in NBA history with 1984, 1996, and 2003 all being mentioned. In this case, you can change up the 2003 Draft and change the modern era completely.

What if LeBron James didn’t go to Cleveland or what if Dwyane Wade didn’t end up in Miami? You could even change things around and see if Darko Milicic can have a successful career. Maybe the Pistons, a year away from an NBA Title, select Carmelo Anthony and go for more offense.