2K Sports has released the latest entry in its long running NBA 2K franchise, and fans and newcomers both know what to expect with this new title- a healthy mix of some great basketball gameplay, with some heaping of microtransactions by the side, too.
As is often the case with sports games, there is a lot going on in NBA 2K18– there are a lot of mechanics for moment to moment gameplay, a metagame to keep track of, loads of modes, and more. In this guide, we walk you through some basic tips and tricks, the best ways to score, player ratings, MyCareer Guide, upgrading players, Neighborhood Guide, and the game’s Achievements/Trophies.
Without further ado, let’s get started:
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Pass, pass, pass! Bounce passes, chest passes, lead passes, try everything, and keep your player, as well as the ball in play, moving
- Don’t mash the sprint button- instead, use it strategically. You don’t want to tire your players out- this is a marathon, not a race
- Understand each player on your team- each of them plays differently, and a one size fits all approach will not work. Instead, alter your play style so that it is uniquely suited to each individual player, and all their quirks, on your team
- Practice with your team, learn their sets, and learn their plays
NEIGHBORHOOD MODE
The Neighborhood Mode in NBA 2K18 is a rather impressive open world mode added to the franchise for the very first time- and a kind of abstraction that I have to imagine will become more commonplace in all sports games in the years to come.
There are different facilities in this hub, and each has a different function- allow us to walk you through these.
- Team Training Facility: Train here to earn badges. You can find this behind the statue at the end of the street
- MyCourt HighRise: Watch NBA 2K18TV, access the closet, and the full-size court here
- TheVenue: This is where you go for VC wagers
- VC Sports Management: Engage with your agent to work on your sponsorship deals
- King of the Court: A minigame arena
- G-Training Facility: Train here to increase your Level Cap. You can also head to the Gatorade Fuel Bar to use VC and buy items that increase your Turbo. This facility is next to the Team Training Facility
- Dunk Off Court: Another minigame arena
MYCAREER
MyCareer is a great mode- you create your own player, and then you lead that player through, well, their career. Really, it’s the closest thing to a traditional single player mode the series has.
If you are new to this shebang, here are some general pointers:
- Practise in the Proving Grounds. This is a good chance to get acquainted with how your player plays, the mechanics, and so on- especially since, and this part is important, it doesn’t matter how you do in these matches. MyCareer will progress anyway, so just feel free to treat these games as a bit of a blank canvas
- Create your player carefully. Pick your abilities carefully, and make sure they suit the position, build, and gameplay style you favor the most
- If you don’t like the feel of your player, ditch and restart. Don’t do this right away, however- give it a while, but if you aren’t coming around to how your player feels, it might be best to cut your losses before you become too entrenched
UNLIMITED VIRTUAL CURRENCY AND MONEY CHEAT
Remember those microtransactions I talked about before? NBA 2K18 is full of them. The actual game is great to play, but unfortunately, 2K went too far in the direction of including microtransactions this time around, to the extent that the entire game seems balanced around them.
Realistically, you can bypass them by earning VC in game- but at the current rate of VC earning, it would take forever to get anything done. Which is why, for once, I don’t actually feel too bad recommending some alternate cheats that can net you a lot of VC. Check out the videos below for more:
UPGRADING PLAYERS AND UNLOCKING BADGES
Upgrading Players
Before we proceed, it is imperative to note that you actually have a lot of VC on hand- since it is necessary to upgrade your player. Maybe look into the cheats we have published in the previous section…?
Once you have the requisite VC on hand, press Triangle, X, or Y (depending on what system you are playing on), and select ‘Attributes, Badges, and More’. Press Up, and upgrade your attributes with VC here.
You can also participate in drills to upgrade your players, but that turns out to be a slower process.
Unlocking Badges
- Tireless Scorer: 200 shot attempts while the energy bar is red, and this badge is yours
- Hustle Rebounder: Grab down 70 offensive and 250 defensive rebounds
- One Man Fast Break: If you want this badge, score 100 times while on a fast break in one single season
- Brick Wall: 100 screens in a single season will get you this badge
- Lob City Finisher: Make 15 successful lobs- this one is again one of the easier ones
- Difficult Shots: As the name suggests, this one is a bit of a harder one- hit 100-200 pull and hop shots that are contested to get this one
- Catch and Shoot: 100 scores in a single season made via catching and/or shooting gets you this badge
- Deep Range Deadeye: While the ball is being contested, hit 100 deep range shots
- Limitless Range: Hit 50 long-range shots before the hash mark
- Posterizer: You need to be a bit aggressive for this one- making 15 contact dunks in a single season unlocks this badge for you
- Drop Stepper: Execute 30-drop step moves
- Relentless Finisher: 75 contact layups will get you this badge
- Anklebreaker: You will need to pull off 200 double moves leading to a score in a single season to get the badge
- Dimer: Get 300 assists in a single season
- Pick and Roll maestro: Calling for 150 screens in one season gets you this badge
- Lob City Passer: Execute 50 alley-oops in within one season
- Flashy Passer: 50 flash passes in a season will unlock this badge for you
- Corner Specialist: Get twenty five 3-point shots in a single season- this one is actually one of the easier ones to get
- Acrobat: Perform 15 reverse layups and 5 change shot layups in a single season
- Putback King: You can unlock this badge by scoring multiple putbacks
- Pick and Roller: Performing 100 pick and rolls in a season will unlock this badge
- Tear Dropper: Make 50 floaters in one season
- Dream Like Up and Under: Perform 50 up and under shots in one season
- Charge Card: Seven charges will get you this one
- Pick Dodger: Yes, this one requires you to be less of a purist- use turbo to fight through screens, which will unlock this badge for you
- Pick Pocket: Cause a loose ball 50 times
- Pick and Popper: Score 200 times as the pick and pop man to unlock this badge
ALL TIME PLAYER RATINGS FOR EACH TEAM
A new feature in NBA 2K18 lets you build a fantasy team for each franchise featuring some of the all time best players that have ever played for that team- a feature that is also useful in that it numerically ranks said players by ratings. Below, you will find the players that are on the roster of the All Time XI for each franchise.
Portland Trail Blazers
Starters:
- Damian Lillard (89)
- Clyde Drexler (96)
- Jerome Kersey (87)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (89)
- Bill Walton (95)
Bench:
- Arvydas Sabonis (88)
- Terry Porter (87)
- Kiki Vandeweghe (86)
- C.J. McCollum (86)
- Zach Randolph (85)
- Kevin Duckworth (85)
- Rod Strickland (85)
- Isaiah Rider (84)
- Nicolas Batum (83)
- Wesley Matthews (83)
Sacramento Kings
Starters:
- Oscar Robertson (97)
- Mitch Richmond (94)
- Peja Stojakovic (88)
- Chris Webber (93)
- Jerry Lucas (94)
Bench:
- Nate Archibald (93)
- DeMarcus Cousins (90)
- Mike Bibby (88)
- Vlade Divac (88)
- Reggie Theus (85)
- Jason Williams (84)
- Antoine Carr (84)
- Rudy Gay (83)
- Tyreke Evans (83)
- Doug Christie (83)
San Antonio Spurs
Starters:
- Tony Parker (94)
- George Gervin (96)
- Kawhi Leonard (94)
- Tim Duncan (98)
- David Robinson (96)
Bench:
- Manu Ginobili (93)
- Sean Elliott (87)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (86)
- Bruce Bowen (86)
- Artis Gilmore (85)
- Dennis Rodman (84)
- Avery Johnson (83)
- Danny Green (83)
- Vinny Del Negro (81)
- Robert Horry (80)
Toronto Raptors
Starters:
- Kyle Lowry (88)
DeMar DeRozan (89)
Vince Carter (95)
Chris Bosh (92)
Antonio Davis (85)
Bench:
- Doug Christie (84)
- Jonas Valanciunas (81)
- Louis Williams (81)
- Amir Johnson (80)
- Terrence Ross (80)
- Damon Stoudamire (86)
- Tracy McGrady (84)
- Morris Peterson (84)
- Jose Calderon (84)
- Alvin Williams (80)
Boston Celtics
Starters:
- Bob Cousy (95)
- Bill Russell (98)
- John Havlicek (96)
- Paul Pierce (94)
- Larry Bird (98)
Bench:
- Kevin Garnett (91)
- Isaiah Thomas (89)
- Rajon Rondo (89)
- Ray Allen (88)
- Tom Heinsohn (88)
- Kevin McHale (95)
- Dave Cowens (94)
- Robert Parish (93)
- Sam Jones (92)
- Antoine Walker (87)
Brooklyn Nets
Starters:
- Julius Erving (97)
- Buck Williams (88)
- Brook Lopez (87)
- Jason Kidd (95)
- Drazen Petrovic (90)
Bench:
- Derrick Coleman (87)
- Joe Johnson (87)
- Deron Williams (87)
- Kenyon Martin (86)
- Vince Carter (89)
- Richard Jefferson (87)
- Devin Harris (86)
- Kenny Anderson (86)
- Kendall Gill (86)
- Keith Van Horn (86)
Charlotte Hornets
Starters:
- Kemba Walker (86)
- Alonzo Mourning (88)
- Eddie Jones (88)
- Glen Rice (89)
- Larry Johnson (88)
Bench:
- Dell Curry (85)
- Kendall Gill (85)
- P.J. Brown (83)
- Kenny Gattison (80)
- Al Jefferson (86)
- Muggsy Bogues (85)
- Raymond Felton (81)
- Baron Davis (85)
- Stephen Jackson (83)
Chicago Bulls
Starters:
- Dennis Rodman (93)
- Artis Gilmore (93)
- Derrick Rose (94)
- Michael Jordan (99)
- Scottie Pippen (96)
Bench:
- Luol Deng (86)
- B.J. Armstrong (85)
- Toni Kukoc (85)
- Horace Grant (85)
- Charles Oakley (84)
- Steve Kerr (81)
- Jimmy Butler (90)
- Jerry Sloan (89)
- Bob Love (88)
- Joakim Noah (87)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Starters:
- Brad Daugherty (89)
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas (88)
- Mark Price (91)
- Kyrie Irving (91)
- LeBron James (99)
Bench:
- Campy Russell (86)
- Austin Carr (86)
- Tyrone Hill (85)
- Kevin Love (87)
- Larry Nance (87)
- Ron Harper (86)
- Terrell Brandon (86)
- World B. Free (86)
- Anderson Varejao (83)
- Craig Ehlo (82)
Atlanta Hawks
Starters:
- Dominique Wilkins (94)
- Dikembe Mutombo (92)
- Lou Hudson (91)
- Joe Johnson (89)
- Bob Pettit (95)
Bench:
- Pete Maravich (87)
- Paul Millsap (87)
- Doc Rivers (85)
- Al Horford (85)
- Kevin Willis (87)
- Steve Smith (87)
- Jeff Teague (85)
- Kyle Korver (84)
- Stacey Augmon (81)
- Spud Webb (80)
Denver Nuggets
Starters:
- Fat Lever (90)
- Carmelo Anthony (94)
- Dan Issel (92)
- David Thompson (95)
- Alex English (93)
Bench:
- Nick Van Exel (86)
- Chauncey Billups (86)
- Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (86)
- Allen Iverson (90)
- Dikembe Mutombo (89)
- Kiki Vandeweghe (89)
- Antonio McDyess (88)
- Laphonso Ellis (84)
- Nene (82)
- Danilo Gallinari (81)
Detroit Pistons
Starters:
- Ben Wallace (89)
- Bob Lanier (93)
- Isiah Thomas (96)
- Joe Dumars (93)
- Grant Hill (93)
Bench:
- Jerry Stackhouse (89)
- Richard Hamilton (89)
- Dave Debusschere (89)
- Dave Bing (89)
- Dennis Rodman (89)
- Chauncey Billups (91)
- Bill Laimbeer (87)
- Andre Drummond (85)
- Vinnie Johnson (83)
- Rick Mahorn (80)
Golden State Warriors
Starters:
- Chris Mullin (94)
- Rick Barry (95)
- Wilt Chamberlain (98)
- Steph Curry (96)
- Klay Thompson (90)
Bench:
- Draymond Green (89)
- Sleepy Floyd (88)
- Mitch Richmond (87)
- Kevin Durant (96)
- Nate Thurmond (92)
- Tim Hardaway (90)
- Baron Davis (89)
- Jason Richardson (87)
- Latrell Sprewell (86)
- Monta Ellis (86)
Dallas Mavericks
Starters:
- Dirk Nowitzki (97)
- Shawn Bradley (82)
- Derek Harper (87)
- Rolando Blackman (88)
- Mark Aguirre (88)
Bench:
- Jim Jackson (88)
- Jason Terry (88)
- Jason Kidd (86)
- Tyson Chandler (82)
- Sam Perkins (81)
- J.J. Barea (80)
- Michael Finley (88)
- Jamal Mashburn (88)
- Steve Nash (86)
- Brendan Haywood (80)
Indiana Pacers
Starters:
- Jermaine O’Neal (90)
- Rik Smits (87)
- Mark Jackson (85)
- Ron Artest (88)
- Paul George (91)
Bench:
- Antonio Davis (84)
- Detlef Schrempf (84)
- David West (84)
- Lance Stephenson (83)
- George McGinnis (89)
- Chuck Person (87)
- Jalen Rose (86)
- Roy Hibbert (86)
- Herb Williams (85)
- George Hill (82)
Los Angeles Clippers
Starters:
- Blake Griffin (90)
- Chris Paul (92)
- Corey Maggette (86)
- Bob McAdoo (94)
- DeAndre Jordan (87)
Bench:
- World B. Free (88)
- J.J. Redick (83)
- Eric Bledsoe (82)
- Quentin Richardson (82)
- Jamal Crawford (82)
- Ron Harper (87)
- Danny Manning (86)
- Bill Walton (84)
- Eric Gordon (84)
- Darius Miles (80)
Los Angeles Lakers
Starters:
- Kobe Bryant (98)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (96)
- Shaquille O’Neal (98)
- Magic Johnson (99)
- Jerry West (97)
Bench:
- James Worthy (95)
- George Mikan (94)
- Wilt Chamberlain (91)
- Pau Gasol (90)
- Gail Goodrich (90)
- Elgin Baylor (96)
- Jamaal Wilkes (87)
- Byron Scott (87)
- Michael Cooper (86)
- Derek Fisher (84)
Houston Rockets
Starters:
- Hakeem Olajuwon (98)
- James Harden (94)
- Tracy McGrady (91)
- Clyde Drexler (91)
- Yao Ming (92)
Bench:
- Ralph Sampson (89)
- Steve Francis (88)
- Elvin Hayes (88)
- Kenny Smith (86)
- Otis Thorpe (85)
- Calvin Murphy (90)
- Cuttino Mobley (83)
- Vernon Maxwell (83)
- Patrick Beverley (81)
- Robert Horry (81)
Miami Heat
Starters:
- Alonzo Mourning (94)
- Tim Hardaway (88)
- Dwyane Wade (97)
- LeBron James (99)
- Chris Bosh (88)
Bench:
- Glen Rice (87)
- Rony Seikaly (86)
- Hassan Whiteside (86)
- Eddie Jones (85)
- P.J. Brown (85)
- Shaquille O’Neal (89)
- Steve Smith (84)
- Udonis Haslem (83)
- Brian Grant (83)
- Dan Majerle (82)
Milwaukee Bucks
Starters:
- Bob Dandridge (88)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (99)
- Oscar Robertson (94)
- Sidney Moncrief (93)
- Ray Allen (90)
Bench:
- Vin Baker (87)
- Terry Cummings (87)
- Paul Pressey (85)
- Jon McGlocklin (85)
- Bob Lanier (84)
- Ricky Pierce (84)
- Giannis Antetokoumpo (90)
- Michael Redd (88)
- Brandon Jennings (83)
- Andrew Bogut (83)
Memphis Grizzlies
Starters:
- Marc Gasol (93)
- Mike Conley (87)
- Tony Allen (85)
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim (86)
- Pau Gasol (92)
Bench:
- Mike Bibby (85)
- Jason Williams (84)
- Mike Miller (83)
- Rudy Gay (83)
- Zach Randolph (88)
- Shane Battier (85)
- Byron Scott (80)
- Greg Anthony (80)
- Bonzi Wells (80)
- James Posey (80)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Starters:
- Kevin Love (91)
- Kevin Garnett (97)
- Sam Cassell (87)
- Andrew Wiggins (86)
- Wally Szczerbiak (85)
Bench:
- Karl-Anthony Towns (91)
- Al Jefferson (88)
- Christian Laettner (83)
- Latrell Sprewell (83)
- Stephon Marbury (87)
- Terrell Brandon (86)
- Isaiah Rider (85)
- Ricky Rubio (84)
- Zach LaVine (82)
- Trenton Hassell (80)
New Orleans Pelicans
Starters:
- Baron Davis (90)
- Jamal Mashburn (89)
- Chris Paul (96)
- David West (88)
- Anthony Davis (92)
Bench:
- David Wesley (84)
- Tyson Chandler (83)
- Peja Stojakovic (82)
- Ryan Anderson (82)
- DeMarcus Cousins (88)
- Trevor Ariza (80)
- J.R. Smith (80)
- Eric Gordon (81)
- Jrue Holiday (81)
- Tyreke Evans (81)
New York Knicks
Starters:
- Carmelo Anthony (91)
- Willis Reed (94)
- Walt Frazier (95)
- Allan Houston (89)
- Patrick Ewing (95)
Bench:
- Amar’e Stoudemire (88)
- Dick Barnett (87)
- Earl Monroe (87)
- Mark Jackson (87)
- Charles Oakley (86)
- Kristaps Porzingis (86)
- Dave Debusschere (91)
- Bernard King (89)
- Michael Ray Richardson (88)
- John Starks (88)
Oklahoma City Thunder
Starters:
- Kevin Durant (97)
- Gary Payton (94)
- Russell Westbrook (94)
- Ray Allen (95)
- Shawn Kemp (89)
Bench:
- Spencer Haywood (89)
- Dennis Johnson (89)
- Lenny Wilkens (87)
- Tom Chambers (87)
- Detlef Schrempf (87)
- Serge Ibaka (86)
- Jack Sikma (89)
- Dale Ellis (88)
- James Harden (87)
- Xavier McDaniel (87)
Orlando Magic
Starters:
- Dwight Howard (93)
- Shaquille O’Neal (93)
- Penny Hardaway (93)
- Tracy McGrady (95)
- Grant Hill (86)
Bench:
- Nikola Vucevic (82)
- Brian Shaw (81)
- Bo Outlaw (80)
- Aaron Gordon (80)
- Nick Anderson (85)
- Jameer Nelson (85)
- Horace Grant (84)
- Dennis Scott (84)
- Steve Francis (83)
- Darrell Armstrong (82)
Philadelphia 76ers
Starters:
- Allen Iverson (97)
- Julius Erving (94)
- Billy Cunningham (91)
- Wilt Chamberlain (93)
- Hal Greer (90)
Bench:
- Maurice Cheeks (86)
- Jrue Holiday (84)
- Darryl Dawkins (83)
- Henry Bibby (82)
- Aaron McKie (80)
- Andre Iguodala (87)
- Hersey Hawkins (87)
- George McGinnis (87)
- Doug Collins (87)
- Joel Embiid (86)
Phoenix Suns
Starters:
- Steve Nash (96)
- Paul Westphal (88)
- Shawn Marion (90)
- Tom Chambers (89)
- Amar’e Stoudemire (91)
Bench:
- Dennis Johnson (92)
- Kevin Johnson (90)
- Jason Kidd (88)
- Connie Hawkins (88)
- Larry Nance (88)
- Dan Majerle (87)
- Jeff Hornacek (86)
- Goran Dragic (86)
- Leandro Barbosa (84)
- Cedric Ceballos (84)
Utah Jazz
Starters:
- Karl Malone (97)
- Mark Eaton (89)
- John Stockton (97)
- Pete Maravich (95)
- Adrian Dantley (92)
Bench:
- Gordon Hayward (88)
- Darrell Griffith (87)
- Al Jefferson (84)
- Jeff Hornacek (84)
- Paul Millsap (83)
- Deron Williams (89)
- Andrei Kirilenko (88)
- Rudy Gobert (88)
- Derrick Favors (83)
- Greg Ostertag (80)
Washington Wizards
Starters:
- Elvin Hayes (95)
- Wes Unseld (94)
- John Wall (90)
- Earl Monroe (87)
- Bernard King (86)
Bench:
- Richard Hamilton (84)
- Gheorghe Muresan (84)
- Manute Bol (82)
- Marcin Gortat (82)
- Otto Porter (81)
- Bradley Beal (87)
- Chris Webber (87)
- Larry Hughes (86)
- Rod Strickland (86)
- Rex Chapman (85)
ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES
Kit And Kaboodle
Earn every trophy in NBA 2K18.
I Got You
Throw a long pass using Maximum Passing.
Like A Top
Perform a spin with the Dribble Move button.
Makin’ Adjustments
Make an on-the-fly defensive coaching adjustment during a game.
The First Of Many
Earn a Call-Up in Play Now Online.
Perfection
Win all 10 games of ‘Greatest of All-Time’ in Play Now Online.
Ringer
Beat a Tier 1 team with a team from a lower tier in Play Now Online.
My Every Day Player
Become a starter in the NBA in MyCAREER.
My All-Star
Be named an NBA All-Star in MyCAREER.
Draft, Schmaft
Win the Rookie of the Year award in MyCAREER.
Puttin’ In Work
Complete a full-team practice in MyCAREER.
Badge of Honor
Earn a badge in MyCAREER.
Badge of Extreme Honor
Level up a badge to Hall of Fame in MyCAREER.
Capped Out
Max out all of your badges in MyCAREER.
Half Court…Check
Play a game of Downtown, King of the Court, or Dunk Off in MyCAREER.
You Do Know Jack
Correctly answer a trivia question in the 2K Zone in MyCAREER.
Rat-A-Tat-Tat
Get a tattoo from the Tattoo Shop in MyCAREER.
Let Doc Do His Thing
Get a haircut from the Barber Shop in MyCAREER.
The Juice is Loose
Get a juice from the Juice Stand in MyCAREER.
You Been Working Out?
Use every piece of gym equipment in MyCAREER.
I Spy Spalding
Find the Spalding IQ equipment in the team practice facility in MyCAREER.
Grindin’ Away
Achieve an overall rating of 90 in MyCAREER.
I Got This
Win a bet with Doc in MyCAREER.
Unleash Chaos
Have two consecutive breakout games in the NBA in MyCAREER.
King of Kings
Achieve a 10 game win streak on King of the Court in MyCAREER.
Inception
Play a game of NBA 2K18 against a friend in your MyCOURT.
In The Zone
Score 50 points in the mini basketball game in the 2K Zone in MyCAREER.
Marathon Man
Run 26.2 miles in the streets in MyCAREER.
No ‘I’ In Team
Join or Own a 2K Pro-Am Team.
Get Your Feet Wet
Complete a 2K Pro-Am Walk-On game.
What’s It Going To Be?
Make the pivotal decision for your franchise in MyGM.
Thanks, But No Thanks
Renounce the rights to one of your players in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
Hope And A Dream
Sign a player to a Two-Way contract in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
The Draft And Stash
Draft a player that will remain overseas in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
Metric Analysis
Perform a stat plot using the Analytics Tool in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
Call-Up Time
Sign a player from the G-League to a contract in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
Development Time
Send a player down to the G-League in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
Just Say No
Purchase a Card Pack in MyTEAM.
297 Problems and Domination IS One!
Earn 297 Stars by completing all Domination modes in MyTEAM.
More Work?
Complete a checklist goal in MyTEAM.
Work Complete
Complete all checklist goals in MyTEAM.
Double Trouble
Play a game with two players who form a duo in MyTEAM.
Sweet Sapphire
Complete a Round ranked Sapphire or higher in MyTEAM Super Max.
Ruby Reign
Complete a Season ranked Ruby or higher in MyTEAM Super Max.
Gimme A Boost
Purchase a skill boost at the Newsstand in MyCAREER.
Fish Knows Best
Listen to the fish in your MyCOURT.
On The Rise
Win as a member of a Pro-Level or higher 2K Pro-Am team.
Man With A Plan
State your intentions for your franchise in MyGM.
On The Dotted Line
Acquire a Signature Player in MyTEAM.
One of…
Acquire a Numbered Player in MyTEAM.
It Isn’t Over Yet
Use a lifeline in Pack and Playoffs in MyTEAM.