Worldwide Sports News

While NBA 2K doesn’t necessarily have a total monopoly on licensed NBA video games, it can sometimes feel like it’s the only shop in town, abusing its position to treat consumers badly. There have been years of griping about the game design and business practices that go into NBA 2K — criticism most of the major sporting franchises face — but consumers are taking the shuttering of 2K25’s online modes harder than usual.

Dexerto’s post has wording that moderately oversimplifies the circumstances. 25 will still be able to be played single player and offline, but, as the article by Cande Maldonado expands upon, the MyCareer and MyTeam modes will become unavailable.

The MyCareer mode, allowing players to create their own NBA stars, has been a cornerstone of the 2K product for years at this point, but since 2019’s NBA 2K20, MyCareer has been irrevocably tied to the game’s online services, which routinely stop being offered roughly two years into the product’s lifespan.

This means that customers are getting a relatively short lifespan out of a purchase that comes upwards of 80 Canadian dollars for its latest entry.

2K’s explanation for this is that “continuing to run online services for both our newer and legacy titles becomes commercially unfeasible,” which from a corporate perspective makes sense, but from a game design perspective, is ludicrous.

MyCareer, historically, was offered as a mode that could be played completely offline, and it was an intentional decision to over-incorporate online features into this part of play. While this has been an ongoing business practice, this year, fans are especially upset, and are directing their ire at NBA 2K.

This Tweet is one of many that expresses frustration towards the 2K franchise, which, as a whole, is not out of the ordinary. Fans of the series complain endlessly about every new game that comes out. To editorialize, the player-base of NBA 2K is in a state of near-constant unrest over updates, monetization, and perceived lack of care that the business side of the game puts into its releases.

While the incessant complaining might seem to be mere petulance (and in some cases, it is), the culture surrounding 2K is one that promotes large scale spending of real dollars for people to create virtual ballplayers, specifically in the MyCareer mode.

NBA 2K is one of its parent company, Take-Two Interactive’s, biggest moneymakers, responsible in large part for a roughly 25% increase in net revenue earlier this year, to the tune of $1.7 billion dollars.

It is a running thread in the community that NBA 2K players express frustration for the state of the game and its aggressive monetization, but follow their comments up by acknowledging that consumers are willing to pay any sum of money to play 2K, regardless of the quality of the title. And it is these types of perspectives that in part drive the type of consumer practices that Take-Two feel they’re able to get away with.

While the behaviour of Take-Two might not be different this year, the reaction from players has certainly been taken up a notch. And while a mass-movement to boycott the game, or call for some reform, could happen, it is unlikely. At this point, any competition is either defunct, in the case of NBA Live, or in a state of infancy, in the case of NBA The Run.

It’s certainly possible for some change in business practices to occur, but until there is either some serious competition, or its player-base shrinks massively, there is little hope for the NBA 2K product to improve in a meaningful sense. Fans of 2K treat the game in such a manner that there is relatively inelastic demand for its services at this point.

To paraphrase Ronald Wright, 2K getting better hasn’t happened yet because its players do not see themselves as exploited consumers, rather, as temporarily embarrassed NBA stars. Hopefully, a hard look in the mirror comes soon for the gamers.

In the spirit of overreacting to one preseason game, everyone is overreacting to Detroit’s preseason opening win against the Phoenix Suns. I am just as guilty as everyone else, but I think people are misdiagnosing the thing worth getting most excited about.

Ausar Thompson, fresh off of signing a new five-year, $155 million deal to become a core member of Detroit’s contending future showed out in his limited minutes against the Suns. The defensive forward scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go with three steals, a couple rebounds, and a couple of assists. Nothing eye-popping, to be sure. So what has everyone excited? The shooting stroke looked clean and the 12-footers were going down. The vision was sharp. The passes were crisp. People walked away thinking he suddenly developed a jump shot or a distributor. That’s true, in a sense, but he’s had those short jumpers in his bag for a while and his vision has always been good.

The true revelation, and the thing that could unlock his game and the Pistons’ potential, is his handle. He looked so much more confident in running the offense and navigating multiple defenders and reads because the handle was tight, and he was in total control of the ball. He could better execute what he’s always seen and processed. In previous years, the handle was so loose that he was dangerously turnover-prone and might be a step or two late with his passes. Not against the Suns. It was peak efficiency (for a non-shooter).

More specifically, it’s the kind of execution that turns Thompson from a total offensive liability that could be schemed against and played off the floor during the playoffs, and suddenly becomes a weapon that allows you to play as many minutes as your endurance and the situation dictate.

Everyone, including the Pistons, knew Thompson’s perimeter shot was lightyears away if it ever comes at all. If he is ever going to be a plus offensive player, it was always going to be because he has the ball in his hands with the ability to use his athleticism and his processing to find opportunities for himself and for teammates closer to the rim. The Pistons wanted to develop those talents last season, but it barely lasted 10 games. They were forced to pivot because it became clear his handle was so janky that it was effectively self-destructive.

At Pistons media day, Ausar talked a lot about being open to being more selfish, which really meant being more aggressive with the ball in his hands.

“I feel like the way I was working on it was stepping out of my comfort zone. You know, being even extra aggressive. Sometimes, you know, I make a lot of the right reads, so sometimes you know, just be a little selfish,” Thompson said.

A Thompson with a tight handle can certainly be more aggressive and, yes, selfish. He will more effectively use his burst to get to the free-throw line, dish out to open teammates when defenders collapse on him, and navigate pick-and-rolls or hedging defenders.

It also allows him to get to his own spots where he will have a more confident and smoother transition into his jumper, even if the range of said jumper is limited to about 16 feet out. Space is space, and a Thompson with an improved handle can create space and take advantage of the space created by his teammates.

That doesn’t mean that Ausar is suddenly destined to score 18 points a game or average seven assists tonight. But it does mean he would have an offensive role on the floor as a primary or secondary ball handler, in high-leverage situations. More importantly, it keeps his All-NBA defense on the floor as much as possible.

It is the kind of thing the Pistons need to be contenders. Ausar showed the promise of the offseason in Game 1 of preseason. React accordingly.

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s unusual for an NBA coach to willingly use their first timeout in the opening minute of a game.

But that’s exactly what Lakers coach JJ Redick did during his short-handed team’s 124-98 blowout loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night at Chase Center after an “insane” start to the game, as Redick put it.

Even within the context of the Lakers being without a significant part of the roster that’s expected to be in their rotation come Opening Night against the Warriors in two weeks. 

The Lakers started Tuesday’s against the Warriors with an offensive possession that nearly used up the entire 24-second shot clock before Sandro Mamukelashvili drove into the paint and turned the ball over, sparking a Warriors fastbreak that ended with Brandin Podziemski knocking down a 3-pointer off a second-chance opportunity.

By the Lakers’ next possession, Redick had already seen enough. 

After just a couple of passes after his team got the ball back, the Lakers coach got up from his seat on the team’s bence to signal for a timeout 52 seconds into the game. 

“When you draw up a first play, and then give them a second play that is a play we’ve scripted for ten days, or whatever it’s been, and they don’t run either correctly, that’s unacceptable,” Redick said. “You’re not ready to play. That got us off to a poor start.”

The Lakers’ poor start spiraled into a bad first half. 

The Warriors jumped out a 45-31 lead at the end of the opening quarter, and led 81-53 entering halftime.

“The way we started that game was insane,” Redick said. “I don’t know the reasons why, because this group has been awesome for the two months I’ve been around them. The first half was unacceptable.”

Redick made sure his players knew his feeling during halftime. 

“I feel like being out there already, we kind of already know that we had to get in under control,” Adou Thiero said. “So coming in and being able to talk about it at halftime, JJ came in and he just let us know straight forward what it was.”

The Lakers’ early struggles against the Warriors happened while Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Collin Sexton were all on the bench in street clothes. 

“I told them at halftime: I’ve had a handful of these games as a coach where you’re missing star players and a lot of your depth – and I still expect to win,” Redick said. “I expect us to play to our standards, and that first half did not meet my expectations; and I let them know that. Austin and I joked because I’ve gone in there before and said ‘I’m not going to raise my voice’, and by the end of it I’m yelling. I regulated, but you can still hold them accountable, and I do think they responded.”

The Lakers outscored the Warriors 45-43 during the second half, but the damage was already done from the dreadful start.

LOS ANGELES — Jeff Hamilton has become a household name for his luxurious leather jackets. He has been a part of sports history by crafting several iconic pieces, including the jacket that Kobe Bryant wore in the locker room after winning the 2001 NBA Finals. In his booth at the 10th anniversary of ComplexCon on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the designer displayed a sparkly jacket paying tribute to that moment.

Hamilton discussed how being a part of the inaugural ComplexCon in 2016 helped boost his confidence after a stint away from his work.

"When I came to the first ComplexCon in Long Beach and first and second and third, I really got really inspired," he reflected in a conversation with USA TODAY Sports while wearing a colorful jacket from his collaboration with Supreme. "It had a lot to do with me to come back out of retirement. Because I really, that's the first time that I saw where you're in direct contact with the actual culture makers and the shape makers and the public and that resonated.

"And when I walked through the aisles, people knew who I was and it was very flattering. Not from an ego standpoint, to know that I had over the years created some kind of impact that whatever I did for me, because I was passionate, not from a business standpoint, resonated with the ultimate fan."

Hamilton also shared some insight into the current state of athlete fashion, pointing out LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jordan Clarkson as sartorial leaders.

"All the guys dress very well," he said. "… At this stage, they have stylists and they have great taste, but also they have unlimited budgets."

While he declined to pick a favorite fashionable athlete, Hamilton's choice for favorite designer was easy.

"My GOAT is Ralph Lauren," he said. "That I can answer unequivocally because those are the things that I still look up to that I admire that he's able to have for a lifetime."

Hamilton currently has partnerships with Formula 1, Jordan Brand, Yohji Yamamoto and more. He is continuing his own winning legacy and designed the jacket that Karl-Anthony Towns wore in the New York Knicks championship parade. He said he is styling two players for the NBA's opening night, Jaylon Brown and Towns' teammate Miles McBride, and he also has a jacket for Knicks president Leon Rose in the works.

"We have a lot of dishes to be served pretty soon," he promised.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Designer behind Kobe Bryant's iconic title jacket still shapes NBA fashion

In the shadows of their crosstown rival Knicks, the Nets are looking to improve on their 20-win season last year.

One of the main pieces in their rebuild is 2025 No. 8 overall pick Egor Dëmin, who showed promising flashes during his rookie year and even more signs of growth during the Summer League.

Dëmin picked up where he left off in Las Vegas on Tuesday night during Brooklyn's first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets (124-90 win), scoring six points (2-for-3 from three) with five assists in a limited 18 minutes of action. After the win, Dëmin expressed confidence in his development and believes he's ready to take the next step in his career.

"Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in Summer League, but even more, right?" Dëmin told the New York Post's Brian Lewis. "Obviously I had some more time after Summer League, and I kept working on that stuff. And I think I’m even better right now than I was in Summer League."

The BYU product averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in three Summer League games and 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the California Classic (two games). By comparison, Dëmin averaged just 10.3 points across 52 games during his rookie season.

Head coach Jordi Fernández said he liked what he saw from the 20-year-old on Tuesday night, noting his improved strength and comfortability on the court.

"Yeah, you see him with five assists in the first group; so he leads that group in assists, which is great," Fernández said. "Egor was good. I want him aggressive to shoot or to touch the paint, and he’s done it the whole summer. He’s worked at it, he’s stronger, and now he’s very comfortable getting there. So, it’s great. He’s got to keep doing it, got to keep finding his teammates or getting good shots."

Teammate Michael Porter Jr. added after the preseason win that he believes Dëmin can "make a humungous jump" in his sophomore season.

"I’m excited to play with Egor," Porter said. "He’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer, but also a great passer. So he can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, push the break, shoot the ball. And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, he’ll make a humongous jump."

When asked about his goals for the 2026-27 season, Dëmin is focused on winning.

"To win as many games as possible," Dëmin said. "Our process is oriented now on getting there each day, at least a little bit, but getting there, no matter whether it’s a game day, practice day, or an update."

Brooklyn gets its first chance at that goal when the team opens the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 21 against the Hornets.