Move down the right stick and then move it up as the player strokes it. How fast or slow you go depends on whether you’re shooting with Chef Curry’s quick trigger or Easy Money Sniper’s top-of-the-jump release. That’s Rhythm Shooting and it’s one of the two biggest new shooting things 2K added to NBA 2K25. 

The other one is called Go-To Shot. You simply hold the Right Stick up and your player performs a signature size-up dribble animation before going up for a shot. 

Since the game is really all about putting the ball in the hoop, there’s been a lot of conversations online about how much the shooting has changed in NBA 2K25. More on that later, maybe. 

ProPlay turned up to eleven

Photo Moments is great for capturing the action.

Other than the aforementioned two additions and technical tweaks to shooting, the game is fundamentally the same with the addition of what 2K says are about 9,000 new animations courtesy of ProPlay. 

ProPlay was first introduced in NBA 2K24. It’s 2K’s technology that lets them analyze over thousands of hours of NBA footage to get the motion and movement of players to be as accurate as possible. 

After playing my fair share of NBA 2K25 with as many different teams as possible across different game modes, I can say ProPlay is truly in full-effect. And it’s not just with the top players highlighted in many of the game’s promotional materials leading up to the launch. 

Fire up a Quick Play session between current NBA Teams and you’ll feel it right away. The way players move from the star all the way to the last guy on the bench does feel a little different. Perhaps 2K also changing the player-to-court scale has something to do with it too. 

The shooting affects everything

MyCourt is back in MyCareer

Personally, I found shooting to be tougher this year no matter which shot profile I used. There are five that you can choose from and I hardly felt any difference except for when it’s set to Difficulty-Based and I played Rookie-level games on MyTeam.

The tougher shooting will lead you to explore the other scoring options available to you. Shot Creator connoisseurs might especially like this. Going iso or executing quick dribble moves to blow by or create space from your defender feels more rewarding this year. Not only that, though. Going into the paint for post moves also feels more effective.  

All of these seem to be by design. A quick visit on Game Director Mike Wang’s X/Twitter account will answer many of your questions about the game’s mechanics. You may not like some of his answers, but they’re pretty accurate to their intention and how the game actually plays. 

Like most players vocal online, I’ve hit more Slightly Early and Slightly Late shots than I’d like. I gotta admit, it was pretty annoying at first, but I’ve since been trying to learn Rhythm Shooting more and I feel like my percentage has been going up. 

But this also directly influenced the MyPlayer build I decided to go with for NBA 2K25. 

MyCareer 

MyCareer is all about playing for multiple seasons.

This, I suspect, is NBA 2K’s most-played game mode. And well, it’s completely skewed towards heavy grinders or heavy spenders.

Over the years, I’ve completely dismissed playing competitively simply because I refuse to partake in the game’s microtransaction bonanza. There are no ifs and buts about it, the best way to get the best stats to pony up real money. 

One of the affiliations has cool mechs

I’ve never liked this part of the game. Despite the privilege of getting review codes from the publisher year after year, I still have to think of the many casual players like myself who just want to live their NBA dream/delusions virtually. 

A version of the Gilas Pilipinas jersey is available in the game.

That said, going on a full solo play is a lot more forgiving this year than previous ones. For instance, if I wanted to conquer Streetball Courts vs NPCs, I first had to grind to at least a 90 overall. So far this year, I’ve been able to clear two Streetball Courts at just an 83 overall. 

You can win a Streetball match without getting to the 21-point mark by building up the Shut It Down meter.

It’s a fun way to grind and get yourself to between 80-85 overall which, in my opinion, is the baseline level you should start at if you’re jumping straight into an NBA career. 

Heart of a Dynasty 

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NBA 2K25’s MyCareer story this year is called Heart of a Dynasty and it’s pretty unremarkable. It’s essentially a throwback to four keygames prior to the start of your NBA journey. 

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As a story, it’s alright. I enjoyed the FIBA section of it but everything else feels phoned in. Admittedly, this is likely due to community feedback. Most players just like going straight into their NBA journey and start grinding to compete in Multiplayer matches. 

For RPG enjoyers like myself, I miss the actual story bits just a little bit. I mean, B-Fresh wasn’t great but when was the last time we had an actual memorable side character in MyCareer? 

Most of the ‘Story Mode’ is spent with this dude who’s name I already forgot.

I also kind of miss the different nicknames you got before: Freq, Pres, and more. For years now, it’s just been MP. I’ve seen some discussions online about people naming their characters with those initials just so it doesn’t break immersion. 

There’s a delicate balance that NBA 2K has to play here. As it is, they already offer the most robust MyCareer gameplay among all other sports titles. But I do hope for better stories and characters in the future. 

Key Games 

NBA 2K brought back Key Games in MyCareer in NBA 2K24. They play an even bigger part in NBA 2K25. I didn’t get to explore it as much prior to our NBA 2K24 review but as I completed my championship run, I resorted to jumping to more Key Games. 

I’m happy to report that, unlike in the earlier years when this was implemented, the simulated games really do take into account your actual play style and stats. 

So far this year, I’ve completed the first five or six Key Games. These tie directly to the goal you set for yourself. The simulated game stats behave well but I played my first three games (key game or otherwise) to make sure I feed the AI some data it can simulate. 

There are fair story bits here and there too. But, and this may just be me, there’s gotta be a way to pump more memorable story moments into the course of your MyCareer journey. 

I think NBA 2K has the mechanics for a more robust MyCareer Story Gameplay. I just need more people to want it like I do. 

MyTeam

Vinsanity in a Bulls jersey. That’s MyTeam for you.

MyTeam progression ties directly into MyCareer and while that’s great, both modes are most definitely pay-to-win affairs. The only reason I’m enjoying the early stages this year is because I have access to my personal GOAT, Vince Carter. 

Believe it or not, this is my first time getting an actual competitive Vince Carter card, and I’ve been playing MyTeam for four years. That’s also because I refuse to spend on the game mode. 

If you enjoy this mode, I’m happy for you. But it’s hard to get the actual good cards if you refuse to shell out real money.  

MyNBA Eras, missing players, and more 

MyNBA Eras adds Steph Era.

The only new thing in MyNBA Eras is the Steph Era which doesn’t even have enough actual players despite it being the most recent era. 

The notable ones missing at the game’s launch were Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, John Wall, and a few more. Echoing the sentiment online, this does truly affect the historic progression of the different eras. 

The good news is that since the PC version of the game is now also Current Gen, it now shares a server with PlayStation players. 

That means the Player DNA/Creations made by modders available on PC are now also available on PS. It’s a solution, sure. But 2K really has to do a better job in filler players if they’ve yet to secure licensing for the actual players missing. 

I personally enjoy going back into the 2000s since that was the era of the NBA I was mostly exposed to. My hope is that in future iterations, other than better filler players, we also get the option to start at whatever year we want and play from there. 

MyGM 

You get to pick your background.

This is the last Game Mode I tried and well, it’s alright. This has mostly been an afterthought in the 2K20s so it’s good that some changes were implemented. 

Some Dialogue moments.

Being able to move around in an office type setting was pretty novel at first. However, it does start to feel old pretty quickly. The RPG elements of leveling up and boosting certain stats to become a better GM are entertaining but I still don’t see a lot of people spending a significant amount of time in this mode. 

The W/ WNBA

Caitlin Clark is 🔥

The WNBA is enjoying the most attention it’s ever gotten of late. All the on-court ProPlay stuff also apply here. I had a grand time playing as Caitlin Clark. 

Like usual over the years, this has been a good way to get more acquainted with WNBA players. In NBA 2K25, it does more of the same. 

I have a feeling the MyCareer-like mode in WNBA will get tweaks in the coming years as the league gains even more popularity. 

Ball Over Everything

Overall, NBA 2K25’s slogan “Ball Over Everything” feels extremely appropriate for what the game has to offer. 

The on-the-court gameplay has some pretty substantial tweaks while still feeling familiar. Shooting is a bit tougher and forces you into other scoring moves which is where ProPlay truly shines. Going into your dribble moves, blowing by your defender, dream shaking in the post, and more. NBA 2K25 put the focus here and it’s all the better for it. 

Elsewhere though, the changes feel minute. And if you think about it, we actually lost a Game Mode because there’s no Jordan Challenge or Mamba Moments equivalent. I was lowkey hoping for a Dunk Contest mode you can just jump right into because they had my all-time favorite player Vinsanity on the cover. Alas, it was just wishful thinking. 

That said, NBA 2K continues to be my therapy. It’s the only game where I can turn my brain off and feel like I’m actually having some down time to myself. My advice is the same as previous years. Unless you’re creating content around the game or you’re really an NBA addict, wait for a sale. I’d especially look out for the holidays, the All-Star break, and right before the playoffs. The game gets massive discounts during those times.