Aram shares to tips on how to advance in NBA2K21
If you are the type of gamer that enjoys playing games related to sport, there is a good chance NBA 2K has appeared on your radar before. Many game cycles are coming to an end in anticipation of new versions, so games are available for extremely low prices, and if not, for free! If you were lucky enough to pounce when this applied to NBA 2K20, and want to get a real feel for the game before 2K21 comes out, you came to the right place.
Here are 11 tips you need to know before starting your MyCareer!
1. Do any of your friends play? What are their player builds?
First things first, call up your friends and tell them to get involved! If you already have friends that play NBA 2K20, then the next part is very important. You need to find out what type of player builds they have, so they you could make one that not only compliments their playstyle, but also allows you to shine if nobody is currently vacating that role. This is vital for when you start playing in the park/park events, but more so when you start playing Pro-Am together.
2. Creating your player build
At this point you have spoken to some friends, you have done some research, and you know what type of player you want to build. Regardless of whether you want to be hitting 3’s from deep, breaking ankles, dunking with no remorse, or defending the rim like a boss, YouTube is the perfect starting point. I always recommend this as you can’t go back and change it later, so it’s important to be as well informed as possible because everything you do at the start, will affect your capabilities later down the line. After all, why learn from your mistakes when you can learn from someone else’s?
3. Be tactical with the team you choose to play for
If you watch the NBA, then this probably won’t apply to you. However, if like me, it isn’t your sport of choice, you are likely to make this decision based off of recognising a well-known team like LA Lakers, or wanting to play on the same team as a player like Steph Curry because you heard his name in a song before. Please don’t. Do your research because if you play in the same position as the star of a particular team, then firstly, it will be more difficult for you to get minutes, and secondly, you would hardly ever play together. Try to pick a team where the franchise player plays in a different position to you, but more importantly, where the player occupying your position isn’t that great.
4. Prioritise My Career
Playing in the Neighbourhood with all the cool clothing choices, and animations etc is great! However, it does not pay out well, even if you somehow win a lot. MyCareer will give you much more VC and badge points. This is what you want, especially when you first start playing. You can still enjoy other modes but prioritise MyCareer for quick progression. Additionally, if you manage to win an NBA Championship, you receive permanent physical boosts on your player (speed, acceleration, strength, stamina & vertical).
5. Utilise MyCourt to perfect aspects of your game
MyCourt is where consistency becomes possible. You can set up a ball machine and practise your timing for shots, learn the combo dribbling moves that will have you opponents staggering, or perfect your Euro step/Hot step when driving to the post. And if that becomes tedious, you can invite friends to your court to play a range of non-competitive practise games, to see if your hard work is paying off.
6. Prioritise attributes over drip!
It is extremely tempting to spend your hard-earned VC on new Jordan’s, or the latest apparel, but I would strongly advice you to focus on your attributes until you are at least an 80 overall.
7. Spin the wheel every day!
If you were paying attention to my last tip, you should still be wearing a brown shirt, grey joggers and the generic 2K shoes. Not to worry, you have the opportunity to win free items by completing you daily spin!
You should try to remember to spin daily because there are lots of rewards up for grabs. As well as free clothing and sneakers, you could also win VC, stats boosts, playing bonuses and more. The great thing about spinning the wheel daily, is it allows you to use all the VC you have earned from playing, on attributes.
8. Research quick badge grinding methods
Maxing out your attributes is terrific, but to be completely honest, it is your badges that makes the real difference. There are four badge type categories. Shooting, Finishing, Playmaking and Defensive. They will come naturally, but there are ways to get them faster, so I would recommend taking another trip to YouTube, and watch videos detailing quick effective methods for grinding badges for a given badge category.
9. Pick up your 500VC cheque daily
This one is very easy. There is a building next to your MyCourt in the Neighbourhood, with steps leading up to the front door. You can enter that building once a day. This is where you will find your agent and pick up 500 VC from him. It’s not much but it all adds ups.
10. Look out for MyPark/Neighbourhood special events
There are special MyPark events that you can participate in and win exclusive, great prizes. Even if you do not manage to complete the necessary challenges to qualify for the rewards, you can still benefit from the x2 Park rep you will earn from playing.
11. Start playing 3v3 on Pro-Am
Pro-Am 3v3 is probably my favourite game mode. If you are the Pro-Am team owner, you can choose a team name, design your kits, design your home court arena, pick sound effects etc. You and two other friends can form a trio and really start making your mark in the game. The cool thing about Pro-Am 3v3 is the games are up to 21, so they are quick, and you get a lot more VC than you would normally get playing trios in the Neighbourhood. For me it is the best way to accumulate a lot of coins in a short amount of time, whilst having fun with friends. Although I would recommend waiting till you are 80 overall, or at least have a few key badges at a good rank.
Pro-Am also offers 5v5 which can also potentially be even more rewarding for you. However, the matchmaking in 2k tends to be very questionable with no real indication of the criteria it follows when matching you up to an opponent. Consequently, coming up against a really good team means you will have to endure 4 quarters of punishment, unlike 3v3, where a team gets to 21 and you move on swiftly.
Conclusion
All in all, if you utilise the tips I have outlined above, not only will you be dominating in no time, but it will put you in a great spot if you decide to purchase NBA 2k21, as you’ll know all the tips and tricks required for a super progressive route to the top!