Many NBA fans miss the classic NBA Jam game from decades past and miss having multiple options for basketball video games in general. Recent memory sees NBA 2K as the only major basketball console with NBA licensing. Alternative basketball games exist, but a lack of NBA representation or trademarks hurts the potential of those games becoming hits.

Most basketball fans associate the NBA with basketball, so a desire for games like NBA Jam to return is strong for those upset with NBA 2K. The games are extremely different in terms of what fans expect from each. NBA 2K offers a more realistic approach to NBA games, while NBA Jam used to present a more chaotic and fun form of 2v2 games. The demand for NBA Jam to return is worth exploring, but the reason why it won’t happen is far more interesting.

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Why Basketball Fans Tired Of NBA 2K Want NBA Jam Back

NBA 2K24 sold a lot of games and continued the dominant streak of annual sports games having a core audience. Unfortunately, the repetitive game sees little change each year and fails to satisfy a large percentage of the audience. No new classic or legend NBA teams and very few updates to the traditional popular modes created some conversation about change in the basketball video game community. Some online streamers known for playing NBA 2K decided to slow down or completely give up on the franchise.

Past decades saw fans having both NBA 2K and NBA Live as major NBA video game franchises trying to one-up each other. The landscape also welcomed side projects, like NBA Street or NBA Ballers, to keep an open market appealing to all fans. Conversation about more games returning to add variety outside just NBA 2K every year put NBA Jam back into the rotation.

Video Game Franchise

Total Games Released

Most Recent Release

NBA 2K

25

2024

NBA Jam

13

2011

NBA Live

11

2018

NCAA Football returning in 2024 is creating excitement, despite many fans waiting for more information and the release to try out the gameplay. Seeing this classic sports video game franchise having another chance at life and adding a new option to the football video game market makes it more tempting to look back at other games with similar nostalgia.

NBA Jam thriving as an arcade game and offering something different makes it a fun alternative to games like NBA 2K and the past NBA Live games. However, it also provides a chance for frustrated fans to shift their attention elsewhere. Users playing one game will only expose the weaknesses easily and create unhappiness over any disappointments. Basketball fans having few options outside of NBA 2K leads to a stronger desire for games like NBA Jam or other projects.

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NBA Jam Would Make Sense On Paper, But Likely Won't Return Soon

NBA Currently Sells 131 Different NBA Jam Items In Homage Store

The NBA sells a lot of different t-shirts that play into the NBA Jam video games. Homage has a deal with the NBA to release shirts of that style that show the graphics of two players on the same team with their video game stats. Both old-school shirts with great NBA duos from previous eras and current teams with a superstar duo will be available for sale. A solid customer base for this proves that the old video game franchise holds relevance today.

Arcades with older games still exist today; NBA Jam’s arcade cabinets remain among the most popular sports games. Both the new-school fans sick of NBA 2K’s stagnant game progression and old-school fans who still miss the game would be on board to play the legacy game if it ever returned. Few games from the past hold such reverence to have folks going out of their way to play at an arcade or buying shirts that play into the past.

Recent NBA changes see the previous era of teams forming a “big three” tandem to contend for an NBA Championship going away. Most franchises are attempting to pair two top-level superstars with the right role players behind them. NBA Jam only showcasing two players per team adds to that novelty. Multiple variables showing it's a good idea on paper make it more depressing that it won’t happen in the near future.

Why NBA Jam Won’t Return Any Time Soon

Money is the absolute that rules most decision-making processes in the video game industry, and that remains true for the NBA basketball world. The main reason that NBA Jam and no other NBA video game will enter the market for consoles any time soon is that 2K locked them into an exclusive deal. It flew under the radar that the NBA signed their longest video game exclusive deal with 2K.

A seven-year contract for over $1 billion gives 2K's Tale-Two ownership the right to have the only major NBA video game until that deal ends. The deal removed any chance of previous eras having competition between the video game companies hoping to produce the better game. NBA 2K has another two years before any changes can be made with new games entering the mix.

EA owns the rights to NBA Jam and holds no legal right to release any games during this contract. The fans aware of this deal often complain that it plays a role in the complacency of NBA 2K development each game. Nothing needs to change until the contract year requires a strong outing and fan satisfaction to continue the partnership.

NBA 2K could always add an NBA Jam side mode if it worked with EA, but it remains highly unlikely the companies will get on the same page. Any recreation of the mode with a different name would risk coming off as a cheap imitation that strips away the authenticity. NBA 2K ensures that the beloved game missed by basketball fans won’t return any time soon; NBA Jam fans will have to settle for expensive t-shirts and occasional arcade trips.