A surprise NBA 2K21 demo has just dropped on all consoles - and it boasts some unexpected names

(Image credit: 2K)

A surprise NBA 2K21 demo is now live on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. 

Featuring four playable teams, this demo isn’t short on surprises. Where NBA games have typically highlighted the sports’ modern-day heroes, this demo offers players the chance to take control of two ‘All-Time’ teams - including the Kobe Bryant-led All Time Lakers. 

The second historic team available comes in the form of the All-Time Celtics, featuring the iconic player Bill Russell, as well as two modern-day teams in the form of the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Outside of these history-spanning teams, NBA 2K21 gives fans a chance to experience new gameplay additions - such as the redesigned shooting system and the Courtside Report. This demo will also feature the MyPlayer Builder, allowing players to mess around with the new RPG-like builds available in this year’s iteration of NBA 2K.In a nice touch, 2K has revealed that your progress from the demo will also carry on over to the full game. 

NBA 2K21 is of course also launching on PS5 and the Xbox Series X - and thanks to the Covid19-induced delay to the real-world NBA season, 2K has announced that it won’t update player rankings until NBA 2K21 launches on next-gen consoles. The reason for this is to ensure that the current in-game ratings reflect the performance of the players from this current (delayed) season. Don’t worry current-gen console owners - your versions will update alongside the shiny new console versions.

For more, check out the biggest new games of 2020 and beyond still on the way.

Tom Regan
Freelance Writer

Tom is a freelance journalist and former PR with over five years worth of experience across copy-writing, on-camera presenting, and journalism.

Named one of the UK games industry’s rising stars by Gamesindustry.biz, Tom has been published by world-leading outlets such as: Fandom, The Guardian, NME, Ars Technica, GamesRadar, Engadget, IGN, Techradar, Red Bull, and EDGE.