NBA 2K16 Release Date, Roster, and Pre-Order; New Teams and Updates Beyond NBA 2K15

Jun 29, 2015 05:38 PM EDT

Ever since 2K Sports introduced classic teams in NBA 2K11, it has created a new gaming franchise that can only be matched by the Madden football series as well as the FIFA franchise.  This year's NBA 2K16 promises to be quite something thanks to its Roster.  There will also be some interesting pre-order bonuses for those who purchase the NBA 2K16 before its release date. 

A recent report from Sporting News states that there are three new teams that have been revealed for the game.  Some of these teams have players that are still in the NBA today, as they are relatively new.  They include:

The 2007-2008 Boston Celtics

This team went on to win the Championship that season with a record 66-16.  They won the Eastern Conference by defeating the Pistons in Game Six, and then defeating the Lakers in the Finals, also in Game Six. The Roster includes:  Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Eddie House, and Tony Allen. 

The 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers

This team won the Championship by losing only one game in the playoffs with a record of 56-26.  Their roster includes some very big names including:  Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Horace Grant, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, Tyronn Lue, Mark Madsen, Ron Harper, Devean George, Greg Foster, and Isaiah Rider.

The 1999-2000 Toronto Raptors

Unlike the other two teams, this one didn't win, but they made the playoffs and were swept out of the first round with a record of 45-37.  Their roster includes:  Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Charles Oakley, Antonio Davis, Doug Christie, Muggsy Bogues, Dee Brown, Dell Curry, John Thomas, Alvin Williams, and Kevin Willis

One of the biggest features of NBA 2K15 was that it used facial scans of NBA players in order to add a level of realism.  From there it was a matter of letting the developers and graphics technicians put the face on the individual NBA player, and the player of this game suddenly had a realistic-looking team. 

According to KPopStarz, it has been revealed by some NBA teams that their players are getting full body scans to be used in the game. This will really bring the realism level up, and we already know that the Heat and the Nets have been scanned.  This body scanning is not limited to just the players.  Natalie Tenerelli, a dancer for the Los Angeles Clippers, has also had a full body scan. 

According to Gotta Be Mobile, the famed African-American director Spike Lee will be involved as a producer on NBA 2K16.  Lee also wrote and directed the MyCareer mode that will be featured on this year's version of the game. 

For those who are not familiar with MyCareer, it is one of many modes of the NBA 2K franchise offers outside its typical exhibitions.  The purpose is to make you feel like a real NBA rookie, and 2K Game's Ryan Peters says that Spike Lee was brought in to "transform the narrative".  Lee, who once directed Denzel Washington in a basketball film He Got Game, is a good choice for the 90 minutes of actual narrative in the game, and it will have its own plot, protagonist, and antagonist. 

According to the International Business Times, You should expect the release date of NBA 2K16 for September 29, 2015 for the PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.  It will be possible to pre-order the game and receive it four days earlier than the actual release date, and this pre-ordered version will have some in-game bonuses.  This is interesting, as previous versions of NBA 2K have been released in usually the first week of October.