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Jordan Challenge In NBA 2K23 Promises Brand New Experience

Source: NBA 2K23/ Jordan Challenge

It’s almost time to hit the virtual hardwood in NBA 2K23. The first courtside report focused on new gameplay features. The second one is all about the Jordan Challenge.

First introduced in 2010’s NBA 2K11, the Jordan Challenge was a mode that allowed players to relive those iconic moments that made Michael Jordan the GOAT.

The Jordan Challenge mode is now back in NBA 2K23, and it’s not just a rehash of the original one. The latest Courtside Report focuses explicitly on the Jordan Challenge. 2K breaks down what new experiences players can look forward to when they lace up Michael Jordan’s kicks in the game.

A Brand New Experience

NBA 2K23’s version of the Jordan Challenge consists of 15 “unique game experiences.”It will take lifelong Jordan fans and those new to his on-court heroics on a virtual journey beginning at his time at the University of North Carolina, all the way to the shot that cemented his status as the GOAT.

NBA 2K is a video game franchise best known for its authenticity, and that will be on full display here as the video game studio has pulled out all of the stops for the Jordan Challenge.

Intricate details like a “video filter system” that will recreate the feel as if you were watching Jordan get busy during a game shown on NBC. Era-specific broadcast elements will also be present to show the evolution of game broadcasts as technology improved in the 90s.

NBA 2K23 Jordan Challenge Screenshot

Source: NBA 2K23 / NBA 2K23

To make the experience even more authentic legendary coach and analyst Mike Fratello, aka The Czar, has joined the NBA 2K23 broadcast team and will be on the call. The team at 2K also enlisted the help of the iconic Chicago Bulls PA announcer Ray Clay to recreate his beloved starting lineup introductions. Of course, “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project will also be playing while Clay calls out the starting lineup.

Before each challenge, players will see interviews with Jordan’s coaches, teammates, and commentators, who all had a front-row seat while witnessing MJ’s greatness. Marv Albert, Dennis Rodman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Phil Jackson all lend insight on moments in Jordan’s career they experienced personally.

Completing the three goals each challenge will present earn you a star 2K explains. Collect 40 stars, and you can unlock unique rewards for both MyTEAM and MyCAREER mode.

Keeping The Feel Authentic

While basketball has evolved with athletes becoming stronger and faster, 2K wants to ensure that the Jordan Challenge will honor the feel of the NBA during the time Jordan dominated the game. Each challenge will feature unique gameplay adjustments reflecting the NBA during the Jordan era.

For example, the NBA of the 80s was a league more heavily focused on post play and mid-range shooting. With adjustments to the AI tendencies, playbooks custom to the era, and slider settings, NBA 2K23 players will experience just that while playing.

The game will even recreate the physicality on full display during Jordan’s time in the league. To showcase that, players will experience just how physical the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons were on Jordan after instituting the “Jordan Rules.” 2K is also pulling out the stops recreating iconic players like Magic Johnson and other players’ shots, layups, and dunk packages. Also, don’t expect to be pulling off moves like the “shammgod dribble move” and euro-step. They didn’t exist in the league at the time.

The 15 Jordan Challenge Experiences

As for the challenges themselves, they range from different moments throughout Jordan’s storied career. Players can look forward to recreating and virtually reliving the iconic “shrug moment” during Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals, the buzzer-beater shot over Craig Ehlo in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference First Round, the double-nickel game against the Knicks, and more.

NBA 2K23 Jordan Challenge Screenshot

Source: NBA 2K23 / Jordan Challenge

Here is a complete breakdown:

  1. 1982 National Championship: the University of North Carolina vs. Georgetown
  2. 1984 Team USA Basketball Scrimmage
  3. 1986 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2
  4. 1988 NBA All-Star Game
  5. 1989 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
  6. 1990 Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls
  7. 1990 Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
  8. 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
  9. 1991 NBA Finals, Game 5
  10. 1992 NBA Finals, Game 1
  11. 1995 Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
  12. 1996 NBA Finals, Game 6
  13. 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5
  14. 1997 Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
  15. 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6

The Jordan Challenge will be available in all versions of NBA 2K23 when the game launches on September 8. For more details on the mode, you can head here. 

Photo: NBA 2K23/ Jordan Challenge