Sega XBOX GAMES NBA 2K2 User Manual

Using the Xbox Video Game

System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using the Xbox Controller . . . . . . . 3

Control Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Menu Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Team Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Options Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Offensive Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Free Throw Shooting. . . . . . . . 13

Basic Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Defensive Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Pause Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

In-Game Coaching Moves . . . . 17

Timeouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Substitutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Stats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Replay Controls . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Game Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Street Courts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Allen Iverson Bio. . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Offensive Controls . . . . . . . . . 24

Defensive Controls . . . . . . . . . 24

Franchise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Customize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Player Create . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Pre-set Players . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Team Create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Legends Teams. . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Team Capsules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

WARNING: READ BEFORE USING YOUR XBOX™ VIDEO GAME
ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM.

About Photosensitive Seizures

A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain
visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games.
Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed
condition that can cause these “photosensitive epileptic seizures” while watching
video games.

These seizures may have a variety of symptoms including: lightheadedness, altered
vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion,
or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or
convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects.

Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms-children and
teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures.

The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by sitting farther from
the television screen, using a smaller television screen, playing in a well-lit room,
and not playing when you are drowsy or fatigued.

If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor
before playing.

Other Important Health and Safety Information

The Xbox Instruction Manual contains important safety and health information that you
should read and understand before using this software.

Avoid Damage to Your Television

Do not use with certain televisions. Some televisions, especially front- or rear-projection
types, can be damaged if any video games, including Xbox games, are played on
them. Static images presented during the normal course of game play may “burn in”
to the screen, causing a permanent shadow of the static image to appear at all times,
even when video games are not being played. Similar damage may occur from static
images created when placing a video game on hold or pause. Consult your television
owner's manual to determine if video games can be safely played on your set. If you
are unable to find this information in the owner's manual, contact your television dealer
or the manufacturer to determine if video games can be played safely on your set.

Unauthorized copying, reverse engineering, transmission, public performance, rental,
pay for play, or circumvention of copy protection is strictly prohibited.

1. Set up your Xbox™ video game system by following the instructions
in the Xbox Instruction Manual.

2. Press the power button and the status indicator light will light up.

3. Press the eject button and the disc tray will open.

4. Place the NBA2K2 disc on the disc tray with the label facing up
and close the disc tray.

5. Follow on-screen instructions and refer to this manual for more
information about playing NBA2K2.

Avoiding Damage to Discs or the Disc Drive

To avoid damage to discs or the disc drive

• Insert only Xbox-compatible discs into the disc drive.

• Never use oddly shaped discs, such as star-shaped or heart-shaped discs.

• Do not leave a disc in the Xbox console for extended periods when not in use.

• Do not move the Xbox console while the power is on and a disc is inserted.

• Do not apply labels, stickers, or other foreign objects to discs.

1. Connect the Xbox Controller to any controller port on the front of the
Xbox console. For multiple players, connect additional controllers to
available controller ports.

2. Insert any expansion devices (for example, Xbox Memory Units) into
controller expansion slots as appropriate.

3. Follow on-screen instructions and refer to this manual for more
information about using the Xbox Controller to play NBA2K2.

USING THE XBOX VIDEO GAME SYSTEM USING THE XBOX CONTROLLER

Sega Sports NBA 2K2 is designed with analog functionality in mind. The Xbox
controller provides a full range of motion and adds to the overall depth and pin­point control of the game. However, we understand that “old habits die hard,” so
if you’re partial to using the directional pad as your primary source of control,
you can modify the controller settings to do just that. From the Main Menu, select
Options, then select Controller, and use the right trigger/left trigger to scroll
through the available combinations to find one that’s right for you.

Button Action

left thumbstick Highlight menu options
A Select/Scroll forward through highlighted sections
B Scroll backward through highlighted sections
X Access a Help Screen
Y Cancel/Return to previous screen

CONTROL SUMMARY

CONTROL SUMMARY

TEAM SELECTION

TEAM SELECTION

4 5

Menu Controls

Coach’s Corner: Feel The Power

To get the most from your Xbox controller, you’ll need to turn the
Vibration setting to ON. To do so from the Main Menu, select Options,
then select Presentation and change Vibration to ON.

Once you're ready to start a game in any mode, you'll be guided to this menu.
Move the left thumbstick to the left or right to select whether you'd like to
control the visiting team
(left) or the home team
(right). After you've
moved the controller icon
to the left or right, pull
the left trigger or right
trigger to cycle through
the list of available teams.
Once you've set the
match-up you desire,
press the START button
to get things underway.

Customize the way you play NBA 2K2 prior to the opening tip with this menu.
Press the A button to cycle forward through an option; press the B button to
cycle backward.

NBA Rules Every rule in the game is adjustable or can be

turned on and off.

Game Play Adjust such parameters as game speed, quar-

ter length, and difficulty.

Controller Browse through different controller configu-

rations, including those utilizing the direc­tional pad.

Presentation Adjust sound effects, commentary, music,

overlays and more.

Player Information Access information about your favorite

NBA players.

Users/High Scores Input your name and allow the game to track

your win-loss record and statistics.

Options Menu

ICON PASSING: Y button

Use icon passing to guarantee that your pass goes to the right teammate. While
controlling the ball, press the Y button to call up button icons over the heads of
your teammates. Then,
simply press the corre­sponding button to imme­diately send the pass to
the teammate you choose.

OFFENSIVE CONTROLS

OFFENSIVE CONTROLS

6 7

Coach’s Corner: Icon Passing

Want to get the ball into the hands of your point guard to run a play? Need
to get it down to your power forward to exploit a mismatch? The following
buttons correspond to the following positions:

A Point Guard
B Shooting Guard
X Small Forward
Y Power Forward
right trigger Center

Here’s a look at the basic offensive controls you’ll use during gameplay (we’ll
discuss them in detail in the pages to come) …

Button Action

left thumbstick Control Player
A button Pass
X button Shoot/Jump For Rebound
B button Crossover Dribble/Spin Move
Y button Call Up Pass Icons
left trigger Back Down Defender
White button Call For Pick
right trigger Turbo/Speed Burst
Black button Pass To Player Closest To Basket
right thumbstick Bring Up Playcall Menu
right thumbstick + A,B,X,Y Call Play

START button Pause Game

DIRECTIONAL PASSING: A button

Good ball movement is important in setting up open looks at the basket.
While controlling the ball, move the left thumbstick in the direction of the
player you wish to pass to, then press the A button to deliver the pass. Make
sure you have an open lane to the recipient, though. Throwing into a crowd,
trying to thread the needle a bit too closely, or heaving crosscourt passes will
often lead to turnovers.

SHOOTING: X button

To shoot the ball, press and hold the X button. When your player reaches the
top of his jump, release the X button to release the shot. As in the real NBA,
timing is crucial. If you let
go of the button before
the player reaches his
peak, he’ll likely short-arm
the shot. Similarly, if you
release the shot while the
player’s on his way down,
he’ll be more likely to
have the shot drift on him
or have it blocked.
Releasing the shot at the
top of the player’s jump
gives you the greatest
likelihood of draining it.

PUMP FAKES: tap X button

To perform a pump fake, tap and release the X button in an attempt to get the
defender to jump into the air. If he bites, you’ll have a good chance to drive around
him into the lane. At the very least, you may be able to freeze the defender and
create a little space, enabling you to get a cleaner look at the basket.

CROSSOVER DRIBBLES: B button

Players like Tim Hardaway and Stephon Marbury have made a career out of
faking one way with the dribble then breaking their defender’s back by crossing
over in the other direction. If you catch a defender flat-footed as you dribble
toward him, press the B button to cross over and zip past him.

New this year is a special crossover move. If you press the B button while your
player is dribbling in place, he will swing his arms in a wide crossover motion.
Then, move the left thumbstick in any direction to have the player fake his
crossover and blow past his man.

TURBO/SPEED BURST: right trigger

By pulling the right trigger, you’ll kick your player into overdrive so that his
speed and energy pick up a notch. Use turbo to get that extra step past the
defender or to gain a bit of extra oomph when you’re backing down a defender
down low. Be careful not to overuse this however, as your player will tire too
quickly if he’s continually sprinting up and down the court. If you see him
languishing with his head down, it’s probably time to get him out of there.

8 9

Coach’s Corner: Know Your Players

Getting the hang of when to release the X button is just the first step
to becoming a good shooter (and scorer). Perhaps the next most
important aspect to shooting is to learn your players’ shooting ten­dencies. If you’ve got Shaq firing from behind the three-point line
all afternoon, it won’t matter how perfectly you release the shoot
button – he’s not gonna be hitting anything. Similarly, even if your
5'10" point guard's releasing shots in the paint at the peak of his
jump, his shots will likely be, uh, “returned” (leaving “SPALDING”
imprinted backward on his forehead). Good jump shooters like
Reggie Miller or Ray Allen will have a little more leeway with regard
to releasing the ball at the exact pinnacle of their jump, just as the
big guys like Tim Duncan will generally have a bit more room for
error down low.

PASSING TO THE PLAYER CLOSEST TO THE BASKET:
Black button

New to this year’s version of the game is the option for one-button passing to get
the ball to the open man nearest the basket. If you see a player break free down
low, simply press the Black button and your player will whip a pass to the man
closest to the hoop. You’ll still be able to pass to that player using the traditional
directional passing or icon passing options, but this button can serve to give you
those Larry Bird-esque
“eyes in the back of your
head.” If you see a
double- or triple-team
occurring at the half-court
line, someone has to be
open. Of course, as with
all other passes, if the
player is closely guarded
when you make the pass,
there’s a good likelihood
that the pass will be
knocked away or stolen.

BACKING DOWN THE DEFENDER: left trigger

Do you have a size advantage over your defender? If so, pull and hold the left
trigger to drive him back into the paint, then release the trigger and move the
left thumbstick in any direction to create space for the shot. If you press left or

right, your player will attempt to spin around the defender and get to the hole, or
he will perform a drop step. If you pull back, he’ll attempt a classic fadeaway a la

Hakeem Olajuwon or Juwan
Howard. If he’s underneath
the basket, simply press
forward and press the X
button to slam it on your
defender’s melon. Don’t
forget about the three-sec­ond violation or the newer
five-second “back-to-the­basket” rule.

10

CALLING FOR A
PICK: White button

To have a teammate set a
pick for you in an effort
to lose that pesky
defender, press the
White button. Doing so
will cause the teammate
nearest you to create a
wall for you to step
around and (hopefully)
get you an open look at
the basket.

11

Coach’s Corner: Posting Up

When in a post-up battle, both players’ physical size, strength
and post-up skill will determine whether you back your man
down or bang against a brick wall. If you find yourself squaring
off against an equal opponent, try pulling the right trigger to
give yourself a little extra power.

PLAYCALLING: right thumbstick + A, X, B,Y

Each team has sixteen plays in its offensive playbook, of which four plays can be
used during a game via the in-game playcall menu. If you’d like to customize the
four plays currently in use, select Coach from the Pause Menu, and select
Offensive Plays (you
can also set your offen­sive plays in Customize
Mode). To access the
playcall menu during
gameplay, move the
right thumbstick in
any direction to call up
the Plays Overlay, then
press the correspon­ding button to run a
specific play.

12

Many people can simply pick up a controller and get a good feel for normal
gameplay, but free throw shooting can be a bit trickier. If you want to progress
from a Chris Dudley to a Reggie Miller at the free-throw line, it’s gonna take a
little bit of time and patience.

To shoot a successful free throw, you’ll need to line up both green arrows
directly over the basket. To do so, pull and hold the left trigger and right

trigger exactly the same
pressure to line up the
arrows, then press any
of the four buttons (A, B,
X, Y) to release the shot.
If you don’t pull and hold
both thumbsticks at the
same time, your shot
will be off (so, you can’t
line up one arrow then
get to work on the
second arrow).

Remember that you don’t have all day to line up your arrows until they’re just
right. If you’re taking too long, a clock will appear in the upper right corner of
the screen to tell you how many seconds you have remaining.

If it’s taking a while for you
to get the hang of it, a stop
off at the Practice Mode
gymnasium may be just the
tonic for your shooting ills,
and can be invaluable in
learning the fundamentals of
good free throw shooting.

13

Free Throw Shooting

Coach’s Corner: Passing Out Of A Shot

Try passing out of your shot by pressing the X button to leap into the air,
then pressing the A button to pass before you release the shot. It’s a great
way to get the ball to an open man if the defense collapses on you. To
execute this move, you’ll need to roll your finger from the shoot button to
the pass button. If you let go of the shoot button, your player will release
the shot, so you’ll need to keep it held down.

SWITCH TO THE LAST AVAILABLE DEFENDER: Y button

Pressing the Y button will put you in control of the defender closest to the
basket. This is a particularly useful button when you need to defend against the
fast break, and is also helpful when you need to get control of one of your low
post defenders in a hurry.

FACING UP THE BALL-HANDLER: left trigger

The best position you can be in to stop an advancing ball-handler from driving
past you is to plant yourself with your arms and legs spread wide. Essentially,
this makes you a bigger object to get around. The disadvantage is that you’ll
have slower lateral movement in this position, through pulling and holding
Turbo (with the right trigger) will help compensate.

Similarly, when an offen­sive player attempts to
back you down, your only
recourse is to try to hold
your ground. In this
instance, also pull and
hold the left trigger to
lean against the encroach­ing player, and again
remember that you’ll gain
a bit of extra power if you
pull the right trigger.

DEFENDING PASSES: X button

A good way to steal the ball is by closing the passing lanes. Jump in front of
passes by utilizing the X button to deflect them away from their target and into
your own possession.

SWAPPING PLAYERS: A button

Swapping allows you to control the defensive player closest to the ball-handler. The
purpose of swapping is to always give you a chance at making the defensive play
by selecting the player with the best chance of stopping the man with the ball.

15

STEALING: B button

If you catch the ball-handler napping, or if you’ve double-teamed a big man
down low, press the B button to attempt a steal. Be careful not to overuse the

steal button or to lunge for
a steal attempt when you
don’t have a good angle on
the ball – if so, the referee
will call a reach-in foul on
your play.

SHOT BLOCKING/JUMPING FOR THE REBOUND: X button

It’s always nice to have an enforcer like Dikembe Mutombo or David Robinson
in the middle. To swat the ball out of the air, time your jump with that of the
shooter’s by pressing the X button. Be sure to get to the ball while it’s on the way
up – if you touch it while it’s on the way down, you’ll be whistled for goaltending.

As with all defensive buttons, try not to overuse your jump. If an offensive player
hits you with a quick pump fake, and you leap into the air to block it, you’ll most
certainly surrender your defensive position and allow a clear path to the basket.

If the shot has already
been released, and you’re
moving into position to
clear the rebound, press
the X button to leap into
the air and snatch it
down. As an added
bonus, if you leap to
snare the rebound, and
then tap continually on
the B button, your player
will swing his elbows in
an effort to clear out the
opponents around him.

BASIC DEFENSE

BASIC DEFENSE

14

From the Pause Menu, you can take control of your team. Select Coach to set
your defensive pressure, assign your defenders to guard certain people, or call
for the double team. By
selecting Settings, you
can decide whether you’d
like to be in complete
control of timeouts and
substitutions, or whether
you’d like the CPU to
remain in control. Also,
you can set at what level
of intensity you’d like your
team to keep the game
tempo, run the fast break,
and crash the boards.

When you sense the momentum begin to shift, or when you notice your play­ers are becoming fatigued and running with their heads down, call a timeout to
regroup and to regain some energy. Press the START button, then select
Timeout in the lower right corner.

Remember to use your reserves to help keep your lineup fresh and out of foul
trouble. You can make single player moves, change a couple of players, or sub
out the entire team. Also, when the game situation dictates a specific type of
lineup on the floor (such as a three-point shooting lineup or a group of defen­sive specialists) you can scroll through and select from predetermined lineups
by pulling and holding the left trigger and right triggers.

PAUSE MENU

PAUSE MENU

17

Move the right thumbstick to bring up the menu and then press the A, B, X, or Y
button to select the corresponding defensive set. The default options are as follows:

Button Action

A Man-to-Man – The standard defensive set.
B Half Court Trap – Defenders try to trap the

ball-handler at the half-court line.

X Full Court Man-To-Man – Defenders pick up

their man in the backcourt.

Y 2-3 Zone – New to the NBA in 2001-02. Two

men guard the perimeter while three big men
defend the low post.

Note: You can also select from a 3-2 Zone, a 1-3-1 Zone, or a Box-1 Zone in
your defensive playbook.

INTENTIONAL FOUL: Black button

Need to stop the clock at the end of the game? Want to stop an uncontested
basket? Press the Black button to have the closest defender shove his arms out
at the ball-handler and commit the intentional foul.

DOUBLE-TEAMING: White button

You can call for a double-team by pressing the White button. The nearest team­mate will switch from his man over to yours and help tighten the defense on
the ball handler.

16

In-Game Coaching Moves

Timeouts

Substitutions

Defensive Sets

GAME MODES

19

From the Main Menu, you’re given a number of different gameplay
options. Here’s a quick description of all the different game modes that
NBA 2K2 has to offer…

Choose any two teams in the league and take it out to the court.

Play a 14, 28, 56 or 82-game regular season, followed by the playoffs (assum­ing you’re good enough to make the playoffs). It’s a long and grueling season.
Do you have what it takes to guide your team all the way to the NBA Finals?

Once you’ve selected your team(s), you can access the Season Play screen.
From there, you can begin playing games, set your options, or customize your
plays, players, and teams.

Practice makes perfect. Head on over to the practice arena , select the team to
use, and start working on your jumper. The Shot Rater will help you perfect
your form and timing by telling you how early or late you’re releasing your
shot. It’s a lot easier when no one’s guarding you, isn’t it? Also, you can select
Free Throw from the Pause Menu to work on your free throw shooting.

GAME MODES

Exhibition

Season

Practice

18

Current game stats as well as an updated injury report can be accessed here.

NBA 2K2 offers five different camera angles to choose from, as well as six
different modifications you can make to each. You can preview each of them
to make sure you have everything exactly as you want it.

Button Action

A Play at real time speed
B Zoom Out
X Zoom In
Y Replay controls overlay ON/OFF
left trigger Rewind
right trigger Fast-forward

Directional pad Move aim indicator

Note: While moving the aim indicator, you can also lock on to any player to fol­low him throughout the entire replay. To do so, simply move the aim indicator
directly on top of whichever target you wish to track.

Stats

Cameras

Replay Controls

STREET COURTS

STREET COURTS

21

TOURNEY

Choose to either play in a new tournament or load a previously saved one.
Select your teams and determine human or CPU control for each of the 4, 8, or
16 teams that are participating in your tournament.

PLAYOFFS

Skip the rigors of the regular season and head straight to the postseason. Can
you survive the competition and make it to the NBA Finals?

FANTASY

Create your own fantasy tournament or full fantasy league with this game mode.
All available players will be placed in a giant free agent pool, then it’s off to the
draft. Once you’ve selected a team, you can take part in a 4, 8, or 16-team fanta­sy tournament, or play a full fantasy league season.

NOTE: You can either draft the entire team yourself or press the START button to
have the CPU automatically complete the remainder of the draft for you.

20

Coach’s Corner: Scrimmage Mode

New this year is the option to scrimmage against other teams in
Practice Mode. This allows you to practice running all the plays
in your playbook so that you can get a feel for how each play
works. You can almost hear the coach yelling “run it again!”.

In NBA 2K2, not only can you play in all of the 3-D rendered arenas, but you
can also ball on a number of the most famous street courts in the country. On
the Main Menu, select Street, select the number of players you’d like to have
on the court (from 2-on-2 to 5-on-5), and select the court you wish to play on.
You can choose from the following:

• Rucker Park (New York City)

• The Cage (New York City)

• Goat Park (New York City)

• Franklin Park (Chicago)

• Fonde Rec Center (Houston, TX)

• Hank Gathers Rec Center (Philadelphia, PA)

• Mosswood Park (Oakland, CA)

• Run N’ Shoot (Atlanta, GA)

• Venice Beach (Venice, CA)

HEIGHT: 6’0”
WEIGHT: 165 LBS.
B

ORN: JUNE 7, 1975 IN

HAMPTON, VA
COLLEGE: GEORGETOWN

UNIVERSITY

HEIGHT: 6’0”
W

EIGHT: 165 LBS.

BORN: JUNE 7, 1975 IN
HAMPTON, VA

COLLEGE: GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY

22

ALLEN IVERSON BIO

ALLEN IVERSON BIO

Many predicted the Philadelphia 76ers to be a middle-of-the-pack sort of
team in 2000-01. Many were wrong. Behind a phenomenal season by Allen
Iverson, the Sixers steamrolled their way to a 56-26 regular season record
and the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Along the way, Allen
paused just long enough to return to his old stomping grounds in
Washington, DC, score 25 points and pick up the MVP trophy at the 2001
All-Star Game. After a difficult loss in the first playoff game, Allen respond­ed with a 45-point effort in game two, and went on to rally the 76ers to a
first-round series victory over their nemesis, the Indiana Pacers. Adding to
his already filling trophy case, Allen added the 2000-01 MVP Trophy to his
collection in mid-May, then promptly proved himself worthy of the honor
by almost single-handedly leading the 76ers past Toronto and Milwaukee
and into the NBA Finals for the first time in 18 years.

- Led the NBA in Points Per Game (31.1), Steals Per Game (2.51) and Minutes
Per Game (42.0) in the 2000-2001 season.

- Scored a career-high 54 points at Cleveland on January 6, 2001, and also
poured in 54 in a playoff game at Toronto on May 9, 2001.

- Since 1998, Allen has hosted the Allen Iverson Summer Celebrity Classic, a
series of basketball games, softball games and celebrity events benefiting the
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Hampton Roads, Virginia.

- Named Rookie of the Year in 1996-97 after finishing sixth in the NBA with 23.5
points per game.

- Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the #1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.

- Named First Team All-American as a sophomore at Georgetown in 1995-96
after averaging 25.0 points per game and leading the Hoyas to the Elite Eight.

Year Games Points Rebounds Assists Total Total

per per per Steals Three-

Game Game Game Pointers

96-97 76 23.5 4.1 7.5 157 155

97-98 80 22.0 3.7 6.2 176 70

98-99 48 26.8 4.9 4.6 110 58

99-00 70 28.4 3.8 4.7 144 89

00-01 71 31.1 3.8 4.6 178 98

Career 345 26.2 4.0 5.6 765 470

QUICK REFERENCE

QUICK REFERENCE

24 25

Guide your team through season after season in your quest to build an NBA
dynasty. Select your team, choose your roster (standard or fantasy draft), and
get started. You’ll be in complete control of your roster, so you’ll have to think
like an NBA general manager does. That means potentially dealing with salary
caps, contract demands, free agency, retirements, the NBA draft and trade offers.

After the first season of your franchise, each additional season will be followed
by a nine-week re-signing period in which you’ll need to decide whether or not
to renew the contracts of any players on your team, followed by the NBA Draft
and a nine-week signing period for free agents. From there, it’s on to a three­week preseason schedule, followed by the 26-week regular season and four
rounds of playoffs. You can either play the games yourself by selecting
Schedule or you can let the CPU simulate all or parts of the season by select­ing Next Week.

The Management Screen

This screen will become
your best friend and your
worst enemy. This is
where all the behind-the­scenes work pays off for
you. Here’s a quick run­down of the options
available on this screen:

Active

You can have up to 15
players on your roster,
but can have only 12
active players at any
given time. Select those 12 players here.

Lineups

Set your starting lineup, as well as your specialized lineups such as big, small,
defensive, third string, etc.

Cut

If someone’s not cutting the mustard, you’ll have to be the bearer of bad news
and release him from your roster. If you have 15 players, and want to sign a
player, someone’s gonna have to go. You can keep less than 15 players on
your roster if you wish, but you must always have at least 12 on your team
during the season.

Button Action

left thumbstick Control Player
A button Pass
X button Shoot/Jump For Rebound
B button Crossover Dribble
Y button Call Up Pass Icons
left trigger Back Down Defender
White button Call For Pick
right trigger Turbo
Black button Pass To Player Closest To Basket
right thumbstick Bring Up Playcall Menu
right thumbstick + A, B, X, Y Call Play

START button Pause Game

Free Throw Shooting:

Simultaneously pull the left trigger and right trigger until both green arrows
line up over the basket, then press any of the following buttons: A, B, X, Y.

Button Action

left thumbstick Control Player
A Swap Players
X Block Shot/Jump For Rebound
B Steal
Y Control Player Closest To Basket
left trigger Square Up Ball-handler
White button Double Team
right trigger Turbo
Black button Intentional Foul
right thumbstick Bring Up Playcall Menu
right thumbstick + A, B, X, Y Call Play

Offensive Controls

Defensive Controls

FRANCHISE

FRANCHISE

2726

Whether you want to create a 7-foot, shot-blocking, slam-dunking monster-in­the-middle, re-create a hot college prospect, or perhaps put yourself and your
friends into the game, you can do it here. You’ll be able to scale and size each

individual body part,
shape the face any way
you want, add any acces­sories you’d like, and
distribute the player’s
attribute points to create
the perfect player for
your team.

To make things easier for you, we’ve created three different types of players for
each position. So, for example, if you’re looking for a specific type of point
guard, you’ll be able to select from a distributor, a shooter, or a defensive spe­cialist. Once you’ve selected the pre-set player type, you’ll be able to modify his
attributes however you’d like.

CUSTOMIZE

CUSTOMIZE

Player Create

Pre-set Players

Signings

Ah, here’s the fun part. You’ll need to decide in the offseason which free agents
to pursue and whether or not to re-sign or extend the deals of the players
already on your roster. Use the right or left triggers to select either your team
or the available free agents, highlight the player you’d like to come to the table
with, and press the A button.

You’ll see the player’s rating, and the agent will make his initial contract
demands in the Offer and Years column (so if the columns say “Offer 50” and
“Years 4,” the agent is asking for a contract paying that player a salary of 50 for
each of the next four years, or 200 total). It’ll be up to you to decide if the
agent’s demands are reasonable or not. You can also use your shrewd skills to
bargain with the agent (perhaps offering the player only 45 per year). If the
agent tells you that “your generous offer has been accepted,” you probably
could’ve gotten a better deal. Conversely, if you try to low-ball your potential
signee, the agent might stop negotiations with you about a contract for a week
or so if he feels you’re not making a genuine, serious offer. You’ll only have
seven weeks in the offseason to create your roster, so try not to upset the
agents too much!

Trade

Obviously, propose any trades you’d like here. You’ll be able to offer or receive
as many as five players and one draft pick. Remember though, you’ll have to
deal with the salary cap implications of every move you make. During the sea­son, other teams may offer you deals. Check the Trade Screen to accept or
decline any trades.

Scouting

Check out the salaries and years remaining on the contracts of all players in the
NBA. It’s a good idea to start targeting potential free agents early.

News

Read about the league’s transactions here.

Needs

This screen will break down the players you have on your roster in each posi­tion and will highlight in yellow the positions you should be targeting via free
agency, trades or the draft.

GM Watch

This screen tracks your progress as a GM, including your career record, playoff
victories and championship appearances.

Note: Once you exit Franchise Mode, you will need to reload Franchise data
from the Main Menu to resume.

28

From the Teams menu in Customize Mode, you can create a brand new team
using any of the ten available custom logos, or simply make a few roster modi­fications to any existing NBA team. Here you can make trades, adjust your line­up, import players and teams from a friend, and set your team’s offensive and
defensive plays.

Are you one of those old-schoolers who think basketball in the 1980s was as
good as it will ever get? Ever argued with your father or grandfather about how
someone like George Mikan or Willis Reed could ever handle Tim Duncan or
Alonzo Mourning? Ever wonder how Rick Barry could be the NBA’s all-time
leader in free throw accuracy with such an odd-looking underhand delivery?

Luckily, NBA 2K2 allows you to answer (or at least try to answer) all those
questions with the inclusion of five full legends teams. Choose from an ‘80s
East team led by Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas, an ‘80s West team with Magic
Johnson and James Worthy, a ‘70s East team featuring such greats as Julius
Erving and Walt Frazier, a ‘70s West team manned by Wilt Chamberlain and
Jerry West among others, and even a team of legendary greats from the ‘50s
and ‘60s such as Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousy.

Coach’s Corner: Getting a Created Player onto Your Team

Once you’ve created that player, you’ll need to assign him to a team. From the
Player Create Screen, Press the B Button once to back out to the Customize
Main Menu. Then select Free Agents, highlight Teams, and Press the
Black/White buttons to scroll to the team you wish to sign the player to. Scroll
down to your player and press the A Button. Press the START button to add
the player to that team. (Note that if an existing team already has 15 players on
its roster, then you’ll need to back out to the Customize Main Menu. Then,
select Free Agents, highlight Teams, and press the Black/White buttons to scroll
to the team you wish to release a player from. Select the player to be released
and press the START button.) To make sure your player is on the 12-man ros­ter, back out to the Customize Main Menu and select Activate. From there you
can place him on the active roster. Select Lineup from the Customize Main
Menu to insert him into the lineup.

Team Create

Legends Teams

TEAM CAPSULES

TEAM CAPSULES

29

Atlanta Hawks
Head Coach: Lon Kruger
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/hawks/
2000-01 Record: 25-57 (7th place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: An aging, dormant club just two seasons ago, the Hawks appear ready to turn things

around in 2001-02. A flurry of trades have brought fresh faces such as Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo
Ratliff into the fold, and second-year man Jason Terry is an emerging star. If the Hawks can get decent
production out of their bench, and can stay reasonably healthy, the postseason is an obtainable goal.

Key Performers:

#3 SF Shareef Abdur-Rahim

A local high school hero, Abdur-Rahim returns
from NBA oblivion in Vancouver and brings 20­point/10-rebound production with him. He’s one of
the top five small forwards in the NBA, and he’s
only getting better. Definitely the kind of guy you
want to build a team around.

#31 SG Jason Terry

After running the point in college and in his rookie
season, Terry is expected to see time in the two
spot this year. Only 6’2”, he may be small for a
shooting guard, but he has great court awareness
and is developing into a pure scorer.

Boston Celtics
Head Coach: Jim O’Brien
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/celtics/
2000-01 Record: 36-46 (5th place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: This long-proud franchise boasts one of the best one-two punches in the league in Paul

Pierce and Antoine Walker. These two are dynamite, but to win, the Celtics will need to count on #1 picks
Joe Johnson and Joseph Forte to be big pieces of the puzzle. The green and white still have the consistent
Kenny Anderson running the point, lending fuel to what could be an exciting season in Beantown.

Key Performers:
#8 PF Antoine Walker

A fantasy-player’s delight, Walker can score,
rebound and dish out assists. On top of that, he fin­ished 10th in the NBA in steals, and his 221 three­pointers were tops in the NBA last season. He can
indeed do it all, but unfortunately his Celtics have
missed the playoffs in each of his five seasons.

#34 SF Paul Pierce

Pierce is the type of player that gives opposing
coaches fits, as he can light up the scoreboard
both from the outside and from close range. After
finishing 8th in the NBA in scoring a season ago, it
wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Pierce on the All­Star Team in 2002.

Charlotte Hornets
Head Coach: Paul Silas
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/hornets/
2000-01 Record: 46-36 (3rd place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: In 2001-02, the Hornets may have their best team since the LJ/Mourning days of the early

90s. The backcourt is terrific, and the front line has nary a weak link. If the development of Baron Davis
continues at its accelerated pace, and if Jamal Mashburn can continue to be a big-time scorer, it’s not out
of the question to think the Hornets can be serious contenders for the Central Division title.

Key Performers:
#1 PG Baron Davis

One of the most exciting young point guards in the
league, the #3 pick of the draft in 1999 made great
strides in his sophomore season. He has an explo­sive first step, and can leap out of the arena. He
and Wesley form perhaps the most dynamic back­court in the Eastern Conference.

#24 SF Jamal Mashburn

After a blistering start to his career in Dallas in the
mid-90s, many saw scoring titles in Mashburn’s
future. A trade to Miami cooled those thoughts
somewhat, as his per game averages dropped
noticeably. However, an offseason trade to
Charlotte a year ago rejuvenated his career, as he
topped 20 ppg for the first time in five years.

3130

Denver Nuggets
Head Coach: Mike Evans
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/nuggets/
2000-01 Record: 40-42 (6th place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Like the Cavaliers, the Nuggets seem to be a player or two away from really making a differ-

ence in their division. As their near-.500 record indicates, Denver has the ability to play with the majority of
teams in the Midwest Division. Adding to an already veteran-heavy club, they’ve rolled the dice this offsea­son hoping that veterans such as Scott Williams and Avery Johnson can provide production off the bench.

Key Performers:

#24 PF Antonio McDyess

Some were surprised when he was drafted with
the #2 overall pick in 1995, but McDyess has
developed into one of the top power forwards in
the Western Conference. His incredible quickness
to the rim and nose for the ball down low make
him a complete player on both ends of the floor, as
his 20.8 ppg and 12.1 rpg last season attest.

#31 PG Nick Van Exel

“Nick the Quick” came into the NBA with a “shoot
first” mentality, but as he’s grown older, the left­hander has developed into one of the leading
assist men in the NBA. He’ll still let fly a few three­pointers (leading the team with 135 last year), but
his playmaking skills and quick first step are what
set him apart.

Detroit Pistons
Head Coach: Rick Carlisle
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/pistons/
2000-01 Record: 32-50 (5th place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: A perfect marriage of team and city, the Pistons rely on their blue-collar ethic on the boards

to outmuscle and outwork other teams. The frontcourt defense is solid with unheralded Ben Wallace, and
the team has a true drawing card in high-flying scorer Jerry Stackhouse, but Detroit will need other players
to pick up some of the offensive punch if this team is to make a serious playoff run.

Key Performers:
#42 SG Jerry Stackhouse

This former college player of the year is rapidly
developing into a bona fide NBA superstar. His
slashing and leaping abilities rival those only of
fellow UNC alum Vince Carter, and his 29.8 points
per game last year trailed only league MVP Allen
Iverson. He IS the offense for Detroit, as just about
every offensive possession funnels through him.

#3 C Ben Wallace

It may be hard to envision someone that averages

6.4 points per game as a “key performer,” but
Wallace is as sensational a defensive player as
there is in the league. At 6’9”, he doesn’t have the
height to match most power forwards and centers
in the NBA, yet his 1,052 total rebounds were
more than any other player in the league last year.

Golden State Warriors
Head Coach: Brian Winters
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/warriors
2000-01 Record: 17-65 (7th place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: Sure, every team looks back at “what ifs” at the conclusion of the season. For the Warriors,

the song has been the same for a number of years now: “what if we could stay healthy?” With a solid front
line of Antawn Jamison, Danny Fortson and Erick Dampier, and an explosive backcourt of Larry Hughes and
rookie Jason Richardson, this team has the talent to improve markedly over their 17-win season a year ago.

Key Performers:
#33 SF Antawn Jamison

Jamison can make it look easy. His soft hands,
smooth touch and ability to snake his way to the
basket make him a threat on every offensive pos­session. He may not get a great deal of national
recognition just yet, but All-Star Games are clearly
in his future.

#20 PG Larry Hughes

It’s hard to believe he’s still just 22 years old!
Much of the team’s fortunes will revolve around
how Hughes can handle the move from shooting
guard to point man this season. He’s excellent at
creating his own shot, but if he learns to create
shots for others, this team could be an instant
playoff contender.

Chicago Bulls
Head Coach: Bill Cartwright
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/bulls/
2000-01 Record: 15-67 (8th place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: With one of the youngest and most inexperienced squads in the NBA, the Bulls will have to

rely on youthful enthusiasm to get by this year. They’ll be buoyed by the return of former Bull Charles
Oakley, who adds an instant credibility to the front line. They also have a solid bench full of role players
and a couple of young first-rounders who figure to bring much-needed energy to the club.

Key Performers:

#5 SG Ron Mercer

Playing for his fourth team in four years, Mercer
may have found a home in the Windy City. His 19.7
ppg were a career-high, and he figures to be even
more of a go-to guy this season in the absence of
Elton Brand. He’ll be asked to take on more of a
leadership role this year as well, and should be able
to push his scoring average over twenty a game.

#3 C Tyson Chandler / #2 PF Eddy Curry

IIt will be a trial by fire for these two teenagers
taken with the #2 and #4 picks in this year’s draft.
You can bet they didn’t run into a lot of guys like
Karl Malone or Robert Traylor in their high school
leagues last year. Still, both have enormous
upside, and could patrol the paint for the Bulls for
years to come.

Dallas Mavericks
Head Coach: Don Nelson
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/mavericks/
2000-01 Record: 53-29 (T-2nd place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Things are definitely on the upswing in Big D. Not only is the logo and arena new, but so is

the belief that this team has the capability to go a long way in the playoffs. With just the right mix of
emerging youngsters, stars coming into their prime and a bench full of proven veterans, the Mavs may be
the favorite to overtake Utah and San Antonio in the Midwest Division.

Key Performers:

#41 SF Dirk Nowitzki

In just his third NBA season, Nowitzki established
himself as one of the premier scorers in the league.
At 7’0”, he may be the tallest small forward in
league history, which creates all sorts of matchup
problems. The floppy-haired German can beat you
both with his jumper and by driving to the basket,
and at 23 years of age, he’s only going to get better.

#4 SG Michael Finley

An all-star two years running, this six-year vet is
coming into his own as one of the most outstand­ing all-around players in the game today.
Underrated no longer, count on Finley to have his
hands on the ball if the game’s on the line.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Head Coach: John Lucas
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/
2000-01 Record: 30-52 (6th place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: The Cavs have never seemed ready to have that breakout season in recent years, but things

could finally be looking up in Cleveland. Point guard Andre Miller is developing into one of the best in the
Eastern Conference, and the frontcourt combination of Lamond Murray, Tyrone Hill, Michael Doleac and
Chris Mihm is improving. The Cavs should have enough weapons to play with most of the teams in the
Central Division.

Key Performers:

#24 PG Andre Miller

Few realize that in just his second season, Miller led all
Eastern Conference point guards in assists a year ago. On
the agenda this year – improving upon his scoring aver­age. His quick hands and good court awareness stand
out, but he’ll need those points per game to increase sig­nificantly if this club hopes to be playoff contenders.

#11 C Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Sure he’s injury prone - you’d be too if you had
screws in both of your feet. But when this
Lithuanian big man is in the lineup, the Cavs are a
markedly different team. Few players in the NBA
clog the lane better than this 7’3”, 260-pounder.

3332

Los Angeles Lakers
Head Coach: Phil Jackson
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/lakers/
2000-01 Record: 56-26 (1st place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: For the two-time defending champs, it’s almost a situation of “the rich getting richer” as

they upgraded their bench in the offseason by picking up Lindsay Hunter and Mitch Richmond. After losing
just one game in the playoffs a season ago, about the only question regarding this year’s team is whether
Shaquille O’Neal or Kobe Bryant will be the league MVP. They’re scary good.

Key Performers:
#34 C Shaquille O’Neal

Say what you will about that guy wearing #3 on
the Sixers, but Shaq must be considered the most
dominating player of his generation. His sheer bulk
allows him to simply outmuscle 95% of the play­ers in the NBA, and his low-post skills are enough
to outplay to other 5%.

#8 SF Kobe Bryant

No longer second-fiddle to Shaq, Bryant took the
jump last year from above-average player to
superstar. His 28.5 ppg was fourth best in the
NBA, and he continues to be perhaps the most
electrifying player in the game today. So long as
he and Shaq continue to play well together, cham­pionships should follow him around.

Memphis Grizzlies
Head Coach: Sidney Lowe
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/
2000-01 Record: 23-59 (7th place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Not only did the Grizzlies change countries in the offseason, but they also completely

revamped the face of the team. The club added flair with dynamic point guard Jason Williams and a couple
of “polished rookies” in Shane Battier and Pau Gasol. If Stromile Swift continues to develop, and if
Lorenzen Wright can hold his own in the middle, there’s no reason to believe this club can’t improve on
last year’s victory total.

Key Performers:

#2 PG Jason Williams

If you had to make an all-highlight reel team, this
guy is your first-team point guard. He can do
things with a basketball that’ve never been seen in
the NBA. Fans pay to see the showmanship, but
the Grizzlies’ best chance to win may lie in how
well he can settle into being a consistent PG.

#4 PF Stromile Swift

Taken with the #2 overall pick in 2000, the now 21­year-old was eased into action in his first season.
Expectations are for him to arrive as an NBA force
as early as this year. He’s strong in the low post, is
ferocious on the offensive glass, and could develop
into an Antonio McDyess-type player.

Miami Heat
Head Coach: Pat Riley
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/heat/
2000-01 Record: 50-32 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: After blitzing their way to the #3 seed in the East last season, Miami was upset by Charlotte

in three games. They’ll be looking for retribution this time around. Eddie Jones and Brian Grant are still
solid performers, and a healthy Alonzo Mourning is about as good as it gets in the middle, but the Heat
may need to count on their bench more than ever this year if they’re going to keep up with Philadelphia
and Toronto in the East.

Key Performers:

#33 C Alonzo Mourning

A perennial All-Star, Mourning played just 13 games
a year ago, but he’s still a difference-maker every
time he steps on the floor. He remains one of the
best low-post scorers in the game, and his rebound­ing and shot-blocking abilities make him the most
complete center in the Eastern Conference.

#6 SG Eddie Jones

Maybe the best all-around shooting guard in the
game, Jones is long on talent yet short on recogni­tion. He’s been a regular on the NBA’s All-Defensive
Team, recording 100 or more steals for seven con­secutive seasons. For good measure, he led the
Heat in scoring last year at 17.4 points per game.

Houston Rockets
Head Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/rockets/
2000-01 Record: 45-37 (5th place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: For the first time since 1984, Houston fans will not see a fella named Olajuwon roaming the

paint for their club. The Rockets must hope that diminutive scorer Steve Francis can grab the torch from
Hakeem and become the heart and soul of the franchise. He and Cuttino Mobley provide a good 1-2 scor­ing punch in the backcourt, but players such as Kenny Thomas and rookie first-rounder Eddie Griffin will
need to prosper down low if this team is to contend for a playoff berth.

Key Performers:

#3 PG Steve Francis

The 6’3” Francis came into the league as a show­man and hasn’t disappointed. His incredible leaping
ability makes him one of the league’s great dunkers.
Aside from the flash and flair, Francis has become a
first-rate point guard as well, averaging nearly seven
rebounds and seven assists per game.

#5 SG Cuttino Mobley

Little was expected from this former second-round
pick, but Mobley’s first three seasons have seen
him blossom from bench fodder to NBA Sixth-Man
Award runner-up to starting shooting guard. His

19.5 points per game last year merely hint at his
big-time ability.

Los Angeles Clippers
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/clippers/
2000-01 Record: 31-51 (6th place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: What’s this we hear? Actual, genuine optimism coming from the Clippers? Believe it - this

year’s Clippers club is seen by many to be the most likely to see their win total increase by double-digits.
The draft-day trade to acquire power forward Elton Brand was pure genius, and as young front lines go,
the future trio of Brand, Lamar Odom and Darius Miles is dynamite. Good times are definitely ahead.

Key Performers:

#42 PF Elton Brand

He may not be the flashiest player in the game, and
he doesn’t show up on the highlight shows making
incredible plays every night. All he does is score 20
points a night a pull down 10 rebounds. He’s solid,
and on a team loaded with young, unpredictable
players, Brand will be a rock of consistency.

#7 SF Lamar Odom

It’s hard to believe that a guy six-feet, ten-inches
tall can be so smooth handling and distributing the
ball. Odom is developing into one of the best
young inside/outside players, and creates matchup
problems wherever he plays. He should join Brand
as a 20-point per game scorer very soon.

Indiana Pacers
Head Coach: Isiah Thomas
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/pacers/
2000-01 Record: 41-41(4th place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: On paper, the 2001-02 Pacers seem to have all the ingredients to make one more big play-

off push. They have talented scorers in Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose, fast-rising youngsters in Jermaine
O’Neal, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, and a coach that wears two championship rings from his playing
days. The Pacers were doomed by a mediocre regular season last year, but they look to be one of those
teams you’d definitely want to avoid come playoff time this year.

Key Performers:

#31 SG Reggie Miller

It’s easy to use terms like “veteran warhorse” when
describing Miller. Though he still lacks the champi­onship ring he covets, the 14-year vet can still light
up the scoreboard in stretches with his long-range
bombing. He’s remarkably durable as well, missing
just four regular season games in the past five years.

#7 C Jermaine O’Neal

For his first four years in Portland, O’Neal never
averaged more than 4.5 ppg. Since coming over to
the Pacers, his statistics have roughly tripled across
the board, leading many to believe that he has the
potential to develop into one of the top three centers
in the Eastern Conference as early as this season.

3534

New York Knicks
Head Coach: Don Chaney
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/knicks/
2000-01 Record: 48-34 (3rd place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: In an Eastern Conference with no clear-cut favorite, the Knicks have to be considered one

of the top two or three favorites to play in the NBA Finals. Their front line of Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas
and Latrell Sprewell is as athletic a group as exists in the NBA today. Former Knick Mark Jackson returns
to run the show, sharp-shooter Allan Houston thrives in big-game situations, and the bench appears solid
with Shandon Anderson, Clarence Weatherspoon and a maturing Othella Harrington.

Key Performers:

#23 C Marcus Camby

Though considered under-sized for his position,
Camby uses his athleticism and leaping ability to
control the glass. He made the great “leap” forward
last season, improving his rebounding average by
nearly four per game. His mere presence in the
middle can affect the other team’s shot selection.

#20 SG Allan Houston

Houston is the very definition of a “solid player,"
and gets the job done night in and night out. He can
step out and beat you with a three, he can get by
you off the dribble, or he can drive and dish to the
open man. On top of that, he’s the consummate
team player, and is about as clutch as they come.

Orlando Magic
Head Coach: Doc Rivers
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/magic/
2000-01 Record: 43-39 (4th place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: The Magic will certainly be a fun team to watch this season. Shooting guard Tracy McGrady

is coming into his own as one of the most exciting players in the league, and the return of All-Star Grant
Hill will add yet another weapon to the arsenal. Center Patrick Ewing may be at the end of his brilliant
career, but he should still be serviceable in the middle, and will add veteran knowledge and playoff experi­ence to this young bunch. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see this club go a long way in the playoffs.

Key Performers:

#1 SG Tracy McGrady

McGrady went berserk last season, increasing his
scoring average from 15.4 to 26.8 points per game
and becoming a starter in the All-Star Game. He has
the ability to drive past anyone in the league, and
can leap so far that you’d swear he must have a
cape on. You ready for the scary part? He’s just 22.

#33 SF Grant Hill

While with the Pistons, you could count on Hill to
average right around 20-21 points, 7-8 rebounds and
6-7 assists per night. While some people have the
ability to slash to the hole, with Hill, it’s almost more
like he glides to the basket. He and McGrady may
form a 1-2 punch second only to Kobe and Shaq.

Philadelphia 76ers
Head Coach: Larry Brown
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/sixers/
2000-01 Record: 56-26 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: Last year’s 76ers club was almost a textbook example of how combining a couple of super-

stars with a roster full of gritty, hard-nosed role players can yield incredible results. Allen Iverson will again
be, hands down, the star of the show this time around, and Dikembe Mutombo is arguably the best defen­sive enforcer in the game today, but to be successful the team will again need to count on the contribu­tions of players such as Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Raja Bell and the newly acquired Derrick Coleman.

Key Performers:

#3 SG Allen Iverson

Not only did Iverson lead his team to the East cham­pionship last year, but he also led the league in scor­ing, earned his first MVP award and added the MVP
trophy from the All-Star Game to boot! One of the
deadliest shooters and most ferocious competitors
in the game, Iverson can win games all by himself.

#55 C Dikembe Mutombo

Last year, Mutombo's tough defensive presence
meshed perfectly with Iverson’s scoring prowess.
Almost overnight, the Sixers morphed from a decent
team into a legitimate title contender. Amazing fact?
Mutombo has never averaged fewer than 11 boards
per game in his entire 10-year career.

Milwaukee Bucks
Head Coach: George Karl
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/bucks/
2000-01 Record: 52-30 (1st place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: Things are definitely looking up in Milwaukee. Finalists for the Eastern Conference crown a

season ago, the Bucks may in fact be the frontrunners this time around. The Central Division champs fea­ture a trio of top scorers in Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, and added power forward
Anthony Mason from the Miami Heat. With forward Tim Thomas coming off the bench, this team has few
weaknesses.

Key Performers:

#13 SF Glenn Robinson

Big things were expected of the “Big Dog” when
he was selected with the #1 overall pick in the
1994 NBA Draft, and Robinson has not disappoint­ed. He’s averaged more than 20 ppg in six of his
first seven pro seasons, and his mid-range jumper
is smooth as silk.

#34 SG Ray Allen

Allen has elevated his game from that simply of a
long-range bomber into an all-around great player.
He’s as good a spot-up jump shooter as there is in
the game today, and has a knack for hitting the
clutch shot. Perhaps even more amazing is that
he’s yet to miss a game in his five-year career.

New Jersey Nets
Head Coach: Byron Scott
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/nets/
2000-01 Record: 26-56 (6th place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: Along with the Clippers and Hawks, the Nets have to be considered one of the favorites to

see their win total increase the most from last season. The acquisition of Jason Kidd gives them a true
playmaker at the point, while many tabbed Richard Jefferson as the most athletic player in the draft. If they
can get full seasons out of Keith Van Horn and Kenyon Martin, look out. Their starting five matches up
favorably with anyone.

Key Performers:

#5 Jason Kidd

Kidd will be asked to be more of a distributor than
last year’s point man, Stephon Marbury. That’s just
what Kidd likes to do (in fact, he once dished out
25 assists in a single game). He’s a perennial mem­ber of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, and has some
of the quickest hands this side of Wyatt Earp.

#6 PF Kenyon Martin

Martin brings with him a room full of Player-of­the-Year trophies from college. He finished his
rookie year with a modest 12-point scoring aver­age and added a respectable 7.4 rebounds a night,
but he has the strength and power to improve both
of those numbers substantially this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Head Coach: Flip Saunders
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/
2000-01 Record: 47-35 (4th place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Clearly, this team is built around Kevin Garnett. For the past few years, NBA insiders have mar-

veled at his skills, but wondered whether he’d ever get the supporting cast to make a difference in the playoffs.
This would seem to be the year. Point guard Terrell Brandon still has plenty left in the tank, the signing of Joe
Smith adds bulk up front, and the bench is deep with solid veterans like Anthony Peeler and Gary Trent.

Key Performers:
#21 PF Kevin Garnett

The first high school player in decades to jump
from high school to the NBA, Garnett has devel­oped into an absolute stud. He’s put up monster
numbers the past few seasons, averaging more
than 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per
game. He’s as complete a package as you can find
in the NBA.

#10 SF Wally Szczerbiak

In just his third season, “Wally World” is rounding
into a complete small forward. He’s always been a
good shooter and leader, but he’s developed into a
good rebounder as well - increasing his per game
average by almost two rebounds last year.

3736

San Antonio Spurs
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/spurs/
2000-01 Record: 58-24 (1st place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Many forget the fact that San Antonio had the best regular season in all the NBA last sea-

son. Now just two years removed from an NBA championship, the Spurs will be looking to unseat the
Lakers in the West. To do so, San Antonio will need continued improvement from point man Antonio
Daniels and will need newly acquired Steve Smith to step up big as a perimeter threat come playoff time.

Key Performers:

#21 PF Tim Duncan

For years this was David’s team, but it appears now
that Duncan is the star attraction. He has excellent
scoring and rebounding ability, great agility for his size,
and is perhaps the smartest player in the game today.
Now that he’s improved his free throw shooting, it’s
impossible to spot a single weakness in his game.

#50 C David Robinson

“The Admiral” saw his scoring average dip to a
career low 14.4 ppg last year, but don’t be fooled into
thinking he’s on his last legs. Robinson remains one
of the most intimidating defenders in the game, and
his mere presence virtually guarantees that the Spurs
will be contenders in the West again this year.

Seattle Sonics
Head Coach: Nate McMillan
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/sonics/
2000-01 Record: 44-38 (5th place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: The Sonics still have enough talent to beat any team on any given night. Point guard Gary

Payton has been one of the best at his position for more than a decade and shows no sign of letting up.
The team can count on solid contributions from veterans such as Vin Baker and Brent Barry, but if this
team is to make a return to the playoffs, players such as Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason will need to
transfer their enormous potential into results.

Key Performers:

#20 PG Gary Payton

"The Glove” has been a member of the NBA All­Defensive Team for an astonishing eight consecutive
seasons, yet on top of that, in the last two seasons he's
posted the two highest per game scoring averages of
his career. Payton is the unquestioned leader of his
club, and can carry the team on his back if need be.

#7 PF Rashard Lewis

After jumping to the NBA directly out of high
school, Lewis was tentative in his first few sea­sons. Last year, he emerged as a starter and aver­aged nearly 15 points and 7 rebounds per game.
This year, the Sonics hope he can increase those
numbers to around 18 and 9.

Toronto Raptors
Head Coach: Lenny Wilkens
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/raptors/
2000-01 Record: 47-35 (2nd place, Central Division)

Team Outlook: The Raptors consider themselves to be one of the frontrunners to win the Eastern

Conference this season, and who’s to argue? High-flying Vince Carter has matured from simply an explo­sively talented leaper into an all-around terrific basketball player. Antonio Davis and new acquisition
Hakeem Olajuwon provide big-time ability in the paint, and Morris Peterson is a banger whose stock is on
the rise. If things come together, Toronto will be in the mix come playoff time.

Key Performers:

#15 SG Vince Carter

Talk of an MVP trophy may be premature, but as
he proved in his classic battle with Allen Iverson in
the playoffs last year, Carter can flat out carry a
team on his back and single-handedly take over
ball games. His scoring average of 27.6 points per
game a year ago could easily top 30 this year.

#33 PF Antonio Davis

Davis found a home as a starter in Toronto, estab­lishing career highs in scoring, rebounding, assists
and blocked shots, and earning a starting spot on
East All-Star Team. His size enables him to muscle
his way into easy baskets down low, but he can
also step out and drain the baseline jumper.

Phoenix Suns
Head Coach: Scott Skiles
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/suns/
2000-01 Record: 51-31 (3rd place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: Health is really the only obstacle between the Suns being merely a better-than-average club

or being a threat to advance deep into the playoffs. Here come the “ifs” - if Penny Hardaway can stay
healthy, if Tom Gugliotta can come all the way back, if Shawn Marion continues to develop into a top-flight
scorer, and if Stephon Marbury can run the offense through his many talented teammates, this club will go
a long way, as in a VERY long way.

Key Performers:

#3 PG Stephon Marbury

Marbury has been instant offense through his first
five NBA seasons. In fact, his scoring average has
improved in each of those five years, ultimately
reaching a 23.9 clip a year ago. Amazingly, he’s
still been able to average more than eight assists
per game.

#31 SF Shawn Marion

In just his second season, the 6’7” Marion aver­aged a double-double (17.3 points, 10.7
rebounds), and impressed NBA insiders with his
nose for the ball. It’s not out of the question to see
Marion, Marbury and Hardaway forming the high­est scoring trio in the NBA.

Sacramento Kings
Head Coach: Rick Adelman
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/kings/
2000-01 Record: 55-27 (2nd place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: The Kings feature just about every piece of the puzzle necessary to have a championship-

caliber club. Point guard? Check. Mike Bibby steps in to provide a calming influence at the point.
Superstar? Check. Chris Webber is the unquestioned go-to guy. Presence in the middle? Check. Vlade
Divac is still a top-flight center. A good supporting cast and bench? Check and check. Guys like Predrag
Stojakovic and Doug Christie help round out a squad that appears loaded with the tools to make a big run.

Key Performers:

#4 PF Chris Webber

“C-Webb” can do just about everything, and set a
career high in scoring last year at 27.1 points per
game. Webber makes frequent appearances on the
highlight reel, yet has developed into something of a
workmanlike player. No matter how you break it
down, he’s one of the best players in the game today.

#10 PG Mike Bibby

After finishing well out of the playoffs in his first
three years, Bibby now joins a team looking for
leadership at the point to help get them over the
hump. He seems poised to deliver, as he finished
in the top ten in assists a year ago and averaged
nearly sixteen points a game as well.

Portland Trail Blazers
Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/blazers/
2000-01 Record: 50-32 (4th place, Pacific Division)

Team Outlook: Portland certainly qualifies as one of the most enigmatic teams in the NBA. They have a

dynamite floor general in Damon Stoudamire, an All-Star down low in Rasheed Wallace, a couple of scor­ing swingmen in Derek Anderson and Bonzi Wells, a six-time All-Star in Shawn Kemp, and one of the 50
greatest players in NBA history, Scottie Pippen. If this team can play together, they could pose a threat to
the Lakers in the West.

Key Performers:

#30 PF Rasheed Wallace

Wallace rates as one of the top two or three most
dominating power forwards in the league. He led
the Blazers in scoring, rebounding and blocked
shots a year ago, and found himself on the All-Star
team for the second consecutive year. He definitely
rates as one of the league’s most fiery competitors.

#3 PG Damon Stoudamire

“Mighty Mouse” may not be the scorer he was
early in his career, but he’s developed into a pure
point guard, and has taken on more of a leader­ship role in Portland. Don’t be fooled, though ­Stoudamire can still bury the open jumper or take
the ball to the rim with the best of ‘em.

CREDITS

3938

CREDITS

Visual Concepts

Lead Engineer

Andrew Marrinson

Engineers

Mark Horsley
Aki Rimpilainen
Henrik Holmdhal
Ray Graham
Tom Bak
Nick Jones
Tim Meekins
Alex Lee
Rob Gatson
Matt Hamre
Matt Bandy
Chris Larson
Johnnie Yang
Marc LeBlanc
Boris Kazanskii
Matt Underwood

Library Engineer

Ivar Olsen
Eivind Hagen
Chuck Batson

Director of Technology

Tim Walter

Art Director

Alvin Cardona

Player Model

Daniel Dawson

Lead Animator

Kaj Swift

Lead Arena Dude

Nelson Wang

Front End Designer

David Northcutt

Artist

Quinn Kaneko
Michael Stribling
Kurt Lai
Roy Tse
Ray Wong

Artist Cont.

Michael Biancalana
Leandro Penaloza
Collin Fogel
Joyce Rietveld
Hsing-Wen Hsu
Steve Paris
David Dame
Joel Flory
Ji Ahn
John Lee

Audio Director

Brian Luzietti

Sound Designer

Larry Peacock

Dialog Editor

J. Mateo Baker

Motion Capture Director

Matt Karnes

Motion Capture

Rich Nelson
Gavin Mccall

Executive Producer

Greg Thomas

Project Manager

Rob Jones

Assistant Project Manager

Kyle Lai-Fatt

Lead Designer

Derrick Aynaga

Additional Design

Jeremy Tiner

Quality Assurance Director

Chien Yu

Lead Tester

John Crysdale

Quality Assurance

Jason Vandiver
Brad Blakslee
Tim Collins

Utah Jazz
Head Coach: Jerry Sloan
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/jazz/
2000-01 Record: 53-29 (T-2nd place, Midwest Division)

Team Outlook: Sure they keep getting older. Sure they’re due for the big crash. Yet somehow, the Jazz qui-

etly go about their business, win 50+ games during the regular season, and forge into the playoffs as one
of those teams that nobody wants to play. Things should be no different this year. It’s clearly John
Stockton and Karl Malone’s team, but for Utah to return to the NBA Finals, they’ll need someone like
Donyell Marshall, Quincy Lewis or Bryon Russell to have a monster year.

Key Performers:

#34 PF Karl Malone

It’s hard to look at someone that still averages 23.2
points per game and say “he’s not the player he once
was.” He’s still every bit that player, and will be every bit
as dangerous come playoff time. His ability to get to the
hole has set him apart as a player, and he still manages
to pull down close to ten rebounds every night.

#12 PG John Stockton

The NBA’s all-time assists leader, Stockton can still
distribute the ball as well as any point guard in the
game. He doubles as the NBA’s all-time steals
leader, and even at 39, retains the ability to shut
down opposing point guards with his smarts, hus­tle and extraordinary court awareness.

Washington Wizards
Head Coach: Doug Collins
Internet Site: http://www.nba.com/wizards/
2000-01 Record: 19-63 (7th place, Atlantic Division)

Team Outlook: You can throw last year’s record right out the window. As we all know, things’ll be different

in the nation’s capital this year - a LOT different. In fact, many predict that Washington will become instant
playoff contenders with the changes they’ve made to the makeup of the ball club. Regardless, the Wiz will
need continued improvement from youngsters like Richard Hamilton and Courtney Alexander, and will
need #1 pick Kwame Brown to arrive quickly if this team is to get that far.

Key Performers:

#32 SF Richard Hamilton

Though he's quietly emerged as one of the bright
young stars of the NBA, "Rip" has become something
of a forgotten man in Washington. He more than dou­bled his scoring average from his rookie season to

18.1 ppg last year, and might see that number increase
this year if teams overlook him again this year.

#5 PF Kwame Brown

As the #1 overall pick in last year’s draft, Brown has
high expectations to live up to. The 19-year-old will
begin learning the ropes by coming off the bench in
his freshman NBA season, but his incredible athletic
ability may earn him a starting spot before long.
Comparisons to Kevin Garnett aren’t too far-fetched.

4140

SEGA OF AMERICA

Senior Product Manager

Stacey Kerr

Associate Product Manager

Mike Rhinehart

Licensing

Jane Thompson
Robert Leffler

Manual

Ed Brady

Lead Tester

John Diamonon

Assistant Lead Tester

Rommel Hernandez
Joe Mora

Testers

Fred Acebo
Michael Delacruz
Demetrius Griffin
Joe Amper
Jenric Herrera
Seth Benton
Fernando Valderama
Ryan Roettele
Curtis Chiu
Ben Wisyanski
Shawn Dobbins
Lee Frohman
Jeff Sideno
Jamie Abalos

Creative Services

Bob Schonfisch – Director
Vicki Morawietz – Manual Designer

Special Thanks

Peter Moore
Chris Gilbert
Marc Franklin
Cori Barrett
Kelley Electa

All trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.

The names and logos of all stadiums/arenas are
trademarks of their respective owners and are
used by permission.

Certain trademarks used herein [or hereon] are
properties of American Airlines, Inc. used under
license to Sega. All rights reserved.

Sega thanks the Rucker family and the memory
of Mr. Holcombe Rucker.

Special thanks to Greg Lassen at NBA
Entertainment, Inc.

Quality Assurance Cont.

Joey Edwards
Drew Gall
Albert Huie
Robert Nelson
Tor Unsworth
Derek Williams
David Winslow

Additional Testing

Marion Dreo
Kai Ma
Carl Palomino
Mark Washington
Donell Williams

Audio Script Writing

Rob Thomas

Voice Over

Bob Fitzgerald as Bob Steel
Rod Brooks as Rod West
Ira C. Smith as The PA Announcer
Jerry Miller as The Coach

Presentation Consultant

Artie Kempner

Motion Capture Talent

Roy Byrd
Thomas Fairley
Rob Kennedy
Ken Jennings
Bo Outlaw
Rasheed Wallace
Sadiki Fuller
Sean Lewis
Marcus Smith
Rick Lambert
Rob Gatson

Player Voices

Jake Baker
Taron Hensley
Donell Williams
Ray Graham
Kurt Maffei
Rob Gatson

Playbook Design

Sportsvision

Intro Movie

Created by DragonLight

Intro Movie Music

Performed by R.O.C
Written by Jermaine Dupri and R.O.C
Produced by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def
Productions

Menu Music

C&G Entertainment

Arena Music

Scorpio Sound
Composed and Produced By Mike Reagan
Gregory J. Hainer

Additional Arena Music

Directed and Supervised by CouchLife Ltd.,
London, UK
Composed and Produced by Matt Hales
HSP (Tom Hills)

Street Court Music

Produced by Da Beatminerz

Special Thanks

Scott Patterson
Matt Crysdale
Eric Apel
Richard Yee
Wayne Herman
Jenn Baker
Jorge Rodriguez
Rustin Lee
Jeff Thomas
Art Richardson
Lisa Bishop
Laura Lavelle
Jason Chin
Wayne Simmons
Roy Wilson
Joe Ferrero
Ashok Das
Terry Doyle
Sean Catinella
Gregg Rodriguez
Jennifer Horwich
Diane McDonald
Alex Baker
NBA Entertainment, Inc.
Greg Lassen

NOTES

43

NOTES

42

NOTESNOTES

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VIDEO GAME SYSTEM MANUFACTURED FOR SALE IN AND PURCHASED AND OPERATED
IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, ONLY!

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shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 90-days from the date
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the retailer, please contact Sega to obtain support.

Obtaining technical support/service

To receive additional support, including troubleshooting assistance, please contact Sega at:

• web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://www.sega.com

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MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE HEREBY LIMITED
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CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE BREACH OF ANY
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HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, OR EXCLUSION OF CONSEQUENTIAL OR
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YOU. THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE
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either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation. © SEGA CORPORATION, 2002. All
Rights Reserved. www.sega.com <http://www.sega.com> The NBA and individual NBA member team
identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of
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Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.