Before the 2017-2018 NBA Season officially kicks off in October, NBA 2K18 will hit the floor first in mid-September. The basketball simulation game features impressive visuals, with the players looking almost lifelike. Thanks to a new trailer, we now have more chances to marvel at the visuals.
2K Sports has released a new trailer for NBA 2K18. The two-minute video focuses solely on the visuals, showcasing incredibly detailed player models complete with accurate tattoos and reactions. It shows some of the biggest NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James.
The reactions, mannerisms, and movements of the players are spot on. We see James doing his signature foot-stomp celebration, Curry kicking in half-court presumably after a nailed three-pointer, and Russell Westbrook throwing down one of his signature two-handed dunks. The reactions, in particular, are amazingly accurate and feel like the real deal.
The trailer also shows the new NBA uniforms created by Nike, a long-time partner of the NBA when it comes to distributing official NBA merchandise. All NBA teams get new Nike uniforms, which means the old-school look of the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics uniforms get a touch-up as well.
Several NBA players changed addresses during the offseason, which has been full of drama and surprises so far (see: Kyrie Irving requesting a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers). In the trailer, we see some of the players that switched teams, which includes Rajon Rondo (Chicago to New Orleans), Jimmy Butler (Chicago to Minnesota), Paul George (Indiana to Oklahoma City), and D'Angelo Russell (Los Angeles to Brooklyn).
The 2017 Draft Class is also represented in the trailer, with Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers showing his awkward-looking shooting form. Kudos to the developers for nailing down his unorthodox shot, which remains to be seen whether it will translate well in real NBA games.
NBA 2K18 releases on September 19. It features Kyrie Irving as the cover athlete, with Shaquille O'Neal on the Legend Edition. NBA Live 18 releases four days earlier on September 15, the same day that people who pre-ordered NBA 2K18 get their hands on the game.