NBA 2K is comfortably the biggest basketball video game in the world. Through their partnership with the NBA, the game gets to license the identities of all active players while paying legends for their identities.
Everyone can say no, and some do, like Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller. Rasheed Wallace has recently revealed why he no longer features in the NBA 2K series.
“CTC. Cut the cheque. You’re not gonna give me $10,000 for sh*t that you make a minimum $500 million in three-four months.”
Rasheed Wallace Explains Why He isn’t on NBA 2K24 😂😭
Via: Gil’s Arena #NBA2K24
— NBA 2K26 Community (@nba2kcmty) December 7, 2023
Not having Wallace available for most multiplayer modes doesn’t end up affecting the game that heavily. However, all Play Now fans will be upset that he won’t feature in the Classic Team section with any of his iconic teams. These include the Portland Trail Blazers and the 2004 title-winning Pistons.
NBA2K makes a killing of their franchise. Active players are included by licensing through the NBPA, while most legends get a nominal fee as part of their inclusion. Wallace didn’t feel it was enough, and other legends feel similarly.
Charles Barkley Refuses To Be A Part Of NBA 2K
We spoke about how not having Wallace doesn’t hurt the immersion of the game in a tangible sense. However, Charles Barkley’s absence is a major problem and has been for years.
Not only is the former MVP missing from any of his iconic teams, but he’s not even a part of the ‘Inside the NBA’ halftime shows in the game. Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith appear as a trio, with every game serving as a reminder that the charismatic fourth member of the troupe is missing.
Barkley has previously explained why he doesn’t want to be in the NBA 2K franchise and what they’ll need to do to get him to join up.
“I’m asked that question a lot. So, they pay those guys to do it and they make 300 million dollars and they pay the guys chump change. And I’m like nah, I’m not doing that. I said this is what I’ll do because giving me some money doesn’t help anybody. I said give the old retired players a million dollars and I’ll be in the video game. They’re like, well, we’re gonna pay you the same thing we pay others, and I said I’m not like the others. They piss me off every year. They call me every year and say ‘Hey, have you changed your mind?’ Why in the world would you think I’m gonna change my mind?”
That’s a very noble thought process from Barkley. The NBA does benefit in the millions from their video game, so it’s only fair for the retired players to have a bigger share in their success.
NBA 2K24 has been panned by many fans for further doubling down on their strategy of making money through microtransactions. The controversial Season Pass for competitive online players has earned a lot of ire. It follows the model of many games on the market today, but those games don’t also charge a full base price to buy the game and then the Season Pass.
But 2K has faced criticism from their fans every year, but it never ends up hurting their bottom line. Maybe eventually they can figure out a way to get Barkley and Wallace back into the game as a treat for fans.
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