Following its original appearance in NBA 2K11, NBA 2K23 is set to bring back The Jordan Challenge, a series of challenges that put players in the shoes of the greatest basketball player of all time.
The Jordan Challenge’s appearance in NBA 2K11 featured 10 moments for players to play that all focused on the legendary Michael Jordan and many of his well-known feats. Moments included recreating his 63-point playoff game against the Boston Celtics, hitting “The Shrug” during Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals against the Portland Trailblazers, and more.
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This time around, there are 15 challenges, stretching all the way back to Jordan’s days at the University of North Carolina, and culminating in him hitting his last shot as a Chicago Bull, a shot that gave him his sixth NBA Championship and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest. The full list includes:
- 1. 1982 National Championship: 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
Similarly to NBA 2K11, The Jordan Challenge in NBA 2K23 will feature certain presentational changes to evoke the time period of the game it is being ripped from. For example, there will be video filters that will help recreate the television experience of what the 1980s and 1990s games looked like on old televisions. Fonts and graphics will also be accurate to era the clip is from. Coach and analyst Mike Fratello will be provide commentary for the mode and PA announcer Ray Clay will also be lending his voice to recreate the iconic Chicago Bulls introductions of the 1990s. The Chicago Bulls theme song, “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project, will even be playing in the stadium’s speakers.
The game itself will also change to match the times. Basketball was a little more physical and had a slower pace back then and 2K has taken the time to adjust the game accordingly. Dribbles and other techniques will also be accurate to the time, as well. Some will even have their own custom moves, like Magic Johnson and his signature no-look pass. Players can even run plays from coaches from that era like Jack Ramsay, Hubie Brown, Dick Motta, Lenny Wilkens, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, and Rick Adelman, just to name a few.
All 15 games in the Jordan Challenge will also include pre-game interviews with different players that were part of the moment, including Marv Albert, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson, and more.
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Aside from just playing in the games, The Jordan Challenge will also feature rewards for players who complete them. Each of the 15 challenges offers three in-game goals to hit, with each goal earning players a star. Collecting 40 stars will unlock rewards found in both the MyTeam and MyCareer modes of 2K23.