NBA 2K17 My Career Tips: How to quickly boost those attributes and become a superstar

Few game modes are as popular with each new iteration of its base game as NBA 2K‘s My Career is. The role-playing “game” has players creating their own basketball player (dubbed “MyPlayer”) from scratch, before slowly working them up, building up their stats and guiding them to NBA stardom.

It’s a bit of a grind, and 2K Sports has gone to great lengths to liven up the mode’s story element, last year with Spike Lee’s tale of a rags-to-riches kid making it big, and this year with a high school star lacking a father figure. They’ve toned down on the social commentary, which is good, and focused on gameplay and progression, which makes for a far more streamlined and engaging experience.

For the initiated, most of the information here will be all-too-familiar. For those new to the experience, hopefully this guide can take you through the basics, and help you on your way to becoming an NBA superstar and All-Star. NBA 2K17 is a great game to get introduced to the series’ fundamentals in, and it shouldn’t take you long to familiarise yourself with the basics.

While the My Career mode can be punishing, the initial 2-or-so hours act as a bit of a tutorial, so if you are new, you should feel right at home before your career really kicks into gear!

So, want to know how to quickly build your MyPlayer up to level 99 and dominate the NBA? Here are some tips.

My Player Creation Tips | College Tips | Attribute Upgrades and Caps | Getting A Perfect Teammate Grade | Boosting To Level 99

My Player Creation tips

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when you first boot up NBA 2K17 and design a player that doesn’t really suit your style of play. Ideally, you want to create a player that really encapsulates how you play NBA 2K.

If you’re the kind of player that likes to control the play, distribute, and dictate the terms of a match, then a PG is for you. If you want less responsibility and want to move off the ball and shoot off the dribble a little more, than maybe a SG is more to your liking. The SG position along with the SF need to have good defensive accountability and perfect off-ball movement, so there’s more of an obligation on your end to understand how to run screens effectively to help your own teammates move off the ball. As a PG, you need to be able to execute the pick-and-roll.

The C and PF are two totally different beasts. With these players you’ll need to hit the boards hard, move off the ball and set screens for teammates, being accountable in the low post, defend hard, and work on your post game. If you’re not proficient in any of these areas, it can really hurt your team and your teammate rating.

All positions have their pros and cons, but it really just comes down to how you’re best suited to playing NBA 2K.

Tips To Get You Started

• Each position has an attributes cap for certain attributes, so be wary of this when you choose your player. For example, a PG can’t be a slasher with a perfect dunk rating. You can work on these attributes, sure, but they’ll never be as good at those things as someone in a more suitable position would be.
• Body size and shape matters. A small and lean PG is going to be fast, but they’re going to lack strength and agility, which can make it tough for them to defend bigger, stronger opposition PGs. A C with a small wingspan isn’t going to be that efficient a rebounder as a C with an excessively long wingspan. Thankfully, the game informs you of these factors when you’re creating your player.
• If you’re an impatient player, a PG, SG or even an SF are probably your best options. That way you can get your hands on the ball a bit more. As a C and PF you’re really at the hands of the guards, although your teammates tend to pass the ball to you a bit more in NBA 2K17.
• If you’re an outside shooter, stick with a guard. If you’re a banger and like to hit the boards, any of the forwards or Center should be your choice.

College Tips

College in NBA 2K17 My Career is more like a cool aesthetic to get you started and help you learn the basics before you enter the NBA. So long as you don’t absolutely stink it up, you should get drafted in the mid-first round. It doesn’t matter what school you choose or how well you perform in the matches: you’ll almost certainly be berated for your performance. Don’t take it personally, because it appears to just be a scripted part of the experience.

Tips To Get You Started

• While your performance won’t really dictate where you go, there is the opportunity to move up or the risk of moving down the draft order. In that case, don’t force your shots, make bad passes or spam the pass button off the ball. Play it safe and stick to your strengths. You never know: you might creep into the top 10 (I landed at 15 with the Nuggets).

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