The 15 Greatest Point Guards in "NBA 2K" History

The NBA 2K series has long-established itself as the premiere option when it comes to basketball simulations. With intuitive and innovative control systems, breathtakingly realistic visuals, and endlessly addictive gameplay, the franchise has blown past the competition in its quest to dominate the world of NBA gaming. Over the years, we've come to love 2K Gamesfor the work that they've done, and with the release of NBA 2K14 today, it got us thinking: who have some of our all-time favorite payers in these games been? And, more specifically, who have been our favorite point guards?

In the NBA, the hardwood generals bringing it up the court, dishing it to their teammates, and driving it to the hole are often the most important players. In the virtual world, it's no different. A game can be decided by a well-timed kick-out for 3, or a savvy pass to the open man down low. So, to commemorate all the roundball maestros responsible for leading our squads to victory, we decided to highlight the 15 Best Point Guards in NBA 2K History. Take a look and let us know what you think. Who do you think will join them this year?

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Game: NBA 2K12
Rating: 99

Alright, so this one is cheating a little bit since Magic never actually played ball when any 2K games were around, but if we left the greatest point guard to ever play basketball off of the list, then we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves. Available as one of the "Legends" players in 2K12, former Lakers superstar, Magic Johnson, was given the prestigious 99 overall rating for his work on the 1990-91 Los Angeles squad. Magic was always good in transition, so it should be no surpise that taking his versatile, one-of-a-kind game to your PS3 or Xbox 360 was executed as smoothly as a no-look pass from the man himself. Obviously, the 1990-91 Lakers are going to dominate in almost any match-up you put them, but the one standing tall above the rest was always Magic.

Game: NBA 2K4
Rating: 86

Mike Bibby's individual rating might not be totally eye-popping, but when you consider who the guy had on his team, suddenly the former Sacramento Kings point guard looks a lot more appealing. To put it simply, this squad was stacked. At shooting guard and small forward, you had Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic, while Vlade Divac and Chris Webber anchored the team down low. The centerpiece of the offense, Bibby had the vision to get it to any one of these guys as well as a steady 3 to lean on if he ever needed to dial his own number. The Kings may have never been able to break through for a championship in real life, but victory was almost certain for them in NBA 2K4. Bibby was a big reason why.

Game: NBA 2K4
Rating: 90

Starbury hasn't been seen in the league in years, largely because he was one of the most selfish players to ever get in a uniform in the NBA. To be honest, though, that's exactly why we love him so much for the NBA 2K franchise. Point guards who love to shoot are actually something of a luxury in the NBA gaming, mainly due to the fact that you'll want to use any point guard as a shooter at some point, anyway. Yes, passing is a key asset to any team but, more often than not, you just want to go with the guy who can take over a game at will. For that task, Marbury was your guy. Armed with a dagger of a jump shot, and some nasty one-on-one moves, Marbury could break scoring records with the right player in control of him. Here's hoping that the Beijing Ducks will be available in 2K14.

Game: NBA 2K3
Rating: 93

Gary Payton was known for his tenacious defensive talents, as well as his overall completeness as a point guard during his 18-year career in the NBA, and the package he brought to the table certainly wasn't lost when it was taken to the video game world. In NBA 2K3, back when Payton was still with the Seattle SuperSonics, you were given the nearly-unstoppable duo of Payton and his teammate, Ray Allen, to work with, and if you couldn't make a winning team out of that tandem, then you might have been better off just hanging up your controller and calling it a day. Though in the latter half of his career at this point, Payton was still at the top of his game here, able to dice a defense or pick up a steal with the best of them. The Glove never looked so good.

Game: NBA 2K8
Rating: 96

Much like Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas is exactly the type of player who could set an NBA 2K game on fire. Back when he considered a superstar in the NBA, Arenas gained his accolades through his ability to rain buckets on a regular basis. And think about it: if the real Gilbert Arenas had it in him to drop 60 in one game, then what do you think could you do with him in the virtual world? 100 points was never out of the question with Arenas and, needless to say, this guy was just unfair to play with at times.

Game: NBA 2K11
Rating: 92

In what would end up being his last season with the Utah Jazz, All-Star guard, Deron Williams, was one of the top options in NBA 2K11, primarily because of his superior handle, and a criminally underrated knack for getting to the rim. Plus, with guys like Al Jefferson, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur on his side, Williams certainly wasn't out on the court all by himself. In the actual NBA season, Williams earned himself some unsavory nicknames from the media and fans—"coach killer" being the worst of them all—but, thankfully, drama like this doesn't affect player ratings in 2K11. It's only about the game on the court in here, and you can be sure that Deron had that end covered.

Game: NBA 2K5
Rating: 92

Before he was coaching the Nets, remember that Jason Kidd was the one leading them on the court for much of the early-2000s. One of the best to ever do it in the league, Kidd served as the centerpiece for a dynamic Nets squad that made it to back-to-back NBA Finals, and was a regular contender for years. It was no different in 2K5. Kidd was the center head to the Hydra you formed with teammates Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, making the Nets one of the deadliest teams to play as in the entire game. Again, that was Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter. How many points could you put up with those three alone? 120? 140? Sure, Kidd might not have ever had the best jumper in the game, but his passing was always top-notch, and he had no issue with taking it to the hole on his own if your opponent wanted to try and take him one-on-one. More often than not, they just ended up getting embarrassed.

Game: NBA 2K13
Rating: 90

Rajon Rondo will always catch heat for his lousy jumpshot, but when it comes to creating buckets, and driving into the lane, few can hang with the mercurial, but hyper-talented, Celtics guard. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had their moments in the sun, but in NBA 2K13, Rondo is now the alpha male for Boston, and the game's developers equipped him with the moves to make that transition rather seamlessly. Aside from pure shooting, Rondo impacts nearly every aspect of any game he plays in, and his passing ability is arguably second to none. Were it not for LeBron, you could've made a case for Rondo being the best player in this game.

Game: NBA 2K8
Rating: 96

When the Phoenix Suns were known for their Seven Seconds or Less style of play, and the fluid, seemingly effortless genius of their lead maestro, Steve Nash, you had yourself a team that was perfectly equipped to dominate an NBA video game. This had a lot to do with the fact that they played absolutely no defense, and killed it on offense, but let us reiterate: they killed it on offense. With Nash at the helm, getting the ball to playmakers like Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion was easy and, if need be, the mid-range jumper that Nash could pull out was an absolute weapon. When the Phoenix Suns were in your hands, their blazing transition game became even better, making them and their two-time MVP point guard an easy pick for anyone looking to get the W.

Game: NBA 2K13
Rating: 88

It's likely that NBA 2K13 will be the last time we see Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry, get stuck with anything below a 90 overall rating for awhile. After his breakout performance in the playoffs this past year, Curry proved to everyone around the league that he's blessed with more than just a silky J. This guy can do everything you could ever ask out of a point guard. And those ankle issues? For now, they're nothing to worry about. Even with his good-but-not-great rating, though, Curry was still one of the top options in the game for NBA 2K13, mainly because of his knack for collecting buckets in droves. When a player like that gets hot in a video game, they get scorching. You'd have to treat your challengers for third-degree burns after Curry was done with them.

Game: NBA 2K12
Rating: 88

Though his shot selection still leaves a little bit to be desired, Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Russell Westbrook, is a player that you can expect to remain dominant in the 2K gaming for the years to come. We still don't know how he'll look in the return from the knee injury he suffered this past postseason, but back when the Thunder were just starting to make a dent in the league, Westbrook was an unstoppable blend of raw talent, boundless energy, and blazing speed. And while he and teammate Kevin Durant may suffer from certain miscommunications about lead-dog status every now and again, we can assure you that when you're in charge, such problems quickly become a thing of the past. Let Russell draw in the defenders with a darting move to the paint, and then kick out it to Durant for three. Or, just finish the possession yourself by crashing to the rim for a dunk. He can do it all.

Game: NBA 2K2
Rating: 93

Before he stopped caring about his conditioning, and started packing on weight while riding the bench in Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York, Baron Davis was actually one of the top ball handlers in the league during his time with the then-Charlotte-based Hornets. Much like his contemporaries across the NBA, such as Stephon Marbury or Steve Francis, Davis was the type of point guard who was bred with a shoot-first mentality. In actual games, this may have been less than ideal at times, but when you were the one controlling him, Davis was a godsend. He had the ability to catch fire with his 3, make a move to get in the paint, or distribute to his bigs in the post like Jamaal Magloire or Jamal Mashburn. If you played your talent to its potential, the Hornets were a potential juggernaut in 2K2.

Game: NBA 2K6
Rating: 97

Allen Iverson was the type of player who was just made for a video game. He loved to score, had a killer crossover, and could dish the rock when he needed to but, most importantly, he loved to score. Oh, did we already mention that? Well, it bears repeating. AI was a regular name atop the NBA scoring average lists during his tenure in the league, and you're crazy if you think that ability to drop buckets didn't translate to the console universe. In 2K6, he was given one of his highest ratings ever, and with a young Andre Iguodala, and an aging—but still effective—Chris Webber to help keep the defense honest, the Sixers were something of a sleeper team for 2K gamers everywhere.

Game: NBA 2K9
Rating: 96

Chris Paul is already an all-time great when it comes to the conversation of best-ever point guards in the league, and 2K Games has done well to reflect that in most every one of their titles since Paul began to emerge as a force in the league. Still in his days with the New Orleans Hornets, Paul had one of the best ratings on the entire NBA 2K9 roster, and backed that number up with his smooth handle, savvy court vision, and reliable J. Yes, it kind of hurts that probably his best teammate on these Hornets was an aging Peja Stojakovic, but it wasn't hard to let Paul just take a game over on his own here. And even if your opponent decided to double-team him, Paul had the passing ability to find the open man and pick up the dime. Money, everytime.

Game: NBA 2K12
Rating: 92

You had to know that this would be the year we chose for Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose, given that 2K12 was released after his MVP-winning season. Rose is a guard that has always played with a his own brand of tenacity, athleticism and playmaking ability, and his virtual self is no different. Since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach, Chicago has clearly established itself as a hard-nosed, defensive team, but with the penetrating, elusive, and hyper-aware Rose leading the way in 2K12, you may find yourself thinking you're playing as Jordan's Bulls again.