It’s tough to peg when 2K Sports took off with its NBA 2K franchise. Everyone remembers 2K11 which became an instant classic. It touched on every NBA fan out there by adding historic teams through the ages, and of course the one and only Michael Jordan.

But that wasn’t the NBA 2K game that earned the highest grade from Operation Sports. That title belongs to NBA 2K7, just another title in the series, right? Wrong.

NBA 2K7 is still PLAYABLE. The “Best of E3” winner, according to the front of the box, has plenty to keep NBA junkies interested. For me, personally, running the court with the Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis-led Sonics is a dream come true. I probably played this game more than I really had to the past couple of weeks. Shaq was still in Miami, LeBron was 23 and under a microscope, KG was a Timberwolve which made Boston an awful team.

But is 2K7 as special as OS once said it was? Should anyone pick up this game to play or to keep for nostalgia purposes? We’re about to find out.

What Holds Up

The gameplay really does keep me interested until the final buzzer. The dribbling and passing mechanics are sloppy, but they aren’t game breakers. Honestly, it just shows how far the series has really come. The passing can lead to frustration, but once you figure out how to work it, you work around the bad passes. Yeah, that may sound bad, but your muscle memory takes care of everything.

The Association, which has been the best career mode from any franchise, is still very, very good. It’s plain and simple without many of the “little things,” but it stays true to any career mode by having the usual calendar and roster pages. The trade logic isn’t there, though. But what is, is a fantastic looking award system. Check out these First Teams:

All-NBA First Team: Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Amare Stoudemire.
All-Rookie First Team: Marcus Williams, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Sheldon Williams, Patrick O’Bryant.

We’ve come a long way. I'm just upset Adam Morrison didn't claim Rookie of the Year.

Commentary and presentation still has the 2K staple of being the best. The commentary stays different enough to keep you interested for a few games, but the presentation is still top-notch. The overlays look good great and stay fluid with the game action.

Oh, and who remembers having a Crib? I totally forgot about this part of the game. Honestly, I’d love to see this make a comeback. It would be another reason to keep everyone playing for coins. LET ME MAKE A CRIB.

What Doesn't Hold Up

NBA 24/7, the old version of My Player, is cool at first glance. You start in Miami Beach in a free-throw contest against Shaq. After you win (if you lose, you shouldn’t be playing any NBA 2K), you go on a journey, playing basketball nonstop. The player customization is average at best, and the mode doesn’t have enough pull to keep anyone interested for long periods of time. I constantly found myself going back to my Association than progressing further here.

Remember the NBA 2K’s Most Wanted? Canned animations. Oh canned animations, how we all hated thee. I saw them, more than I wanted to. It was painful, it hurt, and then I found myself using them to my advantage to gain the upper hand against my opponent. See, we all cheese even if we don’t want to conform.

Final Recommendation

It’s tough recommending a game made in 2006 to anyone, especially when NBA 2K14 is so good. But if you see this game lying at your GameStop for $5, pick it up. It’s fun to run the floor with your friends for a game or two before going back to the new version. Sit back and enjoy the ride, because you’ll remember how awesome the NBA was and how awesome NBA 2K was. Once you’re done soaking all of that in, you’ll realize that both the NBA and NBA 2K have become even better.

NBA 2K created its dynasty a long time ago. NBA 2K11 just helped cement the franchises place in history as one of the greatest gaming series ever.