Predicting the top 10 Classic Teams in NBA 2K22
![Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant as seen in NBA 2K20 [Source: Wallpaper Tip]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/64425-16301351644012-800.jpg?w=500)
With NBA 2K22 just around the corner, fans are excited about the latest player ratings and features. Unquestionably, one of the best features of NBA 2K is the ability to choose old iconic teams and play as those players as they were in a particular year.
For example, one can choose the 2000-01 LA Lakers and play with No. 8 Kobe Bryant (with the iconic afro) instead of his No. 24 version. Similarly, if one picks the 2008-09 Denver Nuggets, one will be playing with a higher-rated Carmelo Anthony than one would if one picked the latest LA Lakers or the last season's Portland Trail Blazers.
There a host of iconic teams available in the game, with 2K Sports updating the list almost every year. Some great teams go on to win championships and get featured in Classic Teams. The 2018-19 Toronto Raptors made the cut in NBA 2K21, and one can expect the 2019-20 LA Lakers or the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks to be the latest additions in NBA 2K22.
Which Classic Teams can be considered unstoppable in NBA 2K22?
There are some great Classic Teams that don't make the cut in this list, but deserve recognition. One of them is the 2007-08 Houston Rockets with a 91-rated Tracy McGrady and an 89-rated Yao Ming. Although they were not the most formidable duo in the league's history, McGrady is as great a scorer as anybody, and Ming could dominate the paint like a tower.
Another team worth mentioning is the 2013-14 LA Clippers. The Lob City days were certainly fun to watch and also to play in the game. One would get to play with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul in their primes with a 90 and 93 rating, respectively, along with an 87-rated DeAndre Jordan.
Finally, just like LeBron James said during the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft, nobody picks the Utah Jazz in video games, regardless of how great John Stockton or Karl Malone were. That might be true, as they certainly aren't the most fun team to play with, but they are one of the best-rated teams that deserve a shout-out. The 1997-98 Jazz has a 96-rated Malone and a 93-rated Stockton.
So without further ado, let's dive into the top ten predicted Classic Teams in NBA 2K22:
#10 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
![Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson of the Milwaukee Bucks as seen in NBA 2K20 [Source: IGN]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3e3c6-16301593042894-800.jpg)
Before Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA title in 2021, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did so half a century ago.
The 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks are one of just four teams from the 1970s to feature in the NBA 2K Classic Teams along with the 1970-71 LA Lakers, 1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1971-72 New York Knicks. The team is headlined by 97-rated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 95-rated Oscar Robertson. You can also play with an 84-rated Bob Dandridge.
A 23-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, averaged 31.7 points and 16 rebounds per game that season, and a veteran Oscar Robertson was the second-highest scorer with 19.4 points per game along with 8.2 assists a night.
They defeated the Nate Thurmond-led San Francisco Warriors in the conference semi-finals, Wilt Chamberlain-led LA Lakers (with an injured Jerry West) in the conference finals and then routed the Wes Unseld-led Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals.
#9 1970-71 LA Lakers
![(from left to right) Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West of the LA Lakers [Source: Yardbarker.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/523ab-16301625024193-800.jpg)
It makes very little sense that NBA 2K would have the 1970-71 LA Lakers and not the exact same team from the 1971-72 NBA season.
The '71 Lakers got knocked out by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Bucks in the conference finals, whereas the '72 Lakers hold the record for the longest win streak in NBA history and also won the NBA title that year. Why would NBA 2K keep the losing team and not the one that won the chip and broke records is anybody's guess.
The 1971-72 LA Lakers would have also featured a high-rated Jim McMillian and a better Gail Goodrich. The only reason one can think of is they wanted Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West on the same team, as Baylor retired in 1972.
However, Elgin Baylor did play a handful of games in the 1971-72 NBA season with the LA Lakers before calling it quits. So there was nothing to have stopped 2K Sports from including him in the '72 squad. Baylor's inclusion also doesn't hold much weight because he is old and just rated 76.
However, the firepower of 70-71 Lakers in NBA 2K is enough to qualify them as one of the top ten Classic teams. A duo of 95-rated Jerry West and 93-rated Wilt Chamberlain does scare a lot of people.
#8 1986-87 LA Lakers
![The LA Lakers in 1987 with coach Pat Riley [Source: Legends of Sport]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/26add-16301638685882-800.jpg)
Another formidable team that would get anyone shaking in their boots are the 1986-87 LA Lakers with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The two are often regarded as one of the best duos in NBA history; they led the LA Lakers to five championships and nine NBA Finals appearances. Johnson has a whopping 98 rating in NBA 2K, while Abdul-Jabbar has 94.
That is quite frankly enough to beat any team from that era. However, this championship-winning team was so stacked that it also features 86-rated James Worthy, 84-rated Byron Scott and 86-rated Michael Cooper.
Magic Johnson was unreal that season. He won his first NBA league MVP award and his third NBA Finals MVP award on his fourth successful championship run.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged nearly 20 points per game at the age of 39 in the 1987 NBA playoffs. The LA Lakers defeated the Nuggets, Warrior, and SuperSonics en route to the NBA Finals, where they defeated Larry Bird's Boston Celtics in six games.
#7 2012-13 Miami Heat
A 98-rated LeBron James will beat you by himself in NBA 2K, but this squad also has 92-rated Dwyane Wade and 86-rated Chris Bosh.
They also had Ray Allen, who, although he was 77-rated, could still shoot the lights out and make the clutchest corner three in a Finals game. This team won back-to-back NBA championships, and the duo of Wade and Bosh was considered one of the best of all time.
They defeated the Bucks, Bulls and Pacers in the NBA playoffs and then took on the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. The series went to a Game 7 and was one of the best Finals series of all time, as Ray Allen dropped a clutch three-pointer in Game 6 to force a decider where LeBron James took over and earned the NBA Finals MVP award.
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