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Operation Sports

Kyler Wolff

NBA 2K26: All Classic Teams

NBA NBA 2K26 Classic Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Lakers Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Andre Iguodala Cleveland Cavaliers Draymond Green

One of the coolest and most unique features of NBA 2K is the built-in classic team rosters that 2K adds to give the game a historical and nostalgic element. It gives old-schoolers a chance to look back and play as their favorite teams growing up, and it gives younger players an opportunity to learn and explore some of the historic moments and lineups from before their time. As a fan of sports history and the various eras of the NBA that have defined the league as we know it, I enjoy delving into the rosters and running simulations with some of the greatest NBA rosters ever assembled.

We have some great current rosters in NBA 2K26, but we can’t go wrong with some nostalgic teams like the mid-nineties Bulls with Jordan and Pippen, or the eighties with Magic and Bird. You can even go back and play as Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West in those classic ’60s/’70s Lakers teams. The game has done a good job expanding the range of these teams, even adding classic 2000s and 2010s teams, but hasn’t added any new classic teams in years. There are currently 66 different Classic teams in the games, but fans have been calling for even more.

In NBA 2K26, the game hasn’t been focused too much on adding new Classic teams, as they are focused on scanning existing classic player faces into the game instead of just having the creepy, generic-looking faces. They’ve also been working on improving and adding players to their Classic era draft classes and MyTeam programs. If you’ve played the last few iterations of the game, you are probably familiar with the 60+ Classic teams, but if not, here is the list of all 66 Classic NBA teams in chronological order.

All Classic Teams

1964-65 Los Angeles Lakers
1970-71 Los Angeles Lakers
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
1971-72 New York Knicks
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers
1984-85 Milwaukee Bucks
1985-86 Atlanta Hawks
1985-86 Boston Celtics
1985-86 Chicago Bulls
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89 Chicago Bulls
1988-89 Detroit Pistons
1989-90 Cleveland Cavaliers
1990-91 Chicago Bulls
1990-91 Golden State Warriors
1990-91 Los Angeles Lakers
1990-91 Portland Trail Blazers
1992-93 Charlotte Hornets
1992-93 Chicago Bulls
1993-94 Denver Nuggets
1993-94 Houston Rockets
1994-95 New York Knicks
1994-95 Orlando Magic
1995-96 Chicago Bulls
1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics
1996-97 Miami Heat
1997-98 Chicago Bulls
1997-98 Los Angeles Lakers
1997-98 San Antonio Spurs
1997-98 Utah Jazz
1998-99 New York Knicks
1999-00 Portland Trail Blazers
1999-00 Toronto Raptors
2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers
2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers
2001-02 New Jersey Nets
2001-02 Sacramento Kings
2002-03 Dallas Mavericks
2002-03 Phoenix Suns
2003-04 Detroit Pistons
2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers
2003-04 Minnesota Timberwolves
2004-05 Phoenix Suns
2004-05 San Antonio Spurs
2005-06 Memphis Grizzlies
2005-06 Miami Heat
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers
2006-07 Golden State Warriors
2006-07 Washington Wizards
2007-08 Boston Celtics
2007-08 Denver Nuggets
2007-08 Houston Rockets
2009-10 Portland Trail Blazers
2010-11 Chicago Bulls
2010-11 Dallas Mavericks
2011-12 New York Knicks
2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder
2012-13 Memphis Grizzlies
2012-13 Miami Heat
2013-14 Indiana Pacers
2013-14 Los Angeles Clippers
2013-14 San Antonio Spurs
2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers
2015-16 Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Golden State Warriors
2018-19 Toronto Raptors

For players wanting to know which teams to play as to give them an edge against their opponents online and their friends on the couch, here are the top 5 best Classic teams in the game based on the overall strength of their starting five.