Los Angeles Lakers

The purple and gold of Los Angeles, featuring Anthony Davis on the cover.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a playable NBA team in NBA 2K20, representing the Western Conference. The game features Anthony Davis of the Lakers as the cover athlete for the regular edition, though he wears a generic jersey on the cover because the game was released before his official trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Lakers. The Lakers are one of the teams players can use across various modes, including Play Now, MyCareer, MyGM, and MyLeague.

Lore & Background

In NBA 2K20, the Lakers are a current NBA team available for play. The game includes the 2019-20 Lakers roster, with Anthony Davis as a key player. The team can be used in standard exhibition games, season modes, and the narrative-driven MyCareer mode, where players can be drafted by or traded to the Lakers. The Lakers' home arena and specific rivalries are not detailed in the source.

Reader's Guide

In MyLeague and MyGM modes, the Lakers can be managed like any other team, with the ability to relocate, rebrand, or create expansion teams. The game allows up to six expansion teams and a 36-team league. Players can download custom jerseys and teams created by the NBA community. The Lakers' roster includes Anthony Davis, who is the cover athlete. In MyCareer, the Neighborhood returns, allowing players to customize their wardrobe, get haircuts and tattoos, and purchase power-ups. Hall of Famers can visit practice facilities to boost attributes.

Cover Athletes and Release Context

NBA 2K20 was officially announced in spring 2019 and released on September 6, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android, with a Google Stadia release on November 18, 2019. Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers is the cover athlete for the regular edition, while Dwyane Wade is the cover athlete for the Legend Edition. Although Davis is featured in the game as a member of the Lakers, he wears a generic jersey on the cover because it was released before Davis was officially traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis was one of three players on the NBA 2K16 cover. The Xbox One S and Xbox One X received special edition bundles including a digital download of NBA 2K20. A limited version was also released for Android and iOS.

Gameplay Mechanics and Historical Depth

The player mainly plays NBA games with real-life or customized players and teams. Up to six expansion teams can be created and used in both MyLeague and MyGM modes, with the possibility of a 36-team league, and any team can be relocated and rebranded. Players can download jerseys and teams created by the NBA community. NBA 2K20 adds six historical teams: the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs, among others. The in-studio pregame and halftime shows are based on the real-life NBA on TNT presentations, featuring Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal. Charles Barkley has not been added to the halftime show. For the first time in the NBA 2K series, all twelve teams from the WNBA are included, but they can only be used in Play Now and single-season modes. Players cannot create rosters for WNBA teams.

MyCareer Storyline and Management Modes

MyCareer returns with a storyline voiced by actors including Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, Thomas Middleditch, Mark Cuban, Ernie Hudson, and Lamorne Morris. The creation tools have been overhauled. The Neighborhood returns, where players can customize their wardrobe, get haircuts and tattoos, and purchase power-ups. Players can do workouts and run drills to improve attributes at their current team's practice facility. Players gain more attributes when a Hall of Famer visits their practice facility. MyGM mode introduces more cutscene-style interactions, dubbed MyGM 2.0. MyLeague offers more customization options.

MyTeam Controversy and Pre-Release Reception

The official trailer for NBA 2K20's MyTeam mode received criticism for revealing minigames styled as real-world gambling such as pachinko and slot machines, roulette wheels, ball-drop games, and the opening of randomized card packs. Critics felt the trailer was 'more in-your-face' and 'tone-deaf,' released at a time when loot boxes were highly scrutinized. The trailer was made unlisted on YouTube shortly after by 2K. PEGI assessed the trailer and found that the featured casino-like mechanics did not fit the criteria for a gambling label, as the game 'must actually teach ... and/or encourage the player to want to gamble or bet for money in real life.'