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How to Grind your Badges Quickly and Efficiently

Grinding badges can be one of the most tedious parts of NBA 2K24, especially now that badges can be taken away if not used frequently. In this article we break down the quickest and most efficient ways to grind the badges on your player, and how to keep them if you

Shooting

Take tons of shots on low difficulty: The easiest way to get shooting badges is to play on pro difficulty and throw up a ton of 3’s. The low difficulty will make it easier to shoot, unlock the badge quicker, and keep the badge if you’re on the edge of losing it.

Do the Corner 3’s Drill in the Practice Facility: An easy way to get a bunch of badge points while practicing your jumpshot timing. The easiest and most efficient practice method to get shooting badge points.

Playmaking

Abuse the Pick and Roll: The Pick and Roll is one of the only easy ways to score on Next-Gen, but will get you a ton of assists and badge points along the way. Get a good center with brick wall and abuse the Pick and Roll.

The Triangle and Cut Method: This method has you hold triangle to call for your teammates to cut to the basket. This should help your teammates get easy buckets and help you get badge points.

Prioritize throwing lobs: Lobs are the best way to get the max points per possession. However, they can sometimes be hard to successfully completed. Thus, if you see a teammate wide open for a lob, throw it.

Pick the right badges to help grind: Quick First Step is a must-have badge for any other badge types, but Dimer and Special Delivery are the best badges to help you get more playmaking badge points.

Do the Lob drill in the practice facility: The Lob Drill is a quick and easy way to get a ton of Playmaking badge points. Although there are easier drills, none provide the best points for your time as this specific drill.

Finishing

Utilize fast breaks: Cherry picking is an easy way to get easy dunks and layups, which get you more finishing badge points. Use any fast breaks to get easy buckets instead of pulling up for three.

Unlock the right badges to help grind: Quick First Step is a must for getting to the basket, and Fearless Finisher, Posterizer, and Limitless Takeoff are musts. Other badges like Slithery Finisher can also help.

Abuse the Pick and Roll: It can be tough to get finishing badges on Next-Gen, but the best way seems to be to call for a pick and roll and drive to the hoop. While being the roller is also a way to get points, we haven’t had the same success.

Do the Putback drill in the practice facility: This drill has you finish Putbacks. It can get you a serious amount of badge points in not much time, and it is a rather easy drill. You don’t even need a high dunk rating to do it, either.

Defense

Bump Steals: Bump steals are a great way to rack up easy defensive badge points. The only problem is they can be a bit tough at times. But timing and positioning correctly can be an easily repeatable way to get defensive badges.

Rebounds: Big men get a ton of defensive badge points for rebounds. You will need the Rebound Chaser badge as high as you can get it, but it is the easiest way for big men to get easy defensive badge points.

Pick the right badges to help grind: We already mentioned Rebound Chaser, but other badges like Anchor are musts for grinding any player.

Do the Rim Protector drill in the practice facility: This drill is easy and gets you a ton of points quickly. You only need to prevent a basket, with blocks providing you more stars on the drill.

Legend Rep Rewards

Legend is the highest level in the new Park Rep system in NBA 2K20. And although the grind to this level will be almost as tough as achieving 99 in past years, the rewards to reaching Legend status are quite sweet:

Free Copy of NBA 2K21

It’s unclear how many players who reach Legend will get this reward, but the first unknown amount of players will get next year’s version of the game for free.

Arrive in Style

This one is largely unknown, but it seems like you may get a custom entrance into the Park when’s you reach Legend status. Again, the features for this are unknown.

Be Featured on an Episode of 2KTV

Just like the Wall for 99 overalls in the past few 2K games, this feature seems like a way for 2K to claim they commemorate a player’s grind without actual individual commemoration.

The Ability to Kick Players off the ‘Got Next’ Spot Unlocked

This VIP feature doesn’t get used a ton, but is still a cool reward for reaching Legend status.

Extra Badge Points

Legend status players get 10 extra badge points for each badge category, allowing them to get up to two more Hall of Fame badges in their main categories or three gold badges in their non-main categories.

Legend Player Panels Available

The Player Panels are an aesthetic feature that can be a cool feature with the unique Legend panel to let othe players know about your lengthy grind.

Contact Dunks Requirements

Contact Dunks are some of the most fun animations in the game, largely due to the fact that it is extremely fun to dunk over or through a defender.

However, not every build can get contact dunk animations, as they must have the following attribute requirements to be able to pull of contact dunks:

  • Small Contact Dunks off Two – Driving Dunk 92+, Vertical 85+, and Player must be shorter than 6’5″
  • Small Contact Dunks off One– Driving Dunk 93+, Vertical 85+, and Player must be shorter than 6’5″
  • Pro Contact Dunks off Two– Driving Dunk 87+ and Vertical 75+
  • Pro Contact Dunks off One – Driving Dunk 89+ and Vertical 78+
  • Elite Contact Dunks Off Two – Driving Dunk 94+ and Vertical 82+
  • Elite Contact Dunks off One – Driving Dunk 96+ and Vertical 86+
  • Pro Bigman Contact Dunks – Standing Dunk 80+, Vertical 60+ and Player must be above 6’10”
  • Elite Bigman Contact Dunks – Standing Dunk 90+, Vertical 75+, and Player must be above 6’10”
  • Pro Contact Alley Oops – Driving Dunk 84+ and Vertical 70+
  • Elite Contact Alley Oops – Driving Dunk 92+ and Vertical 80+
  • Small Contact Alley Oops – Driving Dunk 86+, Vertical 85+, and Height under 6’5″
  • Big Contact Alley Oops – Standing Drunk 85+, Driving Dunk 70+, Vertical 60+, and Height at least 6’10”

The Best Shooting Badges in NBA 2K23 for Every Position

Jump to: Guards | Swings | Big Men

Shooting looks like it is going to be dominant in NBA 2K23, and your performance will again be highly dependent on badges. As you begin playing 2K23, you’re going to want to equip the following shooting badges.

Guards

Guards are mostly going to be focused on shooting off-the-dribble with a bit of spot-up work. Here the best shooting badges for guards:

Tier 3

  1. Limitless Range: Shooting from deep is still one of the most valuable skills in NBA 2K23, and this badge is going to help you launch from deep.
  2. Deadeye: With badges like Challenger, contests on shots are stronger than ever. This increases the importance of Deadeye, which diminishes contests from the front.
  3. Blinders: Another badge that diminishes contests, this time from the side. Not necessary in many situations, but helpful if you have the badge points.

Tier 2

  1. Amped: With dribbling revamped this year, fatigue plays a bigger role in shooting. Amped is going to help you shoot when tired, and most dribbling builds are going to need it.
  2. Catch and Shoot: Off-ball shooters are going to need this badge, and it’s pretty cheap compared to its effectiveness. Other players could benefit from it on lower levels.

Tier 1

  1. Guard Up: Although the defense’s focus is going to be on making sure you don’t get open shots, this badge is going to help you make more shots when the defense doesn’t put a hand up.
  2. Comeback Kid: You never plan on being down in the score, but it happens. This badge is actually awesome and can really turn the tide of a game when equipped.

Swings

Swing players are mostly focused on off-ball shooting, and these tier-based selections reflect that style of play:

Tier 3

  1. Limitless Range: Shooting from deep is also important for swing players, and this badge is the best chance you have to shoot from deep.
  2. Catch and Shoot: Off-ball shooters are going to need to have this badge, and most swing players fit this category. A highly effective badge that will help you hit more shots.
  3. Deadeye: Negating contests is a big part of shooting off-ball, too. Deadeye helps the best when someone is guarding you 1-on-1.

Tier 2

  1. Guard Up: Whether your defender sags off you or just doesn’t contest your shots, this badge is going to make defenses pay for not guarding you.
  2. Corner Specialist: You’ll probably find yourself in the corner at some point, and this badge is your best chance at increasing your chances to make those shots.

Tier 1

  1. Claymore: If you’re mainly a spot-up shooter, this badge is going to be both a cheap and extremely effective way to make more shots. The more you stand still, the higher chance you have of making a shot.
  2. Comeback Kid: This badge again. It’s cheap, but works really well at helping your team come back in games.

Big Men

Big Men are almost exclusively spot-up shooters or pick-and-pop shooters, and the following badges are going to help you maximize your chances in both situations:

Tier 3

  1. Catch and Shoot: Shooting off the catch becomes so much easier with this badge, and it’s almost necessary for any big man with shooting ability.
  2. Corner Specialist: You’ll most likely mostly be in the corner, and this badge is going to help you make more of those shots.

Tier 2

  1. Claymore: Since you’ll be spotting up most of the time, this badge is going to help you make more spot-up shots. The longer you sit in one position, the more of a bonus you get.
  2. Guard Up: It’s common for defenders to sag off centers, but this badge will make them pay for their actions.

Tier 1

  1. Comeback Kid: Centers typically have lower shooting ratings, but this badge is going to help you boost those ratings when you need it most. When you’re losing, this badge comes to the rescue.
  2. Clutch Shooter: Another badge that gives a boost to your ratings, this time late in games. Teams might focus on your teammates in big situations, so this badge helps make the other team pay.

How to Use Your Badge Points

If you would like tips or tricks on your badge points, please send an email to nba2khq@gmail.com and we will help you pick the best badges for your player(s).

NBA 2K20 Weekly Workouts

NBA 2K20 introduced a new use of the Gatorade Practice Facility; instead of providing a place for refueling stamina, this year the gym serves as a place to boost several of your physical attributes.

This boost only requires a set of five exercises that can boost your physical attributes up to +4, and the workouts only need to be done once every seven real days.

Here’s the complete guide to the NBA 2K20 Weekly Workouts:

How to Increase Your Player’s Acceleration

There are two exercises that can increase your player’s acceleration for a week: the Agility Ladder or the Agility Hurdles.

Both are about as equally difficult (but neither are actually hard), so we don’t recommend either exercise over the other one.

How to Increase Your Player’s Speed

There are two exercises to increase your player’s speed: Sprints and the Treadmill. The Treadmill is certainly easier than the Sprints, so we recommend getting your speed boost from the Treadmill.

How to Increase Your Player’s Stamina

There are two exercises to increase your player’s stamina: the Medicine Balls and the Battle Ropes. Both are equally difficult, but again not hard, so you can pick either one to get your stamina boost.

How to Increase Your Player’s Strength

There are three exercises to increase your player’s strength for the week: Bench Press, Squats, or the Dumbbells.

This is by far the hardest attribute set to perfect, so we recommend picking one of the drills and sticking to it for the rest of the year.

How to Increase Your Player’s Vertical

There are three drills to increase your player’s vertical: Box Jumps, Clean Press, and the Leg Press. We have no favoritism towards one, so pick one and perfect it for the rest of the year.

Other Notes about the Weekly Workouts

  • You must do all five exercises to get a boost to any of the five physical attributes.
  • If you get at least a +3 on every drill, you’ll get the Weekly Gatorade Turbo Boost added to your stamina bar.
  • You cannot perform any exercises in between workout sessions.

Park Rep Rewards For Each Level

NBA 2K22 introduced a new 40-level rep system to replace the tiered rep system of past years. This year’s system is a bit quirky, but you get some great rewards from playing the online modes. Here they are, with each number on the list representing the level:

  1. Call to Ball Tee
  2. Call to Ball Basketball
  3. New Player Indicator
  4. New Banner Options
  5. MyTeam Intro Pack
  6. New Green Release Animation
  7. Battle Ready Emotes
  8. Skill Boosts (5 Games)
  9. Double XP Coin (30 Minutes)
  10. New Player Indicator Shape
  11. Gatorade Boosts (5 Games)
  12. New Dancing Emotes
  13. New Banner Options
  14. New 2K Breakthrough Gear (+1 Defensive Rebound Arm Sleeve)
  15. MyTeam Team Customization Pack
  16. New Playful Emotes
  17. Double XP Coin (1 Hour)
  18. Gatorade Boosts (10 Games)
  19. New Banner Options
  20. New Crazy Emotes
  21. Call to Ball Jersey
  22. Skill Boosts (10 Games)
  23. New 2K Breakthrough Gear (+1 Block Arm Sleeve)
  24. MyTeam Player Customization Pack
  25. New Party Emotes
  26. Enhanced Daily Rewards
  27. New Banner Options
  28. Double XP Coin (1 Hour)
  29. Call to Ball Backpack
  30. New Inline Skates
  31. New 2K Breakthrough Gear (+1 Mid-Range)
  32. Double XP Coin (2 Hours)
  33. Gatorade Boosts (10 Games)
  34. New Banner Options
  35. MyTeam Promo Bundle
  36. Skill Boosts (10 Games)
  37. Call to Ball Custom Suit
  38. Double XP Coin (2 Hours)
  39. Extra Badge Point
  40. New Go-Kart

Best Playmaking Badges for Every Position

The playmaking requirements differ for each position, and this guide breaks down the best playmaking badges for each position based on the different tiers:

Jump to: Guards | Swings | Bigs

Guards

Guards are usually required to dribble and pass the most, and generally handle the majority of the playmaking. The following badges maximize these abilites:

Tier 3

  • Killer Combos: This badge improves a ball handler’s effectiveness on size-up moves. It’s a great badge in that you get some crazy animations that help break down defenders.
  • Handles for Days: With dribbling getting a huge revamp this year, stamina is more important than ever. This badge allows you to dribble more without losing more stamina.
  • Clamp Breaker: Chances are, you are going to have a ton of defenders trying to bump you. This badge will help you win more of these situations and keep your dribble.

Tier 2

  • Quick First Step: It’s crazy that this is Tier 2 badge, but Quick First Step is a required badge for all ball handlers. It helps you get better speed boosts out of a size-up.
  • Hyperdrive: Another dribbling badge that helps you dribble quicker. This will help you break down your defender and get past them for easy buckets.

Tier 1

  • Dimer: When you’re dishing to teammates, this badge will give your teammates a bit of a shooting boost. It’s a cheap badge and works well, so there’s no point in not having it at some level.
  • Needle Threader: Another effective passing badge that is going to be cheap. Helps more of your passes reach the intended target without getting stolen.

Swings

6’6″ to 6’9″ players typically do a bit of dribbling and passing, although few playmaking opportunities fall on their lap. Nonetheless, these badges will help them in the playmaking department:

Tier 3

  • Clamp Breaker: You’ll get bumped a ton, but this badge is going to help you win more of those bumps and keep dribbling.
  • Handles for Days: You won’t dribble a ton, but this badge will ensure that you can at least dribble a bit when needed, without losing a ton of stamina.
  • Killer Combos: Another dribbling badge that you might not use a lot, but works well when needed.

Tier 2

  • Quick First Step: You won’t do a ton of lateral dribbling, but this badge will help you dribble downhill. You’ll get past more defenders with this badge, and there’s no reason your player shouldn’t have it.
  • Needle Threader: You’ll likely be swinging the ball a lot, and this badge will ensure that you don’t throw careless turnovers.

Tier 1

  • Dimer: Another passing badge that will give your teammates a boost when you pass it to them.
  • Special Delivery: I don’t expect you to throw many alley-oops, but this tier is quite dry for swings. In the odd chance that you throw an oop, this badge will be very useful.

Big Men

Big men do very little playmaking, with the majority of their focus towards passing the ball when they’re not open. Nonetheless, these are the best badges in this category for centers:

Tier 3

  • Break Starter: When you’re throwing outlet passes, this badge will make sure few of them are errant. It’s not super necessary, though it does help a lot.
  • Needle Threader: Another passing badge that will help you avoid turnovers.

Tier 2

  • Vice Grip: One of the more necessary playmaking badges for big men, as it limits the amount of times defenders strip you after getting a rebound. It doesn’t work great, but any boost is better than none.
  • Bail Out: When you find yourself taking a bad shot and want to pass out of the shot, this badge will help you throw a more accurate pass. Extremely useful.

Tier 1

  • Floor General: Tier 1 is extremely thin for big men, but Floor General is probably the most useful. It gives a rating boost to any teammates on the floor with you.

Best Finishing Badges for Every Position in NBA 2K23

With shooting requiring more grinding and skill this year, finishing has become an integral part of the game for the first time in a few years. In this article we break down the best finishing badges for every position and tier:

Jump to: Guards | Swings | Big Men

Guards

Guards are focused on rim-running and finishing among big men, and these picks reflect these particular skills:

Tier 3

  1. Posterizer: Dunking over people is one of the most important parts of finishing this year, and this badge will help you get more poster dunks.
  2. Limitless Takeoff: Dunking from further out is one of the most important skills, especially if someone is paint-sitting or help defense. This badge will help you get more dunks in general, as well.
  3. Slithery: Sometimes contact dunks aren’t the best move, and this badge will help you avoid contact with bigger defenders. It works well as it’s job, although it requires more finesse than going for a poster.

Tier 2

  1. Pro Touch: If you have layup timing on, this badge is seriously going to increase the number of layups, dunks, and alley-oops you make. Just time these moves OK and this badge will take care of the rest.
  2. Fearless Finisher: Whereas Posterizer helps with contact dunks, Fearless Finisher helps with contact layups. You don’t always need a contact dunk, and this badge will ensure you still get some points.

Tier 1

  1. Giant Slayer: Finishing around bigger players is tough any year, but this badge is going to help you get some points on the board when bigger defenders come to contest your layups.
  2. Aerial Wizard: You probably won’t have too many opportunities for alley-oops, but this badge will help whether you get the chance or there are special events around alley-oops.

Swings

6’6″ to 6’9″ players should be focused on finishing dunks and layups off the catch in transition or on a cut, and the following badges help you maximize these situations:

Tier 3

  1. Posterizer: You’re bigger, stronger, and probably have a higher dunk rating than guards. This badge is going to help you finish dunks more often and get some pretty cool animations.
  2. Limitless Takeoff: Another badge that helps your dunking ability, this time by increasing the distance you dunk from.
  3. Bully: This badge helps you get through the paint to the basket more effectively, especially against smaller defenders. Not necessary, but great if you have the extra badge points.

Tier 2

  1. Fearless Finisher: You might not be finishing a lot of layups as a swing, but this badge is going to help you finish contact layups in the event that you do not trigger a contact dunk.
  2. Aerial Wizard: Catching alley-oops off the cut or in transition are some of the most electrifying plays in NBA 2K23, and this badge is going to boost your chances of making these oops.

Tier 1

  1. Pro Touch: This badge will help your timing on layups, dunks, and alley-oops. For very few badge points, this badge is awesome.
  2. Rise Up: If you ever find yourself under the basket with the ball, this badge will help you get much safer dunks, rather than layups that either miss or get blocked at a higher rate.

Big Men

Big Men are focused on interior finishing and dunking on smaller players. These are the best finishing badges to do so:

Tier 3

  1. Bully: This is such an apt name for what a big man should be doing, as this badge boosts your ability to steamroll through the paint towards the basket.
  2. Masher: Another great badge for big men that allows them to finish over smaller players. Not necessarily a must-have, but a great badge if you find yourself in mismatches frequently.
  3. Rise Up: Another big man-focused badge that allows you to complete more standing dunks. Best complemented with a high standing dunk rating, but otherwise not very useful.

Tier 2

  1. Posterzier: Whether it’s a standing dunk over a smaller player or a driving dunk, Posterizer will allow you to dunk over opponents.
  2. Backdown Punisher: There aren’t a ton of back-to-basket centers in the game, but this badge helps all big men back down opponents to either score in the paint, or dish the ball from the post.

Tier 1

  1. Pro Touch: Again, a necessary badge to help with timing alley-oops, dunks, and layups. All you need is decent timing, and this badge will boost the chances you make the shot.
  2. Fearless Finisher: This goes along well with Masher, in that it will help you finish contact layups in the paint. It’s cheap and effective, so we recommend using it.

Check out our other guides on the best badges for the other badge categories:

NBA 2K23 Takeover Options

In NBA 2K23, you will have 25 total Takeover options to choose from, with eight main categories that are then broken into three subcategories. You can see the complete list and descriptions below.

Slashers: Slashers receive extra boosts to finishing at the rim in traffic and more effective gathers to get past the defense.

  • Advanced Gathers: Unlocks more effective spin, euro, hop step, and cradle gathers
  • Finishing Moves: Able to absorb contact and finish at the rim more effectively.
  • Easy Blowbys: Enhances abilities for slashers to beat defenders off the dribble.

Shot Creator: Shot Creators become more effective at shooting off the dribble and can shake off defenders consistently using stepback and spin gathers.

  • Pull-Up Precision: Boosts well-timed/aimed shots off the dribble.
  • Anklebreaking Shots: More anklebreakers off of spin and stepback jumpers.
  • Negative Impact: Reduces defensive impact against pull-ups and other skill shots.

Spot Up Shooter: Shop Up Shooters get a marked improvement to hit from deep, especially in catch and shoot situations.

  • Limitless Range: Extend your shooting range out to the logos.
  • Spot-up Precision: Boosts well timed/aimed stationary jump shots.

Playmaker: Playmakers can freeze defenders more often with augmented ball handling abilities and can enhance their teammates’ shot making off assists.

  • Team Ratings Boost: Playmakers boost their teammates’ offensive ratings
  • Team Takeover Boost: Boost your teammates’ takeover meter progress.
  • Team Badge Boost: Boosts your teammates’ badges up a tier.

Lockdown Defender: Lockdown Defenders receive boosts to steals and shot contests, allowing them to clamp down even the best scorers in the game.

  • Extreme Clamps: More Stone wall and lost dribble body-up resolutions for locks
  • Perimeter Badge Drop: Knocks shooting badges down a tier when you get close
  • Enhanced Jump Shot Contests: Boosts your ability to contest jumpers.

Rim Protector: Rim Protectors get strong shot contest boosts and an arsenal of exclusive blocks that allow them to anchor the defense.

  • Stuff Blocks: Unlocks more swat, backboard pins, and grab blocks
  • Paint Intimidation: Boosts your ability to affect shots around the rim.
  • Interior Badge Drop: Drops opposition’s scoring badges down a tier

Glass Cleaner: Glass Cleaners receive the ability to read missed shots, win more box out battlers, secure more boards, and finish putbacks more consistently.

  • Boxout Wall: Improves ability to seal off opponents for easy boards.
  • See the Future: Shows where missed shots are going to end up.
  • Glass Clearing Dimes: After rebounds, kick out passes boost your teammate’s shooting.

Post Scorer: Post Scorers become more dominant in the paint with stronger backdowns and enhanced moves and shots.

  • Power Backdowns: Easier to push defenders around when posting up.
  • Post Playmaking: Boost your teammates’ offensive abilities when passing out of post.
  • Advanced Post Moves: Easier to beat defenders with post moves.
  • Post Shot Daggers: Increased scoring ability with hooks, fades, shimmy shots, etc.

Rim Protector Takeover

Rim Protector Takeover gives players strong shot contest boosts and an arsenal of exclusive blocks that allows them to anchor the defense.

On Current Gen, it gives your player a +10 boost to the Block, Interior Defense, and Close Shot Attributes, in addition to a +5 boost to all other attributes.

On Next Gen, Rim Protector Takeover is split into a few distinct categories:

  • Stuff Blocks: Unlocks more swat, backboard pins, and grab blocks
  • Paint Intimidation: Boosts your ability to affect shots around the rim.
  • Interior Badge Drop: Drops opposition’s scoring badges down a tier
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