NBA THE RUN Brings Iverson, Garnett, Carter, McGrady and Nowitzki Back to the Blacktop in Wave One

Play by Play Studios is taking NBA THE RUN back to one of basketball’s defining eras. Wave One – 2000s Legends launches on September 29 , introducing Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki alongside the largest collection of new features and gameplay changes

Play by Play Studios is taking NBA THE RUN back to one of basketball’s defining eras. Wave One – 2000s Legends launches on September 29, introducing Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki alongside the largest collection of new features and gameplay changes the 3v3 streetball game has received since its June release.

The new gameplay trailer finally shows the five Hall of Famers in action, with each designed around the traits that made them distinctive during their NBA careers. Iverson attacks defenders with crossovers, Carter brings elite above-the-rim finishing, McGrady provides scoring from virtually anywhere, Garnett specializes in defensive pressure and Nowitzki stretches defenses with his shooting. Together, the group represents 126,108 career points and 55 All-Star appearances, but their arrival is about more than adding famous names to the roster.

Wave One is also the start of NBA THE RUN’s first official seasonal phase. Drive Cam and Drive Flip Cam are changing how players can view the court, Practice Mode and Custom Matches provide new ways to learn the game, Championship Belts introduce another long-term mastery objective, Dyckman joins the court rotation, Spring Garden Elementary expands beyond Shootaround, new moves are being added and several existing mechanics—including goaltending—are being rebalanced.

For a game built around running it back after every loss, September 29 gives players considerably more reasons to do exactly that.

Five Hall of Famers Bring the 2000s Back to Streetball

The headline additions are difficult to separate from the era they represent. Iverson, Garnett, Carter, McGrady and Nowitzki did not simply accumulate statistics during the 2000s; each offered a radically different interpretation of what an NBA superstar could look like, making the group particularly well suited to a game that exaggerates individual strengths rather than trying to simulate every player through the same template.

Allen Iverson naturally fits NBA THE RUN’s streetball identity. His quickness, handle and crossover-heavy offensive game translate directly into a 3v3 format built around space and one-on-one creation. Vince Carter provides the opposite kind of spectacle, emphasizing explosive finishing and the aerial creativity that made his real-world dunking performances part of NBA culture well beyond individual games.

Tracy McGrady gives squads a more complete scoring threat, combining size, perimeter creation and shooting. Kevin Garnett brings defensive versatility, physicality and the ability to disrupt a wide range of opponents, while Dirk Nowitzki offers shooting from a frontcourt position that can pull defenders away from the basket and change how a three-player lineup uses its available space.

That variation is important because NBA THE RUN intentionally simplifies its ratings presentation while exaggerating recognizable strengths and weaknesses. The objective is not to make every superstar equally capable in every situation, but to give each one a clear gameplay identity that affects how a squad is constructed.

Wave One’s five newcomers are therefore not just collectibles. They potentially change which three-player combinations make sense.

You Can Grind for Every Legend Without Buying the DLC

Play by Play Studios is offering two routes to unlock the new players. Each Legend costs 5,000 CRED, the progression currency earned through play, meaning all five can be acquired without an additional real-money purchase. Players who want immediate access can instead buy the complete five-character DLC bundle for $9.99.

That distinction matters because the studio describes Wave One itself as a free update for all owners of the game. The gameplay systems, courts, modes and wider changes are not being locked behind the Legends bundle, while players willing to invest enough time can also obtain Iverson, Garnett, Carter, McGrady and Nowitzki through regular progression.

The structure also gives CRED another substantial long-term destination. Acquiring the full set through gameplay requires 25,000 CRED, creating a significant target for players who want to add every Legend without purchasing the bundle.

Each of the five also comes with unique animations and alternate uniforms rather than being implemented simply as a statistical variation of an existing character. That is consistent with Play by Play Studios’ approach to the roster, where recognizable movement and presentation are part of communicating how a player should feel before someone has fully learned the underlying ratings.

Drive Cam Changes the Perspective of an Entire Match

One of the most frequently requested post-launch features is also arriving with Wave One: Drive Cam.

The new option places the camera behind the controlled player and looks down the court toward the basket the team is attacking. It provides a more conventional end-to-end sports-game perspective than the existing presentation and should make long passing lanes, teammate spacing and fast-break opportunities easier to read.

Drive Flip Cam takes the same idea further by dynamically reversing the viewpoint. On offense, the camera faces the basket being attacked; when possession changes, it flips toward the basket the team needs to defend. Players who prefer constantly attacking upward into the screen can therefore maintain that orientation throughout the match.

For a game as fast as NBA THE RUN, this is more than a cosmetic camera choice. Three-on-three basketball creates large amounts of open space, and being able to see farther downcourt can influence when a player passes, starts a fast break or recognizes that a teammate has already beaten a defender.

The existing cameras are not being replaced, so players comfortable with the current presentation can continue using it. Wave One is instead expanding the range of perspectives available and letting each player decide which one best supports how they read the game.

Practice Mode Finally Gives Players Somewhere to Experiment

The timing is almost too appropriate: Allen Iverson is arriving in the same update that introduces Practice Mode.

The new mode allows players to choose a court and ruleset and play a single game against CPU opponents, using either Knockout Squads or Knockout Solos as the foundation. It is designed as a low-pressure environment for learning mechanics, experimenting with lineups and understanding unfamiliar rulesets before putting CRED, statistics or competitive progression on the line.

Matches played in Practice Mode do not award CRED or contribute toward normal progression. That keeps it focused on experimentation rather than turning AI matches into an alternative progression farm.

The addition addresses a meaningful gap in the original structure. NBA THE RUN was designed primarily around short knockout competitions, and while Shootaround allows players to test characters, it does not reproduce the decision-making of a real match. Practice Mode creates a bridge between learning individual controls and entering competitive Runs.

That should become even more useful after Wave One expands the move set. Learning how the new driving layups, advanced dribbles and standing dunks interact with defenders is considerably easier when mistakes do not end a tournament run.

Custom Matches Let Friends Control the Rules

Custom Matches extend the same philosophy into multiplayer. Players can invite up to five friends into a private 3v3 environment and choose the court and ruleset they want to use.

That opens several possibilities that the normal matchmaking structure cannot provide as cleanly. Friends can test squad compositions against each other, practice specific strategies, reproduce unusual rulesets or simply play private matches without progressing through a full knockout tournament.

Like Practice Mode, Custom Matches are intended as controlled spaces rather than progression shortcuts, so they do not award CRED or affect normal career progression.

For organized groups, the feature could prove particularly useful. NBA THE RUN places significant value on positioning and chemistry, especially in Knockout Squads where each human controls a single player. Being able to repeatedly test the same situations without waiting for matchmaking or worrying about tournament elimination gives teams a much more efficient environment for understanding spacing, defensive switches and player combinations.

Championship Belts Turn the Entire Roster Into a Mastery Challenge

Wave One also introduces the Championship Belt, a progression system designed to show which characters a player has actually won championships with.

Rather than earning one universal belt and being finished, players can secure a Championship Belt with individual ballers across Squads and Solos. The system consequently turns roster diversity into a collection challenge: winning repeatedly with a familiar meta lineup is one thing, but earning belts across the entire cast requires adapting to very different strengths and weaknesses.

That gives the addition more substance than a conventional cosmetic reward. A player who has collected belts with shooters, interior finishers, defensive specialists and hybrid characters has demonstrated broader mastery of NBA THE RUN than someone who has only succeeded with one preferred trio.

It also complements the arrival of the five 2000s Legends. Each immediately becomes another character to master rather than simply another unlock sitting in the roster menu.

Play by Play Studios has previously described the Championship Belt as something that will evolve alongside seasonal content, suggesting it is intended to remain part of the game’s longer-term progression structure rather than disappearing after Wave One.

Dyckman Brings Another Famous New York Court to THE RUN

The court rotation is expanding as well, with Dyckman joining the game in both daytime and tournament variants.

Located in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, Dyckman Park has an established place in New York streetball culture and is often associated with high-level summer competition. Its addition fits naturally alongside NBA THE RUN’s wider selection of basketball locations, which already includes courts inspired by or based around New York, Venice Beach, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, Beijing and the Philippines.

The update also changes the role of Spring Garden Elementary. Its daytime rooftop court had previously been available through Shootaround, but Wave One moves it into the Knockout Tournament map playlist, turning it into a location players can encounter during regular competitive runs.

Court variety matters because NBA THE RUN is structured around short elimination tournaments rather than one permanent arena. Different environments contribute to the feeling that a Run is moving through streetball culture rather than repeatedly loading into the same standardized NBA venue.

Driving Layups, Standing Dunks and Advanced Moves Expand the Offense

The Legends are not the only ones arriving with new moves. Wave One includes a broader gameplay pass intended to expand what the existing roster can do around the basket and during one-on-one situations.

New driving layups provide additional finishing options when attacking the rim without going directly into a dunk animation, while new standing dunks improve the options available to powerful players receiving the ball close to the basket. Additional alley-oop interactions are also part of the update.

Play by Play Studios has been experimenting with the more expressive side of its dribbling system as well. Advanced off-the-heezy moves are being expanded so defenders can be struck multiple times or even knocked down in certain situations, and chaining stylish actions together should provide more room for highlight-reel possessions.

The aim appears to be maintaining the arcade identity without making every offensive interaction automatic. Flashy layups can still be blocked, and stronger moves remain dependent on both player ratings and timing.

That balance is central to NBA THE RUN. The game wants possessions to produce outrageous basketball moments, but those moments still need enough mechanical structure that better players can create them consistently rather than simply waiting for spectacular animations to trigger.

Goaltending Is Finally Getting Nerfed

One of the more consequential balance changes targets goaltending, which Play by Play Studios has explicitly confirmed is being significantly nerfed.

The mechanic is not disappearing completely, but successful goaltending should become considerably harder. That change could have an immediate effect on interior scoring, particularly for players who have become accustomed to aggressively challenging shots around the rim with extremely tall defenders.

Wave One is also bringing individual rating adjustments. Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, LaMelo Ball, Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo and Cooper Flagg are among the NBA players receiving attention, while Street Legends including Spin Cycle, Shen Tong and DJ are being buffed.

The Rookie Class is moving in the opposite direction, with some ratings being reduced. Full numerical details are being reserved for the comprehensive patch notes, but the direction is clear: the studio does not want the new Legends simply layered on top of an untouched launch meta.

That matters because introducing five potentially powerful characters without adjusting existing outliers could easily compress the viable roster rather than expand it.

Licensed Music Arrives for the First Time

Wave One also changes the sound of the blacktop.

The update introduces NBA THE RUN’s first licensed music, expanding beyond the game’s original soundtrack while adding new music-management options that let players exercise more control over what they hear.

The complete licensed track list has not yet been detailed publicly, but its inclusion reinforces the game’s broader attempt to capture streetball culture rather than presenting itself as a stripped-down version of a conventional NBA simulation.

New taunts, banners, badges, alternate jerseys and advanced dunks are also being added to the Shop, expanding the customization economy alongside the new competitive and gameplay systems.

None of these additions changes how a possession fundamentally works, but expression is a significant part of an arcade sports game. A crossover or poster dunk lands differently when the presentation around it encourages players to celebrate, taunt and develop an identifiable style.

Wave One Is the Beginning of NBA THE RUN’s Seasonal Model

The importance of September 29 extends beyond the individual features because Wave One officially begins the game’s first Season.

NBA THE RUN launched on June 9 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, offering fast 3v3 basketball built around four-round knockout tournaments. At launch, players could compete through Knockout Squads, Knockout Solos and Knockout Friends while choosing from more than 30 NBA stars, rookie variants and fictional streetball legends.

Play by Play Studios made clear almost immediately that launch was intended to be the foundation rather than the final content package. The post-launch roadmap promised new players, courts, rulesets and modes, with larger Seasons expected approximately every two to three months.

Wave One is the first major test of that strategy. Instead of concentrating solely on roster DLC, the studio is using the seasonal update to address community requests, expand offline and private-play functionality, rebalance mechanics and deepen progression at the same time.

Longer term, the roadmap becomes even more ambitious. Play by Play Studios has already discussed plans for a campaign mode in 2027, suggesting that the current online knockout structure will eventually be joined by something considerably larger.

The Five Legends Fit the Game Better Than a Generic Historic Roster

There is also a reason the first historic lineup works particularly well for this specific game.

NBA THE RUN openly draws from the tradition of arcade basketball titles such as NBA Jam and NBA Street, where exaggerated individual identity matters more than simulation-level accuracy. The early 2000s produced several players who are almost tailor-made for that philosophy.

Iverson’s crossover is already a streetball icon. Carter’s dunking needs little exaggeration to look absurd. McGrady’s scoring makes him a natural isolation weapon. Garnett combines size and defensive intensity, while Nowitzki allows a big man to operate in spaces normally reserved for guards.

Those differences should produce meaningful lineup decisions rather than simply giving players five historically famous alternatives with similarly inflated ratings.

Play by Play Studios says the Legends ratings are strong enough that players may need to reconsider their preferred starting three. That does not automatically mean all five will dominate the meta once Wave One goes live, but introducing recognizable specialists is a better foundation for roster diversity than making every Legend equally exceptional at everything.

September 29 Is NBA THE RUN’s First Real Post-Launch Test

The original launch established what NBA THE RUN wanted to be: a faster, stylized alternative to simulation basketball, built around three-on-three streetball and short knockout tournaments rather than a full NBA season.

Wave One has to answer the next question: whether that formula can continue expanding without losing what made it distinctive.

So far, the update is attacking that problem from several directions. Five Hall of Famers deepen the roster. Drive Cam gives players another way to read the floor. Practice and Custom Matches make the game easier to learn and organize. Championship Belts create another reason to explore different players. Dyckman and Spring Garden expand the competitive court pool, while new moves and balance changes alter the actual basketball being played.

Most importantly, the majority of that structure is arriving as part of the free seasonal update rather than being reduced to a paid roster pack.

When Wave One – 2000s Legends launches September 29, players will be able to put Iverson, Garnett, Carter, McGrady and Nowitzki into combinations that never existed during their actual careers and discover which version of 2000s basketball works best on a 3v3 blacktop.

The real challenge starts afterward: earn a belt with them, master the new moves and prove that the old starting squad still deserves its spot.