Ever since its introduction in NBA 2K18, All-Time teams have been some of the most fun teams to use in Play Now, whether online or offline. NBA 2K21 brought that feature to next-gen consoles, with slight updates to the bottom of their rosters.

Of course, not all teams are created equally. With some teams being newer and, frankly, more successful than others, that will reflect in the quality of the All-Time iteration. Here is a look at the some of the best All-Time teams to use in NBA 2K21, taking into account overall rating, players, and Play Now Online tier.

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Updated August 13th, 2021 By Kyle Laurel: With NBA 2K21 on its last legs prior to 2K22's release, these teams have stood pat. Should you find yourself looking to play a few more quick games before 2K21 hangs it up for the season, you can't go wrong with these.

10 Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo In NBA 2K

As of the creation of the list, the Milwaukee Bucks are the highest overall among the second tier of NBA 2K21 All-Time teams. That makes sense, considering who they have on their roster. They have one 99 overall player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who along with Oscar Robertson led them to their first championship season in 1971. They also have the head honcho of the league's most recent champions, Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who in 2K is incredibly OP with his balance of athleticism, size, and ball-handling attributes.

Where this team suffers slightly is depth. The lowest rated players are 85 overall, which is not bad for an All-Time team, but their skillsets are somewhat redundant, most of them being scorers and sharpshooters. Not having another legit center to backup Abdul-Jabbar also hurts quite a bit.

9 New York Knicks

All-Time NBA 2K21 Team Carmelo Anthony Walt New York

Even if you consider the Knicks a less than stellar team for the past decade or so, its rich history is undeniable. That shows in the number of high-profile players that have come to play for the Big Apple's team. The 90+ across-the-board starting lineup consists of six-time All-Star Richie Guerin, champions Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Willis Reed, superstar bigman of the '80s and '90s Patrick Ewing, and homegrown talent Carmelo Anthony.

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The bench is loaded with different offensive weapons, from '70s sidekicks Dave DeBusschere, Earl Monroe, and Dick Barnett, to scoring machines like Allan Houston, Bernard King, and John Starks, to bigmen Charles Oakley, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Kristaps Porzingis.

8 Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant Ray Allen Shawn Kemp Gary Payton

This All-Time team takes players from this franchise's time as both the Seattle SuperSonics and OKC Thunder, which makes for quite a star-studded roster.

Atop that roster is the 2010s super duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who bring two different scoring dynamics. Durant can light you up from anywhere, while Westbrook can drive to the rim with ease. Alongside them are their duo of the 1990s, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, who mainly specialize defensively but can provide offensively in certain roles. Playing off those two duos is Ray Allen, who played with the Sonics through his prime and made his money from the three-point line. Accompanying that deadly starting five are other high-overall players that can lead the offense themselves such as Paul George, Dennis Johnson, and Jack Sikma.

7 Miami Heat

LeBron James Heat In NBA 2K

LeBron James' hometown Cavaliers have a solid All-Time team, but the Heat have a much better supporting cast. Chief among them is his Heatles right hand man, Dwyane Wade, who is now in his prime overall at 97. Around them in the starting lineup are other Heat legends, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, and Shaquille O'Neal.

The bench, while not stacked with overall talent, is quite diverse in terms of skillsets and represent the franchise's different eras of success. Amongst scorers like Goran Dragic and Eddie Jones, snipers like Glen Rice and Steve Smith, and paint players like Rony Seikaly and Bam Adebayo, the main ones that likely stand out would be LeBron's third running mate, big man Chris Bosh, and the Heat's current franchise player, small forward Jimmy Butler.

6 Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid Ben Simmons In NBA 2K

It's hard to pick between the 76ers' greatest franchise player. Julius "Dr. J" Erving changed the game with his style of play. Allen Iverson changed the game with his attitude on and off the court. Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone simply dominated. Regardless, they all shine on their All-Time team, and actually fit quite well with each other in the starting lineup, rounded out by combo forward Billy Cunningham.

Off the bench, there's a great mix of players at every position, ranging from older legends like Hal Greer, Bobby Jones, and George McGinnis, to newer gems like Andre Iguodala, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons. All the players have very unique skillsets, so predicting how the team will attack will be quite a job to do. Now, if only this team had Charles Barkley.

5 Chicago Bulls

All Time NBA 2K21 Derrick Rose Michael Jordan Chicago

Two words: Michael Jordan. Of course, there's more to it than that, but having arguably the greatest player of all time certainly helps, especially when NBA 2K21 does him justice with a 99 overall. The starting lineup is great from top to bottom, with Jordan's sidekicks Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman occupying the forward spots, youngest-ever MVP Derrick Rose at point guard, and underrated 93 overall Artis Gilmore at center.

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Admittedly, the bench isn't as explosive as the starting five, but there are several specialists that can fit alongside Jordan, Rose, or Pippen and support them perfectly. Whether it's scorers like BJ Armstrong, Toni Kukoc, or Bob Love, or defensive players like Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, or Charles Oakley, there are infinite options for lineups suited to different kinds of playing styles.

4 Houston Rockets

James Harden Rockets In NBA 2K

The amount of offensive firepower this team has is ridiculous. The starting five alone has offensive skills all across the boards in different facets. James Harden, Clyde Drexler, and Tracy McGrady are excellent shooters and slashers, and Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone can dominate the inside. The bench has a ton of both types too.

Defensively, the team can also hold up. Chris Paul is one of the best defensive point guards ever, and while not known for it, T-Mac and Drexler are no slouches on that end either. It helps that all-time career shot blocking leader Olajuwon has giants like Yao Ming and Ralph Sampson backing him up, so even if there are some blind spots on the perimeter, opponents always have a skyscraper waiting for them inside.

3 Golden State Warriors

Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, NBA 2K

When you've had some of the most dominant players ever and one of the biggest dynasties ever, that's most certainly going to show on your All-Time team. The Warriors' two greatest stars, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry, had some of the most impressive NBA seasons in history, and that reflects in how overpowered they are in 2K, with Wilt being unstoppable inside, and Curry being automatic from three-point range, even off the dribble.

Alongside them, there's even more talent, from 1975 Finals MVP Rick Barry, to all three of Run T.M.C. in Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, to the We Believe catalysts Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, to the other members of the 2010s "death lineup": Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala. No description can do justice to how powerful this team is.

2 Boston Celtics

Ray Allen All-Time Celtics Shooting, NBA 2K21

No team has been as consistently great for as long as the Celtics have, so it's only natural that their 2K21 All-Time team has quite a few legends. They have sufficient defensive presence, thanks to being led by an incredible athlete in NBA history, and arguably any sport, Bill Russell. Offensively, the C's can attack from anywhere, with Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek being both potent scorers and playmakers, and Kevin McHale and Dave Cowens being inside threats.

Despite the franchise's long history, its newer players get some shine on the All-Time team as well. The main faces of one of the modern NBA's greatest super teams, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, all play huge roles on this team, as does the facilitator of that group, Rajon Rondo.

1 Los Angeles Lakers

Shaquille O'Neal Magic Johnson NBA 2K21 Mamba City Jersey

The clear-cut best of all the All-Time teams, the Lakers are so stacked that they could have LeBron James, who is currently a Laker and still going strong, come off the bench. That's because their starting five consists of players that spent their primes in Los Angeles and dominated. In the frontcourt, they have two of the greatest big men of all time: Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who spent their best years and won MVP trophies in LA. Out on the perimeter, they have three guards that dominated in their own way: Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry West.

One could even build an All-Time team worthy starting five from their bench players: LeBron, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, George Mikan, and Wilt Chamberlain. When your franchise's history is chock-full of all-time greats across every era, having the best 2K21 All-Time team is a given.

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