NBA 2K tribute codes for fallen legends shouldn't expire in season

Believe it or not, as EA Sports College Football and Madden NFL 25 demand our time, NBA 2K24 is still putting out content. Season 9 just launched and I fired up NBA 2K for the first time in a while to report on the rewards for My Team. I've fallen behind, but there are some new locker codes to help. I also remembered there were tribute codes unlocking cards for both Jerry West and Bill Walton, two icons who we lost this NBA season.

I didn't remember when the codes dropped, but I didn't think I needed to worry about these particular codes expiring. After all, 2K wouldn't be so tasteless it would treat tribute cards as if they were Vince Carter Version 26, this one's got new Jordans, would they? I'm sorry y'all, I forgot what company I was dealing with. The codes for both cards were expired and had been for some time.

Again, this is in poor taste. These weren't cards 2K was even planning to do this year, they're not part of any official release. They're free cards that are, in theory, a tribute to two NBA all-time greats. Jerry West is the freakin' NBA logo, guys. He helped turn the Lakers into one of the great franchises in organized sports. Sadly, the Lakers disrespected him too.

Bill Walton taught generations about the game as both a player and an incredible broadcaster. He would love reaching younger players as part of a video game. I find myself hollering "Throw it down, big man!" after impressive dunks on NBA 2K, and my wife can verify this.

Because of the eternal "this new card is designed to be 10 percent better than the one we released last week" nature of these modes, I doubt the cards are even competitive any more. But I still wanted to have them on my team because I love both of these players.

I understand My Team and its ilk are designed to keep me on a treadmill, and punish me for not interacting with the game. But I know there must be some people at 2K Sports who work on these projects because they love basketball. If any of them have any influence, I'm asking them to use it in these hopefully rare situations.

Are these locker codes honoring legends who passed during the season a tribute, or another promo opportunity? Because they can't be both.