Play Now Online tip: 97 OVR Michael Jordan's 88-89 Bulls are a "Tier 2" team
By Brian Allen
After barely touching Play Now Online the past couple of years, NBA 2K25 has its hooks into me again. The new setup tasks players with climbing all the way from Bronze to GOAT level, unlocking more playable teams along the way.
To encourage players to use a wide variety of squads, you are restricted from repeatedly using the same team. Also, you earn more points for using less powerful teams. I've grown partial to the 93-94 Charlotte Hornets. You'd think a team with Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Dell Curry would have made more noise. But they ended the regular season 41 - 41, so yeah that's a Tier 3 squad by NBA 2K standards.
As you may have guessed by now, one of the best ways to play this is by using teams that are a little stronger in-game than their tier status might indicate. I humbly submit the 88-89 Chicago Bulls, led of course by the incomparable Michael Jordan.
His Airness has a 97 overall rating, and this squad is unlocked when you reach Silver. That makes this one of the most powerful Tier 2 squads you can unlock early. Against many opponents, constantly driving the lane with Jordan may be enough to get the rage quit. Scottie Pippen is an 82 on this team. It is not the Bulls' final form, that would be the 95-96 team that is also available in the game. But getting bonus "bad squad" points while using one of the greatest players who ever lived is a little glitchy.