NBA 2K15 Trailer: Yakkem? I Hardly Know ‘Em

With NBA 2K15 about a month and a half away, the undisputed champions of basketball simulation, 2K Sports, has posted a new trailer that highlights… well, the highlights.

Starting off in TNT’s Inside the NBA broadcast booth, we see commentators Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal welcome us to the new NBA season. Ernie and Shaq’s character models are a bit suspect, with an old-looking Ernie and a Shaq that appears stiff and wooden. Johnson’s eyes appear to be looking off in the distance instead of into the camera, making the presentation feel strange and incomplete. Very quickly, though, we’re taken to the court where everything looks much nicer.

After a brief but effective montage of teams’ pre-game entrances and huddles, highlights from stars like Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, John Wall and James Hardin show off NBA 2K15’s incredible array of smooth, organic animations and exquisitely detailed player models. For well-known players like Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, viewers won’t need to see their jersey to instantly recognize them; their faces are unmistakable.

Once the cavalcade of super-athletes is over, we go back to the broadcast studio to hear Shaq’s explanation of the word that lends the video its title, “Yakkem!”

NBA 2K15 is set for an Oct. 7 release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.