Play / Men's basketball career
Men's basketball career simulator
Basketball Career lets you play a men's basketball career from high school to the Hall of Fame, free in your browser. It follows the American path: recruiting, one-and-done or more college, the Pro Draft and its lottery, rookie deals, free agency and the playoffs. One career takes about 5 to 15 minutes. Every team and league is fictional.
How a men's career works
- High school and the summer circuit. Start as a recruit. A shoe-company travel team, official visits and the All-American Game decide which colleges call.
- College, or skip it. Commit to a program, use NIL deals and the transfer portal, or turn pro overseas or in the development league instead.
- One-and-done. At 19, after one college season, you can declare. If scouts project you high, the game asks the one-and-done question directly.
- The Pro Draft. Two rounds of 30 picks, with picks 1 to 14 in the lottery. First-rounders get a four-year rookie-scale deal, second-rounders two years. Undrafted? A two-way deal, the development league or a club abroad.
- The pro years. A long season with an in-season cup, the play-in and the playoffs. Sign extensions, request trades, hit restricted free agency (your team can match an offer sheet) and chase rings.
- The national team. Get called up for the continental championship, the World Championship and the Summer Games.
Moments you'll meet in a men's career
- Supermax extension. Top salary, top expectations, once you're a star.
- 10-day contracts and two-way deals. The way back in from the development league.
- Summer League. Lead your team's young roster in July.
- Traded at the deadline. Your team can move you mid-season.
- Load management, the sixth-man role and a contract year. The choices that shape a veteran's minutes and money.
- A payday in China. A big offer abroad late in your career.
Men's vs women's careers at a glance
| Men's career | Women's career | |
|---|---|---|
| College | One-and-done possible at 19 | Usually four years |
| Draft | Two rounds, lottery picks 1 to 14 | Three rounds |
| Season | Long season, play-in and playoffs | Short summer season and playoffs |
| Off-season | Summer League, free agency | Winter overseas, winter 3x3 league or rest |
Want the other side? Read how the women's basketball career works. For the details of draft night, see the Pro Draft guide.
How to start
Open the game, keep Men's basketball on the first screen, then pick a name, jersey number, home state, position, a starting story and a playstyle.
Looking for an NBA career simulator? Basketball Career plays like one, but it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NBA or any team.
More guides
- How to play: Stories, playstyles, paces, decisions and tips
- Women's basketball career: Four years of college, a three-round draft and winters overseas
- Hall of Fame score: How your 0 to 100 legacy score is calculated
- Daily Draft and Weekly challenge: One shared career a day, one a week, with leaderboards
- College basketball career: Recruiting, NIL, the transfer portal and one-and-done
- The Pro Draft: Eligibility, the lottery, rookie deals and going undrafted
- Games like BitLife for basketball: How Basketball Career compares
- Career stories: All 8 starting stories and how to play each one
- Leaderboard: Today's and this week's best Hall of Fame scores
- Achievements: Every achievement and what it unlocks