In 1993, NBA Jam set the trend for arcade-styled basketball games. It led to NFL Blitz, NBA Showtime, and countless other games that broke the traditional sports rules. Along with 2-on-2 games, super dunks, and the glitchy “Big Head Mode”, every version of NBA Jam has featured a collection of secret teams and players.
The secret teams featured an assortment of NBA legends, mascots, and political figures.
NBA Mascots
In every NBA game, the mascot stands on the sidelines cheering his team on and rarely getting the chance to shine on the court other than a random halftime stunt show. This changes in NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, where several mascots are featured. Using specific initials will unlock mascots like Chicago’s Bull, the Hornet from Charlotte, and the Timberwolf from Minnesota.
The 2010 version of the game features all new mascots on the rosters. Improved mascots include the Raptor from Toronto, Bango the Buck, and Rocky the mountain lion from the Denver Nuggets.
Rappers
Rappers can usually talk the talk, but now they can walk the walk on the virtual court. The first edition of NBA Jam featured secret rappers like Fresh Prince Will Smith, Jazzy Jeff, and Heavy D. The updated version of the game features the rap/rock group Beastie Boys.
NFL Players
Multi-sport athletes are rare to come by, but in the video game universe anything is possible. In the rare PC game NBA Jam Extreme, NFL stars John Elway and Junior Seau are secret players. Elway, the former Denver Broncos quarterback, may not be able to run an option like current quarterback Tim Tebow, but he can perform a pretty sweet 360-degree slam dunk.
Bill Clinton and Al Gore
Before pop-culture references, YouTube, and content access to the political world took off, it was kind of surreal to see our president in a video game. Not only could Bill Clinton play in NBA Jam, he could team up with vice president Al Gore. The tandem weren’t the best players in the game, but it was still cool to impress your friends by playing as the president of the United States.
Team Republicans and Team Democrats
In the 2010 version of NBA Jam, the political parties can be updated with better graphics and more selections for your team. Team Republicans include George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Sarah Palin. Team Democrats include Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the return of Bill Clinton. The cool thing about choosing Obama is that he is a huge NBA fan, and it’s nice to see him on the court along with his favorite team, the Chicago Bulls.
Alan Donahue has written hundreds of sports and video game articles. He has played every version of NBA Jam and other NBA video game franchises.
More from this contributor:
Five NFL Players Who Deserve to Be on the Madden 2013 Game Cover
WWE’s Top Five Wrestlemania Storylines and Build-ups
Five Offseason Activities for Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning