NBA 2K13 is a developed by and published by . It was released on September 19, 2012 for the , , , , and . A version for the was also released as a launch title in North America, and in December for the . of the , of the , and of the are the cover athletes, and they are all shown in dunking positions. NBA 2K13 is the successor to , succeeded by in the and is the fourteenth installment in the 2K series. The game was executive produced by rapper , who designed the game and curated its soundtrack. It is also the fourth and last NBA 2K game to be released on both the Wii and PlayStation Portable, the only installment available on the Wii U, and the last to be available on pure handheld systems.
NBA 2K13 has received generally favorable reviews and has a score of 88 out of 100. gave it a 9.4 out of 10 and said that "Even when left with a clear, unobstructed path to the basket, 2K13 throws down a monster jam with this year's edition," and that "It's obviously the best hoops game out there, and it might even be the best sports game of all, period." scored the game a 9.4 of 10 saying that "Enhanced realism and a great new control setup make NBA 2K13 a fantastic recreation of pro hoops." gave the game a 4.5 out of 5 and said that, "There is no doubt that NBA 2K13 is one for the ages. Without any other true competitors to stand in its way, the sky is the limit. If you haven't already picked up a copy, you are sorely missing out. I can't ever truly say if a game is worth $60, but with this one, it might be worth even more." gave it a 9.4 out of 10.
However, and gave the game mixed reviews. Both publications lauded the game's on-court experience, while criticizing the game modes. Joystiq called the My Career and My Team modes "uninspired and lazy" while GamesRadar lamented the absence of the Jordan and Greatest challenges modes from previous installments