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NBA 2K23 Stamina Explained

By Ralston Dacanay

Here's a breakdown of everything you need to know about Stamina in NBA 2K23 on Current and Next Gen.
Here's a breakdown of everything you need to know about Stamina in NBA 2K23 on Current and Next Gen. / Image courtesy of 2K

The Stamina system in NBA 2K23 might be the most realistic setup we've seen in series history.

Not only will energy deplete much quicker in certain situations, but the new Adrenaline Boost feature settles things down even further. As such, here's a breakdown of everything you need to about Stamina in NBA 2K23 on Current and Next Gen.

NBA 2K23 Stamina Explained

As initially unveiled in the weeks leading up to the release of NBA 2K23, gameplay director Mike "Beluba" Wang and the developer team have taken two extra steps to combat players who may dribble more than what is considered realistic or necessary.

The first of which is simply a nerf to spamming dribble moves. Energy will deplete much quicker when spamming too many moves together, so it’s important to be efficient and not "play with your food" too long.

It's also worth mentioning that like in NBA 2K22, having an empty Stamina bar smacks down your attribute ratings. There's also still shot fatigue in this year's game, meaning your jump shots will be slower the lower your Stamina gets.

What are Adrenaline Boosts in NBA 2K23?

Secondly, however, is the addition of Adrenaline Boosts, which is perhaps the most drastic gameplay change in NBA 2K23.

Under players' usual Stamina meters this year, they will also have three Adrenaline Boost bars.

Adrenaline Boosts are consumed every time you perform a hard go or explosive sprint launch — even while you're trying to get open off the ball. On defense, you're not taxed for sprinting and changing directions fast, but you do lose an Adrenaline Boost for each steal and block attempt.

Once your three boosts are gone, you’ll notice that your speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession.

Each player on the court gets three Adrenaline Boosts per possession, meaning they are indeed restored on shot clock resets.

Adrenaline Boosts also do go hand-in-hand with Stamina as although you'll still get your normal explosive launches if you still have Adrenaline Boosts available with zero Stamina, they’ll be slower than if your Stamina bar was also full. Trying to move without Adrenaline Boosts does feel way slower than doing the same with no Stamina though.

Ultimately, this means that in general, the "side-to-side" cheese is truly long gone, and most players will need to play a bit smarter and be more mindful of their movement.

Of course, that isn't to say that there still aren't some exceptions to this in the community.

How Much Stamina Should a MyPlayer Build Have in NBA 2K23?

As shown by NBA 2K Tutes, the Stamina Rating-energy depletion relationship is indeed linear, meaning the higher the rating, the better in all cases.

As such, being that the Gym Rat Badge gives you a +4 to all of your physicals, we'd recommend for players to set their builds' Stamina to 95.

Additionally, the Amped and Handles For Days Badges seem like necessities for those who mostly plan on handling the ball this year.

For more on NBA 2K23, feel free to check out:

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