So I’ve been messing around with this old NBA Hoops card I found the other day, the one with Phil Jackson on it. You know, the legendary Bulls coach. It got me thinking, could I somehow get him coaching in my MyNBA Eras mode in the game? I’m pretty new to this whole MyNBA thing, to be honest. The last time I seriously played was 2K20 on my old PS4, and now I’m trying to get back into it.
My goal was to start a career in the Magic vs Bird Era – that’s like, 1983 – and I wanted to do it with the Chicago Bulls. I figured, wouldn’t it be awesome to have Phil Jackson right there from the start, even though he didn’t actually coach the Bulls back then? It’s all about creating my own little basketball universe, right?

First, I tried to see if there was a way to get him as a coach directly in MyGM mode. I poked around the menus, but no luck. It seemed like the game just didn’t have that option built-in. It was a bit of a bummer, but I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
Then I thought, maybe I could get him before starting MyGM? Like, some kind of pre-setup or something? I spent hours tinkering with the settings, creating custom rosters, and trying to manipulate the game’s logic. I even went down a rabbit hole, imagining what it would be like if they had, like, Opal HOF coaches. You know, like Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, or even Doc Rivers from his Celtics days. That would be a really cool concept, wouldn’t it?
I kept experimenting, trying different combinations, hoping to stumble upon a hidden feature or a glitch that would let me put Phil on the Bulls’ bench in ’83. I even dug out this physical 1996-97 NBA Hoops card featuring Phil. I got this one from a friend back then. It reminded me of the simpler times when I used to collect these things.
- I tried to create a custom scenario.
- I tried to edit the coaching staff.
- I tried to manipulate the game data.
But nope, nothing worked. It seems like the game just wasn’t designed to let you do that kind of historical tweaking. I guess the MyNBA Eras mode is more about reliving the actual history, rather than completely rewriting it. Though it was fun trying, and I did have a blast playing through those classic matchups.
But still, having that Phil Jackson card in my hand, I couldn’t help but wish there was a way. Maybe in a future version of the game, they’ll let us play around with history a bit more. Until then, I’ll just keep enjoying the game as it is, and maybe I’ll dig out some more of my old basketball cards for inspiration.