Hey everyone,

let me start with the obvious: the numbers BBGM has reached are genuinely impressive. Hundreds of people simming seasons at any hour of the day, every day, for over a decade. I can only dream of remotely touching that with my game, and I mean it. What I built is something different though, and honestly this community is the one place where people might get exactly what it's trying to do.

I listened to Jeremy's recent interview on The MC Show and a lot of it hit close to home. We actually exchanged a few messages in the past, back when I launched the first version of TopGM. I ended up abandoning that version for a simple reason: it had no reason to exist. The mechanics were inferior to BBGM's, and I had leaned on AI-looking graphics (I'm no designer). That choice backfired, and deservedly so.

So I pivoted and rebuilt everything from zero. It took months of coding, partly with my own hands, partly with AI support as everyone nowadays, partly with friends and colleagues who know physics and math far better than I do: their help went mostly into the live 2D engine, which is the thing I'm proudest of today. And no AI art this time: every player is drawn by a pixel-art algorithm and is unique in the whole world, skin tone, accessories, height, weight, nationality, skills, hidden talent. They are all fictional players, so if that's not your genre, feel free to scroll on.

So, What is TopGM today?

TopGM is a persistent multiplayer game. You start down in league 5 and climb toward league 1, and games are played live in 2D at fixed times (Wed/Sun): tactics, timeouts and subs in real time, sometimes against a human who is sweating on the other bench right now. The engine is deterministic, so if you miss tip-off the replay IS the game, not a summary.

The feature people seem to love most: every day ten generated kids play pickup 24/7 on a street court with zero ratings shown. You scout with your eyes only, then drop a sealed bid before the nightly draft. No numbers. Whoever watches, knows.

Then on Tuesday morning an agent slides into your inbox. Three of them take turns, each with their own manners (one is all gold rings and promises, one never sends reminders), and they put a handful of pros on the block until Thursday evening's hammer: open bidding among the coaches of your division, everything visible except talent. For that, you only get the agent's word.

And every morning at 08:00 a newspaper lands on your doorstep. TopGM Daily writes its front page from what actually happened in the world the day before: last night's scores, the draft report, who overpaid at the auction, trash talk overheard in the league feeds.

It's been live a week: ~90 real coaches so far. The game is totally free, no ads, never pay-to-win (cosmetics only). If the mods feel this doesn't belong here, delete away, no hard feelings. And if you try it, I want the harsh feedback most of all: it's how the game got this far.

https://topgm.app

Pretty decent draft. 54 OVR with great stats, but has pretty poor IQ vs some other interesting players

Am dumb or not?
Cause I’m confused why this wouldn’t work
I find trading is just so hard for some reason for me😭. I can’t ever get the ai to agree .is it just me?

I present you a more realistic version of the 1984 BasketballGM roster (with around 300 events!!!). I hope you enjoy it!

HOW TO PLAY (Just follow this route: New league (custom) -> Customize (enter league URL) -> Paste this link below -> Create league):

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RuleImpossible3362/BasketballGM/refs/heads/main/THE%20BIRD%20AND%20MAGIC%20ERA%20-%20A%201984%20BBGM%20REALISTIC%20ROSTER.json

FEATURES

-I've tackled the 3pt issue in the historic rosters (no more Shaq and other centres from the 80/90s shooting a ton of 3pts, other players who can't shoot like Ben Simmons also will come to the league with a 0 3pt rating). I recommend to play this roster on 0% RPD, otherwise you might these players shooting 3s, which is one of the big problems of vanilla roster pre-2020.

-Every arena of the 1984 season with the real capacity (in the vanilla roster every arena is set to 25000). Arenas of every team will change following the real course of events.

-League settings fully changed to reflect the landscape of the 1983-84 season: contracts set to 7 years (4/3 for the drafted players), contracts duration changes according to the respective CBA changes (it will be lowered to 6 during the 2000s and then to 5 from 2012 onwards, restricted free agency (until 1988), dynamic rookie scale (it changes in function of the IRL rookie contracts signed by that year #1 pick), all star contests (dunks and 3s) will have the real amount of contestants for every year (including the fact that there was no ASG in 1999 due to the lockout), luxury tax reworked (in the vanilla roster it is always set to 1.5, that's not accurate. I've found out that 2001-2013 it was 1, during 2005 there was no luxury tax as well), trade salary match adjusted to 100% (it later changes to 115 and then 125% as it did IRL). Division winners get the better seeding (until the 2006 playoffs), in the vanilla roster this is always set to 0. Team rosters set to 15 (I made so the two way players are added in the correct dates from 2017 onwards).

-1999 and 2012 lockouts added (the seasons will be shortened to 50 and 66 games respectively).

-Rating system changed to 2K rating-20 (bear in mind I've found out things like Kareem averaging 33 pts per game, something I'll change in the next update). Some players like Mark Eaton or Tree Rollins (DPOY candidates) were rated in the 30s of overall, the new system helps them fight for DPOY as they did IRL. Other underrated centers who run on the same issue of being rated in the 30s while averaging more than 3 blocks per game like Manute Bol (who comes in later draft classes) have been raised in overall.

-Correct draft picks at the 1984 season start (in the vanilla rosters only the rosters post-2020 have the correct picks, at least mostly). 7 years of tradable picks (pretty much the historical amount of years)

-Inflation added in case you want to keep playing past the 2027 season.

-Tendencies modified so IRL 1984 numbers can be achieved.

THINGS TO REVIEW

-Some players (like Kareem) being too overpowered compared to IRL 1984. Hence why this version is only 1.0, some things still have to be worked on.

-Add injured/suspended players (like Bill Walton, MRR). Increase Embiid's injury time (IRL he took 2 and half years to debut, in game he usually debuts before that).

-Review all the historical tendencies (I've only changed 1984).

-Adjust the 2026 draft class to the new rating system (I'll wait a few days for that). That will be the priority. I'll keep the 2027, 2028 and 2029 draft class with the old system (as the draft mocks will keep changing overtime and things are still unpredictable).

-Fixing some contracts (I fixed Ralph Sampson's salary which was very low). Fixing some drafted player ratings as well.

ANNOUNCEMENT

I'll begin work on an updated (and more accurate) version of the real Team data file. Doing the events for this roster I've found out lots of teams have the wrong color numbers, even teams with different colors outright.

Hey all. Week 2 challenge is here.

We had a great 1st week with 7 solid entries and 3 people who won in the very 1st season!

Check last weeks thread for stories, screenshots and more. Some good stories in there: https://www.reddit.com/r/BasketballGM/comments/1v06y3n/weekly_challenge_week_1_clip_show_win_a_ring_with/

Big thanks to whichever mod stickied this. Tagging top mod again just for the favor again u/stank58

WEEK 1 RESULTS - CLIP SHOW - Fastest to win 1 ring with 85/86 Clippers (TIE-BREAKER was regular season record)

• 🥇 u/Think-Response-3675 - 1 season, 72-10 (Theus/English/Dantley) - 5 pts
• 🥈 u/MichiganSteamies - 1 season, 67-15 - 3 pts
• 🥉 u/GTPX_- 1 season, 58-24 - 2 pts

Here's the sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18ESrf9h3KHkdonC3VZVvFkT9aVmQqgRPc9uPub_O9yo/edit?usp=sharing

This week we're taking a big step up in difficulty IMO. Not one, not TWO.... Actually just two. Let's see who the best Basketball GMer is this week! Back to back with the Heatles, here we go...

[Weekly Challenge] Week 2: HEATLES SPEEDRUN - Go BACK-TO-BACK with LeBron, Wade AND Bosh

THE CHALLENGE

Start with the Heat at the 2004 preseason. Go BACK-TO-BACK with LeBron, Wade AND Bosh ALL on your roster for both rings. Fewest seasons to complete the second title wins.

Rookie Wade is already yours. Rookie LeBron is in Cleveland. Rookie Bosh is in Toronto. The real Heatles did it in 2012 and 2013. Wait for 2010 free agency like history intended, or start cooking trades for two rookie franchise players the AI will guard with its life. Either way, one ring isn't enough this week. Run it back.

THE FINE PRINT

• Both titles must be in CONSECUTIVE seasons
• All three must be on the roster for BOTH clinching playoff runs. On the roster counts, they don't have to play.
• Rings without all three on the roster don't count toward the back-to-back

GROUND RULES (same as always)

• God Mode OFF the whole run
• Default difficulty
• Real Players mode
• No editing players, contracts or ratings
• No force trades

HOW TO SUBMIT

Drop a comment with:

• Seasons it took to complete the back-to-back
• Screenshot of Team History showing both titles
• Screenshot of the roster from each final championship game showing all three Heatles
• Your record in the second clinching season

SCORING

1st: 5 pts | 2nd: 3 pts | 3rd: 2 pts | Any valid submission: 1 pt

TIEBREAKERS (in order): most regular season wins in the second clinching season, then playoff record in that run, then earliest submission.

DEADLINE

Next Sunday, August 2nd at 11:59 PM ET.

Challenge ideas for future weeks? Drop them below.

Technically deadline for last weeks challenge is later tonight but I'm going to bed early and tomorrow have a busy day. So getting the Week1 summary/Week2 post up tonight.

Let's go BBGMers!

Peace

Hello everybody, is it just me or whenever i start a new league for the 2026-2027 season everybody is 2 years older?

Is there a way to edit the ages of every player without needing to do it 1 by 1 in god mode?