Which NBA 2K series game is the only one without “2K” in its title?

ESPN NBA Basketball is the only NBA 2K series game without “2K” in its title. It was the fourth main entry in the franchise and is commonly identified as NBA 2K4, even though the released title itself omitted the familiar 2K branding.

The game was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, with Allen Iverson appearing on the cover for the fifth and final time in the series. It also introduced the 24/7 career mode, in which players created a character and competed through basketball tournaments and other challenges.

The wording can cause confusion because the game is often discussed in franchise lists as NBA 2K4. That shorthand describes its position in the series, not its official title. The next installment restored the branding as ESPN NBA 2K5, making ESPN NBA Basketball the lone naming exception.