Here you can find the complete guide for controls and buttons layout in NBA 2K23 on all platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series .
NBA 2K23 PS4 & PS5 CONTROLLER
Default controls:
- Move Player: left stick
- Sprint: R2 button
- Icon Pass or Icon Swap: R1 button
- Post-Up / Hard Stop or Intense D: L2 button
- Lob Pass / Alley-Oop / Lead to Basket or Block Rebound: △ button
- Dribble Moves / Shooting / Passing or Hands Up / Contest: right stick
- Activate takeover (MyCareer): R3
- Bounce / Flahy Pass or Take Charge: ○ button
- Pass / Skip Pass or Player Swap (closest to ball): × button
- Call Play / Pick Controls or Double Team: L1 button
- Call Timeout or Intentional Foul: touch pad button
- Pause: OPTIONS button
BASIC OFFENSE & DEFENSE
| Basic Offense | Control | Basic Defense |
| Move Player | Left Stick | Move Player |
| PRO STICK™: Dribble Moves / Shooting / Passing | Right Stick | Hands Up |
| Post-Up / Protect / Hard Stop | L2 | Intense-D |
| Sprint | R2 | Sprint |
| Call Play / Pick Controls | L1 | Defensive Adjustments/ Double Team |
| Icon Pass | R1 | Icon Swap |
| Pass (tap) / Skip Pass (press and hold) | × | Player Swap (closest to ball) |
| Bounce Pass (tap), Flashy Pass (double tap), Get Open Pass (press and hold) | ○ | Take Charge (press and hold) Flop (double tap) |
| Shoot (press) Pump Fake / Hop (tap) Spin Gather (double tap) | □ | Steal (press) Intentional Foul (hold) |
| Lob Pass (tap), Alley-Oop (double tap), Lead to Basket (press and hold) | △ | Block / Rebound |
| Gameplay HUD | ↑ | Gameplay HUD |
| Offensive Game Plan | → | Defensive Game Plan |
| OTFC Offense Strategy | ← | OTFC Defensive Sets |
| OTFC Substitutions | ↓ | OTFC Substitutions |
ADVANCED OFFENSE
| Action | Input |
| Pick Control | Press and hold L1. Use R1 to choose Roll vs. Fade and L3 to choose pick side |
| Bounce Pass | Tap ○ |
| Overhead Pass | Tap △ |
| Flashy Pass | Double-tap ○ |
| Alley-Oop | Double-tap △ |
| Get Open Pass | Press and hold ○ to make the selected receiver cut and get open, release ○ to pass the ball |
| Lead to Basket Pass | Press and hold △ to force the selected teammate to make a basket cut, wait for him to get in range or release △ to force the pass early |
| Fake Pass | △ + ○ |
| Jump Pass | □ + × |
| Give & Go | Press and hold × to retain control of passer, release × to pass the ball back to him |
| Putback Dunk/Layup Finish Alley-Oop (when controlling receiver) | Hold □ |
| PRO STICK™ Pass | R1 + Right Stick |
| Call Timeout | Touch pad button |
ADVANCED DEFENSE
| Action | Input |
| Move | Left Stick |
| Fast Shuffle | R2 + L2 + Left Stick |
| Steal | Tap □ |
| Block | △ |
| Rebound | △ (ball in air) |
| Take Charge | Hold ○ |
| Flop | Double-tap ○ |
| Ball Denial | Hold L2 when near opponent |
| Intense Defense | Hold L2 |
| Crowd Dribbler | Hold L2 and move Left Stick toward the dribbler |
| Contest | Quickly move and release Right Stick |
| Hands Up | Hold Right Stick |
| Deny Hands Out | Hold Right Stick (while playing offball defense) |
| Double Team | Press and hold L1 |
| Icon Double Team | Tap L1 then press and hold desired double teamer’s player icon |
SHOOTING
| Action | Input |
| Jump Shot | Move + Hold Right Stick straight down, then release |
| Pump Fake | Start a jump shot, then quickly release Right Stick |
| Runner / Floater (driving mid-range) | Hold Right Stick down |
| Hop Gather (driving to hoop) | Move Right Stick right, then quickly back to neutral, then right again (with ball in the right hand) |
| Spin Gather (driving to hoop) | R2 + Rotate Right Stick, then hold |
| Normal Layup (driving to hoop) | Hold Right Stick up while driving |
| Euro Step Layup (driving to hoop) | Move Right Stick right then left (with ball in right hand) |
| Cradle Layup (driving to hoop) | Move Right Stick left, then quickly move Right Stick right (with ball in right hand) |
| Reverse Layup (driving along baseline) | Hold Right Stick in the direction of the hand closest to the baseline |
| Quick Scoop Layup | Hold Right Stick left or right while driving to the hoop |
| 2-Hand Dunks (driving to hoop) | R2 + Hold Right Stick up |
| Dominant/Off-Hand Dunk (driving to hoop) | R2 + Hold Right Stick left or right to dunk with that hand |
| 1-Hand Flashy Dunk | R2 + Right Stick Down Then Up |
| 2-Hand Flashy Dunk | R2 + Right Stick Up, back to neutral, then up again |
| Rim Hang Dunk | R2 + hold Right Stick down, continue holding R2 to hang on the rim |
| Skill Dunk | R2 + Right Stick up then quickly move Right Stick down Release Right Stick to time the release |
| Step Through | Pump fake, then hold Right Stick again before pump fake ends |
DRIBBLING
| Action | Input | Context |
| Triple Threat Jab / Stepover | Tap Right Stick Left/Right/Up | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Pump Fake | Tap Right Stick down | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Attack Hesitation | Move + Hold Right Stick up left or up right | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Spinout | Rotate Right Stick then quickly return to neutral | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Stepback | R2 + Tap Right Stick down | Triple Threat |
| Signature Size-up | Quickly Move and Release the Right Stick in various directions | Dribbling |
| Hesitation (quick) | Tap Right Stick right (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Hesitation (escape) | R2 + move Right Stick right then quickly release (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| In and Out | Move Right Stick up right or up left toward the ball hand, then quickly release | Dribbling |
| Crossover (front) | Tap Right Stick up (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Crossover (between legs) | Tap Right Stick up (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Behind Back | Tap Right Stick down left (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Spin | Rotate Right Stick from ball hand around player’s back, then quickly return to neutral | Dribbling |
| Half-Spin | Rotate Right Stick clockwise then quickly release (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Stepback | Tap Right Stick down while driving | Dribbling |
POST SHOTS
PRESS L2 BUTTON TO POST UP
| Action | Input |
| Post Hook (close range) | Hold Right Stick up (with Left Stick neutral) |
| Shimmy Hook (Close Range) | Move Right Stick down then quickly release and move and hold Right Stick up left or right |
| Post Fade (beyond close range) | Hold Right Stick down left or right |
| Post Layup | Hold Right Stick up (while Left Stick is toward the hoop) |
| Shimmy Fade (beyond close range) | Move Right Stick up then quickly release and move and hold Right Stick down left or right |
| Pump Fake | Start a shot listed above then move Right Stick to neutral |
| Up & Under / Step Through | Pump fake, then move and hold Right Stick again before pump fake ends |
| Change Facing | Tap Right Stick up |
POST MOVES
PRESS L2 BUTTON TO POST UP
| Action | Input |
| Quick Spin / Hook Drive | Rotate Right Stick |
| Change Facing | Tap Right Stick up |
| Fakes | Tap Right Stick Left/Right/Down |
| Post Hop | Hold Left Stick to the left or right away from hoop, then tap □ |
| Post Stepback | Hold Left Stick away from hoop, then tap □ |
| Dropstep | Hold Left Stick to the left or right toward hoop, then tap □ |
NBA 2K23 XB1 & XBS CONTROLLER
BASIC OFFENSE & DEFENSE
| Basic Offense | Control | Basic Defense |
| Move Player | L | Move Player |
| PRO STICK™: Dribble Moves / Shooting / Passing | R | Hands Up |
| Post-Up / Protect / Hard Stop | LT | Intense-D |
| Sprint | RT | Sprint |
| Call Play / Pick Controls | LB | Double Team |
| Icon Pass | RB | Icon Swap |
| Pass (tap) / Skip Pass (press and hold) | A | Player Swap (closest to ball) |
| Bounce Pass (tap), Flashy Pass (double tap), Get Open Pass (press and hold) | B | Take Charge (press and hold) Flop (double tap) |
| Shoot (press) Pump Fake / Hop (tap) Spin Gather (double tap) | X | Steal (press) Intentional Foul (hold) |
| Lob Pass (tap), Alley-Oop (double tap), Lead to Basket (press and hold) | Y | Block / Rebound |
| Gameplay HUD | ↑ | Gameplay HUD |
| Offensive Game Plan | → | Defensive Game Plan |
| OTFC Offense Strategy | ← | OTFC Defensive Sets |
| OTFC Substitutions | ↓ | OTFC Substitutions |
ADVANCED OFFENSE
| Action | Input |
| Pick Control | Press and hold LB. Use RB to choose Roll vs. Fade and L to choose pick side |
| Bounce Pass | Tap B |
| Overhead Pass | Tap Y |
| Flashy Pass | Double-tap B |
| Alley-Oop | Double-tap Y |
| Get Open Pass | Press and hold B to make the selected receiver cut and get open, release B to pass the ball |
| Lead to Basket Pass | Press and hold Y to force the selected teammate to make a basket cut, wait for him to get in range or release Y to force the pass early |
| Fake Pass | Y + B (while standing or driving) |
| Jump Pass | X + A |
| Give & Go | Press and hold A to retain control of passer, release A to pass the ball back to him |
| Putback Dunk/Layup Finish Alley-Oop (when controlling receiver) | Hold X |
| PRO STICK™ Pass | RB + R |
| Call Timeout | View button |
ADVANCED DEFENSE
| Action | Input |
| Move | L |
| Fast Shuffle | LT + RT + L |
| Steal | Tap X |
| Block | Y |
| Rebound | Y (ball in air) |
| Take Charge | Hold B |
| Flop | Double-tap B |
| Ball Denial | Hold LT when near opponent |
| Intense Defense | Hold LT |
| Crowd Dribbler | Hold LT and move L toward the dribbler |
| Contest | Quickly move and release R |
| Hands Up | Hold R |
| Deny Hands Out | Hold R (while playing offball defense) |
| Double Team | hold LB |
| Icon Double Team | Tap LB then press and hold desired double teamer’s action button |
SHOOTING
| Action | Input |
| Jump Shot | Move + Hold R straight down, then release |
| Pump Fake | Start a jump shot, then quickly release R |
| Runner / Floater (driving mid-range) | Hold R down |
| Hop Gather (driving to hoop) | Move R right, then quickly back to neutral, then right again (with ball in the right hand) |
| Spin Gather (driving to hoop) | RT + Rotate R, then hold |
| Normal Layup (driving to hoop) | Hold R up while driving |
| Euro Step Layup (driving to hoop) | Move Right Stick right then left (with ball in right hand) |
| Cradle Layup (driving to hoop) | Move R right, then quickly move R left (with ball in right hand) |
| Reverse Layup (driving along baseline) | Hold R in the direction of the hand closest to the baseline |
| Quick Scoop Layup | Hold R left or right while driving to the hoop |
| 2-Hand Dunks (driving to hoop) | RT + Hold R up |
| Dominant/Off-Hand Dunk (driving to hoop) | RT + Hold R left or right to dunk with that hand |
| 1-Hand Flashy Dunk | RT + R Down Then Up |
| 2-Hand Flashy Dunk | RT + Right Stick Up, back to neutral, then up again |
| Rim Hang Dunk | RT + hold R down while driving. Keep R held to hang on the rim |
| Skill Dunk | RT + move R up then quickly move R down Release R to time the Dunk |
| Step Through | Pump fake, then hold R again before pump fake ends |
DRIBBLING
| Action | Input | Context |
| Triple Threat Jab / Stepover | Tap R Left/Right/Up | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Pump Fake | Tap R down | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Attack Hesitation | Move + Hold R up left or up right | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Spinout | Rotate R then quickly return to neutral | Triple Threat |
| Triple Threat Stepback | RT + Tap R down | Triple Threat |
| Signature Size-up | Quickly Move and Release the R in various directions | Dribbling |
| Hesitation (quick) | Tap R right (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Hesitation (escape) | RT + move R right then quickly release (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| In and Out | Move R or up right or up left toward the ball hand, then quickly release | Dribbling |
| Crossover (front) | Tap R up (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Crossover (between legs) | Move R the left then quickly release (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Behind Back | Tap R down left (when dribbling with right hand) | Dribbling |
| Spin | Rotate R from ball hand around player’s back, then quickly return to neutral | Dribbling |
| Half-Spin | Rotate R in a quarter-circle from ball hand to hoop, then quickly return to neutral | Dribbling |
| Stepback | Tap R down while driving | Dribbling |
POST SHOTS
PRESS LT TO POST UP
| Action | Input |
| Post Hook (close range) | R up (with L neutral) |
| Shimmy Hook (Close Range) | Move R down then quickly release and move and hold R up left or right |
| Post Fade (beyond close range) | R down left or right |
| Post Layup | R up (while L is toward the hoop) |
| Shimmy Fade (beyond close range) | Move R up then quickly release and move and hold R down left or right |
| Pump Fake | Start a shot listed above then move Right Stick to neutral |
| Up & Under / Step Through | Pump fake, then move and hold R again before pump fake ends |
POST MOVES
PRESS LT TO POST UP
| Action | Input |
| Quick Spin/Hook Drive | Rotate R |
| Change Facing | Tap R up |
| Fakes | Tap R Left/Right/Down |
| Post Hop | Hold L to the left or right away from hoop, then tap X |
| Post Stepback | Hold L away from hoop, then tap X |
| Dropstep | Hold L to the left or right toward hoop, then tap X |