In basketball, speed can be a great asset to have on your side. The quickest team on the court will often have a big advantage in play, although it does not mean everything. If you have the ball in NBA 2K21, you can perform a little speed boost maneuver with certain dribble moves to try and get past your defender. Here is how to do a speed boost in NBA 2K21.
Note: since the release of NBA 2K21, an update has reduced the acceleration you get from speed boosts, so you will not feel as much of a quick start as you would before.
Before we get to how to pull off the speed boost, there are a couple things you should know.
- Your player needs an 86 or better in ball handling skills to speed boost.
- Your player needs an 86 or better in ball handling skills to speed boost.
If you get your MyPlayer to an 86 or better rating in ball handling, you can pull off a speed boost, but you will need to pay attention to your character in their animation with the ball. It will not work if you are instantly trying to sprint with the ball in any direction.
When you have the ball, hold R2 or RT and press the right stick up to begin to size-up to the competition. Once the ball is moved towards a side, move the left stick in that direction to get a quick speed boost out of nowhere. If you go away from the ball side, you will have a much slower first step. If you got it right, your player will have a fast first step, which could potentially be the difference you need to get a better shot.
If you want to change up your dribbling, once you reach an 80 ball-handling skill, you will be able to unlock Pro Dribble moves. Some of these are great at creating space and can be a great assistance when paired up with a speed boost. Use the speed boost and Pro Dribble to move together for many open jump shots coming off of screens in particular.
