Basketball is a team game, but we all get the itch to prove we’re individually better than the competition. NBA 2K25’s multitude of one-vs-one courts are tailored around that skill measurement contest. We’ll tell you all about these courts and where to find them.
The City in NBA 2K25 is even more action-packed than years prior. More content is always welcome, but that opens up the possibility of getting lost and confused. We won’t let that happen to you and will help you navigate through the busy streets of The City and find your way to all the one-vs-one courts on offer.
All one-vs-one court locations in NBA 2K25
There are four courts where you can play one-vs-one in NBA 2K25. These are the Proving Grounds, the Theater, Ante-Up, and your personal MyCOURT. Luckily for you, they are all within arm’s reach of your central hub.
Proving Grounds location in NBA 2K25
Exit the hub and head straight to reach the opposite corner of the crossroad, then walk a few meters down the street to your left. The Proving Grounds will be on your right coming from this direction.
Theater location in NBA 2K25
The Theater is even easier to find. Tilt your camera slightly to the right after exiting the hub and walk across the street. The Theater is the building closest to the crossroad.
Ante-Up location in NBA 2K25
Ante-Up is in the same general direction as the Theater. Exit the hub, turn slightly to the right and cross the street toward the Theater. Then, walk further down this sidewalk until you reach Ante-Up, which will be to your left.
MyCOURT location in NBA 2K25
MyCOURT is where you first spawn in NBA 2K25 MyCAREER, and it acts as your central hub. It is located in the center-right section of The City map, adjacent to Triple Threat Park, Pro-Am, and The Rec.
You can see the exact locations of all one-vs-one courts in NBA 2K25 marked on the map below.
How to play one-vs-one in the Proving Grounds in NBA 2K25
Once you enter the Proving Grounds, you will stand before four chambers for every variation of the game mode. There’s one-vs-one, two-vs-two, three-vs-three, and five-vs-five. To play one-vs-one, go through the leftmost door.
Proving Grounds have their own ranking system and a generous reward package for the most persistent players. The tier system is specific to each game mode, so playing one-vs-one exclusively will bring along more benefits than playing a little bit of every mode and failing to rank up in any of them. We have already gone through the Proving Grounds tier system and rewards extensively if you want to learn more.
How to play one-vs-one in the Theater in NBA 2K25
The Theater also presents four options upon entering, the difference being that the doors are split to the left and to the right instead. You can play one-vs-one in the Theater by walking through the second door on your right.
The Theater is unique because it has no set ruleset for each game mode. The four formats are altered weekly to keep things interesting. If you find one that you truly enjoy, play it while you can because it will be replaced a week after its introduction. The Theater’s playlist is reset every Friday, but there’s always a one-vs-one option you can engage in.
How to play one-vs-one in Ante-Up in NBA 2K25
There are 11 courts inside the Ante-Up building—five for three-vs-three, four for two-vs-two, and a pair for one-vs-ones. The one-vs-one courts in Ante-Up are placed in the two faraway corners of the building, right next to the elevated three-vs-three court. To play, simply walk into the green circle and wait for an opponent to join.
Ante-Up works exactly like its poker term name suggests—you bet a fixed amount of VC on a game of basketball, as does your opponent, and whoever wins takes the other’s VC. Each court in Ante-Up has a predetermined VC entry fee displayed over it. The two one-vs-one courts allow you to bet 500 or 1,000 VC.
How to play one-vs-one in MyCOURT in NBA 2K25
To play one-vs-one in MyCOURT, walk toward the basketball court inside your hub. Once on the court, open the Play/Quit menu. The one-vs-one option is the first from the top. Now you only need a friend to play with.
MyCOURT offers other one-vs-one formats if you want to shake things up. Best Out Of 10 is a shootout from a designated spot on the court, Around The World is a shootout from various spots on the court, and H-O-R-S-E is, well, the game of Horse, where you and your opponent try to outwit and outshoot each other.
There’s even the co-op Timed Partner 3PT Shooting mode, where you and your friend must shoot a three, then rebound your own miss and pass the ball out to your mate, the goal being to score as much as you can within two minutes. All of these modes except Timed Partner 3PT Shooting can be played in a two-vs-two format too, or in the case of H-O-R-S-E, up to five players can go head-to-head.
One-vs-one basketball in NBA 2K25 is usually dominated by post scorers who can simply back their way up to the basket and lay the ball up or dunk it. The best center build in NBA 2K25 is a smart direction to go in if you want to display the same form of dominance on the slew of one-vs-one courts in The City.
