With every iteration of NBA games, the dribbling continues to evolve. Not a whole lot has changed in NBA 2K21 bar a reduction in speed while trying to dribble and the inclusion of a few new dribble moves. It hasn’t effectively made it difficult to dribble but it’ll definitely take you a little while to get used to the new changes. But why should you concern yourself with how to dribble in NBA 2K21?!
To put it simply, dribbling should be a major aspect of playstyle. Not only it always feels good to flex on your opponents with cool moves, but dribbling can also open up a variety of options for scoring, thwart defenders, etc. In this guide, we’ve detailed everything you need to know about dribbling in the latest NBA title.
How to Dribble in NBA 2K21
Dribble controls are fairly easy to understand in the game. It’s recommended that you practice different moves and then play around the few that you feel most comfortable with.
Another important thing that you should keep in mind is that different dribble moves will come in handy in different situations. Before we begin, please note that these controls are only for the Playstation 4 version of NBA 2K21.
| Sprint | Hold R2 and move |
| Signature Size-up | Keep on holding up on the right analogue-stick |
| Signature Park Size-up | Continue to press L2 |
| In and Out | Move the right analogue-stick up-right and then release |
| Hesitation | Move the right analogue-stick right and then release |
| Momentum Hesitation | R2 + move the right analogue-stick right and then release |
| Hesitation Escape | Move the right analogue-stick right |
| Crossover | Hold the right analogue-stick in up-left direction and then release |
| Momentum Crossover | R2 + hold the right analogue-stick in up-left direction and then release |
| Crossover Escape | Hold the right analogue-stick in up-left direction |
| Between Legs Cross | Move the right analogue-stick left and then release |
| Momentum Between Legs Cross | R2 + hold the right analogue-stick left before releasing |
| Between Legs Escape | When dribbling, hold the right analogue-stick left |
| Behind the Back | Hold the right analogue-stick down-left before releasing |
| Momentum Behind the Back | R2 + hold the right analogue-stick down-left before releasing |
| Behind the Back Escape | Hold the right analogue-stick down-left while dribbling |
| Stepback | Move the right analogue-stick down |
| Momentum Stepback | R2 + right analogue-stick down |
| Spin | Rotate the right analogue-stick in a clockwise manner |
| Half Spin | Rotate the right analogue-stick in a quarter circle from right to top and then release |
| Hard Stop | While driving, keep on pressing L2 |
| Hold Off Defenders | Press and hold L2 |
Best Dribble Moves
There are some newly added dribble moves in the game. To change them, you’ll need to go to ‘MyPLAYER Appearance’ and then to ‘My Animations’ tab. Remember that you won’t have access to any dribble moves from the start. Purchasing the new moves will require you to have VC.
Once unlocked, you’ll be able to change them and use them. With so many dribble moves to choose from, we thought it to be a good idea to list a few moves that we think are better than the others:
- Crossover
- Between Legs Cross
- Behind the Back
- Spin
- Half Spin
That’s how dribbling works in NBA 2K21. Feel free to check out our detailed NBA 2K21 wiki guides for more helpful tips and tricks.