The predecessor of the NBA Live series was the NBA Playoffs series, which featured Lakers vs. Celtics, released first in 1989 for MS-DOS-compatible PCs and later adapted for consoles in early 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive. This game was played from a horizontal view (while later versions moved to an isometric view before ultimately moving to 3D on newer consoles). The game was one of the first to feature an NBA license, containing both real NBA teams and player likenesses and signature moves. Details such as Horace Grant's goggles are clearly visible, and Michael Jordan's "Air Reverse Layup" is animated with very high accuracy. Player numbers were also visible. The game featured only eight of the sixteen teams that qualified for the NBA playoffs that year, as well as both NBA All-Star teams.
The next game in the series was Bulls vs. Lakers, released in 1992, followed by Bulls vs. Blazers in 1993. Unlike the first game, these two releases were titled after the two teams who were in the NBA Finals the previous season, while the original release apparently chose the Lakers and Celtics due to both teams' historical success. Each revision added more teams and players, as well as more signature moves. The series also included an Olympic basketball spinoff game, Team USA Basketball (1992) which uses the same engine. The final game in the series was NBA Showdown 94 for SNES before the transition to the NBA Live series.
| Year | Game Title | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs | NBA team and players, signature moves in team game. |
| 1992 | Bulls versus Lakers and the NBA Playoffs | Co-operative play, instant replay in team game. |
| 1992 | Team USA Basketball | International player licenses. |
| 1993 | Bulls versus Blazers and the NBA Playoffs | Basketball game officially by EA Sports, custom team |
| 1994 | NBA Showdown | Multiple custom team, 3rd party in game advertisement, white box cover, all NBA teams. |
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