You've spent hundreds of hours grinding. The badges are maxed. Your jump shot is pure muscle memory. But eventually, every career in The City or The Neighborhood has to wrap up. The NBA 2K25 farewell tour isn't just some cinematic cutscene you trigger by clicking a button in the menu; it’s a specific narrative arc within MyCareer that reflects the shift Visual Concepts made toward "The Pursuit of Greatness."
Honestly, most players just stop playing when the new game comes out. They leave their 99-rated superstar hanging in limbo. That's a mistake. 2K25 handles retirement differently than previous years, tying your final seasons into the GOAT Tier system. If you want that statue outside the arena, you can't just sim to the end. You have to earn the goodbye.
The Logic Behind the NBA 2K25 Farewell Tour
Let’s be real for a second. In older 2K titles, retirement felt like an afterthought. You'd click "Retire," see a couple of spreadsheets of your career stats, maybe get a Hall of Fame speech if you were lucky, and that was it. Game over. In NBA 2K25, the developers leaned into the "Dynasty" rankings.
The farewell tour is essentially the "Victory Lap" phase of your career. It triggers once you’ve surpassed certain milestones on the GOAT list, passing legends like Kobe, Mike, and LeBron. It’s less of a single event and more of a season-long vibe shift. You’ll notice the commentary changes. Kevin Harlan and the crew start talking about your legacy in every single game. The crowd at away games might even give you a standing ovation when you sub out for the last time. It’s a bit emotional, especially if you’ve actually played through the seasons instead of buying your way to the top with VC.
How to Trigger the Narrative Endings
To get the full experience of an NBA 2K25 farewell tour, you need to keep an eye on your "Key Games." 2K25 uses the Key Games mechanic to fast-track your career, but if you want the "Farewell" feel, you need to play the specific matchups against your rivals or former teams in your final season.
- Reach the top of the GOAT Tier. If you aren't at least in the top 5 of all time, the game treats your retirement as just "another guy leaving."
- Complete the "Dynasty" requirements. This usually involves winning multiple championships.
- Once you hit your late 30s (in-game age), the "Retire" option appears in the settings, but the game will prompt you if you want to finish one last season as a dedicated tour.
Most people get this wrong by retiring mid-season. Don't do that. You miss the tribute videos. Yes, there are actual tribute videos that play during the pre-game intros in your final year. It’s a cool touch that makes the grind feel worth it.
The GOAT Rankings and Your Final Season
The heart of the NBA 2K25 farewell tour is the GOAT Tier system. It's a ladder. You start at the bottom, and you're chasing guys like Steph Curry and Eras-specific legends. By the time you reach your final season, you should be looking at the "Greatest of All Time" list in the MyCareer menu.
If you’re sitting at Rank 1, the farewell tour becomes a celebration. If you’re at Rank 10, it’s a bit more somber. The game tracks your "GOAT Points," which are earned through "Milestone Moments." This isn't just about scoring 50 points; it’s about breaking the all-time triple-double record or passing Kareem’s scoring mark.
One thing that’s kinda annoying? The game doesn't explicitly tell you when the "tour" starts. You sort of have to decide, "This is my last year." However, the immersion kicks in once you announce it via the social media menu or through the post-game press conferences. Pro tip: pick the "Legacy" dialogue options when the media asks about your future. It flags the AI to start treating your games as "Final Appearances."
Why the Statue Matters
In the City, there’s a whole section dedicated to the greats. In NBA 2K25, if you play your farewell tour correctly and finish as the #1 GOAT, you actually get a permanent spot. This is the ultimate flex. Imagine walking through the plaza and seeing your MyPlayer in bronze.
But here’s the kicker: it’s not just about the stats. You have to finish the season. Simulating the playoffs in your final year can actually glitch the GOAT point calculation, leaving you just short of the top spot. I've seen it happen. A buddy of mine simmed his last Finals, won the chip, but because he didn't "earn" the points in the games, he stayed at Rank 2 behind MJ. Brutal.
Handling the "Wash-Up" Phase
NBA 2K25 actually simulates the physical decline of your player if you play long enough. This makes the NBA 2K25 farewell tour feel authentic. Your attributes don't necessarily plummet, but your stamina bar might drain a bit faster, or those Tier 3 badges might feel harder to trigger.
It’s a design choice. It forces you to play like "Old Man Kobe" or "Late Career Duncan." You rely on your high IQ and your jump shot rather than just rim-running and contact dunking on everyone. It makes the final games genuinely challenging. You’re playing against younger, faster AI players who are trying to make a name for themselves off your legacy.
Moving Beyond the Career
Once the confetti falls and the final cutscene plays—usually a walk down the tunnel with the lights flickering out—that player is essentially "retired" from the NBA side of things. However, you can still use them in the City or in Pro-Am. The farewell tour is purely for the MyCareer NBA immersion.
Some players find this disappointing. They want a "Hall of Fame" mode where they can manage a team. While 2K25 doesn't go that far yet, the closure of a well-executed farewell tour is much better than just deleting the save file to make room for a new build.
Essential Steps for Your Farewell Season
If you are approaching the end of your career in NBA 2K25, do not rush. Treat it like a ritual.
- Manual Save: Always keep a save file from the start of your final season. You might want to go back and replay that final game against the Lakers or Celtics.
- Check the Records: Go to the "Records" tab and see what you are close to breaking. A farewell tour where you break the single-season three-point record hits different.
- Jersey Retirement: Depending on which team you stayed with (or if you hopped around), the game will trigger a jersey retirement sequence. To ensure this happens, try to spend at least 4-5 seasons with the team you retire on.
- Media Interaction: Actually attend the press conferences in your final year. The questions change. They ask about your "One Last Dance." Choosing the right answers affects your "Fan Interest" and the final "Legacy Score" you receive.
It’s about the narrative you build. Whether you were the villain who left his home team to form a superteam or the loyal franchise cornerstone, 2K25 gives you the tools to finish the story.
The biggest takeaway for any MyCareer enthusiast is that the NBA 2K25 farewell tour is a mechanic built for those who care about the "Role Play" in Role Playing Game. If you're just there for the badges and the park, you’ll miss the soul of the game. But if you've spent three months real-time building this player, give them the exit they deserve. Go get that statue.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure your player gets the best possible send-off, your first priority should be checking the GOAT Tier rankings in the MyCareer menu to see exactly how many "GOAT Points" you need to reach the top spot before hitting the "Retire" button. Once you know your standing, focus on playing only the "Key Games" that offer 2x or 3x Legacy points to maximize your ranking without having to play all 82 games of a final season. Finally, make sure to manually save your game before the final playoff run, as the Hall of Fame induction and statue ceremony are one-time events that cannot be replayed on the same save file once they conclude.