{{Short description|Trading card game}} {{Italic title}} {{for|the video game|NBA Showdown (video game)}} {{Infobox game | subject_name= NBA Showdown | image_link= | image_caption= | years=2002 | publisher= Wizards of the Coast | players= 2 | ages= 8+ | setup_time= | playing_time= Approx 20 min. | random_chance= High | skills= Card playing<br>Arithmetic<br>Basic reading ability | footnotes= }}
'''''NBA Showdown''''' is an out-of-print trading card game produced by Wizards of the Coast based on the game of basketball. It was released in February 2002.<ref name="MILLER2">{{Citation |last=Miller |first=John Jackson |title=Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, Second Edition | year=2003 |pages=409–410 |postscript=.}}</ref> The game is played with customizable decks of cards featuring National Basketball Association players and 20-sided dice. It is one of several sport-themed card games produced through the company, including ''MLB Showdown'' and ''NFL Showdown''.
The one and only set was released in 2002 and contained 228 player cards (175 of which were designated common, the other 53 rare) and 50 strategy cards. Both starter sets and seven-card booster packs were sold. Approximately one in every three booster packs contains a rare card. The NBA Showdown 2002 starter set contains the following items:
* 16 player cards -including John Stockton and Dikembe Mutombo rare cards * 40 strategy cards * 1 20-sided die * 1 playmat * 1 rulebook * 1 set of counters and tokens
Shortly after the game was released, several coaches in the Indiana Pacers organization participated in the "Front Office Basketball League", a simulated NBA season using the cards.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031006183719/http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/foba.html PACERS: FOBA], Pacers.com (via archive.org). Retrieved October 29, 2009.</ref>
The game was discontinued after its initial run, though it maintained a small following online via sites such as showdowncards.com.{{cn|date=February 2023}}
==Further reading== *[https://archive.org/details/ScryeMagazineIssue52/page/n69/mode/2up Strategy] in ''Scrye'' #52
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20030819051320/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=showdown%2Fnba The old official website from archive.org] *{{Bgg|6346|''NBA Showdown''}} *[http://www.showdowncards.com ShowdownCards.com]
Category:Card games introduced in 2002 Category:Discontinued collectible card games Category:Wizards of the Coast games Category:Products and services discontinued in 2002 Category:Sports board games