NBA Basketball

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Follow this link for info about the review system. 1 = Terrible, 5 = Awesome!

No slam dunks in this game!

NBA BasketballGraphics: 3
Sound: 3
Replay Value: 3
Notes: 2-player game
Screen Shots

NBA Basketball ran on an accelerated game play clock. It also stretched the standard Intellivision "Running Man" sprite to illustrate the tendency of basketball players to be tall. And the little curly leg kick on the jump shot and wrist action on a set shot are just hilarious. This game is actually quite a bit of fun. INTV Corporation's Slam Dunk! is even better!




ROM Two ROM versions are purported to exist. I've not personally verified this.
Box So far, thirteen variations have been found.
Manual Twenty variants have been identified.
Overlays Six different overlay variations are known to exist.
Label To date, eight labels have been recorded.
Easter Eggs No Easter Eggs have been found.




A total of thirteen NBA Basketball box variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0910) Mattel Electronics 2615-0910 1979 U.S.A. Plastic tray; part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom; refers to Keyboard Component on cover; FOR COLOR T.V. VIEWING ONLY text above game title
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0910) Mattel Electronics 2615-0910 1979 U.S.A. Plastic tray; part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom; refers to Keyboard Component on cover
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0910) Mattel Electronics 2615-0910 1979 Hong Kong Plastic tray; part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom; refers to Keyboard Component on cover
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0910-G1) Mattel Electronics 2615-0910-G1 1979 Hong Kong Plastic tray; no part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom; text on bottom flap is on blue sticker; NOTE: previously this was incorrectly listed as made in U.S.A.
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0910-G2) Mattel Electronics 2615-0910-G2 1979 Hong Kong Plastic tray; no part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom
Image not available. Mattel Electronics 2615-0910 1979 Hong Kong Plastic tray; part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne, CA on bottom; refers to Keyboard Component on cover; blue sticker on bottom refers to overlays and catalog printed in U.S.A.
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0510) Mattel Electronics 2615-0510 1979 Hong Kong French-Canadian; plastic tray; no part number on top; © Mattel Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontano, Canada (yes, Ontano) on sticker on back indicating overlays made in Hong Kong
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0410) Mattel Electronics 2615-0410 1979 Hong Kong International Edition; no NBA logo; plastic tray; no part number on top; © Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne CA on sticker on bottom of box; slots in back for extra manual(s); slots inside for overlays; submitted by Moonbeam
NBA Basketball Box (Mattel Electronics 2615-0810) Mattel Electronics 2615-0810 1979 Hong Kong International Edition?; no NBA logo; plastic tray; no part number on top; © Mattel, on bottom on white Lifestyle Electronics / Radofin sticker (Australian market only?)
NBA Basketball Box (Intellivision Inc. 2615) Intellivision Inc. 2615 1979 U.S.A. Standard Intellivision, Inc. box; some copies may nave red circular NEw sticker
NBA Basketball Box (Sears 3865-0910) Sears 3865-0910 1978 Hong Kong Plastic tray; blue game title on top, black on back
NBA Basketball Box (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A 1979 Brazil Digiplay version; 'Rua Acará' address printed on back; 'Av. Açaí' address sticker on back; Mattel Electronics logo on box; no part number apparent; © Mattel Inc. 1979 on front; trayless pocket; manual and overlays in separate slots; 'Rua Acaraá' Digiplay address on back
NBA Basketball Box (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A 1979 Brazil Digiplay version; 'Av. Açaí' address printed on back; Mattel Electronics logo on box; no part number apparent; © Mattel Inc. 1979 on front; trayless pocket; manual and overlays in separate slots




It's rumored that two versions exist. In the older version, it was allegedly more difficult to score a basket than in the later version.





A total of twenty NBA Basketball manual variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0920(A)) Mattel Electronics 2615-0920(A) 1979 U.S.A. Full color
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0920(B)) Mattel Electronics 2615-0920(B) 1979 Hong Kong Orange, with orange border
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0920-G1) Mattel Electronics 2615-0920-G1 1979 Hong Kong Orange, with orange border
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0720) Mattel Electronics 2615-0720 1979 Hong Kong French-Canadian; orange artwork
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0720) Mattel Electronics 2615-0720 1979 Hong Kong French-Canadian; blue artwork
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0820-G1) Mattel Electronics 2615-0820-G1 1979 Hong Kong Orange U.K. release(?), without orange border; NBA logo removed; part number upper right; submitted by Hankster
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0820-G1) Mattel Electronics 2615-0820-G1 1979 Hong Kong Orange U.K. release(?), without orange border; NBA logo removed; part number lower right; submitted by Hankster
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0121) Mattel Electronics 2615-0121 1979 Hong Kong German version; orange border; NBA logo removed; part number upper right
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0121) Mattel Electronics 2615-0121 1979 Hong Kong German version; orange border; NBA logo removed; part number lower right
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0121) Mattel Electronics 2615-0121 1979 Hong Kong German version; blue artwork and border; NBA logo removed; part number lower right
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0161) Mattel Electronics 2615-0161 1979 Hong Kong Dutch; noted, and image contributed by cmart; need confirmation of origin, other appearance details
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0141) Mattel Electronics 2615-0141 1979 Hong Kong Spanish version; orange artwork; localized title 'BASKETBOL'; reported by, and special thanks to, intellivotion
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics 2615-0720) Mattel Electronics 2615-0720 1979 Hong Kong Italian version; blue artwork; submitted by Moonbeam
Image not available. Mattel Electronics 2615-0720 1979 Hong Kong Italian version; orange artwork
NBA Basketball Manual (Mattel Electronics PC-2615-0920) Mattel Electronics PC-2615-0920 1979 U.S.A. PlayCable version; orange and black artwork; NBA logo removed from front cover; part number on back
NBA Basketball Manual (Intellivision Inc. 2615-0820) Intellivision Inc. 2615-0820 None U.S.A. Stapled along top edge
NBA Basketball Manual (Intellivision Inc. 2615-0820) Intellivision Inc. 2615-0820 None U.S.A. Accordion-style folding; image courtesy of Hankster
NBA Basketball Manual (Sears 3865-0920) Sears 3865-0920 1979 Hong Kong  
NBA Basketball Manual (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A 1979 Brazil Digiplay edition; © M.I. 1979 on back; no apparent part number; 'Rua Acará' Digiplay address on back with 'Av. Açaí' sticker
NBA Basketball Manual (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A 1979 Brazil Digiplay edition; © M.I. 1979 on back; no apparent part number; 'Av. Açaí' Digiplay address on back

Placement of the Trademark symbol next to the Intellivision log on the back cover changed.

Trademark Symbol Bottom Aligned with Intellivision Logo on Back (rev. A) (U.S.A.)

Note that the Trademark symbol on the back cover is aligned with the base of the Intellivision logo (rev. A)

Trademark Symbol Top Aligned with Intellivision Logo on Back (all monochrome revisions)

Note that the Trademark symbol on the back cover is aligned with the top of the Intellivision logo on all other revisions

Digiplay announced their new address with a sticker in addition to the modification to the back cover.

Digiplay Manual Back Cover (Initial Release)

The initial Digiplay release

Digiplay Manual Back Cover (Updated Release)

This release has sticker calling out the new address

There were also some variations of the 'Running Man' and Mattel logo on the back cover.

Running Man Logo and Text on Back (rev. A (U.S.A.))

Back cover of rev. A (U.S.A.)—note ® next to Mattel Electronics logo in the center of the 'running man' rectangle

Running Man Logo and Text on Back (rev. B (Hong Kong))

Back cover of rev. B (Hong Kong)—note ™ next to Mattel Electronics logo in the center of the 'running man' rectangle

Running Man Logo and Text on Back (rev. G1 (Hong Kong))

Back cover of rev. G1 (Hong Kong)—note ™ next to Mattel Electronics logo in the center of the 'running man' rectangle and missing ® in the 'available from Mattel Electronics' text





A total of seven NBA Basketball overlay variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
NBA Basketball Overlay (Mattel Electronics 2615-4289) Mattel Electronics 2615-4289 1979 U.S.A. NBA logo in title area; also seems to be made of more durable stuff than later revisions
NBA Basketball Overlay (Mattel Electronics 2615-4289 (A)) Mattel Electronics 2615-4289 (A) 1979 U.S.A. NBA logo has been removed
NBA Basketball Overlay (Mattel Electronics 2615-4289 (A)) Mattel Electronics 2615-4289 (A) 1979 Hong Kong NBA logo has been removed; note also that the 'stripes' on the 'court' are not filled in white, as on the original and U.S.A. printing of rev. A
NBA Basketball Overlay (Intellivision Inc. 2615) Intellivision Inc. 2615 None   The Intellivision, Inc. version removed the copyright and printed on papery material in gaudy purple and yellow, similar to one of the Auto Racing overlay variants
NBA Basketball Overlay (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A 1979   Localized in Brazilian Portuguese; printed on laminated paper
NBA Basketball Overlay (Digiplay 2615-4289 (A)) Digiplay 2615-4289 (A) None   Seems same as the U.S.A. overlay with the same overlay, but with the part copyright masked out
NBA Basketball Overlay (Phil Boland 49 75203) Phil Boland 49 75203 1979 U.S.A. Part of the Sears Super Video Arcade Overlay Set (2013)




A total of eight NBA Basketball label variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
NBA Basketball Label (Mattel Electronics) Mattel Electronics N/A None   No origin upper right, NBA logo ™ lower left
NBA Basketball Label (Mattel Electronics) Mattel Electronics N/A None Hong Kong Origin upper right, NBA logo ™ lower left
NBA Basketball Label (Mattel Electronics) Mattel Electronics N/A None Hong Kong Origin upper right, plain BASKETBALL label
NBA Basketball Label (Intellivision Inc.) Intellivision Inc. N/A 1979 U.S.A. Origin lower right; © I.I. 1979 to left of origin; ™ small, centered vertically on right edge; smaller label, rounded corners
NBA Basketball Label (Intellivision Inc.) Intellivision Inc. N/A None   No origin, copyright or date info; larger label, square corners; large bold font for game title
NBA Basketball Label (Intellivision Inc.) Intellivision Inc. N/A None   No origin, copyright or date info; larger label, square corners; smallish bold font for game title
NBA Basketball Label (Digiplay) Digiplay N/A None   No origin or copyright; ™ upper right; large dark blue label, rounded corners
NBA Basketball Label (Phil Boland) Phil Boland N/A None   Part of the Sears Super Video Arcade Overlay Set (2013)




Title Screen Title screen for NBA Basketball.
A Nice Hardwood Court Looks like they took the regular Intellivision 'Running Man' and put him on the rack before burning him into this cart. ;-)




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