Online servers for popular games tend to have random down periods from time to time, especially when most players are using online modes. That's old hat for NBA 2K21, given how often server issues have cropped up in previous titles, but it also means some players are locked out of certain aspects of the game because online is necessary to use them.
If you want to get the most out of your time with 2K21, you'll need to be connected to the 2K Online servers. This is the only way to play all modes, including online games of MyCareer or MyTeam.
Fortunately, since 2K is aware of the importance of working servers for its games, there are several ways to check if there are any server issues affecting NBA 2K titles or any of the company's other games.
Your first option is to check nba2k.com, the game's official website. There is a dedicated server status page you can access that will tell you the current status of each platform's NBA servers.
There is also an individual server status list of each of the game's most popular features, including Locker Codes, Play with Friends, and MyPark. You can also submit error codes on the page, making it easy to give feedback on outages.
You can also check Downdetector for a second option, not running on 2K, which lists all reported outages, how they affect gameplay, and any additional player feedback. It lists reports based on the last 24 hours with a breakdown of individual issues and notes on their resolution.
In addition to checking these websites for yourself, you can try resetting your own internet connection or restarting the app to try connecting again with a fresh connection.
