Can you go 82-0? Every player who is a cheat code in new, viral NBA game

Spin, spin, spin, spin, spin. Projected record: 73-9 A+. That's the best regular-season record, but just like the 73-9 Warriors, the job isn't done with that record in the viral 82-0 game.

The goal of 82-0 is to recreate a historical NBA roster that could achieve a perfect 82-0 record. You assemble your team through a draft. There are five rounds. Each round, you spin a slot machine to get a random NBA team and decade. All 30 NBA teams are available, and the 1960s-2020's were the eras. The 1950's were omitted.

How does 82-0 work?

You draft one player from that team and era you land on. You have one team and an era skip per game. You want to save those for when the slot machine lands on a weak era or franchise. Why do we all keep getting 1970s Pacers?

Die-hard fans were initially trying to mix and match the perfect roster. Some accounted for spacing, versatility, toughness, and shotmaking. You know, actual team building. But landing on the lottery winning 82-0 does not work like that.

82-0 ignores subjective ranking per the website's How to Play section. The engine focuses exclusively on data from the player's peak within that decade. The five data points used are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Missing defensive stats from older eras are estimated fairly. The game also accounts for era-adjusted benchmarks — 30 points per game in the 1960s hits differently than 30 points per game in the 2020s.

Efficiency won't rule the day here. Total shatsheet stuffing can land you that elusive record. That explains why 2020 Washington Wizards Russell Westbrook is the most valuable guard by a mile.

Cheat codes in the viral 82-0 game

Wilt Chamberlain | 1960s | Warriors | 41.5 PPG – 25.1 RPG – 3.0 APG

Dude, duh, Wilt Chamberlain was going to be the most valuable in a game purely based on stats. This is 50-PPG era Wilt.

Wilt Chamberlain | 1960s | 76ers | 27.6 PPG – 24.0 RPG – 6.8 APG

Can't say we're surprised that Wilt is also the No. 2 option in this game, right? No one rivals this legend from a statistical standpoint. Michael Jordan scored like Wilt (relative to his era), but Wilt has the highest rebounds per game average in league history. His assists average in Philly was guard-like — a flat-out statistical monster.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1970s | Bucks | 30.4 PPG – 15.3 RPG – 4.3 APG – 1.2 SPG – 3.4 BPG

Big men who rack up stats are king in 82-0. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did everything. The skyhook and former points leader come to mind when Kareem is mentioned, but his domination at the rim on the other side is an overlooked part of his legacy.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1970s | Lakers | 25.9 PPG – 14.1 RPG – 4.7 APG – 1.3 SPG – 3.6 BPG

The blocks might go overlooked when discussing Kareem, but there is a reason he is a consensus top-three player ever. Kareem was an unslefish bucket getter who hit teammates. He was a pretty flawless player with an untouchable resume.

Nikola Jokić | 2020s | Nuggets | 26.9 PPG – 12.4 RPG – 9.3 APG – 1.4 SPG – 0.8 BPG

A list full of statistical outliers would not be complete without Nikola Jokić. Wilt and Kareem were great passers (Wilt when he wanted to), but Jokić is on another level. No big rivals him as a passer. Nine assists per game as a big is mind-warping stuff. Stats plus efficiency and winning have been the crux of Jokić's MVP cases for the last six years (first or second finish each season).

More cheat codes in 82-0

There were no guards in the top five most valuable 82-0 players. 2020 Wizards Russell Westbrook landed at six. He averaged a triple-double in his lone Washington season. Willing them to the playoffs has no relevance in this game, but it did make that one of Westbrook's memorable seasons.

1990s Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwon can help achieve that 82-0 goal. Bob McAdoo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, David Robinson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Luka Dončić can too.

Those guys have multiple editions in the game, so make sure you are drafting the peak version. They also can play multiple positions. Landing a LeBron at point guard, Dončić at shooting guard, and 2020s Giannis at the 3 can give an team a huge boost in its quest for greatness.

This game has taken over the internet. It's creeping into work group chats as employers challenge managers to a better record duel — nothing like different generations coming together to name random athletes. World B. Free isn't on that list, but his name has shot up on Google Trending as he is a valuable 30 points per game scorer from the '80s.

The viral game keeps trending as many have failed to achieve perfection. This story gives you the blueprint, but the slot machine still ultimately decides your fate. You can be a witty GM who uses timely skips, but it's all up to the spin. Spin, spin, spin, spin, spin. Projected record: 82-0 S. Let's get after it.

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