Putting basketball great and Bugs Bunny co-star Michael Jordan in NBA 2K11 worked out so well for 2K Sports that they're doing it again, and bringing several other classic basketball icons along with him. NBA 2K12 will feature an "NBA's Greatest" mode, which includes 15 historic teams with famous players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Julius "Dr. J" Erving.

You can pit the classic teams against each other or current teams to determine if the classic Celtics led by Larry Bird could topple today's Lakers with Kobe Bryant or the Heat powered by LeBron James. Sorry, Cavs fans.

It's no wonder 2K is keen on bringing back classic players. Jordan wagging his tongue through dunks in the last game made the game debut at #4 on the NPD charts upon release, and it stayed within the top 10 for two more months afterward. Of course, releasing on nearly every platform under the sun helped, since NPD now combines all platforms for its ranking.

"The NBA 2K franchise has become an essential part of the NBA culture, and our fans can now take control of legendary teams and athletes from the NBA's rich history," said marketing VP Jason Argent in the announcement. "With 'NBA's Greatest' mode, NBA 2K12 will allow fans to prove once and for all who are the greatest basketball icons of all time."