If you plan to be competitive in your quest for MyPlayer dominance, you should know that pouring time into player build points is simply not enough.
After you’ve decided how to groom your MyPlayer, it will be necessary to customize the strengths of your MyPlayer further to fit your goals and playstyle.
In NBA 2K21, most of the 2K20 badges are returning. 2K Sports has made a concerted effort to balance the badges more, creating an incentive to use different badges to create new and varied builds.
Badges can be leveled-up from Bronze to Hall of Fame to gain increased effectiveness of the badges, which is key to making the most of the best finishing badges in the game.
Here, you’ll uncover everything that there is to know about NBA 2K21 finishing badges, including which finishing badges are the best in the new game.
What are finishing badges in NBA 2K21?

Finishing badges can be earned by players that wish to grind through the MyPlayer process and make their character more effective in certain areas. The badges can be equipped to make a MyPlayer exceptionally talented and a real force on the court.
How finishing badges work in NBA 2K21

You can use the best finishing badges to increase the likelihood of success for a player as they drive to the basket for a layup or dunk.
With these badges, a MyPlayer is much more likely to finish at the rim, surging through body contact and shot-blocking attempts.
Best Finishing Badges in 2K21
While the thundering dunks are very exciting, some of the best finishers at the rim are actually super-talented guards that will opt for a layup in every situation: think James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
To really excel around the rim, you should look to create a MyPlayer that specializes in driving, dunking, layups, and jumping abilities.
Beyond that, you should aim to set your player above the crowd by adding the following exceptionally strong finishing badges, which we see as being the best in NBA 2K21.
Contact Finisher
If you plan to drive in the lane often, you should know that you will likely be met with physical resistance. Sometimes this results in a foul, other times a blocked shot or missed basket.
With the Contact Finisher badge equipped, your MyPlayer will be able to convert finish attempts through contact at a much higher rate – here’s looking at you, Mr. And-1!
Acrobat
Along the same lines as a player that can take contact and still make the layup, the Acrobat badge is also useful for finishers as they can convert attempts with fancy moves involved to get around defenders.
If you want to drive to the rim and look fancy doing it with a Euro-step or spin-move, this may be the most important and the best finishing badge for your build.
Consistent Finisher
While you may still aim to time your layups with a perfect release, it is very likely that you will miss the mark quite often.
That being said, this Consistent Finisher badge will make up the gap for all of your mistiming. This badge reduces the odds of you missing a layup attempt when your timing is poor.
Fancy Footwork
If you aim to play like James Harden, this is the perfect badge for you. The Fancy Footwork badge assists with making moves past defenders in order to get a clean blowby towards the rim.
One of the most important aspects of a successful drive to the basket is that the players gather, with this badge allowing for some pretty fancy techniques in your approach to the basket.
Slithery Finisher
While some players prefer to finish through contact at the rim with the Contact Finisher badge, others may opt to slither past opponents to avoid getting beat-up and potentially injured.
With so many bigs flying through the air to body-check you, the Slithery Finisher will allow you to dodge the attempts at physicality, keeping you on your feet to finish at the rim.

Assuming that you’re looking to be the strong finisher in your next NBA 2K21 build, be sure to equip the best finishing badges.
Without these, you might just be the average player getting lucky on a few fast breaks; equipping the best badges in NBA 2K21 will propel you beyond the competition to finish above and around the rim.
Looking for more NBA 2K21 badge guides?
NBA 2K21: Best Shooting Badges to Boost Your Game
NBA 2K21: Best Playmaking Badges to Boost Your Game
NBA 2K21: Best Defensive Badges to Boost Your Game
Want to know the best NBA 2K21 build?
NBA 2K21: Best Shooting Guard Builds and How to Use them
NBA 2K21: Best Center Builds and How to Use them
NBA 2K21: Best Small Forward Builds and How to Use them
NBA 2K21: Best Point Guard Builds and How to Use them
NBA 2K21: Best Power Forward Builds and How to Use them
Looking for more 2K21 guides?
NBA 2K23: Best Center (C) Build and Tips
NBA 2K21: Best 3-Point Shooters
NBA 2K21: Best and Worst Teams to Use and Rebuild on MyGM and MyLeague