NBA Live 09 is a simulation of the basketball sport. As usual, the player controls the athletes themselves and tries to perform typical basketball maneuvers. The player can choose between a full season, play-offs, the FIBA World Championship, or the Dynasty mode, where the player takes on the role of the executive of a basketball team, dealing with tasks such as transfers or training.
The PSP version of the game features a unique system, where all the player's accomplishments are tracked. As successes accumulate, the player's rank improves until they finally earn "The Crown". The game also includes three mini-games: Handles, 2Ball, and Two against Two.