NBA Live 09 is a simulation of the basketball sport. As usual, the player controls the athletes himself and tries to perform typical basketball maneuvers with his gamepad. He can choose between playing a whole season, play-offs or the FIBA World Championship. In the Dynasty Mode, the player takes the role of the executive of a basketball team, which means he has to grapple with managerial tasks like transfers or training. The Live Academy Mode offers special challenges, such as scoring a certain amount of points in a limited time. The Be-a-Pro mode allows the player to control only one athlete.
The most important innovation of NBA Live 09 is the "Dynamic DNA" system, which synchronizes the in-game statistics over the internet with the current data from the real league. Based on these statistics, the game calculates the most promising tactical moves and chooses them automatically (if the player wishes to disable this automation and choose it manually). The player also has the option to replay a match exactly as it happened in real life. Additionally, new Pick & Roll controls for offense allow the player to block the ball while controlling another player and move into position.