NBA 2K26 will be released on Sept. 5, with pre-orders having begun on July 9 and early access attainable on Aug. 29. That said, the top-rated players were unveiled by NBA 2K's X handle on Thursday morning.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the reigning king of the NBA after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the championship as the NBA Finals MVP and 2024-25 league MVP, but he isn't the top player in NBA 2K26.

The debate over NBA 2K player ratings has grown so intense that it almost rivals reactions to the game’s release. This year is no exception, as Denver Nuggets Center Nikola Jokić and Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sit at the top as the highest-rated players in the game with an