Fresh off his first championship run, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets to add another achievement to his developing NBA resume. As confirmed by NBA 2K itself, Shai is the latest cover athlete for the game and will join an exclusive list of featured athletes, like LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
"The generational run continues," wrote NBA 2K on X. "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is your #NBA2K26 Standard Edition Cover Athlete!"
NBA 2K has a yearly release, but they make subtle tweaks that alter the product each time. One of the most noticeable changes is the cover athlete, which cycles to a new player every release. Kevin Durant has been included on the cover multiple times, but most players are one-and-done. Last year, Jayson Tatum was the 2K cover athlete, and this year it's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Not only was Shai fresh off winning the championship, but he was also named the MVP with averages of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51.9% shooting. He led the Thunder to 68 wins in the West to complete one of the greatest regular seasons in franchise history.
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the more deserving 2K cover athletes in years," wrote a fan on X. "If you disagree, you’re [just] a hater."
Some fans expressed concern over the "2K" curse, which is an unproven phenomenon that is said to affect whatever player is chosen as this year's cover athlete. In the past, there has been a pattern of falling off the season after gracing the cover of the game.
"I'm happy and will be preordering, but I'm scared of the 2K curse, leave my baby Shai alone, please don't get him," one Thunder fan wrote.
For Shai, this honor comes after a series of other historic achievements that may qualify this as one of the greatest single-year runs by a sports athlete in history.
"Shai is on a generational run right now," one fan posted. "MVP, scoring title, All-NBA, All-Defense, WCFMVP, chip, and FMVP, contract extension to be the highest-paid player in NBA history, and now the 2K cover. All things considered, seems like the greatest year any single NBA player has ever had lol."
At just 26 years old, Shai is one of 2K's youngest cover athletes, and some fans believe his inclusion came prematurely, given someone like Nikola Jokic (a 3x MVP) has yet to be featured on a cover.
"Nikola Jokic did more in 2023 when the Nuggets won the NBA championship," wrote a Nuggets fan. "He has also accomplished more than Shai in his career. Yet, Jokic STILL has never graced the cover of NBA 2K. Note that Joker does not give a sh*t but I do."
Overall, fans were happy and proud of Shai for this latest feat, but his involvement probably won't help the game sell any more copies. While gracing the cover is every young athlete's dream, the actual playing experience has taken a hit in recent years, with fan feedback growing more and more negative.
Between lazy game design and microtransaction tactics, NBA 2K has become a controversial subject in both the gaming and sports communities. Thankfully, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't involved with the sales strategies, and you can't argue that he hasn't earned his place as both the face of 2K26 and NBA basketball as a whole.
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