With the NBA season all wrapped up, it's time virtual hoopsters looked to the next iteration of the annual franchise. While Visual Concepts hasn't talked about the new improvements NBA 2K26 will bring to the table, it has revealed the cover athlete.
To no one's surprise, it's none other than Oklahoma City Thunder star and reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Dodgeball Academia Mutant Football League Windjammers 2 Regular Human Basketball Related
10 Sports Game Hidden Gems
There are a variety of sports and sports-adjacent video games that could do with some extra attention.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or more commonly known as "SGA," wil grace the Standard Edition of NBA 2K26, whcih means we have a legend to look forward as well.
NBA 2K26 Cover Athlete Is None Other Than SGA
NBA 2K26 SGA
The announcement was made over on the official NBA 2K X (formerly Twitter) account where it also mentioned that pre-orders of the game will start tomorrow.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the obvious pick is a no-brainer, as not only did he win the 2025 NBA MVP, the OKC Thunders were also the year's NBA champs, with SGA snagging the NBA Finals MVP trophy.
For comparison, the NBA 2K25 cover athlete was Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also won the NBA '24 chip, though he wasn't the NBA Finals MVP or was the regular season MVP.
The new gameplay improvements and whatnot for NBA 2K26 hasn't been revealed yet, but that should change in the coming weeks and months, leading up to the NBA's 2025–2026 regular season kick off.
Games like Rematch feature Related
12 Best Games Like REMATCH
Bumblebee football? Bumblebee football.
If you're hoping to see an NBA game not developed by Visual Concepts and 2K Games, that'll be a while, as 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive and the NBA have announced a new multi-year partnership named NBA Take-Two Media that will focus on gaming, content and events.
There is hope for a basketball sim outside Take-Two, though it'll be one without the NBA's marquee players. EA has announced EA Sports College Basketball, which revives the dormant franchise after a 16-year hiatus.
Expect more details about NBA 2K26 to be released soon, and includes player ratings, gameplay improvements, new graphical additions, and more.
Sports Games With Story Modes Related
9 Best Sports Games With A Story Mode
Playing random matches is great, but what about something with a little more substance?