The generational run for former Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues.
After becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to win the league's scoring title, regular season Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP and win an NBA title in the same season and then signing the richest annual salary for a player in NBA history, Gilgeous-Alexander will now grace the cover of the NBA 2K26 video game, it was announced on Tuesday.
The generational run continues ⚡️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is your #NBA2K26 Standard Edition Cover Athlete!
Pre-order NBA 2K26 starting tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/1pQTtWOUh2
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 8, 2025
The popular video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts has been published annually by 2K Sports since 1999. He becomes the third former Wildcat to grace the cover of the game, joining Devin Booker (2023) and Anthony Davis (2020, 2016).
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander was named UK's first NBA MVP after averaging a career-high 32.7 points to go along with 5.0 rebounds, a career-best 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game in helping lead the Thunder to a league-leading 68 wins. He also scored 20 or more points in 72 straight games and led the league in 20-point games (75), 30-point games (49), 40-point games (13) and 50-point games (4).
In the NBA Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander was named Finals MVP after averaging 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game to lead the Thunder to its first-ever world championship in seven games against the Indiana Pacers.
In doing so, he joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971), Michael Jordan (3x), and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) as the only players in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, Finals MVP and win an NBA championship in the same season.
On July 1, Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a 4-year, $285 million super max contract extension with the Thunder through 2030-31, the richest annual salary for a player in NBA history and the richest in American team sports at an average annual salary of $71.25 million per year.
Over the course of his 7-year NBA career, the 3-time All-Star and 2-time First Team All-NBA selection is averaging 24.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Following one season with the Wildcats in 2017-18, Gilgeous-Alexander was selected 11th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he spent his rookie season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team before being dealt to the Thunder for Paul George.
During his lone season at Kentucky in 2017-18, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game and was named Second Team All-SEC, to the SEC All-Freshman Team and Most Valuable Player of the SEC Tournament in helping lead the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Among UK freshmen all-time, he ranks third in assists (189), third in steals (61), ninth in free throw percentage (81.7), 10th in made free throws (143) and 13th in points (532).
He recorded 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in five of his last 10 games and eight times overall as a freshman.
"It changed the course of my career," Gilgeous-Alexander said of attending Kentucky in 2023. "You have to fight for everything you want to get, especially with so much talent around you and you learn that from day one. It's so competitive in that gym and you really get better every day and I found myself getting better every day in that gym and I got to my ultimate goal."
A native of Toronto, Canada, Gilgeous-Alexander attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn. and was the top-ranked combo guard and No. 20 overall prospect in the 2017 class according to 247Sports. He had originally committed to Florida before signing with Kentucky.