Tier Ranking Every NBA 2K Cover

Since NBA 2K arrived on the legendary Sega Dreamcast (RIP) on November 11, 1999, the world of basketball has never been the same. Featuring intelligent gameplay, broadcast-quality presentation, and life-like graphics at a time when the competition was still a year or two away from achieving those levels of fidelity, NBA 2K immediately became the standard bearer for all basketball video games to follow.

It didn’t hurt that the commercials brought levity to an era when game companies were determined to prove their coolness by being edgy and titillating. Penny Hardaway, Juwan Howard, and Brian Grant might sound like an unlikely trio to star in an ad featuring a digitized Allen Iverson learning to box out from a sumo wrestler in Virtua Fighter, but it was perfect for the Y2K era.

After a brief tussle with EA Sports’ long-running NBA Live franchise in the 2000s that saw both sides bringing out the best in each other to compete for the dollars of gamers in college dorms around the world, 2K would eventually claim victory by the 2010s. The defeat was so profound that even though EA or any other publisher can develop and release an NBA simulation game to compete with 2K today, no one has bothered to try as the name 2K has become as synonymous with basketball video games as Madden is to football. And just like Madden, the yearly reveal of who is selected to be on the cover of 2K has become an event in its own right.

2K cover honors might not appear on every athlete’s Wikipedia page, but to be selected means that they are part of an elite class who is not only capable of being the best of the best among his peers, but is marketable enough that simply putting their face on the box is enough to move units.

NBA 2K covers have not remained static and uniform in their nearly 30-year history. The look of the cover has evolved to reflect the time they were released. Special editions of the game called for unique interpretations that elevated the presentation, even if they in no way justified the premium pricing for virtual currency, apparel, and cards that disappointingly never transfer from one game to the next. From paper inserts in jewel cases to digital exclusives to covers handed out personally by Ronnie 2K, here’s our rankings of the NBA 2K covers.

D-Tier

Entries: NBA 2K6 (Shaquille O’Neal), NBA 2K8 (Chris Paul), NBA 2K9 Spain Exclusive (Jose Calderon), NBA 2K13 Combo Pack (David Price, Kevin Garnett), MLB The Show 14/NBA 2K14 Sports Pack (Miguel Cabrera, LeBron James), NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition (Luka Dončić), NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition (Jayson Tatum), NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)

One of the greatest atrocities that the proliferation of AI has wrought upon the world is the stolen valor of using the same initials as Allen Iverson, the one and only AI that the culture recognizes. Even though none of the mainline NBA 2K covers in the D-Tier was created either in the era of AI slop, all of them exhibit a lack of imagination that could be perceived as arrogance.

This is what happens when the competition from EA Sports and Sony Computer Entertainment could not deliver a product worthy of challenging 2K for the top spot. It’s especially egregious when you see haphazardly throw in LeBron James’ iconic 2K14 cover and match it with a lackluster effort by Sony for MLB The Show 14.

The Arcade Edition covers are ports that were made for mobile devices. Unfortunately, between the lack of resources and the enthusiasm from the mobile game community, 2K ports always feel like lesser versions of the base game, and the effort put into their art of the app buttons is evidence of malaise.

C-Tier

Entries: ESPN NBA Basketball (Allen Iverson), ESPN NBA 2K5 (Ben Wallace), NBA 2K7 (Shaquille O’Neal), NBA 2K15 (Kevin Durant), NBA 2K17 (Paul George), NBA 2K17 Spain Exclusive (Pau Gasol), NBA 2K17 Italy Exclusive (Danilo Galinari), NBA 2K21 (Damian Lillard), NBA 2K21 Next-Gen Edition (Zion Williamson), NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition (Devin Booker), NBA 2K25 (Jayson Tatum), NBA 2K25 All-Star Edition (Tatum, A’ja Wilson), NBA 2K25 WNBA Edition (Wilson), NBA 2K26 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), NBA 2K26 Superstar Edition (Carmelo Anthony), NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition (Angel Reese), NBA 2K26 Leave No Doubt Edition (SGA, Anthony, Reese), NBA 2K27 Ultra Edition (Derrick Rose), NBA 2K27 WNBA Edition (Caitlin Clark)

For two cycles, 2K Sports entered into a licensing deal with ESPN to rebrand their sports games with the Worldwide Leader’s name at the front of the title. The long-term effect of the deal, which included dropping the price down to $19.99 compared to NBA Live and Madden NFL’s $49.99, led EA Sports to pursue the exclusive rights to the NFL.

The result was a reshuffling of priorities to go all-in on the NFL at the expense of everything but FIFA (until that partnership went to hell recently). The covers during this time, an Allen Iverson magazine-style profile picture that didn’t even feature his Sixers gear and a Ben Wallace mid-rebound action shot, did not exactly convey 2K’s revolutionary move properly.

2K’s mid-2010s aesthetic of action shot paired with an abandoned basketball court in the background and a clear red filter separating the two was a theme that carried a little longer than expected, which could be said about the PS4 and Xbox One console generation. Kevin Durant’s 2K15 cover was when signs of fatigue for the style started to pop up, which unfortunately would continue until 2K17 with Paul George.

As the first entry in the series set to be available to this current console generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, NBA 2K21 was looking to create some separation between the previous generation that they still wanted to support because of the huge user base. Gamers might not have a problem distinguishing between a PS4 and a PS5 version of 2K, but when parents or loved ones who still call everything related to gaming “the Nintendo” are shopping for presents, they might need some help.

The strategy of making the last-gen cover athlete a player who became a superstar during the 2010s, like Damian Lillard, while the next-gen cover athlete was a star in the making (at the time) in Zion Williamson was a great move. If only actual covers themselves were interesting.

NBA 2K25 and 2K26 took a back-to-basics approach with action shots that use a high aperture to put the focus on the star. They could not have picked two better athletes to be on the cover, as Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were both coming off successful championship campaigns, while A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese were both great stewards for the WNBA edition. The covers could have easily suffered the same fate as the mid-2000s covers for being too simple, but their use of dramatic action shots really heightens the intensity. Unfortunately, the thing that keeps them from rising higher on the rankings is the overbaked look of the athletes' faces, giving them streamer face instead of a hooper. Caitlin Clark’s 2K27 cover is especially curious as it almost doesn’t even look like the league’s most talked-about star.

B-Tier

Entries: NBA 2K2 (Allen Iverson), NBA 2K3 (Iverson), NBA 2K9 (Kevin Garnett), NBA 2K10 (Kobe Bryant), NBA 2K10 Draft Combine (Derrick Rose), NBA 2K16 (James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis), NBA 2K16 Germany Exclusive (Dennis Schröder), NBA 2K16 Spain Exclusive (Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol), NBA 2K16 France Exclusive (Tony Parker), NBA 2K18 (Kyrie Irving), NBA 2K18 Canada Exclusive (DeMar DeRozan), NBA 2K20 (Anthony Davis), NBA 2K24 Black Mamba Edition (Kobe Bryant), NBA 2K24 WNBA Edition (Sabrina Ionescu), NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition (Iverson), NBA 2K27 (Victor Wembanyama)

Allen Iverson’s foray into the PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox consoles was bittersweet for Dreamcast fans as they saw their beloved basketball franchise no longer be exclusive to their platform. Seeing the real AI’s 2K player model on a Gamecube must have been especially jarring for old veterans of the Sega and Nintendo console wars of the 90s.

NBA 2K10’s download-only Draft Combine was a historic first for the franchise as it featured a young Derrick Rose as its cover athlete, even though there was no physical release that players could buy in stores. Who knew that D-Rose would predict gaming’s all-digital future that gamers are furiously trying to rally against today?

NBA 2K16 featured a return to the three-athlete format on the cover, perhaps a sign that they did not feel confident in any single one of the James Harden, Steph Curry, and Anthony Davis triumvirate capable of carrying the franchise on their own. It would also explain the multitude of international editions from the Gasol brothers in Spain to even Dennis Schröder getting the nod for the Germany exclusive.

NBA 2K24’s decision to revolve their cover strategy around the late Kobe Bryant was a clever nod to his jersey number and the nostalgia that people feel for the Black Mamba. But there was something missing from this slate of covers, which also includes Bryant disciple Sabrina Ionescu for the WNBA. The splash of color mixed with an iconic image of Kobe soaring for a dunk would have worked if the cover was a little more reflective or if it had a trading card prism or refractor-like finish. On a flat piece of paper, it falls just a little short of iconic.

In time, people will forget that Victor Wembanyama actually lost the 2026 NBA Finals and the cries from Knicks fans who want Jalen Brunson on the cover will eventually be satiated when he makes his 2K debut. And when that time comes, they will only see the player that everybody creates in MyCareer when they first up the game for the first time: a 7-foot-6 guard with handles like Kyrie, a shooting touch like Steph, and the athleticism of LeBron with sliders all set to 99 glistening in neon lights as teammates Devin Vassell and future 2K cover candidate Dylan Harper cheer him on.

A-Tier

Entries: NBA 2K10 10th Anniversary (Kobe Bryant), NBA 2K13 (Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose), NBA 2K13 Dynasty Edition (Griffin, Durant, Rose), NBA 2K18 Legend Edition (Shaquille O’Neal), NBA 2K18 Nike Connect Edition (Durant), NBA 2K19 (Giannis Antetokounmpo), NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition (LeBron James), NBA 2K19 Australia Exclusive (Ben Simmons), NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition (Damian Lillard) NBA 2K23 (Devin Booker), NBA 2K23 Dreamer Edition (J. Cole), NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition (Diana Tarausi, Sue Bird), NBA 2K25 Hall of Fame Edition (Vince Carter)

When 2K drops an A-list cover that’s worthy of being on the shelf in the background of a popular podcast, they become collector’s items regardless of the game’s quality*. 2K’s first stab at a limited edition came during their 10th anniversary featuring a much improved metallic blackout version of Kobe’s 2K10 cover. They would go down a similar path for the 2K13 and the results are just as stunning.

The NBA 2K18 Nike Connect cover with Kevin Durant is easily the rarest cover in 2K’s entire run. It was part of a giveaway by 2K guru Ronnie Singh, aka Ronnie 2K, during Nike’s NBA jersey premiere. It features a similar art style to the other 2K18 covers, but their place in 2K lore gives them the upper hand over Kyrie and DeMar.

Typography art was the theme of NBA 2K19 and there was no better time to use it as it was the perfect way to highlight the three two-headed monster of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James and Ben Simmons for the Australia-exclusive edition. Even if you were a newer NBA fan and knew nothing about these stars, you could learn so much just from the art on display adjacent to their images although it’s hard to argue Simmons is any of those things these days.

Devin Booker and the hot Phoenix Suns sun was the central premise behind the covers of the 2K23. The orange, yellow, and purple color palette was a look that was seemingly lifted out of the Suns’ instantly classic Valley jerseys. Best friends and rivals Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird also received a similar treatment for their WNBA edition cover, although Sue feels like she was shoehorned into the Valley theme while DT looked right at home. J. Cole’s Dreamer Edition cover even gave us our best look at his still yet-to-be released Dreamer Indie 5000 sneakers.

*Protip: Never buy a game just because the cover looks nice until the price drops as close to free as possible. Decades of experience from renting games at Blockbuster and reviewing bad games with glowing preview cycles had led me to this very obvious conclusion for you.

S-Tier

Entries: NBA 2K (Allen Iverson), NBA 2K1 (Iverson), NBA 2K11 (Michael Jordan), NBA 2K12 (Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird), NBA 2K14 (LeBron James), NBA 2K16 Michael Jordan Special Edition (Jordan), NBA 2K19 Astroworld Edition (Travis Scott) NBA 2K20 Legend Edition (Dwyane Wade), NBA 2K22 (Luka Dončić), NBA 2K22 Cross-Gen Bundle (Dončić), NBA 2K22 WNBA Edition (Candace Parker), NBA 2K22 NBA 75th Anniversary Edition (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant), NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition (Jordan), NBA 2K23 Championship Edition (Jordan)

If the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ever decides to dedicate a section of the building to the effect that video games had on the progression and popularity of the game of basketball, these S-Tier covers should be on display alongside other classics like Double Dribble, NBA Jam, NBA Street, and many more. The first NBA 2K cover with Allen Iverson was a moment in time that can never be replicated, with its in-your-face vibe that spoke to the generation of gamers who were getting ready to enter the new millennium.

When LeBron James finally made his NBA 2K cover debut in NBA 2K14, the sense around the gaming community was little like when James won his first NBA championship a year prior: it was finally happening, but it also felt conveniently timed to drop alongside the next generation of consoles so James could look his best. LeBron would go on to star in another 2K cover years later, but the lasting image of the chalk toss in the Miami Heat white, red, and black still feels fresh to this day.

When 2K signed Michael Jordan to appear in NBA 2K11, there was a genuine sense of excitement in not just the sports gaming community, but gaming as a whole. Gatorade and Nike were not only the ways the world was taught to be like Mike. From Jordan vs. Bird to Bulls vs. Blazers to NBA Live 2000 to NBA Street Vol. 2, on our controllers was the closest any of us were going to get to becoming His Airness. And then he was gone. After NBA 2K3, Jordan disappeared from NBA video games for nearly a decade, and no one was successful in getting his likeness until 2K in 2010. 2K11’s cover might not be the most visually stunning, although they would greatly improve in later appearances, but the sight of MJ was all that gamers needed to know that this was a must-have.

Following Kevin Durant’s insanely rare Nike Connect cover for 2K18 was Travis Scott for 2K19. Copies of the game with Travis’ cover was handed out to all the cool people you might expect, but they were also handed to lucky gamers at ComplexCon 2018.

For 2K22’s special edition covers, they tapped Atlanta’s Charly Palmer to bring the history and soul of the game to life. Palmer was known for his work on different walks of life, but his sports bona fides include pieces for the 1996 Summer Olympics and 1998 Winter Olympics and paintings found in the Green Bay Packers stadium. Described as having an Abstract Expressionist vibe, Palmer was able to bring together three offensive geniuses in Kareem, Dirk, and KD into one stunning piece that stands as the best in the entire series, followed closely by Luka’s digital-only cross-gen edition.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com