NBA 2K27 Cover Athletes
Official NBA 2K27 Standard Edition cover, revealed by 2K on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Victor Wembanyama is the official NBA 2K27 Standard Edition cover athlete. Caitlin Clark fronts the Deluxe Edition, becoming the first WNBA player to headline her own global NBA 2K cover, and Derrick Rose fronts the Ultra Edition. 2K revealed all three covers on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, alongside the Friday, September 4, 2026 release date.
Officially confirmed by 2K. Source: 2K newsroom announcement (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)
On this page:
NBA 2K27 Covers by Edition
All three NBA 2K27 covers are official. One athlete fronts each edition:
- Standard Edition: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs). The Spurs center is the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
- Deluxe Edition: Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever). The 2024 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year and three-time WNBA All-Star starter is the first WNBA player to headline her own global NBA 2K cover.
- Ultra Edition: Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls legend). The three-time NBA All-Star is the youngest MVP in NBA history.
NBA 2K26 Cover Athletes
NBA 2K26 featured multiple cover athletes across different editions:
- Standard Edition: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Superstar Edition: Carmelo Anthony
- WNBA Edition: Angel Reese
- Leave No Doubt Edition: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Carmelo Anthony, and Angel Reese
All NBA 2K Cover Athletes and Covers
Explore the evolution of NBA 2K from 1999 to present day.
Featuring 47 different athletes across 28 games and 70 editions.
All cover images are the property of 2K Sports and Take Two Interactive.
NBA 2K27
Standard Edition
NBA 2K27
Deluxe Edition
NBA 2K27
Ultra Edition
NBA 2K26
Standard Edition
NBA 2K26
Superstar Edition
NBA 2K26
WNBA Edition
NBA 2K26
Leave No Doubt Edition
NBA 2K25
Standard Edition
NBA 2K25
WNBA Edition
NBA 2K25
All-Star Edition
NBA 2K25
Hall of Fame Edition
NBA 2K24
Standard Edition
NBA 2K24
Black Mamba Edition
NBA 2K24
WNBA Edition
NBA 2K24
25th Anniversary Edition
NBA 2K23
Championship Edition
NBA 2K23
WNBA Edition
NBA 2K23
Dreamer Edition
NBA 2K23
Standard Edition
NBA 2K23
Michael Jordan Edition
NBA 2K23
Digital Deluxe Edition
NBA 2K22
Standard Edition
NBA 2K22
Cross-Gen Digital Bundle
NBA 2K22
75th Anniversary Edition
NBA 2K22
WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition
NBA 2K22
Japan Edition
NBA 2K21
Next Gen Edition
NBA 2K21
Current Gen Edition
NBA 2K21
Mamba Forever Edition
NBA 2K20
Standard Edition
NBA 2K20
Legend Edition
NBA 2K20
Digital Deluxe Edition
NBA 2K19
Standard Edition
NBA 2K19
20th Anniversary Edition
NBA 2K19
Australian Edition
NBA 2K18
Standard Edition
NBA 2K18
Legend Edition
NBA 2K18
Legend Edition Gold
NBA 2K18
Canadian Edition
NBA 2K17
Standard Edition
NBA 2K17
Legend Edition
NBA 2K17
Legend Edition Gold
NBA 2K17
Spanish Edition
NBA 2K17
Italy Edition
NBA 2K16
Standard Edition
NBA 2K16
Standard Edition (Curry)
NBA 2K16
Standard Edition (Harden)
NBA 2K16
Standard Edition (Davis)
NBA 2K16
Special Edition
NBA 2K16
German Edition
NBA 2K16
French Edition
NBA 2K16
Spanish Edition
NBA 2K15
Standard Edition
NBA 2K14
Standard Edition
NBA 2K13
Standard Edition
NBA 2K12
Standard Edition
NBA 2K12
Magic Johnson Edition
NBA 2K12
Larry Bird Edition
NBA 2K11
Standard Edition
NBA 2K10
Standard Edition
NBA 2K9
Standard Edition
NBA 2K8
Standard Edition
NBA 2K7
Standard Edition
NBA 2K6
Standard Edition
NBA 2K5
Standard Edition
NBA 2K4
Standard Edition
NBA 2K3
Standard Edition
NBA 2K2
Standard Edition
NBA 2K1
Standard Edition
NBA 2K
Standard Edition
NBA 2K Cover Historical Insights
Special Editions and Variations
- Legend Editions: Special editions have often featured retired legends, such as the Legend Edition covers with Michael Jordan (NBA 2K16) and Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K21).
- Global and Regional Covers: Certain editions have featured regional stars like Pau Gasol and Danilo Gallinari, catering to the international audience.
Cover Athletes and Notable Editions
- Allen Iverson graced the cover for the first five editions. Other notable cover athletes include Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K10), Michael Jordan (NBA 2K11), LeBron James (NBA 2K14), and Stephen Curry (NBA 2K16).
- Special editions have featured legendary athletes and exclusive content, like the "Jordan Challenge" in NBA 2K11 and the "NBA's Greatest" mode in NBA 2K12.
Key Milestones and Trends
- Historic Player Editions: NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12 celebrated historic players with special modes and covers.
- Multiplayer and Online Features: NBA 2K16 introduced multiple cover athletes, reflecting the game's increasing focus on multiplayer and community engagement.
- Inclusion of WNBA: Starting with NBA 2K20, the series included WNBA teams and began featuring WNBA athletes on the covers with NBA 2K22.
Cover Athletes by Number of Appearances
- Tap row to see player's cover appearances
| Name | Covers |
|---|---|
| Kobe Bryant | 5 |
| Michael Jordan | 5 |
| Allen Iverson | 5 |
| Kevin Durant | 3 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 3 |
| Anthony Davis | 2 |
| LeBron James | 2 |
| Pau Gasol | 2 |
| Jayson Tatum | 2 |
| A'ja Wilson | 2 |
| J. Cole | 1 |
| Devin Booker | 1 |
| Luka Doncic | 1 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 1 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1 |
| Damian Lillard | 1 |
| Zion Williamson | 1 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 1 |
| Kyrie Irving | 1 |
| Paul George | 1 |
| Stephen Curry | 1 |
| James Harden | 1 |
| Blake Griffin | 1 |
| Derrick Rose | 2 |
| Magic Johnson | 1 |
| Larry Bird | 1 |
| Kevin Garnett | 1 |
| Chris Paul | 1 |
| Ben Wallace | 1 |
| Dwyane Wade | 1 |
| Ben Simmons | 1 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 1 |
| Danilo Gallinari | 1 |
| Dennis Schröder | 1 |
| Tony Parker | 1 |
| Marc Gasol | 1 |
| Vince Carter | 1 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 2 |
| Carmelo Anthony | 2 |
| Angel Reese | 2 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 1 |
| Diana Taurasi | 1 |
| Sue Bird | 1 |
| Candace Parker | 1 |
| Rui Hachimura | 1 |
| Victor Wembanyama | 1 |
| Caitlin Clark | 1 |