Every year, for 2K Games’ annual NBA basketball game, a new player is chosen as its cover star. The process for exactly how the athletes are selected isn’t public knowledge, so for the most part, it’s often a guessing game on the fan’s part.
But, as the dust settled on NBA 2K26’s grand reveal of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as this year’s coveted cover star, Zak Armitage, NBA 2K’s SVP and GM, was able to share some trade secrets about the cover athlete selection process — one which he describes as more of “a partnership.”
“People often think that it’s a last-minute decision when the [NBA Finals] are being played,” Armitage told Polygon in an exclusive interview. “However, cover stars are worked on months, if not years, in advance. Sometimes, they are things that we’re building relationships with and partnerships with a lot of the players in the league — players that we know are current or future superstars. And the key thing for us is that it’s not just putting someone’s image on a cover. It’s a partnership; it’s a year-long partnership that we’re entering into together.”
“So [the NBA 2K cover] has got to be something that makes sense for them, and makes sense for us in part of what this year’s game is going to be about, and where our focus is, and where they’re at as well, and what they’re trying to achieve in cementing their legacy. Regarding [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander], we’ve been working with him for years now, and he has been featured in many of our marketing efforts across our previous seasons. He’s been a big focus in the game’s life over the past couple years, and being able to play with him for years now has been great for fans. So it’s really cool to be able to bring him on at the perfect moment in his career — especially with his on-court skills.”
However, it’s not just the on-court skills that SGA was able to transfer to NBA 2K26; Gilgeous-Alexander, known for his ability to serve looks and face, was able to work closely with 2K Games to bring his tunnel outfits and aura to the game as well. SGA provided a bit of insight into the behind-the-scenes of the selection process and what his time with 2K was like.
“Every kid who grows up playing basketball pictures themselves on the cover of NBA 2K — it’s a dream come true moment, especially following an NBA Championship,” Gilgeous-Alexander tells Polygon. “Being on the cover is iconic, but working with 2K and Visual Concepts to set the tone in-game from curating the tunnel fits to the playlist that players will ball to is what makes this truly special.”
NBA 2K26 Standard Edition, featuring SGA as the cover star, will be released on Sept. 5. The base version of the game will retail for $69.99 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. A version of NBA 2K26 for the original Nintendo Switch will cost $59.99.
