NBA 2K26’s Cover Athlete Is MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

2K has announced the NBA 2K26 Standard Edition cover athlete as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the star guard of the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The news caps off an incredible run for SGA, as he was not only a key part of the 2024-2025 NBA championship-winning Thunder but also league MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring champion.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined the NBA in 2018, when he was drafted 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. He was traded that same day to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played for one year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In July 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he has played since. Since that trade, SGA has been named to three All-Star Teams and three All-NBA First Teams. The Toronto-born star also took home the 2023 Lionel Conacher Award, given to Canada’s male athlete of the year.

Gilgeous-Alexander succeeds Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who was named the NBA 2K25 cover star after leading his team to an NBA Championship the previous season. NBA 2K25 had different covers for each of its editions, with Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson headlining the WNBA Edition and retired NBA icon Vince Carter serving as cover star for the Naismith Hall of Fame Edition to coincide with his induction. 

2K has yet to confirm if any other cover athletes will be announced in addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, nor has it revealed a release date for this year’s game. For more on the NBA 2K series, read our review of NBA 2K25 here.