Allen Iverson was the first NBA 2K cover athlete, appearing on the original game in 1999. The series’ latest release, NBA 2K27 (2026), features Victor Wembanyama on the Standard Edition, Caitlin Clark on the Deluxe Edition, and Derrick Rose on the limited-time Ultra Edition. The list below covers principal and notable special, WNBA, and regional editions; it is not a catalogue of every package variant sold in every market.
NBA 2K cover athletes by release year
Years below refer to release years, not the numbered title: the original was called NBA 2K, and the next installment was NBA 2K1. The historical entries through NBA 2K22 come from NBA 2KW’s cover-athlete compilation; later edition details are supported by official 2K or NBA announcements. Regional availability differed, so regional editions are identified where reported rather than treated as worldwide covers.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
NBA 2K (Our Favorite Video Games) | $29.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
NBA 2K27 - PlayStation 5 | $66.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
NBA 2K26 - PlayStation 5 | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
NBA 2K26 - Xbox Series X | $15.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
NBA 2K27 - Xbox Series X | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| Release year | Game | Principal cover athlete(s) | Notable additional covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | NBA 2K | Allen Iverson | Original Dreamcast-era release |
| 2000 | NBA 2K1 | Allen Iverson | — |
| 2001 | NBA 2K2 | Allen Iverson | — |
| 2002 | NBA 2K3 | Allen Iverson | — |
| 2003 | ESPN NBA Basketball (NBA 2K4) | Allen Iverson | ESPN-branded title |
| 2004 | NBA 2K5 | Ben Wallace | — |
| 2005 | NBA 2K6 | Shaquille O’Neal | — |
| 2006 | NBA 2K7 | Shaquille O’Neal | — |
| 2007 | NBA 2K8 | Chris Paul | — |
| 2008 | NBA 2K9 | Kevin Garnett | — |
| 2009 | NBA 2K10 | Kobe Bryant | — |
| 2010 | NBA 2K11 | Michael Jordan | — |
| 2011 | NBA 2K12 | Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird | Three-player cover presentation |
| 2012 | NBA 2K13 | Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose | Multi-athlete cover presentation |
| 2013 | NBA 2K14 | LeBron James | — |
| 2014 | NBA 2K15 | Kevin Durant | — |
| 2015 | NBA 2K16 | Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden | Special Edition: Michael Jordan; France: Tony Parker; Germany: Dennis Schröder; Spain: Marc and Pau Gasol |
| 2016 | NBA 2K17 | Paul George | Legend Edition: Kobe Bryant; Spain: Pau Gasol; Italy: Danilo Gallinari |
| 2017 | NBA 2K18 | Kyrie Irving | Legend Edition Gold: Shaquille O’Neal |
| 2018 | NBA 2K19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 20th Anniversary Edition: LeBron James; Australia/New Zealand edition: Ben Simmons |
| 2019 | NBA 2K20 | Anthony Davis | Legend Edition: Dwyane Wade; Davis also appeared on the Deluxe Edition |
| 2020 | NBA 2K21 | Damian Lillard | Mamba Forever Edition: Kobe Bryant; Next Gen Edition: Zion Williamson |
| 2021 | NBA 2K22 | Luka Dončić | 75th Anniversary Edition: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant; WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition: Candace Parker; Japan cover: Rui Hachimura |
| 2022 | NBA 2K23 | Devin Booker | Digital Deluxe: Booker; Michael Jordan and Championship Editions: Michael Jordan; U.S./Canada WNBA Edition: Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird |
| 2023 | NBA 2K24 | Kobe Bryant | Kobe Bryant, BLACK MAMBA, and 25th Anniversary editions: Bryant; U.S./Canada GameStop WNBA Edition: Sabrina Ionescu |
| 2024 | NBA 2K25 | Jayson Tatum | WNBA Edition: A’ja Wilson; All-Star Edition: Tatum and Wilson; Hall of Fame Edition: Vince Carter |
| 2025 | NBA 2K26 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | WNBA Edition: Angel Reese; Superstar Edition: Carmelo Anthony; Leave No Doubt Edition: Gilgeous-Alexander, Reese, and Anthony |
| 2026 | NBA 2K27 | Victor Wembanyama | Deluxe Edition: Caitlin Clark; limited-time Ultra Edition: Derrick Rose |
How to read the list
One game can have several covers
Some installments used multiple athletes in the main cover presentation, including NBA 2K12 and NBA 2K13. Later games also added special editions, WNBA editions, or covers tied to a region or retailer. “Principal” identifies the lead cover entry in the compilation; the additional-covers column records notable variants, not every box-art or digital-store variation worldwide.
WNBA editions are part of the cover history
Dedicated WNBA cover athletes enter this list with Candace Parker’s NBA 2K22 WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition. Subsequent examples include Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird for the U.S./Canada NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition, Sabrina Ionescu for a U.S./Canada GameStop NBA 2K24 WNBA Edition, and A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese on NBA 2K25 and NBA 2K26 editions, respectively. Edition names and regional or retailer limits matter when comparing these with standard covers.
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What is on the NBA 2K27 covers?
2K announced NBA 2K27 for worldwide release on September 4, 2026, with Victor Wembanyama on Standard, Caitlin Clark on Deluxe, and Derrick Rose on a limited-time Ultra Edition. The announced platforms are PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. These are the announced editions and platforms; availability can depend on market and platform storefront. See 2K’s NBA 2K27 announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and coverage limits
The list combines a secondary historical compilation for releases through NBA 2K22 with official announcements for recent editions. The compilation’s page title says “to NBA 2K21,” although its displayed list includes NBA 2K22, so it is used as a historical reference rather than an official master catalogue. Recent edition checks include 2K’s NBA 2K23 announcement, 2K’s NBA 2K24 announcement, NBA.com’s NBA 2K25 report, and 2K’s NBA 2K26 announcement. No authoritative franchise-wide count of unique cover athletes or every regional package variant is established by these sources.
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