NBA 2K is the world’s most popular basketball video game series, and the cover athlete is always a major talking point.
Almost every player would have grown up playing the game, so they consider it an honor to be recognised by NBA 2K.
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and many of the greatest players of all time have all been cover athletes since the game debuted.
Here is the full list of every NBA 2K cover athlete, including San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in 2026.
The complete history of NBA 2K cover athletes
The NBA 2K video game debuted in November 1999, with Philadelphia 76ers superstar Allen Iverson on the cover.
Iverson was one of the NBA’s most popular players and remained the cover athlete for five consecutive seasons.
Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal then took over for two years, having won the title in 2006 with the Miami Heat.
Several years later, NBA legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird each had their own cover of NBA 2K12.
Meanwhile, the 2K13 cover featured images of Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose dunking.
LeBron James’ only appearance was on 2K14, while Kevin Durant’s second and final appearance was on 2K15.
Kobe Bryant’s 2K24 cover may be the most sentimental, as it was released just months after his tragic passing.
Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama are the three most recent cover athletes.
Which NBA player has appeared on the most NBA 2K covers?
Allen Iverson has by far the most appearances on the covers of NBA 2K standard-edition games (five).
Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant are the only other NBA players to appear twice.
Not even LeBron James or Stephen Curry has been recognised as the cover athlete more than once.
Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be the next stars to join that illustrious list.
Receive exclusive NBA news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
