2K has announced the NBA 2K26 Standard Edition Cover Athlete as Shai Gilgas-Alexander, the star guard of NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The news shuts down an incredible run for SGA, as he was not only an important part of the 2024-2025 NBA championship-winner Thunder, but also the league MVP, the final MVP and the scoring champion.
Gilgeous-Aexander joined the NBA in 2018, when he was ranked 11th in total by Charlotte Hornets. He was traded for Los Angeles Clippers on the same day, where he played for a year and was named NBA All-Roki. In July 2019, Gilges-Alexander was traded at the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he has since played. Since that trade, SGA has been nominated for three all-stars teams and three all-NBA first teams. Toronto -born Star also took home for the 2023 Leonele Konkar Award given to Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year.
Gilegeous-Aexander Boston Caltics Star Jesan Tatam, who was named NBA 2K25 Cover Star after leading his team at the NBA Championship last season. The NBA 2K25 had separate covers for each of its versions, with Las Vegas Aces Center A’aza Wilson headline the WNBA version and served as a cover star for NISMITH Hall of Fame version to match the NBA Icon Vins Vince Carter with his induction.
2K has not yet been confirmed whether any other cover athletes will be declared in addition to Gilgas-Alexander, nor has the release date for this year’s game revealed. For more on the NBA 2K series, read our review of NBA 2K25 here.
