Ahead of the highly anticipated release of NBA 2K25, 2K Sports revealed the game’s top 10 players Monday.
The ratings are a reflection of the current state of the NBA, with the game’s biggest superstars featured throughout the list. From a three-way tie at the top, to the three elder statesmen and the game’s cover athlete, there is plenty to take away from the list.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, 22-year veteran LeBron James and newly-minted NBA champion Jayson Tatum all make an appearance. Here are the top 10 players in this year’s iteration of the NBA’s annual video game.
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After a rollout of players ranked 100 through 11 from Aug. 19-23, 2K Sports saved the top 10 for Aug. 26. Among the group of 10 players are a combined 14 NBA titles, 13 league MVP awards and nine NBA Finals MVPs.
| Rank | Player | Team | NBA 2K25 rating |
| 1. | Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | 97 |
| 2. | Luka Doncic | Mavericks | 97 |
| 3. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | 97 |
| 4. | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder | 96 |
| 5. | Joel Embiid | 76ers | 96 |
| 6. | LeBron James | Lakers | 95 |
| 7. | Stephen Curry | Warriors | 95 |
| 8. | Jayson Tatum | Celtics | 95 |
| 9. | Kevin Durant | Suns | 94 |
| 10. | Anthony Davis | Lakers | 94 |
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Jokic comes in at No. 1, but he is not the only player who will open the season with a rating of 97 overall. The distinction makes sense for The Joker, who is coming off the third MVP season of his nine-year career.
After leading the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Luka Doncic also earns a 97 while Giannis Antetokounmpo is also a 97 overall despite the calf injury that kept him off the floor during the playoffs.
After starting as a 93 overall on NBA 2K24, Gilgeous-Alexander comes in at fourth as a 96 overall on NBA 2K25. Gilgeous-Alexander was MVP runner-up after averaging 30.1 points per game and leading the Thunder to the West’s top seed.
The momentum continued into the Olympics, where Gilgeous-Alexander starred for Canada before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. With that in mind, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 96 overall ties him with Steve Nash as the highest-rated Canadian in the game’s history.
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After watching the trio join forces to lead Team USA to Olympic gold in Paris, fans can enjoy yet another year of James, Curry and Durant being among the game’s elite.
James, who is entering his 22nd season and will turn 40 in December, falls right outside the top five as a 95 overall. He is coming off a record 20th All-NBA campaign and an impressive Olympic showing that ended with MVP honors.
There are many questions around the Warriors but none surround Curry’s impact. The 36-year-old was named Clutch Player of the Year last season and provides daily reminders that he is the greatest shooter to play the game. That shouldn’t stop this season.
As for Durant, he continues to show who he is. One of the most efficient scorers ever, Durant is a cheat code in real life, so his virtual rating makes sense.
It’s only right that the cover athlete lands in the top 10.
Tatum added NBA champion and two-time gold medalist to his resume this summer, silencing critics along the way. Talented as the Celtics roster is, there’s no question that Tatum is the most dynamic and he rightly lands among the game’s top 10 players.
