NBA 2K23 releases player ratings, Giannis Antetokounmpo leading
2K Games’ NBA 2K23 released its overall player ratings this week ahead of its September 9 release date. The ratings include players such as Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, and Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry, among others.
The three players led the top spots in this year’s ratings. Antetokounmpo led the standings with a 97 overall rating. The other two, along with Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant, Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, and Philadelphia 76ers Big Man Joel Embiid, are rated 96.
James, now 37, averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists last season. Meanwhile, Curry led the Warriors to win last season’s title over the Boston Celtics. The 34-year-old racked up 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. That said, these stats were a drop compared to what the former first-rounder made in 2020.
The ratings, however, were not accepted well by Durant, who called out NBA 2K digital marketing director Ronnie “Ronnie2K” Singh over his “laughable” stats.
“Aye @ronnie2k I’m gonna need an explanation on why I’m not a 99? This has become laughable,” he said.
He also criticized the game last year when he found out his overall rating was 96, saying, “I think my rating should be a 99 on 2K. I work extremely hard.” Across all games in the series, Durant’s highest overall rating is 97.
Other ratings
With only a few days ahead of its release, 2K Games has been teasing fans about what to expect in the new game. 2K Games earlier released other ratings, such as Top 10 three-pointers and Top 10 backcourts.
In three-pointers, Curry leads over other players at 99, reflecting his status as the best shooter in the NBA. Trailing behind him at 88 are Durant, Warriors teammate Klay Thompson, and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane.
In the Top 10 backcourts, Curry is also leading at 96. Following him are Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic at 95 and Ja Morant of the Grizzlies at 93.
The developer also has revealed the new cover art for the game’s exclusive Dreamer Edition, which features rapper and record producer J. Cole.
“NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture,” Cole said.
Aside from being featured as the game’s cover, Cole will play an important role in players’ off-court careers in the game.
“It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game, but to be part of the MyCareer storyline, soundtrack and bring the DREAMER brand into NBA 2K,” Cole said. “There’s also more to come, so watch out for all things Dreamville and DREAMER brand drops during Seasons and for Bas and Elite in this year’s MyCareer story.”
“At the top of that list of talent is our first cover star who truly sits at the intersection of basketball and music,” NBA 2K VP of Global Marketing Strategy Alfie Brody said. “Bringing a visionary like J. Cole and DREAMER into the creative process for both the game and the soundtrack showcases the pillar of culture that NBA 2K23 has become.”
NBA 2K23 will be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows.
