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The newest NBA 2K athletes have been revealed.
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and WNBA wunderkind Caitlin Clark will grace the covers of the NBA 2K27 standard and deluxe editions, the organization announced Wednesday morning. Former Bulls star Derrick Rose will be featured on the game's ultra edition. All three will launch Sept. 4, 2026.
“When you’re truly obsessed with basketball, the game doesn’t stop when you leave the arena,” Wembanyama, fresh off a breakout season with San Antonio, said in a statement. “NBA 2K is the court that never locks up, it’s always open whether you’re in Paris or San Antonio. It’s how you study the game, sharpen your IQ, and live basketball 24/7. To be the face of a game that fuels that hunger for hoops and whose covers immortalize the all-time greats, that’s a dream come true for me.”
“Being on the cover of NBA 2K27 is special because this game reaches fans all over the world,” added Clark, who recently posted the best all-around single-game performance in WNBA history. “To be the first WNBA player on her own global cover means women’s basketball gets to show up on that stage too, and I am proud to be part of that.”
“It’s crazy looking back at being on the NBA 2K13 cover to now having my own edition for NBA 2K27,” mused Rose, whose jersey the Bulls retired in January of this year. “During my journey there have been coaches who believed in me, teammates who made me better, and fans who showed up louder than I ever expected. So, this is a chance to inspire young athletes to stay obsessed with the game. To show them that when you put in the countless hours of hard work, it rewards you.”
With their appointments, Wembanyama and Clark now join a long list of legendary NBA and WNBA players to earn a spot on the front cover of the popular video game. Below, we’ll take a look at every key art star since the first edition in 1999, with a particular emphasis on the standard/WNBA U.S. editions.
Full List of NBA 2K Cover Athletes Over the Years
| Edition | Athlete(s) |
|---|---|
| NBA 2K | Allen Iverson |
| NBA 2K1 | Allen Iverson |
| NBA 2K2 | Allen Iverson |
| NBA 2K3 | Allen Iverson |
| NBA 2K4 | Allen Iverson |
| NBA 2K5 | Ben Wallace |
| NBA 2K6 | Shaquille O’Neal |
| NBA 2K7 | Shaquille O’Neal |
| NBA 2K8 | Chris Paul |
| NBA 2K9 | Kevin Garnett |
| NBA 2K10 | Kobe Bryant |
| NBA 2K11 | Michael Jordan |
| NBA 2K12 | Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird |
| NBA 2K13 | Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin |
| NBA 2K14 | LeBron James |
| NBA 2K15 | Kevin Durant |
| NBA 2K16 | Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan (special edition) |
| NBA 2K17 | Paul George, Kobe Bryant (legend edition), Danilo Gallinari (Italy), Pau Gasol (Spain) |
| NBA 2K18 | Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal (special editions), DeMar DeRozan (Canada), Kevin Durant (Nike Connect special edition) |
| NBA 2K19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James (20th anniversary), Ben Simmons (Australia/New Zealand) |
| NBA 2K20 | Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade (legend edition) |
| NBA 2K21 | Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson (next-gen consoles), Kobe Bryant (Mamba Forever edition) |
| NBA 2K22 | Luka Dončić, Candace Parker (WNBA 25th anniversary edition), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Dirk Nowitzki/Kevin Durant (NBA 75th anniversary edition) |
| NBA 2K23 | Devin Booker, Michael Jordan (championship edition), Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi (WNBA cover), J. Cole (dreamer edition) |
| NBA 2K24 | Kobe Bryant, Sabrina Ionescu (WNBA cover) |
| NBA 2K25 | Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson, Vince Carter (Hall of Fame edition) |
| NBA 2K26 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Angel Reese (WNBA edition), Carmelo Anthony (superstar edition) |
| NBA 2K27 | Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark (deluxe edition), Derrick Rose (ultra edition) |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as As ‘NBA 2K27’ Cover Stars, Victor Wembanyama and Caitlin Clark Join Long List of Basketball Greats.
