We are three days away from the release of NBA 2K23, as the flagship game of 2K Sports hits stores and consoles this Friday, September 9. This year’s game features a number of cover options and special editions, from Michael Jordan to J. Cole to Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird to Devin Booker, and we know some of the features that will make this year’s game different.
The Jordan Challenges from 2K11 are back, with some updates and additions, a fitting tribute to the man who made the No. 23 famous for 2K23. The MyCareer mode this year will get rid of all the pre-NBA backstory aspects that have been part of previous games, instead having you simply choose the team that drafts you, with one catch — everyone hates the pick. There’s an expanded WNBA mode, as well, but all of those additions come to a game that, for the most part, has a similar look and feel every year.
Being release week, there’s plenty of attention being paid to player ratings, as some have started to leak out, and on Tuesday morning the folks at 2K decided to post some of the biggest stars in the game’s ratings to their official page. We’ll have to wait to find out complete ratings, but this gives fans an idea of the tiers of stars based on rating, with Giannis earning the top spot just ahead of three perennial contenders for the highest rating.
Giannis is the #️⃣1 rated player in #NBA2K23 at a 97 OVR 🦌#2KRatings pic.twitter.com/yxANVGIzS3
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) September 6, 2022
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 97
LeBron James: 96
Stephen Curry: 96
Kevin Durant: 96
Nikola Jokic: 96
Joel Embiid: 96
Luka Doncic: 95
Kawhi Leonard: 94
Jayson Tatum: 93
Ja Morant: 93
Jimmy Butler: 93
Devin Booker: 91
Zion Williamson: 87
It’s hard to argue Giannis’ place there, and it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the top players shake out, with there surely being arguments to be had about who deserves what, who is overrated, and who is underrated by the game once the full list is revealed.
