While there is a community of basketball fans who get their information on the NBA by watching games and following stat lines, there is also a certain crowd who gets their information differently. They aren’t reading headlines and scrolling social media to get their information, but making their takes based on the popular video game NBA 2K26.
Every year, the basketball video game releases ratings for all the players in the NBA. Not only do the NBA players themselves await their ratings, but so do basketball fans. Whether the ratings end up starting too low or too high for some players, the game updates the ratings often throughout the season based on play.
Rising into the Top 50 👀
Who are you surprised to see here in the #NBA2KTop100? pic.twitter.com/oCJYJYuE8t
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 18, 2025
The ratings aren’t always consistent with how they were at the end of the final NBA 2K game, with ratings tending to be lower at the start. For a pair of stars in Los Angeles, both of them were able to crack the Top 50 as 2K continues to release the Top 100 rated players.
AUSTIN REAVES IS BREAKING OUT.
✨ 19.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.9 apg this season
✨ 25.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.1 apg over last 10
Add him to the list of stars on display in Warriors/Lakers at 10 PM ET on TNT! pic.twitter.com/xQNlj1An3F
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2025
Sneaking in as the 49th-ranked player in the video game, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves will start the game with an 85 overall. Ranked next to former All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and De’Aaron Fox, Reaves finds himself in solid company entering a pivotal season for his career.
Reaves posted career-highs in points (20.2), assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5), and steals (1.1) last season with the Lakers, establishing himself as the full-time starter at the shooting guard position. Reaves could’ve taken an extension this offseason, but instead will look to prove himself again this next year and likely land a new contract in the 2026 offseason.
Ivica Zubac was a FORCE in the paint last season.
🏀 League leader in total rebounds
🏀 All-Defensive Second Team
🏀 Career-high 16.8 PPG and 12.6 RPG
🏀 62.8% from the floor
The Kia MIP runner-up is key to the @LAClippers success! pic.twitter.com/C52Bib2zSa
— NBA (@NBA) August 9, 2025
After a breakout season and becoming one of the best centers in the NBA, Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac will start the game with an 87 overall rating. Holding the same rating as stars Jimmy Butler and Alperen Sengun, Zubac finds himself in strong company entering his 10th NBA season.
Zubac posted career-highs in points (16.8), rebounds (12.6), and assists (2.7) while finishing sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and earning Second Team All-Defense honors. Zubac really turned things up in the second half of the season, averaging 19.6 points and 12.6 rebounds after the All-Star break, but could see a slight decline next year with an improved roster.
NBA Fans Urge Miami Heat to Sign 3x All-Star After Unexpected Trade
Bradley Beal, Odell Beckham Jr React to Devin Booker’s Recent Post
Ex-NBA Guard Patrick Beverley Will ‘Destroy’ Former Lakers Player