Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been announced as the cover athlete for the NBA 2K26 video game, following his MVP and championship-winning season with the Thunder. He led the Thunder to a 68-14 record, averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game, and recently signed a record-setting 4-year, $285 million extension. The game is expected to launch in September.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA 2K26 game cover athlete after MVP and championship season
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been announced as the cover athlete for the NBA 2K26 video game, following his MVP and championship-winning season with the Thunder. He led the Thunder to a 68-14 record, averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game, and recently signed a record-setting 4-year, $285 million extension. The game is expected to launch in September.
Trending- 1 Last season (2024-2025): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP and NBA title with Thunder
- 2 Last week (early July 2025): Gilgeous-Alexander awarded record-setting 4-year, $285 million extension
- 3 Tuesday (July 8, 2025): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander announced as NBA 2K26 cover athlete
- 4 September (expected): NBA 2K26 game launch
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander featured on NBA 2K26 cover
- Increased recognition and marketability for Gilgeous-Alexander
- Anticipation for the NBA 2K26 game release
- 2K Games exploring re-entry into college basketball gaming market
What: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian basketball player from Hamilton, has been named the cover athlete for the NBA 2K26 video game.
When: Tuesday (July 8, 2025) for the announcement; his MVP and championship performance occurred last season (2024-2025 NBA season); the game is expected to launch in September.
Where: Hamilton, Canada (Gilgeous-Alexander's origin); Oklahoma City (Thunder's location); Boston (Jayson Tatum's team); Indiana (Pacers' location).
Why: Gilgeous-Alexander was chosen due to his outstanding performance in the previous NBA season, where he was the scoring champion, finals MVP, and led the Thunder to an NBA title with a record-setting point differential.
How: The video game's developer, 2K Games, announced Gilgeous-Alexander as the cover athlete for the standard edition of NBA 2K26.