Feb 28, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts with guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Knicks Star Duo Cracks 2K26’s Top 20 Players

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 3:00 PM ET

New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have earned some pixelated praises from the NBA's premier video game franchise.

With the release of "NBA 2K26" looming, the 2K publisher continues to count down toward the top spot in the annual initial overall player rankings. Brunson and Towns, or at least their digital doppelgängers, appear in the penultimate decade: with a numerical mark of 93, Brunson tops the list with three others and officially places at 13th while Towns is one point behind and comes in at No. 18.

It's no surprise to see Brunson and Towns get their props after their first season of metropolitan collaboration: Brunson has flipped the fortunes of the Knicks franchise since his arrival in the summer of 2022, averaging 26.4 points and 6.7 assists over the last three tours. New York has won at least one playoff series in each of the three years under Brunson's watch and he was bestowed the famed captaincy honor prior to last year.

The #NBA2KTop100 continues with 20-11!

Top 10 dropping pic.twitter.com/XpomDViSm8
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 20, 2025

Brunson is tied for the top spot among the latest 10 with playoff foes Tyrese Haliburton and Donovan Mitchell, as well as Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers. A tally of 93 matches Brunson's mark from the final edition of last year's game and is over 20 points higher than his original number of 70 upon his entry with the Dallas Mavericks prior to the release of "NBA 2K19."

Towns' arrival helped the Knicks reach an important landmark, as he helped guide the group to its first Eastern Conference Finals showing since 2000. He's a point lower from his final rating from last year's edition of "2K" but he's on pace to return to the Knicks after averaging 24.4 points and a career-best 12.8 rebounds en route to his first showing in the All-Star Game's starting five alongside Brunson.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Towns, of course, was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for New York fan favorites Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. He is joined in the brotherhood of 92 with another postseason adversary Cade Cunningham (Detroit), divisional rival Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), and another SoCal stud in Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers). Ja Morant (Memphis) and Devin Booker (Phoenix) respectively close out the list, both carrying ratings of 91.

Brunson and Towns are joined in the top 100 by Manhattan teammates OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. The final ten will be released on Thursday, just about two weeks before the game's Sept. 5 release.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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