'My Ratings Started to Feel Disrespectful': NBA 2K26 Cover Athlete Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Past Editions

In the words of Larry David, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is pretty, pretty, pretty good. The reigning NBA regular season and Finals MVP has finally gotten his due as one of the very best players in the game. This past June he capped off one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history by leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the franchise’s first title since relocating from Seattle.

It’s incredible to think that SGA was once just one small piece of the trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers. As George endured a massively disappointing season with the Sixers this past year, SGA was being minted as one of the game’s brightest young stars, while Jalen Williams, whom OKC selected with one of the many picks acquired alongside SGA in that deal, also played a crucial role as the team’s de facto No. 2 option.

SGA appeared last night on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, not only to reflect on his incredible season, but to help Fallon with his fashion sense. His appearance also came on the eve of the worldwide release of NBA2K26, and seeing as he’s the game’s cover athlete this year, he also spoke about what it’s been like to see his rating go up over the years.

Shai was once the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft, and his first year in the league, 2K gave him a rating of 73. Not unusual for a rookie, but a far cry from where he is now, a 98. Fallon held up a picture of his in-game avatar from NBA2K19 and asked, “Did this give you a little chip on your shoulder when you saw this?”

“You know, funny enough, I didn’t care. I was just happy to be in the game,” Shai said. “If I was like a 59 I wouldn’t care. As long as I’m in the game, at that point. I was just happy, happy to be in the game.”

As he grew from a rookie into a quality NBA player and then a legitimate star, Shai’s attitude changed a bit. “As the years went on and I realized I was gonna be in the game every year,” he said, “my rating started to feel a little disrespectful. I’m good now though,” Shai added as the crowd laughed.

Shai’s MVP battle this past season with Nikola Jokic was epic, and it looks like if 2K has anything to say about it, that rivalry will continue. Jokic is the only other player in the game with a 98 rating, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is just behind with a 97. Together, those three have won six of the past seven MVPs.

With his new four-year, $285 million contract extension, Shai can certainly afford to buy a few copies of the game for his friends and family so that they can see how far he’s come.