Ronnie 2K Dishes On Why The 99 Overall Rating Is So Elusive & Explains That Top-10 Mid-Range Player List

Bernard Smalls / Ronnie 2K / NBA 2K26

It’s almost time to hit the virtual basketball court in NBA 2K26, and Ronnie 2K, 2K Games’ Digital Marketing Director, and NBA 2 K’s social media voice, was happy to speak about the topic y’all care about so much now, those overall ratings.

It’s been roughly 27 years since NBA 2K changed the landscape of basketball video games when it first arrived on the Sega Saturn console.

Since then, the game has become a beast that is as big as the league itself, with every single announcement revolving around the annual basketball video game from the reveal of the cover to the breakdown of the ratings, all being the most talked-about moments.

HHW Gaming’s Bernard “Beanz” Smalls got to speak with Ronnie 2K at NBA 2K Community Day in San Francisco, where press and popular NBA 2K content creators got to get hands-on with an early build of the game, and we will be sharing our early impressions on the game in another post.

In this conversation, the focus was on the ratings, which have become the topic of discussion following the release of the top 10 overall-rated players in the game.

Why Ratings Reveals Have Become So Important To Fans & The Players

Visual Concepts /NBA 2K26

You’ve seen it: your favorite NBA players approaching Ronnie 2K about their ratings, voicing displeasure, or in some instances being fine with their virtual ratings.

You have also seen the NBA 2K community sound off on X, formerly Twitter, and in NBA 2 K’s Instagram comment section.

Like with Madden, the reveal of overall ratings in NBA 2K has become an event taking center stage ahead of the game’s release every year.

Ronnie 2K spoke on the popularity and, in some instances, obsession with players’ overall ratings.

“I think it’s because we’ve had 27 in years of history as this game, and it’s such a staple in culture, and that standing for these players means so much because they grew up playing the game, and so I think a lot of it comes from their own love for the game and its place in the NBA culture. It is a real barometer of player success. What that means to the fans means a lot to the players,” Ronnie 2K explained.

Will We See A 99 Overall-Rated Player In NBA 2K26?

Visual Concepts / NBA 2K26

Once again, Nikola Jokić is virtually the best player in NBA 2K26 with his 98 overall rating. He’s not alone, OKC Thunder superstar, NBA Finals and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is right behind him with the same rating.

This year also keeps the trend going of no superstars obtaining what has become elusive now, a 99 overall rating.

We asked Ronnie 2K if he believes Jokić and NBA 2K26’s cover athlete have what it takes to end that streak finally, and he thinks these two hoopers have the skills to make that happen.

“I mean, what’s crazy is Shai started as a 74. I believe Jokić started as a 62 or something, so like obviously, those guys have come along with a lot of points over the course of their career, if I would put anything past them,” Ronnie 2K begins. “You know, we actually have only had one player get to 99 outside of you know, 95/96 MJ (Michael Jordan) plus like I want to say like, 15 years since we changed the rating system, which was unanimous MVP Steph (Curry), almost 9 years ago, I could see it.”

He continues, “I mean, like Jokić continues to just make his game better somehow, every single year, he’s a triple-double machine. So could he put together a string that could get him there? Maybe. I think Shai may be a little bit more likely, because I talk aboutg a lot about sample size and Jokić, just been doing it for so long, and Shai, I mean, is what year 7 now, so maybe if he takes another evolution in his game, maybe he gets to that 99, but I mean, we’re comparing it to all-time history.”

“So that’s why it’s so difficult. It’s pretty insane that both of those guys are 98s, what an honor for both of them.”

How They Determine Those Highly Debated Ratings

Visual Concepts / NBA 2K26

Players’ overall ratings are not the numbers dropped during these big reveals. NBA 2K also breaks it all down by sharing the rankings for the best 3-point shooters and players with a sick mid-range game.

The mid-range game has become more critical as the game is starting to make its way back inside the 3-point line slowly.

Plus two of the game’s most prominent inside scorers, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Carmelo Anthony, are on the cover of this year’s game. So, it didn’t shock anyone when the ratings for the league’s best mid-range shooters dropped, but what surprised them was seeing Shai 5th on the list, and Ronnie 2K was happy to speak on that.

“Yeah, I’m glad you asked that a lot of it actually has to do with like per minutes. I mean, the trouble is we have to compare it based on different,” Ronnie 2K explains. “I mean, Shai and Jokić played a ton, and it depends on like how well they shot in the sample size that they shot it, so like I’ll give you an example of not using mid-range, but I might make it clearer.”

He continues, “Isaiah Joe is fifth in 3-point rating this year at an 88, and everybody’s like wait, why, you know, he only plays 20-ish minutes. His per 36 is the second highest behind the Steph Curry well, and so, even though he doesn’t get the minutes, if he was on another squad, he definitely would, so we have to account for that in our rating, so I think that’s where some of it comes from, obviously, you know, Shai. It’s an amazing mid-range guy. I saw Kawhi was getting a lot of love there, and he wasn’t in the top 10. I think some of it’s volume versus efficiency.”

Ronnie 2K Explains Why We Will Never See A 100-Overall-Rated Player

Finally, we had to ask Ronnie 2K if we will ever see a player reach 100 overall in NBA 2K. Believe it or not, we have seen a player get the milestone, and it was none other than Superman himself, Shaquille O’ Neal in NBA 2K2.

Ronnie 2K quickly explained that we will never see a player hit that number due to the current rating system.

“Shaquille was the only 100 back in 2K2, but that was when the rating system was totally different. Ronnie 2K explains. “Back in 2K11, the rating system changed, and then I believe it changed again, like a few years later, but it became a historic system, right. The only 99 was 95/96 Jordan, and everybody was I’m compared to that.”

He continues, “With the current structure, a 100 is impossible. 99 is the highest rating that you can get if we change the system, where a 100 would be a thing, then, potentially, but I think everybody’s really, especially the dev team, is very happy with our structure of our ratings formula system. So I don’t see that changing.”

Well, there you have it.

NBA 2K26 arrives on September 5, 2025, and early access begins August 29 for those who pre-ordered the Superstar Edition and Leave No Doubt Editions of the game.