"They have to protect the sacred cow that is Michael Jeffrey Jordan" - NBA analyst on the "cowardly" NBA 2K23 ratings, discusses Jordan's 99 rating compared to LeBron James and Kevin Durant's 96

This week, basketball fans and players celebrated the highly anticipated release of NBA 2K23. The fact that this year marks NBA 2K's "Jordan Year" prompted the developers to release a signature Jordan edition.

The game comes with a series of "Jordan Moments" for players to progress through. Because of that, Jordan has once again been given the highest rating.

During a recent live stream, Fox Sports 1's Nick Wright spoke about a complaint from Kevin Durant. The Brooklyn Nets forward apparently said he's long overdue a 99 overall rating. The way Wright sees it, the only reason for no other player to be rated over 97 is to protect Jordan's legacy.

"I love 2K. I'm in the game. But they were a little cowardly with the rankings this year. Because they put LeBron, KD, Steph, Embiid, and one other person I forget, Jokic. But they put all five of those guys tied at 96. And then Giannis at 97 because Giannis is the best player in the league.

"Giannis should be, but why are they all bunched up like that? And the answer is because they have to protect the sacred cow that is Michael Jeffrey Jordan. He's on the cover, so he's a 99. And we can't even have anyone at 98 because nobody's even close. So, now the top is 97 and then it's all bunched."

Durant wasn't the only one unhappy with the ratings in the game. Notably, Chicago Bulls fans were unhappy with both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine being rated under 90.

A whole new game despite NBA 2K23 controversy

Giannis Antetokounmpo - FIBA EuroBasket 2022.

There is plenty for NBA 2K fans to be excited about despite the annual controversy regarding ratings. This year, players will be forced to play smarter team-focused basketball. They can't spam crossovers until they get an uncovered 3-pointer due to the all-new "adrenaline boost" system.

The adrenaline boost system gives players three adrenaline boosts per possession. This means performing five consecutive dribble moves in rapid succession will result in an incredibly fatigued player.

On defense, players who repeatedly spam the steal button while reaching for the ball will also lose their adrenaline boosts. This means high-quality steal attempts will be rewarded over a large volume of steal attempts.

NBA 2K23 has also introduced a revamped city for Park and ProAm players.

Do you think Nick Wright is correct? Should players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid be rated higher than 96? Vote in our poll below and give us your opinion on the NBA 2K23 ratings.