"Worst 2K cover of all time" - NBA fans react to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being named NBA 2K26 cover athlete

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially stamped his place as the face of the NBA after guiding the OKC Thunder to a championship in June. Clinching the MVP and Finals MVP awards, SGA is set to add another feather to his cap after being named the NBA 2K26 cover athlete.

Legion Hoops shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), relaying an initial report by NBA Insider Shams Charania.

"BREAKING: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the cover of NBA2K26, per @ShamsCharania," the caption read.

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NBA fans weren't pleased with the announcement, with many reacting negatively.

"Wow, you don't even need to be talented to be on the cover of 2k anymore. What a disgrace, a fan wrote.

"Finna be the worst NBA 2k cover of all time," added another.

"Smh … they gonna bring back the whistle badge and give it to him hall of fame … game is a*s," remarked a third.

"The pic going to be him at the free throw line or what?" joked a fourth.

Although many were disappointed with the news, few believed he deserved to be on the cover.

"Definitely deserved but maybe it’s just a me thing but lowkey miss the multiple players on the cover like they did before, if they did that I would of had him Ant and Haliburton on it for sure," a fan explained.

"Crazy 2K gotta hate Steph Curry. This is well deserved for SGA should be his this year, but in 2022 summer, not picking Steph was wild. (No I'm not counting that 3 cover he got with AD and Harden)," a second expressed.

SGA becomes only the second-ever OKC Thunder player to feature on the game's cover after Kevin Durant.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes history after signing a super-maximum contract extension with the Thunder

After leading the OKC Thunder to their first NBA title in 46 years, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been awarded a contract renewal. The guard had a historic season in 2024-25, winning many individual awards and being named the scoring champion.

Signing a four-year, $285 million contract, the deal will see him earn $71.25 million per year, which is the richest annual salary for a player in league history.

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This contract will surpass Embiid's $64.3 million tally, which he received after signing a three-year, $193 million max extension in 2024. Despite the large sum, SGA deserves this deal and will see him remain in OKC until the 2030-31 season.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by Neha