What have Kevin Durant's NBA 2K ratings been over the years?

Kevin Durant (96) is tied for the highest rating in NBA 2K22 along with Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is a seven-foot demigod who can pull up from anywhere on the court with an almost unguardable jump shot and release. Naturally, he is a cheat code in the game, and has been one of the highest-rated players for years.

Durant has been rated 96 for the past three years. However, many feel his rating deserves an increase after his performances in the 2021 NBA playoffs, including LeBron James himself, who said Durant's rating should be 99 in NBA 2K22.

Nah! Should be 99! 🤷🏾‍♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 18, 2021

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Kevin Durant is on the cover of NBA 2K22's 75th Anniversary Edition alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This is the third time he is on the cover of NBA 2K, with the other two occasions being NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K15.

3 time Cover Athlete @KDTrey5 reacts to seeing the #NBA2K22 Cover 💯❤️ this tweet to see how we get our cover stars in the game, and to get updates and sneak peaks throughout the year. Pre-order now ➡️ https://t.co/vvOEdFYrzu pic.twitter.com/XRYAqHhhPJ
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 15, 2021

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Tracking Kevin Durant’s NBA 2K rating evolution over the years

Kevin Durant with the OKC Thunder as seen in NBA 2K20 [Source: IGN]

Although Kevin Durant has won the Rookie of the Year award, and has never averaged less than 20 points per game in his career, he wasn't the most highly0rated player in NBA 2K early on.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James usually shared the podium for the highest0rated players in NBA 2K in the late 2000s, with occasional appearances of players like Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade and Tracy McGrady.

Kevin Durant's first-ever rating in NBA 2K was 80, in NBA 2K8. That is a high number for a rookie in the 2000s, as 2K Sports wasn't so generous with ratings back then. For comparison, LeBron James and Stephen Curry's rookie ratings were 78 and 69, respectively.

Durant's NBA 2K ratings have only gone up from there. He saw a major dip in his NBA 2K16 rating when he was injured during the 2014-15 season, but quickly climbed back up to the top.

NBA 2K8	NBA 2K9	NBA 2K10	NBA 2K11	NBA 2K12	NBA 2K13	NBA 2K14	NBA 2K15	NBA 2K16	NBA 2K17	NBA 2K18	NBA 2K19	NBA 2K20	NBA 2K21	NBA 2K22
80	83	82	91	92	94	95	95	91	93	96	95	96	96	96

In his sophomore year at the age of 20, Kevin Durant averaged 25.3 points a night while shooting at 42% from the deep. He led the league in scoring with 30.1 points per game and made his first-ever NBA All-Star team the next season in 2009-10, but he was rated just 82 in 2K10. Rapper Wale tweeted in 2009:

"wtf kev durant is only an 82 ovr"

However, Kevin Durant crossed the 90-mark next season, and has not gone down from there.

Kevin Durant's 2K ratings over the years

Kevin Durant has a 95-rated Outside Scoring, with no attribute less than 88. He also has an 85-rated inside scoring, with no attribute less than 82, except Post Hook and Standing Dunk. He has an 81-rated Athleticism and an 82-rated playmaking, with his ball-handling rated at 92. Durant is 74-rated in Defense, and 71 in Rebounding.

.@KDTrey5 thinks his 2K22 rating should be a 99 👀 Thoughts? #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/n5Pm3XzdVy
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 17, 2021

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He has 43 badges as of NBA 2K21, with 21 gold, six silver and 16 bronze. It is surprising that he doesn't have any Hall-of-Fame badges despite being the player he is. Durant is certainly a jack of all trades, but not a single Hall of Fame badge after a 14-year career and numerous accolades is ludicrous.