Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder shocked many people by claiming the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference standings. While those around NBA circles believed that the Thunder would be better than they have been, there weren’t many that saw them taking such a big leap.

Oklahoma City grew up quickly and cemented itself as a true contender in the loaded conference. Led by multiple young players, the Thunder are looking to claim their first-ever NBA title.

The engine that makes them tick is point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and he took a massive step forward this past season. He was the runner-up for the MVP honor, with some believing that he should have won the award over Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

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Gilgeous-Alexander has turned himself into a superstar, and with this comes some new potential perks — one of which could give him a future cover spot on a popular gaming franchise.

Rylan Stiles of Oklahoma City Thunder on Sports Illustrated sat down for an interview with Ronnie 2K of the 2K gaming franchise. Within the interview, he hinted about the possibility of Gilgeous-Alexander being put on the cover down the line.

“I’d like to say he is a future cover athlete, one day I hope that happens,” Ronnie 2K told Thunder on SI when discussing Gilgeous-Alexander.

Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He was a force on the court and his play helped turn the Thunder into a feared squad.

The point guard is an avid video game player, something that could end up helping him land the cover spot.

“[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] has been a 2K fan for years. It is amazing, this is our 26th one right, so a lot of these guys who come into the league have played 2K their whole lives,” Ronnie 2K explained to Thunder on SI. “This guy is all about it. I get texted all hours of the day between him, and his right-hand guy Simon, they literally texted me this morning about seeing the community’s gameplay video. He is really tapped in, and obviously a star in this league.”

Getting named to the cover of NBA 2K is an honor and something that most players want to do during their careers. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics was named as the cover athlete for 2K25 so Gilgeous-Alexander will have to wait at least another year.

If he puts together another strong season, there is no reason to think why we shouldn’t expect 2K26’s cover to feature a Thunder jersey.

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