In January 2015, former Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside recorded a triple double with blocks in a game against the Chicago Bulls. During his postgame interview, Whiteside told reporters he was “just trying to get my ‘NBA 2K‘ rating up.” 

Nearly a decade later, the lore surrounding player ratings in the basketball video game franchise remains as prominent as ever. Most recently, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo commented on a Bucks Instagram post, expressing his dissatisfaction with his “97” overall rating in “NBA 2K25,” the latest iteration in the franchise. 

“Giannis was not thrilled with his rating this year. There’s always somebody upset,” says Ronnie Singh, the head of lifestyle and content marketing at 2K Games. “I mean, I love that the players have fun with it. It’s become a badge of honor.” 

Also known as Ronnie 2K, Singh is the face behind the video game franchise and is responsible for selecting key elements of “NBA 2K,” such as partnerships with fashion brands, player ratings and the athlete featured on the official cover of the game.

Singh says “2K25’s” cover athlete, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, is a prime example of someone who aligns with the brand.

“He’s authentic to the game,” Singh says of Tatum. He’s played [“NBA 2K”] since he was a kid, all the way back to St. Louis. A lot of the things that we were excited about really aligned with the things that Jayson was excited about.”

Singh explains with the theme of this year’s game titled “Ball Over Everything,” the 2K team wanted to return to the core of pure gameplay for fans. 

Erick Boenisch, VP of “NBA 2K” Development at Visual Concepts, details new gameplay features such as replacing traditional motion-captured animations with NBA footage through ProPLAY technology. He says 2K25 adds 9,000 new ProPLAY animations including 1,500 dribbling animations, 1,100 signature shot animations and over 1,300 new off-the-ball animations.

Changes such as an all-new dribble engine, a defensive cutoff system, redesigned visuals for The City and iconic 2K15 MyPARKS have been implemented into this year’s game. Boenisch also says 2K25’s MyTEAM mode underwent one of the biggest upgrades in franchise history through new features such as a single-player experience called Breakout, a win-based multiplayer mode called Showdown and a competition style allowing players anywhere to compete in King of the Court.

“Community feedback was at the forefront of this year’s game with improvements and advancements made across all modes,” Boenisch says. “Some of our favorite updates include a new revamped City designed to feel more connected featuring the new competitive ranked mode Proving Grounds, the return of MyCOURT and iconic 2K15 MyPARK courts. Player feedback was the inspiration for all of these updates ensuring we deliver a game for the community.”

David Kelley, Director of Partnerships and Licensing at 2K, oversees the “NBA 2K” soundtracks, which has become an integral part of the game experience over the years. Kelley’s team curated 61 tracks at launch for “2K25,” including songs from Peso Pluma, Killer Mike, Schoolboy Q, Benny The Butcher, Lil Tecca, Doechii, DJ Snake, Mondo Slade and Yeat. 

“We really wanted to have an uncompromising vision of the music this year for ‘2K25,’” Kelley says. “We wanted to really honor the game of basketball…what we wanted to do was make sure that we had a really classic sound, songs that stand the test of time.”

He explains the soundtrack is held up by the merit of the music on it, referencing Pluma as an example of an artist who is producing music of exceptional quality that speaks to a global audience. 

“’NBA 2K’ is a global game so we want to make sure that we’re reflecting that within the choices we make for the soundtrack,” Kelley says. “We’re always looking for those artists in global communities that are on the come up.”

Singh also highlights the rise of the “2K” community itself, explaining how the game has empowered content creators and elevated streetwear brands to tell stories. He says the “2K” franchise seeks to be the living, breathing personality of the sports league itself.

He adds that although fans may not always be able to acquire a particular clothing item or basketball sneaker in real life, “2K” seeks to be inclusive by enabling users to equip their virtual MyPlayer with accessories and fashion apparel from select brands.

“We’re trying to give you the best system to be able to tell a story for people who love basketball and people who love gaming,” Singh says. “And I really think that that’s what ‘2K’ has become. It’s a toolkit to storytell.”