Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony unveiled as ‘NBA 2K26’ cover stars

The latest edition of the NBA 2K franchise is set to release on Sept. 5, and on Wednesday we got our first look at the three stars that will make up the four different NBA 2K26 covers — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony. 

Gilgeous-Alexander adds 2K cover athlete to his list of accomplishments this year, as the NBA champion, MVP and Finals MVP is on the standard edition cover for the first time, calling the occasion a “dream come true moment.”  

The superstar edition cover will feature Carmelo Anthony, as he gets a cover to go along with his Hall of Fame induction later this year. It is somewhat surprisingly the first time Anthony has been on a 2K cover. 

The WNBA edition, meanwhile, features Angel Reese, as the Chicago Sky star gets her first video game cover as well. Reese joins A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker as WNBA stars to grace the cover ever since the game added a WNBA cover starting with 2K22. 

“Being on the cover of NBA 2K26 and debuting my first-ever signature shoe with Reebok on that cover, the Angel Reese 1, is more than a milestone-it’s a statement,” Reese said in a statement. “It’s about representation and showing young girls they can be confident, bold, and take up space unapologetically. To be cemented in NBA 2K history is a special honor that reflects not only my journey, but also all the veteran WNBA players who have paved the way before me and the growing impact of the league as a whole.” 

All three players will share the cover on the Leave No Doubt edition. It’s hard to argue against SGA as the choice for the NBA cover after the season he had, while Anthony is a natural selection as this year’s legend given his upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame later this year. Reese will be a more polarizing choice for the WNBA cover, as is the case with seemingly anything that involves the former LSU star, but the two-time All-Star has become one of the most recognizable figures in the league.