Victor Wembanyama is set to grace the cover of NBA 2K27 Standard Edition, as revealed by NBA 2K’s official X account and ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania on Wednesday morning.
While much of the NBA world has celebrated the announcement, others, including a two-time All-Star center, have questioned why NBA champion and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was not chosen instead.
2-Time All-Star Questions Victor Wembanyama As NBA 2K27 Cover Athlete
Veteran center Andre Drummond, who agreed to a one-year deal with the reigning champion New York Knicks this offseason, has wasted no time defending his new teammate and captain.”How’s @jalenbrunson1 not the cover?” Drummond wrote on X.
Ball Over Everything 💯
Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/xIMBzDuP2B pic.twitter.com/RTSpX2Ecox
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026
Leading up to the cover athlete reveal, Brunson appeared to have as strong a case as any NBA player. During the 2025-26 NBA season, the Knicks’ superstar guard averaged 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range.
Accolade-wise, Brunson was named an All-Star, earned All-NBA Second Team honors, and won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He then led the Knicks past Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, earning Finals MVP.
At the 2026 ESPY Awards, Brunson received the award for Best Championship Performance after averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds over five contests, including a 45-point closeout performance in the closeout game.
Brunson also won Best NBA Player over Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokić, helped the Knicks earn Best Team honors, and took home Best Male Athlete, beating out Shohei Ohtani, Matthew Stafford, and Lionel Messi.
Although Brunson topped Wembanyama in the areas that ultimately mattered most, the Spurs star gracing the cover is anything but a poor choice. Wembanyama, 22, is currently trending towards becoming the face of the NBA.
Following a season in which he averaged 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, made the All-Star team, earned All-NBA First Team honors, won Defensive Player of the Year, and finished third in MVP voting, it is understandable why NBA 2K27 chose to go in the Wembanyama direction.
The NBA world shared a similar sentiment, as PFSN’s Michael Kobrinsky featured a comment from sports content creator Matthew Geist: “Thought it’d be Brunson, but was some wishful thinking. [Wembanyama] is a great choice too,” Geist wrote.
We are not alone 👽
Victor Wembanyama has landed as your NBA 2K27 Standard Edition Cover Athlete
Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/wflnyoAd5R pic.twitter.com/Xww8BE9uLK
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026
In his story, Kobrinsky also noted that other fans described Wembanyama’s selection, along with WNBA star Caitlin Clark, on the Deluxe Edition, as “just poetic” and an “instant purchase.”
Brunson and the Knicks will be back competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2027. Don’t be surprised if he puts together another successful season and finds himself on the cover of NBA 2K28.
