Victor Wembanyama became the highest-rated rookie ever in NBA 2K before he had even made his NBA debut. The Spurs franchise cornerstone then cracked the 90s in his second year before becoming a top-10 player in last season’s edition. Now, the French phenom is the cover star of NBA 2K27 and ranks second overall in the game. Yet Wemby still found something to take issue with.
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Last season’s unanimous DPOY phenom checked in at a 97 overall in NBA 2K27, putting him alongside Nikola Jokic and just behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among the game’s highest-rated players. His defensive profile is even more intimidating, with a 99 block rating and a 97 interior defense rating. Still, during a ratings reveal with Ronnie 2K, Victor Wembanyama quickly discovered that there was one number he felt did not accurately reflect his game.
The real issue came when Ronnie 2K revealed Wembanyama’s agility rating—69. “This is, what do you say, egregious? Egregious.” For Wembanyama, the number clearly did not add up. At 7-foot-4, his ability to move in space is one of the most unusual parts of his game. He can cover ground quickly, stay in front of smaller players, and make plays that few players his size can even attempt. So seeing a 69 next to agility apparently crossed the line.
His 78 perimeter defense rating also caught attention, but Wembanyama asked for a small adjustment.
“Perimeter defense, I would rank higher than 78.”
Previously, the Spurs star was perfectly willing to question his 99 block rating, admitting he did not know if he was “the best shot blocker of all time.” But when it came to his movement ability, he clearly felt 2K had gone too far.
Wembanyama knows exactly what he can do on a basketball court, and he apparently believes the game has underestimated some parts of his skill set. He was more accepting of some of the other numbers.
His standing dunk rating caught his attention at 90, while his hands were rated an impressive 98. There were also a few ratings that he was willing to accept. “Block 99, I think that’s fair.”
Victor Wembanyama’s 99 block rating reflects just how dominant he has become as a rim protector. He currently ranks first among NBA 2K27 players in interior defense, according to the ratings database. It’s a sharp rise for the Spurs star since his debut season, and the 2k ratings reflect that.
When his NBA 2K24 rating was revealed, he came in at an 84 overall. He even joined Ronnie 2K in person to find out his rating in real time.
After seeing the number, Victor Wembanyama simply nodded and said, “Ah, that’s nice, that’s nice.” The 84 made him the first rookie since Zion Williamson to begin the season in the 80s. It also put him six points above LeBron James’ 78 overall rating when James entered the league.
Other highly rated rookies included John Wall and Kyrie Irving at 81, along with Greg Oden, Derrick Rose and Markelle Fultz at 80. In fact, he predicted he would reach a 90 overall before his rookie season ended. He was right.
By NBA 2K25, Wembanyama had jumped to a 91 overall, making him the 18th-highest-rated active player in the game. That placed him in the same neighborhood as established stars like Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell. For Ronnie 2K, the digital marketing director at 2K Games, the rating bump was not arbitrary. He saw it as a direct reflection of everything Wembanyama had already shown on the court.
“It’s the highest rating for a second-year player after the highest rating for a first-year player, but he has not disappointed at any point,” Ronnie 2K told The Sporting News. “I don’t think it’s crazy, I think we’re gonna go up from there this year, I really do.”
Once again, the prediction proved spot on. Wembanyama climbed to a 94 overall in NBA 2K26, good for ninth in the game. Now NBA 2K27 has him at 97, tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic for the highest rating in the game, though Wembanyama is listed second behind SGA.