NBA2K20 yesterday unveiled the initial rankings of the top-20 players in its upcoming game and to the surprise of none, LeBron James remains the highest-rated player despite enduring one of his worst seasons as a professional athlete.

Rated on-par with title-winning Kawhi Leonard (formerly of Toronto Raptors, now LA Clippers) at 97, LeBron out-rates last year’s cover athlete, Milwaukee forward a.k.a The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The top 5 rated players in NBA 2K20! #2KRatings

1) @KingJames 9⃣7⃣

2) @KawhiLeonard 9⃣7⃣

3) @Giannis_An34 9⃣6⃣

4) @KDTrey5 9⃣6⃣

5) @JHarden13 9⃣6⃣

— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) July 16, 2019

Former Thunder teammates Kevin Durant and James Harden complete the top-5 with both also receiving a massive 96 rating. Many fans question LeBron’s rating, especially with him no longer in his prime but we have a sinking feeling it’s more about the brand rather than the actual athlete on the court.

We rate him 95 at most for the time being but with the constant stat updates to the game week-in-week-out, should get a better look on where the players compare once the season tips-off.

Rounding up the top ten, Stephen Curry in sixth is the only 95-rated player ahead of LeBron’s new Laker teammate Anthony Davis (94). Kawhi’s new partner in the Clippers, Paul George is eighth with a 93 rating while Damian Lillard of the Trailblazers (92) and Joel Embiid (91) of the 76ers fill in at ninth and tenth respectively.

6-10 👀 #2KRatings

6) @StephenCurry 9⃣5⃣

7) @AntDavis23 9⃣4⃣

8) @Yg_Trece 9⃣3⃣

9) @Dame_Lillard 9⃣2⃣

10) @JoelEmbiid 9⃣1⃣

— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) July 16, 2019

It’s a shame to see the Dubs’ Stephen Curry miss out on the top-5 overall but he is still the best shooter in the league with a 99 3PT shot rating. Klay Thompson, in second with a 97 rating complete the Splash Bros dominance and solidify the Warriors’ position as the best shooting team in the league – at least for now.

But Buddy Hield only at 90? Come on. Dude’s a 93 minimum in our opinion.

Nothin But Green: Top 5 Shooters 3PT #2KRatings

1) @StephenCurry30 9⃣9⃣

2) @KlayThompson 9⃣7⃣

3) Joe Harris 9⃣4⃣

4) JJ Redick 9⃣0⃣

5) @BuddyHield 9⃣0⃣

— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) July 16, 2019

With the recent NBA free agency being one of the liveliest in history which saw a ton of movement, the power shift in the NBA has never been more apparent and the folks at 2K were savvy enough to release a ‘Dynamic Duos’ rating which reflects this.

Dynamic Duos #2KRatings

1) @KingJames x @AntDavis23 95.5

2) @KawhiLeonard x @Yg_Trece 95

3) @KDTrey5 x @KyrieIrving 93.5

4) @JHarden13 x @RussWest44 93

— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) July 17, 2019

One can only imagine the depth of the Lakers considering we aren’t even talking about the rest of their players such as DeMarcus Cousins, JaVale McGee, Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma. One of the worst teams last seasons just became a title favourite almost overnight.

With Kawhi & Paul headlining the other part of LA, the upcoming NBA season is definitely going to be one of the most competitive in recent memory and what better to simulate that with 2K20. And we haven’t forgotten about last year’s runners-up, the Warriors who should bounce back with new blood in the form of D’Angelo Russel, the new-look Brooklyn nets and the strengthened Rockets lineup.