Video game publisher 2K Sports announced its first wave of ratings for NBA 2K22 on Wednesday morning, and a handful of NBA stars are less than satisfied with their overall standing.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant had high expectations for his rating.
In a video posted by NBA 2K, Durant, one of the cover athletes for the game's 75th anniversary edition, explained why he believes his rating should be a 99 overall.
"I work extremely hard," said Durant, who was a 96 overall last year. "I pretty much do everything great. That's why I should be a 99."
.@KDTrey5 thinks his 2K22 rating should be a 99 👀 Thoughts? #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/n5Pm3XzdVy
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 17, 2021
don't hear a single lie
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 17, 2021
LeBron James expressed his displeasure with how the game publisher rated Durant and Stephen Curry.
First Look at KD & he gets a 96 OVR 👀
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 18, 2021
Reply with your thoughts using #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/QF9CnilIxI
Nah! Should be 99! 🤷🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 18, 2021
Steph is a 96 in 2K22 👨🍳
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 18, 2021
Agree or nah? #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/KX7WUaZM88
Nah should be 99! 🤷🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 18, 2021
In last year's edition, James and Giannis Antetokounmpo shared the crown as the highest-rated players, with 97 overall ratings.
Fresh off of a season in which he led the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals, Trae Young also was not satisfied with his rating.
😂😂😂 feel like we do this every year... y'all ever gonna get it right?!🤔😂 #CantPlayItYet 💆🏽💯 😂😂😂 https://t.co/kXbQZ4V8dq
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) August 18, 2021
Although Madden has become somewhat notorious for what is dubbed as the "99 Club," its basketball counterpart rarely awards near-perfect ratings to main roster players.
The Top 10 Players in 2K22 ⭐
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 18, 2021
Agree? #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/BEfMn7xkBk
Kevin Garnett was NBA 2K's first 99 overall in 2001, but Shaquille O'Neal responded by becoming the only 100 overall player the following year.
Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Chris Paul are the only other players who have achieved the feat of a 99 rating while active on an NBA roster, but an active player has not held the exclusive rating since 2K14.
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also have been awarded with the nearly perfect 99 grade.
Needless to say, joining 2K's 99 Club is no easy feat, but KD's performance in the 2021 playoffs along with his golden hardware from the Tokyo Olympics weren't quite enough to help bolster his case.