Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has fallen out of the NBA 2K top 10 player ratings for the first time in over two decades ahead of NBA 2K27.
The 41-year-old forward received an overall rating of 91 in the initial player scores for NBA 2K27, placing him 16th in the video game rankings. The assessment marks the end of one of the longest off-court streaks of his basketball career.
To find the last time James began a video game edition outside the top 10, players have to look back to 2004. That year saw the launch of ESPN NBA 2K5, when James had just completed his debut season in the NBA. Since that release, James maintained an unbroken presence among the highest-rated players in the video game franchise for virtually his entire career.
The shift highlights the unprecedented longevity of the veteran star. When James previously fell outside the top 10 in 2004, he was 19 years old and had just won the NBA Rookie of the Year award with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now entering his 24th NBA season, he finds himself outside the top 10 once again at age 41, following more than two decades anchored at the pinnacle of professional basketball.
Peak Ratings and Recent Decline
Following his debut appearance in 2004, the video game rating for James rose rapidly, establishing him as one of the most dominant virtual figures in sports gaming. In multiple editions of the NBA 2K franchise, he achieved a maximum possible rating of 99. For the vast majority of his career, his initial rating remained securely in the mid-to-high 90s.
That trend began to shift in recent years alongside his advancing age and modest reductions in some of his individual statistical metrics. Nevertheless, in NBA 2K26, James still secured an initial overall rating of 94, keeping him comfortably within the top 10 player group.
Generational Shift in NBA 2K27
The upcoming release of NBA 2K27 breaks that decades-long continuity. With his 91 overall score, James now sits in 16th place, placing him behind a collection of stars from younger generations.
Players positioned ahead of James in the NBA 2K27 rankings include Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Kawhi Leonard, as well as the marquee stars filling out the top spots in the game.
While player ratings in the NBA 2K franchise do not function as an official NBA league ranking, they have established themselves across sports culture as a key reference point for gauging public and analyst perceptions of player performance prior to the start of each season.
A Legacy Across Decades
For fans and analysts alike, the decline carries a unique significance because virtually an entire generation of basketball followers has grown up without ever seeing James ranked outside the video game top 10.
Following his second NBA season, James transformed from a top young prospect into a global basketball icon. Over the course of his career, he has claimed four NBA championships, won four Most Valuable Player awards, and become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Throughout his career, which began when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him in 2003 before later chapters brought him to the Los Angeles Lakers, James established a standard of excellence. Other franchises featured in the current ratings landscape include the Philadelphia 76ers, whose rising talent Maxey is among those now ranked ahead of the veteran icon.
Future Focus and Season 24
Even with his drop to 16th place, NBA 2K27 still accords James an elite rating above 90 points. However, for the first time since 2004, he will start the video game year without a spot among the 10 highest-scored players.
Rather than signalling a sudden collapse, his 16th-place spot reflects a natural generational turnover surrounding one of the longest-tenured athletes in NBA history.
Heading into his 24th NBA season, James previously pondered retirement before reaffirming his commitment to the sport. The veteran forward remains focused on competing for his fifth NBA championship title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
