NBA 2K27 is putting three very different basketball stars at the center of this year’s release: Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark and Derrick Rose. With Wembanyama taking the main cover, the game continues the NBA 2K series’ reputation for choosing athletes who already carry major attention across the sport.
Wembanyama’s selection reflects how quickly he has become one of the NBA’s biggest names. Fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, he enters NBA 2K27 as the clearest symbol of the league’s next generation. In terms of legend status, he may still be building his full résumé, but his current momentum makes him an easy headliner.
Clark brings a different type of star power to the NBA 2K27 cover athletes group. She has become one of the defining faces of the WNBA, and her inclusion shows how much influence women’s basketball now has in the broader sports conversation. Even early in her professional career, her visibility and impact already give her a strong claim in any ranking of modern basketball relevance.
Rose adds the most obvious legacy element to the lineup. While Wembanyama represents the future and Clark represents the sport’s surging present, Rose stands for lasting recognition and fan connection. Taken together, the NBA 2K27 cover athletes span rising greatness, crossover appeal and established basketball fame, which is why the trio fits so well in a debate about legend status.
