"Same bs year after year" - Fans react to NBA 2K26 official promo featuring LeBron James

LeBron James has yet again made an appearance in an NBA 2K game's promotional video. The Lakers star has been an integral attraction for the game's customers for over a decade. On Thursday, 2K released their latest game, NBA 2K26's trailer, to show off the new features and enhance gameplay of the latest installment in the basketball simulation series.

The trailer was mostly filled with in-game models of NBA stars from the new generation. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has multiple appearances with James Harden, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, making short cameos. LeBron James made an appearance at the end of the promo, where his in-game model is seen dunking and celebrating.

Fans swarmed social media with their opinions on the promo, with some expressing their negative first impressions of the game.

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"2k really got no shame in saying the same BS year after year😂😂😂," one fan said. "They don’t get tired of saying this every year," another fan said. "Literally the exact same as last year," another fan said.

Another fan called the game 'nonsense.'

"I’m not falling for this nonsense every year," the fan commented. "Same game from last year. But ima still get it," another fan said. "Exactly what they say every year, and somehow it gets worse and worse," another fan said.

NBA 2K26 is set to release for the masses on September 6, 2025. However, fans who pre-order the game can access the game seven days earlier, from August 29, 2025.

What is LeBron James' rating in NBA 2K26?

NBA 2K26 is still a month away from its release, even with the seven-day early access for players who pre-order. As of now, there is no way to get the official ratings for players in the latest edition; however, 2k Ratings has been a trusted source in leaking player ratings before the game's release.

According to 2k Ratings, the Lakers' superstar will have 96 as his rating in NBA 2K26, the same as his new teammate Luka Doncic. The rating is still subject to change on the game's release, but as LeBron James has always been one of the highest-rated players in the popular game franchise, fans can expect him to be in the higher 90s.

LeBron James has not had a rating lower than 94 since NBA 2K6. The highest rating he has ever had in the game was 99, which he received two times, once in NBA 2K9 and once in NBA 2K14. The lowest rating the Lakers star received was 78 in NBA 2K4, which came out in his rookie season.

Edited by John Maxwell