via Reuters
Jaren Jackson Jr. celebrates with De’Anthony Melton (Joe Rondone/Reuters)
via Reuters
Jaren Jackson Jr. celebrates with De’Anthony Melton (Joe Rondone/Reuters)
With NBA 2K25 releasing soon, the player ratings have already been revealed. Some players really care about their 2K rating, while others couldn’t care less. Nikola Jokić doesn’t care much. The three-time MVP was given a rating of 97 in the new NBA game, and while Jokic doesn’t mind, there seems to be another player who isn’t happy with that rating.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the big man for the Memphis Grizzlies, clearly wasn’t happy with Jokic’s rating on 2K, as he expressed during a discussion on The Old Man and The Three podcast. “Joker got three-MVPs and he get a 97? I wish I had three MVPs and they give me a 97, I low-key be mad.” Jackson Jr said. Even though 97 is the highest rating for a current male player in the NBA game—a rating shared by Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic—Jaren feels it’s not enough for the reigning MVP.
In addition, two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson was given a rating of 99, the highest of all players in the game. While Jaren Jackson Jr. had no problem with Wilson’s rating, he still felt Jokic’s could have been higher. “A’ja should be a 100 and Joker needs to be on a 98,” the Memphis star said.
Surprisingly, Jokic had a 98 rating in the previous NBA 2K24 game. Even though he didn’t win the MVP that year, he was still ranked at the top with a higher rating than when he won the MVP. Maybe the game’s mechanics have changed since then, and the ratings reflect that. We’ll have to wait until the game comes out to know the real reason.
A closer look at Jokic stats in NBA 2k25
In NBA 2K25, Nikola Jokic has an overall rating of 97 with a “2-Way 3-Level Playmaker” build. He possesses 43 badges, including 5 at Hall of Fame level and 27 at Gold level. The strongest aspect of Jokic’s game in 2K is his outside scoring. With an impressive 99 close shot rating, he’s highly accurate when shooting near the basket. Additionally, his 80 three-point shot rating makes him a significant threat from beyond the arc.
Even though there hasn’t been a major change in Nikola Jokic’s offensive stats, his interior defense rating has been lowered by 9 points, from 79 in NBA 2K24 to 70 in NBA 2K25. However, there’s no need to worry—he has a potential rating of 97 in NBA 2K25, which means his stats can increase rapidly when used in career mode.
Well, whatever the case, ratings only matter to a certain extent. It’s all about how the player is used in the game. With just a few days until NBA 2K25’s release, how excited are you for it?
Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.
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Debate
Why is Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, still not getting the respect he deserves in NBA 2K?