Steph Curry, Nikola Jokić, and Kevin Durant headline NBA 2K26’s elite shooters. Yet while those lists are stacked with star power, one absence immediately caught fans’ attention
LeBron James’ name is nowhere to be found in the game’s top-10 rankings for either three-point or mid-range shooting and fans are letting 2K know exactly how they feel.
Curry, KD, Jokic Lead the Way
In the three-point category, Curry sits alone at the top with a perfect 99 rating. Kevin Durant (91) and Klay Thompson (89) round out the top three, with Desmond Bane, Zach LaVine, Isaiah Joe, Jarrett Allen, Luke Kennard, Sam Hauser, and Anthony Edwards filling out the rest.
Mid-range is led by Jokić and Kyrie Irving at 98, followed by a group at 97 that includes Durant, Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Andrew Nembhard, Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Miles McBride, and Khris Middleton.
LeBron? Absent from both lists.
Social Media Reacts: “LeBron Should Be Here”
The omission lit up social media. One fan wrote, “LeBron should be number one.” Another posted simply, “Notice how LeBron isn’t there.”
Others aimed their frustration directly at 2K: “This list is terrible” and “2K ratings getting worse and worse every year” were just a few of the more blunt responses.
Not Known as a Specialist — But Still a Snub?
LeBron has never been purely defined by his shooting. His two-decade dominance comes from a mix of scoring, playmaking, defense, and leadership. Still, his percentages from deep and mid-range have improved in the latter part of his career, which is part of what’s allowed him to remain elite at age 40.
For many fans, that evolution alone should have earned him a spot among the best.
The Bigger Question
Whether this was about raw stats, stricter criteria, or simply an oversight, NBA 2K26 has reignited a familiar debate: how do we measure greatness?
Is it the specialists who dominate one skill, or the legends who adapt and excel across the board?
This year, at least in the virtual world, LeBron’s versatility didn’t make the list. And for his fans, that’s the biggest miss of all.