'A Made Man in Our World': Ronnie 2K Talks Jayson Tatum Gracing NBA 2K25 Cover

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 27, 2024

Feb 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes in for a dunk as Philadelphia 76ers forward Darius Bazley (25) and guard Ricky Council IV (16) look on during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

When Jayson Tatum found out that he would grace the cover of NBA 2K25, a surprise he learned from his son, Deuce, on his birthday, the five-time All-Star admits it made him emotional.

"I actually got teary-eyed; I kind of cried a little bit," Tatum told co-hosts Sue Bird and Tommy Alter and fellow NBA 2K25 cover athlete A'ja Wilson in an appearance on The Old Man and The Three after the news went public.

"Because I feel like I'm very blessed and fortunate that when I was younger, I had so many dreams, and goals, and things I wanted to check off," said the three-time All-NBA First Team selection. "I'm experiencing those things in real-time."

Dreams do come true 🙏🏽 https://t.co/Bw4twgUKvY

— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) July 10, 2024

Tatum is a 95 overall in this year's edition of NBA 2K, which all editions of are available to pre-order ahead of its worldwide release on Sep. 6. That makes him the eighth-highest-rated player in the game. Denver Nuggets star and three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic tops the list with an overall ranking of 97. Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo also earned that mark.

Rounding out the top five are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Joel Embiid, who both received a rating of 96 overall. LeBron James and Stephen Curry share the same grade as Tatum.

Regarding Tatum's teammates, here's a look at how the Celtics' starters are ranked.

The champs are here 🏆

Boston's Top 5 for #NBA2K25 pic.twitter.com/y2Eh7z3qQb

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 27, 2024

Jaylen Brown is the 15th-highest-rated player in NBA 2K25. He shares that mark with Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Donovan Mitchell. Jrue Holiday is the game's top-rated perimeter defender, and Derrick White is also in the top five in that category.

In an exclusive interview with Boston Celtics on SI, edited for length, clarity, and grammar, Ronnie Singh, the Head of Lifestyle and Content Marketing, better known as Ronnie 2K, discussed the Celtics' player ratings, having a hand in how Tatum found out about getting chosen to be on the cover of NBA 2K25, and his relationship with the star forward, which spans nearly a decade.

He also shared insight into how NBA 2K's ratings get formulated, how he deals with those coming to him to complain about their ranking, the evolution of the unrivaled most popular basketball video game, and what he's most proud of about its growth.

Bobby Krivitsky: How did Ronnie Singh get to where he is now and become Ronnie 2K?

Ronnie 2K: Wow. How much time do you have? So, I've been here for 17, almost 17 years at 2K, and how we've kind of grown into this lifestyle, cultural brand that gets to have this point of view on the various NBA superstars in the league, it's really like such a long story and one that I'm really thrilled to have been part of.

To get to commiserate with these guys, but also, like, this time of year, we'll have that spirited conversation about what their rating should be and how they're kind of measured against their peers, is a lot of fun.

I'm just a small cog in a really big machine, but one that obviously has been a lot of fun in the basketball landscape.

Bobby Krivitsky: It's certainly a great machine to be a part of. I'm curious: how do the developers at Visual Concepts determine the player ratings?

Ronnie 2K: Yeah, so there are a bunch of sub ratings. That goes for on-the-court stuff like the obvious -- shooting attributes and the defensive attributes -- and then things that are mentally based -- how you play off the ball with your IQ.

I think it's like 30-some-odd -- somewhere between 30 and 40 sub-numbers that add up in a formula and spit out a number. There's not really any subjectivity. It's based on what that formula spits out.

One thing I'll say is that it's a little tougher than maybe other gaming companies because we have the great pleasure of working with the historical basketball landscape. So, it's very rare that in a current year, you'll have a 99 -- like NBA 2K25 cover athlete A'ja Wilson -- it's very rare for that to happen.

So, it really is, historically, to not only have a 99 in our game right now, but from an NBA historical perspective is the 1995-96 Michael Jordan. So, everybody kind of falls in line after that. So, that's how it works.

Bobby Krivitsky: It is a really cool and unique concept that you guys have, and you obviously want these ratings to remain as accurate as possible. So, as you're watching players showcase their growth during the season, when do you determine it's time to update how an individual is graded?

Ronnie 2K: Well, it's definitely not a small sample size, right? There's been many historic games of a guy popping off for 40 or 50 out of nowhere, and that's not gonna create a seismic shift in their rating. It usually (takes) a little bit of a sample size to show that there has been development and growth in their game.

You see it every once in a while; we probably talk about a few of those guys. Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) is a perfect example, right? He was the highest-rated rookie we've had in many years at 2K. And for him to live up to those expectations and far exceed them has really led to a big jump in his rating. And I mean, who knows how much higher it can go with his skill set?

But that's the kind of sample size we need. Obviously, his rating kept bumping up from 84. I think it landed at the 89 by the end of the year. So, those are the kind of guys where there's less video on him, right? He played internationally. He was a rookie; he could take more of a seismic jump. Guys that have been in the league for 15 years plus are not going up or down massively in a very short stretch of time just because we have a much bigger sample size on those guys.

Bobby Krivitsky: How do you handle when a player reaches out to you because they're upset about their ranking?

Ronnie 2K: Oh yeah, that has become a very common occurrence and one that I always have a lot of fun with, and I mean, my line is pretty strict, which is that the ratings are as sacred as they could be.

This isn't a popularity contest. This isn't something that you can campaign for. This is not something that you can bribe for. This is something that's based on a very strict formula that Visual Concepts has taken very seriously over the years and the great work that Michael Stauffer and his team do on bringing out those ratings.

I get to be the polarizing figure who has to deal with the NBA players in terms of when they're angry about that or happy about that or whatever their emotions about that are. And getting to be a part of that conversation, it is really crazy that this one number is such a conversation topic with these players, and it means so much (to them).

It doesn't affect how much money they make in the league. It doesn't affect how many All-Stars are gonna make it in the league, but it is right up there with all of those other accolades, like, 'What is my 2K rating?' They're worried about it every single year. It is a stamp of pride. These guys are so competitive, and they get the ability to compete against their contemporaries with yet another thing, which is the NBA 2K rating.

Bobby Krivitsky: These are some of the most competitive people in the world. So, I'd imagine that virtually no one is satisfied with their rating, no matter what it is.

Ronnie 2K: Yeah, once in a while, you'll get guys that are like, 'Oh, yeah, I could see (how you landed on) that. I've even had a couple of guys that have been like, 'Really? I'm that high?' And I'm like, 'You should be happy.'

But no, look, I think we do the thing with the rookies every single year now, and they all understand that they're gonna start right around that mid-70s to low 80s range, sometimes lower if you are drafted lower, and (then) you work your way up.

If you think about it, Luka, Giannis, and others, I think Luka was a 59 when he was first drafted or when he first appeared in 2K, but not when he was drafted. He appeared on a EuroLeague team back in the day as a 59. And so, obviously, that one has changed a lot.

Same with Giannis and Nikola Jokic. In Jokic's case, he was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial. So, some of these prognostications, especially where there's not a lot of video sample size and getting to play against NBA level talent, part of it is a little bit of doing the best that we can, and if you can outplay (and) outperform your prognostication then your rating will go up.

Bobby Krivitsky: Do you have any stories that you can share about a current or former Celtic who reached out to you because they weren't happy about their ranking?

Ronnie 2K: Me and Jayson are very well documented in having ratings discussions, to put it lightly, over the years. But now, he's a 95, he is the eighth-highest-rated player in 2K, and he's the cover star. He is a made man in our world. There is no bigger honor that we can bestow than the 2K cover.

So, to get to have this conversation with Jayson for what, eight years now, nine years, I think this is his ninth year, every single year it has been a discussion, and some of them have been heated, some of them have been really humorous. But he is among the top of the world now, which is really amazing to see. I'm really glad for him.

Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Krivitsky: Jrue Holiday is the top-rated perimeter defender. Are there any other Celtics who have the highest ranking in a category?

Ronnie 2K: Jaylen Brown was really high on the dunk list. I believe Derrick White was the fifth-highest perimeter defender. They're obviously well-represented. A championship team, they're gonna be well-represented, (with) some really amazing ratings across the board.

I think (Kristaps) Porzingis, this is kind of a funny example because he had dropped down, kind of (got) lost in the bigger NBA landscape. But, obviously, the season he had and the playoffs he had, he's gone all the way back up to an 87, which is really amazing for him. Let's see if he can continue to develop this at this stage of his career and see if that rating can go up even more.

Bobby Krivitsky: There were a lot of players on the Celtics who had career years last season: Derrick White; Jaylen Brown made significant leaps as a playmaker and a defender; Payton Pritchard became a rotation fixture. Who on the team made the biggest leap in overall rating from 2K24 to this version of the game?

Ronnie 2K: I'm trying to think off the top of my head. I don't want to misspeak this, but it's probably between Payton and Derrick. Derrick is now an 86, I believe he started last year as a 78. So, obviously, that's a dramatic jump up. I don't remember what Payton started as last year, but he has gone up a tremendous amount as well.

Bobby Krivitsky: Jayson said that when he found out he was on the cover, it made him emotional to the point he got teary-eyed; what was your reaction when you heard how much this honor means to him?

Ronnie 2K: He and I have talked about it for almost a decade now, like every year, and we've had the great pleasure of working together on multiple commercials for 2K and other brands.

And it's sincere how much he plays, and how much he loves the game, and how much it means to him. I know he has had a chip on his shoulder for multiple reasons over the course of his career. What are you gonna say now that he has a 2K cover?

It is really amazing. He's one of the few people in the world who can say that. So, I know he's overwhelmed.

It's funny, I was involved with the way we told him, which was on his birthday, to get his son, Deuce, to tell him, which was super cool. I wanted to text him and be like, 'Congratulations, buddy.'

But I didn't want to ruin the surprise. So, I was like, 'I got to time this perfectly.' So, a couple of days later, I was like, 'I didn't wish you (a) happy birthday because I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but congratulations on the cover.' It was great.

Bobby Krivitsky: That's awesome. And then my last question: is there a particular aspect of 2K's growth you're most proud of?

Ronnie 2K: What can I say? In 17 years, the way we've completely transformed what we offer, right? When I started here, it was really about quick game. Now, it's about you as a basketball player and your decision, and (what you do) in my career, and how you go out and flex in the city, and the whole lifestyle of the brand.

And also, the ability for us to make an impact on the bigger world -- later that day, Ronnie and Tatum opened up a newly renovated basketball court at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis that the latter used to play at and teamed up with 2K to renovate.

For us to be able to give back to the game that's given so much to us in terms of what this video game means to so many people, but also now, how we can pay it back in the real world, that's really what it's about.

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