Inside The Thunder

NBA 2K25: Game Review and OKC Thunder Preview

A first look at the Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA 2K25

Nick Crain

Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein of the OKC Thunder
Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein of the OKC Thunder / NBA 2K25
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The launch of NBA 2K is one of the most anticipated events every year leading up to the start of the NBA's regular season. On Sep. 6, NBA 2K25 will officially be released to the public which will kickstart the excitement around the world for the 2024-25 season. The release of the game every summer allows fans to play with their favorite teams' new-look rosters and get a sense of how the landscape of the league could look.

As NBA 2K has continued to evolve throughout the years, the newest iteration brings many enhancements, but also the best of previous versions. Along with standard quickplay, gamers are able to play their favorite modes including MyCAREER, MyNBA, MyGM, MyTeam and much more.

Overall, the game itself is clearly the most realistic to date. The fluidity of the on-court play is unmatched, with several key improvements to make the product look and feel exactly as a live game would in real life. Not only do players have shooting mechanics that mirror that of reality, but their dribble moves and celebrations are equally as realistic. The same goes for the more advanced game modes. The off-court gameplay and scenes are well put together and of great quality.

As it relates to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the game truly highlights what makes the young, rising team so special. The Thunder boasts five of the top 100 players in the game and has proven to be one of NBA 2K25's best teams. When playing with Oklahoma City at home, the detail of Paycom Center is much improved from the previous iteration of the game,

Just like in real life, the Thunder's roster in NBA 2K25 is headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is rated as the fourth-best player in the entire game at 96 overall. After finishing runner-up in MVP voting last season, he's established himself as a clear top-five player in the league.

NBA 2K25
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 96 Overall / NBA 2K25

But at what point could Gilgeous-Alexander be in consideration for cover athlete? NBA 2K25 features Jayson Tatum on the standard edition cover, but don't be surprised if the Thunder star has a real shot in the next few years of seeing himself as the game's showcased athlete.

"I'd like to say he is a future cover athlete, one day I hope that happens," Ronnie 2K told Thunder on SI last week ahead of NBA 2K25's release. "The guys that we work with, are people that authentically play and are historians of 2K. He is just a delight to work with, he is a really good dude and he obviously aligns with a lot of the things that we align with with fashion and music."

When playing with Gilgeous-Alexander, what stands out most is how realistic his movements are. His signature go-to shots are highly impressive, but the way he moves around on the court, handles the ball and changes direction is about as good as a video game could get. This is due to the latest gameplay enhancements via ProPLAY, 2K’s groundbreaking technology that translates authentic movements from actual NBA footage into immersive gameplay which features an increased animation library that delivers 2K’s most true-to-life basketball yet.

One of the most popular topics of conversation entering the 2024-25 season is around who will start for the Thunder. While this doesn't guarantee anything, 2K25 defaults to Alex Caruso slotting into the starting lineup and filling the void of Josh Giddey, who he was traded for.

NBA 2K25
OKC Thunder Starters / NBA 2K25

Again, Oklahoma City has five players in the top 100 of the game, but has tremendous depth throughout the entire roster. Six players have ratings above 80, which is extremely impressive and speaks to how good the Thunder should be this season.

OKC Thunder Player Ratings
OKC Thunder Roster / NBA 2K25

Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren should be on the cusp of stardom this season. One of the best features in NBA 2K25 as it relates to Williams and his ascension is the addition of his signature celebration after making a 3-pointer. Gameplay, Powered by ProPLAY™ brings 9,000 new animations to NBA2K25 pulling from real-world NBA footage to seamlessly translate actual NBA moments into authentic gameplay. One of these is Williams holding up three fingers on his forehead, which Thunder fans saw plenty of times last season.

Holmgren is Oklahoma City's second-best player at the time of the game's launch with an 87 rating. The 7-footer is known for his elite rim protection on the defensive end, but can also step out and space the floor which makes him among the most fun centers to play with in NBA 2K25.

Perhaps what is most interesting about gamers getting their hands on NBA 2K25 is the ability to play with the Thunder's two newest pieces in Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. They both project to be extremely important pieces for OKC this season, with this game being the first real chance to visually see what they could look like on the court with their newest teammates given they won't make their Thunder debuts until next month in the preseason.

Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein
Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein / NBA 2K25

Overall, early gameplay of NBA 2K25 has been extremely impressive, Not only is the Thunder one of the most exciting teams to play with, but every game mode -- including standard on-court play -- has clear improvements and enhancements. As the season gets closer and the 2024-25 campaign goes on, more will be added to the game and ratings will continue to adjust in real-time.

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Nick Crain

NICK CRAIN

Nick has spent the last four seasons covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and has grown quickly in the media since starting. He’s continued to produce Thunder content through writing for Forbes.com and podcasting with The Uncontested Podcast, as well as branching out to cover the NBA as a whole for SLAM Online.

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