The popular NBA 2K video game series is getting ready to release the latest installment, 2K12, which is for the (hopefully) upcoming 2011-12 NBA season. There is always a bit of debate surrounding the rankings given to the best players in the game, and that appears to be the case again this season.
Last year, both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were rated as 97 overall in the game. This sparked a bit of discussion as to which player was better, but since both were the same rating it wasn’t anything too intense.
That will change this year, however, as 2K Sports has announced that this year the ratings will be different. James is rated a 98, and is the highest rated player in the game. Bryant dropped from a 97 to a 94, and is even rated below James’ Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.
This is sure to cause plenty of uprising from the legions of Lakers fans who don’t want to see Bryant’s stock drop, despite the fact that he is 33-years-old and entering his 16th NBA season.
Other than Wade, James and Bryant the only player to have his ratings revealed so far is the third member of the Miami Heat ‘big three,’ Chris Bosh. The power forward’s rating dropped from 87 to 80 from the previous edition of the game to the new one.