The top 10 notable players not in NBA 2K25: Barkley, Wall, Griffin, more
2K SportsNBA 2K25 features a massive cast of current and former NBA players. In saying that, there are a few notable names who won’t be in this year’s title.
Because NBA 2K25 has an official agreement with the league and players association, licensed players are in the game. However, this is not the case with retired players.
A retired NBA player has to agree to add their likeness to the game. If a player is missing, the player either rejected the offer or the NBA Retired Players Association did not allow it. 2K has slowly added added legends every year, but a few slipped through the cracks.
Lets jump right into a few notable omissions.
Top 10 players not in NBA 2K25
- Charles Barkley
- Reggie Miller
- Blake Griffin
- John Wall
- Andre Iguodala
- Rasheed Wallace
- Serge Ibaka
- Goran Dragic
- Will Barton
- Nerlens Noel
First and foremost, two notable Basketball Hall of Fame members, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, are not in the game.
Most modern NBA fans know Barkley for being an analyst on TNT, but he is one of the best power forwards of all-time. Barkley won an MVP award in 1993 and was a five-time All-NBA First Team and five-time All-NBA Second Team member. Despite never winning a title, Barkley had his number retired two teams and is still remembered as an all-time great.
Barkley has been outspoken in the past as to why he’s not in the game, citing the “chump change” players are paid to be in 2K.
Fellow Hall of Fame member Reggie Miller also never got a championship ring, but the lights-out shooter held the NBA record for most career three-point field goals made. Ray Allen and Steph Curry would go on to surpass that record, but Miller is still widely regarded as one of the best Indiana Pacers players of all-time.
Continuing the trend of ringless legends, Blake Griffin was a force to be reckoned with during his long NBA career. Griffin will undoubtedly be in contention to become a Hall of Fame inductee after years of ferocious dunks and dominant power forward play.
Former first-overall pick John Wall more or less lived up to the billing. Similarly to Blake Griffin, injuries derailed the twilight of his career, but the electrifying point guard dominated at his peak. Wall’s magnetic ball handling will be missed in 2K.
Andre Iguodala certainly doesn’t jump off the page as the flashiest player. However, the lockdown defender is a four-time NBA champion with plenty of dominant years in the league.
There is always a chance that these stars return later down the line. For more on NBA 2K25, check out our League Pass guide.