NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds: All 18 Players and How to Unlock Them

NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds arrive with Season 2 on October 16, letting you create a MyPLAYER based on NBA stars whose height and attributes can break the limits of the regular builder. There are 18 confirmed player builds in total: eight in the builder from the start, three unlocked by Season 2 levels, five through REP and two from Lifetime Challenges.

Want Klay Thompson? He’s in the starting selection. Michael Jordan needs Elite VIII REP, and LeBron James is locked behind Legend I. The full list below shows exactly which route leads to each player, so you can decide whether to build someone now or chase a favourite.

All 18 NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds and unlock requirements

Open the MyPLAYER Builder and look for the GOAT Builds path. The eight starting NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds are selectable from this path without first completing an unlock challenge. The other ten are earned by reaching the listed milestone. 2K has not published a separate VC price or detailed per-build purchase screen for these templates, so an immediate unlock is not a promise that developing a new MyPLAYER costs nothing. These are the positions and unlock requirements provided in 2K’s Season 2 Courtside Report.

Player	Position	How to unlock
Penny Hardaway	PG	Available immediately
Gilbert Arenas	PG	Available immediately
Klay Thompson	SG	Available immediately
Carmelo Anthony	SF	Available immediately
Andrei Kirilenko	SF	Available immediately
Kawhi Leonard	SF	Available immediately
Anthony Davis	PF	Available immediately
Dwight Howard	C	Available immediately
Magic Johnson	PG	Season 2 Level 26
Dirk Nowitzki	PF	Season 2 Level 33
Kobe Bryant	SG	Season 2 Level 37
Ray Allen	SG	REP Elite V
Hakeem Olajuwon	C	REP Elite V
Derrick Rose	PG	REP Elite VIII
Michael Jordan	SG	REP Elite VIII
LeBron James	SF	REP Legend I
Anthony Edwards	SG	300 Lifetime Challenges
Wilt Chamberlain	C	350 Lifetime Challenges

The starting NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds cover every position: Hardaway and Arenas at point guard, Thompson at shooting guard, Anthony, Kirilenko and Leonard on the wing, Davis at power forward and Howard at center. You don’t need to grind REP for one of those eight before opening the builder.

How to unlock Magic Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and young Kobe

Magic Johnson unlocks at Season 2 Level 26, Dirk Nowitzki at Level 33 and young Kobe Bryant at Level 37. These are the three NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds earned on the numbered Season rewards track. You earn Season XP through eligible games in The City, MyCAREER and MyTEAM. Check your Season progress to see how many levels remain before your preferred player becomes available.

After earning the Season-reward NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds, you can keep levelling for other bonuses. Season 2 also adds Synergy Badge Slots at Levels 7, 15, 25 and 35, Bonus Badge Slots at Levels 11 and 31, and a +1 Cap Breaker at Level 40. Those rewards have separate uses, so it is still worth earning XP after the last GOAT Build at Level 37. You don’t need to buy the Pro Pass specifically to unlock Magic, Dirk or Kobe. 2K lists all three as Season level rewards, while the paid Pro Pass unlocks a separate track of cosmetics and bonuses. The company hasn’t confirmed whether it will offer an additional paid way to jump directly to one of these builds.

How to unlock Jordan, LeBron and the other REP players

The next five NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds use the REP progression ladder. Ray Allen and Hakeem Olajuwon unlock at Elite V, Derrick Rose and Michael Jordan at Elite VIII, and LeBron James at Legend I. These ranks are separate from Season 2’s 1–40 level track: reaching Season Level 40 does not automatically grant you the Elite or Legend rewards.

Season 2 gives you a route to work on the REP-gated NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds. Crew Divisions matches now award a 25% REP boost, while Crew XP earned for the Crew rewards track is doubled. Those are two different bonuses, so don’t confuse Crew XP with REP when you’re working towards Jordan or LeBron. Crew HQ now plays at The REC’s difficulty level; private Squad Showdown matches retain their competitive settings.

Anthony Edwards and Wilt Chamberlain: Lifetime Challenges

Anthony Edwards unlocks after completing 300 Lifetime Challenges. Wilt Chamberlain takes 350 completed Lifetime Challenges. These are not Season XP levels or Crew REP ranks; check your own Lifetime Challenges progress to see how much work remains.

Your Lifetime Challenges total is what counts for these two NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds, not your Season level. Check that total to see how close you are to Edwards or Wilt. Check that counter before committing to either unlock. If you’re nowhere near 300 yet, the eight starting builds will get you playing with the new feature today.

Can you change the animations, Badges or height?

NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds can exceed the normal builder limits, but you cannot redesign everything. 2K says the star’s stats and signature animations are locked to preserve their playing style. Badges, Cap Breakers and Takeovers remain available for customisation, so there is still room to shape the build once it’s created. Exact individual stat sheets, Badge limits and animation lists aren’t part of the published announcement; the table above is an unlock guide, not a claimed ranking of the strongest builds.

Magic Johnson shows what changes with NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds: 2K says it allows a point guard above the usual 6’7″ height cap. That is something you cannot recreate by choosing the standard point guard path and changing a few sliders. For your first build, choose the position and movement you enjoy. Howard is a very different prospect from Thompson, and the locked animations will be part of that choice.

Questions about NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds

Do you need the Season 2 Pro Pass?

No. Magic Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and young Kobe are listed as regular Season 2 level rewards. The other NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds are unlocked through REP or Lifetime Challenges. The Pro Pass offers a different set of rewards; none of the published GOAT Build unlock requirements asks you to buy it.

Are the builds free, or will you need VC?

The eight starting builds don’t require you to climb a Season level or REP rank. 2K hasn’t confirmed a separate VC price for creating or upgrading a GOAT Build. These are unlock requirements, not a promise that developing the resulting MyPLAYER is free.

Can you get all 18 players on the first day?

No. The eight starting NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds are available immediately. The three Season players need XP, the five REP players need the specified rank, and Anthony Edwards and Wilt Chamberlain need hundreds of Lifetime Challenges. There is no single reward that unlocks all 18 at once.

What if the GOAT Builds option isn’t showing?

Check that your game is updated for Season 2 and that you’re using the MyPLAYER Builder. NBA 2K27 GOAT Builds arrived on October 16, so they won’t appear in an older version of the game. If the option is still missing after updating, look for a known issue on 2K’s support channels before spending VC.

Official sources: NBA 2K27 Season 2 Courtside Report and 2K’s Season 2 announcement.