Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant might be into his late 30s, but he's still the league's top-notch off guard in the eyes of the developers of 2K Sports latest edition of their successful basketball simulation game franchise - NBA 2K15.
Bryant, who is returning for his 19th NBA season after he was limited for just six games last season due to ACL and knee injuries, is still the top-rated shooting guard in NBA 2K15, as he bested younger off-guards like James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
The Black Mamba received a rating of 89, which is two notches lower than his previous rating of 91 last season. Nevertheless, a fine performance by the Lakers superstar through the first week of training camp has proven that age is nothing but a number.
The 36-year old Bryant plunged into action on Monday in an exhibition match with the Denver Nuggets in San Diego. As expected, Bryant was efficient as ever and never showed any ill-effects of the injuries, recording 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting and 5 dimes in 20 minutes of playing time.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is still the best basketball player in the NBA 2k15 world, getting the highest rating of 98. Kevin Durant, the NBA 2k15 posterboy, wound up as the second highest-rated player at 90, while Chris Paul (91), Tim Duncan (91) and Dwight Howard (88) were the best players at their respective positions.
Below are the top players in NBA 2k15 per position (Full Rankings):
Point Guards: Chris Paul (91), Los Angeles Clippers; Stephen Curry (89), Golden State Warriors; Russell Westbrook (88), Oklahoma City Thunder; Tony Parker (88), San Antonio Spurs; and Derrick Rose (88), Chicago Bulls.
Shooting Guards: Kobe Bryant (89), Los Angeles Lakers; James Harden (88), Houston Rockets; Dwyane Wade (86), Miami Heat; DeMar DeRozan (85), Toronto Raptors; and Lance Stephenson (84), Charlotte Hornets
Small Forwards: LeBron James (98), Cleveland Cavaliers; Kevin Durant (95), Oklahoma City Thunder; Carmelo Anthony (89), New York Knicks; Paul George (89), Indiana Pacers; and Kawhi Leonard (85), San Antonio Spurs.
Power Forwards: Tim Duncan (90), San Antonio Spurs; Kevin Love (89), Cleveland Cavaliers; Blake Griffin (89), Los Angeles Clippers; Anthony Davis (88), New Orleans Pelicans; Dirk Nowitzki (88), Dallas Mavericks and LaMarcus Aldridge (88), Portland Trail Blazers (tied at the fifth position).
Centers: Dwight Howard (88), Houston Rockets; Joakim Noah (87), Chicago Bulls; Al Jefferson (87), Charlotte Bobcats; DeMarcus Cousins (86), Sacramento Kings; and Marc Gasol (85), Memphis Grizzlies.
Developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2k Sports, NBA 2k15 is the latest edition of the popular basketball simulation game franchise. It's launched on October 7 in North America, while Australia and International market will have copies of the game on Oct.9 and Oct. 10, respectively.