NBA 2K27 has 18 GOAT Builds in Season 2, and eight of them are available the moment you open the builder. The other ten come from three places: the free Season 2 rewards track, your REP tier, and Lifetime Challenges. Here is every one, how to get it, and which are worth working toward.
What a GOAT Build is
GOAT Builds arrived with Season 2 on October 16. They are preset MyPLAYER builds modelled on NBA players, and 2K says they can go past the attribute and physical limits of the normal builder. A point guard taller than the usual height limit, or a guard with speed no custom build can reach, are both possible.
The trade-off is control. You can’t change a GOAT Build’s attributes, body or signature animations, and that includes the jump shot. What you can still set are Badges, Cap Breakers and Takeovers. Unlocks and rules come from 2K’s Season 2 Courtside Report.
All 18 GOAT Builds
| Player | Position | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Available from day one | ||
| Penny Hardaway | PG | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Gilbert Arenas | PG | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Klay Thompson | SG | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Carmelo Anthony | SF | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Andrei Kirilenko | SF | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Kawhi Leonard | SF | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Anthony Davis | PF | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Dwight Howard | C | GOAT Builds path in the builder |
| Season 2 rewards track (free) | ||
| Magic Johnson | PG | Season Level 26 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | PF | Season Level 33 |
| Young Kobe Bryant | SG | Season Level 37 |
| REP rewards | ||
| 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 |
| Lifetime Challenges | ||
| Anthony Edwards | SG | Complete 300 Lifetime Challenges |
| Wilt Chamberlain | C | Complete 350 Lifetime Challenges |
The Lifetime Challenge counts are the totals players report seeing in game. 2K hasn’t listed them in its Season 2 posts.
Which ones are worth chasing?
Start with the free eight. They cost nothing to try, and the spread covers every position. Kawhi Leonard is the obvious pick if you want a defender, Klay Thompson if you want a shooter.
The season track is the best value. Magic, Dirk and Young Kobe only need Season XP, which you earn in The City, MyCAREER and MyTEAM anyway. Kobe at Level 37 is the standout: he finishes at the rim almost as well as Jordan without the REP grind. Our Young Kobe GOAT Build guide has his full ratings. Season progress resets when the season ends, so these three are the ones with a deadline.
REP builds are for regulars. Elite V (Ray Allen and Hakeem) comes well before Elite VIII. Elite VIII, where Derrick Rose and Michael Jordan sit, is a long grind, and Legend I for LeBron longer still. If you’re going for them, play Crew Divisions, which earn a 25% REP bonus throughout Season 2. Rose is the fastest build of the 18, and our Derrick Rose GOAT Build guide covers whether he’s worth that grind.
Lifetime Challenge builds are long-term projects. Anthony Edwards and Wilt Chamberlain need hundreds of challenges, so treat them as something that unlocks along the way rather than a target for this season.
GOAT Build or your own build?
A GOAT Build gives you ratings no custom build can reach, but you’re stuck with that player’s jump shot and animations. If your jumper is the reason you win games, a custom build in the regular MyPLAYER Builder is still the safer choice. If you play on the ball and attack the rim, the extra physical limits are hard to give up.
This list reflects NBA 2K27 Season 2. If 2K adds GOAT Builds in a later season, we’ll add them here.