With the Spurs and Knicks battling it out in the NBA Finals, basketball fans have a lot to look forward to. The New York team took the first game, but it's an incredibly fragile lead against one of the most stacked teams in years (with Wembanyama). Speaking of stacking teams, NBA 2K26s Season 7 features some truly OP superstars that players will want to grind for, but which cards warrant the effort? What are traps that can be safely ignored?
6 Things NBA 2K26 Can Learn From Joe Mazzulla's Coach of the Year Season
Joe Mazzulla won the NBA's Coach of the Year, and NBA 2K could learn a thing or two from his success during the regular season with the Celtics.
I don't really need to explain how NBA 2K26s season pass works; But, just for the completionist's sake, let's quickly cover that ground. Players must earn Season XP to level upwhich is done by completing games in underdogs of MyTeam (there are also MyCareer rewards, but they are consistently terrible). The best ones to spam are Breakout (because it's single player), Showdown (because the matches are quite short), and Pay Cap (because it restricts players from using god teams). At certain levels, they unlock rewards, most of which are unique special cards for legendary or current players. You can also purchase the Season 7 Pro Pass for $10 to get a bunch of other rewards, including a unique version of Michael Jordan.
In addition to the passport rewards, NBA 2K26 constantly cycles out cards that are unlocked by completing challenges, with the current set being called the “Generation Festival”.
We'll first mention two challenge cards related to the finals (including a superstar who just had a big game in the finals). After that, we'll get into Season 7 rewards.
In this case, “Finals Card” refers only to cards available during the NBA Finals.
Since you'll automatically unlock each reward once you've reached that level, we'll be highlighting the cards worth using first. We will also mention challenge cards at the end.
Additionally, nba.2k.com was used as a source.
All NBA 2K26 Season 7 Level Up Rewards
Basic and Pro passes
Before we highlight the cards that are actually worth the effort, let's first give a breakdown of all the rewards available in the Free and Pro Passes. After all, not all teams have the same requirements, and you may want to pick up a player who will be ignored by most.
Base pass rewards
|
Level |
My Team |
My career |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
The invincible angel Reese |
|
|
10 |
Dark Matter Wendell Carter Jr. |
|
|
18 |
Dune Buggy Vehicles |
|
|
19 |
Moondog – Cleveland Cavaliers Mascot |
|
|
20 |
Dark Matter Norman Powell |
|
|
28 |
Dark Matter Phil Jackson Coach Card |
|
|
29 |
Two-tone goatee |
|
|
30 |
100 OVR John Stockton |
|
|
35 |
Invincible Ben Wallace |
|
|
36 |
Angel Reese T-shirt |
|
|
37 |
100 OVR Premium Pack |
Black and pink jeans |
|
39 |
Low Poly Baller |
|
|
40 |
GOAT Michael Jordan (SG/SF) |
+1 Cap Breaker |
Pro Pass Rewards
|
Level |
Automatically unlocked |
Deserved |
|---|---|---|
|
Car |
|
|
|
6 |
Animated medallion |
|
|
21 |
Animated boxing robe |
|
|
30 |
Hooper – Detroit Pistons Mascot |
|
|
36 |
Animated Flower Fever Tee |
|
|
39 |
Low Poly Baller: Ice Form |
|
|
40 |
Pro Pass GOAT Michael Jordan (PG/SG) |
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
Playoff Challenge Card: Invincible Jalen Brunson
Future Finals MVP?
-
Requirements: Score 38 points with a player against the Cavaliers
Jalen Brunson has really shown up for the playoffs, delivering one amazing performance after another. His masterpiece (so far) was Game 1 vs the Cavaliers, where he dropped 38 points. That said, he also scored 30 points against the Spurs in Game 1 of the Finals, so he could very well top that performance.
NBA 2K26 really love Brunson, because he's been getting so many snaps all season. His Invincible card is clearly the best yet, and its unlock requirements aren't too punishing, considering they only involve getting 38 points with any player against the Cavaliers. Not absurdly easy by any means, but just get a great 3-point artist and blow those points through.
While his stats are great, Brunson is relatively short, which makes him somewhat difficult to use and (arguably) disqualifies him from acting as a team's primary shooter. But he is a good second option.
Best NBA Games, Ranked
Sports betting isn't easy to do, but when it's good, it's really good. Here are the best NBA games, ranked by their greatness.
Playoff Challenge Card: 100 OVR Alex Caruso
Thunder machine
-
Requirements: Score 22 points with one player against Spurs
Despite being arguably the favorites, OKC failed to make it to the Finals, falling at the final hurdle to the San Antonio Spurs. Nevertheless, the team had a great playoff run, as reflected by NBA 2K26 highlight some Thunder players. Even more so than Jalen Williams' Invincible card, Alex Caruso's 100 OVR is an absolute beast that almost defies logic.
Obviously his defense is top notch, but Caruso is also incredibly dangerous up front, offering mobility in both movement and shooting. A 6'5″ Shooting Guard who moves like a Point Guard, Caruso combines the strengths of both positions, making him an absolute terror regardless of his role on the court.
The absolute best Season 7 reward: Level 40 Pro Pass GOAT Michael Jordan
To turn the goat into a meta breaker
I know what you're thinking: “Oh, the hardest card with the best player ever is the best? How unexpected.”
Well, sometimes the obvious answer is the only answer. Both the free and pro versions of Michael Jordan come with maxed stats (except for Intangibles, which is 98) and a host of badges that make him unstoppable. What differentiates the cards is their locked positions, which actually makes quite a difference in this case.
-
Free Mike plays Shooting Guard and Small Forward
-
Pro Mike plays Point Guard and Shooting Guard
As brilliant as this version of Michael Jordan is, his only weakness is his height, coming in at just 6'6″. While he works well as a SG, his height makes him a poor fit for a SF position in online matchups, where he'll likely struggle against giants who are 6'9″ or taller. Don't get me wrong, the free card is more than worth unlocking if you have no intention of getting the pro pass, but be prepared to only use it in the SG position.
As a Point Guard, the GOAT Michael Jordan is basically broken, towering over the majority of players featured in this position. His perfect defense and strength allow him to dominate opposing guards on both sides of the court, making him basically unbeatable. The Pro Pass card has received some sting as it borders on pay-to-win, especially since Jordan only played PG for a short period during the 1989 season. However, he dominated at that position, so NBA 2K26 nailed that aspect.
NBA 2K26: Best Small Forward Teams in MyCareer
The following are the best teams for Small Forwards to join in NBA 2K26's MyCareer, due to a weakness at that position.
Season 7 Underrated Reward: Level 30 Base Pass 100 OVR John Stockton
The Ultimate Floor General (On A Budget)
-
Reach level 30 in Season 7 Base Pass
John Stockton got almost no love from NBA 2K26 throughout the season, but he finally received a card that reflects his brilliance on the court. Similar to Pro Jordan, Stockton is a Point Guard/Shooting Guard option, but he shines in different areas. While a capable shooter, Stockton is much more of an assist machine, with the card coming with basically perfect passing, reactive defense and playmaking.
While level 30 requires a lot of grinding, it's more than manageable, provided you've already started taking steps to complete it. Stockton is also the type of card that can help speed up the gate, as his incredible ball handling and passing should tear apart AI opponents on higher difficulty maps in Breakout.
The Invincible Freebies: Angel Reese & Tyrese Haliburton
Don't Ignore Giveaways
Because they require no work at all, free cards tend to get overshadowed, even though they are generally pretty good. At the moment, you can unlock Invincible Angel Reese and Tyler Haliburton by doing absolutely nothing.
Well, you need to use the “HALI-GAME-1” locker code for Haliburton.
They are both great options, especially the Haliburton. While his jumper is quite slow, he is a good passer and towers over most other Point Guards in the NBA 2K26although he is on the short side for a Shooting Guard. After unlocking Haliburton, be sure to complete the challenge to unlock 99 OVR Kawhi Leonard, which is decent but not as good as some of the superstars' older cards.
