NBA 2K26 Season 2 Brings Iconic Songs from Past Games to the Soundtrack
NBA 2K26 Season 2 will add iconic songs from previous 2K games to its soundtrack, hitting fans with a dose of nostalgia while showcasing the series’ history of delivering memorable tunes for players to enjoy while hooping. I recently caught up with David Kelley, the Director of Global Partnerships & Licensing for the NBA 2K series, to discuss his team’s work in assembling the perfect basketball soundtrack. The following questions and answers were exchanged over email between myself and a representative for David Kelley.
Shacknews: What’s the process like when it comes to selecting which songs make the cut for a new NBA 2K game? Do you ever run into issues getting licenses for songs that you want?
David Kelley: We approach every soundtrack as a reflection of both basketball and culture. Our 2K Music team, composed of myself, Richie Menchavez, and Simon Weedn, all almost literally eat, sleep, and breathe music to build something that feels true to the moment and to our community.
We all come from different walks within the music industry—artists, DJs, managers, music supervisors, live events, studio engineers, composers—so we are able to bring a really well-rounded and unique perspective. We work closely with our development team at Visual Concepts to find new, dynamic ways music can enhance the NBA 2K experience.
With additional support from Take-Two’s world-class music team, we’re able to tap into incredible expertise across the board. Of course, licensing is a huge part of that process. We work with incredible partners like Fox Sound Studios and have long-standing relationships with labels, publishers, and artists around the world.
There are always songs we wish we could include that, for one reason or another, don’t clear in time but that’s part of the fun and challenge. The passion our team has for music keeps us pushing until the soundtrack feels right.
Shacknews: The popularity of some songs is short-lived. Are there ever any concerns that players will grow tired of certain tracks, particularly ones tied to viral trends or cultural moments?
Kelley: That’s definitely something we think about, which is why NBA 2K’s live service model has been a game-changer for us. We refresh the soundtrack every six weeks, which allows us to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in music right now.
Shacknews: There’s an old Drake lyric that goes, “I swear sports and music are so synonymous, ’cause we want to be them, and they want to be us.” Can you talk about the relationship between music and basketball, and how it informs your work on NBA 2K?
Kelley: That lyric nails it. Basketball and music are indelibly linked. The culture around the game goes hand-in-hand with the sound that fuels it. Players walk into the arena with headphones on, artists sit courtside at games, etc. — it’s all one ecosystem of creativity.
When we’re building the NBA 2K soundtrack, we think about how a track feels in that context. Music amplifies those emotional beats of the game, and our job is to make sure every track supports that energy. NBA 2K26 Season 2’s new Greatest Hits soundtrack really captures that philosophy.
It doesn’t matter when a song was released, who’s behind it, or where they are from; if the song captures the energy that resonates with our community, we want our audience to hear it in NBA 2K.
Shacknews: There’s a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in the 2K soundtracks of years past. How many of the “greatest hits” are you bringing back for Season 2 of NBA 2K26? What songs immediately jumped out as ones you had to bring back?
Kelley: We’re bringing back a mix of iconic tracks that have defined the NBA 2K experience over the years. Without giving away the full list yet, there are some unmistakable records from both classic and newer artists.
The selection process was guided heavily by community feedback. Fans have been incredibly vocal about which songs they still associate with certain eras of NBA 2K, and that passion made it easy to see what belonged on the Greatest Hits list.
This season really is a celebration and a chance to honor the music that shaped the game’s identity while introducing those classics to a whole new generation of players.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146361/nba-2k-26-season-2-soundtrack-interview
