The NBA 2K26 MyPLAYER Builder has pulled a ton of interest from the fan base, and for good reason. Creating your player and having authority over the slightest details, like build specializations, is quite fun. But the best players know that no build is complete without the proper badges. Badges are a highly contested topic amongst the community; which badge do you choose, and what tier should you take it to?
It goes without saying that the beauty of badges lies in their versatility. Each build and playstyle will require different badges and varying amounts of investments. To make things easy, we’re going to list down the best badges for every position with explanations on why they work. Stick around to find out which badges you should go for on your next build.
NBA 2K26 Best Badges For Every Position
Shooting Guard
Out of the five positions on the court, no one requires Shooting attributes more than the SG. As an SG, your main aim is to get the ball through the rim. How to defend or cut the opposition isn’t really your concern. If you’re looking to reach the level of Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson, your finishing needs to be on point.
The best badges that complement SG builds are:
| Best Badges | Badge Description |
| Limitless Range | Extends 3PT shooting range |
| Set Shot Specialist | Contested shots have less effect |
| Deadeye | Boosts stand-still jumpshots |
| Shifty Shooter | Improves off-ball shooting ability |
Fortunately, the Shooting attribute only has a total of 5 badges, one of which (Mini Marksman) gets capped at 6’3”. Another reason why Shooting badges are the easiest to upgrade is that all of them can be upgraded through Three-Point Shot. If you get your TPS up to 97, you unlock all the badges at the HOF tier. Boost it up by 2 more points and you’ve got yourself a complete SG build. There’s not much to explain here, except invest in TPS as much as possible.
Point Guard
The second guard position, the Point Guards. PGs can be considered as the playmakers of the team; hence, you’ll want the Playmaking badges to finish your build. The goal as a good PG is to bridge the gap between the defense and your SG. This requires you to have excellent ball handling and to be able to slip through the cracks before the opposition steals the ball.
For this, you want:
| Best Badges | Badge Description |
| Handles for Days | Chain together combos after frequent dribbling |
| Lightning Launch | Faster when attacking from the perimeter |
| Unpluckable | Tougher to steal the ball from |
| Ankle Assassin | Increases the ability to break down the defender or cross them up |
While SG builds are pretty straightforward, PG builds have a bit more nuance to them. We’d always recommend going for Handles for Days, as this badge is unmatched for PGs. Unpluckable and Lightning Launch are also overall great badges, but Lightning Launch is slightly situational on your playstyle. Picking up these 4 badges makes for a solid PG build.
Note: Some PG builds balance their stats between Shooting and Playmaking. In that case, getting Limitless Range or Set Shot Specialist is also a good idea.
Small Forward
The game isn’t just about scoring; you need someone on the rebound as well. That’s where Small Forwards come in. Contrary to their names, SF builds utilize some of the largest body sizes in the game. As an SF, you should focus primarily on Defense and a little bit of rebounding. SFs like LeBron James and Kevin Durant are renowned for not letting the opposition through.
These badges best complement SF builds:
| Best Badges | Badge Description |
| Posterizer | Increases chances of dunking over a defender |
| Interceptor | Increases tipped or stolen passes |
| Immovable Enforcer | Increases defensive ability against ball handlers |
| Boxout Beast | Improves the player’s ability to fight for rebound position |
Now, you can see we’ve mixed up a few different attributes, but primarily, we have Defense. Interceptor and Immovable Enforcer are vital badges for SFs, while Posterizer and Boxout Beast can be switched out, depending on preference. Some SFs like to go for the dunks, which Posterizer helps with, while a more defensive playstyle is completed by Boxout Beast.
Center
A Center’s main job is hanging around the paint, both on offense and defense. They need to constantly be on their toes, rotating around the court behind the ball. On offense, they’re required to finish dunks/hook shots, set up screens, and grab offensive rebounds. On defense, Centers must guard the paint and prevent inside scoring, on top of securing defensive rebounds.
The ideal Center badges are:
| Best Badges | Badge Description |
| Paint Prodigy | Increases paint scoring efficiency |
| High Flying Denier | Increases timing and leaping ability to contest shots |
| Rebound Chaser | Snag rebounds from further distances |
| Boxout Beast | Improves the player’s ability to fight for rebound position |
We mentioned how important getting the rebound is for Centers, so Boxout Beast and Rebound Chaser are must-haves. Paint Prodigy is better for offense, while High Flying Denier helps contest larger guards. You can always play around and experiment a bit to see what works better for you, but overall, these are our top picks for Centers.
Power Forward
What makes a good Power Forward? Players like Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan made a name for themselves through their game knowledge and versatility on the court. As a PF, you’re expected to help both the Center and Small Forward, while rotating between sides. Taking those mid-range shots for some extra points or driving the ball into the rim on offense, while on defense, securing defensive boards alongside the Center is your job.
Here are the best badges to help accomplish these roles:
| Best Badges | Badge Description |
| Paint Prodigy | Increases paint scoring efficiency |
| Post Lockdown | Increases post defense |
| Hook Specialist | Improves a player’s ability to score with hook shots |
| Boxout Beast | Improves the player’s ability to fight for rebound position |
You might be thinking these are pretty similar to the badges for Centers, and that’s correct. Since they play very similar roles, often supporting each other, it’s good to be able to pick up each other’s slack. If your SF or Center is lacking somewhere, your PF can easily cover up. Post Lockdown is a great defensive badge, and Hook Specialist helps with the offensive side of things. As before, you can experiment depending on your playstyle, but these are good to start with.
