NBA 2K19 is the 20th installment in the NBA 2K franchise.
The numbering refers to the series’ main annual entries, not simply the year printed in the title. The original NBA 2K debuted in 1999, and NBA 2K19 followed NBA 2K18 as the twentieth main installment. It was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K.
NBA 2K19 was announced on June 5, 2018, and released on September 11, 2018, for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with mobile versions also available. Its successor, NBA 2K20, became the 21st installment, making “21st” a common mistaken answer.
The game also had a special 20th Anniversary Edition, whose cover featured LeBron James. That edition’s anniversary branding can reinforce the correct number, although the standard edition featured Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.