The sports video game genre has contracted over the years leaving only a handful of major licensed games from publishers and a distinct lack of competition from sport to sport. Despite that, the quality of each title has risen as that necessitates each game delivering on consumer expectations.
Last year the Sports Video Game Power Rankings identified NBA 2K as the top series in the genre. The rankings assess sales numbers, revenue, importance to the respective publishers, reviews, consumer perception, and cultural relevance. They're limited to "franchises" which are established and have a release every year or every other year.