Publisher 2K Sports has finally announced all the NBA cover athletes to be featured on the three different NBA 2K21 versions.
Illustrious sports video game publisher and developer 2K Sports had kept news of the NBA 2K21 cover athletes under wraps for quite a while, leaving fans speculating whether or not their favorite players would make the cut.
Fortunately, the American publisher finally lifted the curtain on the third and final superstar to represent the upcoming NBA title, drawing the game’s cover announcement to a close.
Comin Soon #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/TWkxyNAvhj
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) June 12, 2020
Dame Time
The publisher recently revealed Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard as the face of the current generation version of the game, much to the surprise of basketball and NBA 2K fans worldwide.
Lillard was drafted by Portland back in 2012 and immediately took the NBA by storm, even winning the coveted “Rookie of the Year” award through a unanimous vote.
The five-time All-Star is currently sitting on an impressive season average of 28.9 points and 7.8 assists, making him the 5th best scorer this NBA season.
Being on the cover of @nba2k is a dream come true. I've been playing 2K since the Dreamcast days! Hyped to be the #NBA2K21 Current Gen Cover Athlete. #YKWTII #DameTime ⌚ 🎮 pic.twitter.com/d1bPKTm0je
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 30, 2020
The Zion Effect
2K Sports’ second pick was a little less surprising but proved to be fairly controversial, as they chose New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson to represent the next generation edition of the basketball video game, to be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Zion was the NBA first-round pick of 2019 but unfortunately suffered a meniscus tear during the preseason that pushed back his professional debut to January 22, 2020.
With the Pelicans Power Forward only having played 19 games in his career, many deemed him unworthy of being a cover athlete. A significant number of basketball fans believe that Dallas Mavericks Point Guard Luka Doncic would be far more deserving of the honor.
The Next Generation is here 💪🏾 Hyped to be on the cover of #NBA2K21 Next Gen @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/zRg6XaY8wx
— Zion Williamson (@Zionwilliamson) July 1, 2020
The Mamba lives on in NBA 2K21
Last, but certainly not the least by any stretch, 2K Sports revealed their pick for the NBA 2K21 special edition, which, frankly, most fans saw coming a mile away. The Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant, will be gracing the covers of the game’s two Mamba Editions, and true NBA fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
The five-time NBA champion and all-time great passed away earlier this year in a tragic helicopter crash, making the Mamba Edition a timely tribute to his illustrious legacy.
We got our wish: Kobe is going to be a cover star for NBA 2K21, and will get his own edition of the game.
Mamba Forever. https://t.co/1ccpjZ8om1 pic.twitter.com/Hu1SWubouf
— Silver Screen & Roll (@LakersSBN) July 2, 2020
Preorders for NBA 2K21 kicked off on July 2, with the current generation of the title releasing on September 4, 2020, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X release date has yet to be announced.
Images [1] and [2] courtesy of 2K Games