Kobe Bryant is back on the cover of “NBA 2K.”
2K Games announced Bryant as the cover athlete for “NBA 2K24” on Thursday. The newest version of the basketball video game will have a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition, both of which will be available for preorder on Friday ahead of a Sept. 8 release.
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The Los Angeles Lakers legend is seen soaring on the Kobe Bryant Edition cover, while the Black Mamba Edition has a close-up shot of him from later in his career.
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“As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the game of basketball,” Greg Thomas, president at Visual Concepts, the game's developer, said in a statement. “While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 also looks ahead to the future to bring an innovative leap in technology and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay.”
This marks Bryant’s fourth time on the cover of an “NBA 2K” game. He was the main cover athlete for “NBA 2K10” following his triumph in the 2009 Finals, was on the cover of the Legend Edition for “NBA 2K17” following his retirement and was on the Mamba Forever Edition of “NBA 2K21” after he, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash.
It is also the second straight year 2K Games has commemorated a Hall of Famer with a tribute to their jersey number. Bryant, who famously wore No. 24 during the second half of his career, will be on the cover a year after Michael Jordan graced the Michael Jordan and Championship Editions of “NBA 2K23.”
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Bryant’s cover resume extends beyond “2K.” He was the star of “Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside,” which debuted in 1998 for the Nintendo 64.
