Credit: Twitter
NBA 2K24, the next installment in the popular basketball video game series, is scheduled to be launched in September 2023, but the official details about the game are still scarce. However, the popular basketball video game has recently released its cover star for the game, who is none other than the late Kobe Bryant.
Ahead of the release, a reliable Twitter account called 2KIntel, which has a history of providing accurate information about the NBA 2K franchise, shared the cover image of the game. Later the official launch confirmed, there will be two editions of NBA 2K24 featuring Kobe Bryant: the Kobe Edition and the Black Mamba Edition. The cover art for both editions shows Bryant in his iconic yellow and purple Lakers jersey, with different poses and backgrounds.
The NBA 2K took to Twitter to share the cover and captioned, " 8️⃣ ♾ 2️⃣4️⃣ Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant. 💛 Kobe Bryant Edition 🐍 Black Mamba Edition Pre-order your copy tomorrow. "
Kobe Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and one of the most influential athletes in sports history. The shooting guard spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, one regular season MVP award, 18 All-Star selections, and numerous other accolades. Bryant also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, and scored 81 points in a single game in 2006, the second-highest in NBA history.
The former Lakers star retired from basketball in 2016 but remained active in various fields such as filmmaking, business, philanthropy, and coaching. The legend sadly died on January 26th, 2020 at the age of 41 along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people, in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. His death shocked and saddened the entire sports community and beyond, and sparked numerous tributes and memorials across the globe.
Bryant has been featured on the cover of NBA 2K games twice before: on NBA 2K10 as an active player, and on NBA 2K17 Legend Edition as a retired player. If the leak is true, he will become the third player to grace the cover of NBA 2K games three times, after Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Choosing Bryant as the cover star for NBA 2K24 would be a fitting way to honor his legacy and celebrate his impact on basketball and culture. It would also be a treat for his fans who would love to see him immortalized in digital form.
