The NBA 2k25 update is here and three superstars of basketball have made it to the cover this time. One from the NBA, one from the WNBA, and one soon-to-be Hall of Famer. If you have not guessed it yet, here you go. Boston Celtics champion Jayson Tatum, 2x WNBA champion Aja Wilson, and Toronto Raptors legend Vince Carter. These new faces for the cover have come with simple concepts, except for Vince Carter whose design is being appreciated all around the NBA world. Also alongside, this 2k25 update has helped Jayson Tatum join an elite list for the Boston Celtics. 

For the success that the Boston Celtics have, it would be easy to assume that many icons of the team have made it to the 2k cover. Your assumption is not wrong, but when it comes to being a champion for the Celtics, there are only a few. The first ever Celtics player or a champion to make it to the 2k cover was Kevin Garnett in the year 2009. 

After his historic championship for the Celtics in 2008, Garnett made it to the 2k9 cover. Three years later, NBA 2k went retro by choosing Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as the cover for the 2012 edition. 3x Boston champion Larry Bird was a part of it too. However, before Jayson Tatum, there was another star from the Celtics who got this honor. 

It was none other than Kyrie Irving, who made it to the 2018 edition. But Irving did not win a championship for the Celtics. In a new post shared by the Celtics on Instagram, the captions read, “Three Celtics champions turned @nba2k cover athletes,” with photos of KG, Larry Bird, and Tatum.

The last edition was all about Kobe Bryant. The last edition focused on Kobe Bryant, with two covers showcasing the Black Mamba, and featuring Sabrina Ionescu in the WNBA edition. Also, this would be the time to look at some iconic 2k covers that were approved by the fans previously. 

Which player has been featured on the cover the most?

The first-ever edition of 2k came in 1999. Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson was the first basketball player to make it to the cover. However, that was not the last. Iverson was the cover for the next four editions, which brings his total count to five. 

The next player with the most appearances on the 2k cover is Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He first starred in the 2k9 edition, then in 2k17 for the Legends edition. After his heartbreaking demise in 2020, he featured again in 2k21 under the Mamba Forever Edition. Later in 2k24, he was the cover for the ‘Black Mamba and Kobe Bryant Editions’, which makes his total count four. 

After Iverson and Bryant, Shaq clinched the third sport for most appearances in a 2k cover with a total of three. Kevin Durant and LeBron James have been featured twice on the cover. Let’s see if Jayson Tatum can overtake any of the above superstars. 

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video: