After a long wait, 2K Sports has finally announced that Kobe Bryant will feature as a cover athlete. Not for one, but for two different editions. Previously, it was called Legend Edition, but now, 2K has renamed it out of respect for Bryant. They have divided it according to consoles, with “Next-Gen Mamba Forever Edition” for PS5 and the upcoming Xbox and “Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition” for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.
8️⃣ Relentless. Driven. A true competitor. We celebrate Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition 🐍 #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/1wfH4kTPPN
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
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2️⃣4️⃣ Legend. Leader. Champion. We honor Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Next Gen Mamba Forever Edition 💜💛 #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/OOONVibhvX
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
Ever since Damian Lillard was announced as the first cover athlete, the fans have been eagerly waiting for Kobe’s turn. But 2K made them wait, launching Zion next, which further increased the anticipation and the hype for Kobe. And finally, today, they dropped this much-awaited announcement.
Kobe Bryant: Back on the NBA 2K Cover
This isn’t the first time Bryant has been featured on the NBA 2K cover. He was the main cover athlete for 2K10 when he was on his way to back-to-back rings in 2009 and 2010. Then, he featured on the Legend Edition of 2K17, as they honored his retirement in 2016.
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Along with the announcements, 2K Sports also released a video, which is a “closer look at the covers.”
Mamba Forever 💜💛 A closer look at the covers
We love and miss you Kobe #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/Jf1M5kUewx
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
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After Kobe Bryant passed away in January, fans demanded that he be featured on the next game. Although no announcement was made back then, everyone knew they would do it out of respect for the late Los Angeles Lakers legend.
Along with the cover, the release date has also been announced (for current-gen), which is the 4th of September later this year. It is truly a beautiful way to honor the legendary Kobe Bryant.