“You’re going to be on the cover!” This Tuesday, A’ja Wilson became the first player to feature on a global video game edition, adding another notch to the WNBA’s growth. Boston Celtics legend Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, joined her as the cover star of the standard edition of NBA 2K25. But the accomplishment does not end here, as there’s an exciting story after the news revelation!

In a recent episode of “The Old Man and the Three,” Tatum and Wilson were asked by Sue Bird to share their reactions when they officially got the news about the 2K25 cover. First, Jayson started off by saying he got the news on his special day from his special one. “He had like a bag and he was like, ‘Daddy, happy birthday,’ and I opened it and it was, you know, ‘Congrats, you’re on 2K,‘” he said.

It was his little son Deuce Tatum who surprised his dad with a birthday wish and a sweet present. For Tatum, the 2K25 cover was something he dreamt of when he was younger. He loved 2K to such an extent that he played it with his cousin and best friends at his mom’s house, so for him, it was a dream come true. “I cried a little bit just because I feel like I’m very blessed and fortunate,” he added.

From there, Wilson took over and started sharing her own experience. “For me, my agent called, and she was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be on the cover,’” she said while highlighting that her agent unveiled the news. As Wilson is the WNBA’s first player to accomplish this feat, it was something unbelievable for her. “It was a big moment… I see my face on a potato chip bag, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, now I’m in a video game. Now I’m on the cover,'” she told Sue Bird about her reaction. This year seems to be quite big for both stars as it is the first time in the series that two stars from the sport are on the cover. However, there is a difference between the two.

What’s the reason behind choosing this year’s 2K25 Cover Stars?

The six-time WNBA All-Star will be the face of GameStop’s exclusive physical NBA 2K25 edition of the WNBA. Notably, this version will only be available in the USA and Canada, whereas Tatum will be featured on the NBA 2K25 standard edition, which is globally available. Both versions will be released on September 6th for PS4, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox One. If you are thinking, “Why Wilson and Tatum?” then there is a reason!

Wilson became the first WNBA player to accomplish the highest average of 27.0 points per game. Recently, she came up in 3rd position in voting for All-Star. Additionally, she’s been leading the USA’s Olympics roster this year at the 2024 Paris Olympics basketball arena. All this definitely makes her a standout in the WNBA.

Coming back to Jayson Tatum, he’s coming off a national championship and is on the USA Olympics roster. Apart from this, he’ll be wearing jersey No. 10 for Team USA, the same number worn by the late legend Kobe Bryant back in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games. For him, it’s “nothing short of an honor” to share the same jersey number. Overall, both stars have undoubtedly earned their spots on the game franchise’s cover. Now the question is: Will both of them be able to prove themselves at the Olympics?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video: