The upcoming Australian cover for NBA 2k and even the decision to make Greek born Giannis Antetokounmpo the official Cover athlete for 2k19 are likely all attempts to please international fans. It is likely for this reason that 2k Studios is looking to cater to the increasing number of basketball fans outside of the United States. Last year the league contained 108 players from 42 different countries so there is no doubt that the popularity of basketball is reaching far outside simply the United States. However, Basketball has become more and more popular around the world and it’s a fact that has become more and more noticeable come NBA Draft time. Years ago Basketball was primarily popular in the United States and the United States alone. As many avid basketball fans will note, the NBA has recently increased their number of international players quite drastically. A good guess would be that NBA 2k is looking to be more inclusive to the global market.
The decision is ultimately a move that virtually nobody saw coming and at this point, many are unsure of what 2k has planned for other releases going forward. When asked how he felt about the decision Simmons said, “The Aussie fans are super passionate about basketball and specifically NBA 2K, so it's very cool to be an ambassador for both.” Ben Simmons, the star guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, is the ideal choice seeing as he was born in Melbourne Australia and lived there for half of his life.
Perhaps the most unexpected of all the news is the fact that for the first time in history, NBA 2k19 will feature Ben Simmons as NBA 2k’s first Australian specific cover Athlete.
While the cover could appear to feature Cleveland's "The Land" jerseys on first glance, 2K Sports told Bleacher Report James is not wearing any team-specific gear on the cover.Between the growing hype for the NBA 2k League and the recent shake-ups in the NBA Free Agency the National Basketball Association has been producing quite a few headlines as of late. A LeBron wristband and poster is included in the physical edition.Ĭleveland Cavaliers fans might notice a complete absence of Cavs colors. LeBron-specific items include a sapphire LeBron MyTEAM card, five LeBron-themed murals for M圜OURT, a LeBron M圜OURT design, Nike apparel and 25 different pairs of LeBron's signature shoe. Those who purchase this particular edition will receive 100,000 Virtual Currency, 50,000 MyTEAM points, 20 MyTEAM League packs and 10 MyTEAM "20th Anniversary" packs.
"LeBron’s carefully crafted wording on the NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition cover encapsulate the passion and drive that have elevated him to all-time greatness making him the perfect cover star."Īs is the case with previous special editions, 2K Sports is loading the 20th Anniversary Edition with special features. "This year marks the 30th anniversary for the development team at Visual Concepts and the 20th for the NBA 2K series, so it was important to commemorate this milestone by partnering with the most iconic athlete of this generation in LeBron James," said Alfie Brody, vice president of marketing for NBA 2K. Inclusion of the phrase will no doubt spark even more debate, with James and 2K steering into the curve of calling him the greatest to ever play. Most reasonable basketball minds have narrowed the "greatest-ever" to James and Michael Jordan. Those who have followed James' career will immediately recognize phrases like "Strive for Greatness," along with others like "Equality" and "Driven."īasketball Twitterers will almost certainly notice the "G.O.A.T." featured prominently. The 2K19 cover features James and words with special meaning chosen by the four-time MVP.