Kobe Bryant became the most significant winner of the award in its history in 2008 after winning the finals MVP title. Few athletes can claim to have played at an extreme superstar level for 15 years while also taking home several trophies.
Sixteen years later the great ‘Black Mamba’ posthumously is vested with yet another accolade by the revered institution of the NBA. One of the league’s foremost and fierce competitors ‘Kobe Wan Kenobi’ will be featured on the cover of the most recent installment of the popular NBA2K video game series.
Why NBA 2K24 will feature Kobe Bryant on the cover?
The first cover athletes and other details for NBA 2K24 were revealed by 2K Sports ahead of the Summer League in Las Vegas. Kobe Bryant, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, has been chosen to appear on NBA 2K24’s cover for the fourth time.
The 24th release of the well-known franchise, NBA 2K24, also corresponds to one of “Ocho’s” famous jersey numbers from his 2-decade-long NBA career. This trend continues a recent pattern where 2K has used a variety of different cover athletes for various game editions.
8️⃣ ♾️2️⃣4️⃣
Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant.
💛 Kobe Bryant Edition
🐍 Black Mamba EditionPre-order your copy tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/afcqMh5qr8
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 6, 2023
The ordinary edition cover of NBA 2K23 last year featured Devin Booker, but the “Michael Jordan Edition” and “Championship Edition” featured Michael Jordan in virtue of his famed No. 23. With Bryant’s associations with the No. 24 this year, a similar strategy was used.
Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird were included in the “WNBA Edition” of NBA 2K last year, and J. Cole the rapper for the first time served as the cover celebrity for the specialized “Dreamer Edition.”
Two editions announced available for pre-order
The 25th iteration of the yearly game before the 2023–24 season, gamers can start looking forward to the purchase of NBA 2K24 from July 7. Priced at £69.99/$69.99 for the Standard version (PS5, Xbox Series X/S), £74.99/$79.99 for the Kobe Bryant edition, and £89.99/$99.99 for the Black Mamba edition.
Similar to previous years, upgraded editions compared to the ordinary edition are likely to include incentives, allowing gamers to start playing right away with VC (Virtual Currency). Bryant is featured on two of the game’s covers this year.
While the “Black Mamba” version of the game showcases the ‘The 8th Wonder of the World’ in the later years of his career, the “Kobe Bryant Edition” depicts the 18-time All-Star wearing his No. 8 uniform number. Bryant originally made an appearance on NBA 2K10’s cover.
Also, he was featured on the special edition athlete cover of NBA2K17, and a Mamba Forever Edition of NBA2K21 was released in his honor after his passing in January 2020. With NBA2K, which featured Hall of Famer Allen Iverson on the cover, the video game series made its debut in 1999. Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K24 and offering special versions in his recognition clearly demonstrates the “Neo’s” enduring influence and overall legacy.
