Late Kobe Bryant featured on NBA2K24 cover
Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has been named as NBA 2K24’s cover athlete, as announced by the video game publishers on Thursday.
This year’s edition of the 2K Games will feature two distinct covers—the Black Mamba and Kobe Bryant editions—highlighting two separate eras of the late basketball icon.
The “Black Mamba” edition showcases the five-time NBA champion donning his iconic No. 24 jersey, while the “Kobe Bryant” edition depicts a younger Kobe with full hair and the No. 8 jersey leaping high for a powerful dunk.
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
Bean, as he was fondly called, has formerly been on the cover of the NBA 2K Games three times, but his newest appearance will see him tie his idol Michael Jordan for the second-most covers, placing him one behind Allen Iverson, who has five.
The star, who passed away in January 2020 following a helicopter clash, donned the covers for the first time with 2K10 after he won his fourth title. 2K17 featured the “Black Mamba,” which was done to pay tribute to his amazing career after he retired, while 2K21’s “Mamba Edition” was the most recent.
Bryant enjoyed a stellar 20-year career in the NBA, where he was named an All-Star 18 times. Alongside his five titles, he won two Finals MVP awards, two Olympic Gold medals, and finished as the all-time leading scorer for the Lakers and the fourth in the history of the league.
The publishers of the 2K video Games also announced that more cover athletes will be revealed over the next few days, along with the official release date and price.
