New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Zion Williamson has just been announced as the cover athlete for the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of NBA 2K21. The 2019 #1 NBA Draft Pick and 2019 National College Player of the Year made gigantic waves in his arrival in the NBA, demonstrating his skill and game knowledge as well as his raw power, speed and athleticism to become an unstoppable force in the league in his rookie year and most likely, for many more years to come. As such, developer 2K Games, found the perfect choice to bring the new generation of 2K’s iconic basketball simulation game.
Zion was ecstatic to be featured the prestigious spot, knowing the importance and trust that comes with it:
“Being on the cover of NBA 2K has been a dream since I was a kid and to be the first NBA 2K21 cover athlete for the next-generation of gaming is really special. Since the day I joined Team 2K, I’ve wanted to make an impact on basketball culture both on and off the court, and being the cover athlete for NBA 2K21 on next-gen consoles lets me do that. I can’t wait to be part of this global phenomenon and hoop with all the ballers out there on NBA 2K21.”
Zion’s work with 2K extends beyond the videogame basketball realm with 2K’s charity and outreach program, 2K Foundations, which supports underserved communities by revitalizing basketball courts and community centers across the nation. 2K Foundations will work directly with Zion to refurbish a site in New Orleans for the local community.
Alfie Brody, VP of Marketing at NBA 2K spoke about how happy they were to have the young star onboard:
“For the cover of the next-generation version of NBA 2K21, we wanted to find someone who could represent the next-generation of NBA superstar. Zion is one of the few young players who has met the hype and can be considered a standard-bearer for the next generation. We’re thrilled that he is representing the 2K21”
Zion joins Portland Trailblazer’s all-star guard Damian Lillard, who was named as the cover athlete for current-gen platforms, as two of the three total cover athletes for NBA 2K21.
On July 2 (July 3 Philippine Time), 2K will announce the final cover athlete for NBA 2K21, as well as the release date and pricing for each version. Pre-orders will also become available after the announcement.