The NBA 2K series has become one of the most beloved and successful sports simulators, as fans all over the world enjoy the title for its ability to bring the fun of basketball with the authenticity of the NBA. NBA 2K21 is on the way and will grace next-gen consoles, but who will grace the cover of the game is still up in the air.

Being a cover athlete for a video game has become a high honor in sports. In many situations, the cover athlete is involved with the game development by influencing the direction the new game will go. For example, for Madden, the cover athlete being Lamar Jackson means that a larger emphasis is put on new ball-carrier running mechanics for Madden 21.

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For NBA 2K21, the cover athlete could alter some of the game mechanics and focuses moving forward. A three-point star like Steph Curry as the cover athlete means that NBA 2K would need to have free-flowing dribbling mechanics and jump shooting from anywhere type abilities. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard as the cover athlete would mean that defensive lockdowns are an emphasis.

There have already been hints of who will be the next cover athlete, but nothing is confirmed. NBA 2K21 was revealed during the massive PS5 reveal last week, and the game looks impressive. Many athletes could steal the show as the cover of the next NBA 2K.

Zion Williamson, The Current Front-Runner

NBA 2K21

Zion Williamson is the best bet to be the cover athlete for NBA 2k21. Zion has already been used as a promotional athlete for the game, as NBA 2K21 was revealed with in-engine footage of the New Orleans Pelicans rookie dunking in a gym. Zion wasn't just an in-game player in the reveal, as he also was recorded communicating that he is working with the 2K team and helped announce the reveal of the game.

The amount of detail in the video showed two major things. One, that the game seems to be on track to looking very pretty on the next-gen. And two, that Zion Williamson himself looks about as accurate as possible. When the developer is putting that much attention into the player, and that player is the one who announces the new game, there's a decent chance that it means he will be the cover athlete.

Zion is an explosive athlete who has averaged 23.6 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, and impressive three-point accuracy for a big man. He did all of this with very limited minutes, as he was nursing an injury. If 2K wants to show the power of next-gen, the visual representation of power in the NBA right now is Zion Williamson.

Kobe Bryant, the Legend Edition Pick

Kobe Bryant tribute

It has been an ongoing theory that the Black Mamba will be the Legend Edition choice for NBA 2k21 since Kobe Bryant's tragic passing in January. Although he has graced the cover of the basketball series before, even as the Legend Edition cover athlete for NBA 2K17, it would make all the sense in the world to allow him to be on the cover again.

Kobe Bryant is one of the all-time best NBA players, and his meteoric rise took place very much during the rise in popularity of the NBA 2K series. Just like fans found it hard to watch the Lakers without Kobe dawning the 24 or 8 jerseys, they found it equally confounding to not have him as a normal roster member on the team in the NBA 2K games once he retired.

Kobe Bryant has always been a video game star, just as much an NBA legend. Along with being a part of many of the best NBA video games, he even had his own basketball games with the Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside series that began in 1998.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most beloved, popular, and iconic athletes in the history of sports. His influence goes beyond the NBA court, as young fans all over the world pretended to be Bryant in gyms, backyards, and courts all over the world. The passing of Kobe, his daughter, and the others in the helicopter crash is one of the most shocking moments in sports and beyond. Not long after his passing, NBA 2K20 added an in-game tribute for the Lakers legend, so continuing on with that and honoring him again would be wise and graceful of 2K Sports.

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Kawhi Leonard, the Champion

nba 2k20 leonard

It makes a lot of sense for the cover athlete to be the current reigning champion. Why not have the arguably best player on the planet, the one that took his team to the promised land, be the star of the game. Kawhi Leonard could have easily been the choice of the cover athlete last year, but the 2K team may have gone with another choice because of Leonard's uncertainty in free agency. Kawhi ended up choosing the LA Clippers as his new team, but this was after the NBA 2K20 athletes were announced, and subsequently, Anthony Davis and Dwyane Wade have become perhaps the best MyTeam players in NBA 2K20.

Now that Kawhi has solidified himself on his new team, he would be a good choice for the cover athlete. There is also the chance that he will take his new team to the NBA Championship. With the season being extended into the Fall this year, due to the Coronavirus that has effected video games and the world alike, players will be enjoying the new game this Fall during the same period that the playoffs and Finals will be ongoing. Someone like Zion may be long removed from the picture, while Kawhi is a front-runner to take his team the distance.

Dark Horse and New Candidates

trae young

Along with some of the obvious favorites, there are some dark horse candidates that could swoop in and steal the cover. Paul George was the cover of NBA 2K17, and although he is an all-star talent, most wouldn't consider him a top 5 player. There is also a slew of young players starting to take over the league, so it may be time for one of them to be on the cover.

Jayson Tatum is one of the best Celtics of the past decade and has all the traits to be a super-star athlete in the league. His being the cover athlete would be a surprise, as he only has an 88 in NBA 2K20 as his rating currently. But Kobe Bryant took Tatum under his wing before his passing, and it would be a touching tribute to have the two of them (a Lakers legend and current Celtics star) grace the covers of the standard and legendary edition.

Luka Doncic is a lesser-known superstar than some, but he has quickly asserted himself as one of the best players in the NBA. The young Dallas Maverick is one of the highest-rated players in NBA 2K20. He seems like a bit of an early 2000s throwback in terms of being a perfect prototypical shooting guard, yet he still has the skills to play forward as well. If not this year, Luka will probably be a cover athlete at some point.

Trae Young could be a long shot, but he has become a fan-favorite around the league. For similar reasons as to why Steph Curry become beloved, Trae Young's electric speed, ball handling, and shoot from anywhere ability makes him fun to watch, and subsequently fun to play as in a video game. NBA 2K21 will boast incredibly fast load times, what better way to connote speed for NBA 2K21 then with one of the quickest players in the league.

Of anyone that has been mentioned, Ja Morant may be the biggest stretch to make it on the cover. The probable front-runner for rookie of the year, Morant is explosive, boisterous, and filled with potential. The fact that he shares the rookie stage with phenom Zion Williamson makes it harder for Morant to win the cover athlete crown this year, however.

In the end, the Zion Williamson and Kobe Bryant combo will probably be the athletes that win the honor of being on the cover of NBA 2K21. But regardless of who is chosen, the 2K series has quite a few options for this year and moving forward.

NBA 2k21 is currently in development.

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