The NBA 2K21 team officially reveals the cover athlete for the next-generation versions of the game. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard will be the NBA 2K21 cover star for the current-generation version.
With a short new trailer, it was announced that New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The video shows Williamson's NBA 2K21 character performing a dunk, as the clip cuts to performance's of the basketball player during a real-life NBA game.
Williamson also starred in the NBA 2K21 teaser trailers that were revealed last month. It was also with Williamson's help that the Visual Concepts confirmed that NBA 2K21 has an incredibly fast next-gen loading time. So, it's not surprising to see him be part of the rest of the game's marketing.
However, despite Williamson being a well-known player and being the number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, many seem unhappy to see him get a cover. The New Orleans Pelicans player only starred in 19 games before the season was suspended due to COVID-19 and some fans are upset that he has been given a cover so soon. In comparison, Dwyane Wade didn't get his first NBA 2K cover until NBA 2K20 and that was only after he had officially retired from playing basketball.
NBA 2K21 is currently in development.