The NBA 2K Cover Athletes You Need to Know

Get to know the athletes who will be gracing the covers of this year’s NBA 2K games. From up-and-comers to established All-Stars, these are the players you need to know.

Kyrie Irving – 2017 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association He was named NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft Irving played college basketball for Duke University before joining the Cavaliers in 2011.

During his six seasons with the Cavaliers, Irving established himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA, being named an All-Star three times and playing on a championship-winning team in 2016. He was also named NBA Finals MVP after scoring 26 points in Game 7 to lead the Cavaliers to a come-from-behind victory over the Golden State Warriors After requesting a trade in 2017, he was traded to the Celtics, where he continued his All-Star level play, earning his fourth straight All-Star selection in 2019.

Shaquille O’Neal – 2009 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

O’Neal was the first retired player to be featured on the cover of an NBA 2K game. He retired in 2011 after a 19-year career in which he won four NBA championships and was named NBA Finals MVP three times.

Lebron James – 2014 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Lebron James was one of the most talked-about athletes in the world when he decided to return to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. He had already been on the cover of NBA 2K14, but his return to Cleveland made him the perfect candidate for the NBA 2K15 cover. The game sold over 5 million copies in its first week, making it one of the best-selling games of all time.

Kevin Durant – 2016 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Kevin Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also played for the United States national team winning a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and two gold medals in the Olympics. Durant was the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry – 2018 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Stephen Curry the sharp-shooting point guard for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors is the latest in a line of successful basketball players to be featured on the cover of 2K’s popular NBA 2K video game franchise.

Curry follows in the footsteps of previous cover athletes such as Lebron James Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant and is just the second player in Warriors history to receive the honor ( Durant was the first, appearing on the cover of NBA 2K15).

Despite not being the most physically imposing player on the court, Curry has become one of the most successful and popular players in the NBA thanks to his incredible shooting ability and seemingly effortless style of play. In addition to being a two-time NBA MVP (most recently in 2015-16), Curry has also been named an All-Star six times and was integral to the Warriors’ 2015 NBA Championship victory.

As one of the league’s most popular players, it’s no surprise that Curry was chosen to appear on the cover of NBA 2K18. It will be interesting to see how his performance in this year’s game compares to that of previous cover athletes – especially with Curry now being considered one of the best players in NBA history

Anthony Davis – 2019 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Anthony Davis, the unquestioned superstar of the New Orleans Pelicans will be gracing the cover of NBA 2K19.

This is hardly a surprise – in fact, many fans had been clamoring for Davis to be on the cover ever since he first entered the league.

A 6’10” power forward/center, Davis is one of the most versatile players in the NBA today He’s an excellent shooter and defender, and has established himself as one of the best all-around players in the league.

In addition to being named an All-Star on six occasions, Davis has also been named to the All-NBA First Team twice and was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. There’s no doubt that he’s deserving of being on the cover of NBA 2K19.

Damian Lillard – 2020 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

As the 2020 NBA 2K Cover Athlete Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is poised to have a huge year. A five-time All-Star and one of the most talented point guards in the league, Lillard is coming off a 2019-20 season in which he averaged 28.9 points, 7.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game He also shot a career-best 46.3 percent from three-point range cementing his status as one of the best shooters in the NBA.

With the 2020-21 NBA season fast approaching, there’s no better time to get to know Damian Lillard Here are five things you need to know about the man they call “Dame D.O.L.L.A.”

1. He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA

Damian Lillard is one of the best scorers in the NBA, period. In 2019-20, he finished sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 28.9 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from three-point range. He’s also an excellent free throw shooter, knocking down 85 percent of his attempts from the Charity Stripe last season.

2. He’s an elite playmaker

Not only can Damian Lillard score with the best of them, but he’s also an elite playmaker who excels at setting up his teammates for success. Last season, he averaged 7.8 assists per game (fifth in the NBA) and spearheaded a Trail Blazers offense that ranked seventh in offensive efficiency (110 points per 100 possessions).

3. He’s a big-time clutch performer

When the game is on the line, there are few players in the NBA who you want to have with the ball more than Damian Lillard He’s been dubbed “Mr._4th_Quarter” for his tendency to take over games in crunch time, and he has a long history of coming through in clutch situations (see: his Game 5 series-clinching buzzer beater against Oklahoma City in 2019). Simply put, Dame Time is real and opposing teams should be scared when Lillard has possession of the ball late in close games

Zion Williamson – 2021 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina and played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils Zion earned several national accolades, including the Smith College Player of the Year, Wayman Tisdale Award, Julius Erving Award, and the Carolina Athletic Association Player of the Year. He was also a consensus first-team All-American. As a freshman at Duke, Williamson was one of the most dominant players in College Basketball He helped lead the Blue Devils to an ACC conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament In his one season at Duke, Zion averaged 22.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game

Dwyane Wade – 2020 NBA 2K Legend Edition Cover Athlete

Dwyane Wade is one of the most iconic players in NBA history And, as of this year, he’s also the cover athlete for the 2020 NBA 2K Legend Edition

Wade is a three-Ime Nba champion, a 13-time All-Star, and the 2006 Finals MVP He’s widely considered one of the best Shooting Guards of all time, and his impact on the game of basketball cannot be overstated.

In addition to his on-court accomplishments, Wade is also an outspoken social justice advocate. He’s been a vocal critic of police brutality and racial inequality, and he’s worked tirelessly to promote social change.

Wade’s selection as the cover athlete for the 2020 NBA 2K Legend Edition is a well-deserved honor, and it’s sure to make him even more popular with basketball fans all over the world.

Allen Iverson – 2011 NBA 2K Cover Athlete

He might be one of the smaller players in the league at just six feet tall, but Allen Iverson was a giant when it came to playing basketball A superstar with the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson was nicknamed “The Answer” because he always seemed to have an answer for whatever opposing teams threw at him. His skills on the court quickly made him a fan favorite, and his 2011 NBA 2K cover selection was met with huge excitement from gamers and basketball fans alike.