NBA 2K has announced the full roster of cover athletes for NBA 2K22, the next installment of the top-rated and top-selling NBA video game simulation series of the past 20 years.
The standard edition and cross-gen digital bundle of the game will feature Global phenom and two-time NBA All-Star, Luka Dončić. The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition will have a trio of the NBA’s most impactful big men – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant – showcasing how each of these athletes changed the game.
NBA 2K22 will have a worldwide release of September 10, 2021, and are available for pre-order today.
“Making the global cover of NBA 2K22 is special for me,” said Dončić. “I’m proud to represent my country in a special cover that honors the colors of the Slovenian flag. Basketball has given me so much, and I’m excited to give back and work together with 2K Foundations this year to help the lives of young kids around the globe.”
The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition celebrates three of the league’s most iconic big men who revolutionized the league over its 75 years:
- Hall of Famer, six-time NBA Champion and six-time MVP, and all-time NBA scoring leader, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legend who still influences today’s game, from his patented Skyhook to his activism on social issues;
- 14-time All-Star, NBA Champion and MVP, Dirk Nowitzki, embodies not only the global expansion of basketball but also the evolution of the game itself as the protoypical sharpshooting big man;
- 11-time All-Star, league MVP and two-time NBA Champion, Kevin Durant, a legend in his own right and known for his one-of-a-kind presence in the league appears for the third time as an NBA® 2K cover athlete.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition and Cross-Gen Digital Bundle feature artwork created by Atlanta-based artist, Charly Palmer, whose work in fine art is defined by complex compositions and a unique technique and style. He is most recently known for his “Civil Rights” series of paintings and compositions titled “America Must Change.”
“The NBA 2K cover has always been a vehicle for storytelling and a way to showcase the unique and diverse backgrounds of the athletes,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at NBA 2K. “The culture around the game of basketball is vibrant and transcends geographical boundaries. This year, we want to showcase that global diversity via Charly’s amazing, one-of-a-kind art.”
The WNBA is also represented on the covers as The Chicago Sky’s Candance Parker becomes the first female cover athlete in the history of the game. In North America, players can purchase a special version of the Standard Edition featuring six-time WNBA All Star and WNBA Champion, Candace Parker, on the cover and available exclusively through GameStop and EB Games.
