Late last week, 2K Sports announced that three individuals will grace three different covers of NBA 2K21. We learned the first of these on Tuesday morning, when 2K announced that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be on the cover for copies of the game on current generation consoles.
It's Time ⌚ #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/19kMlpiiJP
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) June 30, 2020
Lillard also announced the news on his Twitter account, saying that he used to play 2K on his Sega Dreamcast and that making it onto the cover is “a dream come true.”
Being on the cover of @nba2k is a dream come true. I've been playing 2K since the Dreamcast days! Hyped to be the #NBA2K21 Current Gen Cover Athlete. #YKWTII #DameTime ⌚ 🎮 pic.twitter.com/d1bPKTm0je
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 30, 2020
In a statement to ESPN, Lillard said that, “This is a special moment for me in my NBA career. I’ve been a fan of NBA 2K for years and love how they represent all aspects of basketball culture. I’m an avid 2K player, so I’m honored to join the other NBA greats who have been on the cover. I’m grateful to all my fans and can’t wait for everyone to experience the game later this year.”
Gamers got their first look at 2K21 during a recent Sony PlayStation livestream, when New Orleans Pelicans standout Zion Williamson helped debut a collection of gameplay clips. The remaining two covers for this year’s 2K game are expected to be announced on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and while there is no word on pricing or the game’s official release date, the trailer with Lillard revealed that preorders for NBA 2K21 will begin on July 2.