NBA legend Kobe Bryant will be the star of 2K’s NBA 2K24 cover. 2K announced the news on Twitter including two covers for the respective editions. The Kobe Bryant Edition and the Black Mamba Edition will be available for purchase, with pre-orders beginning tomorrow July 7th. 

Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts at 2K said in a statement of the cover, “As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the game of basketball.”

8️⃣ ♾️2️⃣4️⃣

Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant.

💛 Kobe Bryant Edition
🐍 Black Mamba Edition

Pre-order your copy tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/afcqMh5qr8

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 6, 2023

The Lakers legend has been featured on the cover for NBA 2K three other times in previous years. NBA 2K10, NBA 2K17 Legend Edition, and NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition saw his image used for the cover art. The 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition came a year after his sudden passing, with a painted art style cover honoring his incredible legacy. 

Occasionally 2K has featured other star athletes on their cover art through various respective editions, so it’s unclear currently if a third edition of NBA 2K24 will feature somebody different. However, the standard edition, this year referred to as the Kobe Bryant Edition will showcase Bryant. 

Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Final MVP and many more accolades, Bryant retired in 2016. Bryant along with his daughter Gianna and sever others onboard a helicopter tragically died when it crashed in Calabasas, California. 

It’s unclear currently the release date for NBA 2K24, however, they typically release in September.