Kobe Bryant has been honored by NBA 2K21 with the Mamba Forever Edition. The late Los Angeles Lakers star will appear on two different covers of the iconic video game. Bryant is the third cover star to be announced this week following Trail Blazers player Damian Lillard, who is considered the current-gen, and Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, who represents the next-gen. There is not a release date set for the game at this time, though that should be announced in the coming weeks.
Mamba Forever ???????? A closer look at the covers
We love and miss you Kobe #NBA2K21pic.twitter.com/Jf1M5kUewx
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
The official NBA 2K21 Twitter account revealed the Kobe Bryant covers with a caption that reads, “Relentless. Driven. A true competitor. We celebrate Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition.” Bryant was also the cover star for NBA 2K10 and the Legend edition for NBA 2K17. Additionally, Bryant was an unlockable player in the previous two installments of the game, so one can almost guarantee that will be the case again this time around, though that has not been officially confirmed.
Mamba Forever
❤️ this tweet for a closer look at the creation of the two Mamba Forever Edition covers and to get big #NBA2K21 updates through the rest of the year
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
While there is no release date set for NBA 2K21, pre-orders are now up, which has sparked speculation of a possible early September release. With that being said, the next installment sounds like something fans of the franchise are going to be really excited about. The video game is known for its immersion and this new addition is stepping all of that up further. Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, had this to say.
Love u and miss u brother @NBA2Kpic.twitter.com/YDp90wlYkK
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) July 2, 2020
“NBA 2K21 is a monumental leap forward for the franchise. We’re combining all of our experience and development expertise to craft the best game possible and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, we are building the game from the ground up to take full advantage of next-gen power and technology.”
2️⃣4️⃣ Legend. Leader. Champion. We honor Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Next Gen Mamba Forever Edition ???????? #NBA2K21pic.twitter.com/OOONVibhvX
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
NBA 2K21 will offer two editions of the game on digital and physical formats – standard and a special Mamba Forever Edition. NBA 2K21 will be available for $59.99 on current-generation platforms; the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X version of NBA 2K21 will be available for $69.99. NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition will be available for $99.99 for both current and next-generation platforms. It includes dual-access where purchasing Mamba Forever Edition on either current or next-generation platforms provides a copy of the standard edition game on the other generation at no additional cost, within the same console family.
8️⃣ Relentless. Driven. A true competitor. We celebrate Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition ???? #NBA2K21pic.twitter.com/1wfH4kTPPN
— NBA 2K21 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020
Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter Gianna, along with seven others, tragically passed away on January 26th in a helicopter crash. Bryant was drafted right out of high school to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he stayed for the entirety of his NBA career. He is often hailed as one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball. In his 20-year career he won five NBA championships, became an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and two-time NBA Finals MVP winner. You can head over to NBA 2K21 to pre-order the Mamba Forever editions of the game.
