In Instagram and Twitter posts Wednesday morning, NBA 2K announced that Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson would be featured as one of three cover athletes for their upcoming 2K21 video game. The announcement comes one day after Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was premiered as the first cover athlete.
For the first time, NBA 2K will be featuring three cover athletes. Williamson will be taking on the role of “Next Gen”, while Lillard will be playing the role of “Current Gen” (the prototypical role of cover athletes). A “Past Gen” athlete is to be revealed later this week and many suspect that the late Kobe Bryant is in line for this award.
Williamson’s reveal isn’t too much of a surprise for the 2K community. NBA 2K previewed the upcoming 2K21 game with in-game footage of Williamson at the PlayStation 5 showcase back on June 11.
This feat for the former Blue Devil is quite exceptional for NBA players. Williamson has only 19 career games under his belt, by far the fewest of any cover athlete. Anthony Davis had played in 466 career games before being selected cover athlete of 2K20, while Giannis Antetokounmpo amassed 393 appearances before being displayed on the 2K19 game.
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