My hunch was correct, in a way. On Tuesday, 2K announced Cleveland Cavaliers superstar and the NBA’s best player LeBron James is the cover athlete for NBA 2K19′s 20th Anniversary Special Edition.
The Special Edition will release on September 7, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. That is four days earlier than the Standard Edition.
The Standard Edition cover will be revealed at a later time, and that’s probably a good thing. The cover above makes such a strong statement that a traditional look could easily get washed away if it were revealed to close to Special Edition. This is James’ second time on the cover of the game. He also appeared on the cover of NBA 2K14, which marked the introduction to the current generation of consoles.
As you can see, 2K didn’t go with an in-jersey look this year. With James’ impending free agency, it’s possible they didn’t want to run into the same issues they had last year when Kyrie Irving was traded from the Cavs to the Boston Celtics after the cover was printed.
This is easily the most personal cover 2K has ever produced. It goes beyond the court and the phrases surrounding James’ face are all connected to him and the things he stands for on and off the court.
“It’s humbling to be on the 20th anniversary cover of a game I’ve played and loved since I was a little kid,” said James. “We were able to do something really unique for the cover that represents everything that drives me and inspires me – from my family to where I come from and words I live by. I’m honored my journey can be part of this special time in 2K history and I’m excited for fans to see it.”
“This year marks the 30th anniversary for the development team at Visual Concepts and the 20th for the NBA 2K series, so it was important to commemorate this milestone by partnering with the most iconic athlete of this generation in LeBron James,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K. “LeBron’s carefully crafted wording on the NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition cover encapsulates the passion and drive that have elevated him to all-time greatness making him the perfect cover star.”
The Special Edition of NBA 2K19 will cost $99.99. Aside from the James cover, here is a look at the items that will be included:
Digital Items
- 100,000 Virtual Currency;
- 50,000 MyTEAM points;
- 20 MyTEAM League Packs (delivered one a week)
- Sapphire LeBron James MyTEAM Card;
- 10 MyTEAM Heat Check Packs (delivered one a week beginning at the start of the NBA season)
- 5 LeBron-themed murals for MyCOURT;
- LeBron MyCOURT design;
- King’s Collection – Nike LeBron apparel & footwear (25 pairs)
Physical Items
- LeBron NBA 2K19 poster;
- NBA 2K sticker sheet;
- Custom Wristband featuring LeBron’s chosen words.
*Physical items not included with digital purchase
The Standard Edition will again retail for $59.99 and it will be available for the same set of consoles. 2K is also releasing another version of The Prelude. For those who aren’t aware, it’s a demo that gets players a head start with their MyCAREER character and also delivers the first taste of gameplay and the narrative for this year’s game.
The NBA 2K19: Prelude starts on August 31 for the Xbox One and PS4 only. There won’t be a Prelude for Switch or PC. Stay tuned for more information on NBA 2K19 leading up to its launch and check out the info tracker located here.
