Kobe Bryant named cover athlete for NBA 2K24, Sabrina Ionescu to grace WNBA edition
Kobe Bryant and Sabrina Ionescu will be the NBA 2K24 cover athletes, the video game company announced this week.
It will be the fourth time Bryant graced the cover and the second time since his death in 2020. Ionescu, meanwhile, will be the fourth WNBA star who has been on the cover in three years after Candace Parker debuted in 2021 and Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird were on it in 2022.
8️⃣ ♾️2️⃣4️⃣
Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant.
💛 Kobe Bryant Edition
🐍 Black Mamba Edition
Pre-order your copy tomorrow. @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/BwpQ9xjaRz— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2023
“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,” Greg Thomas, president at Visual Concepts, the game’s developer, said in a statement to ESPN. “While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 also looks ahead to the future to bring an innovative leap in technology and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay."
The torch has been passed 🗽 @sabrina_i20's got next, as our #NBA2K24 WNBA Edition Cover Athlete 💪
Pre-order today ➡️ https://t.co/ddxX7XMZI8 #SeeYouOnTheCourt pic.twitter.com/m44mXFCWHD— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 7, 2023
“Sabrina’s ascendance has been an absolute joy to watch, as she continues to showcase her skills on a nightly basis,” Melissa Bell, 2K’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement, per The Athletic. “As one of the next generation of WNBA stars, Sabrina has proven to be a major influencer and driver for growing women’s basketball and the WNBA.”
The dual covers are especially heartwarming considering Ionescu's relationship with the Bryant family.
She met Bryant in 2019, during her time in college at Oregon, and stayed connected and built a friendship with the Lakers star. She posted a goodbye post on Instagram after Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, died in a helicopter crash in 2020 and also spoke at Bryant's celebration of life. Ionescu's connection with the Bryant family continued, as shown by her embrace of Vanessa Bryant after a New York Liberty game in 2022.
“It’s a pretty humbling experience,” Ionescu told The Athletic. “Just knowing that I stand for a lot more than just representing my team and the league, but also just continuing to inspire the youth, and knowing that a lot of kids that are gonna play this game will one day dream to be on the cover as well. That’s really what’s important to me and what I want my legacy to be.”
Ionescu is averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season for the 12-4 Liberty. She is coming off her first WNBA All-Star appearance in 2022.
