NBA 2K21: Zion Williamson is the next-gen cover star

Zion Williamson is the cover star for NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

NBA 2K announced today the cover athlete for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions of NBA 2K21 and, as expected, it is Zion Williamson. The reveal doesn’t really come as too much of a surprise considering the New Orleans Pelicans’ star was featured in the game’s initial teaser trailer.

Williamson will be featured front-and-center on the cover of the next-gen versions of NBA 2K21 and is shown readying to slam down one of his signature dunks. While he’s only been in the league for just a short period of time, the 2019 No. 1 Overall Pick has already made his mark on the league and has demonstrated dominance at the professional level.

Williamson is a generational talent and represents the future of the sport. So it makes sense that he would also represent the future of NBA 2K21 on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. What better way to represent the future next-gen consoles than with the future face of the NBA.

Williamson’s rookie season got off to a delayed start in which he didn’t make his professional debut until January due to injury. In his limited time on the court — just 19 games — Williamson has averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

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His dominance on the court helped revive playoff hopes for the New Orleans Pelicans who will hope to sneak in as an eight seed in the Western Conference. The Pelicans were making an impressive run before the league temporarily shut down due to the coronavirus. With the NBA slated to pick back up for a shortened season this month, Zion Williamson will look to finish strong in what has been a very weird rookie season. Regardless of how this season turns out, you can bet Williamson will be one of the star players in NBA 2K21.

Williamson joins Damian Lillard as the second of three cover athletes for NBA 2K21. Lillard was revealed to be the cover star for the game on current-gen systems (Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and Google Stadia). I like what 2K is doing with Lillard and Williamson representing the current- and next-gen consoles, sort of like a passing of the torch.

There’s still one more cover athlete left to be revealed and that will likely be the “Legend Edition” of the game which comes with all the bells and whistles. Typically, this athlete is considered a legend in the sport and I can’t think of anyone more fitting this year than the late Kobe Bryant who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash earlier this year. Pricing and release date information for NBA 2K21 will be announced tomorrow as well.