‘NBA 2K17’ cover athlete named, Paul George joins Kobe Bryant as one of covers

2K Sports has finally called it. “NBA 2K17” will feature Paul George as the standard cover athlete.

The Indiana Pacers forward will grace the covers, a confirmation that came a day late following several leaks of the star’s involvement with the franchise, Fox Sports reported.

Some fans reacted positively to the news, while others had their own thoughts about who they would want on the cover, as seen in the official Twitter. On the whole, George does have its highlights, especially following the injury that he received during the 2014 to 2015 season followed by a comeback in 2015 to 2016 season.

Following the announcement for the standard cover athlete, it seems that “NBA 2K17” will break away from last year’s format. “NBA 2K16” introduced three cover stars, Anthony Davis, James Harden and Stephen Curry, while also introducing special edition and international version cover stars.

That does not mean that George will be alone as the cover of “NBA 2K17. Earlier, Kobe Bryant has been named as the cover for the “NBA 2K17” Legend Edition. 2K Sports confirmed this, as it honours Bryant’s last play for his two-decade-long career in the NBA, Polygon reported.

The Legend Edition will be out for the PS4 and Xbox One, and will have Kobe Bryant-themed memorabilia as well as digital content that revolves around the player. It will commemorate the basketball star’s final game. The edition will also have physical features, namely a poster, trading cards and a Black Mamba controller skin.

It will also have some in-game digital features, like the Bryant-themed cosmetics and jersey, 30,000 Virtual Currency for the MyCareer suite and three packs of MyTeam cards, one of which will include a Kobe Bryant limited-use form.

The “NBA 2K17” Legend Edition will be available for US$79.99 (approx. AU$110). Other platforms, as well as the PS4 and Xbox One, can expect the Standard Edition, which will feature George on the cover.