Lebron James may have won the NBA Championship and finally gotten his ring, but it is Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant who won the hearts of 2K Sports and will now grace the cover of NBA 2K13. Durant will be joined by Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin and Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose on the cover of NBA 2K13, representing an all-new dynasty of young superstars who will one day be known as NBA legends.
”Being crowned as one of the NBA 2K13 cover athletes is a huge honor and something I always dreamt about,” said Durant, who won his third straight scoring title and led the Thunder franchise to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1996. “It’s definitely humbling to grace the cover after the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird.”
Of course, we all know Lebron James and the Miami Heat won the Finals, but I think most of us will agree Kevin Durant won the popularity contest. The problem with Lebron James, even with his ring, is that he's a polarizing sports figure. Many dislike him because of his showboat antics, while Durant is viewed as a family man (always hugging his mom on the court) who plays for the love of the game.
I would even argue that while they may not be as talented as James, Griffin and Rose are more embraced.
“There’s so much young talent around the NBA, so it’s very exciting to be chosen for NBA 2K’s ‘New Dynasty’ alongside Kevin and Derrick,” added Griffin, who helped lead the Clippers to their first postseason since 2006. “The NBA 2K series has always been my first choice when I want to get a game in.”
“It’s a dream come true to be one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K13,” commented Rose, the 2010-11 NBA Most Valuable Player, who led the Bulls to a league-best 50-16 record this season. “I’ve worked closely with 2K Sports since NBA 2K10, and I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan as the latest Chicago Bull to be featured on the cover.”
Rose, Durant, and Griffin have each had stellar careers up to this point, each winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, while amassing eight All-Star berths, three scoring titles, and one Most Valuable Player aware between them.
“There are many young superstars in today’s NBA, but we’ve selected three incredible athletes for the cover of NBA 2K13 that represent the NBA well,” concluded Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “It’s clear to us that Blake, Derrick and Kevin are the most deserving guys to inherit the NBA 2K cover from Jordan, Magic and Bird.”
It's kind of sad that even after everything Lebron James has been through, all of the criticism he's had to put up with, he's still not considered among the legendary NBA players – even after he has the ring.
NBA 2K13 will be available on October 2, 2012 in North America and October 5, 2012 internationally. A Wii U version of the game will be available during the holiday season. Fans are encouraged to pre-order NBA 2K13 now in order to receive the downloadable NBA All-Star content package on day one at no extra cost.
