Giannis Antetokounmpo unveiled as NBA 2K19 cover athlete
With LeBron James gone from the NBA’s Eastern Conference, all eyes will be in Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo come October. As of July, though, Antetokounmpo is already grabbing headlines.
On Monday, video-game franchise NBA 2K confirmed what was leaked last week: Antetokounmpo is the cover athlete of its upcoming video game.
“I am honored to be the first international player featured on the cover of NBA 2K19,” Antetokounmpo said in a statement. “I love playing NBA 2K so this means a lot to me. I have worked hard to earn recognition in the NBA and being on the cover of NBA 2K19 is a dream come true.”
At age 23, Antetokounmpo, a native of Greece, is the first international player to ever house the video game’s cover. And that’s saying something, considering NBA 2K has made its game since 1999.
Last year, Antetokounmpo averaged 26.9 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the second round of the NBA playoffs. In that round, the Bucks lost to the Celtics, a team that will once again be a challenger next year. So, too, will the Philadelphia 76ers, a team led by Joel Embiid — the cover athlete of competing video game NBA LIVE 19 made by EA Sports.
The NBA 2K19 Standard Edition will be available on Sept. 11 for $59.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC platforms.
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