Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been named the cover athlete for the popular video game NBA 2K21, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Lillard will succeed Anthony Davis, who donned this year's cover.

“That's what's up. I made it. I'll be on the cover of 2K,” Lillard told Charania. “It means a lot. It's one of those things that is like a signature shoe. Everyone just don't get it. To be able to join the line of players that has been in 2K, it's an honor.

“I said earlier… everytime I come across a game that is my favorite year of a game, the way that you recognize it by ‘AI was on that cover', or ‘Kobe was on that cover' — that was my favorite one. Just to be on that group and be on a cover is cool, it's real cool.”

The popular basketball video game will also have two additional covers, one for its “Digital Deluxe” and another for the “Legend Edition,” which comes with all the bells and whistles.

NBA 2K20 had a recently-retired Dwyane Wade donning the “legend” cover in a South Beach background. Players and fans are greatly expecting the late Kobe Bryant to don the cover of this upcoming release.

A recent teaser video reveal for NBA 2K21 featured rookie Zion Williamson, which gave the impression that the 19-year-old would be this year's cover athlete, yet 2K quickly tempered expectations, declaring they would soon reveal who the cover athlete is.

Lillard becomes the first Blazer to don the cover of NBA 2K and the sixth point guard to do so. Allen Iverson was the face of the franchise for its first five iterations. Derrick Rose (2K13) and Stephen Curry (2K16) were included as part of a three-athlete mashup on their respective covers.

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