Sixers news: Ben Simmons is NBA 2K19's cover boy for the Australia, New Zealand editions

Sixers star Ben Simmons' new cover art for NBA 2K19, which was developed by Visual Concepts, will be available in Australia and New Zealand for Xbox One, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC platforms, on September 11, 2018.

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has been selected as the cover athlete for the Australian and New Zealand editions of NBA 2K19, according to a report from Operation Sports.

Ben Simmons is the cover athlete for NBA 2K19 in Australia and New Zealand. The cover will be double-sided with Simmons on one side and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the other. pic.twitter.com/Kr07fxXOCx

— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) July 5, 2018

Local Hero and Rookie of the Year @BenSimmons25 is now crowned the King of the ANZ Cover for #NBA2K19 pic.twitter.com/EyzPuJrMYi

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) July 5, 2018

As most hoops fans know, Simmons is a native of Australia. The 21-year-old standout joins the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (20th Anniversary Special Edition) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Standard Edition) of the Milwaukee Bucks as one of the optional cover athletes for this year's game.

Simmons is a rising star, to be sure. He earned 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts in leading the Sixers to the playoffs, alongside Joel Embiid, for the first time since 2012.

Simmons played 81 games for Philly in his rookie season (all starts), averaging 15.8 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the field, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and just under one block (0.9) in 33.7 minutes per game.

Believe it or not, Simmons will be the first Australian to grace the cover of an NBA 2K game.

“It’s a huge honour to be recognised on the first-ever Australian cover for NBA 2K and represent the 76ers,” Simmons told FOX Sports Australia. The Aussie fans are super passionate about basketball and specifically NBA 2K, so it’s very cool to be an ambassador for both.”

Similar to the already-known covers of 2K19, Simmons was given the chance to select a series of unique phrases to be featured around his image — words like loyalty, family, and triple-double.

Simmons' new cover art, which was developed by Visual Concepts, will be available in Australia and New Zealand for Xbox One, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC platforms, on September 11, 2018.

“Ben is the future of the NBA and his drive and versatility have made him an undeniable force in the league,” Alfie Brody, Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K, tells FOX Sports Australia. “He’s the perfect cover athlete and we’re excited to feature him as our very first Australian cover star.”