With the dog days of summer rapidly approaching, popular video game franchise NBA 2K released their cover designs earlier last week. The late great Kobe Bryant will be honored in a special ‘Mamba Forever’ edition, with superstar point guard Damian Lillard and sensational rookie Zion Williamson also getting featured front and center.
The evolution of the designs on these covers has been interesting to follow over the years, as there have been a few lowlights in design (like when they flaunted the bug red ESPN logo, which they had to do for branding purposes, but it still makes the overall style of the cover look ugly.
When it comes to the cover art on these games, the 2K franchise has had far more hits than misses. Here are the best of these hits, ranked 1-5 in descending order.
5. NBA 2K10 
NBA 2K21 will not be the first year that the Black Mamba has been featured on the cover, as this cover from ten years ago artfully shows Kobe’s passion and drive for the game.
While Bryant’s critics viewed him as a rather selfish player, this cover showcases his love for his team, with one’s eyes immediately being drawn to the bright gold and striking purple on the jersey. Not to mention a passionate Kobe, who has a vein the size of a cobra looking to burst from his head, is holding the team name out, showing off the dominance of the Laker brand.
That artful edit of Bryant mixed with the slick design of the gold in the ’10’ of the logo set a precedent for NBA2K covers for the rest of the decade.
4. NBA 2K 18-Legends Edition
After that 10th anniversary cover with Bryant on the cover, the NBA2K cover artists really fell in love with using gold as a primary color in many designs, specifically the alternate covers.
The gold works well here, as it blends in the background with a powerful, iconic image of Shaq dunking while swinging his legs in the air. This is a pose that bigs of the 2000s who faced the Diesel know all too well.
It’s the little details with this cover that place it above the Kobe cover. With Shaq’s silhouette pronounced on the bottom of the show, the subtle court designs in the background, and the use of the NBA logo in the title for a sleeker and less blocky title, this cover is damn near perfect.
3. NBA 2K19-Legends Edition
Over the past 10 years, no one’s face in the game in the game of basketball has been more recognizable than LeBron James’. NBA2K obviously knows, making the side profile of the legend the focus of their cover.
The edits to make the shadows appear to bounce off his face add to his legendary figure, and the gold font surrounding his head featuring his iconic nicknames really makes the cover pop. The font is both clean and easy to read, but also appears as if it’s been written in spray paint, which is a clever touch.
Also, bonus points to 2K for putting the names of James’ kids in the cover, on the lower right hand side. I’m sure LeBron won’t be the first member of his household to be featured on the cover of the game.
2. NBA2K16-Legends Edition
Speaking of icons, there is no more iconic figure in the basketball world (and arguably in the sports world) than the great Michael Jordan. There aren’t a ton of athletes who are interesting enough to keep what seemed like all of America on the edge of their seat for a ten-part documentary series.
The background images surrounding a dunking Jordan are really what makes this cover great: him at the free throw line in college, the Jordan name on the back of those 90’s Bulls jerseys, the celebration after the third championship, and the iconic fist bump following a game winner.
The slogan at the bottom of the cover is perfect branding for 2K, as the MyPlayer and MyTeam modes in the game allow players to craft their own image, as they try to ‘Be The Story’ while following in Air Jordan’s foot steps.
1. NBA2K20-Legends Edition
Dwyane Wade is obviously not the best player on the list, and is far from the best player — or even best shooting guard — to ever grace the cover of NBA2K. But out of all the love Wade got in his retirement tour that felt like it lasted eight years, this cover is the best thing to come out of it.
This cover is the quintessential cover for the game, and has so many perfect elements: Wade looking off to the distance in the Black Miami Vice uniform that pops off the page, the lightning bolts coming from the sky, the neon blue lights surrounding Wade, and even the subtle hint to Zaire Wade, with the name of the soon-to-be NBA player written in the sand.
There is so much going on with this cover, and it would be easy for 2K to make it too much. But the color scheme and fearsome yet introspective look on Wade’s face make this cover incredible. NBA2K should try to use this color scheme every chance they get, as hopefully the Miami Heat can adopt those phenomenal Miami Vice jerseys (undoubtedly the greatest jerseys in the NBA) as their primary uniforms later this decade.
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