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Kobe Bryant will be featured on cover of ‘NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition’

The former Lakers star, nicknamed the Black Mamba, will be the third and final athlete to be featured on the cover of the upcoming "NBA2K21" release.
In this June 21, 2010, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant flashes the victory sign and holds the NBA championship trophy during a parade in downtown Los Angeles.
In this June 21, 2010, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant flashes the victory sign and holds the NBA championship trophy during a parade in downtown Los Angeles. [ RICHARD VOGEL | AP ]
Published July 2, 2020

LOS ANGELES — The popular video game series NBA 2K has announced a Mamba Forever Edition for its latest installment.

One guess as to who appears on the cover.

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, aka the Black Mamba, was revealed Thursday as the third and final athlete to be featured on the cover of the upcoming NBA2K21 release.

Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, Calif.

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will appear on the front of the game for current-generation consoles. Zion Williamson, picked No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 draft, is on the cover for the next-generation consoles.

The Mamba Forever Edition will be available for both generations of consoles and feature hand-painted portraits of Bryant. The current-generation cover shows him in his No. 8 jersey, and the next-generation version shows him in his No. 24 jersey.

No release dates have been announced, but the titles are available for preorder.

Bryant appeared on the cover of NBA2K10 following the Lakers’ 2008-09 NBA title.