While Kobe Bryant continues to pursue career opportunities off the court, the Los Angeles Lakers legend is maintaining virtual ties to it by reprising his role as special commentator in NBA 2K19. The video game made the announcement by releasing their broadcast trailer on Bryant’s 40th birthday.
However, it wasn’t necessarily geared toward recognizing the five-time champion. NBA 2K19 also confirmed Kevin Garnett is returning as a special commentator in the game, and revealed The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has joined this year.
Simmons’ addition should add an intriguing layer to the game as the famed Boston Celtics fan is renowned for his strong and at times controversial opinions.
And though Thursday’s trailer release was to highlight Simmons, the Lakers had a strong presence in the video. Beyond Bryant, the team is represented on multiple occasions in the gameplay aspect.
LeBron James, the cover athlete on the 20th anniversary edition of NBA 2K19, is shown throwing down dunks and finishing with acrobatic layups. James previously shot an interview with artist Travis Scott to go over his process of curating the game’s soundtrack.
That coincided with James wearing the new Nike Lakers jersey for the first time. He also unveiled a previously unseen version of an Undefeated x Nike Kobe 1 Protro, which naturally sent social media into a craze.
The 20th anniversary edition of NBA 2K19 releases Sept. 7, with the regular version hitting shelves four days later.
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