Damian Lillard honoured on becoming first Trail Blazer player to appear on NBA2K cover

Portland Trail Blazers star player Damian Lillard will be featured on the cover of NBA 2K21. Lillard will be first of three athletes on the cover of the game. The news was announced by 2K in a press release on Tuesday (Wednesday IST). 

Also read | NBA 2K21 release date, cover athlete and price details for various editions

Damian Lillard Cover Athlete: Who is the 2K21 cover athlete?

.@NBA2K cover athlete: @Dame_Lillard 🙌🙌🙌🙌

Congrats, Dame! pic.twitter.com/hy7BQ4w7aV

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 30, 2020

2K21 cover athlete: There will also be a Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook 2K21 cover along with the Damian Lillard 2K21 cover 

Nba 2k21 3 athlete covers will be Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi

— Smoove The Menace🌟 (@24kJSmoov3) June 30, 2020

Damian Lillard stated that this was a special moment in his career, as he has been a fan of the NBA 2K game for years, and loves how they 'represent all aspects of basketball culture'. Lillard revealed that he plays the game constantly and is honoured that to be on the cover like other NBA greats. Lillard thanked all his fans for supporting him, stating that he cannot wait to play the game later this year.

As per the reports, Lillard is on the cover of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC and Google Stadia systems. The company will reveal details of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X covers on Wednesday (Thursday IST). Pre-order details and more information will available on Thursday (Friday IST). 

Also read | NBA 2K21 to feature major visual improvements and launched for PS5 and Xbox X: Report

Damian Lillard cover athlete: Lillard thinks it is a dream come true to become a 2K21 cover athlete

Being on the cover of @nba2k is a dream come true. I've been playing 2K since the Dreamcast days! Hyped to be the #NBA2K21 Current Gen Cover Athlete. #YKWTII #DameTime ⌚ 🎮 pic.twitter.com/d1bPKTm0je

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 30, 2020

Lillard is also the first Trail Blazer to appear on the cover of a 2K game. The company and Lillard will also be teaming up via 2K Foundations to help renovate the underprivileged community center and basketball court in Oakland. While talking about the partnership, NBA 2K's vice president Alfie Brody stated that while many players in the NBA are great, 'Damian Lillard has done a particularly standout job of representing the current generation of NBA superstar'.

"From his cultural influence, musical success, off-the-court leadership and on-court domination, he's the perfect fit for our cover of NBA 2K21 on current-generation platforms; we're honoured to have him," Brody explained. 

Before the NBA season was suspended on March 11, Lillard was averaging a career-high 28.9 points and 7.8 assists. Some reports added that 2K might push ahead their usual September release date so it syncs with the altered NBA calendar. The 2020 NBA Draft is currently scheduled for October 16, while the free agency will start on October 18.

The details for NBA 2K21's release are expected to be announced this week. Most fans reacted positively to the Damian Lillard 2K21 cover, while some wanted late NBA legend Kobe Bryant to feature as the 2K21 cover athlete. 

Also read | Damian Lillard shares emotional story of Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in 2009

Damian Lillard cover athlete interview

Also read | Damian Lillard says NBA return is a risk he's willing to take

(Image source: Portland Trail Blazers official Twitter)