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Duke basketball: Zion Williamson named to cover of NBA 2K21 Next Gen

By Kevin Connelly

Former Duke basketball star Zion Williamson (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Former Duke basketball star Zion Williamson (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Former Duke basketball standout Zion Williamson will be the future face of the NBA and the video game NBA 2K21 as he has been named on the cover.

Weeks after a video surfaced with Zion Williamson debuting the new graphics that NBA 2K21 will roll out, the announcement has now been made that the No. 1 overall pick will grace one of the covers of the video game.

Williamson, who has only played 19 total games in his NBA career, will be on the cover of the Next Gen version of the game as Portland Trail Blazers star Damien Lillard will be on the regular edition of the popular video game.

The cover in which the former Duke star will grace will appear on the new gaming systems PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

2K will have three cover athletes for its new update of the game and will announce who will be on the third and final cover on Thursday morning.

https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/1278328803966812161?s=20

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1278385242672377857?s=20

Zion Williamson has averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in his rookie season as the New Orleans Pelicans are set to travel down to Orlando, Florida for the NBA’s resumed season.

Many believed due to Williamson’s inexperience that he should not have been on the cover of the video game in his rookie season as other players such as Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, or Ja Morant should have been on the cover over the rising NBA star.

ALSO READ: Duke legend Zion Williamson to be the face of NBA 2K21

The New Orleans franchise, Hornets and Pelicans, now have three cover athletes on the NBA 2K video games as Chris Paul was on the cover in NBA 2K8 and Anthony Davis on NBA 2K16.

Zion Williamson also joins Kyrie Irving, who was on the cover of NBA 2K16, as the only former Duke basketball players to be on the cover of the video game.

ALSO READ: Duke outlines guidelines in which football, basketball can resume

Dates have not yet been announced for when NBA 2K21, the PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X will be released, but the expectation is that all three will be available to the public in 2020.

Pre-orders for the video game can be placed beginning on July 2.

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