Damian Lillard Will Be the First Trail Blazer to Appear on the Cover of the NBA 2K Video Game Series

He joins a lineage that includes names like Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant.

Damian Lillard against the Milwaukee Bucks in January 2020. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Matthew Singer

With his insane range, Damian Lillard is often said to be playing with a "cheat code," so it's about time he appeared on the cover of an actual video game.

The Blazers point guard was revealed today as the first of three players to grace the cover of the upcoming edition of the popular NBA 2K series.

The announcement was made via a commercial that also (briefly) includes local comic Shain Brenden:

Lillard is the first Blazers player to make the cover since the annual series started in 1999, joining a lineage that includes names like Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant.

"I made it," Lillard told The Athletic reporter Shams Charania. "It means a lot. It's one of those things that's like a signature shoe. Everybody just don't get it."

NBA 2K21 is available for preorder beginning July 2. No word on whether this version of the game will allow players to compete in an empty gym at Walt Disney World.

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