If you go here...They give you some choices....

[www.2ksports.com]

Tha_Game

kobe24

the_answer

Play real basketball FTW! :)

Earthslide

Mario Mario.

Nex Antonius

looks like a Tim Duncan weak hand to me but he's only got a few years left and his skills are on the down slide

Amare wasn't much of a head liner

KG is scared to go in the paint

Maybe it's Kwame Brown?!?!? LOLZ

I think it's Dwight Howard

mikeloxlong

Scottie Pippen.....I wish, I think it's gonna be Chris Paul

Beatboxtaun

wow, see I had no idea. Good to know that you guys still find this stuff important.

Brian Crecente

Still no PC and PSP version? =(

PC sports fans are screwed lol. But the NBA Live community is making a new version of Live 06. Should be interesting

KaliKOtt

that figure is very similar to Dwight Howard

eddienoteddy

I wanna go and say Kobe Bryant, but I'm not sure if he is taken with the sony franchise.

NightMystic

@Len Bias Cocaine Surplus: aww cmon....lol u had to go there! funny comment though. if KG doesnt win this i will scream blasphemy! plus i would love to score a copy of the game and a autographed jersey {^_^}

zanzibarlegend

All the big publishers want to go for the casual market nowadays.

The cover star will be Air Bud.

stoneagedan

It's a toss-up, Amare or K.G. I think it's Amare because he Tomahawks with either hand depending on the defender.

Boboh

I willing the bet that isn't David Lee

Len Bias Cocaine Surplus

Kevin Garnett FTW. he has paid his dues. plus he has been playing like a beast in the playoffs.

and yes its a big deal to the athlete making the cover, every sports buff remembers who made the previous covers. its a brief moment of immortality, that no athlete will deny is a honor.

zanzibarlegend

Looks like Dwight Howard to me.

The-Mighty-KrilDog

That's Tim Duncan!

Nope.. Actually, reminds me of a Tyson Chandler, KG'ish, Amare Stoudemire finish.

Can't really think of any prominent left hands players on the top of my head this early in the morning though.

mr_dimsum

I think Kevin Garnett deserves this cover.

dazyluz

i wont try to guess whos the cover athlete but yeah the cover athlete has influenciated me on my desition to buy a game... i got nba live 06 strictly because dwade was in it and nba live 07 cuz of kobe hehehe

jove

I think it's Chris Bosh.

That David Lee comment was classic.

DoubleOh187

OMG al teh speling mistkes gay...

*cough*

Communist_Gamer

Effected? Good lord, Crecente, I think I've gone blind.

RogueSophist

i went with Garnett

teh_joe

@Tha_Game: I have a feeling that is not in fact Steve Nash

Len Bias Cocaine Surplus

I think its Andrea iguodala from the Sixers...

Tha_Game

I would go with Kobe, but since he's on the cover of Sony's basketball game, I'll go with Garnett.

With your question, Crecente. I'm thinking of picking up NHL 2k9 since Rick Nash is on the cover, I could care less about the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Nash has been one of my favourite players since his time in the Ontario Hockey League with my hometown London Knights. Nash is a class act all around. To see him get picked as cover athlete over studs like Malkin, Crosby, Luongo, Datsyuk, Zetterburg, Gaborik, even Ryan Smyth (who is a fucking warrior) and etc. is something special, as it will hopefully get him more exposure with casual hockey fans who play NHL games since Columbus hasn't exactly been one the best teams in the NHL. They've never even made the playoffs before!

GordieHoweHatTrick

@jove: Tracy Mcgrady was on NBA Live 07 lol...You mean NBA 07 (Sony NBA)lol

Tha_Game

It's a big, bald, dorky looking dude, so it could be Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

CharlesBronsonPinchot

it's gonna be KG, has to be. F- kobe.

oneshot_

To answer your question, no it has never affected my purchase of a basketball game, but it does make a big deal who they put on the cover of the game because it shows the direction that not only the NBA league is moving in, but also the direction that the game is moving in. By that I mean they will most likely focus on gameplay that their cover athlete excels in. Personally, I chose Chris Paul to re-up this year due to his fantastic regular season finishing second to Kobe in the MVP race, and his stellar performance in the playoffs against a much better and more seasoned San Antonio Spurs.

But look for someone like Kevin Garnett to head the cover this year as Celtics, Lakers fever is in full effect. They're looking probably to put a dynasty on the cover.

CP3 FTW!!!!!, and if not him, LBJ FTW!!!!!! (Who am I kidding lol).

jspeed04

Chris Bosh, The Boston Three, and LeBron James are probable.

But I think it will be Dwight Howard in the cover.

I still think he volleyed the ball though. That was not a Dunk!!!

kingme

My vote goes to Kevin Durant.

CarlitosColon

Call me a heathen, but I think it looks cool as it is, with just the silhouette. That means you could more or less replace it with anyone you choose, making it far more personal.

Dajmin

If the silhouette is actually the silhouette of the cover player, it's Kevin Durant, for sure.

daftpunkxl

I'm with the KG crowd. I don't think there's been a player with more press or more love in the past year, plus he took he team to the best record and the Finals. If CP3 hadn't been on it last year, he'd get it again. But announcing it at the Finals that KG is in? Makes sense.

Kobe doesn't have the draw he once did. And Dwight Howard isn't the household name he will be. LeBron ...perhaps, but I still think KG gets it.

~

Sports Fan and Gamer aren't mutually exclusive and Sport Fan/Gamer doesn't mean Sports Game Fan. Actually I love Sports and Hate Sports video games for the most part. Shrug.

MasterSauce

Come on, give me Charles Barkley. He can do the CHAOS DUNK.

Though what they really should've done was put Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen on the cover.

StillLee

Greg Oden with his awesome-O mohawk!

Fury-genesis

@excaliburps: technically, and factually Jordan was never able to complete that feat as far ESPN reports go.

i hope 2K doesnt pull that rookie of the year crap. KG hands down. durant will get his shine on in due time.

zanzibarlegend

@Brian Crecente:

Who's on the cover won't make or break my decision if I'm going to buy the game. As long as the gameplay's good.

Glad to see Kotaku still reports on sports-videogame related posts. It's important for the few sports-videogame nuts like myself who frequent the site. =)
Yeah were' the tools who buy every year's iteration. What can we say? Every tweak is important to us. =D

I'm a huge NBA fan. Sure I wanted a Phoenix vs LA conference finals but now that Kobe's into the home stretch, I hope he goes all the way. If ever Team USA wins the gold medal in the Olympics, Kobe would be in the same level as the GOAT Michael Jordan. Winning a regular season MVP,having a championship ring and most probably a Finals MVP and a gold medal all in the same year. Not bad...

excaliburps

Its definitely never affected my decision but I am also an educated gamer... people who buy NBA Live clearly aren't so maybe it matters to them.

The only reason this would matter to me is if its Brandon Roy. No matter what 2K9 is a must buy.

pharcotix

@zanzibarlegend:
Agreed! I too am awaiting the Finals with added excitement. The NBA's been better this year than in the few years past. I don't remember there being so many teams who could win it all in one season. Phoenix,Spurs,Detroit,Boston,LA, etc. Good times!

Interestingly enough, I read an article on ESPN which tries to encompass what drives Kobe to be what he is. If you want to read it here's the link:
[sports.espn.go.com]
It's a nice read. Glad to see there are still gamers who play sports games who aren't jerks. =D

excaliburps

It's not Jordan, is it? I don't want to get my hopes up...

Enigma_20XX

@excaliburps: Indeed if Kobe pulls it off you have to put him in the conversation as a contender for GOAT. The Bulls squad was more equipped than these lakers, but nothing is impossible. i can't wait for game one tomm.

zanzibarlegend

@zanzibarlegend:
Ah I think it's my bad. I keep thinking the original Dream Team overlapped with his winning his first championship against the Lakers...=D

Still, what Kobe could do would be legendary...

excaliburps

I have bought older sports games because of the cover athletes, such as John Elway's Quarterback for the NES, but not new ones. I would only consider it a factor if it is a game I am already considering purchasing. For basketball, I wouldn't buy any game outside the 2K series, but I also don't buy an NBA game every year. If I see a 2K basketball game on clearance, I might buy it if I like the cover athlete. Also, I will completely avoid a game if I can't stand the cover athlete.

kingofallcosmos

It looks like Bosh, but it'll be KG.

phalanges

if the shadow is the shadow of the actual player, then i'd go with chris paul. it really looks like chris paul. the hand shadow looks too small for a big man like garnett or howard. I would certainly go with garnett as the most deserving though. I just can't see them annoucing garnett as the cover just before the finals start.

gogators88

Josh Smith anyone? Take a good look.

RocketSauceJosh

@RocketSauceJosh: i don't care how much it looks like him, it won't be josh smith...

pharcotix

First impression looks like Superman to me. (Dwight, not Shaq >_> ) but after a second look it might not be a big man.

Last year the shadow turned out to be the shadow of the actual player (it was pretty obvious it was CP3's silhouette), there's probably an image out there that we can find for comparison.

As for caring about the cover athlete? Not really, I mean, something like this is interesting but NBA 2k9 is pretty much a lock for purchase for me. It would remain so even if say um...Tyronne Lue...was on the cover.

Mamba

In a REal WorlD it would be Jackie Moon from the Flint Tropics...Love Me Sexy!!!!

Melhavic

My Vote Is For "Dwight Howard" of the *Orlando Magic*

Melhavic

i already placed my vote, there's only about 18 players you can choose from. if THIS is the cover, with just a blank of the player, then my vote for josh smith is obviously wrong. this looks like a slim big man like durant, KG or chris bosh.. could be the left handed bosh. lol@ some guys saying it's my boy tim duncan, i wish. but, he's not even on the ballot; tony parker is. i want a josh smith jersey so i hope it's him!

Amasero

Its going to be KG.

PsycheE

i also think it could be Chris Bosh. Since pretty much all the people listed above are all "rightys". The pick looks like Bosh since he is lanky and left handed

mrtoofresh

I don't think they make it this big of a deal because of the wanting to know who the athlete is.

They do it:
1) Publicity for the game - start the hype.
2) Probably tell the athlete, "hey we are going to make it a huge deal so you will get a ton of exposure", so the athlete is more likely to sign in on it.

Hobb3z

That's Chris Bosh

BladeWarrior

It's the man-child KG!

arepeegee