Digital Baller

Yeah, that's real.

Earlier tonight, Spike Lee announced the cover athlete for NBA 2K10 before Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. The thirty second ad shows Lee hyping up all sorts of cover possibilities, and claiming that if they're going to use Bryant, they should at least show him wearing a Lee-favorite New York Knicks uniform. The above image isn't the final cover, however. 2K Sports is letting the fans choose the final cover from a selection of four different Kobe Bryant-laden images. One of them is the Knicks cover. You can vote for your favorite cover here:


As of now, the Knicks cover is in second place, closely following the leader. This is definitely the most unique cover, and it would be pretty funny if it actually wins. You'll notice, though, that the New York image shows Bryant wearing number 17. I haven't been able to find an explanation for this yet. Could Spike Lee know something the rest of us don't? After all, Bryant and Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni are friends and have known eachother for a very long time. Just a year ago, Bryant was asking for a trade. Could this be the answer for the sub par New York Knicks?
Check out the video right here:




So that's what 2K Sports has going on for NBA 2K10. But what about EA Sports? What have they got up their sleeves for NBA Live '10? The rival NBA franchise will surely have to find a way to top this announcement. While EA won't reveal their cover athlete until the NBA Draft on June 25, there has been heavy speculation that it will be Sir LeBron King James. This would make the most sense since the media has been hyping up the idea of Kobe vs. LeBron for months now, and a cover boy rivalry could definitely boost sales for both 2K and EA. Whoever EA chooses, I'm excited. June 25 couldn't be further away. Until then, we'll have to accept this hastily-made NBA Live '10 cover for what it's worth:



Sorry, EA's new style isn't working out for me. That's my creation, but something about the new design just complicates things up. It's tough to imitate. I apologize to the City of Cleveland for creating that atrocity. But until June 25, that cover image will have to be good enough for me.