Dončić and Nowitzki land a NBA2K cover for the first time in Mavericks history

The Dallas Mavericks will be splashed across NBA 2K22 in extra portions this year, after the 2K announced today that both Luka Dončić and Dirk Nowitzki will grace the covers of three different editions of the game.

Global phenomenon and two-time NBA All-Star, Luka Dončić, will have the cover image across the Standard Edition and Cross-Gen Digital Bundle, while Nowitzki will be featured with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Durant in a premium, NBA 75th Anniversary Edition, showcasing how each of these athletes changed the game.

All editions of NBA 2K22 are currently scheduled for worldwide release on September 10, 2021 and are available for pre-order starting today, July 14, 2021.

“Making the global cover of NBA 2K22 is special for me,” said Dončić. “I’m proud to represent my country in a special cover that honors the colors of the Slovenian flag. Basketball has given me so much, and I’m excited to give back and work together with 2K Foundations this year to help the lives of young kids around the globe.”

After the announcement, Nowitzki leaned on his endearing humor and tweeted “not sure who these other guys are, but a huge honor to be on (the) cover of #NBA2K22. Thank you.”

A third edition of the game—the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition—will be available only in the United States and Canada, and it will have Chicago Sky forward and two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker on the cover.

The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition celebrates three of the league’s most iconic big men who revolutionized the league over its 75 years:

• Hall of Famer, six-time NBA Champion and six-time MVP, and all-time NBA scoring leader, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legend who still influences today’s game, from his patented Skyhook to his activism on social issues;
• 14-time All-Star, NBA Champion and MVP, Dirk Nowitzki, embodies not only the global expansion of basketball but also the evolution of the game itself as the protoypical sharpshooting big man;
• 11-time All-Star, league MVP and two-time NBA Champion, Kevin Durant, a legend in his own right and known for his one-of-a-kind presence in the league appears for the third time as an NBA® 2K cover athlete.

The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition and Cross-Gen Digital Bundle feature cover artwork painted by Atlanta-based artist, Charly Palmer, work in fine art is defined by complex compositions and a unique technique and style.

2K will also be releasing additional announcements about NBA 2K22 in the coming weeks, including first looks at features, the soundtrack reveal, live service updates, and much more. With ever-expanding content and one of the most passionate hoops communities, basketball never stops in NBA 2K.

Dončić and Slovenia are currently preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, after recently securing the country’s first Olympics berth in men’s basketball history.

Slovenia will be placed in Group C for the Tokyo Games, one of the three four-team groups at the Olympics. Slovenia will play Argentina on July 26, Japan on July 29 and reigning World Cup champion Spain on Aug. 1.

The top two teams in each group, plus two wild cards, will make the Olympic quarterfinals.

In the qualifying games, Dončić posted 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists for the first triple-double by any player in any of the four Olympic qualifying tournaments that were played in the past week to determine the last four teams in the Olympic field.

“We’re making history for our country,” Dončić said. “We can just go up from here.”

Appearing on the NBA 2K22 cover will already be a special moment, but if Dončić can lead Slovenia to a medal, the video game will certainly become a hot commodity for all those who can get their hands on one.

Huge honor to be on the cover of #NBA2K22. Thanks @NBA2K! pic.twitter.com/ptIhpVNUdN

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) July 14, 2021

Not sure who these other guys are but huge honor to be on cover of #NBA2K22. Thank you @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/Aetu6HblLB

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) July 14, 2021