NBA 2K19 Is Getting An Australia-Specific Cover For The First Time Ever

For the first time in the history of the NBA 2K franchise, there will be an Australia-specific cover athlete. 2K Sports announced today that Philadelphia Sixers forward Ben Simmons, who was born in Melbourne, will grace the NBA 2K19 cover in Australia, as well as New Zealand.

Alongside an image of Simmons, the cover features words that have special meaning to the athlete, including "Loyalty," "Family," "Melbourne," "Unstoppable," and "Triple Double." In a statement, Simmons said it is a "huge honour" to be selected as the first-ever Australian cover star for the NBA 2K series.

"The Aussie fans are super passionate about basketball and specifically NBA 2K, so it's very cool to be an ambassador for both," Simmons said.

Simmons, who was also a standout footy player, moved to the United States and played one year of college basketball at LSU before entering the NBA Draft and going as the No. 1 overall pick. He recorded more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists in his first season with the Sixers and earned the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Copies of NBA 2K19 in Australia and New Zealand will come with a double-sided inlay that shows Simmons on one side and global cover star Giannis Antetokounmpo on the other. A 20th Anniversary edition of the game has LeBron James on the cover.

NBA 2K19 will be available September 11 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The 20th Anniversary Edition will launch a few days earlier, on September 7. You can download "The Prelude" starting on August 31 for PS4 and Xbox One, to get a jump on the MyCareer mode. Check out our pre-order guide for all the details.