In a segment on the Boardroom podcast, 2x champion Kevin Durant spoke candidly on his history as an NBA 2K cover athlete. As a featured player for three separate editions of the game, Durant reflected on his history and what it means to be the face of a generation of 2K.
“When you play the game you become a fan of the game,” said Durant. “It becomes your everyday routine at a point then you’re on multiple covers… it’s just like a dream come true. The real test is when you get to build your MyPlayer out. I make 5 or 6 of them the whole year. Playmaker, shot creator, they got so many different names now. ‘2-way’, ‘3-level scorer’ I make a big, 7-footer, so you can have every position in the rec. “
The latest installment of NBA 2K was released earlier this month and a fresh face graced the cover: Celtics star and reigning NBA champion Jayson Tatum. Despite being on of the game’s highest-rated players, Kevin Durant was nowhere to be seen in the marketing, although he’s had plenty of time in the spotlight before.
Kevin Durant is an avid gamer and he has been playing NBA 2K (and other sports games) for years. His first appearance as a cover athlete was back in 2K13 when he was joined by Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin in the signature cover art.
Durant’s second appearance came two years later, fresh off his MVP season with the Thunder. He averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game on 50.3% shooting and followed it up with a legendary MVP acceptance speech.
Durant’s latest appearance came in 2022 when he was still a member of the Nets. He joined the front page with Dirk Nowitzki and Hakeem Olajuwon, effectively ranking himself among the greatest players ever.
In the game itself, Durant has always been afforded the proper respect. He hasn’t been rated lower than 91 since 2010 and has consistently ranked among the top players in the game. This year, however, he did offer some pushback after seeing that his rating has fallen to 94 overall (the lowest since 2017).
As the 35-year-old prepares to enter his 17th season, the pressure couldn’t be higher for him to achieve success with the Suns. Without a title since 2018, Durant needs at least one championship away from the Warriors in order to validate his legacy and silence the haters once and for all.
Alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Durant will have another opportunity to make a run this season and a lot of people will be counting on him to carry them to the depths of the NBA postseason.
Whatever happens, Durant will be ready to deliver another spectacular campaign and besides LeBron James, he’s really the only one at this age who can still be counted on to consistently deliver. And when he’s not doing that, he’s delivering in the virtual world with various MyPlayers that he has no doubt built to perfection.