Paul George will be featured on the standard edition cover of "NBA 2K17." In his first full season back following a devastating leg injury, George averaged 23.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the Pacers. He also nearly broke the record for points in an All-Star Game by scoring 41. He was named to the All-NBA third team.
MORE: Gronk is on 'Madden 2017' cover | Uh-oh, player ratings drop
George was the face of the "NBA 2K16" mobile app and appeared in the ad that accompanied the "2K17" special edition announcement. He also has been involved playing past 2K games against and with fans online, so he has a legitimate passion for the series.
It's notable that the cover art includes an image of George in a Team USA uniform alongside ones in his Pacers jersey. That could mean the introduction of an Olympics mode or at least the individual teams playing some role within the game. With "NBA 2K15," the cover athletes were seen on the cover in their college uniforms and that coincided with some universities being licensed to appear within the game's MyCareer story mode.
The special "Legend Edition" of the game was announced in April and will celebrate the career of Kobe Bryant. It's being sold for $80 and includes a Limited Edition Kobe poster, Black Mamba controller skin and two Panini trading cards. Extra in-game digital content will also be provided in the form of 30,000 in Virtual Currency, a MyTeam bundle of three card packs, Kobe XI shoes, a Kobe No. 8 Mitchell & Ness jersey, a Kobe hoodie, and more to be revealed later.
"NBA 2K17" does not yet have an official release date but it's expected to be late September. Amazon Prime members can pre-order both versions at a 20 percent discount.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the new site HitThePass.com, hosts the Press Row Podcast, and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre .