Kobe Bryant. Harrison Hill via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Kobe Bryant will grace the cover of 'NBA 2K24'

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 7, 2023 12:19 AM ET

Kobe Bryant's impact on the sports world beyond basketball has continued well beyond his tragic death on Jan. 26, 2020.

His "Mamba Mentality" mindset has inspired thousands of athletes, including many of his contemporaries, and he's without a doubt an icon and legend. So much so that even three years after his untimely death and seven years after he retired from NBA hoops, Bryant will once again be featured on the cover of the widely popular video game: "NBA 2K24."

It will be the fourth time Kobe will grace the cover of the video game, but this time the publisher has something special lined up.

There will be two editions of the cover for purchase; the "Kobe Bryant Edition" and the "Black Mamba Edition."

8️⃣ ♾️2️⃣4️⃣

Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant Edition
Black Mamba Edition

Pre-order your copy tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/afcqMh5qr8
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 6, 2023

There are NBA stars who have won more championships than Bryant and there are three — LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — who have scored more points than him. Bryant finished with 5,640 points in 220 career games. He won five NBA Championships, including a three-peat in 2000, 2001 and 2022.

Bryant may not have had as many accolades as the aforementioned superstars, but Kobe is right up there with Jordan and now LeBron in the conversation for the greatest basketball player of all time. When his "Mamba Mentality" was on, no one could stop him.

Wilt Chamberlain famously scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962. Kobe Bryant's 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 still stands as the guardian milestone to Chamberlain's 100.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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