Basketball
Fans outrage as Zion Williamson is named cover athlete for NBA 2k21
NBA 2k21 just announced Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson, and Kobe Bryant as their cover athletes. Zion Williamson will be featured on the next-gen cover of NBA 2k21 over budding young talents like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum.
The future is here
@ZionWilliamson is our Cover Athlete for Next Gen #NBA2K21 Pre-orders begin July 2nd pic.twitter.com/HCbHEOZUfL
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 1, 2020
Zion Willaimson has been the most hyped NBA rookie since Lebron James in 2003. He suffered a meniscus tear in the pre-season and consequently missed four months in rehab. He came back stronger than ever in February averaging 23.6 points at .589 efficiency becoming rookie of the month. However, the phenomenal season that he was having after returning from an injury was cut short due to COVID-19.
Having played only 19 games so far he is not the current favourite for winning the rookie of the year title. On the other hand, Ja Morant who’s had an exceptional rookie year with Memphis Grizzlies is the clear favourite for this title.
Also Read: The Zion Williamson bias: Debunking the ‘Pelicans easy schedule’ narrative
Luka Doncic the fan favourite for NBA 2k21 cover over Zion Williamson
Meanwhile, Zion Williamson on the NBA 2k21 “Next Generation” cover did not go down too well with the fans. It was a clear snub for the reigning 2019 Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic who has been pushing boundaries all through ’19-’20 season before the suspension. Luka Doncic has emerged as the franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks at the age of 20 after Dirk Nowitzki’s departure.
Luka Doncic
126 career games, 24.4/8.5/7.1 avg, 22 triple-doubles, 2018-19 Rookie of the Year (w/ six Rookie of the Months), 2020 All-Star
Zion Williamson
19 career games, 23.6/6.8/2.2 avg, 1 Rookie of the Month award, 1 "Next Gen" @NBA2K cover
— Joey Hayden (@_joeyhayden) July 1, 2020
With Kristaps Porzingis’s assistance, he has transformed Dallas Mavericks into a playoff threat once again and had enough healing time this 5-month break. Along with Doncic, another fan favourite for the NBA 2k21 cover was Ja Morant. Zion Williamson has earned criticism for being on the cover in just 19 games over Ja Morant, who has earned the 8th seed for Memphis Grizzlies.
When you think about it, it actually makes sense. Zion will have a lot of free time to play/advertise 2K when Ja is in the playoffs. https://t.co/cFHdlZJTMi
— Made in Memphis (@MadeinMemphis1) July 1, 2020
Not to disregard Zion Williamson’s efforts but did he deserve to be on the cover over Luka Doncic and Ja Morant? Not according to the fans. Damian Lillard being featured on the cover has led the speculation that he may leave Portland Trailblazers as many players left their teams after being on the cover in the past. LeBron James in 2010, Anthony Davis in 2019, and Kevin Durant in 2016 to name a few. This seems a little far fetched but only time will reveal the truth.
Also Read: Zion Williamson or Ja Morant for Rookie of the Year?
