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Jayson Tatum, A'ja Wilson Share Reactions to Being Named 2K Cover Athletes

The basketball superstars were revealed as the cover athletes on Wednesday morning.

Liam McKeone

Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Aces star A'ja Wilson
Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Aces star A'ja Wilson /
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On Wednesday morning, NBA 2K announced the two champions who would grace the cover of this year's game.

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, fresh off his first title, was revealed as the standard cover athlete for the 2K25 editions. Las Vegas Aces two-time MVP A'ja Wilson, working on defending her own championship, was named as the WNBA's cover athlete. The All-Star edition of the game will feature both Tatum and Wilson.

In tandem with the announcement, the pair appeared on Old Man & the Three (with Sue Bird replacing JJ Redick as guest host) to share their initial reactions to learning they had received the honor. Tatum said he teared up, while Wilson thought it was about time.

"I had a unique experience," Tatum said. "It was on my birthday. I was at my mom's house and Deuce ran downstairs. He had like, a bag. He was like, 'Daddy, happy birthday.' And I opened it and it was, 'Congrats, you're on the cover of 2K, blah blah blah.' I actually got teary-eyed. I kind of cried a little bit. Just because I feel like I'm very blessed and fortunate that when I was younger I had so many dreams and goals, things I wanted to check off. And it's like, I'm experiencing those things in real time. And I grew up at my mom's house playing 2K with my best friends and my cousin, dreaming about being in the game one day. Then being on the cover. For that moment to come true, I kind of cried a little bit. I was just so overwhelmed and happy that, you know, something I dreamed about came true."

"For me, my agent called," Wilson said. "And she was like, 'Hey, you're going to be on the cover.' And I was like, 'Oh, wait, no, about time Ronnie (2K). Damn it.' But no, it was a big moment. You see yourself, you dream of, like JT was saying, you just dream yourself seeing your face in these spaces. Then for it to actually be real and happen. I see my face on a potato chip bag and it's like, 'Oh my gosh!' Now I'm on a video game and now I'm on the cover. Granted, I don't play video games and I might start now because my face is on the cover. But, like, it's just one of those moments where you're like, 'Wow, this is something I would dream of doing.' Like having a shoe. All those different things. And now you're starting to check off your goal list, it's been huge. So I'm blessed."

A very cool accomplishment for both players and one that obviously means a lot. It's also well-earned.

Tatum averaged 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the 64-win Celtics in the 2023-24 season before going on to lead his team in points, assists, and rebounds en route to his first NBA championship.

Wilson averaged 22.8 points per contest for the Aces in 2023, winning Defensive Player of the Year before helping Vegas to its second consecutive WNBA title. She picked up where she left off in 2024, as the two-time MVP is currently leading the league with 27 points per game and has the Aces in playoff position.

A big moment for both superstars as they continue on their dominant trajectories.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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