Kobe Bryant Honored on Cover of NBA 2K21 'Mamba Forever' Edition

NBA 2K21 honored the late Kobe Bryant with its third cover by creating the "Mamba Forever" edition.

NBA 2K21 honored the late Kobe Bryant with its third cover by creating the "Mamba Forever" edition.

Bryant will be featured on two separate covers and the current-generation version will feature custom artwork from his 81-point game in 2006. The cover for the next-generation edition includes a photo of him waving to the crowd following his final NBA game in 2016.

The "Mamba Forever" edition was designed in place of the Legends edition, which featured Bryant on NBA 2K17.

Mamba Forever 💜💛 A closer look at the covers

We love and miss you Kobe #NBA2K21 pic.twitter.com/Jf1M5kUewx

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 2, 2020

Bryant is NBA 2K21's third cover star after Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard (current-gen) and Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson (next-gen) were named earlier this week. Fans hoped to see Bryant on a cover this year, and the video game franchise listened to their request.

During his 20-year career, Bryant played solely for the Lakers and brought five NBA titles to Los Angeles. The 18-time All-Star established himself as a Lakers legend and one of the top scorers in NBA history. Bryant died tragically on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash that killed his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.