Today the official Twitter of NBA 2K has revealed that the cover athlete for its upcoming NBA 2K23 video game is Michael Jordan. The popular basketball simulation video game series has released annual installments since 1999. Each year, long-time fans of the game look forward to the revelation of that year's cover athlete. NBA 2K22's standard edition cover featured Luka Dončić - Dallas Mavericks' point guard and shooting guard.

NBA 2K22 was especially notable as the installment coincided with the National Basketball Association's 75th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the Women's National Basketball Association. To celebrate these events, 2K Sports released three additional editions of NBA 2K22 that featured several of the most noteworthy players in the league from both the past and present eras. The GameStop Exclusive Edition of last year's installment featured Chicago Sky's forward Candace Parker, making her the first WNBA player to grace an NBA 2K cover. 2K Sports also released a special anniversary edition called NBA 2K22 NBA 75th Anniversary Edition. The cover of this edition featured three well-known pros: Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kevin Durant. The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition was priced at $100, but also included 100,000 in virtual currency.

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Releasing in September 2022, NBA 2K23 will feature Michael Jordan on both its Michael Jordan Edition and Championship Edition of the game. This isn't the first time the celebrated athlete graced one of NBA 2K's entries; Jordan was featured on several other NBA 2K titles, including NBA 2K11's standard edition, NBA 2K12's Michael Jordan Edition, and NBA 2K16's Special Edition. As the official NBA 2K Twitter mentions, Jordan's appearance on the upcoming installment is especially fitting since his jersey number is 23.

Though there have been welcome improvements to the series with the release of NBA 2K22, other features are needed. Last year's entry in the series upgraded The City and improved gameplay for defense, dribbling, and finishing. However, many fans are hoping that NBA 2K23 will add some more quality-of-life features. For example, a true home-court advantage would make gameplay more exciting while a customizable shot meter would make the game more inclusive. NBA 2K has already taken a step in the direction of inclusion by featuring a WNBA player on a cover last year. The reintroduction of national teams would also add depth to the game. National teams existed in NBA 2K16 but have since been removed.

Pre-orders for NBA 2K23 will be available on July 7. NBA 2K fans should keep their eye on the series' official Twitter account, as more information about the future game will be released over the next few days.

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NBA 2K23 will be released on September 9 of this year.

Source: NBA 2K/Twitter