King James can smooth the cover again. It could be a huge moment in a player's career to be nominated as a Cover player, but who else gets that chance in NBA 2K22? There seem to be many players to choose from, but few stand out as favorites for this year's NBA 2K pick.

NBA 2K21 Cover Athletes

Kobe Bryant was posthumously selected for the NBA 2K21 Deluxe Edition, called the Mamba Forever Edition, and it was an honor that I felt fit. While the multiple choices of coverage athletes are not uncommon, we saw another split last year when NBA 2K21 chose different athletes for different generations of consoles. Damian Lillard was selected for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of NBA 2K21. Meanwhile, the younger Zion Williamson was chosen for the PS5 and Xbox Series X | S of NBA 2K21.

NBA 2K22 Cover Favorite Athlete

When it comes to the top competitors and favorites to be Cover Athlete for NBA 2K22, there are three names preparing to take the honor.

Luka Donjic

We've already seen some great work from Luka Don?i of the Dallas Mavericks this season. If Dallas manages to make her way to the playoffs, Luka could be the first choice to hit the cover of NBA 2K22.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid has played for the Philadelphia 76ers since 2014, reaching an impressive career level with a double doubles just days earlier when he scored 50 points and 17 rebounds in the win over the Chicago Bulls.

Giannis Anticonmou

While he's in the NBA since 2013, things have really gone well for Giannis Antitokounmo since he was named MVP of the 2016-2017 season. While the Milwaukee Bucks have been faltering in the NBA playoffs in recent years, Giannis still plays well enough to be named an NBA MVP two years in a row, making him the top pick for the NBA 2K22 cover.

Who are the other contenders for the NBA 2K22 Cover Athlete?

While the three above seem likely, there are a few other options that stand out as specific opportunities for making the coverage for NBA 2K22. Nikola Gokic is in his sixth season with the Denver Nuggets, and that season he really delivered. Tri Young is only in its third season and the Atlanta Hawks BJ have had a strong year so far.

Washington Wizards' archery guard Bradley Bell and Miami Heat junior forward Jimmy Butler, who are both veterans, can file a case as well as possible Cover Athlete picks. After signing a junior extension with Utah Jazz, we also saw Donovan Mitchell play well enough to make a case. And while Embiid may be getting the shine in Philly, Ben Simmons has a career year too. But at the end of the day, none of those things seemed to be my favorite on the NBA 2K22 coverage site.

Who will be the sportsman of the Deluxe Edition cover?

While there are several selections for the regular Cover Athlete on NBA 2K22, there's also the matter of the more experienced legend that could give you this year's Deluxe Edition. We've seen it called Legend Edition, and last year it was given the unique Mamba Forever Edition name with Kobe Bryant's pick. After taking the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Championship last year, LeBron James is the most obvious choice.

Embiid never made its way to the cover of NBA 2K, but that just could be the year. This is now the third different team to bring James to the NBA Championship, and his fourth overall title. He last celebrated the NBA 2K19 anniversary release and it would come as no surprise to see him in the deluxe edition this year.

When will the "Cover Athlete" be published?

However, it currently appears that the most likely time to anticipate a disclosure will be May 2021 or June 2021. The athlete revealed the official cover of NBA 2K21 in late June 2020. With 2021 NBA Playoffs currently scheduled between May 22 and July 22, it would make sense for the NBA to do so. 2K22 detects during that period.

Release Date

There's no official release date for NBA 2K22 yet, but it's not that hard to predict when we can anticipate it. While there was a time when October was the record month for the NBA 2K series, we've been seeing it release in September for a number of years now. While Tuesdays were the norm, the last two games were released on the first Friday of September. This makes the possible release date for NBA 2K22 on September 3 or September 10, 2021. Looking forward to the arrival of NBA 2K22, nba2king will continue to provide you with high-quality NBA 2K22 MT services.