Prior to the semifinals clash in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, an unveiling was happening at the mall itself.
In a heartfelt tribute to one of basketball’s greatest legends, NBA 2K24 honored the late Kobe Bryant by immortalizing him not only on the game’s cover but also by dedicating an entire ‘Legend Edition’ in his memory, ensuring that his legacy continues to shine brightly within the virtual world of basketball.
“NBA 2K24 is a special entry for us because we get to celebrate one of basketball’s greatest players of all time – Kobe Bryant – and the 25th anniversary of the series,” said Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts.
Just like in previous years, NBA 2K unveiled three versions of the covers, featuring Bryant in two of them – the Kobe Bryant edition and the Black Mamba edition – and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu in the WNBA edition.
NBA icon Michael Jordan, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, and WNBA legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird were the cover athletes in last year’s edition.
NBA 2K24 New Gen introduces ProPLAY, a groundbreaking new technology that directly translates actual NBA footage into NBA 2K24 gameplay. ProPLAY delivers animations and movements via on-court NBA action for a generational leap in authenticity.
“We’ve ushered in a new era of 2K, thanks to the groundbreaking ProPLAY technology delivering the most authentic and realistic NBA 2K gameplay to date,” said Thomas.
“NBA 2K24 also introduces new updates to our beloved modes with incredible details that will delight gamers and basketball fans alike,” he added.
E-Gilas, the Philippines’ national esports team for NBA 2K, led by Isaiah Vincent Alindada, Ervill Elefante, and Clark Banzon, graced the launch of the event in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and gave Filipino fans a glimpse of the much-awaited game by playing with them in a showmatch last Friday.
Carla Lizardo and Vince Velasco also engaged in a showmatch where they teamed up with spectators.
The Mamba Moment game mode was unveiled as well in the event, which was capped off by another tribute to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend – a trivia activity which started at exactly 8:24 p.m.
