Simmons celebrates release of NBA 2K19
TweetTHE NBA's 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year and Australia’s hottest basketball talent, Ben Simmons, joined media and the local basketball community for an exclusive night at Throwback Darlinghurst last night, celebrating the upcoming release of the NBA 2K19 video game.
Simmons is on the cover of the game's ANZ edition, making him the first Australian to feature on the cover of an NBA 2K title.
Following the global first reveal of the latest NBA 2K19 trailer which focuses on Ben’s journey to the NBA, Simmons took to the stage with media personality Matt De Groot, to discuss gaining cover star status at 22, his love of gaming and his journey to becoming the hottest NBA talent Australia has so far produced.
“I’ve been playing NBA 2K for years, so making the cover for the Australian and New Zealand title is a real privilege, especially as NBA 2K is celebrating its 20th Anniversary,” Simmons said.
“I always loved being able to play the game, as greats like Kobe and Lebron are in NBA 2K, so it’s humbling to be recognised as an ambassador and role model for our local NBA 2K fans.”
Guests last night also were some of the first in the world to experience Ben Simmons in NBA 2K19, playing an early version of the game which launches next month.
“It was a no brainer to have Ben Simmons on the cover of NBA 2K19 in ANZ. Australians have been big fans of the NBA and NBA 2K video game franchise for years, so it felt right to feature an Aussie on the cover,” Alfie Brody, Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K said.
Developed by Visual Concepts, the NBA 2K19 Standard Edition will be available in Australia and New Zealand for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC platforms in both digital and physical formats from September 11.
NBA 2K19 will feature a double sided inlay in Australia & New Zealand which will display the Ben Simmons cover and Giannis Antetokounmpo cover on either side.
Players looking to get a head start on NBA 2K19’s MyCAREER can download the all-new NBA 2K19: The Prelude beginning in two weeks on August 31, available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
During his debut NBA season with Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons set a host of records.
He joined Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as only the third rookie in NBA history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists and he was second only to Robertson for most triple-doubles in a rookie season.
He topped Allen Iverson’s record of 567 assists to set the team rookie record and helped the Philadelphia 76ers qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs with a record of 52–30, the team's best performance since 2001.