Entertainment Sports Portland Trailblazers' Damian Lillard Revealed as Latest Cover Star of NBA 2K "It's one of those things like a signature shoe, everybody just don't get it," the five-time NBA All-Star said of the honor By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2020 05:04PM EDT Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Portland Trailblazers star Damian Lillard is now an NBA 2K cover star. The 29-year-old guard is the first of three athletes to reveal their cover for NBA 2K21, the latest version of the popular basketball video game series, it was revealed on Tuesday. "It’s one of those things like a signature shoe, everybody just don’t get it," the five-time NBA All-Star said in an interview with The Athletic. "To be able to join the line of players that have been on the cover of 2K, it’s an honor." Lillard will exclusively be on the cover for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows P and Google Stadia editions of the game. A separate athlete will be revealed on Wednesday for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X — Sony and Microsoft's newest consoles —won't hit stores until later this year. "This is a special moment for me in my NBA career," Lillard said in a statement, as reported by ESPN. "I’ve been a fan of NBA 2K for years and love how they represent all aspects of basketball culture. I’m an avid 2K player, so I’m honored to join the other NBA greats who have been on the cover." NBA May Paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the Courts at Disney World for the Season Restart: Reports ?s=20 "I’m grateful to all my fans and can’t wait for everyone to experience the game later this year," Lillard added. Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis was on the cover of last year's NBA 2K. NBA Approves 22-Team Format to Restart the Basketball Season After Coronavirus Suspension While many celebrated Lillard being chosen as one of the athletes to get the honor, there was a small group of fans on social media who expressed disappointment that late NBA star Kobe Bryant wasn't selected. RELATED VIDEO: Kobe Bryant Is Still Inspiring Shaquille O'Neal to 'Reach Out' to Other Retired NBA Players It's unclear whether Bryant will be one of the two remaining athletes to get covers this year. If he is chosen, he will likely be selected for the "Legends" cover, which will go public on Thursday, according to ESPN. NBA 2K21 will be available for preorder on July 2 and will debut on consoles in October.