The makers of the video game NBA 2K are honoring the late Kobe Bryant with the latest iteration in the series by releasing not one but three distinct editions of NBA 2K24, each centered around the five-time champion. As the game’s marketing frontman Ronnie 2K recently told USA TODAY Sports Media Group, pairing Bryant with 2K24 was a no-brainer.
Bryant’s impact on this version of the game will run deeper than cover art. NBA 2K24 will launch a new game mode called Mamba Moments, allowing players to recreate some of the most iconic games from Bryant’s career. Erick Boenisch, the vice president of NBA development at the game’s parent company, Visual Concepts, explained in a press release that this process was centered around showcasing the very best from Bryant’s career.
“The Mamba Moments were selected to celebrate Kobe and remember how he was the most unique competitor the world had ever seen,” Boenisch said. “Our team took great care in building a realistic and authentic experience to inspire and educate a new generation of basketball fans on the legacy of the lifetime Laker that left his mark on the sport.”
The Mamba Moments include an array of games, such as huge individual outings, clutch playoff performances and major milestones in Bryant’s career. In each, players will have a chance to take the reins and see if they can recreate what 2K Sports call Bryant’s most “awe-inspiring performances in legacy-defining moments.”
The set of Mamba Moments features Bryant’s 12-for-18 3-point performance in 2003 against the Seattle SuperSonics, setting an NBA record at the time; his 62-point game against the Dallas Mavericks through three quarters in 2005; and his 65-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007.
There are also key postseason games in the new mode. These include Game 4 of the 2001 Western Conference finals when a young Bryant erupted for 48 points and 16 rebounds, Game 5 of the 2008 Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs and Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals when Bryant vanquished the rival Boston Celtics.
Perhaps the most important Mamba Moments weren’t playoff games or scoring outbursts but the times Bryant squared off with the great Michael Jordan. As retired All-Star Tracy McGrady recently noted, Jordan’s influence on Bryant was palpable.
“Kobe Bryant was the most skilled basketball player I ever seen,” McGrady said. “He took what Michael Jordan was and enhanced that skill set.”
Indeed, NBA 2K has included one such duel as a Mamba Moment in the new game mode. Players will face Michael Jordan and try to recreate Bryant’s double-double performance.
NBA 2K24 is scheduled to launch Sept. 8, and many more features are still to be revealed.
