It might take a while to get used to saying, “Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James,” but 2K is helping to make the image of the league’s best player in the purple and gold a reality.
On Monday, 2K released James’ rating and the first-look image above. As I did with the Giannis Antetokounmpo image that released earlier this month, I’ve taken a similar snapshot of James–in a Lakers uniform–in NBA 2K18 to compare the renders.
I tried to get a similar pose and lighting so that we could make an accurate assessment.
As was the case with the Antetokounmpo image, the muscularity and pronounced sweat immediately stood out. For James, the increased amount of facial hair is also noticeable. Also, James’ skin tone seems to be a little darker. Limited skin tones are something 2K and a few other sports games have struggled with in the past.
If a more accurate complexion has been discovered for James, that small detail could help with the game’s authenticity. Expect to see comparison images for each of the screenshots released ahead of the game’s release as we kick off a week that should be a busy one in the way of NBA 2K19 information.
NBA 2K19 releases for PS4m Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on September 11, but pre-order customers can gain access on September 7. The Prelude demo releases on August 31. Bookmark the Player Rating Tracker to stay up to date on the launch ratings.
