LeBron James To Appear On 'NBA 2K19' Cover With One Notable Absence

Video game publisher 2K on Tuesday announced that the cover athlete for the upcoming basketball video game “NBA 2K18” will be LeBron James. The decision was not all that surprising, as the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar previously appeared on the cover of “NBA 2K14” and is widely regarded as one of the game's all-time greats.

However, fans do not need to be particularly eagle-eyed to notice something amiss about the design of the “NBA 2K19” cover. In the close-up profile of James, he is not visibly wearing the Cavs colors, or any NBA team, gaming website Kotaku pointed out.

James’ contract with the Cavs ends in a matter of weeks, meaning he will be able to seek out a new home in as a free agent this summer. The Cavs are currently facing the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals and some feel that this might be James' last run with the Cavs.

It's not a given that James will Cleveland. But rumors have swirled that he could join the young, talented rosters of the Philadelphia 76ers or Los Angeles Lakers.

The choice to obfuscate James’ jersey on the “NBA 2K19” cover appears to be an acknowledgment of the uncertainty surrounding his future. Last year’s video game had to make a sudden change in its cover design after cover star Kyrie Irving was suddenly traded from Cleveland to the Boston Celtics, so 2K may be looking to avoid another such situation.

This is not the first time a video game has bended to a professional athlete's move to a different team. “Madden NFL 08” had to change its cover right as the game launched because cover star Brett Favre came out of retirement with the Green Bay Packers and was traded to the New York Jets.

The “NBA 2K” series has dominated basketball video games for a number of years, consistently finishing as one of the top selling games of each year. "NBA 2K19" will launch on Sept. 11.