LeBron James has done a lot of things during his basketball career, but he has never been on the cover of a video game. Until now.

2K Sports has unveiled its cover for “NBA 2K14,” and James is front and center. The four-time NBA MVP also appears in marketing to support the product and was involved in the development of the game, according to Jason Argent, SVP of operations at 2K Sports.

“We don’t look at cover athletes in the traditional sense. We want them engaged with development of the game,” Argent said during a media call to reveal the cover and some of the game’s inner workings. “[James is] a fan of NBA 2K and he has strong opinions on how things should be. He’s been involved for several months with our development sessions. He’s excited about it and his kids are excited about it.”

2K has released two spots to support the game. In one, NBA TV analyst Steve Kerr interviews a mysterious guest, who is hidden in the shadows. “I’ve been watching 2K push the boundaries for years,” the unknown person says. “They’re doing big things this year. That’s why I’m here.” “Are you going to stop them?” Kerr asks. “No,” says LeBron, revealing his face. “I’m going to join them.”

In the second (shown above), James re-enacts his “announcement” from a few years ago when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. Here, though, the announcement is about his cover and the King James bonus pack. “2K is letting me do things the LeBron way, starting with the ‘King James’ bonus pack… which, of course, I highly recommend you check out. This is going to be the best sports video game the world has ever seen. Get ready.”

2K is also supporting on social media destinations including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

NBA 2K14 is scheduled for release Oct. 1. The King James Bonus Pack includes exclusive content with James, added play modes and keys to unlock hidden features.

Barry Janoff is director of sports media marketing initiatives for PromaxBDA. He also is the executive editor for NYSportsJournalism.com which covers national sports marketing, business and media news; and a contributing writer for Yahoo! and MediaPost.

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