NBA

Something’s Off About Larry Bird’s Special Edition NBA 2K12 Cover

by Dan Fogarty | 7:48 pm, July 21st, 2011

If you take a close look at those three covers for next season’s edition of NBA 2K12, you’ll notice two things: 1) the covers feature NBA legends Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson, and 2) they’re all blurry-like, as if the players are moving with such speed and grace that the outlines of their bodies have melded into the air in some sort of beautiful marriage of matter and athleticism.

For Jordan, this type of cover works, because he was obviously known for his explosiveness. His cover captures him in mid-air, so it makes sense that he’s breaking some sort of space-time continuum, and is thusly followed by colorful swirly things. For Magic it works too, but less so – he wasn’t one of the league’s better athletes, but there was a definite fluidity to his game, which shows in his sky hooking edition of NBA 2K12.

Then there’s Larry Bird’s cover, in which he’s taking… a jump shot. Those swirly things around him don’t make sense. Was he moving particularly quickly when he jumped two inches off the ground to take that jumper? Are those beautiful allusions to another dimension of athletic dignity, or did he fart or something in mid-air, and the fart cloud is Celtic green, and it’s following him around?

Anyway, as for the game itself: on the one hand, the timing seems strange, being that the NBA is locking out its players and the 2011-12 season is in jeopardy and all. On the other, MTV’s Matt Clark says it probably doesn’t matter. Just look at Madden.

It’s an odd proposition, releasing a sports game during a season where the sport isn’t even being played, but “Madden” has proven that fans are more than receptive to the idea of enjoying their favorite sport virtually.

No word on whether or not the three will actually be playable in the game, but after appearing in last year’s “NBA 2K11,” we’re hoping that bodes well for MJ sharing the floor with Bird and Magic. And if that’s the case, we will totally be jump shot farting all over our opponents with virtual Larry Bird.