The Mamba Forever edition featuring Kobe Bryant on the cover was NBA 2K21. It was released in 2020 and dedicated a special edition of the game to Bryant’s legacy after his death earlier that year.
NBA 2K21 used two Kobe cover designs for different console generations. The current-generation edition showed Bryant wearing No. 8, representing the early part of his Los Angeles Lakers career. The next-generation edition showed him wearing No. 24, the jersey number he wore later in his career.
The edition replaced the series’ usual Legend Edition branding. Its name, “Mamba Forever,” referred to Bryant’s “Black Mamba” identity and the lasting influence of his career. The standard editions of NBA 2K21 instead featured Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson, which is why cover questions about the game can be confusing.
Bryant had appeared on NBA 2K covers before, including NBA 2K10 and the Legend Edition of NBA 2K17. However, NBA 2K21 was the title specifically associated with the Mamba Forever edition, while NBA 2K24 later honored him again through special Kobe Bryant editions.