NBA 2K12 Features Jordan, Johnson and Bird on Three Distinct Covers

The upcoming NBA 2K12 basketball simulator will have not one but three different covers on consoles like the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, as 2K Games decided to honor three of the best players of all time, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

2K's NBA series gained critical acclaim and sales success with the last few installments, becoming the definitive basketball simulation, especially since Electronic Arts' NBA Elite (formerly known as NBA Live) franchise has been put on hold.

After the massively successful NBA 2K11, which appeared last year and is still going strong in terms of sales, the 2K Sports team is now working hard on this year's installment, which is set to receive special treatment in terms of its cover.

After 2K11 featured the famous Michael Jordan, the new title will once again see him grace the cover, but is also set to feature two other iconic basketball players, in the form of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

“Bringing Michael Jordan to the virtual hardwood last year was a huge success for NBA 2K11 ; however, we didn’t want to stop there,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports.

“We’re bringing ‘His Airness’ back to the NBA 2K franchise as part of a multi-year extended partnership, along with two other legendary icons – Larry Bird and Magic Johnson – for a special cover athlete collection representing the NBA’s greatest heroes.”

The regular version of NBA 2K12 will feature only Michael Jordan, but limited editions of the game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will also showcase the two other athletes, with the covers being drawn by famous illustrator Adam Larson.

"The new stylized NBA 2K12 covers are a unique, one-time departure from the traditional 2K Sports brand artwork, and will spotlight each legendary athlete on his famous team: the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers," 2K said. "The covers featuring Bird and Johnson will be available at launch in a limited quantity."

NBA 2K12 is now available for pre-order and will be released on October 4, for a variety of platforms, form the PC to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii. Until then, check out the three covers below.