2K Sports announced today that 11-time NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, will be featured as the cover athlete and spokesman for the highly anticipated basketball video game, NBA 2K10. After leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a remarkable 65-17 regular season record, Bryant’s star power was a natural fit for the 10th anniversary of the NBA 2K franchise.

To support this announcement, 2K Sports brought on legendary, award-winning film director and die-hard New York Knicks fan, Spike Lee, to produce an exclusive TV spot that aired last night to reveal Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10. Lee, who recently directed the highly publicized documentary on Kobe Bryant, Kobe Doin’ Work (ESPN Films), is famously known for his intense love and passion for the game of basketball.

In conjunction with the reveal of Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10, 2K Sports will invite fans to vote on their choice for the official box cover. A dedicated voting site will offer fans a selection of NBA 2K10 box covers to choose from, and the voting period is open now through June 15. The box cover that receives the most votes at the end of the voting period will be unveiled as the cover of NBA 2K10 on June 16. More information on voting can be found at the official NBA 2K10 voting site, www.2ksports.com/vote.

Bryant’s star power was evident at an early age when he was drafted out of high school in 1996 from Lower Merion HS (PA). He is widely regarded as one of the best players in NBA history. Given the nickname “Black Mamba,” Bryant has won three NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2007-08 NBA season, and most recently, won a gold medal as a member of the 2008 Summer Olympics U.S. Men’s Basketball Team. During his career, Bryant has also led the league in scoring twice, and has been elected to every All-NBA team since 1999, along with being named to nine All-Defensive teams. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been hosted, including winning the All-Star MVP award in 2002, 2007, and 2009.