Now it’s time for the official preview, the last post leading up to the game’s release. Here we will outline all of the new features in the game and everything to look for when you finally get your hands on NBA 2K13.

Producer: Jay-Z

You will immediately notice on the cover of NBA 2K13 that Jay-Z came on to produce the game. This was a great move by 2K to try and improve their game in some areas from the soundtrack to the menu layouts. Jay-Z also helped improve the pregame entrance videos and routines for the game and you can also see him sitting courtside at Brooklyn Nets games. It is a big addition for 2K but not the biggest for the gamer. The subtle improvements and attention to detail should really help improve the game some though.

1992 Dream Team (and other classic teams)

One of the biggest announcements for NBA 2K13 was that it would be featuring the 1992 Dream Team along with the 2012 Olympic Team. At first, the Dream Team was going to be without Scottie Pippen but Pippen has since agreed to come on the game. The Dream Team is complete and ready to compete with the 2012 Olympic Team. The slick trailer of the two teams taking on each other can be seen here. All of the classic teams from last year will be on the game again this year. NBA 2K13 has also added the 2001 76ers that feature Allen Iverson from his MVP season. However, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving and Chris Webber will not be in the game. You will be able to play online with classic teams as well.

New controls

The controls have gotten a little makeover for 2K13 as well. The dribbling isomotion engine is now gone and replaced by the right stick. There will be some who will miss the old controls and can go back to them if they want to in the game. Overall, control has gotten much easier for 2K13. It’s not just the dribbling either. The hop step layups, spin layups and eurostep moves are now easier than ever to pull off. This will result in less skilled gamers able to compete with the more advanced online but overall giving the user more control is never a bad thing.

My Career and My Team

The most popular game mode in 2K the past few years has been My Player which has now been renamed My Career. For the first time in 2K, you are able to be drafted No. 1 overall as a rookie if you really impress in the Rookie Showcase. The focus was on the off-court things as well for example you can now request a sitdown with your GM. The things you say in press conferences can now impact the way announcers talk about you during the game. There are more endorsements now too including Nike. My Team is a lot like Madden Ultimate Team. You collect cards of players to add to your team. You play games online or offline to gain points to help build your team. They made it so it is really hard to get all of the best players on your team so there will be a large variety of different teams by others online.

Association mode

There will be a new interface for Association mode which is nice since the past interfaces always seemed to be lacking some. All Star Weekend is the biggest new addition as it has been totally revamped. There will be a dunk contest that plays like guitar hero as well as all of the other All Star Weekend festivities. The overall CPU logic has been improved all around as well as the new CBA rules being implemented.

Conclusion

NBA 2K13 promises to be one of the best basketball games ever made. It has dominated the industry so much that NBA Live 13 was cancelled yet again. There is no competition for this game because it is so well done. The 2K team didn’t overhaul anything so there’s nothing to be scared of that could ruin the game. It has simply been improved in a ton of areas. What else can we ask for?

The release of NBA 2K13 is less than two days away now. Many people have gotten their hands on the game already and have revealed player ratings and other information.

Signature skills is one of the biggest new additions to the game, a way to make the game more authentic by making players better in certain situations rather than relying solely on ratings. You can see all of the signature skills here and you can also view my prediction for what signature skills each Thunder player would have in NBA 2K13.

We now can confirm which signature skills each Thunder player has.

Kevin Durant – Shot creator, Microwave, Deadeye, Closer, Finisher

Durant’s signature skills were confirmed awhile ago actually but it’s worth going over them again now that everyone’s signature skills have been revealed as well. After playing the demo a ton, you can easily notice the impact of the signature skills. Durant heats up very quickly because of microwave and finishes just about everything at the time. Deadeye means defenders hardly affect his shot even with tight defense and shot creator means he gets a percentage boost when he gets an open shot after some dribble moves.

Russell Westbrook – Acrobat, Finisher, Pick Pocket, Interceptor, Ankle Breaker

I was surprised with some of these. I thought Westbrook would definitely get posterizer since he tries to dunk on people as much as anyone in the league. I also thought he might get shot creator or deadeye as well. Instead, 2K is giving him two skills for getting steals. Interceptor is definitely appropriate since he plays the passing lanes a lot but pick pocket is kind of a reach. Ankle breaker is also a little surprising. Westbrook has solid handles and can break his man down but he’s not exactly known for it. It works though nonetheless.

James Harden – Finisher, Shot creator, Microwave

This is right about what I expected for Harden. I thought maybe he would also get spot-up shooter but it’s understandable that he didn’t. Finisher was a no-brainer for Harden since he has one of the best shooting percentages at the rim in the league. Shot creator is a nice one for him too and microwave is pretty obvious since he comes off the bench.

Serge Ibaka – Hustle points, Eraser, Defensive anchor

These skills aren’t perfect for Ibaka. Hustle points is a little surprising but not horrible. Sure, he is good at finishing baskets after offensive rebounds but again, he’s not exactly known for it or considered elite at it. Eraser is obvious since Ibaka is one of the best shot blockers in the league. Defensive anchor was expected but kind of a stretch since Ibaka has a long way to go with his defensive fundamentals. He should have also gotten chasedown block because he gets a ton of blocks this way as well.

Kendrick Perkins – Brick wall, Bruiser, Defensive anchor

We knew Perkins would be getting brick wall and bruiser but defensive anchor was a little surprise. 2K overrated Perkins a little in NBA 2K13 it seems making him a 72 overall and really respecting his defense too.

Thabo Sefolosha – Active hands, Lockdown defender

We knew Sefolosha would get lockdown defender and active hands is a nice addition as well. Active hands basically means you are good at stripping the ball when players are going up for shots or layups.

Nick Collison – Charge card, Scrapper

These were both expected for Collison. He takes charges as well as anyone in the league and is known for his hustle which scrapper embodies.

Daequan Cook – Corner specialist, Spot up shooter

Cook had a down year shooting the three last season but 2K still respects him by giving him both of these signature skills. Cook will have a lot of value in the game because of this.

Eric Maynor – Dimer

I didn’t think Maynor would get any signature skills after playing just nine games last season. But 2K remembers him as one of the best backup point guards in the league. Dimer is a ncie compliment as not a lot of players have this skill in the game but you can definitely make the case that Maynor deserves it.

The NBA 2K13 demo was available for download two days ago and since that time I have played the 5-minute quarter between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat nonstop.

The hype surrounding NBA 2K is always biggest right before the launch and after playing this demo, I am confident that NBA 2K13 will be the best basketball game yet.

Here are a few takeaways from playing the demo:

How does it look?

The game looks absolutely amazing. It’s a significant upgrade from NBA 2K12 from the graphics to all of the little detailed animations. Every player feels different too. Russell Westbrook moves just like he does in real-life from simply dribbling up the court to kicking out his leg on a contested jump shot. There is a noticeable difference in controlling each player which really adds to the game. LeBron James’ strength is impossible to miss when you are controlling him or trying to drive past him. Kendrick Perkins’ screens are better than Chris Bosh’s. The size and weight of a player matter more than ever in NBA 2K13. The physics have been revamped as well so that on a fast break, Serge Ibaka isn’t chasing down LeBron. If LeBron is ahead of you, it’s over, just like in real life. Bosh isn’t staying in front of Westbrook either. Chalmers isn’t even staying in front of Westbrook without a great defensive effort. Simply put, the physics have greatly improved and are more realistic now.

New controls

The biggest change in NBA 2K13 is the right control stick which is now used to pull off dribble moves. It can still be used as a shot stick too but only while holding down the left trigger. Once you get used to the new controls, you have more control than ever before in a 2K game. I was never a fan of the isomotion because I felt like I didn’t have quite as much control as I’d like but now those days are over. If anything, the game has now become a lot easier because of the more control you have. This is not a bad thing although it may shrink the gap between the experienced gamers online and the new ones. The shot controls have most notably become easier to pull off as well. Hop steps in the lane, eurosteps and spin moves can all be done with button pressing as well as the shot stick which has made them extremely easy to do. NBA 2K13 feels a lot different than NBA 2K12 but it didn’t take me that long to get used to it and now I feel like I have more control when playing 2K13 than I ever did with 2K12. I think this means the potential for 2K13 is greater.

Signature skills

One of the new additions to NBA 2K13 is the 31 signature skills that are assigned to players. It is clear that even in playing the demo these signature skills will impact the game a lot and in a good way. It makes the game feel more authentic but some of them may be overblown a little bit. For instance, I have yet to see Shane Battier miss a 3-point shot from the corner. Kevin Durant and Westbrook don’t miss at the rim. LeBron gets those chasedown blocks a little too easily. Overall, it’s another element added to the game that will make it seem more realistic.

Thunder players

I have played almost exclusively with the Thunder in this demo. You can’t sub in the demo so I have barely played with the bench players including James Harden. Playing with Westbrook and Durant has been awesome though as they are both monsters in this game. Like I mentioned before, Westbrook is impossible to stay in front of. The demo is only on pro level and you can literally score every play with Westbrook if you want to. It’s really fun working to get to those open midrange shots from the elbow with Westbrook like he does in real life. There is such a variety in the ways you can take shots that I hardly ever recall seeing the same shot twice. Durant is fun too. His shot looks a little better than it did in 2K12. He is absolutely money on his spot-up threes and it is clear that it is really hard to affect his shot at all. Ibaka is really fun to use on defense protecting the paint and blocking shots. A lot of his blocks sent the ball out of bounds which almost never happened in 2K12. He is also automatic on his midrange shot whenever he’s left open.

Verdict

Overall, my time playing the demo has been awesome. I have no doubt that 2K13 will be far better than 2K12 and be a candidate for Game of the Year. The detail and authenticity in the demo is the best I’ve ever seen and playing with the Thunder especially is so realistic. The full game will come out Oct. 2 so we are just a few days away now. I will be one of those guys standing in line come midnight for sure.

Yesterday not only did we get the release of the NBA 2K13 demo but someone who had the game early revealed all of the overall player ratings in the game including the Oklahoma City Thunder players.

A little over three weeks ago I predicted the overall ratings for every Thunder player. I ended up being pretty close on some but not perfect of course. There were a few surprises but it looks like the Thunder are going to be pretty unstoppable to use in NBA 2K13.

On to the ratings.

Kevin Durant – 94 overall

We have known for awhile that Durant would be a 94 overall. What we also know now is that there are two players rated higher than him in LeBron James (98 overall) and Dwight Howard (96 overall). It’s not surprising that Durant is this much less than LeBron and Dwight. He is not going to get rated too highly on his defensive skills and post-up offense. Nevertheless Durant will surely be ridiculously good in the game. There won’t be any better shooter from anywhere on the floor for the most part and thanks to 2K introducing signature skills, it will be even tougher to affect Durant’s shot at all.

Russell Westbrook – 93 overall

Westbrook got a big boost from last year and ends up two points higher than I predicted. He is one of the most all-around players in the league for his position and that is clearly shown in this rating of 93, which is also the rating Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant received. From playing the demo just a little bit it is already very clear just how amazing Westbrook is in the game. It is close to impossible to stay in front of him in the game, very much like it is in real life.

James Harden – 81 overall

This one surprised me to see Harden this low. I predicted an 85 overall and it has been revealed that Manu Ginobili is an 86 overall. Harden is not five points worse than Ginobili. There games are so close that you have to compare the two and it isn’t hard to make the case that Harden has surpassed Ginobili at this point in their careers. Harden must not have gotten very good ratings on defense at all and perhaps awareness ratings. He should still be very good in the game but an 81 is simply too low.

Serge Ibaka – 80 overall

Ibaka with an 80 overall is exactly what I predicted. He will be the best shot blocker in the game and deservedly so. They also gave him the defensive anchor signature skill and while he may not quite deserve that yet, it will make him even better in the game. After playing the demo some it is also clear that 2K respected Ibaka’s midrange jump shot which is basically money in the game as well.

Kendrick Perkins – 72 overall

I predicted a 70 overall for Perkins but after some thought, I am not surprised 2K made him a 72. He will clearly be a little overrated in the game as we know he also has the defensive anchor signature skill. The real shocker is how much lower Nick Collison is rated.

Thabo Sefolosha – 69 overall

I thought Sefolosha would get a little higher of a rating but this is pretty fair either way. He is rated as one of the best perimeter defenders in the game which is nice but he does little else besides knocking down a few threes.

Eric Maynor – 68 overall

Maynor goes up from last year’s game despite playing only nine games last season. This may be an example of a team making it to the NBA Finals and everyone on the roster getting a little ratings bump because of it.

Reggie Jackson – 67 overall

This is ridiculous that Jackson is just one point worse than Maynor. Jackson was pretty terrible last season and I can’t believe he is rated this high. This will make Jackson a real asset to trade for a high draft pick in Association mode which shouldn’t be the case. I guess he is rated pretty well on athleticism that may make him this high overall.

Nick Collison – 63 overall

Collison is a little low for my taste and every other Thunder fan’s. Saying he is nine points worse than Perkins makes just about no sense. This is where the 2K team falls short doing their homework on guys like Collison. He was still valuable in last year’s game as a great offensive rebounder and I expect the same this year. If he has any hustle signature skills he may be a little better too.

Daequan Cook – 62 overall

This is right around what I expected for Cook. He will be a good 3-point shooter despite having a down year last season and that’s all he will bring the Thunder.

Perry Jones, III – 60 overall

This seems a little low for Jones but he is a late-first round draft pick and 2K rated accordingly. He is pretty unknown right now so don’t expect Jones to play too close to real-life form out of the box.

Lazar Hayward – 60 overall

I can’t imagine any Thunder fan will ever be playing with Hayward. 60 might be a tad too high.

Cole Aldrich – 59 overall

Aldrich gets a solid boost for no apparent reason except he is the frontrunner to assume the backup center role for the Thunder. We will see if he has any value at all in the game.

Daniel Orton – 55 overall

Orton may not make the team in real life. A 55 overall won’t make him too popular in 2K either.

Hasheem Thabeet – 54 overall

Shouldn’t Thabeet at least be higher than Orton? 2K must hate him because neither have done anything in their NBA careers but I still think you say Thabeet has more upside than Orton. 7-foot-3 players are always valuable in 2K no matter how low their rating is. I may end up using Thabeet instead of Aldrich at times in NBA 2K13.

At midnight tonight, we will be exactly one week away from the highly anticipated release of NBA 2K13. We’ve heard a lot about the game and there will still be more player ratings and info revealed in the coming week before the game comes out.

One of the biggest new features in the game is the addition of signature skills. Signature skills are a way for certain players to stand out beyond just their ratings in a way that makes them unique and more authentic to their real-life counterparts.

There are 31 signature skills in the game, all of which are detailed here. Any player can have as many as five signature skills and a lot of players won’t have any.

Here is a look at each Thunder player and a prediction for which signature skills they might have.

Kevin Durant – Shot Creator, Microwave, Deadeye, Closer, Finisher

These signature skills have been confirmed for Durant already. Shot creator means he will be more effective shooting when he works with the ball to get open for a shot. Microwave means he heats up quickly. Deadeye means defenders have little impact on his shot. Closer means he gets a ratings boost in close games in the fourth quarter. Finisher means he is good at finishing shots at the rim despite contact. They are pretty accurate but you could make the case that Durant deserves more than just five signature skills. Spot-up shooter and hustle points are two of the skills you could argue for Durant as well.

Russell Westbrook – Posterizer, Finisher, Acrobat, Shot Creator, Interceptor

The only one we know for sure of with Westbrook is finisher. I predict posterizer for sure as Westbrook is always dunking on people or at least trying to. Acrobat is also one he should get for his ability to finish shots around the rim acrobatically. I think he will get shot creator too because he does a lot of isolations coring although this one I am not totally confident he will get. Interceptor is the other one he should get because most of his steals come from playing the passing lanes. You could also make the case for him to get hustle points because he is one of the best offensive rebounding guards in the league and scores a lot that way too but it is pretty unlikely. He may even get lockdown defender because he has shown the potential to be that but really doesn’t deserve it at this point in his career yet.

James Harden – Finisher, Shot Creator, Microwave

Harden is a very all-around player so there are a lot of signature skills he is close to qualifying for. You have to think 2K won’t be giving these out too easily though. He should get finisher because he posted one of the best field goal percentages at the rim last season. Shot creator suits him well too because he also is great at scoring in isolation situations. I think he will get microwave mostly because he comes off the bench. You could also make the case that he deserves pick pocket or active hands but I doubt 2K gives him any defensive skills. He could maybe get spot-up shooter too.

Serge Ibaka – Eraser, Chase Down Artist, Defensive Anchor

We know Ibaka is getting eraser and he definitely deserves it blocking more shots per game than anyone in almost a decade. I think he deserves chase down artist too because he gets a lot of blocks from behind as well, on the break sometimes even. He hasn’t reached his full potential on defense yet and has a lot of work to do but he may get defensive anchor as well. We know Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler and Kevin Garnett will have this. It depends on how lenient 2K is to give out these signature skills but Ibaka is in the tier right behind these guys in terms of defensive anchor. It will be lame if 2K gives him posterizer but I could see them somehow doing that.

Kendrick Perkins – Brick Wall, Bruiser

Perkins is definitely getting brick wall which is for setting hard screens. This is one of Perkins’ greatest strengths and may be a pretty useful thing in 2K13. He should also definitely get bruiser which is reserved for players who are very strong and can move other players around more easily. He definitely fits that mold.

Nick Collison – Charge Card, Scrapper

I can’t imagine Collison won’t have charge card, which is for players who are known for taking charges. Collison could get scrapper as well which is for players who basically are known for hustling and dive for loose balls a lot.

Thabo Sefolosha – Lockdown Defender

It has been confirmed that Sefolosha will get the lockdown defender skill. He has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the league for awhile. It will be interesting to see how valuable this skill is and if he will be able to really shut down guys like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. He shot a career-high in 3-point percentage last season so maybe 2K gives him spot-up shooter or corner specialist even though he doesn’t deserve either. He could get active hands, pick pocket or interceptor as well.

Daequan Cook – Corner Specialist

Cook had a down year last season in terms of 3-point shooting percentage but I think 2K still gives him the corner specialist since a lot of his threes are taken there. He could get spot-up shooter instead or also but that’s about it for him.

The bread-and-butter of any basketball game is actually playing the game. We’ve heard the game is now much smoother than before, there are of course many new animations and more realistic physics.

The best way to reenact actual NBA game play is with the deep play calling system that NBA 2K has. It began in NBA 2K11 when you could assign each player four different plays unique to them. Then last year in NBA 2K12 that expanded to where some players could have 20-30 different plays called for them in a single game.

After playing hundreds of games with the Oklahoma City Thunder, I had their playbook down pat. I could call the plays quickly on the fly, knew where everyone would be on the floor and it enhanced the gameplay like never before.

But not every play the Thunder ran in real life was represented in the game. And not every play was a perfect replica either.

Here are the top five Thunder plays that need to be in NBA 2K13 to make the game the best it can be.

5. Double High Screen

The Thunder were one of the only teams in NBA 2K12 to not really have any double high screens in their playbook. They don’t run a ton of this in real life either but they do occasionally on some pretty important plays. The first option is Russell Westbrook looking to score. He has a double come to him at the top of the key, goes to one side then the screener rolls, then he gets the other screen, comes to the middle of the floor and looks for his pull-up jumper. The other option is Kevin Durant being one of the screeners, Westbrook goes off the other screener who then sets a downscreen for Durant to pop up to the 3-point line. This second option is kind of in the game but it needs to at least be tweaked some to be more like how the Thunder run it.

4. Harden-Collison handoff/pick-and-roll

When James Harden and Nick Collison are in at the starts of the second and fourth quarters, they always run the same play at least a few times. The point guard will have the ball and receive a screen from Collison at the top of the key while Harden waits in the opposite corner. Collison fades to the 3-point line after setting the screen and the point guard passes him the ball as Harden begins to move up toward Collison. Then it becomes a 2-man game between Harden and Collison where decision-making is crucial and that’s why it is so effective. Harden can cut backdoor here, receive a handoff/screen and shoot the three or get the ball and run a pick-and-roll with Collison. This play was in NBA 2K12 only the way handoffs were in the game made it much less effective than real life. The different options from this set were pretty much impossible to pull off as well.

3. The Skip Pass play

This is another set play that we always see the Thunder run with their second unit. It starts with Harden having the ball on the left side of the floor. He receives a pick so that he can drive toward the left baseline but meanwhile another back screen is being set on the opposite end of the floor for Daequan Cook so he can flare to the opposite corner. Harden is money at making this pass and Cook loves the quick catch-and-shoot from the right corner. This play is somewhat in the game but you can’t run it designed for Cook when Harden is in the game. It needs to be tweaked as well so the first option of the play is Cook and it can be more easily called.

2. Durant-Westbrook pindown

This is a set that the Thunder went to a ton vs. the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals and they killed them with it. Westbrook has the ball to start and waits for Harden to come off a double screen on the left side of the floor. After Westbrook passes to Harden he runs to the right elbow area to set a pindown screen for Durant. The options are Durant popping to the top of the key where he can shoot immediately or have the space to isolate. Westbrook is often open slipping backdoor as well after setting the screen. In NBA 2K13 the other option will be Harden coming off the double for the outside shot. This play was not in the game in this way last year but definitely needs to be in NBA 2K13.

1. Westbrook-Durant pick-and-pop

It sounds simple and there were some variations of this in NBA 2K12, just not in the way that the Thunder usually ran it. The way OKC runs it most often is with Westbrook on the left wing and Kendrick Perkins setting a screen to free up Durant coming across to set the screen and pop for Westbrook. The key to this play being most effective is that there is no one on the left side of the floor except for Westbrook and Durant. This will also allow for Perkins and Serge Ibaka to crash the boards from the opposite side. For this play to be truly authentic for NBA 2K13, Durant must be able to barely the set the screen and quickly pop or cut to the basket. I don’t have to tell you that this play is very effective for the Thunder and in the NBA 2K13 world, it would be run all the time.

Yesterday, 2K Sports streamed live the first ever seen full game of NBA 2K13 played between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat.

Ronnie Singh and Chris Manning of 2K Sports were the two playing the game against each other. They also provided commentary during the game and talked about the new features that will be in this year’s title. They also noted the new additions to gameplay as they noticed it in the game they were playing.

The main point that both Singh and Manning were stressing is how much smoother NBA 2K13 feels compared to last year. This is a good sign that 2K isn’t overhauling their game this year and is instead tweaking and perfecting what they already had in NBA 2K12.

Singh and Manning somewhat surprisingly were not very good at this game. They looked like two young kids playing online, no sim whatsoever and mostly running all the time and jacking up bad shots.

Unfortunately, neither of them called any plays from their team’s playbook in the game. The extent of playcalling began and ended with quick play pick-and-rolls.

It would have been nice to see a better gamer playing with these teams to see if there were any new sets or improved offensive looks from the Thunder and Heat in the game.

Singh was controlling the Thunder and losing for most of the game before coming back to win in the final moments. It was interesting that he basically went away from Durant late in the fourth despite even noting himself how good Durant is in clutch situations in the game. Singh instead used Harden as the kind of point guard for the Thunder which was kind of an authentic touch to the game.

The demo for NBA 2K13 will release Sept. 25 and it will feature one 5-minute quarter between the Thunder and Heat. The full game will come out a week later on Oct. 2.

The NBA 2K13 demo will be available for download next Tuesday, Sept. 25 for PS3 and 360. The demo will be one 5-minute quarter between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat.

The demo will be online enabled meaning 1 vs. 1 quick games with random opponents. The demo will not feature commentary as most demos do not.

In past demos you haven’t been able to pull up the menu to call plays either and could only call quick plays. Also in some past demos you were not able to substitute. This will be an issue for OKC fans if they cannot bring James Harden in for Thabo Sefolosha.

As usual, the two teams that played in the NBA Finals last season are featured in the demo. We know that LeBron James is rated a 98 overall in the game and Kevin Durant a 94 overall. Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook are both in the 92-93 overall range.

It would have been interesting if they featured the 1992 Dream Team and 2012 Olympic Team in the demo but clearly 2K wants us to wait until the full version of NBA 2K13 before playing with those teams.

The demo is never a full version of the game and is probably a model from months ago. It will still be a significant change from NBA 2K12 as it always is.

The game will release on Oct. 2, just one week after the demo arrives.

NBA 2K13 continues to be innovative every year in finding ways to draw more fans. They have the best basketball product on the market but they don’t stop there.

Two years ago they included Michael Jordan and the Jordan Challenge in NBA 2K11. Last year they added even more legends by popular demand featuring Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on the game’s cover along with Jordan.

This year NBA 2K13 will be partnering up with Jay-Z who is coming on to serve as executive producer.

“This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history,” Jay-Z told 2K Sports. “NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I’m ready to usher in the new era of the franchise.”

The move to include a Hip Hop legend in Jay-Z was again a very savvy one by the 2K Sports team. With the Nets moving to Brooklyn for next season as well, it’s even more fitting.

“We aren’t content with just being the best, and we will continue to grow the NBA 2K franchise into one of today’s premier entertainment experiences,” Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports said. “Jay-Z’s role in NBA 2K13 represents a unique fusion of basketball, music, art, and entertainment, and illustrates the evolution of NBA 2K into something much bigger than simply the best basketball video game series ever made.”

2K Sports also announced today the soundtrack for the game which will include many songs by Jay-Z himself.

Credit: NBA 2K13 Facebook page

It was revealed a few weeks ago that Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin would grace the cover of the game. NBA 2K13 will release on October 2, 2012 in North America.

Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin are clearly the “clues” we can take from the cover that 2K has given us so far.

We see a tarantula representing Kevin Durant for his nickname of “Durantula.” Then we see roses clearly hinting at Derrick Rose and then the gryffin which points to Blake Griffin.

Last year, NBA 2K12 focused more on the past and the legends with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird being on their covers.

This year it’s about the future of the NBA with Durant, Rose and Griffin.

NBA 2K13 will be released October 2, 2012.