The NBA 2K franchise has been so huge for this entire decade that it’s earned the cachet for publisher 2K Sports to bring in top-tier talent from the worlds of film (Spike Lee, Michael B. Jordan) and television (the NBA on TNT studio hosts). This year, the publisher is once again putting that prestige to work in the MyCareer mode in NBA 2K20, with an array of Hollywood stars appearing in the story.
NBA 2K20’s latest trailer, which debuted Monday during Microsoft’s Inside Xbox show live from Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, is an incredible flex from 2K Sports. Dubbed “When the Lights Are Brightest,” the trailer features a bevy of well-known actors, media personalities, and athletes. The list includes Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw) as a basketball coach, Rosario Dawson (Jane the Virgin) as the player character’s adviser, Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) as an agent, Mark Cuban, Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Scottie Pippen, and Jaleel White (Family Matters).
Also featured in the story are LeBron James and his longtime business manager, Maverick Carter. SpringHill Entertainment, the media production company they founded in 2015, has produced films and television shows and is working with NBA 2K20 developer Visual Concepts on the MyCareer mode.
The NBA 2K20 demo, which will go live at 3:01 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 21, will allow players to create a character and get a head start on MyCareer. Progress will carry over to the full game, which will be released Sept. 6 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One; the demo will be available on all platforms except PC.
