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Michael Jordan is back as the cover athlete of the popular video game series NBA 2K. Jordan joined Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns as cover athletes for NBA 2K23. The last time MJ graced the cover of the series was 2K16 Special Edition.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard proved his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard agreed to sign a two-year, $122 million extension. The new contract will kick in at the start of the 2025-26 season. This means that Lillard will become a free agent in 2027.
Here is the latest NBA news roundup for July 9 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Summer League champions to receive rings
The Golden State Warriors won't be the only team receiving championship rings this summer. The league will be giving out championship rings to the Summer League champions for the first time. ESPN's Malika Andrews first posted the news on her Twitter account.
The Summer League started on July 7 and will end on July 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. All 30 teams will play in the tournament, with each team playing a total of five games. The top two teams after the first four games will be eligible to play in the Championship Game.
To determine the top two teams, winning percentage will be the main factor. In case of ties, head-to-head matchups, point differentials and random drawings will be used as criterias. The defending Summer League champions are the Sacramento Kings.
Reason why Michael Jordan is the NBA 2K23 cover athlete
For the first time in seven years, Michael Jordan is back on the cover of NBA 2K. The Chicago Bulls legend will be on the cover of NBA 2K3 Michael Jordan Edition and NBA 2K23 Championship Edition. This is Jordan's first 2K cover since the 2K16 Special Edition.
Jordan was also on the cover of 2K11 and 2K12. But why did "His Airness" agree to become the face of the video game franchise for next year? According to Screen Rant, Visual Concepts wants to commemorate NBA 2K23 with the greatest athlete to wear the number 23.
The six-time champ has worn the number 23 for almost his entire career. He briefly wore No. 45 after returning in 1996 and used a generic No. 12 for a game in 1990. He also wore the No. 9 during his time with Team USA. However, the iconic No. 23 will always be linked to Jordan.
Nikola Jokic officially signs largest contract in league history
The Denver Nuggets have locked up two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Serbian superstar has signed the largest contract in league history, a deal worth $264 million for five years, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The historic contract will kick in after next season.
Jokic earned his contract after winning back-to-back MVPs. He was only the 13th player in history to win the award for two straight years. He's also the first center to do so since Moses Malone. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists last season.
Now that Jokic has signed his new deal, the pressure is on him and the Nuggets to win a championship. The team is loaded with talent, but they have to stay healthy. Jamal Murray missed the entirety of last season, while Michael Porter Jr. played in just 10 games.
Damian Lillard signs two-year extension with Blazers
Damian Lillard has a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers until the 2024-25 season. However, Lillard showed his loyalty to his team by signing a two-year extension worth $122 million. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Lillard will be under contract until the 2026-27 season.
Lillard has spent the first 10 years of his career in Portland. It seems like he trusts the team's vision moving forward. The Blazers overhauled their roster at last season's trade deadline by trading CJ McCollum. They also parted ways with Normal Powell and Robert Covington.
The Blazers have been active this offseason. They acquired Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons, while also adding Shaedon Sharpe through the draft. Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons were given long-term deals. Head coach Chauncey Billups is now tasked to help the team become contenders.
NBA Summer League results for July 8
The NBA 2K23 Summer League continued on Friday, July 8 in Las Vegas. There were nine games on the schedule, with the Detroit Pistons defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 81-78 in the first game. Pistons rookie Jaden Ivey had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns came away with an easy 104-84 win over the LA Lakers in the final game of the day. Louis King led the Suns with 20 points, four rebounds and two assists. Scottie Pippen Jr. had 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Lakers.
Here are the rest of the results from Friday's games:
- Chicago Bulls def. Dallas Mavericks (100-99)
- Cleveland Cavaliers def. San Antonio Spurs (99-90)
- Indiana Pacers def. Charlotte Hornets (96-84)
- Milwaukee Bucks def. Brooklyn Nets (94-90)
- New York Knicks def. Golden State Warriors (101-88)
- Minnesota Timberwolves def. Denver Nuggets (85-78)
Guess the Lakers players!
