Andrew wrote:Pursuer wrote:Then I don't get why McGrady was on the cover of '07?
They don't always pick the player who was on the top team during the previous season, that's not what I was suggesting. I'm just saying you can't count out someone like Pierce or Allen just because the cover player is picked before the end of the season. They're perennial All-Stars who were on the top team in the league through the course of last season (a team surrounded by a lot of hype) and they're well-known to NBA fans, which are qualities that are characteristic of past cover players.
The cover players really aren't that random. Since Shaq appeared solo on the NBA Live 96 cover they've all been stars or stars on the rise, well-known to basketball fans and marketable thanks to their popularity, fame and status in the league. I'm sure other factors such as players returning from injury or coming off a championship/MVP season are other marketing angles that are considered when picking the cover player.
Still, if you look at the past cover athletes, you see big time stars, who are the main offensive option on their team, that's Gilbert, T-Mac, D-Wade, Carmelo and Vince Carter they were all the top guys on their teams at that time, I just don't see this being Allen. Of course it could be Pierce, but no video game company would choose Pierce over Garnett(was he on the cover of Live before?), and Pierce wasn't really shining that bright in the regular season, unlike the playoffs and the finals.
