Shaquille O'Neal Graces Cover of 'NBA 2K18' Legend Edition

Shaquille O'Neal may have retired from the National Basketball Association in 2011, but his legacy will continue to live on in "NBA 2K18." 2K Sports has just announced that Shaq will be gracing the cover of the upcoming video game's Legend Edition and Legend Edition Gold.

To officially announce Shaq's cover, 2K released a promo where the legendary basketball player is seen giving a faux acceptance speech for being chosen as the cover athlete. Proving that their long-standing feud is water under the bridge, former teammate Kobe Bryant even makes a funny cameo in the video.

Shaq also released a statement, saying, "I want to thank NBA 2K for their continuous support of my basketball and broadcast career. I'm excited to be on the cover of the 'NBA 2K18' Legend Edition and I hope my fans have a blast playing it up big man style and re-creating my most legendary in-game moments."

With an NBA career spanning 19 years, Shaq has already been featured on previous installments of the "NBA 2K" game, specifically "NBA 2K6" and "NBA 2K7." However, this is his first time on the Legends Edition.

Gamers can now pre-order the "NBA 2K18" Legend Edition. For $99.99, they get a limited-edition Shaq poster, five Panini trading cards, exclusive stickers, 100,000 virtual currency, 20 weekly MyTEAM packs, and Shaq-themed in-game items.

Likewise, the "NBA 2K18" Legend Edition Gold is available to pre-order for $149.99. It comes with a limited-edition Shaq poster, a lenticular cover, 10 Panini trading cards, exclusive stickers, 250,000 virtual currency, 40 weekly MyTEAM packs and Shaq in-game items.

Both covers feature Shaq in his signature power dunk pose. The Legend Edition commemorates his time with the Miami heat while the Legend Edition Gold shows the athlete with his Los Angeles Lakers jersey.

Meanwhile, for those who prefer a pure "NBA 2K18" experience, the standard edition is also available for $59.99. Pre-orders will include 5,000 virtual currency, 10 weekly MyTEAM packs and MyPlayer apparel. However, 2K has not yet announced the NBA player who will be featured on the cover.

"NBA 2K18" will be released on Sept. 19 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows PC. However, players who pre-order the game will get early access on Sept. 15.