NBA 2K15 Trailer: First Look At Kevin Durant

NBA MVP Kevin Durant is the cover athlete and poster boy for 2K’s upcoming basketball sim, NBA 2K15, making him the perfect subject for the game's first gameplay trailer.

The brief video shows Durant dribbling up-court before going one-on-one with one of the league’s best defensive guards, Golden State’s Andre Iguodala. While Iguodala is skilled at containing big scorers, in this video, he is unable to contend with Durant’s ball-handling and agility. After a between-the-legs dribble, The Durantula (I didn’t make it up) crosses back over to his right causing his defender to slip, then attacks the basket for a posterizing dunk.

While the trailer is a short one, it gives us a few good looks at Durant’s face, which is eerily accurate to his real-life counterpart. Disappointingly, Iguodala’s face is far less realistic, and bears only a passing resemblance to the real-world player. It’s possible that Iggy’s face wasn’t fully realized at the time of this video’s production, but it may cause some worry that second and third-tier players will not get the same attention to detail as superstars like Durant, Kobe, LeBron, Derrick Rose and Stephen Curry.

While this video is intended to show off the Durant player model and his animations, it also gives us a look at a new feature in stadiums and crowds. While Durant dribbles past half-court, several over-sized pictures of his face can be seen in the crowd, held up by Oklahoma City fans. It’s a neat addition, and one that makes me wonder if Fathead, purveyors of NBA-themed over-sized vinyl wall graphics, is involved in the game’s production in some way.

We’ll see if the company’s logo is plastered all over NBA 2K15, and if other teams and players will receive similar treatment, when the game launches on Oct. 7 for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.