Electronic Arts has announced that NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker, and Pau Gasol will serve as global spokesmen for NBA LIVE 2005, scheduled for release this fall under the EA SPORTS brand. The NBA LIVE franchise, celebrating 10 seasons this year, is the best-selling basketball videogame of all-time with more than 20 million units sold worldwide.
Anthony, a second-year forward for the Denver Nuggets, will appear on all packaging and merchandising for NBA LIVE 2005 in North America and other territories around the world. Parker, a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, and Gasol, a forward with the Memphis Grizzlies, will appear on NBA LIVE 2005 packaging in France and Spain, respectively.
"Making the jump from Syracuse to the NBA, and now from the cover of NCAA March Madness to NBA LIVE, is an incredible honor," said Anthony, who was the cover athlete for EA's college basketball franchise last year after leading the Syracuse Orangemen to the 2003 NCAA title. "I grew up loving EA SPORTS, especially NBA LIVE. To think that I could now be on the cover and help introduce a new generation to NBA LIVE is an awesome feeling."
With all new features, visually immersive graphics, and improved gameplay, the NBA LIVE franchise continues to set the standard as the most authentic and comprehensive hoops simulation ever created. EA SPORTS Freestyle Air takes the game above the rim with new dunks and added in-air control, while the all-new NBA All-Star Weekend mode features the innovative Slam Dunk Contest, the 3 Point Shootout, and more. Add in a revamped Dynasty Mode and EA SPORTS Online features, and NBA LIVE continues to deliver the ultimate hoops experience.
Anthony led all rookies in scoring with 21 points per game, ranked third in rebounding (6.3 rpg), and helped propel the Nuggets to their first playoff berth since 1995, the year NBA LIVE was born. Parker, a native of Belgium who grew up in France, has averaged 13.1 points and 5 assists per game through three NBA seasons and established himself as one of the league's top point guards when he helped lead San Antonio to the 2003 NBA championship. Gasol burst on to the scene from his native Spain when he earned the 2002 got milk? NBA Rookie of the Year. In three NBA seasons, the 7-footer has averaged 18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in leading the Grizzlies.
"The NBA is increasingly a global sport, and what better way to celebrate 10 great years of the NBA LIVE franchise than to be working with three of the NBA's top young stars from around the world," said Glenn Chin, Senior Director of Worldwide Basketball for EA SPORTS. "These guys have already made a significant impact on the game, they are particularly representative of the global culture of the sport, and the style of their play is very much in the spirit of NBA LIVE, where creativity and self expression make Freestyle king."
Developed by EA Canada, the studio which is also home to the popular NBA STREET and NCAA March Madness franchises, NBA LIVE 2005 is scheduled to ship in October on the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, the Nintendo GameCube and the PC.
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