'NBA 2K17' release date: title features Aussie Boomers; Olympics-themed feature rumored

Shooting guard Paul George seen with his Team USA uniform in the cover photo of the 'NBA 2K17.' 2K Sports

For the first time since the game was released in 1999, 2K Sports will feature the Australian national basketball team the Boomers in the upcoming "NBA 2K17."

The game developer and Basketball Australia dropped the announcement via a press release, saying that The Boomers will join the basketball sim video game.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be part of NBA 2K17," Basketball CEO Anthony Moore said in the statement shared by IGN. "We jumped at the chance to have our Australian Boomers in the game, and now Australian gamers can take on the world with Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut together in the green and gold."

Other members of the NBA 2K17 Boomers lineup include David Andersen, Cameron Bairstow, Aron Baynes, Ryan Broekhoff, Dante Exum, Chris Goulding, Joe Ingles, Kevin Lisch, Damian Martin, Brock Motum.

Mills expressed his pride and excitement upon the news of the presence of the Australian national basketball team in the popular video game.

"It's great to see 2K recognizing our nation's growing impact on the sport with the inclusion of Team Australia in NBA 2K17," he stated.

Speculations about a new Olympic-related feature started to come out because of the announcement. According to a report from Forbes, 2K Sports may have added a mode or a content that pays homage to the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympics that will be held later this summer.

Another subtle hint at the possible inclusion of an Olympic-inspired feature was the picture of Indiana Pacers shooting guard Paul George, who is wearing his Team USA jersey on the front cover of the upcoming game.

Aside from the speculated Olympic feature, the upcoming "NBA 2K17" will allow players to use the regular 30 NBA teams or opt to customize six new teams for an expansion league.

"NBA 2K17" will be released for the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on Sept. 20, but those who will pre-order the game will be able to get their hands on it on Sept. 16.

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