"The relationship between 2K Sports and Nike is about the natural union of two leading brands synonymous with sports, competition and innovation," said Erik Whiteford, vice president of marketing, 2K Sports. "Through this relationship, our aim is to deliver a truly unique basketball experience that taps into the intense passion and energy of the sport."

"Partnering with an industry leader like 2K Sports allows us to deliver new and rich experiences with the Nike brand and also to provide more authentic gameplay for the consumer," said Ralph Greene, US Basketball Brand Director, Nike.

Among the most compelling elements of the partnership is the integration of the Nike iD shoe customization feature within the game functionality. In 24/7, NBA 2K6's Streetball Mode, players dribble across North America and compete in various streetball tournaments. As players advance through the mode, a new pair of Nike Basketball shoes is awarded to the user. Each shoe earned is then added to the player's Nike Shoe Locker. The shoes are classified based on Nike's Flight, Force and Uptempo categories and give the user enhanced performance when worn in the game. The player must choose the best performance characteristics, such as greater speed, to defeat the opponent. Once shoes are collected in the locker, gamers can use the exclusive 24/7 Nike iD customization feature to personalize their shoes. This feature mirrors the real-world customization capabilities accessible at the Nike iD web site (www.nikeid.com).

Other Nike in-game integrations include:

• Nike Shoe Locker - As gamers fill up their locker with the Nike shoes they've won in various streetball challenges, they will have the option to return to their locker throughout the mode and select shoes that will favorably affect their ability in future competitions. The virtual shoe attribute boosts are aligned to the true-to-life performance benefits of each particular Nike shoe.
• Nike and 2K Sports to cooperatively launch new shoes - Throughout the upcoming NBA season, secret codes will be announced allowing users to unlock newly released Nike signature shoes in the game. These shoes will be found exclusively in NBA 2K6.
• In standard gameplay mode, over 200 Nike athletes will be wearing their actual Nike shoes.
• NBA 2K6 will also be featured within NBA.com and the Nike Basketball web site (www.nikebasketball.com) throughout the season.
• Collector's editions of 2K Sports / Nike shoes to be released to the sneaker enthusiast community. Each collector's shoe will be bundled with a copy of NBA 2K6.
• NBA 2K6 will hit the courts with all the ingredients necessary to continue its reign as the #1 rated professional basketball game*.

In addition to Nike footwear, the game also will feature athletes wearing other Nike brands including Jordan and Converse.

NBA 2K6 will debut this fall for the PS2, Xbox, and the Xbox 360.

For more information, please visit www.2Ksports.com