Players can’t do it alone though, as this year’s game will challenge them to travel the globe building a squad composed of some of the world’s greatest players.

NBA Live 19 will bring numerous new features and enhancements to the hardwood, building on last year’s strong foundation. Players will be invited to take their game around the world, facing opponents on new courts in Paris, Brazil and the Philippines, with each court and tournament offering unique rules and challenges specific to those courts. NBA Live 19 also marks the introduction of Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech into the franchise, introducing thousands of new animations and smoother gameplay than ever before. The game offers more choices for clothes, shoes and gear, and a new progression-system modeled after some of the sport’s greatest icons.

At last night's NBA Awards, Electronic Arts revealed Joel Embiid as the cover athlete for NBA Live 19, adding to the accolades he has achieved over the past few years. Embiid was the third overall pick of the NBA Draft 2014 presented by State Farm, and claimed a spot on the All-Star roster for the first time this season. He also led his team to their first playoff appearance since 2012 while averaging nearly 23 points and 11 rebounds a game.

“Joel is a perfect fit to grace the cover of NBA Live 19,” said Joshua Rabenovets, Senior Brand Director at EA Sports. “He is the voice of the new wave of basketball players and his on-court dominance, creative personality, and love for the fans made him an ideal choice for this year's game.”

“It’s great, it’s amazing. I’m thankful for this opportunity, especially as a basketball player,” Embiid said. “You work so hard because you have goals in life, you want to be in the Hall of Fame but also, being on the cover of a video game is something I’ve always dreamed of and I’m happy to be in this position.

Basketball fans won’t have to wait long to start their journey to become THE ONE, as NBA Live 19 will offer a free demo for all players starting August 24th, with the full game launching September 7th.

EA Access members receive an additional 10 percent discount when they purchase a digital version of NBA Live 19, on Xbox Live. Subscribers can also enjoy up to 10 hours of play time as part of the Play First Trial on September 3.

Players who need even more basketball in their lives can also check out NBA Live Mobile, available as free-to-download on the App Store and Google Play.