Duke men's basketball freshman Paolo Banchero announced via Instagram that he will be partnering with NBA 2K as part of an NIL agreement, becoming the first college player to officially appear in an NBA 2K game. 

Source: Sam Dunn/Boardroom

ANALYSIS: Banchero was a five-star high school prospect and is one of the top projected players in the 2022 NBA draft class. Previously, 2K has not had any college players in the game, but allowed users to create custom rosters and draft classes, theoretically circumventing the process. But this is the first time the franchise has officially included a college athlete. Banchero will appear as a character in NBA 2K22.