"NBA 2K6" was initially released in September 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and, for the first time, Xbox 360. It is the first game in the series to be published by 2K Sports. Shaquille O'Neal serves as the game's cover athlete; he was also involved in some of the game's motion capture development. In "NBA 2K6", Kevin Harlan is the play-by-play commentator, Kenny Smith is the color commentator, and Craig Sager is the sideline reporter. The next two installments in the series feature the same team.