It’s the Elite Eight rematch everyone will be tuning in to. The last time these teams went head to head, UConn defeated USC, 83-70, led by an epic double-double performance by PB, who was the Most Outstanding Player in the Portland 3 Regional. While the Huskies got the dub, USC’s Watkins also had a double-double of her own and has brought that same energy into this season with 30 and 40-point performances. Both SLAM cover stars are certified rockstars, too: PB has had her Huskies teammates rockin’ her Nike PEs recently while your favorite rappers have been pullin’ up to see Juju hoop since her high school days.

Don’t get it twisted though, the Huskies and Trojans aren’t just one-woman teams. They’ve got an entire squad of shooters and bucket-getters: UConn is equipped with SLAM co-cover star Azzi Fudd, sophomore Ashlynn Shade and freshman Sarah Strong, who is currently second on the team in scoring, to name a few. As for USC, transfer Kiki Iriafen is a true standout averaging close to 30 points per game, and with Kennedy Smith and Rayah Marshall are elite components of their core while averaging 25 points per game.

As for what will go down tomorrow, only time will tell. Until then, we’ve got you covered exclusive merch to cop as you cheer on your favs.

The post USC vs UCONN: The Elite Matchup the World Has Been Waiting For appeared first on SLAM.

But parks are meant to be a place of refuge and safety. It once was according to Patrick Engelbrecht, the Director of Global Scouting for the Toronto Raptors.

“It kind of became a place where people would kind of come to prove themselves and play on these courts,” says Engelbrecht. “It was like a real mixing point where you could play against anybody, that was here..It was a place where anything could happen.”

Together, Giants of Africa, SLAM and JDS Sports’ Play with Purpose initiative set out to turn that warning sign into an invitation for the community to feel empowered. We recently unveiled the newly revitalized double courts at Donald Mackay Park.

Here, you can dive into the history of Johannesburg and see firsthand what it took to bring this monumental moment to life.

The courts’ design is inspired by the city’s vibrant and diverse community. The shades of purple pay homage to the Jacaranda trees that line the neighborhood, while the GOA logo at center court represents the growth of the game and its ability to inspire positive change. There’s beauty is in the details, too: a series of triangles positioned in a circle symbolize the rising sun, which is a beacon of hope and aspiration, while the base of the court features an index finger pointing upwards.

The imagery holds a dual meaning: visually, it’s the act of spinning a ball on a finger, but it’s also a nod to the country’s “unspoken language”—the hand sign is used to let taxi drivers know that you want to go to Johannesburg.

The city itself has a meaningful history and a deep connection with the game. There courts are next to the iconic Ponte Tower, a 567.6 foot-tall skyscraper in the Berea district, which was once the tallest residential skyscraper for almost 50 years.

Just a few blocks away is the legendary Ellis Park Stadium, which hosted the Rugby World Cup back in ’95 and the very first NBA game played on the continent of Africa in 2015.

Now, with a new court decked out in the hue of royalty, current and future generations can lace up their kicks, climb to new heights and find success both on and off the court.

“To some a park is just a place to play, but to us, it means much more,” says Yolanda Ndlovu, a resident of Ponte City, in a powerful speech held at the court’s unveiling. “The re-opening of the park, to some, a park is just a place to play, but to us it means much more. This park is a sign that we are not forgotten…For way too long we’ve been overlooked, but this park says we deserve beauty, we deserve safe spaces and places to play sports like basketball, soccer, as well as to dream. For children, this park is a place to love, to run and just enjoy being kids. For teenagers like me, it’s place to come together, to share our talent and start believing in ourselves.”

And with that, a new sanctuary awaits.

The post Giants of Africa, SLAM and JDS Sports Bring Basketball Sanctuary to Johannesburg with Renovated Court at Donald Mackay Park appeared first on SLAM.

The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup is back and this time, it’s between two dominant and hella fun squads: the No. 1 OKC Thunder will face off against the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks. With a new schedule format and money on the line, momentum is building for this year’s tournament.

Ahead of tonight’s matchup, here’s everything you need to know about both teams.

OKC THUNDER:

With a 20-5 record and the top spot in the West, OKC is undoubtedly one of the most electric, and cool, teams in the L right now. Look no further than the artistry of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on track to average nearly career-high numbers, and is currently third in the NBA in scoring.

“He’s elite in his preparation,” says Isaiah Hartenstein, per The Oklahoman. “You see it on a day-to-day basis, how he approaches his craft. The way he works, the way he communicates…He’s a bucket regardless, but then he gets trapped (and) he doesn’t force it. He makes the right play.”

The entire team is standing on business, too. Against Houston, we saw spin-moves and dunks from Williams (who is No. 4 in steals, btw), dives on the hardwood and deep-threes from Dort and so much more. Wallace let everybody know what was up, too after going at it with Alperen Sengun:

“We’re not gonna get punked or shot down by anybody,” he said. Periodt.

As for what to expect ahead of the Cup Final, only time will tell. Until then, here’s some mandatory reading straight from the comment section of SGA’s IG posts. Shaispere.

And fit pics of course:

FITCHECK: OKC THUNDER

Details on details

DO YOU SEE THIS COAT?

LF superteam?

Blazers and denim.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS:

For the best scorer in the League right now, the mission is clear:

“Forty-eight f—ing minutes. Keep one another accountable. Somebody missed a shot, pick him up. Make him feel good about himself, so he can make the next one.”

Those are the words from an intense Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been channeling an unmatched level of vocal leadership amidst an MVP-level performance this season. Despite the Bucks rough start to the season, they’ve risen the standings and, especially Giannis, have kept that same energy:

“I would be texting with Giannis, and we’d be talking at practice or whatever, his mind was never shut off,” Lillard said per ESPN. “He was never discouraged. He was never overly concerned. It was always, fight. Our conversations had always been, like, we’re going to turn it around. We’re going to figure it out. We’re going to lead. We’ve got to keep going. We’ve got to dominate.”

Perhaps he’s channeling his inner Big Ticket, who according to the Greek Freak stopped by their practice in Vegas recently:

Now with Middleton finally back (and better since recovering from ankle surgery), the Bucks are looking ahead as they get ready for the NBA Cup Final.

Thunder and Bucks fans, this is for you (and yours). Cop our NBA threads ahead of the game:

The post NBA CUP PREVIEW: Bucks vs Thunder (and Fits) appeared first on SLAM.

Do you know the first basketball players ever to win five Olympic Gold medals? Here’s a hint: they’re former college teammates, NCAA champions, best friends and, at one point during their careers, were super competitive rivals. But when they suited up alongside each other in the red, white and blue, they were magic. Did you figure out who it is yet? Nah, they’re not men. Think again.

“Sue joined the national team at the 2002 World Championship, and I joined in 2004. We were the young kids in Athens,” Diana Taurasi told USA Basketball. “It’s very special to have gone through it together, because we went through the same experiences at the same time.”

While Sue Bird retired from the game just two years ago, DT is still out there dropping buckets and taking names against any and every opponent in the WNBA as the League’s all-time leading scorer. She’s been hailed as the GOAT, a moniker that not only encompasses her career thus far on the Phoenix Mercury, but on the international stage, too: throughout the past 23 years she’s spent suiting up for USA Basketball, aside from Bird, she has the largest collection of Gold hardware, including five Olympic Golds, three FIBA World Cup Golds and a FIBA World Cup Bronze medal. It’s an honor she doesn’t take lightly, and in her own words, representing USA Basketball is a commitment that she holds to the highest regard.

“I just think we take this really seriously,” Taurasi told The Athletic. “We don’t look at it as a four-year thing. We look at it as a career.”

Taurasi is part of a illustrious legacy that the USA Basketball Women’s National Team has always embodied. Dating all the way back to 1984, when the women’s team won their first-ever Olympic Gold medal, they’ve consistently put together the most dominant and successful squads ever assembled. Look no further than the past seven consecutive Olympic Gold medals they’ve won, or the fact that the United States is already the favorite in Paris, currently ranked No. 1 in the 5×5 tournament and No. 2 going into the 3×3 tournament.

This year’s roster is full of champions, MVPs, All-Stars, Rookies of the Year and legends. DT will suit up alongside fellow Olympic teammates and Gold medalists, including Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, as well as Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young (both of whom won Gold in the 3×3 tournament in 2021). The roster also includes a handful of standouts who will be making their Olympic debut: Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Sabrina Ionescu. Led by a coaching staff that features some of the most brilliant minds in the game—head coach Cheryl Reeve, assistant coaches Kara Lawson, Joni Taylor, Mike Thibault, scouts Curt Miller and Tanisha Wright—the 2024 USA Women’s National Team is locked in and ready to run it back. Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. cooked the competition and defeated Japan, 90-75, to win Gold. DT was on that squad, as were Loyd, BG, Chelsea, Stewie and A’ja. Now, add Alyssa, Kahleah and Sab in the mix. That’s a whole lot of bucket-getters on one team.

How did all of these stars come together? The obvious answer is a multi-year selection process that includes training camps and games. But, in the words of Taurasi, there’s more to the roster than just names on a list. It’s about chemistry, problem solving and bringing together a group of competitors who can, and will, execute.

“Once you get to the second training camp, you kind of can see the Olympics from afar,” DT said in an episode of USA Basketball’s “The National Team” series, which is accurately titled, How the Sauce Gets Made. “At least, training camp has become that much more important. Trying to find groups that play well together, that figure out problems pretty quickly together. I think the one thing from all these Olympics that I’ve learned is it’s the best combination of players who can get to a certain place pretty quickly.”

Players are competing for a spot on the 12-person roster, which means setting aside egos and simply showing that you’ve got what it takes.

Taurasi elaborated: “You have to put your best foot forward, that’s the only way you can make an impact—by being here and by buying into what we’re trying to do as a team. Every person who’s put that jersey on so far has made that commitment, and I think that means a lot to the selection committee, to the coaches.”

The selection process is ultra competitive, and while there’s an abundance of talent in the WNBA, Taurasi is spot on. As selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti told the Associated Press in April: “We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It’s got to be a combination of an entire body of work.”

The final roster is the epitome of just that. Aside from DT, Griner is one of the most experienced Olympians on the team. A two-time Olympic Gold medalist, BG’s USA Basketball résumé also includes being named 2018 World Cup Gold medal game Player of the Game and named a 2014 FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team honoree. A powerhouse in the paint and a shot blocker, BG’s presence on the team will also bring a sense of resiliency and strength that extends well beyond the hardwood. Then there’s Gray, who was drafted into the WNBA just a year after Griner, and has been a vocal leader. The three-time WNBA champion is the go-to voice on the Las Vegas Aces, even over head coach Becky Hammon. “I’m her assistant,” Hammon once told the media. “I tell them [the Aces] all the time, if Chelsea calls something and I call something, you listen to Chelsea.”

As for her game, Gray brings an unmatched versatility: she’s a scorer who can hit clutch shots, a playmaker with crazy court vision and a savant with a high basketball IQ who can make reads and set her teammates up. Oh, and she knows how to perform under pressure, as the world saw when the Aces went back-to-back and won another WNBA championship last year. What’s even scarier is that Gray will be suiting up alongside the very teammates she just won the ’chip with, including two-time MVP Wilson and All-Stars Young and Plum. If you think the Aces have slowed down at all since they dominated in 2023, think again. Wilson’s star power has only continued to ascend to another level this season and, as we went to press, she set a WNBA record against the Dallas Wings as the first player, ever, to have at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. Which, might we add, is her 10th career game with at least 30/10. She’s also the first to post at least 35 points and 5 steals in multiple games. Wilson is competitive, fearless and true to herself and what she’s about, on and off the court. Hammon said it best. Wilson is “the best in the world.” As for KP and Young, both are lethal guards who know what it takes to hold their own on the international stage. Back in 2021, they both won Gold in the U.S. Olympic 3×3 Women’s tournament. So, yeah, good luck to other countries that gotta go up against part of the Aces’ core.

The other most experienced Olympian is the reigning WNBA MVP. Stewie is a certified winner, so much so that she’s just one of the 11 players, ever, to have won an Olympic Gold medal, FIBA World Cup Gold medal, WNBA title and NCAA title in her career thus far (Griner and DT are also part of that list). Stewie’s been showing out for USA Basketball since high school—in 2011, she was the youngest member and only high school athlete to compete in the Pan American Games, where she started all four games and led the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), rebounds (11.3) and blocks (1.1). Poised and primed for greatness since the beginning, Stewart is coming off a WNBA career-high scoring average last season (23.0 ppg) and the momentum of helping lead the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals for the first time since ’02. With her suiting up alongside the same players she faced in the Finals, the U.S. team has got to be a scary sight for opponents this summer.

The rest of the roster is stacked with scorers and playmakers. Napheesa Collier was part of that 2020 Olympic Gold medal-winning team, and since then has only leveled up her game. Phee is currently dominating on the Lynx and averaging a double-double (a second-career best 20.0 points and a career-high 10.2 rebounds). Then there’s Loyd, who led the League in scoring last season with a career-high 24.7 points and is an Olympic and three-time FIBA World Cup/3×3 Gold medalist. Another member of that 2022 FIBA World Cup squad is Thomas, a consistent and crazy efficient walking triple-double who will be making her Olympic debut. She’s also the first former Maryland Terrapin to play on the U.S. Women’s National Team since Vicky Bullett, who won Gold in ’88 and Bronze in ’92.

AT brings a decade of WNBA experience and veteran leadership, and she’ll fit right in with her USA Olympic teammates. Then there’s Kahleah Copper, who brings a dynamic scoring prowess and tough Philly mentality that makes her certified. After winning a ’chip with the Chicago Sky in 2021, she elevated her game, too. The three-time WNBA All-Star, who has been dropping 30-plus point games on any given night this season, will bring that same energy on the international stage in her first-ever Olympics, too.

Last, but certainly never least, is Sabrina Ionescu. It doesn’t matter whether she’s going up against opponents in the W or the greatest shooter of all time, Sab, with one furrow of her brow and space at the three-point line, is guaranteed to shoot the lights out of the gym, no matter what gym it is. Oh, and she’s also averaging a career-high this year, her fourth season with the New York Liberty. Experience is one thing, but game always speaks for itself.

And there you have it. If they win it all, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team will make history by bringing the eighth consecutive Gold medal, and lucky No. 10 overall, back to the States. Legends of the past instilled greatness, but this squad has what it takes to carry that legacy and more.

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Olympic Dominance: Previewing the 2024 USA Women’s National Team appeared first on SLAM.

But even amidst all of that success, the hometown standout couldn’t shake the perception that the fire that she exudes on the hardwood—the physicality, the celly’s after big-time plays, the hair flips—are intentionally petty acts by a “dirty player.” When the Tigers faced off against South Carolina during the 2017-18 season, fans booed her any time she got the rock. And then, in the second quarter, a scuffle ensued at the top of the key between the Gamecocks and the Tigers, causing a surge of backlash surrounding the Tigers, and Cunningham specifically. 

“For me, I don’t listen to all that noise,” she tells us over Zoom in June. “I got that stuff in college, too. We beat South Carolina multiple years in a row and all of a sudden I’m the dirty player and it’s like, Nah, I’m just out working. I’m working y’all’s ass, you know what I mean?

But I can’t really say that. I’ve been used to it but I just know that I have a very tight circle. I lean on them quite a bit…For me, I just want to be the best teammate, I wanna be the best competitor [and] I wanna do whatever it takes for my team to win and all that other noise can just be squashed.” 

That was six years ago, but throughout her career in the WNBA, Cunningham has still had to deal with the noise that this is who she is, even off the court. There’s been many, many instances of that happening throughout her career, the most famous of which being what went down between her and then-Sky star Kahleah Copper during Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals. Everyone was talking (and tweeting) about the controversial moment. 

But back in 2022, Copper assured us moments like that are all part of what happens when competitive athletes go at it. Some even assumed they had beef, which Kah squashed. “They expect us to be all good and happy and shit, like, that’s not how it goes,” she told us for the cover of SLAM 236. “We are the best at what we do. We are super competitive.” 

When we asked Cunningham recently about how she’s dealt with these narratives about her, she echoed that same sentiment. “Thank you for asking that question because I think that people see me and it’s so funny that any time I get a new teammate that maybe, like, they’re competitive, we kind of go at it. They’re like, Oh, you’re actually like, really nice and fun to be around. I’m like, duh. Why can’t I be competitive on the court and why can’t we all hang out after? I want to change that narrative for females that it’s OK to compete, it’s OK to play physical. It’s ok to go out there, work hard and sweat and then still be a nice human and a different person off the court, too. Like, we’re not going against high school[ers] or anything like that. These are the best people in the world, so you gotta bring it right.

I think for me when Kah came in, I didn’t think two things of it. I was just so happy that we were getting another badass player on our team that’s gonna help us win a championship here soon. For me, I don’t listen to all that noise.” 

It’s what Cunningham brings to the team that’s allowed her to solidify her role on the Mercury, whether she’s been starting, or as is the case this season, mainly coming off the bench. It has earned her praise from legends like teammate Diana Taurasi, who once described Cunningham to the New York Times as someone who likes to “muck it up.” 

“Whenever Sophie plays, the level of the game goes up. And you know, she’s done that consistently every year she’s been on our team. And that’s why she’s so important to what we do,” DT said, per The Next in 2022. Years prior, she gave Cunningham advice about remaining true to herself, too. “You’ve been playing this game ever since you were a kid,” Cunningham once recalled Taurasi telling her. “You know how to play. I have seen you. You know how to play, so just go out there and have fun.”

During the 2022 season, Cunningham dropped a career-high 23 points against the Liberty as a starter in July, and then a few days later, followed it up with a 36-point performance against the Lynx, along with seven boards and five steals, a historic stat line that made her only the second player in WNBA history to do so. The other? Cynthia Cooper in ‘97. Whether she’s dropping buckets, knocking down shots, or dishing out dimes—like she did in her win against the Storm— her ability to adapt to whatever the team needs makes her a key component. 

And as the WNBA continues to grow, and new fans tune in to watch not just the Mercury, but across the League, there’s a sentiment that moments of competitiveness are personal, or that vets are targeting and/or jealous of the rookies. Cunningham kept it real about all of this, and in an exclusive interview, we chopped it up with the star about conversations surrounding Caitlin Clark, her own career thus far, and her interests off the court as an analyst for the Suns, showing out in the tunnel and more. 

WSLAM: Hey Sophie! How do you feel like the season is going so far? What was your mindset going into it?

Sophie Cunningham: You know, since I’ve been in Phoenix, I’ve been here going on my sixth year, it has been a roller coaster. I’m someone who’s gonna shoot it straight that, like, it has not been the most fun years. I didn’t know if I was gonna go to a different team a couple of those years just because it’s just like so much drama was just going on. And so, when we got this new ownership, we got a whole new front office, we got a whole new coaching staff who are absolutely just phenomenal people and they do things the right way and they’re all about making sure us women have the same things as our brothers on the Suns do.

I just love their approach to everything and when I saw, the roster that we got, I was like, All right, we’re gonna be legit this year. With that sometimes people’s egos get hit a little bit—I have been starting the past two or three years, but I knew that I’m gonna have four or five Olympians on our team. So I’m like, you know what, I’m here to win, I’m here to compete. I’m hopeful to be an Olympian one day, maybe the 3×3 team. So, why would I not want to surround myself with people who have been where I wanna go? So, for me, my role does look a little different. I’m coming off the bench this year, but when I tell you, it is just so much fun to be on this team.

It has been like the best experience and everyone’s just genuinely, really good people.

WSLAM: What’s the vibe and energy of the team?

SC: Oh my God, we have so much energy. We have a lot of personalities [and] everyone’s just goofy. I know that we play basketball, but when I say that we laugh 24/7, [it] probably sounds like too much sometimes because like, hey, I’ll need to like dial it in a little bit. It’s fun though because we do compete at such a high level, but right when the ball stops, we’re all just like goofing around having a good time.

WSLAM: From your perspective, how has your game evolved over the years and what have you learned? 

SC: I think there’s a lot of talk about our League right now, which I absolutely love…I think we have a lot of eyes and attention on our League, and I’m just happy to be a part of it during this time. I think the high school, college jump is massive, but the college to the pros is even 20 times more that. So, I think the first couple of years, you kind of have to find your feet. There’s some people who can go into the League and they have the green light right away and the balls in their hand 24/7. You see them kind of take off a lot sooner, whereas [for me], I was DT’s sub for the majority of my career. I finally worked my way into the starting lineup about two or three years ago, so [I] definitely was very persistent, was a lot of ups and downs. It was a mind game at some points. 

For me, I just had to make sure I stayed ready and honestly, I learned that from DT. She’s the ultimate pro, she’s the GOAT of our game. Just the way that she goes about her everyday activity to become better each day and sometimes that’s not doing anything and it’s a mental day. I think I’ve really truly have learned from the very best. And, for me, I’m seeing [in] my career that the more I stack the days the better I become.

WSLAM: You’re a player that people have talked about for a while in terms of being super physical. For new fans, there’s a misconception that that style of play is very specific and targeting one person. What’s your perspective on that?

SC: You kind of hit it on the head because to be honest, I think that there are a lot of new eyes, but with that, there’s a lot of people who are uneducated about our League.

You see a lot of people in the public eye on the men’s side kind of having Caitlin Clark’s back, too, which is kind of surprising just because they know how physical our game has always been. But when I tell you that the narrative that we’re all against Caitlin or the vets against the rookies that needs to be squashed because it’s not like that. I promise you, it’s not like that. I’ve had my jaw broken, I’ve broken a finger, I’ve broken my nose. Everyone has stories of how physical this League really is and I think that is the main jump that people don’t understand.

It’s like, her skill level will come, everything else will come; the rookies in general. But it’s the physicality that people really have to get used to. And so for me, I don’t think anyone’s being targeted. If anything, I think we need to give her a little bit of grace sometimes because she has a lot on her plate and a lot of eyes on her. But with that, I think this is gonna be really good for her. She’s gonna be great. I think the rookie class is gonna be phenomenal for our League once they get that physicality thing kind of worked out. It takes a little bit of time [but] they’re gonna be just fine. 

For me, I’ve always been a physical player. Coming into the League, I was actually a little bit surprised of how physical it was because I thought I was physical. But when I tell you, it doesn’t matter how big, how tall you are, everyone is strong and physical in this League and you better bring it otherwise it’s gonna look maybe bad.

WSLAM: Speaking of physicality, what has it been like teaming up with someone as competitive as Kah? Is this the first time that you guys have really been around each other?

SC: Yeah, it’s definitely like the first time that we’ve been around [each other]. We’ve always competed and I think that any time you put people who compete at that level and kind of have that dog and that, that kind of like shit about him a little bit that it’s gonna be kind of interesting to see how they actually team up.

But when I say it’s me, Kah, DT. You have [Natasha] Cloud. All four of us, we have a little bit of something to us and so to actually put all of us on the same team, it’s been so fun because now we just hype each other up. I feel bad for teams like they haven’t even seen the best of us yet. Kah’s been killing it. She has absolutely been killing it. She’s a dog and I’m just happy that she’s on my team to be honest.

WSLAM: You’re just as outspoken off the court, too. But you’ve also been showing out in the tunnel this year. Can you talk about your sense of style?

SC: You know what? To be honest, I do love fashion but I kind of want to keep it simple, too. The fashion fashion, it’s not my vibe. I think I just wouldn’t look good in it. I think the reason why we’re bringing the tunnel fits this year—it’s been a work in the process. I also think the more money you get, the more you’re able to do what you want, too—[but it] being Year 6 and just last year, they were getting better.

But this year I wanted them to be really good because – the amount of eyes. I’m telling you, the marketing, it is the best time to be in the W right now. And so why would you not kind of show out a little bit in those fashion fits?

WSLAM: We’re here for it! You’re also really into broadcasting as well. Can you talk more about how you got into that and what it’s like showcasing your personality and interests outside of the game?

SC: I have a lot of passions and a lot of loves outside of basketball. I think that’s how I’m able to enjoy basketball still because I have that balance. I don’t go overseas, I make it up in marketing money through endorsements. And then, I was just blessed with a great opportunity that the Suns needed a broadcaster. I’ve never really done it in my life. I’ve always been on the other side of the camera, but I’m like, I could talk to all for 10 hours. This can’t be that hard. And so, I actually ended up doing it two years ago and that was more just in-studio, pre, half and post game, interviewing some of the guys and I really loved it. It’s a lot harder than it looks, too. When I watch games now I’m listening to the broadcaster.

I’m trying to learn this year [and] I got to do in-studio and color commentating and I just fell in love with it. To watch these guys perform at the level they do [and] to see the game kind of break down and be simplified, but also so complicated at the same time. It was just fascinating to me.

I got to kind of become really close with our owner and our CFO and so I’ve gotten to actually learn the business side of sport, too. I’m turning into a nerd. I’ve never been a nerd…but I’ve really found it fascinating this past year.

I would love to get into broadcasting [when] I’m done. But then again, I would love to be an island girl somehow and get paid for that. I don’t even know what I want to do with my life [laughs]. So, we’ll see.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham Keeps it Real About Narratives, Competitiveness and Caitlin Clark appeared first on SLAM.

The game has always been a part of Strong’s life—she even suited up for the same club team as mom—but it wasn’t until she moved to the United States in fifth grade that she started taking her game to the next level given the level of competition.

“The talent level and skill level is a lot different here, so definitely it’s a little harder. I started getting results out of it, so I was like, OK, let me lock in,” she says. Off the court, Strong also had to deal with the transition that comes with moving from a different country, whether it was cultural adjustments—in Spain, she would watch a lot of American movies and was nervous about having to deal with bullies in school like what she saw in the films—or the language barrier. Strong, who speaks Spanish, initially struggled with reading comprehension in English.

She’s come a long way since then. A five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked player in the ESPNW 100 for the class of 2024, Strong is an undeniable talent with an all-around game—at 6-2, she uses her strength and size to her advantage, whether it’s holding her own on the post, using her silky smooth handles to drive to the rim or relying on her acute court vision to dish out dimes to her teammates. The 2023-24 Gatorade North Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year averaged a double-double at Grace Christian School (NC) while also maintaining a 3.68 GPA.

Strong, who would watch highlights of Maya Moore—her favorite player—and Breanna Stewart, had always dreamt of going to UConn. And yet, when it came time to make her final decision, the final factor had nothing to do with location, she says, but rather, what she felt within. “It’s always been a dream school,” she says. “I just kind of felt it in my heart, and I talked to my family. I prayed about it.”

At UConn, Strong wants to elevate her game and get “accustomed to the college pace” and the level of physicality—from getting in shape to becoming more efficient and a consistent shooter. She’s set to join a Huskies squad that just lost standout Aaliyah Edwards to the 2024 WNBA Draft but will see the return of one of the most elite floor generals in college hoops, Paige Bueckers. The pairing already has fans in Storrs excited for the future. Strong is ready to bring that same energy.

“We’re just trying to win,” she says. “They haven’t won a championship in a while, so that’s the plan for the next four years. I’m just very excited to play with everybody and be coached by the coaching staff.”

Portraits by Luke Schlaifer.

The post From Spain to the States, No. 1 Ranked Senior Sarah Strong is Ready to Continue Her Journey at UCONN appeared first on SLAM.

The epic showdown drew 18.9 million views, making it the most watched basketball game since 2019. The world saw not only how undeniably dominate the Gamecocks are, and have always been, but got a glimpse at just what to expect from the future of the game: with a talented roster that included a future first-round WNBA draft pick in Kamilla Cardoso, they were also equipped with a core group of freshman and sophomores, including Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Chloe Kitts, they could’ve easily faltered under the pressure. As Staley told us for the cover of SLAM 250, rather than having “balked” for minutes or playing time, they carried themselves with grace, were guided by veteran leadership and showed up every game with a can’t-lose mentality that, eventually, became a reality.

“It got harder every level in the competition,” Johnson told us in May, just a month after the title game. “We played Texas A&M twice, probably, and in the regular season, compared to in the SEC tournament,  that was a whole different team. So just, the competition, and the fact that everyone was either winning or done—I think the level of competition grew a lot it was way more physical. You had to be on your A game. The preparation is key and I think our coaches did a good job of mentally preparing us as well as physically preparing us. And also, the leaders on my team, the older people, they told us what to kind of expect. MiLaysia [and I], they told us just to play our game, forget the big stage or whatever.”

As the entire world watch Staley’s squad power their way through the NCAA tournament, the National Championship was the pinnacle of must-see TV. And when the lights were the brightest, Johnson, who played the most minutes (25) for a freshman, shined like the star that she is and led her squad with a career-high 19 points off the bench. To say that she was clutch would be an understatement, Johnson was pure perfection whenever the moment called upon her, which was quite often. In the second, she was out there knocking down silky-smooth midrange jumpers and finishing at the rim with ease, and by the third, she was dishing dimes to teammates like Bree Hall and hitting clutch threes that had everyone in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on their feet.

Not only was she the most efficient on the floor, shooting 63 perfect from the field, but she was absolutely fearless.

Fearless is a word the Minnesota-native resonates with on an even deeper, spiritual level.

“Before the games, I pray because I play for God out there. Besides the fact that I play for South Carolina, my family and my teammates, I really play for God. I represent Him on the court and so I pray to just ease my mind, give me peace, and I pray for the other team, [too]. [For] no injuries and stuff like that. That calms me down when I get on the court. I was also thinking of the word fearless, because, when I was younger, I would play fearless. [I’d think], Why am I afraid to make mistakes? Like, everyone’s gonna make mistakes out there on the court.”

It’s a pregame practice that Johnson’s always had as part of her routine: during warm ups, she sits in the fourth chair from the end. The number four is a symbolic one for her: a four-star recruit, Johnson wore No. 4 throughout her high school career as a star at St. Michael-Albertville. It also reminds her of her sister, Rae, who rocked it as her jersey number while hoopin’ at Iowa State, and in the Bible, the number also represents the creative work of God, specifically in creating all of life in a four-day span.

“I just prayed [for] what I felt in my heart,” Johnson adds. “If I remember correctly, I was praying for guidance, for peace [and] for strength on the court.”

All season long, Johnson says her mindset was to just trust the process, especially given that she was new to the team and felt that she had a lot to learn in terms of comfortability on the hardwood. “I’m a beginner, I’m not as comfortable on the court, I haven’t played with them before, so just trust the process, trust my coaches, and trust myself out there. Because, at the end of the day, like I’ve worked, I don’t know how long, I don’t know how many years, but I’ve worked for it, and just to trust myself out there, and have confidence out there.”

Then there’s the trust that Staley had in her. Revered for being a “player’s coach,” Staley has credited her coaching style as wanting to be a “dream merchant” for young people. What she saw from Johnson, and others on the team, was just that: an unwavering confidence and willingness to learn and be guided. “Tessa [Johnson could’ve been like], I could play with the best of them. Let me get some of Breezy’s time. Let me get some of Raven’s time. [But] they didn’t,” she told WSLAM. “Actually, the youngsters just allowed the older players to guide them to the point where they were so confident entering the basketball game that they knew that they were going to make an impact.”

It’s that type of support that drew Johnson to South Carolina in the first place. Growing up, Johnson was always ultra competitive—her mom, Danielle, who was us in our office when Johnson stopped by for a photoshoot—admits that she’s always had a yearning to be the best.

“You always wanted to be a dawg,” she chimes in and says to Tessa during our interview. “The best at whatever they were doing. When you worked hard, you wanted to be the first one done with something. You wanted your journaling at school to be better than the other kids. Not in a bad way, but just that she wanted to always do her best.”

Despite having a bubbly, upbeat personality, plus a sense of humor that’s unmatched (go watch our latest video with her, the 6-0 guard is so charismatic on camera, she absolutely needs her own television show one day), Johnson’s ability to tap into that level of competitiveness whenever she’s on the court is part of what makes her a star on the hardwood. “I didn’t care what it was, I just wanted to do better than them. And then, after doing it, another competitive piece of me is, I want to do better than what I just did. So, like, always getting better every day is what motivates me.”

Johnson saw herself being able elevate her game to that level in Columbia. After averaging 6.6 points in her first year, she’s now focused on not just elevating her game physically this summer, but is even more focused on her mental health. It’s always served as a key component of her breakout success, even dating back to high school when she missed her sophomore season due a broken leg injury. Johnson returned as a junior and helped her team emerge as runner-up to the state title, and by her senior year, she led her squad to its first state title since ‘09, dropping a double-double in the championship game. “I feel more like, powerful out there because I went through that and I’m back now,” she told Kare11 News in 2022.

Even as an NCAA champion, Johnson feels like she can approve her mental approach even more. “Yes, I need to work on all my physical stuff and just my skills and fundamentals but I think basketball is a very mental game,” she says. “Me being able to overcome all my mistakes and just having a growth mindset and being able to listen to whoever’s trying to help me. I think that’s what I need to get better at.”

How exactly does she plan on going about that? “That’s a good question. Getting deeper into my faith,” she explains. “I think that always helps and that’s what I do every day. I try to build a better relationship with God. But, going about it, I think I just need to always take moments out of my day and just reflect on myself  and think of what I need to do better and what I have overcome in general because you have to think positive. I know for me sometimes that’s hard because I have such high expectations for myself. And so when I don’t reach it, I’m like, I just get a little negative with myself. Like, the fact that I want to be better than my yesterday self. That helps me.”

As for how life’s been since winning the ‘chip, Johnson admits she’s still processing. It was a legendary moment, one that’ll go down in not just women’s basketball—but all of college hoops—history, but that doesn’t mean that the grind is over. As the Gamecocks look to embark on the “Repeat Tour” for the 2024-25 season and run it back, they’ll have to bring that same energy and then some.

“[The recognition], it’s good, but then I’m thinking of next season because that’s what we have to do,” she says. “We can take all the moments and enjoy the moments. But now, we’re on to summer. And school is over, so we’re thinking of next season, just working out and getting better because teams are going to scout us harder and play us tighter. [They’ll] know more of the little things that we do. So, that’s kind of the mindset.”

Photos via Getty Images. Portraits by Evan Bernstein.

The post The Emergence of Tessa Johnson: South Carolina Star Reflects on Winning the Title, Mental Approach and Being Guided by Faith appeared first on SLAM.

“I think that is a lot of where I found a love for the game,” Taylor tells us. “Just seeing them compete and get after it every night–as I got older, [it was] Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray. [I was] able to see women be really successful in their profession.”

For Taylor, the reality that she’s playing in the same League as those she’s always admired is surreal. The former 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year–who averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 assists after transferring to Ohio State for her fifth year–knows she has a lot to learn if she wants to elevate her game at the next level. “The first thing that comes to mind is just how crazy it is, and how crazy it will be to see people that you saw playing when you were little right in front of you. To either be playing next to them or against them, I mean, it’s just really exciting and cool, honestly.”

When asked if she’s ready to hold her own, Taylor doesn’t hesitate. “I am.”

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait by Evan Bernstein.

The post From New York to Indiana, Fever Rookie Celeste Taylor Talks Adjusting to the WNBA and Playing Against the Stars She’s Always Admired appeared first on SLAM.

Sarah. Joyce. Kate. Kiyomi. Jaloni.

VJ. Cooper. Isaiah. Dylan. Tre.

The post The 2024 SLAM HS All-Americans Have ARRIVED appeared first on SLAM.

Weatherspoon’s return to the W, this time as a coach, is historic: she was one of the original members of the New York Liberty when the W began play in ’97 and watched the League, and the game, grow and evolve throughout her storied career, which included five All-Star appearances and winning the first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award. To call her simply a basketball great wouldn’t do her career justice—Weatherspoon is a pioneer, an inspiration, a legend. 

“First of all, it’s full circle,” she says of now coaching in the W. “I had the opportunity to play in New York and, as a player, to start something in a professional [women’s basketball] league in America. But then to come back and coach in this League really means a lot to me because it’s still helping the League to grow. I’ve had an opportunity to do some incredible things in between to just have myself very well prepared for any situation or circumstances that might come up. You equip yourself along the way.” 

Those “things in between” that Weatherspoon is referring to are all the coaching jobs she’s had over the past decade—at nearly every level of the game—including as a head coach at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech, and then in the NBA, where she served as a player development coach before moving up to assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans. For her, the decision to join the Sky was simple: they knew she was the perfect person for the job. Period. “They believed in me. They fought for me. They trusted me to lead this organization. For me, that was enough.” 

Weatherspoon has been tasked with bringing the Sky back to glory. After winning its first-ever WNBA championship in 2021, the franchise has not made it past the semifinals in the past two seasons. While 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper is now in Phoenix, they have exciting new additions including Diamond DeShields and Chennedy Carter. But one thing their new head coach has made pretty clear is to not call this upcoming season a rebuilding year. That’s not the framework in which Weatherspoon operates. She has other plans. Big plans.

SLAM: As you get ready for the upcoming season, what do you think the transition will be like, going from coaching in the NBA to taking over as a head coach in the W? What’s your approach?

Teresa Weatherspoon: It’s [about] being aware of who you’re coaching [and] being aware of your personnel. I think when you’re playing the game period, they always tell you to know your personnel. That’s what it is for me. Yes, it is basketball. Yes, I recognize you’re male and you’re female. But at the end of the day, it’s all about knowing your personnel and what fits your personnel—what is best for your personnel for them to be the best versions of themselves.

SLAM: It’s been a few years since the Sky won a chip. What do you think it will take to bring the team back to that level? 

TW: Well, first of all, they did a heck of a job pushing to get into the playoffs, right? That says a lot about who they are, the fight that’s in them, the determination that’s in them. They have goals and they want it…It’s just a matter of me now coming in and putting my stamp on things of how I see things with them and then sustaining the success. We don’t want to be successful for [just] a year, we want to sustain the success, and that’s going to be our attitude. That’s going to be our approach…They have the ability, they have the talent, they have all of that. And it’s a matter of putting together pieces to the puzzle and making it work.

SLAM: When you first got the head coaching gig, did you connect with the players right away?  

TW: As a matter of fact, I sent them a message this morning just to say, Hey, wishing you a great day, because I want them to know that [they’re being] thought of. I’m not just a coach that’s just going to coach you and then forget about you, no. I want to know how you’re doing. I want to know how your family’s doing. I’m different. I approach things differently because I was once a player and I knew what was important to me as a player. So, I want to bring that same thing to them because I want to be a coach that’s open, honest and transparent. 

SLAM: Would you describe yourself as a people person? 

TW: I’ve always wanted to be. Not to be known, but to show that I care. And in that care, especially being a head coach, I’m going to push buttons that you never thought could be pushed. I’m going to push them because as a coach, if I ruffle your feathers, I’m doing my job.  

SLAM: Having coached at every level and now at the highest level—the NBA and, soon, the WNBA—what advice would you give to aspiring coaches who want to get to where you are?

TW: This is crazy [because] I just gave this message in a speaking engagement that I had and I talked about the table. When you talk about the table, it’s your table…It’s a self-constructed table, and every experience that you have is at your table…I want people to break bread with me at my table because I’ve had to experience a lot of things to equip me to get to where I am right now. And it’s my duty—whether it’s hard, whether it’s tough, whether it’s painful—it’s my duty to go through it to make sure that every seat at my table is available for everyone to find solutions. Because at the end of the day, that’s going to be the most important thing: What is your life doing to impact another life? 

SLAM: When did you come to that realization—that you are the player, and it’s your duty to be of service to others?

TW: As you’re growing, you know you have to bring something to the table—you know that you gotta bring something so someone can trust you and know that you’re of value. Especially when you’re playing the game, people have to know, What’s your best skill? What do you bring to this team? And why would you help this team be successful?…That question [has] happened to me all my life, so it has built my table…Now, this table has to help someone else…There’s no way that I should go through something, and at the table there’s no solution for what I went through. It’s just sitting there. It doesn’t sit, you gotta keep moving to find the solution…And that’s all I’ve ever wanted. If there’s something that you don’t like or you don’t see that’s coming from me and it’s what you want, tell me. I’m gonna find the solution. I’m gonna fight my butt off to find the solution, because I always want to be able to help the next person.

SLAM: You had such a storied playing career. As you enter this new chapter, how would you define your legacy up to this point? 

TW: I believe that is still being written. I believe as long as you continue to strive, to thrive, that it’s going to continue to be written, because there’s a lot more, I believe, to come from me. There’s a lot more that God has for me. So, I have to continue to move in that way, knowing that things aren’t over. There are many more things to come. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Teresa Weatherspoon Talks Vision for the Chicago Sky and Her Own Legacy appeared first on SLAM.

The distinguished honor, which was announced on Thursday, was presented to her by two-time WNBA All-Star and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, who surprised her in Camden HS’s gym alongside her parents, teammates and her coach, Natalie Funderburk, who won Gatorade South Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year in ’92.

“I’m just honored and grateful just to be in a position,” Edwards told WSLAM’s Madison Firle. “I mean, even to be considered for this title is an achievement in itself. But for Gatorade to consider me the best girls basketball player in my class is it’s just crazy. I have no words for it. I’m just happy that other people see the work that I’ve put into the game.”

Edwards is a standout forward who can knock down shots and put up big time numbers. As she gets ready for the next level, stars like Sabally already can tell her future is bright:

“She’s gonna make an impact on women’s basketball, inspiring the next generation and really, you know, giving young women [something to look up to],” Sabally says, later adding: “We always look at stats, but South Carolina obviously has a winning culture. And, you know, adding an asset like [Joyce] will drive that winning culture forward. I mean, Dawn Staley doesn’t recruit lightly. And she will definitely select players that are worth of the legacy that they’re building. So I’m just super excited about that.”

All images can be credited to: Gatorade Player of the Year / Joe Greer

The post Joyce Edwards Named 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player appeared first on SLAM.

But for Edwards, this is just the beginning. 

“When I go to South Carolina, my main goal is to just get on the floor, be a defensive player—because you can’t get on the floor without defense—and then sculpting my offense to be what the team needs,” she says. “I’m not coming in looking to be, like, the star player and none of that. I’m just trying to come in and do what the team needs and fit into my role.” 

She’s set to join a program that’s synonymous with winning. By the time we go to press, South Carolina has just posted back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, won its second SEC Tournament championship in a row, and is gearing up for March Madness as the No. 1 seed. It’s that prestige—as well as the legacy of Dawn Staley, now in her 16th season since taking over the program in ’08—that led Edwards to commit to the Gamecocks in the first place. After narrowing down her top three schools to SC, LSU and Clemson, Edwards was contemplating signing later in the signing period, and it was Dawn who she felt truly respected her decision.

“The way Dawn responded was completely different from everybody else. She was like, OK, why do you feel this way? I feel like it was really just the coaching. What Dawn said just hit me a little bit different than every other coach.” 

Over the years, Dawn has molded future WNBA legends, from the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston to A’ja Wilson, a two-time WNBA champion and the 2023 Finals MVP, whom Edwards had a chance to meet when South Carolina beat Maryland this past November. Wilson even gave her some advice.

“[She] was talking about how when she came into South Carolina, and they had her starting,” Edwards recalls of their conversation, “and she came out the next game and did whatever she had to do. I feel like her transition from being more of a role player at SC to her having to be that more dominant player in the paint and take them to the national championship. Just the whole process and her mentality throughout and the progression she had through that, that’s one of the biggest things that I took away from it.” 

Edwards sees similarities in their games, too, and says her dad often compares her to Wilson. “Obviously, she’s left-handed, but she has the middy in the bag. She can drive, she can face up, she posts up. All those things that she does—obviously, I’m not doing it [at] as high a level as her—but I’m doing a lot of similar things at my age.” 

As she wraps up her senior year at Camden—Edwards also plays soccer, which she says has helped with her conditioning and footwork on the court—she’s already looking forward to the opportunities that await just 40 minutes away in Columbia. 

“I feel like for some players, it could definitely be intimidating,” she says. “But then I just remember that I play my best when I’m going against and playing with great players in practice and stuff like that. I feel like at South Carolina, with the competition I’ll be playing against in practice, like, these are WNBA legends. These people are about to go to the League and do great things. Going up against them in practice will just make me better, and hopefully when I show up in a game, I think I’ll be really prepared.”  

Deyscha Smith is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow her on Instagram and X, @deyschasmith.

Portraits by Kai McNeil. Follow him on Instagram, @thekaimac.

The post No. 2 Ranked Senior Joyce Edwards Talks All-Around Game, Dawn Staley and Her Future at South Carolina appeared first on SLAM.

“It didn’t take but a second, maybe a minute,” Jensen told the Associated Press. “That little step-back sassy three, this little seventh-, eighth-grader. Yeah, she’s diff. You could just tell. They’re easy to identify but really hard to get. Everybody can see the true, true ones. The trick is to get them.”

Jensen played a major part over the years in recruiting Clark, who was intrigued by Iowa’s playing style and what head coach Lisa Bluder had done with the program and the point guard position, specifically. At Iowa, she could play freely. Fast. And, with senior Kathleen Doyle leaving for the WNBA Draft, she would be next in line to not only orchestrate the offense, but make an impact.

Years later, Jensen admitted that they talked to Clark about what she could do at the collegiate level. How she could take them to the Final Four and beyond. It matched perfectly with Clark’s own vision for herself: “I have goals for a Final Four,” she told Sports Illustrated back in 2020. “I have big hopes and dreams, which I think any person should if you’re playing basketball with them. Who wouldn’t want to win and be the best?”

It’s one thing to dream; it’s another to do it, and then a lot more. Could Clark, or anyone who knew her during those early days, have ever imagined that she’d become the greatest college basketball player Iowa has ever seen? Or, arguably, the greatest in the college game today, man or woman? What about the way she’s transcended the sport—not just women’s basketball, but the game entirely. The NCAA all-time scoring record. The logo shots. The Nike commercials. Selling out arenas like a rock star, having rappers like Travis Scott and WNBA legends like Maya Moore pull up to watch her play, the constant crowds of people wanting her autograph after games. What did Beyoncé say again? You know you’re that [girl] when you cause all this conversation. What was it Drake said, too? You know it’s real when you are who you think you are.

SLAM 249 featuring Caitlin Clark is available now. Shop.

Caitlin Clark is bigger than basketball, bigger than any box score, viral clip or logo shot. She’s more than the list of awards she’s won so far during her four-year career at Iowa, too. An exceptional person, woman, human, at the forefront of a very specific moment in history we’re all living in right now. A basketball Renaissance, a new era for women’s basketball. She’s not just doing it alone—there are so many stars who are changing the college basketball landscape right now, and Clark has an entire squad dominating alongside her, too.

To fully appreciate what’s happening in women’s hoops right now, we first have to acknowledge the past and the many, many women who helped paved the way before them: the legends who held the records Clark has now broken—no, not just Pistol Pete, but Lynette Woodard and Kelsey Plum. Then there’s the program Lisa Bluder has built at Iowa over the past two decades, before Clark even arrived. And what about all the Iowan women who competed in 6-on-6 basketball, including Jensen and her grandmother, long before women were even allowed to play fives.

And to even fathom what that young girl, now a woman, from West Des Moines has done, you have to go back. Here is where our story really begins…

***

If you’re new to women’s hoops, this history lesson is for you. While basketball was technically invented by a man we all know of in Springfield, MA, just down I-91 N, it was a woman by the name of Senda Berenson Abbott who first introduced the game to women at Smith College in 1892. This was 80 years before Title IX was passed, but girlie was on to something. Ditching Dr. James Naismith’s peach baskets for wastebaskets, the Smithies dropped buckets (literally) in a version of the game that divided the court into three sections. While ideologies about women—their delicacy, physical activity impacting their ability to reproduce—definitely existed back then (to keep it real, even Berenson once said that “desire to win…will make our women do sadly unwomanly things”), that was truly the catalyst.

The game only grew from there, from the east to the west, eventually reaching rural Iowa in the 1900s. There, women were already used to working on farms alongside their brothers and fathers, bailing hay and sweating, so the idea of them playing basketball wasn’t too scandalous. Rural high schools were really the first in the nation to allow girls to play 6-on-6, a version of the game that split the court in half, involved three forwards and three guards and had rules like players only being allowed to dribble twice.

It’s no coincidence that one of the most electric women’s college basketball players of today was born in the Hawkeye State. The throughlines in Clark’s story really start here.

By 1920, the first state tournament was held in her hometown of Des Moines at Drake University. The following year, Audubon beat Ottumwa in the championship thanks to an 18-point performance by the MVP, Dorcas Anderson, who just so happens to be the grandmother of Clark’s associate head coach, Jan Jensen.

More than half a century later, Jensen, too, would star on that very same court her grandmother did. By 1990, Jensen was averaging 29.6 ppgs as a senior at Drake, where she was coached by none other than newly-hired Bluder, who also played 6-on-6 basketball in high school at Linn-Mar in Marion, IA. After 10 seasons at Drake, Bluder took over at Iowa and eventually hired Jensen, first as an assistant.

“She was just tremendous. She was really just a player’s coach and intense but knew how to make it fun. Obviously, it benefited me,” Jensen told The Athletic.

Bluder’s coaching résumé at Iowa speaks for itself: with an 850-391 overall record, she’s the program’s all-time winningest coach and currently ranks 14th in NCAA DI women’s basketball history. She’s led the Hawkeyes to 21 postseason appearances, including their first-ever national championship appearance just last season. Over the years, she’s coached three Big Ten Player of the Year standouts, including Clark, who’s won it in back-to-back years, as well as Megan Gustafson and Kathleen Doyle. Her success is as much a testament to her brilliant basketball mind as it is her ability to connect with her players; as Clark told The Athletic, Bluder can strike a balance between “serious” and “fiery,” but also “fun” and “goofy.”

The program Bluder has built is now a powerhouse. This year’s squad can run opponents into the ground, shoot the ball in your face, and then stuff you on the defensive end. Not only is the team equipped with Clark but a whole roster of certified bucket getters. Look no further than Kate Martin, a 6-0 graduate student and guard who joined the program ahead of the 2019-20 season, is currently averaging double digits, including a career-high 12.9 points as well as 6.5 boards. Having grown up in a family of Hawkeye fans—Jensen is her aunt—Martin has known that she wanted to suit up in the black and gold since she was 5. Flash forward to today, and she’s emerged as a versatile standout who can do it all: block shots, finish at the rim and knock down threes from beyond the arc. But her impact on the program, and this Hawkeyes team, can’t be measured in just individual stats or accolades. Often referred to as “The Glue,” in the media, she is undoubtedly Iowa’s heartbeat and their tenacious leader.

Then there’s Gabbie Marshall, another sharpshooter with a crazy step-back game who is also Iowa’s defensive ace. Marshall is the first Iowa women’s basketball player to record 200 threes and 200 steals in a career and has been key in matchups against teams like Nebraska this season. Who could forget those final 31 seconds of the Big Ten Championship thriller when she displayed pure grit and blocked an attempted three by Nebraska’s Logan Nissley in overtime. “[Marshall is] one of the best shooters, but I don’t think she gets enough credit for her defense,” Clark said of Marshall, in The Daily Iowan. “She takes the challenge of guarding the best player every single game.”

Sophomore Hannah Stuelke was also key in Iowa’s Big 10 championship win, combining with Clark for 59 points to help bring the Hawkeyes their sixth conference title. The matchup, which averaged over 3 million viewers on CBS, is now the most-watched women’s basketball game on the network since UConn-Tennessee in ’99. Stuelke’s been putting up big numbers all season long, including 47 points against Penn State in February, which is the second-most points ever scored in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. And what’s even tougher is that she did it without attempting a single three. Scary.

All of the hype and media attention we’re seeing around the program now is just part of the cultural fabric of Iowa’s renowned hoops history. Not just the program, but the entire state, which has been supporting women’s basketball since before anyone on Bluder’s current roster was even born. Girls’ basketball drew sold-out crowds of 15,000 people. People bought their tickets way in advance. Sound familiar? We’re not talking about just today, but back in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. When the Hawkeyes defeated South Carolina in the Final Four last year, Bluder was just as surprised to hear that Iowa legend Molly Bolin, who also played 6-on-6 and dropped 83 points as a senior at Moravia High School in the ’70s, was in attendance.

Now, imagine if Clark, or Martin, or Marshall or any star college basketball player today was playing back then. The last year 6-on-6 basketball was played was ’93, but stories about that time have been passed down through generations. Even Clark knows what type of time these women were on. “I used to joke with her and be like, Man, Caitlin, you would have been so good at 6-on-6, or, you could have just played offense,” her high school coach Kristin Meyer tells us. “[She] would have averaged over a hundred points a game, but she would have hated it because she would have had to wait on her half and she can’t go get the ball.”

Now picture this: what if those very same Iowan legends—like Denise Long (the first woman drafted by an NBA team, the San Francisco Warriors) and Deb Coates, to name a few—had what Caitlin now benefits from: social media, NIL deals, a magazine cover like this one. Clark isn’t just rewriting women’s basketball history; she’s authoring the next chapter. And she knows her history, too. “When I hear from a lot of people that played basketball, whether it was 6-on-6 however many years ago, I think they’re blown away at where women’s basketball is now and the platform we get to play on,” Clark said in USA Today. “That doesn’t come if it’s not for the people who came before us.”

For those who study and teach women’s sports history, including Jennifer Sterling, a lecturer in the American Studies department at the University of Iowa, Clark’s place in history is monumental. “It’s important history taking place right now,” Sterling says. “What she’s done on the court and off the court, what the team has done, and the coaching and how athletics has supported this moment, I think is all really exceptional.”

And so, our story continues…

***

The “Caitlin Clark Effect” didn’t just happen when she arrived at Iowa. It’s always been something innately within her. Before she’d ever even picked up a basketball, Clark’s parents would hear from her daycare that their 2-year-old had “exceptional motor skills and coordination,” as they told HawkCentral. She was always competitive by nature, too, whether she was playing Candyland on their living room floor or hooping against her brothers. At the age of 5, her grandfather, Bob Nizzi, recalled in HawkFanatic a time when she stood up to a bullyish boy on the court and “put on the best downfield block that I have ever seen and rolled this kid out of bounds and stood over him.”

Always a gifted athlete, her father, Brent, soon noticed Clark could hit shots from 15 feet on a six-foot hoop, and when he was unable to find a girls youth basketball program for her, he put her in a boys league in second grade. They ended up winning the tournament, and as the story goes, someone’s mom was so pressed that Brent remembers them saying that “a girl shouldn’t be allowed to play in a boys tournament.”

But Clark’s always been unafraid and unapologetically herself. She’s always pushed boundaries, too. Today, we’ve seen her hit the MJ shoulder shrug after a deep three and wave off opponents like a G, things she’s been both celebrated and criticized for. “Everybody wants to critique her, everybody wants her to be nicer. They want her to be more ladylike. They want her to be less arrogant. They want her to pass. That kid loves it. She’s an entertainer. She is passionate,” Jensen told the Hawk Central in 2023.

She remembers Clark like that in high school, too. Energetic, even in the classroom. So much so that, as a junior, Meyer remembers one of Clark’s history teachers telling her that on exam days, Clark would finish her tests so quickly that they started having to send her to Meyer’s office, just to keep her preoccupied. “She always took school very seriously, but she needs to be entertained,” Meyer says.

The same goes for on the court. When they’d have conversations about her shot selection, there would be times when Meyer would say to her, Caitlin, we’re not going to do that. But did she listen? “I never really gave her the green light,” Meyer says. “She just always took it to be honest.” As a junior at Dowling, Clark averaged 32.6 ppg and dropped 60 points against Mason City HS, one off the state record. Now she’s doing the same at the collegiate level; as we head to press—and she heads to the NCAA Tournament, Caitlin’s currently averaging a career-high 31.9 ppg, has had multiple 40-plus point performances and is still setting records.

“Her game [now] is very similar to what it was when she was a freshman in high school,” Meyer says. “Her attacking the basket, her court vision and her ability [to make] just incredibly difficult passes look easy. Her range—she didn’t shoot from half court or from the logo necessarily in high school—but she was testing the boundaries a little bit as far as definitely shooting behind the high school three-point line.”

And that is exactly what makes her exceptional: natural talent and work ethic aside, Clark has always been just wired different. “Caitlin, she’s just fearless and she is confident and she is bold and she is brave and courageous,” Meyer says. “It took those natural skills, with the work ethic [she’s built], and to have the courage to just play big.”

***

As for the rest of Caitlin Clark’s story, that is still being written. By the time you’re reading this, Iowa is a No. 1 seed going into the NCAA Tournament. We don’t know yet how this college chapter will end and if she’ll end up winning her first, and the program’s first, NCAA title. Or, how the next one, her arrival to the WNBA, will begin. Will she be able hold her own in the WNBA as the Indiana Fever’s projected No. 1 pick? Regardless of what happens, her impact won’t be tainted in the slightest. Longtime college basketball fans, new fans, young fans, are all enamored by her. At Dowling, Meyer’s current players hear stories about her 60-point game, her competitiveness and her approach to practice and commitment to making her teammates better.

“Whenever she’s stopped by [the school], the girls are just nervous around her. They almost feel like she’s famous, which to me is so weird because she’s just Caitlin,” Meyer says.

Some call Clark the “female Stephen Curry,” while others haven’t stopped comparing her to Pete Maravich since she broke his all-time NCAA scoring record this year. But Clark made it clear to the media after she broke the record that she doesn’t want to be remembered for just her accolades, but rather, “for the way I played with a smile on my face, my competitive fire.”

And that is her legacy. That is what we’ll be talking about in the years to come—Caitlin’s passion, her talent, what she’s done for women’s basketball. When we asked Sterling about Clark’s impact—and whether we can expect a chapter about her in seminar syllabuses one day (the answer is yes)—our theory was proven correct: the legend of Caitlin Clark is just beginning. It’s all part of a larger history.

“Hopefully this is the beginning of more amazing things to come,” Sterling says. “And the culmination of the many changes in women’s sport that have happened along the way.”

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post The Legend of Caitlin Clark: How the Superstar is Writing the Next Chapter in Iowa Women’s Basketball History appeared first on SLAM.

It’s crazy to think there was almost a moment when five-star recruit Aaliyah Chavez didn’t play basketball. Growing up in Texas, Chavez admits that when she was younger, she’d mostly sit at home and watch television on the couch, or she would see other kids playing basketball in the park. That’s when she got an idea. “I was like, Oh, that looks fun to play.” 

The way her dad and trainer, Sonny, remembers it, the Monterey High School star wasn’t exactly the athletic type when she was little. “She couldn’t ride a bike, couldn’t ride a skateboard, you know, all the things that I grew up [doing] as a kid,” he says over the phone. Despite initially telling her no, young Aaliyah didn’t give up. “She just was pretty adamant about playing,” he adds. 

Sonny, who played football, decided he’d see just how badly Aaliyah, who was in third grade at the time, really wanted it. So, he started putting her through workouts that had nothing to do with basketball but tested her mental toughness. They’d work on plyometrics with boxes he had built. He’d have her jump and try to touch the door frame or work on ballhandling in the driveway with tennis balls. “[I was] just trying to push her to quit and to realize that sports was not for her. [But] she did everything I asked, so I ended up signing her up.” 

A few days before tryouts, Sonny taught her how to block a shot, but that was really the extent of her basketball training before she played her first game. Back then, Aaliyah couldn’t score a layup, but her grit was on full display. She’d go out there and snatch the ball from the other little girls, and block shots, too, just like her dad had taught her. In fourth grade, she tried out for a local AAU squad with older players but was told during practice that she wasn’t good enough. That was a defining moment for her. “I think that was really [when I was] like, Oh, I’m gonna prove you wrong.”

That’s not the only hate Aaliyah has had to deal with throughout her journey. From doubters to jealous parents complaining about her minutes to people telling her father that “she’s not gonna
be that good because she’s Hispanic,” and that he was pushing her too hard. It’s safe to say that Chavez has proved everyone wrong. Today, she’s the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025 and has narrowed down her college list to 10 top Division I programs: Texas Tech, Arizona, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee, Texas and UCLA.

And both she and her family have done it all on their own terms: rather than go to an elite prep school halfway across the country, she’s chosen to stay at home and play for Monterey. 

When we caught up with Chavez for her SLAM HS Basketball Diary (read here), she had just scored her 3,000th point and claimed she would’ve dropped 50 had her coach not sat her out.

That’s the type of confidence Chavez carries herself with every time she steps on the floor: “I’d describe my game as an all-around player,” she tells us. “I can shoot, I can get to the bucket, I can defend, I’m a playmaker at the same time. If you’re open, I’m gonna find you, and some of the passes I’ve been making are crazy. I think I just make crazy passes because I’m not afraid to try them.” 

Portraits by Zach Tijerina.

The post No. 1 Ranked ’25 Monterey Star Aaliyah Chavez is Taking Over Women’s Hoops On Her Own Terms appeared first on SLAM.

At this exact moment in time, there are “a million things” running through his head. He can’t really focus, so instead, he dials in on the game ahead. Having just come off an injury that cost him 10 games, he goes out and drops 26 in a 1-point loss. When his on-court obligations are done and he has a moment to himself, he thinks back to what he heard hours prior. He’s an All-Star. 

“I had to kind of take a step back after the game and really breathe and sit in the moment and really appreciate how far I’ve come. [It was] definitely a special moment for me and my family,” he tells SLAM over the phone.

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 4: Tyrese Haliburton is available now!

For an Oshkosh, WI, kid who was a three-star recruit in high school to become an NBA All-Star seems otherworldly. But this is Tyrese Haliburton we’re talking about. His game has always been deemed unconventional. His Midwest charm has him come off as more of a homie than a celebrity—not just to fans, but to the media, too. When you combine exceptional talent with an unmatched work ethic and an ever-present smile, it’s no surprise that good things come his way. Really, really good things, even when, at times, things have seemed out of his control, like the midseason trade that sent him to Indiana in the first place, or even injuries. Today, he’s a walking double-double machine, one of the most fun players to watch in the L and beloved in the Hoosier State and beyond. 

I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization.

– Tyrese Haliburton

For Haliburton, Indiana isn’t just where he plays—it’s home. He’s embracing the city and the people and often takes old teammates or friends who are in town to his go-to spot, Savor, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Carmel. “I think people see me as, like, one of them,” he says. “I think that people can see that I can relate to the way that they grew up and the weather they grew up in and all that stuff. And then I think, like, [people say] ‘Midwest nice’ is a real thing and who I am as a person.”

And just as he’s shown Indy love, the city has shown him love right back. When we talked to Caitlin Cooper, an Indiana native and one of the brightest basketball minds in the game, who also runs a blog called “Basketball, She Wrote,” she admitted that Hoosiers haven’t always been the most excited to cheer on their hometown team…until now. 

“I can only speak to my experience, but basketball means a lot to Indiana,” she told us last summer. “But I wouldn’t say that NBA basketball has always meant a lot to Indiana. When I was growing up—I grew up watching the NBA because that’s what my dad watched—you would always say that’s where the best basketball players in the world play. That’s where I want to learn from. So that’s what we watched. [But] I didn’t know any other Pacer fans. And now I can tell you that you’re starting to sense a shift—I’ve talked to people who would have never talked to me about the Pacers before, and they’re like, I gotta get on the ground floor [of] this. They’re building something special and that Tyrese Haliburton is a really entertaining guy to watch.”

Haliburton feels it, too.

“I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization,” he says. “So I think that’s just been a really natural fit for me, [it’s] why I fit so well.”

Haliburton is playing even better than he was last season; he’s currently averaging 21.8 points and 11.7 assists per game, both career highs. His goal, as he emphasized in the cover story of SLAM 245, has always been to win, especially now. Accolades aside, he’s playing for something bigger than himself: “I think that for me, individually, I’ve accomplished what most people want to in their careers. I’ve gotten a big contract. I’ve been an All Star. I’ve done a lot for myself individually—more than I ever thought was possible. And so, now it’s about team success and wanting to win.”

And yet, the awards keep piling on. At press time, his name is sitting at the top of the All-Star voting returns for guards in the East, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect as Indianapolis hosts the All-Star Game for the first time since 1985. The city is hyped, and so is its franchise star, who will be suiting up in the game yet again.  

“I think you always hear people say, It’s not just basketball in Indiana. Like, it’s really a lifestyle, you know?” Haliburton says. “I think that’s what people are excited about: you see the court in the airport, how cool that is? That’s just a microcosm of how excited the city is. The cool part is that I think people who aren’t from Indy or [have] never been to Indy don’t understand how capable Indiana is of running large events. 

“Indiana has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours. It’s more than capable. So, that’s the exciting part, too. I’m excited to see the city have success and people get out a little bit more in the city than they’re used to.” He also adds: “I’m really excited for the younger generation here, I think that’ll be cool for them to see.” 

When we put Tyrese on the cover of SLAM 245, the cover read “No Ceilings,” and now, looking back, it seems almost like a prophecy. Here he is, a star player reaching new heights yet again, putting on for a city that’s about to host the biggest weekend in basketball. We can only imagine how much he’ll be smiling come All-Star Sunday, when he hears his name called yet again. 

COP YOUR ALL-STAR VOL. 4 COVER TEES

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait by Marcus Stevens.

The post Tyrese Haliburton Reflects on NBA All-Star and What the Game Truly Means to Indy appeared first on SLAM.

Rooks starts off hot. But then she forgets to pace herself. The final result? She comes in second to last in the race.

I’m never doing this again, she says to herself as she goes up to her parents, who are anticipating an emotional Rooks to be very upset after the loss. Failing at the 400 isn’t what necessarily led her to pursue a career in sports media, but the lessons she did learn growing up and running track, as well as volleyball, soccer and tennis, did help guide her in that direction.

“I knew I was not going to be like Serena,” she says on hoop(ish), a new show by SLAM and LeagueFits. “I was like, I either want to be the greatest to ever play or I’m not gonna do this. And I knew I wasn’t going to be the best.”

Today, Rooks is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant interviewers and media personalities. Not only does she know the game but she really knows the athletes, too, so much so that she’s gotten players like DeMar DeRozan to open up like never before. Her ability to resonate with her subjects also stems from her upbringing and being raised in a sports family: her dad was a running back at the University of Illinois, her late-uncle, Lou Brock, was a Hall of Famer with the Cardinals and her other uncle, Marv Woodson played for the Steelers and the Saints. She was also raised by “one of the biggest sports fans you will ever meet,” she says of her mother, who got her into playing fantasy football and watching the games alongside her dad.

It’s their influence, as well as her own experiences, that have shaped the way she holds her own in the industry.

“I think that knowing so personally how difficult it is to be an athlete, kind of makes me not be like the kind of person that thinks I know more about playing the sport than them,” she tells hosts Ian and Sway, later adding: “My style is: I know what I’m talking about. I watch the game, I know the personnel, I know the players. I understand the things that make them tick, what they are interested in. And that is how I try to approach the way I discuss sports.”

And that’s what’s set her apart. In an age where everyone can have an opinion—and post about it all over social media—Rooks’ conversational nature and humanistic approach gives her subjects the space to open up, and be heard. She’s always been fascinated by people and the way they interact, and almost ended up minoring in sociology while studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“I’m very much so a people person,” she tells us. “I like to get to know others. I like to learn about them. I like having conversations. And I don’t know if people are always trying to genuinely get to know other people, but I enjoy that aspect of life. I think that bleeds into the work, too.”

When she was little, Rooks loved to watch the news and was fascinated by how newscasters sounded and the cadence of their voices. She’d sit with her mother and watch news anchors like Monica Kaufman Pearson in awe, “enamored by how it was her job to tell everybody what happened.” Then there was pioneers like Oprah, who inspired her by not only how she captivated audiences, but “had a voice that held weight” amongst culture and society.

Young Taylor would set up her camcorder and interview herself, just like the women she saw on television. She’d pretend to be someone different every time, whether it be a singer, actor, or a tennis player and go back and forth asking “ridiculous questions.” When asked what her younger self would think of her now, seeing that she’s interviewing not only the biggest names in sports, but music legends like Lil Wayne and more, Rooks keeps it real:

“I say this very genuinely: I think that little Taylor would not be surprised. I have had an idea of what I want in my life to be for a really long time, and I have always tried to take the steps for my life to look like that. There was never a time that I thought I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all of the things that I set out to. So a lot of the time when I’m doing things, I’m saying this is what was supposed to happen because this is what I worked for.”

As her career continues to reach new heights, Rooks has also emerged into her own bonafide star in her own right. While others stick to the script, Rooks challenges the traditional notion that journalist are supposed to be just “flies on the wall” by being front and center: she can interview your favorite player or rapper, appear in commercials and cover the biggest events, including this year’s highly anticipated NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. She’s built an audience that cares just as much about breaking news as they do her on-air fits, hair care routine and what books she’s reading.

In an ever-changing industry, Rooks is showing aspiring creatives and Black women in sports that they, too, can create their own lane. All the while, she’s still solidifying herself as the best in the game.

“That’s really what I want to be known as,” she says. “I want to be the person that if you wanted to sit and have a real conversation about the game, about yourself, about your why, about your what [then] you say, okay, I want to sit down with Taylor. That is the kind of environment that I try to foster when I’m doing the interviews, and not just because I think that it is very true to myself, I also think it is more interesting.

I always say, of course I care about, like, why you missed the last shot or why you’re not making your free throws, or why you didn’t win the big game. But I’m really interested in what it was like feeling those feelings alone and at home and how you bounce back from those. And like that to me is is more interesting because anyone can sit and talk about the X’s and O’s, um, and what the coach did wrong and the bad defense on the play. But I don’t know if everyone can get the other person to discuss those things…I think that is a very specific specialty that isn’t always relevant or paramount in the space. I feel like it fills a need.”

Get to know Taylor in the first episode of hoop(ish). Stream here.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post How Taylor Rooks Perfected the Art of Interviewing and Created Her Own Lane in Sports appeared first on SLAM.

“We love you Jujuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!” 

Now all eyes really are on Watkins. She smiles and humbly laughs it off—later she admits that it could’ve been a teammate or something. “I don’t know what that was,” Watkins says, while sitting on the team’s practice court. “That might have been my teammate honestly just trolling me. Sometimes I get recognized, but not too often.”

Juju Watkins covers SLAM 248. Shop now.

Yeah, OK. While she might be humble about all the attention, there’s a reason everyone calls her “The Juju Show.” Watkins was so big time in high school, Chris Brown and 2 Chainz would pull up to her games at Sierra Canyon to watch her play. The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023 has had legends like LeBron James, whose son Bronny is currently a freshman on the USC men’s team, and USC all-time great Cheryl Miller, as well as fellow California natives James Harden and Paul George, give her nothing but high praise. Step onto the USC campus, and you’ll see her No. 12 jersey in the school bookstore.

“I’ve always dreamt of playing for a college that I love and being able to have so much pride in where I go to college,” she tells us. “To finally be here and have made that decision and be confident [in it] is a dream come true.”

Right outside, there’s a newsstand with copies of the Daily Trojan, and the very first thing we notice is that the main photo in the sports section is Watkins dribbling down the court with the caption, “USC will need a big game from her to pull off the upset against the Bruins.”

She did that and more. A few days after her SLAM cover shoot, Juju dropped a double-double in a win against UCLA in front of a record-breaking 10,657 fans. Her 32 points and 10 boards earned her Associated Press National Player of the Week and the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week. May we remind you: she’s only 18 years old, and yes, she’s already a bucket-getting-dime-dropping-silky-smooth guard with a game so fluid and pro-ready, it’s mesmerizing to watch.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves quite yet. Actually, nah, let’s. That’s what the sports world does with every promising young player, and to keep it real, no one ever hesitates to declare the dudes the next big things. After all, didn’t the world start calling LeBron “The Chosen One” back when he was in high school? Speaking of which, even he’s declared Juju is the future: “She’s the next greatest thing in women’s basketball,” he said in the Los Angeles Times.

As she leads a renaissance of L.A. hoops and a new era of freshman stars, Watkins also represents why women’s sports is not just important to support and invest in, but exciting and special. 

“I think women’s basketball is constantly evolving, so just to be a part of that and be in that mix is an honor.”

It was just three years ago when we were in the gym with a 15-year-old Juju and her pops, Robert, to film her “Day in the Life.” Growing up in the neighborhood of Watts, Watkins was dropping 30 pieces at just 6 years old and was already so dominant that in the middle of a game, a younger boy literally picked her up and tried to take her off the court because he couldn’t guard her. She’d play in the Westchester Park rec league, and according to Robert, would even get “upset” whenever they’d play one-on-one. 

“That’s when I knew she had it,” he told us. “When she started getting mad.” 

Today, Watkins plays with that same fire, but she’s learned to channel it into a competitiveness that’s lethal every time she steps on the floor. She transforms into a different person, she admits, who is drastically different from the laid-back, chill one she is off the court. “Honestly, I just think basketball brings out another side to me. [I’m] very mellow off the court,” she says. “Sometimes it’s too much. Screaming, all that, that’s not really me.” 

The world saw that side of her right from the jump in her college debut against Ohio State. Amid a 32-point performance, Watkins was clapping and screaming in excitement after finishing tough layups at the rim. When the win was secured, there she was again, chest-bumping her teammates. Her performance broke Lisa Leslie’s freshman debut scoring record (30). “I think coming into [my] freshman season, I didn’t really have too many expectations for myself,” Watkins says. “I think just getting my feet wet, I guess as people would say. But now that I’m finally in it, I’m setting more goals for myself and expect more for myself. But honestly, at the end of the day, [it’s] just having fun.”

She’d break another record held by Leslie just six games in, this time for most 30-point games by a USC freshman in program history. She also led the Trojans to a record of 6-0 and their highest AP Top 25 ranking (No. 6) in 29 years. Here’s another crazy stat for you: after a win against Cal Poly, Juju had posted 161 points, 45 rebounds, 19 assists, 14 steals and 8 blocks for the season. According to OptaSTATS, in the last 20 years, only one other NBA, WNBA or Division I men’s or women’s player has put up numbers like that over a six-game span. Guess who it was? LeBron Raymone James.

As of press time, Watkins is posting 26.1 ppg, ranked just below Caitlin Clark for highest average in the nation. For Juju, bringing a winning culture to USC has always been the goal.

“I think I just want to really instill a winning culture here at SC, I think that’s what’s most important—that when my teammates and I leave, SC is still thriving and doing really well,” she says. “[I want to] just make sure that L.A. women’s basketball is always on top and really represent the West Coast and where I’m from [in] Watts.”

Legacy is synonymous with the Watkins family: Watkins Memorial Park is named after her great-grandfather, a local civil rights leader who founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. Juju grew up playing either in her family’s backyard or at the Watts gym, which is also named after him. Both her father and mother, Sari, were athletes in high school and raised Juju to be the best at whatever she did. They also gave her the middle name Skies, fitting given that their daughter would one day play at the same institution as the Hall of Famer Miller, who once said that for Juju, “The sky’s the limit,” per the Associated Press.

“[My mom] loved Lisa and Cheryl, she grew up in that era,” says Watkins. Upon watching the Women of Troy documentary with her mom, she got to see just how “inspiring” players like Miller, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and fellow L.A.-native Tina Thompson truly were, and still are. “It’s really a sisterhood here,” she says. “I love that I can call on them whenever and they’re there for me. I appreciate that.”

Miller and Cooper-Dyke both helped bring the two—and only—basketball championships the Trojans program has ever won (1983, 1984). Those banners are hanging just above the practice court, in clear view from where Watkins is sitting right now. When we ask her about what kind of legacy she wants to leave at USC, Watkins emphasizes bringing USC women’s basketball back to the top. But she’s also thinking bigger. Dreaming bigger. It’s not just about her, but about the next generation.

“I owe a lot of my success to my family and my city, and I’m just planning on doing as much as I can for kids growing up in the same city as me and all around L.A.,” she says, “showing [them] that or being a testament to what can happen when you just work hard and follow your dreams.” 

JUJU WATKINS SLAM 248 COVER TEES AVAILABLE NOW!

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson. Action photo via Getty Images.

The post Queen of LA: Juju Watkins is Leading a Renaissance of Women’s College Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

“Hey man, you can at least tag me in the post,” Maxey told Embiid. “Like, you got a million followers.”

According to Maxey, Embiid went to the media, presumably sometime around when the Sixers beat the Celtics at home on January 14, and allegedly asked them to “Find me a picture of me and Ty so I can post it.” After the game, he posted another flick on the gram, without telling Tyrese. The caption? “#0>>> THE FRANCHISE @tyresemaxey.” 

SLAM 248 featuring Tyrese Maxey is available now.

The Process has seen something in Maxey since the beginning. Maxey remembers during the Sixers matchup against the Nuggets on January 9 his rookie year, which was the first game he started, when Joel asked him if he could get 40 that night. “I’m like, Me? Me, get 40? I rarely play,” he tells us, looking back. “I had, like, 39 and I’m like, dang, he said that and I knew I could probably do it, but at the time, like, Man, That’s gonna be tough.” It was the most points scored by a Sixers rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997. 

This season, Embiid was the one who pushed him again when the Sixers played the Pacers on November 12. By the fourth, Maxey looked up at the scoreboard and saw that he already had 45 points. That’s when Embiid let him know. “Joel [is like], You gotta get 50, you gotta get 50. I’m not really trying to press it, but he grabs the ball, like, Here, you need to shoot again.

“I always say this, man. Joel is probably one of the first people that believed in me here,” Maxey adds. “He really believed in me from day one.”

Mad Max has come a long way since his rookie year. From coming off the bench to starting full-time, he’s played an instrumental role in the team’s success this season—they’re the No. 3 team in the East at press time. An hour or two before his first-ever SLAM cover shoot, the All-Star voting results dropped and his name was listed alongside some of the best in the L. 

By the time the cameras start rolling and we’ve got No. 0 with us, he instantly commands the room, and the camera, all while having fun with it. In between takes, he’s dancing and rapping along to Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.” With a big smile on his face, he sings the chorus. “I’m ILL!” 

The moment is giving major main character vibes. And just like Weezy at the end of that video, what’s so fire about Tyrese Maxey’s rise to stardom is that it’s to be continued…

Let’s go back.

Maxey’s basketball career, starting from college, has been unconventional. And yet, he’s somehow been able to handle the chaos—including the Covid pandemic which cut his lone season at Kentucky short. Even after being selected No. 21 in the 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey ended up having to report to training camp late due to a positive test, which left him wondering how that would look to his new teammates, especially the vets. He wondered to himself, How are the vets gonna look at me? Are they gonna say anything to me? Are they gonna mess with me or is this gonna mess up my playing time?

That season, he started six games in January but mostly came off the bench, with the exception of two games in May. After the Sixers lost to the Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, news reports and criticism circulated about his teammate Ben Simmons. By February of the ’21-22 season, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn for James Harden. The new addition put Maxey back to shooting guard. He worked through it and went from averaging just 8 points as a rookie to 17.5 points that year. 

But then, in the 2023 offseason, Harden requested a trade. “Now I gotta be back on the ball,” he explains of the sudden positional change. “Then James leaves and I gotta go back on the ball. It’s been a lot but, you know, it’s an ever- changing, adapting environment that we live in.”

Maxey has talked before about how he picked up some things when playing alongside Harden, even shouting him out on NBA TV for the “little James Harden stepback” move he’s added to his bag. Still, he admits that it was tough for him last year when he would start some games but then come off the bench. “That’s difficult,” he admits. “Especially when you wanna win, you wanna do whatever is best for the team, but you also wanna play well for you [and] to help your brothers win. It’s a hard job.”

After all the narratives that have surrounded the Sixers over the years, mostly filled with drama and negativity from the media and fans, Maxey has developed a desire to speak up for athletes and create his own narrative on his podcast, “Maxey on the Mic.” “I just kinda wanna be a voice for some athletes, because athletes go through a lot, as far as just social media, what people say about them. A lot of people don’t know it’s hard. [There’s] pressure out there.”

He also leans on prayer and his family to help him emotionally during those hard moments. He confides in his uncle, Brandon, and his parents, both of whom he watched work extremely hard within their own careers growing up. Before retiring, his father Tyrone coached for 20 years and would be tough on Maxey when he was younger: “If I passed the ball and somebody dropped it, he would yell at me first.” Meanwhile his mother Denyse worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield and started from “the bottom,” he says, and then worked her way up at the company. Denyse, he describes, is also a “tough, tough, tough mother,” but would always tell him, Control what you can control and everything is in God’s hands.

It’s helped him whenever he’s had to deal with major change, including adjusting from former head coach Doc Rivers, whom he says “tried to challenge me early” by having him sit and watch the veteran players, to Nick Nurse. “Coach Nurse, his personality is a lot different,” Maxey says. “He’s a great dude. I love him, and the way he coaches is special. The way he does things, the way he adjusts on the fly has been great.”

His ability to adapt to whatever situation he’s in is just one of his many super powers. Maxey, a huge Marvel fan, told us before he got drafted that if he was an actual superhero, he’d call himself Maximus and would want to have the ability to max out all of his strengths. Now, four years later, he has a few things to add, super speed being one of them. “I’m like, well, I could be faster, you know what I mean?” he says. He’d also max out his vertical. “I just think it’s cool when people jump up and dunk and block shots and stuff. I see so many people like Rayjon Tucker, that’s somebody that comes to mind…Ja Morant, of course. They do cool things when they’re up in the air like that. I feel like I have some type of vertical ability, but not like them, jumping off two feet. It looks so crazy sometimes.”

Athletes are often called otherworldly, and while Maxey is undeniably talented, very, very fast and has a hot hand like he’s Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet, he’s also human. He sees a bigger picture in the type of impact he’d want to have. “I would wanna max out me being positive, like, me having a positive effect on people, because the world is just so [much] better…That’s just something I try to bring, not just [to] this organization, not just this team, [but] my life and [the] people who I’ve impacted in general.

“We’re blessed to be here, we’re blessed to be living, we’re blessed to be walking around in 2024. You know, some people can’t say the same…I get to play the game that I love every single day and I have fun while doing it with a smile on my face. And while I’m doing that, I’m on TV, kids are watching and I’m trying to inspire them to make their dreams come true—not just basketball dreams, but life dreams. I tell everybody that you can do whatever you put your mind to. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t, as long as you get one percent better at it, you know what I mean?”

Life can be unexpected, but at the end of the day, it’s about controlling what you can control. That’s been Maxey’s true power, and it’s why in Year 4, he isn’t at all surprised by his success so far. 

“I just put a lot of work in. It’s like, every shot that I’ve shot this season, I’ve done it before a million times in the gym. Reps over reps. I don’t have to think, you know what I’m saying?…I’m just confident. I wanna help us win, and I’m in a position now that I can have the ball in my hands [where] I feel like I have control over helping us win games.” 

SLAM 248 IS OUT NOW!

Photos via Getty Images. Portraits by Alex Subers.

The post Tyrese Maxey Talks Rise to Stardom, Joel Embiid and Finding Control Through the Chaos appeared first on SLAM.

We compiled a group of individuals (programming note: 30 entries, not 30 people total) who mean something special to SLAM and to our audience. Read the full list here and order your copy of SLAM 248, where this list was originally published, here.

When A’ja Wilson appeared alongside then-Las Vegas Aces teammate Liz Cambage on the cover of SLAM 223, they became the third and fourth women to ever do so. That was back in July 2019. Wilson was in her second year in the W after being selected as the No. 1 pick in 2018, and had already added WNBA Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team honors to her professional basketball résumé. But A’ja had yet to emerge into her full MVP form. The Gamecocks had yet to name the statue in her honor. The WNBA had yet to make her the face of the League. 

As for us, well, not to brag or anything, but we always knew that the Columbia, SC, native was it. Way back in 2014, Ryan Jones interviewed her over the phone for a piece that ran in PUNKS (our high school section, now called The Come Up). At the time, Wilson hadn’t yet graduated from Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, and she admitted in her interview that she was “nervous” leading up to the USA Basketball U18 national team tryouts. The interview, which is featured in the SLAM Digital Archive (go subscribe via slamgoods.com!) is a must-read for any and all basketball fans because it shows, in its truest form, the story of a star before even she knew she’d become one. 

“I can say definitely the two things that stick out from the interview are just her poise and her confidence,” Jones told me. “You’ve interviewed enough of the HS kids so you know how it is—some of them really come off like the kids they still are, but a relative few have this maturity that gets your attention. A’ja definitely had that. And the confidence, too—she wasn’t cocky, but just very self-assured. Especially now as a parent of teens myself, I’m always so impressed when anyone has that sort of confidence at 17 or 18.”

Wilson’s decision to attend South Carolina was then a bold move for a top recruit, but Dawn Staley’s program, in A’ja’s own words, was “on the rise,” and Wilson, like her teammates, had the goal of winning a national championship. She’d do that and a lot more during her college career. First, SEC Freshman of the Year. She’d become an NCAA champion and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 2017, plus the consensus National Player of the Year and the Lisa Leslie Award winner the season after. Oh, and she was a First Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year from 2016-18, and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2018. That’s all before she made it to the League and graced the cover of SLAM not once, but on three different occasions—including the WNBA champs issue two years in a row—and last year’s third issue of WSLAM. 

When I sat down with Wilson and her Aces teammates at the WSLAM 3 cover shoot, she exuded poise. She was unapologetically herself both in front of the camera and off it. It’s that confidence that’s driven her to take over the League and become a two-time MVP and two-time champion. 

Our 2023 Champs cover of Wilson rocking black Air Force 1s and standing so valiantly is the epitome of what makes women’s basketball so exciting and so damn fun. She’s the face of the League, of WSLAM, of where the game is heading in the years to come. And just as we’ve shown her love over the years, she’s shown it right back, from attending our 2023 WNBA All-Star party which celebrated the WSLAM 3 cover release to consistently reposting our content. Relationships like these are bigger than magazine covers and interviews, but we’re so grateful that we get to do what we do with stars like her. 

“Watching her in the [almost] decade since [the PUNKS interview], she’s definitely one of those players I look back on with a little bit of pride, not that I predicted HOF-caliber greatness, but just that from talking to her at that age, I expected her to be really, really good,” Jones says. “It’s been very cool to see her basically be the whole package, as far as one of the handful of players with both the game and personality to basically carry the W into the next generation.” 

Photo via Getty Images.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: A’ja Wilson appeared first on SLAM.

Rather than debate about the X’s and O’s or bore you with hot takes, hoop(ish), presented by SLAM and LeagueFits is a pod dedicated entirely to the culture of the game. Hosted by the cool kids at SLAM—LeagueFits visionary Ian Pierno and SLAM editor Deyscha “Sway” Smith—every week, they’ll keep it real about basketball fashion, pop culture, the internet and hoops (duh). Ian and Sway will also bring on special guests, from stylists to hoopers, influencers, creatives and more.

Nothing is off limits, either. 

In the debut episode, which launched Wednesday, get to know Ian and Sway. They share their ins and outs of the week, keep it real about how the NBA Awards Show could be wayyyy more lit and so much more.

Check it out below.

Want to listen instead of watch? hoop(ish) is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to follow @hoopishpod on Instagram, as well as Ian (@ianpierno) and Sway (@deyschasmith).

The post hoop(ish) is the Basketball Culture Podcast You Should Be Listening to Right Now appeared first on SLAM.

The Wolverines, who finished with a 23-10 record last year, lost three starters after their second-round exit in the NCAA tournament, including All-Big 10 standout Leigha Brown, who was drafted in the second round of the 2023 WNBA Draft, two-year starter Maddie Nolan, who transferred to Colorado, and Emily Kiser, who is now hooping overseas in Greece. For Barnes Arico, different is now the Wolverines’ reality. “This is really, really different,” Barnes Arico said in the Detroit Free Press. “We’re the type of program, we build it, you pay your dues, you come in [as a] freshman and work hard then leave as an all-conference player…that’s kind of been the history of our program, you come in, you work and reap the benefits later. With three players graduating, we needed to fill those holes with experience…that was the direction we had to go in this year.”

Barnes Arico and her coaching staff got right to work during the offseason by taking advantage of the transfer portal and bringing in three graduate students to help lead this Wolverine squad. There’s former Missouri starter Lauren Hansen, who averaged 12.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season and excels off the court, too—the 5-8 guard graduated from Missouri with a degree in communications.

Australian standout guard Elissa Brett made a name for herself at Bowling Green, where she is ranked No. 7 all-time in threes made and 15th all-time with 1,358 points. Meanwhile, Michigan native Taylor Williams is a 6-2 forward who led Western Michigan in rebounds for three years and topped the 1,000-point mark for her career in her final game with the Broncos. According to Barnes Arico, the Wolverines needed a point guard, someone to hold it down on the post and rebound, and a sharpshooter “who can bang down threes.” 

Michigan also has some returning bucket-getters, including junior Laila Phelia, who spent time with Team USA and, while there, focused primarily on her defense. According to the Detroit Free Press, the 6-0 guard says she’ll be “emphasizing that defense and being able to bring that ability to the team along with leadership, because we did lose some of the best,” which is exactly the kind of energy the Wolverines will need in a stacked Big 10 conference that includes powerhouses like Iowa and Ohio State.

With a remaining roster that includes seniors Cameron Williams, Whitney Sollom and Elise Stuck, a solid junior class that features guards Greta Kampschroeder and Jordan Hobbs (both of whom had multiple starts last season), sophomores Chyra Evans and Alyssa Crockett and freshmen Taylor Woodson and Macy Brown, the Wolverines might be deemed “inexperienced” by some, but not us. Don’t sleep on ’em. Suiting up in maize and blue comes with high expectations.  

“When you’re at the University of Michigan, the expectation every year is that you win championships,” Barnes Arico told the Detroit Free Press. “Even though this is going to be a year with some inexperience, I think because we are back to a little bit of an underdog, a little bit
of a chip on our shoulder, our players have something to prove.” 

The post The 2023 Jumpman Invitational: Michigan Wolverines Women’s Team are Ready to Prove They Belong appeared first on SLAM.

With a standout freshman already logging big-time minutes and a roster that’s equipped with five juniors and five seniors, plus French graduate student Kenza Salgues, who played at Miami and made her Gators debut earlier this season, it’s looking like this team will be holding its own in the SEC this year. 

After finishing 19-15 last season and making the NCAA tournament in 2021-22, the Gators will look to improve upon a first-round exit to UCF. If they do, they’ll make history: the last time the Gators made it to the second round was in 2014, and they’ve yet to advance past the Elite Eight. Things are already looking up, though. With head coach Kelly Rae Finley at the helm, the Gators had their first 20-win season since 2015-16 under Finley’s guidance, going 21-11 in 2021-22.

They’ve also got SEC legend—and former SLAM cover star—Rhyne Howard on staff as an assistant coach and director of player personnel this year. The Atlanta Dream star also comes from Gator royalty. Her mom, Rhvonja, played for the team from 1987-91 (captain in ’90-91) and still holds multiple program records, including top-10 in career steals. 

“I always knew at some point that I would have the connection back with this school, and just to be here and to be loved and to feel how much of a family it is already just confirmed all that,” Howard said in an official school press release. 

The Gators are already off to a fantastic start; as we went to press, they were 6-2, their only losses coming from a combined 7 point differential. Their spark, as Kyle said after the team’s season opener, largely comes from sixth-year senior guard Zippy Broughton, who is back after being out for the past 20 months due to a shoulder injury. The former Rutgers transfer persevered through the rehab process and has returned as not only a pivotal scorer, but a leader. 

“She brings a different kind of spark to our team,” said Kyle, via an article on FloridaGators.com.

Adds Coach Finley: “Her ability to fight through adversity when a lot of people might choose to hang it up…I’m just excited and happy she’s chosen our team to chase her dreams. She’s doing so fearlessly every day. It means a lot to our program that she is willing to have great determination to get back on the court.”

That spark is exactly what the Gators will need this season to take them on what could be a potentially deep postseason run.  

The post The 2023 Jumpman Invitational: The 2023-24 Florida Gators Women’s Basketball Team is Ready to Make some Noise appeared first on SLAM.

“I think we’re lucky that that’s been the foundation, that it’s just the next people up,” she told The Oklahoman in November. 

“We’re the gatekeepers of this program. So that’s what we look at less than how we need to replace people.”

Baranczyk’s squad will have to play without the injured 6-2 redshirt senior Liz Scott, who averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, but as Baranczyk told the press, her “leadership” will be expected as she steps into a new role. Kelbie Washington, who redshirted last season after starting 16 games in 2021-22, will also not be suiting up this year. 

So, what can Sooner fans expect? 

A roster full of versatility and ranging skill sets. Oklahoma native Lexy Keys transferred to Oklahoma after three impressive seasons at Oklahoma State, where she started 71 games and dropped buckets on her current squad, including two 14-point performances as a junior and a 20-point gem as a sophomore. From her shooting to her off-ball movement and ability to hold it down on the defensive end, Baranczyk describes her in The Oklahoman as “just somebody that you have to have in your program.”

The Sooners also have two former five-star products suiting up this year, including 5-10 freshman forward Sahara Williams and junior Payton Verhulst, who transferred in from Louisville. Williams averaged a double-double as a senior at Waterloo West High School, was a McDonald’s All-American and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2022 3×3 FIBA World Cup. Meanwhile, Verhulst was ranked No. 12 in the country by ESPN during her time at Bishop Miege HS and played a pivotal role as a freshman during the Cardinals’ Final Four run. With expectations on Williams to grow into a star and Verhulst’s elite court vision, the Sooners have two valuable pieces. 

“Take the star out, I don’t care if she’s two-star, you’re going to love her,” Baranczyk said of Williams in The Oklahoman. “But you can see why she is [a five-star]. She’ll develop her skill set. She’ll have days where, you know…‘Oh my God, she’s only a freshman,’ then other times you’re like, ‘OK, yeah, she’s a freshman.’”

Williams isn’t the only freshman who posted a double-double in high school—6-3 center Landry Allen averaged 20.6 points and 10.3 rebounds as a junior en-route to leading Tuttle High School (OK) to its first state championship; and as a senior, Allen was ranked the No. 10 center in the Class of 2023. Sophomore Beatrice Culliton’s family is state royalty—her grandmother dropped 58 in a high school game, shattering the Oklahoma scoring record at the time. As for Culliton, she was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team last season and appeared in every game, so best believe this isn’t her first rodeo on the big stage. 

Go up and down the roster and you’ll see a solid squad that can drop buckets and hold its own on the court. Don’t just listen to us; tune in this season and see for yourself. 

The post The 2023 Jumpman Invitational: Oklahoma Women’s Team Look to Bring Glory Back to the Sooner State appeared first on SLAM.

The sign, according to CBS 17, was created by the players. It’s not only a reminder of the task at hand—to make it all the way to the Final Four for the first time since ’07—but the type of time they’re on before they even step foot in the locker room. It’s a sentiment UNC head coach Courtney Banghart embraces. 

“If that’s what you want, this, this, this and this aren’t good enough. But I also don’t want to squash their dreams. You shouldn’t come to the University of North Carolina if you’re afraid to try to win a national championship,” Banghart told CBS 17. 

The Tar Heels are led by four returning seniors who know what it’s like to play on the brightest stage: Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby, Anya Poole and Alexandra Zelaya were all part of the squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels held their own against the eventual champs (South Carolina), as Kelly led the way with a smooth 23 points. Despite the 69-61 loss, it was the first time the Tar Heels had made it that far in the postseason since 2015. 

After falling to Ohio State in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, UNC is back. It’s still early, but their standout seniors Ustby and Kelly were named to the John R. Wooden Award
Watch List; Kelly was also named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List. The Texas native, who led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game as a junior, had quite the offseason. When Kelly wasn’t training and working on her game, she was hosting her very own show with WSLAM, The 411 with Deja Kelly, where she interviewed some of the biggest names in the game, including Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas and Liberty standout Betnijah Laney right in the SLAM HQ studio in NYC. She also attended WNBA All-Star Weekend and was deemed one of the “NCAA stars ready to lead the WNBA’s next generation” by Just Women’s Sports.

So, yeah, she’s been booked and busy. The standout guard returned to Chapel Hill for her final season poised and ready to embrace her role as one of the team’s vital pieces, and leaders, on the Tar Heels. “I’m the oldest on the team now by age. I don’t think it’s hit me yet. But yes, we’re starting to feel it a little bit, but I don’t think it’s fully hit us yet, until, like, Senior Night comes around. But I think we’re carrying that veteran role now,” she told CBS 17.

As of this writing, UNC is 5-3. Don’t sleep, though, they’ve got a talented squad that can hold its own on both ends of the floor. From Kelly knocking down midrange jumpers and dishing out dimes and Ustby snagging boards in the paint to the addition of transfer Lexi Donarski, who was the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Iowa State, where she spent the past three seasons, there’s no end to the skill on this squad. 

Whether the Tar Heels will achieve their mission is yet to be determined, but best believe, they have every intention of making it all the way.

Final Four team loading… 

The post The 2023 Jumpman Invitational: UNC Tar Heels Women’s Squad is Ready to Emerge as a Title Contender appeared first on SLAM.

The phone rings. Geno Auriemma’s name pops up on the caller ID. It’s October, and the UConn head coach is surprisingly upbeat and pretty chatty given the business-first demeanor he typically exudes on the court, and most definitely to the media during press conferences. He’s a legend, the Leonardo da Vinci responsible for igniting a renaissance in Storrs—and, really, all of women’s hoops—by creating the formula for the most successful program of all time in NCAA women’s basketball. No one has more championships or Final Four appearances than the Huskies. No one.

How’d he do it? Here, Auriemma reflects on his career, his legacy, and if he thinks anyone else will ever be able to do it like he has…

SLAM: Coach, it’s an honor. How are you?
GENO AURIEMMA: Things have been going pretty well. We just started official practices, so we haven’t been going for very long. Those have gone pretty well. We’ll see what happens in the next week or so, but so far, so good.

SLAM: How do you approach the start of every season?
GA: Each year brings its share of similarities. There are certain things that you want to do, [but] there’s also the unknown. What kind of team are we going to have? What do we have to do different[ly] to accommodate this particular team? So it’s similar in some ways, it’s different depending on the personnel that you have. But always the excitement is there, the challenges are there every summer, they’re just different. It’s refreshing to get back on the court because that’s what we like to do. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and I think we have a pretty good routine that we follow and we go from there.

SLAM: How does year 38 feel?
GA: It’s 38, 39, I don’t even know how many it is. It’s got the feel of other seasons that you’re excited and anxious about. You’re curious to find out how it fits together. You get someone like Paige Bueckers back, there’s a real excitement in the building. There’s a real excitement on our team. Aaliyah Edwards played a lot of basketball last year and a lot of minutes, Nika Mühl, the two of them. Aubrey [Griffin] played a ton of minutes. They picked up valuable experience. For me personally, there’s a lot of excitement of wanting to see what this team could be. I feel like it’s my job to make sure they get all the resources and guidance that they need from me and my staff to make it work for them.

SLAM: Let’s transition into the early days. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news that you got the job?

GA: No, I was here. I got a chance to meet with everybody I needed to meet with. I thought it went really well. Then the next day, our Athletic Director at the time, John Toner, who was also the President of the NCAA that helped implement Title IX took me aside. We got in his car and drove down to a Dunkin Donuts. We walked in and sat in those swirling stools that they had at the counter back in those days when they had counters at Dunkin Donuts. We had coffee and he looked me in the eye and he asked me if I wanted to be the coach of the University of Connecticut. He told me that I had to do this the right way and everything had to be done the right way. He put his hand down and shook my hand and that was it. I was the coach at the University of Connecticut just like that. I got back to campus and we went into the office and he handed me a one-page piece of paper. It said I was going to be the coach at the University of Connecticut for five years and I was going to get paid this and had to sign here. I signed it, and that was it. There was no agent involved. There was no negotiating a salary. It was just a handshake. Here’s your contract, $29,000. Take it or leave it. 

SLAM: During the ups and downs of the early years, what kept you going?
GA: What happens in these situations is, who you have on your team, in your program, on your staff or whatever, that’s the sources of your motivation. Those three years that it was a struggle, we kept our fingers crossed and just kept working. Even though it was difficult, and there were doubts, we never expressed those doubts to anybody—those were internal. On the outside, everybody thought everything was great and we’re pushing and we’re committed and we’re going to be great. The reality was, this was really, really difficult, and we knew it was going to be difficult, but we didn’t know it was going to be this hard. And like I said, it wasn’t until 1988, and 1989 when we won the regular season and tournament, that there was some validation. When we did win, it was now, How far can this group go? It turned out we were able to get to the Final Four. Then we were able to get Rebecca Lobo to come to UConn. We had a terrific group of people with her and right behind her that made it [feel like], Yeah, I really don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to be right here with this group of people.

SLAM: You’re known for cultivating future WNBA stars. Do you see who your players can become before it even happens?
GA: When we see a player in high school, we have an impression and we say, Hey, I see similarities between this kid and so and so. They get to campus, and as you start coaching them, you start to feel this like, Yes, this kid’s really got something, or, Man I really missed on this one. Or, you didn’t expect much, and you go, Wow, this kid is way better than I thought. You coach all of them from the beginning like they don’t know anything, and that’s the way we’ve always done it. Whether we get a kid who didn’t make first-team All-State, or we get a kid who was Player of the Year out of high school, we coach them the same. We start at the beginning and we try to make them better players. We’re not going to go in there and think that because they’re this talented or because they were all this, that they are ready to go. No, we treat them like they don’t know anything. Over a period of time, we keep hammering away at that stuff, they turn out to be pretty good basketball players. And then yeah, it gets defined by that—this is the Rebecca Lobo era, ’95’s National Championship. Our first All-American was Kerry Bascom, and that era [we] went from finishing last in the Big East before we got here to going to the Final Four. Then on Rebecca’s team, we had Jennifer Rizzotti, National Player of the Year. We had Kara Wolters, National Player of the Year. We had Nykesha Sales, who ended up being a two-time All American here and a WNBA superstar. The Diana Taurasi era had four Olympians and multiple All-Americans and National Players of the Year. The Maya Moore era with Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery and just amazing All-Americans and great players. The Stewie [Breanna Stewart], Stefanie [Dolson], [Morgan] Tuck and Moriah Jefferson [era].

All those eras involve so many good players. Each one of those players was treated the exact same way. They were all coached the exact same way, and maybe that’s why we had similar successes with every one of them, because we rarely changed the formula. I don’t care if you came in with the ability of Maya or Stewie, or you came in with limited ability like some of our other players, it didn’t matter. We were going to coach you the exact same way and we were going to get the same results. Looking back, that consistency of how we’ve done it is something we’re proud of.

SLAM: Do you think the formula and consistency are what’s contributed to the program’s success?
GA: For sure. The response that we get a lot of times is, You have the best players. And I would think, well, we have some of the best players, but we don’t have all the best players. If we’re able to get two of the best players in the country every year, that’s only two out of, say, 24 in the All-American Game. So, the other 22 went someplace [else]. So you can’t just say we won because we get the best players. But I think the consistency and the kind of players that we get, that to me is the differentiator between us and other programs. It doesn’t mean that what we do is better than anybody else. It’s just a little different. Again, we don’t win every year. This is the part that’s funny: We’ve gone to 22 Final Fours and those 22 Final Fours have all come since 1991. So that’s in 33 years. That’s pretty amazing. Twenty-two Final Fours in 33 years. That’s fantasy land, OK? In 22 Final Fours, we won 11 national championships and we’ve lost 11 times in the Final Four. We don’t win all the time. I think our goal is to just put ourselves in position to win all the time; it doesn’t mean we’re going to. And that’s not the easiest thing in the world to do. In today’s internet world, you’re either the best in the country or you’re the worst in the country. Nobody ever says, Yeah, they’re pretty good! Which is sad because there are a lot of pretty good teams. But now you’re either top or you’re the worst. There’s no in-between. That’s not the real world. If you’re a team or a coach or a player, you start to feel the pressure of those expectations. If you’re not careful and you get caught up in that, it doesn’t matter how many good players you have, you’re going to have a hard time winning.

SLAM: What has been the biggest factor that’s made the program click?
GA: We’ve heard all the time that the UConn era or the dynasty is in demise, you know, that it’s—it goes back to what I said: there’s this perception that if you’re not winning national championships, you’re not very good. I just think that, what makes it click, especially in today’s world, is that you don’t allow yourself to be caught up in all that stuff as a player. You don’t become [caught up in the] internet and what people are saying about you. You keep recruiting players that are more selfless than they are selfish.

[Players] that are willing to give up a little bit of themselves in order to win a championship and to play with other terrific players. There’s a lot of players that want to go to a school where they’re going to be the center of attention and it’s going to be all about them. What makes it click for us, and why people would talk about us the way they do is because we do find players that want to sacrifice some of their own goals for the big goal, the team goal. That’s a little bit rarer today than it was when I started.

SLAM: Have you thought of your legacy?
GA: I’ve thought about it during those times, when, maybe at the end of the season, you just finished a very difficult season. Maybe you’re celebrating a championship or you’re disappointed in how the season ended, and you wonder, Do I have it in me to keep doing this? How much is taken out of you to accomplish all these things. And you look back and you see the things that have happened here—I don’t know that I think of it in terms of who’s coming after me or what am I leaving behind, but I think some of the things that we’re going to leave behind are probably undoable in the future. I don’t think anybody can sit here and say, OK, pick out a coach that you think is going to win 11 national championships that’s coaching today. You’d be hard-pressed. Pick a team that won 111 in a row. Pick one that won 90 in a row, three times…Name a program that’s going to go to 14 straight Final Fours. Things that we’ve done legacy-wise are going to be undoable now. That’s probably not a bad thing because that means that the game has grown so much that it’s going to be more difficult to accomplish any of those things. Players are going to more schools than ever before, different schools. Coaches are doing a phenomenal job of not just recruiting, but of coaching. The legacy that’s going to be left here by those people that have worked here and played here, some things—we’re going to be in the record books for eternity. That’s something to be proud of, from myself to be proud of, which I am, all the coaches that have ever coached with me and every single player that put on a uniform here at UConn over those 39 years. It’s their legacy, too.

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Photos via Getty Images.

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After a whirlwind matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty that went down to the wire, Vegas are the reigning champs yet again.

Considering the game just ended, here’s a quick recap:

Nah, but in all seriousness, what a game. The final score? 70-69. With a title on the line, the entire Aces roster delivered: from their point gawd Chelsea Gray leading from the sidelines to A’ja Wilson’s pure dominance to the People’s Champ, Sydney Colson with the crazyyyy behind-the-back pass AND delivering the greatest post-game speech.

We won’t say we told you so, but…

Congrats to the M’VPeriodt A’ja Wilson, the Point Gawd Chelsea Gray, Sydney Colson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Kiah Stokes, Alysha Clark, Cayla George, Kierstan Bell, Alaina Coates, Candace Parker and head coach Becky Hammon and the entire Aces staff on a historic win. Champs.

Go follow @wslam to keep up with all of the postgame celebrations and more.

The post BACK TO BACK: The Las Vegas Aces are the 2023 WNBA Champions Yet Again appeared first on SLAM.

The question is a rhetorical one. Many people—the media, casual basketball fans, diehard Pacers/Thunder/Clippers fans—know of him as just an NBA superstar.

He’s an eight-time All-Star, won Most Improved in 2013 and has made All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams throughout his 13 years in the League so far. Long before that, he was known for being the highest draft pick in Fresno State history when he was selected in the first round back in 2010. Then, in 2014, he decided to switch things up by changing his jersey number from No. 24 to No. 13, which also inspired a new nickname: PG-13. He bought all his old jerseys and donated them to his high school. 

“The whole thing behind PG-13 is just coming into my own,” he told Vigilant Sports back then. “I feel like I’m at that stage where I’m ready to embrace everything that comes with being one of the young stars in this League. Everyone knows PG-13 is related to television, so the whole thing is being able to enjoy the show and being fun to watch.”

In Indiana, PG turned heads. By his third season, he’d emerged as the Pacers’ go-to option, and helped lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons from 2012-14. After seven years in Indy and multiple occasions where he battled through injury—including a compound fracture in his leg, which he suffered during the offseason in 2014 that caused him to miss a majority of the upcoming regular season—he was traded to the OKC Thunder in 2017. He tried to redefine himself again, this time as “Playoff P,” a nickname which he gave himself that season, right before the Thunder played the Jazz in the first round. When asked about guarding then-rookie Donovan Mitchell, he clarified to ESPN that “Playoff P” is “a fun guy to watch. It’s an out-of-body person where I just lock in and put myself in a different zone.” 

Then, in 2020, Game 7 against the Nuggets happened. Playoff P only scored 10 points on 25 percent shooting and went scoreless in the fourth. The internet ruthlessly decided “Pandemic P” was a more fitting title for the star’s performance at the time. Since then, George has missed extensive time due to injury, including the end of the 2022-23 regular season because of a knee injury.

But that was then, and this is now. At 33 years old, George has seen the highs and the lows of being a professional athlete—the injuries, the losses and the wins. While the opinions of others can help shift and shape narratives, what matters most is how athletes view themselves. And that’s what we went out to California in late-August to find out: Who exactly is Paul George? 

“I think I’m a pretty funny person, but I’m also a very introverted person,” George tells us. “I kind of keep to myself and I think that’s why people don’t, or haven’t learned much about me through my time through the NBA. But I’m actually a pretty fun, outgoing person. Love to laugh, love to joke. And, I mean, I’m not sure if that will surprise many people but for the people that don’t really know me, it can be surprising. At least that’s what it seems when we read comments [saying], He’s actually funny. He’s actually a good dude. So, I think the more I just show [my] personality and show who I am, [the] more people have just gravitated toward it.”

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The man himself is sitting in a well-lit lounge at the Proactive Sports Performance, wearing his L.A. Clippers uniform. He was just training and working out in the weight room moments prior—the lounge that we’re in right now is on the second floor and looks out onto the training facility and court. Down below, we’ve got an entire photo shoot set up, which is where we’ll shoot George for his third SLAM cover. 

But first, interview time. Initially, PG’s demeanor is more low-key as the cameras start rolling. He’s not overly energetic or giving monotone answers, with “honestly” being one of the first words he uses when asked how his summer has been going. It’s a good sign that, hopefully, he’ll keep it real for the rest of the conversation. After all, he’s done countless interviews and magazine covers, including with us, before, and has been asked plenty of questions about his career, getting to that championship-level, playing alongside Kawhi Leonard…

If you listen—really, actually listen—to what he has to say, you’ll start to understand that there’s a lot more to Paul George. He’s introverted, yes, but he has also been discovering another side of himself. He’s creative, and pretty introspective and honest: while the next generation of standouts—Brandon Miller, Kiyan Anthony—consider him their GOAT, his own measurement of success comes down to one tangible thing: winning a championship.

When he mentioned on his Twitch livestream recently that he fully intends to be on his “bully shit” this upcoming season, that wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.

Here, Paul George elaborates more on what we can expect from him this season, his approach to his offseason training and how he’s discovered his voice—and himself—on the court, in the podcast studio and everywhere in between.

SLAM: How are you doing? How has the summer been and what have you been up to aside from training?

PAUL GEORGE: Good. Honestly, [it’s] summertime, being a father, it’s mostly family time. When the season’s done, kids are out of school. [It’s a] great opportunity to kind of just be at home with the family, be with my wife, my kids. But that’s about it. Apart from that I’m training and, you know, I’m taking my usual summer trips to Europe and vacation. But outside of that, [I’m] putting one foot forward and getting ready for the next season.

SLAM: Where in Europe did you visit?

PG: I was out in Serbia, where my wife is from. I was in Montenegro and Greece.

SLAM: What’s it like to be home and able to fully focus on the fam? Can you describe how you go about transitioning from the season into summer?

PG: It’s great having the kids home full-time, keeping them active [and] being able to take them to their camps, take them to their practices, their hobbies. It’s just great to be a little bit more hands-on and you really find what their interests are once you’re with them for longer periods. 

So it’s been fun—it’s been fun since the season has been done to rekindle that. You get so riled up and caught up with how the season is going that you tend to lose out on stuff, just being on the road and traveling so much. So that’s really the great part about having those summers.

SLAM: You’ve mentioned they’re pretty creative—were you the same way as a kid  growing up?

PG: Yeah, I was. I think that’s why the bond between my oldest and myself is so strong, because I was the same way. My imagination was very strong. I can draw, create, color—you name it. If I can think of it, I could draw it. So I was pretty good. I wasn’t the greatest at drawing, not a portraits person, but I could draw pretty good as a kid. I see a lot of me [in] her.

SLAM: That’s fire. In terms of your offseason workouts and training, did you start getting into it immediately after the season ended? 

PG: I took, like, two weeks off just because I was rehabbing. When the season ended, [I had] a nasty leg injury. And when the season was over, there was no point obviously for me to be in the best shape possible. So I took two weeks off to kind of get away from basketball, get away from the facility, get away from training. I thought that just helped me approach when I went back to training a lot better. It helped my mental, it helped my focus and that’s about the norm for me at this point in my career—take about two weeks away, go travel, just get out, get away and then I’ll come back and go hit it hard again.

SLAM: Has that been your approach in the past? To take time away? 

PG: Yeah, I would say probably the last couple years. Before then I used to, when the season was done, I [would] be right back in the gym the next day. But now as I’ve gotten older, I kind of enjoy splitting the two—being in season-mode and then being in offseason-mode. The younger me didn’t have a family or kids, so the older me kind of knows to separate that, enjoy family time and get after it when I’m ready.

SLAM: Looking back, how would you describe your younger self, especially when you first came into the League.

PG: My younger self was just hungry. He was passionate, he had just the warrior mentality. And fearless. I still have some of those qualities, but it’s definitely stronger as a youngin’ coming into the League. Now I would say my older self is a little bit more focused, knowing what I want and how to approach it, how to get there. Now it’s just [about] trying to stay healthy. That’s the biggest key. 

But yeah, that’s the separation between myself—where I’m at now and the younger me. I just had that passion to want to be the best and destroy any and everything in front of me.

SLAM: What have you been focusing on specifically this offseason in your training? What are your goals going into next season?

PG: Just focusing on the mentality. For me, it’s just the mentality. I work extremely hard on improving and getting better, but for me, it’s just the mentality—going back to having that 22, 23-year-old mentality at 33 of, every time I’m on the floor, I’m there to dominate and just be the best player on the floor at all times. So that’s the mentality I’m going into it [with]. That’s how I’m approaching this summer. At the end of the day, I love where I’ll finish because if I have that mentality, I know I’m giving it everything I have, and I can live with those results.

SLAM: Is that what you meant when you said on that Twitch livestream that you’re going to be on your “bully shit” this season?

PG: One hundred percent. One hundred percent. That’s exactly what I meant. I gotta hold myself accountable to that… Every night I’m on the floor, I’m there to dominate. Whether it’s [being] more physical, or going right at whoever I gotta go at, you’re gonna feel me. I’m having that approach of every time I’m on the floor, I’m there to dominate and destroy you.

SLAM: When you said that on your livestream, what pushed you to that point? Did you feel like it was something that needed to be said? Was that something that was going through your head already?

PG: Yeah, I mean, it was just a lot of unnecessary talk going around the League of, you know, guys feeling themselves and directing comments toward me that haven’t done anything as well. You know, this is the last couple years of my career, so it’s all about legacy for me as well. And that’s just my approach—I got to finish strong and go back to loving the game and loving to dominate. And again, that’s just how I got to approach it. [If] I come up short, that’s on me. But that’s how I gotta approach it.

SLAM: You used the words “go back to loving the game and loving to dominate.” Was there a time when you didn’t necessarily feel that way?

PG: Just through injuries, you doubt yourself. At times, you doubt what you’re able to do. But at this point—I had a fluke injury to end the rest of my season last year—but up until that point, I was starting to get stronger, I was starting to feel better, problems that I was having midseason were starting to go away. And that was the best I was feeling. And so, I was coming into my stride, ready to get back into that. But for a stretch, I didn’t feel [like] myself just because injuries and stuff was aching and popping up. But I feel like I’ve been starting to address that every summer, little by little, to where I’m in a great place right now.

SLAM: What does Paul George being on his “bully shit” look like?

PG: Honestly [laughs]…I can’t tell you what that looks like. I’ve been a pretty consistent scorer, been a high-level player for many years. But for me, it’s just getting to a level of consistency. And, again, not backing down and destroying whatever I have to [to] get to where I need to get to. So I think it’ll be noticeable by the way I play this year.

SLAM: Do you feel like there was a time or I guess a defining moment during your career where you really felt like you were really on your “bully shit”? 

PG: I had that approach of guarding everyone tough, of trying to be the number one option and score on the best player every night while shutting the best player down every night. You know, I just had a mean mentality when I was younger. And that was just how I approached the game. I think I fell away a little bit from that mentality. And so again, all of it is just trying to be back, centered [and] to where I was when I came into this League.

SLAM: When you were referring to guys in the League, or in general, having things to say about you, what was running through your head? 

PG: I mean, everybody has their right to say what they want to say. Everyone at this point in time has an opinion. That doesn’t bother me, but the way you go about it, and the way you approach it, I’m gonna have to have something to say about the way things are handled at some point. And that’s just where it’s gotten, so, you know, it’s just about having—I don’t go off of what I’ve done, who I’ve been in the League. To me, I view it as: if I’ve won or if I haven’t won. And I haven’t won. People tell me all the time, Don’t doubt yourself, don’t this, don’t that. I don’t. I know what I’ve accomplished. I know what I’ve done in this League. I know whose ass I’ve busted in this League, who I’ve put what numbers on in this League. That don’t mean nothing if I haven’t won a championship. Yeah, it’d be a great résumé when it’s all said and done. That’s cool. But for me, I measure myself in the success I’ve had in the League—if I get a championship, that’s what it’s all about. So, yeah, the regular stats are cool and all, but I got a bigger goal of winning [and] establishing myself as a champion.  

SLAM: Have you always had that standard of success? 

PG: Yeah, I mean, coming into the League, early on, the first couple of years [it was about] establishing myself and just getting better and wanting to be an All-Star, wanting to be on that superstar level, wanting to carry a team and wanting to be the best defender on the floor. That was kind of [my] individual goals. But once you make it to that point, take it a step further, now that has to mean something. Being the best player, being the best defender, being on a good team—like that all has to start to equate to something. Now I’m at a point where every year I’m training, and that’s the goal—to get a championship. And so if I come up short, like, nothing else matters that year. At this point, I failed the year, I failed the season, if I didn’t win a championship. 

SLAM: Let’s get into your podcast. To start, do you feel like this is one of the first times you’ve really been outspoken in terms of sharing your own opinion, talking to other athletes and analysts? 

PG: Yeah, I think so. Because, you know, for the longest [time], as a young guy, you want to say the right stuff, you want to protect the organization, you want to protect teammates, you want to protect yourself, image, brand, all of that good stuff, right? But you lose sight of like, Am I really answering this the way I want to answer it? Am I really getting off the thought or the idea that I really want to say? And sometimes after interviews, I’m like, you know, Fuck, I should have said what I really wanted to say. Or, I should have told them what really happened or how it really went. Or, how I really felt.  Now, with my podcast, I can do that. And I think that’s just the beauty in it. 

SLAM: On that note, what’s it like doing the interviewing after having been interviewed so many times? Do you feel like you have a different perspective of what goes into it? 

PG: Yeah, what I found doing it is [that it’s] very therapeutic, because a lot of stories that I’ve told, or a lot of stories that we’ve talked about, were things I held on to and haven’t really [gotten] that out. Whether it’s been good moments, bad moments, fun times, bad times, it’s just been therapeutic to express certain stories. For example, the conversation with DeMar [DeRozan] that we had about playing each other in high school, I have always felt how I felt leading up to that moment playing him in high school, but it was great to hear how he felt leading up to that moment playing me in high school. So conversations like that were great to kind of reflect back on and share that moment and share that story with somebody that I’m pretty good friends with, but we’ve never talked about that. And so it was just great to go back [down] memory lane and pick up on things that we’ve been through and experiences. Because otherwise, you hold on to certain stuff and [are] weirded out by how to share or reflect on some things.

SLAM: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself, now that you’ve gotten into podcasting? 

PG: That I’m not just good at basketball. [laughs]. Nah, I mean, I knew whatever I put my time into I can be successful in. That’s what kind of person I am: if I lock in on something, I work extremely hard to be good at it. And being in the podcast space is another notch to reassure that. It’s just been fun. It’s honestly been fun. I never in a million years would have thought that I would be interviewing other players, talking about stories, being in front of a camera as much as I am, especially at this point in my career. So, you know, it’s just been a great roller coaster. And I’m just enjoying the ride at this point.

SLAM: Did you always feel that way—that you’re really only viewed as Paul George the basketball player?

PG: Not necessarily, but I do think people didn’t know much about me. I felt I was—everyone thought a certain way, based off of moments I’ve had in basketball, moments on the court, off the court. And that’s the only thing that they can pinpoint on me. But actually watching me in a podcast setting, getting to talk, getting to laugh, making jokes. I think people see me in a different light. And that’s what I appreciate, that they can separate [it, like], Oh he’s totally different. I thought he was way different. I had this perspective of him, [but] he’s actually a cool dude. He’s actually funny. He’s actually this, that. Which I am. I’m just as normal as anybody else. 

There’s definitely an appreciation there for fans for allowing [themselves] to re-introduce themselves to who Paul George is.

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Deyscha “Sway” Smith is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow her on Instagram/X, @deyschasmith and Tik Tok @deyscha.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson. Action photos via Getty Images.

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“EVERYBODY ON MUTE!” 

Jonquel Jones, the charismatic New York Liberty star, belts out the lyrics to Beyoncé’s “Energy,” a song off her Renaissance album. It’s August, and we’re all inside a workroom-turned-glam room at the Nets practice facility, where Jones, Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot—the Liberty’s starting five—have spent the past hour or so getting their hair and makeup done before the big moment: their first-ever SLAM cover shoot together as a newly-formed squad. The energy inside the room is a bit hectic, as videographers and producers shuffle in and out, checking to see if our cover stars are ready. 

Almost. But for the first of many times today, we’ve got Beyoncé lyrics to sing. After JJ, who is sitting right next to Sab and near Betnijah, cues everyone to go silent (an iykyk trend tied to Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour), the music continues. 

“Look around, it’s me and my crew. Big energy…”

In one of the salon chairs, a hair stylist is finishing curling Breanna Stewart’s long, brunette locks. Sitting nearby, Courtney Vandersloot is getting eyelash extensions and smiling to herself as she covers one eye, noticing the difference. Sab is the first one ready for photos, and we follow the All-Star guard across the hall to the practice court, which has been turned into a set with a white seamless backdrop and tons of studio lights. 

Off to the side, there’s a table full of vintage goodies—old-school digital cameras, an actual flip camera and a polaroid camera—which Sab immediately gravitates to once she’s done posing for flicks. It’s then that we learn how much of a girl’s girl she is, which is internet-speak for someone who respects and values their female friendships. One minute Sab is hyping her teammates up, the next she’s posing Sloot for her own photo-op moment with a glass of champagne that someone brought on set.

This is the same Sabrina we once crowned the “Next Queen of New York” on the cover of SLAM 231, but who said a queen has to rule alone? Sab came into the W as the NCAA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 and, undoubtedly, one of the most popular young players in the League. Then the team signed Betnijah Laney ahead of the 2021 season, and since then, excitement has been steadily building in Brooklyn. Now, with Sab, Laney, JJ, Stewie and Sloot leading the way, the New York Liberty are the No. 1 team in the East at 32-8—the franchise’s best regular-season record ever.

While the media pushes the narrative that the WNBA has entered a “superteam era,” history shows that superteams ain’t new in the W. The Houston Comets won the first four championships in the League’s existence between ’97-2000, and then the L.A. Sparks won back-to-back ’chips in ’01 and ’02. The following year, the Detroit Shock won their first title and then another one in ’06. The Minnesota Lynx won four titles in seven years between 2011-2017. 

To call this Liberty squad a superteam makes it sound like they’re a machine that’s been programmed to dominate, rather than a group of women who have come together and decided—both individually and collectively—that they want to be the best. 

“I think we’re just super humans,” Sab says when asked about the superteam label. “I just feel like we all have a story to tell, and we’re all at such different parts in our careers, but when we all come together, that’s really the joy in being part of a team.”

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The story of how this squad joined forces didn’t start with Stewie—JJ was technically the first to join the Libs when she was traded back in January—but Stewie’s free agency announcement did shock the world. It was one thing for the Liberty to have a new superstar in JJ, but when Stewart started posting those emoji-filled tweets, everyone, including Kevin Durant, was hyped. Another star teaming up with JJ?! “They cookin’,” KD said on his podcast, The ETCs. “They bringing the best talent to New York.” 

Then, on February 1, Stewie pulled a move reminiscent of when Yoncé dropped Lemonade: she posted only a Statue of Liberty emoji and a video of her switching into a teal-colored long sleeve warm-up shirt. Just a day later, Courtney Vandersloot pulled her own WNBA insider moment by tweeting that she’d also signed with the Libs. To put in perspective just how crazy elite a trio of Stewie, JJ and Sloot is, we’re talking three WNBA titles, 14 All-Star appearances, seven First Team All-WNBA selections and three All-Defensive First Team selections, plus Stewie’s two Finals MVPs, regular season MVP and Rookie of the Year title, Jonquel’s Sixth Woman of the Year award and Courtney Vandersloot’s place in the record books (she’s ranked second all-time in assists). They’re all undoubtedly future Hall of Famers. 

Still, it’s crazy to think that there was a time when Stewie’s decision almost didn’t happen. “I was back and forth a lot, really,” Stewie tells us. “It was between Seattle and New York.

“The three of us [Sloot and JJ] were talking a lot during free agency,” she continues. “But also knowing who was on the Liberty before us and that’s Sab and B making sure that we want to come here to win.” 

Now that she’s in Brooklyn, Stewie has continued to solidify her rightful place as one of the most versatile players to ever play the game. She was out here setting records on day one, literally—in her Barclays Center debut against the Indiana Fever, Stewie scored a franchise-record 45 points. She’s currently averaging a career-high 23.3 points per game (second in the W) and once again being mentioned in the MVP conversation.

On set, Stewie is poised and exudes a cool and collected type of confidence; she’s even rocking her own signature sneaker, the Stewie 2s, in all the photos. For the next 10 minutes, the 6-4 star is just as involved in the creative as she is in being the main subject. She poses with the camcorder and asks if we’ve got a pair of sunglasses she can throw on, too. The lights end up causing too much glare on the silver shades, but with only a few minutes left to get the perfect shot, she shines the brightest. At one point Stewie turns and stares directly into the lens with her blue eyes, giving us that look. Lights flash as our photographer snaps away. Pop! Stewie tilts her chin down, this time holding her gaze. Pop!

Throughout her seven years in the W, Stewie has done it all: won championships and MVPs, been the face of the Storm alongside the legendary Sue Bird. At this point, what fuels her to keep playing at such a high level?

“Mine is probably perspective,” the former UConn Husky says when asked about her source of motivation. “Obviously loving to win and loving to compete, but also realizing that these moments don’t last forever, and having a glimpse of that through an injury. Some of us have been through injuries where we’ve had to be out for seasons and stuff like that. So, never taking anything for granted, but also knowing that I have Ruby at home, looking up to me [and] watching every single move that I do, and making sure that I’m continuing to help make this team and this League better for her if she wants to play, but also the next generation.”

Stewart and JJ entered the WNBA in the same year, 2016, as the No. 1 and No. 6 picks, respectively, and have played together overseas on UMMC Ekaterinburg. For JJ, her move to New York happened after a trade request prior to the start of the 2023 season. “I didn’t know who was joining me yet,” Jones says. “When I looked at it, I was like, regardless of who joins me, I feel really solid with that decision.” 

Now that she’s found her groove with the Liberty, JJ has reached another level: she’s had 11 double-double performances so far and just dominated in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship in August with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks, all while shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field. She shines on set, too, cracking jokes and flashing her ever-present smile in most of the photos we take. The team’s PR person asks if we want pictures of her with her Commissioner’s Cup MVP trophy, and as the 6-6 forward holds her latest achievement, that smile gets even wider.

“I’m very happy to be in New York and be playing with these ladies,” she says. 

Sloot also had to trust in the vision when it came to whether she’d leave Chicago, where she spent over a decade with the Sky and set numerous records, or take her talents east. At first, she admits she was hesitant. “To be frank, I was trying to find a reason not to [leave] because the move to New York was just, like, never in the cards for me,” she says. “The more it went on, the more conversations I had of course with these ladies here, the ownership and coaching staff and everything, it was just like, this is an opportunity that I can’t pass up on. This is what I work for. This is what I dreamed [of].” 

As one of the smoothest, coldest floor generals in the W over the past decade, Sloot’s led the League in assists per game every year since 2017, with the exception of last season. When we caught up with her for this cover, she had just passed Ticha Penicheiro for second all-time in assists. 

This is what I work for. This is what I dreamed [of].”

– Courtney Vandersloot

It was during the playoffs last season that Sloot saw what she was in for—the energy and atmosphere in Barclays, the fans and, most notably, what kind of squad the organization was building. “We were the away team, of course, and everybody’s cheering against us, but I still [remember] just this energy and I was just like, Wow, this is awesome. They’re really building something here…You could tell they were in a really good place, they were on an upward…”

“…trajectory,” JJ chimes in. 

“Thank you, JJ,” Sloot continues. “I just wanted to be a part of it, and I remember that it was such a fresh feeling for me when I was in the free agency talks.” 

That trajectory wouldn’t have been possible without Betnijah and Sabrina helping set the foundation. B, who is in her eighth year in the W, needs no introduction, and she certainly didn’t need to make one to her new teammates. Drafted in 2015, just a year before Stewie and JJ, she played with Stewie for USA Basketball and attended various camps when they were younger. She was a rookie on the Sky when Sloot was in her fifth season and suited up alongside JJ in Connecticut in 2018.

“For me, the chemistry and everything, it just kind of came naturally,” she says. 

JJ felt it, too. While she admits that she “didn’t know Sabrina that well” initially, she did reach out to her before deciding to come to New York. Since joining forces, JJ’s been impressed with how well they’ve gotten along. “I’ve been so amazed with just how well our personalities mesh on the team,” she says. “That’s really like my little sister, like we’re always goofing off together, always doing silly stuff.”

Sabrina, averaged 17 points, 5.6 boards and 5.4 dimes for the season, has dropped 30-pieces on numerous occasions and nearly broke the internet with her near-perfect performance during the All-Star Three-Point Contest in July. Go back and watch the highlights. Notice her approach, her form, her confidence. When she gets to the right corner, Sab smirks. It’s clear she’s having fun. The crowd goes insane and the camera pans to Sloot, who is equally as hyped. We all just witnessed, in real-time, one of the League’s brightest young stars go 25 of 27 from three and break the contest record for both the WNBA and NBA. That’s pure star power right there. 

She wasn’t done breaking records either. In the Liberty’s 96-89 win over the Sparks on September 7, marking the team’s eighth straight victory, Sab broke the WNBA single season record for total threes (121), which was set by the GOAT Diana Taurasi in ’06. 

“I’m really proud to just watch the way that [Sab] has grown in this League,” JJ says. “Just the level that she has been playing at this season has been amazing.” 

Then there’s Betnijah, who exemplifies what it means to stay confident and true to who you are, both on and off the court. After having a breakout season in 2020 while on the Atlanta Dream—including winning Most Improved Player and being named to the All-Defensive First Team—Laney has elevated her game on both ends of the floor since signing with the Liberty in 2021. Look beyond the box score and simply watch the way she moves from the moment she gets the ball, pulling off behind-the-backs and spin moves reminiscent of a 6-0 dancer (Laney took ballet, tap and jazz classes when she was a child).

With her physicality and quick instincts on defense, Laney’s typically tasked with guarding the other team’s best player, too. Her role, as head coach Sandy Brondello told WNBA.com, is to be the “engine that gets everyone going.”

Adds Stewie: “I’ve known B for a really long time, and the way she is as a two-way player, making things really difficult, taking advantage of whatever matchup she has offensively but also [being a] defensive stopper. Hard-nosed player, never stops, does [the] dirty work, does whatever the team needs.”

Betnijah also has a way of commanding any room she’s in. On set, it’s B’s show when she poses in front of the camera—without needing any direction from our photographer, she effortlessly switches angles and stares deeply into the lens. To quote one of her favorite artists, Beyoncé, Betnijah’s giving I’m that girl energy with each hair flip. Having spent the past three years in Brooklyn, B knows what the city is about, from the food scene (she’s got a whole list of the best food spots) to the way New Yorkers carry themselves. “Brooklyn people just show up,” she says. “That New York atmosphere, that gritty, [it’s] loud, [they’re] into it, they’re backing us. They’ve shown up and showed out, and so it’s kind of a give and take. We’re giving them a show [and] they’re fueling us.”

Together, Laney and Sab have been at the forefront of what the Liberty have been building toward. With a new team dynamic and roster changes, it could’ve been easy for egos to get in the way of the Libs’ success this season, but it’s actually been quite the opposite. “It’s really hard to put a team with this much star power together and for it to succeed,” Sabrina says. “But I think when you have players that aren’t only playing for themselves but playing for one another, and from the beginning, we’ve all committed to playing for one another and wanting to see each other succeed in whatever it is that that individual wants.

“And we’ve really been bought into that because I think to our core, that’s just who we are as individuals, and I think that’s why we’re playing the way we are and we’ve been having the season that we have been having in such a short amount of time [despite] not really knowing each other and playing with each other for so long, ’cause it’s just who we are. And we’ve really stayed true to that.”

As much as this story is about them, our cover stars aren’t the type of people to make things all about themselves. Ask Betnijah about her “why” and what motivates her and she brings up her niece, JJ (who she calls “Little JJ” when she’s around Jones), and how she wants to continue to “inspire [and] be role models.” Big JJ wants to win, but she also wants to succeed for her family and all the people “who have sacrificed” to help her get to where she is today. Sab brings up the process, and how they’re able to “look back” and see how much the organization has grown. 

They’re all playing for something bigger than themselves. As they look to bring a championship to Brooklyn, they all recognize that this team represents the new era of the W. An era of player empowerment, of women making power moves. “I have obviously been in the League for a long time, and for so long there wasn’t a lot of player movement and there wasn’t a lot of this,” Sloot says. “Stewie touched on it, our ability to kind of control our careers and do what we want, create this buzz. Women’s basketball is at an all-time high right now, so why not take advantage of that? Take control of our careers, do what we want, be where we want. And for all of us, that was here.”

For Stewie, it’s simple. “Everyone,” she says, “is chasing greatness.”

SLAM 246 COVER TEES AVAILABLE NOW

Welcome to The Stars Align Tour. Consider this New York Liberty SLAM 246 Cover Tee as our official “tour merch” as the Libs continue dominating the WNBA.

shop now

Cover Story: Deyscha “Sway” Smith

Photographer: Marcus Stevens

Cover Design: Lester Padilla

Cover Shoot Producers: Sway, Sole Ortiz Ruiz, Arvind Pitchai

Video:  Eli Selva

Intern: Haben Fessehazion

Graphics: Erica Davis, Abdel Kyle Traore

SLAM Social: Arvind Pitchai

WSLAM Social: Sole Ortiz Ruiz, Mya Peterson

The post The New York Liberty are Chasing Greatness appeared first on SLAM.

The NBA All-Star is keeping that same energy when it comes to supporting the current crop of NBA rookies. Brown, who has his own brand, 7uice, is now venturing into art collecting and wants to educate players coming into the League on the value of investing through art. 

Working alongside creative legend Set Free Richardson, they’ve set out to gift rookies with art pieces that, in time, will appreciate in value. The two met up with Portland Trail Blazers guard and fellow Marietta native Scoot Henderson during NBA Summer League in Vegas and presented him a hand-signed print by award-winning painter and one of Brown’s favorite artists Rafa Macarrón at the Rookie 1 Party. The piece, which is worth over 20k, was acquired from Lio Malca’s Gallery 60 White. 

“A good amount of our players are current art collectors,” Brown tells SLAM. “I’m currently growing my art collection and looking forward to learning more about art and all its capacities. As I learn and grow, I plan on sharing that learning process with the world, as well as my NBA counterparts.” 

Macarrón, a self-taught artist from Madrid, Spain, has a personal style that’s inspired by dreams and childhood. The piece gifted to Henderson is both eclectic and interesting as it is playful, and features pastel colors and uniquely drawn figures. It perfectly connects with Henderson’s own creativity, too, as the SLAM 244 cover star is also interested in art and fashion. 

Now, thanks to Brown and Richardson, he has his own very limited-edition piece to take with him to his new home in Portland. Scoot is just the first of many rookies Brown and Richardson plan on gifting art pieces to, including Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller.

“Hopefully in time the piece will grow in value and art collecting will become a great hobby that [they] will learn to love and appreciate,” Brown adds.  

Photos courtesy of Set Free Richardson.

The post Jaylen Brown and Set Free Richardson Want to Educate NBA Rookies on the Value of  Investing Through Art  appeared first on SLAM.

Cambridge was visiting New York City when we filmed her announcement video at SLAM HQ in Queens; she was there to take part in a Jr. NBA program held around the NBA Draft, where she and other top high school prospects were mentored by notable figures around the League. As she posed for flicks in her Montverde jersey, it was apparent that Cambridge was still getting used to it all—the cameras, the attention—but she remained just as poised under the bright lights.

That’s the same energy she’ll bring to the Eagles next season: a player who can not only handle the moment but stay true to herself along the way.

For Cambridge, the decision to transfer had everything to do with opportunity, the chance to play in front of larger crowds and wanting to elevate her family’s legacy. 

“Coming from the school that I was at, it was a really good program,” she says. “I had really good teammates and a really great coach. I just wanted a different opportunity for a bigger stage. Coming from my basketball family, I just wanted to continue that legacy of putting our name out there. Montverde has been the Geico National champions for the past two years, and we’re looking to run it back this year.”

The Cambridges are a basketball powerhouse of their own. Jaloni’s older brother, Jalon, played at Pope John Paul II High School in Nashville, where he set an all-time scoring record before going on to play at Fisk University. Her brother Desmond Jr won Ivy League Rookie of the Year at Brown, where he also broke the school’s freshman scoring record with 468 points, before transferring to Nevada and then Arizona State. Big sister Jordyn attended Ensworth and was ranked No. 23 overall (the No. 4 guard) in 2018 by ESPN before heading to Vanderbilt. Then there’s Devan, who transferred to Hillcrest Prep in Arizona and was ranked No. 8—he played at Auburn before joining big bro Desmond Jr at Arizona State. Jaloni played alongside sister Deayonna, who goes by Kennedy, and was a four-star recruit, at Ensworth. After a season at Kentucky, Kennedy entered the transfer portal and just recently committed to Ohio State. Then there’s her brother Jasiah, who has grown up around plenty of role models to look up to inside the Cambridge household.

Their father, Desmond, was an NCAA legend during his time at Alabama A&M. To this day, he still holds the Division I men’s single-season steals record of 160, which he set during the 2001-02 season.

“I mean, it’s always competitive,” Jaloni, the youngest of the Cambridges, says about her household. “[There’s always] someone that’s coming after you, but someone that’s also willing to help you get to the next level. For my siblings, they’re already there [playing DI] and they’re still going, but they’re pushing me while also helping me so I can do what they’re doing but [also] do better than them.”

Having watched her siblings go through the entire recruitment process and play at the collegiate level, Cambridge knows exactly what to expect as she narrows down her top seven schools, which include LSU, Baylor, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Louisville and South Carolina. The Cambridge family is incredibly tight, too—they play UNO every Sunday and remain by Jaloni’s side throughout her journey. Cambridge’s mom was even on FaceTime with her daughter throughout our entire shoot—there to support and hype her up. 

“With recruiting and everything, because [Kennedy and I] are the youngest, Jordan would help us,” Jaloni says. “She told us that any time we needed anything, specifically about recruiting, we could come to her about it. And even if we didn’t have to ask anything, she would just tell us what to expect, what not to expect. 

And then with Kennedy, we literally talk every day. So, if there’s something that she sees that she thinks could help me, then she’s gonna tell me that. If she thinks that I could do better at something, like recruiting-wise or just anything in life, she’s gonna tell me that because she wants what’s best for me.”

Cambridge describes her game as “different from a lot of people” because of her speed. “I don’t think that everyone has the ability to use that speed and then get to their spots as quickly as I can. And then over the past two years, I’ve developed this jumper…that’s what I take advantage of.”

When asked what she’s looking for in a Division I program, Cambridge says that she wants to go to a school that will embrace her skill set and also provide a family environment. 

“Someone who’s gonna take me in and accept me as their own because I’m gonna be [me],” she says. “I want it to be a home away from home.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post No. 1 Ranked Point Guard Jaloni Cambridge is Ready to Elevate Her Elite Game at Montverde Academy appeared first on SLAM.

At just 20 years old, Madison Ledyard has emerged as one of the most exciting stylists in the game and the visionary behind some of the biggest fashion moments in women’s basketball. When we first caught up with the Cleveland native for an episode of “WSLAM Styling,” she had just worked with Sparks’ rookie Zia Cooke for her 2023 WNBA Draft look. Cooke pulled up wearing an elegant mermaid cutout dress with exquisite gemstones and detailing. The look caught everyone’s attention, especially on WNBA Twitter.

“I just thought it was so crazy that [Cooke] wanted me for such a special moment,” Ledyard, who has known Cooke for years, told us back in April. “We wanted to do something completely different. We wanted her to step out of her comfort zone a little, because a lot of people aren’t used to seeing Zia in gowns, hair up, you get what I’m saying? We wanted to do something very, very different for this so that we could always remember it.”  

Ledyard got into styling when she was 18, exploring her creativity on TikTok where she’d make videos of different outfits she had put together, posting “Style With Me” clips. Influencers started reaching out to her for help with putting together looks for different collabs they were doing. Pretty soon, more opportunities started rolling in: Maddie attended New York Fashion Week and even styled Coco Blake. 

That was just the beginning. After tweeting that she wanted to work with LSU star Angel Reese—to which the Bayou Barbie responded with “*eyeball emoji* let’s workkkkk”—Ledyard became the go-to stylist for some of Reese’s biggest appearances this year. Her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue release party look? That was Maddie. The ESPN Upfront event? Maddie styled that, too. 

“If you told me a few months ago that I would be working with Angel, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Ledyard says. “Back in March, I was eating at a restaurant in Miami and I got the opportunity to watch Angel’s championship game, and I thought in my head, I’m gonna find my way to her. I don’t know how but I am.”

And she did. Maddie also styled Reese for “Put It On Da Floor Again,” Latto’s new music video featuring Cardi B. In the video, the Bayou Barbie is rockin’ a baby blue hoodie, camo mini skirt and a pair of Y2K-esque sunglasses as she rips Latto out of a display covered in Saran Wrap. In another scene, she’s pushing Latto around in a shopping cart at a supermarket while singing along to the song.

When Cardi B raps the line, “I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU,” the camera zooms in on Reese, who stares back through her shades.

With only a few days’ notice that the shoot was going to have a Y2K theme, Ledyard sourced most of the pieces from different thrift stores. As for Angel’s boots, well, that was all Maddie—she made them out of a pair of rain boots that she thrifted and a piece of fur material. 

“When it comes to my clients, I am very dedicated, and I will do anything to find an outfit for an occasion,” she says. “When it comes down to it, I don’t mind getting crafty for my clients.”

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As for her own personal style, Maddie describes it as being very “streetwear, chill and laid back,” but she can tap into her “classy side” when she wants to. She also loves sweats, a denim-look and graphic tees. Her clients don’t just trust her taste but also her vision. As she continues to take over the styling game, Maddie is just as focused on supporting the next generation of creatives. 

“I personally feel like I am just beginning. I am nowhere [near] where I wanna be. But I’m so thankful for these recent opportunities,” she says. “And I have so much in store for the rest of the year, and I’m so excited for you guys to see. I genuinely want to use this success and platform to help younger creators make it, because I know how hard it is to make it where I’m from. I would love to create more opportunities for young aspiring creative stylists.”

Photos by OneChanceFlims and Getty Images, courtesy of Maddie.

The post Madison Ledyard is the Innovative Stylist Behind Your Favorite Women’s Basketball Looks This Year—from Zia Cooke to Angel Reese appeared first on SLAM.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby is on set, marveling at the photos that were just taken for a Jordan Brand campaign. It’s June, and Hamby is with us at the Jordan Brand Flagship store in downtown L.A. She’s rockin’ a pair of Jordan IIIs along with a custom mini skirt paired with a Jordan sports bra peeking through a netted top. As she peers over her white shades and takes flicks of the photos that were just shot, it’s clear that she’s hyped about how everything is turning out…including her outfit. Not only is the look Instagram-worthy, but it’s something that she wishes she could wear in the tunnel right now. 

The fashion visionary behind Hamby’s one-of-one look, as well as the entire editorial campaign, is none other than Sydney Bordonaro. The Pittsburgh native popped off with every look and did so by herself, without even one PA or assistant. One minute Bordonaro is in the locker-room-turned-glam-room, a pair of office scissors in hand, cutting Hamby’s top, which was originally a dress; the next she’s handing Chicago Sky guard Dana Evans a white leather purse and black shades to wear when it’s her turn in front of the camera. When Evans sees the photos, her reaction is nearly identical to Hamby’s—she, too, asks for the photos to be sent to her ASAP.

That’s the pure magic that is Bordonaro. She has a way of getting her clients to trust her, all while putting together looks that compliment them both as women and athletes. Look no further than the fits she’s put together with superstars like our co-cover star Kelsey Plum, who is always rockin’ something crazy in the tunnel before games and is consistently featured on LeagueFits. Bordonaro is big on attention to detail; having styled Hamby before, she had the skirt custom made to fit her perfectly. 

“My favorite part of what I do is my relationships with each of my clients. I cherish it,” she says. “There’s a very friendship-type bond between us. I love it. I’m always cognitive to never get too comfortable, though. They’re paying me for a service. They’re trusting me with their image.”

It’s not hard to trust her vision either. Bordonaro’s own sense of style is fire. Scroll through her Instagram feed and you’ll notice her bold, bright and colorful fits, long acrylic nails and lashes. It makes sense why she’s so tapped into the game—Bordonaro can hoop, too. She committed to Pepperdine as a sophomore in high school, and after graduating in three years, she did her grad year at Long Beach State. Word in the SLAM office was that she dropped buckets on Duke back in the day, which we later confirmed—as a freshman, she scored 23 points and hit seven three-pointers in that game.

“It just recently came to my attention that people who’ve met me from styling didn’t know I was a hooper! It blows my mind because I feel like I still associate myself [with] being a basketball player. I still feel like that’s me!” she says. 

Bordonaro started playing basketball when she was just 4 years old and wore a different Allen Iverson jersey to school every day in second grade. Basketball has remained “the center of [her] life since then,” but styling wasn’t necessarily something she thought she would do. Bordonaro majored in sports management and had her sights set on becoming an NBA agent. It wasn’t until after she finished school, and she didn’t “have to focus on ball as much,” that she started really tapping into her creativity.

“I love fashion, because in the craziest way, it’s just like basketball,” she says. “I love that you can portray who you are based on the way you dress. It’s a form of expression. You can catch someone’s vibe as soon as they walk into the room based on the way they’re dressed.” 

As one of the leading stylists truly elevating the WNBA fashion game, Syd is pretty booked and busy these days, but her vision has started becoming clearer and clearer as more opportunities come her way. “Recently, I decided I want a showroom, a fly creative space. I think I’m going to do that in Vegas by the end of the year,” she says. “I also see myself working beside athletes, agencies and brands more and more. I want to build a team around me. I want to bridge the gap [because] I see a disconnect here.

“Great things take time,” she adds. “I’m really enjoying the process of building this thing up.”

The post Meet Sydney Bordonaro: the Visionary and Stylist Who is Elevating the WNBA Fashion Game appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s take it back to ‘06. Long before he became a six-time NBA All-Star, Jimmy Butler was dropping buckets as a senior at Tomball High School in Texas, where he averaged 19.9 points and served as team captain. Still, he was considered a two-star recruit, and went on to play at Tyler Community College before catching the attention of Marquette. 

The story goes that the same young player who once was overlooked emerged into a college standout, and is now one of the most dominant players in the League. Butler wears that on his sleeve through his gritty playing style and his unwavering confidence, and quite literally: the Miami Heat superstar has rocked personal and custom-made high school and college varsity jackets inside arena tunnels throughout the season. 

While the apparel is personal to Butler—his Tomball varsity jacket even features a captain patch as well as the year 2007 and his jersey number—he’s teamed up with TOP DRWR, an innovative platform that’s the premier destination for all things high end fashion, to bring a unique experience to NBA fans and style icons.

TOP DRWR, which was co-founded by one of the illest artists in the game, French Montana, is now offering their first unveiling which includes an auction of ten items from Butler’s personal closet, including both varsity jackets, a pair of Jordans and more.

Done in partnership with The Shop Miami, all of the items have been curated by longtime stylists Calyann Barnett and Khalilah Beavers. Barnett, who has worked with everyone around the game including Dwyane Wade, is one of the most innovative visionaries in the NBA fashion world. Then there’s Khalilah Beavers, who has styled everyone from Butler to Carmelo Anthony to Jimmy Butler, and has redefined the style across the League through her work. 

The first auction is available at www.topdrwr.io and will close on Thursday, August 31, 2023. A portion of the proceeds from TOP DRWR’s initial auctions will be donated to the Social Change Fund United to support important issues impacting the Black community. 

To get a better sense of what kind of heat TOP DRWR offers, look no further than their vast collection of apparel, sneakers and luxury accessories from designers including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Versace, Fear of God, Off White, and Rolex. You don’t have to be a 6-7 NBA All-Star to show out like you’re in the tunnel or on LeagueFits—but thanks to TOP DRWR, you can look like one. 

Don’t just cop clothes, cop pieces. Sign up here. 

The post Inside Jimmy Butler’s Closet: TOP DRWR is Auctioning the Superstar’s Varsity Jackets, Sneakers and More appeared first on SLAM.

“I’m not missing this game,” he says. “If it happens, it happens.”

What happened next broke the internet. Insider tweets, push notifications and jersey swap graphics flooded social media. Another superteam shaking things up and with it came the inevitable question: Can the Suns’ new Big Three of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker win a championship?

When Beal first heard that the deal was in play, he had his own questions. “I was like, Why are they trading Book? Like there’s no way that this is happening,” Beal says. “Like, this can’t be, this isn’t right. But fast forward, he’s here, I’m here and Kevin’s here and DA [Deandre Ayton]’s here. It’s surreal and crazy to think about how the deal even came to fruition, but it’s done and I’m in an awesome situation where I can compete every single night for a chance to win.”

Bradley Beal has arrived. SLAM 245 is out now, shop here.

The future can be exciting, but with it comes letting go of the past. For Beal, that meant saying goodbye to the city he and his family have lived in for the past decade and to the organization that drafted him as the third overall pick in 2012.

The kid from St. Louis is now leaving as a 30-year-old man, a father and the second-ranked player on the Wizards’ all time scoring list. “It definitely was an emotional time for sure throughout the whole transition of the trade,” he admits. “I’ve been in DC for 11 years and that, that is, uh, a long time, and I’ve established a lot of great bonds and relationships with people in the organization and in the city itself. It was definitely a lot of emotional ties [and] a tough decision to be able to walk away from it, but it was one that was necessary. It’s a new chapter, you know. So I’m excited for it, for both parties, for us, for me moving forward, and for Washington and them moving forward. It’s bittersweet, but I’m happy that I get to move forward into another opportunity.”

Beal turned up for his birthday in DC and then flew to Phoenix the next day for his introductory
press conference with his new team while his family stayed behind to pack and move all of their
belongings out of their home. He had just landed that morning when we met up with him at the Footprint Center for his first-ever SLAM cover shoot. There are screens all over the arena, including on the jumbotron and in the lounge where we’re set up, with a picture of his face and the words, “WELCOME BRADLEY BEAL.”

“It feels like I got drafted all over again,” he says, wearing his Suns uniform for the first time. “I got drafted on my birthday at the age of 19 in 2012. And then here you go, fast forward 11 years later, the age of 30. I’m with a new team. It is definitely coming full circle. Feels surreal in some ways, but I’m definitely excited for this new journey.”

There’s a misconception about adulthood that by the time you’re 30, you’re supposed to have it all figured it out. NBA superstars aren’t the exception to that—they, too, have to deal with big life changes, career moves and saying goodbye to people they’ve spent time with. For Beal, that meant his teammates, coaches and the Wizards ownership group. “It was tough to have those conversations [and say] goodbye, but it was also encouraging. Everybody gets a chance to continue to move forward—some guys get bigger opportunities and bigger roles in DC, which [will] be great for them. And now I have a bigger and better opportunity in front of me, too.”

He can’t help but smile when he talks about how excited he is for what’s next. The respect is already there between Beal and his new teammates: he knows what KD and D. Book are about on the court, having competed against them both over the years. But there are still a lot of questions lingering around how the Suns’ Big Three can work together.

Beal has some thoughts on that, as well as where he wants to take his game next season.

SLAM: Let’s get right into it. A lot of people are wondering how so many offensive superstars can coexist. What’s your perspective on that?

Bradley Beal: In terms of our balance, we’ve talked subtly about how this thing can work. We know it won’t be easy. It’ll be a challenge, but the biggest thing is understanding [that our] one goal at the end of the day is winning. You know, we’re all gonna have our own individual goals, but I think the beauty about our group is that we’re so unselfish. And sometimes we might have to, like, yell at each other to shoot the ball or yell at each other to be aggressive because we have that mentality of deferring to the next man.

So I think it’s gonna be very fun. It won’t be easy. It’ll be a work in progress, I think. You know, it’s very hard to win in our League. I think a lot of people kind of think—they see a team, Oh, they’re gonna win. But, you know, we still have to figure it out. We still have to be blessed and be healthy throughout the year and make it work. But we’ll be a challenge. I think we have a great group that’s ready to fill their roles and accept it.

SLAM: Have you had a chance to connect with your new teammates?

BB: Yeah, my new teammates have been awesome. K [Kevin Durant], Book, D. Ayton, Cam [Cameron Payne], everybody’s been unreal in this whole transition. This is all new for me, but I’m embracing it, and these guys have all embraced me. It’s like, I’m ready to get to work, you know? This is definitely an awesome group of guys to be a part of. We’re still building on our team, but it’s been a joy so far.

SLAM: Do you guys have a group chat already?

BB: Yes, we do have a group chat already that has [been] assembled. That started ASAP.

SLAM: What have the first texts been like?

BB: It’s nothing wild. I think the first thing honestly was Book saying, like, Yo, let’s go work out. That’s what I would love to be a part of, man. I’m just super excited to be around like-minded guys who wanna push each other each and every day…To have that first text be, Let’s get in the gym. I think that’s a great message [for] the season.

SLAM: You and KD go way, way back, and you and Booker play the same position. Having competed against both of them for years, what were your first impressions?

BB: That they’re very humble, and that’s something I take [pride in]. I try to carry myself the same way, with humility at all times. We’re given so much, we’re looked at as role models and we’re blessed. To be able to just be so down to earth like these guys and be selfless, that’s what I wanna be around. That’s what I wanna surround myself with. And like-minded guys on the floor who just want to go win. Whatever that looks like, whatever it takes, that’s what they want to do.

SLAM: After averaging 23.2 points last season, what are your personal goals for the upcoming season?

BB: Oh man, it’s tough. I haven’t really thought about my own goals yet, but I would say the biggest individual piece is getting back to being one of the best two-way players in the League. Showing that I can really compete at a high level and play a meaningful game. You know, playing in the playoffs, winning in the playoffs, advancing past rounds.

Granted, I wanna get back to my All-Star level of play. I really believe that that’s who I am: All-NBA guy, All-Star guy. And I have a good group that can push me to be that every single day. So I’m excited about that opportunity. I get to be around like-minded guys and guys who will push me to make sure that I’m the best version of myself every day.

SLAM: Have you had a chance to talk to head coach Frank Vogel yet?

BB: Yes, Coach Vogel is awesome. I’ve had several instances of speaking with him. A brilliant mind in the game of basketball, NBA champion, defensive-minded coach. You know, I’m definitely excited to be able to see where he’ll take us, our team and where he’ll push us to. I’m definitely ecstatic with his knowledge of the game and his presence as a head coach.

SLAM: Looking back at your time in DC, do you have a favorite memory or defining moment that you’ll carry with you into this next chapter?

BB: I had so many great memories and so many great moments in DC. It’s really hard to pinpoint one. I think I’m just grateful for all the bonds and the relationships I’ve built. I think that’s what I’ll propel into my next chapter of life. I want this chapter to be more or less open and me not trying to control everything.

I think we, as humans, sometimes try to control our lives a little too much. I want to just let this wave kind of take me where it wants to go and let God lead the way and enjoy it every step of the way.

SLAM: What’s the legacy you hope to leave after your 11 seasons in DC?

BB: My biggest thing when it comes to legacy is always the impact I leave on people. You know, whether it’s teammates, the community, my coaches, the organization as a whole, the people that you encounter on a day to day [basis].

I just want, you know, my encounters to be great. I want you to remember me as just a great human being. I can be good at basketball. We’re all good at basketball, but, you know, what kind of person was I? I don’t want to be somebody who puts themselves above everybody else. So, I always try to say my interactions and my moments with people are always my biggest legacy. I want to leave lasting memories with them.

SLAM: With all the hype and attention on the Suns right now, what can we expect from the team next season? What type of time are y’all on?

BB: Expect a very fun team to be playing in Arizona this year. The Phoenix Suns will be hungry. We’ll be very aggressive, but it’ll be a very fun style of play that every fan will love—love to tune in to watch. So, we can’t wait. We’re excited. We have a lot of very talented guys, so we’re excited about it.

SLAM 245 Gold Metal Edition + Cover Tee are available now!

Portraits by Erik Isakson.

The post Bradley Beal’s Next Chapter: Phoenix’s New Star Opens Up About Getting Traded, His Legacy and Returning to His All-Star Form appeared first on SLAM.

Then there’s the obvious: he’s into the moment and what we have in store for him at the shoot. A duffle bag full of mystery items to film an episode of “Bag Talk,” an oversized Pacers throwback jersey with a pair of Timberlands and more. Inside the gym, music is blasting through the speakers—it’s a mix of old school Drake and Disney Channel throwbacks like High School Musical (Tyrese, a huge HSM fan, can sing every word). His longtime girlfriend, Jade, and agency rep are here with us, too, and encourage him to just be himself while the camera snaps away.

Once he sits down to talk about his All-Star performance this season, that smile appears again. Actually, it’s more of a smirk now. Maybe he knows something that we don’t?

A few days from now, the news will drop that Haliburton is signing a five-year max extension worth $260 million, making him the face of the franchise.

“I’ve battled and clawed and fought my way to get to where I’m at,” he says. “Now criticism and all that stuff means nothing to me because when I was a kid, nobody would have cared enough to even give me criticism. So the fact that I get it now is pretty cool. I just love proving people wrong. I don’t know, I love negativity. I love seeing negativity on Twitter. I love hearing people say negative comments about my game. It always interests me. It could be somebody with, like, no followers, I just want to prove them wrong.”

SLAM 245 featuring the Indiana Pacers All-Star is out now. Shop here.

This is the same Tyrese Haliburton who was a three-star prospect in high school and, in his words, was expected to redshirt as a freshman at Iowa State. He went from there to becoming a lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. After a mid-season trade last year sent him from Sacramento to Indiana, he’s now an All-Star and was the team’s leading scorer this past season.

While other people might not have seen the vision, Haliburton has always been in his own lane. It stems from his childhood. In elementary school, his guidance counselors would tell him to pick a career path that seemed more “realistic” when he would mention that he wanted to be in the NBA. For the sake of moving things forward, Haliburton would pick something else, but really, he was always thinking a step ahead about how to make it to the League. There’s even a video of a young Tyrese on the internet, rapping to Drake’s “The Motto.” In it, he sings, “How ya feel, how ya feel? 25, sitting on 25 mill.” Even little Tyrese knew what was up.

And like the flow Drake and Weezy carry in that song, Haliburton’s rise happened pretty quickly. In college, he thought he’d have a “good four-year career” at Iowa State but ended playing two seasons. There’s always been doubters, too, even when it comes to his shot-making ability, which he says has been critiqued since he was young. “It’s always just kind of been that way, but I’m just gonna be who I am at the end of the day. It’s helped me get here, so I must be doing something right.”

Now, in the city of Indianapolis, home to the Indy 500, Haliburton is bringing that same energy and speed to the Pacers’ offense. That’s just how he was taught to play the game—pushing the tempo, getting up and down at a rapid rate. “I feel like it’s contagious as well—good energy, and pace and all that stuff,” he says. “When we’re playing fast-paced like we do, I think everybody just falls in line.”

While the team showed flashes of promise this season, collectively and individually—Haliburton averaged 20.7 points and 10.4 points (both career highs), and big man Myles Turner hit new career marks with 18 points and 7.5 boards—there’s still room for improvement. Winning is Haliburton’s main priority right now.

“I haven’t had a winning season in, like, four years dating back to college, so that’s just where I want to get to,” he says, later adding: “There’s obviously a lot more for me to accomplish personally, but I want to win. I want to be playing on the biggest stage, and that’s the playoffs.”

Haliburton doesn’t hesitate to keep it real about how last season went. The Pacers finished with a 35-47 record, ranked 11th in the East, and he found it “frustrating” to have to deal with injuries knowing that his team needed him.

“I felt like if I’m healthy, the situation for us changes a little bit last year,” he says. “But you can’t control everything. You can only put so much energy into what you can’t control. I think the best advice I’ve ever received is just control what you can.”

He’s constantly thinking about what’s next, too, and what he can do better individually and as a leader on the team. “I’m obviously already thinking [about] next year,” he says. “Like, what do I have to do for us to get to where we want to be?”

This summer is all about getting stronger so that he can protect himself from injuries and be able to last throughout the season. He’s been lifting 4-5 times a week and sharpening his skills on the court with Hanlen, who noticed a major shift in his mindset over the years. “I would say mentality, just being more aggressive and more confident, and feeling like he is that guy that can lead a franchise.”

Then there’s his approach to the game. Hanlen first got connected to Haliburton, who was playing on the Kings at the time, through his agent, Dave Spahn. Back in January of 2022, the team was set to play Philadelphia, and Hanlen happened to be already be in town to work with Sixers’ superstar Joel Embiid when he agreed to meet Haliburton for dinner the night before at Del Friscos. The conversation quickly turned into Hanlen “pressing” his potential client on what he wanted to achieve. He’d ask him, How many times are you going to be an All-Star? How many times will you make All-NBA First Team?

“I’m just giving [Haliburton] a bunch of these gut-punching questions,” Hanlen recalls now. “Then I said, you know what? The biggest thing is you’re not gonna be able to do any of this stuff if you keep attempting—I think he was attempting like 11 shots a game at the time or something like that. I was like, it’s just not possible. The math ain’t math-ing.”

Then Hanlen offered Haliburton a challenge: “You wore number 14 in high school, so that’s the number. If you wanna work with me this summer, you have to shoot 14 field goal attempts tomorrow night against the Sixers. Otherwise, I’m not working with you.”

The next night, on January 29, Haliburton went out and scored a career-high 38 points on 11-19 field goal attempts. Not only had he accepted Hanlen’s challenge, but he had dominated. The two have worked together ever since and talk after every game. From Hanlen’s perspective, Haliburton has grown in every aspect of the word: from improving his footwork to his shot creation and being a more “dynamic scorer.” Last summer, Haliburton gained 12 pounds, he says, and has become stronger and able to play through more contact. But in terms of Haliburton’s unconventional playing style, Hanlen also just lets him rock.

“You don’t break things that aren’t broken,” he says, later adding: “We always try to just strengthen his strengths and we try to attack his weaknesses. There’s nothing that can hold him back from reaching the heights that we think he can get to [and] there’s no reason to take away the uniqueness and the creativity that allows him to be unconventional, but also so dynamic as a player.”

The 23-year-old doesn’t take himself too seriously, either. Basketball, he says, is a “child’s game,” and brings him back to memories of having a ball in his crib and playing video games. That’s the joy behind Haliburton’s ever-apparent smile when he’s out there on the hardwood. “When I’m playing basketball, it’s just fun,” he says. “It’s like I’m a kid again, you know? And that’s what I love about it. This isn’t a job for me. This is a passion of mine and something I really love to do.”

Playing against All-Stars like Darius Garland, who was drafted a year before him in 2019, is his idea of fun. “We’re good friends,” he says. “I think that’s important. We just really enjoy competing against each other. I see that being a thing for both of us moving forward.”

He’s also a fan of the WNBA and tunes in to as many games as he can, including a recent match-up between the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever. Haliburton, who live-tweeted his reaction to Chelsea Gray’s elite behind-the-back pass, was taking notes, too. “I wouldn’t even think to try something like that. I mean, maybe I would in the moment, but just on TV it looked crazy. I couldn’t believe that she did that.”

“I’m trying everything [she did],” he admits later. “CC [Gray] in the caption.”

It’s that energy that’s got Pacers fans excited. Even Indiana’s own Caitlin Cooper, who runs the Basketball, She Wrote blog on Patreon and once wrote about the team for Indy Cornrows, has noticed it around the city. The team had its first two sell-out games since February 8, 2020, according to the Indy Star. “I can tell you that you’re starting to sense a shift,” says Cooper. “I’ve talked to people who would have never talked to me about the Pacers before and they’re like, I gotta get on the ground floor of this. They’re building something special and that Tyrese Haliburton is a really entertaining guy to watch.”

The way Haliburton has shown love to Indiana is a sign of a promising future ahead. He’s invested in the city, hosting youth basketball camps and even going as far as to promote Cooper’s work and wear her t-shirt, “JUMP PASSES ARE GOOD NOW,” in the tunnel this year.

“I think that the best thing about Tyrese Haliburton—having him as your franchise player—was just, from the Pacers’ perspective, they’ve talked about the fact that there are murals painted on buildings of Reggie Miller and that they think that Tyrese can get to that level at some point,” says Cooper. “And the way that he’s embraced the city and what he means as a franchise star, you can believe that [they’re] going to get there.”

According to Hanlen, even his other clients have noticed that something is brewing in Indiana, with Tyrese at the forefront of it. “I work with a lot of other NBA players. Anytime somebody signs with the Pacers, the first thing that all my clients say is, Oh, Ty’s gonna get ’em paid. Ty’s gonna get ’em paid. He’s gonna make ’em look so much better than that player really is just because Ty makes the game so much easier for everybody around him. When you ask, what is his ceiling? I mean, he’s a guy that I think will be one of, if not the best point guards for the next, next decade and a guy that I think can be a floor general for a championship caliber team.”

Spahn, says they set goals before every season—last year, it was for Haliburton to average 20 and 10 and be an All-Star, which he did. Going into next season, they’re ready for him to amp it up and be All-NBA. “I don’t think there is a limit right now, I think he’s gonna be the best point guard in the League one day,” Spahn says. “And I think he’s gonna be the best point guard in the League for a long time. I think he’s that level of player and person.”

What’s most important is that Haliburton sees it within himself, too. While the accolades and accomplishments continue to pile up—the week after our shoot, it was announced that he’ll join the 2023 USA men’s national team for the FIBA World Cup this summer—Haliburton knows that in order to get the Pacers where they want to be, they’re going to have to work for it. Proving people wrong ain’t nothing new for him, but right now, Pacers fans are expecting bigger and better things. He’s on a mission to prove ’em right.

“I always say, There’s no secret to success. All the most successful people in the world, they just usually work harder than everybody else,” Haliburton says. “I just want to be the best that I can and squeeze every bit of God given ability that I have [out]. Squeeze it all out before I’m done playing.”

SLAM 245 GOLD MEDAL EDITIONS + COVER TEES OUT NOW!

The post Inside the Rise of Tyrese Haliburton and His Mission to Lead the Pacers Back on Track appeared first on SLAM.

And yet, home is where it all began. She’d play against men at local tournaments, and even after moving to New England to attend Worcester Academy, would find time to return whenever she could. Most importantly, Boston continued to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands and prove that the best of the best can come from St. Thomas.

“That’s where I started off from, on the island where nobody knew me, having to travel away for camps and having to relocate from my parents and my grandparents to living with my aunt when I was 12,” Boston told Deyscha Smith back in 2019. “Even though it’s a small island, there’s so much talent there and for me to give back to them when I have an influence, that resembles what I want to do.” 

On July 18, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism announced a multi-year partnership with the Indiana Fever breakout star, who will now serve as the official tourism ambassador for the U.S. territory, which includes the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.

Boston will promote destination through local and national campaigns.

“The U.S. Virgin Islands mean so much to me and my family and I couldn’t be happier to be an official ambassador for my hometown,” Boston said. “I’m very proud of where I’m from and it’s really special to be able to partner with the tourism board so that we can let the world know that the islands are gorgeous, with beautiful and kind people, and filled with a cultural richness that make them a destination for everyone.”

The SLAM 237-co cover star just became the first rookie to be selected to start in the WNBA All-Star game since 2014. Now she can add tourism ambassador to her ever-growing list of accomplishments.

Featured Image via Getty Images.

The post Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston Will Now Serve as an Ambassador of the US Virgin Islands appeared first on SLAM.

Hot girl sh*t, never let ’em cool off…

To put it plainly, the Aces’ state-of-the-art practice facility is fuego. Located right next door to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders headquarters, it’s a 64,000-square-foot facility equipped with everything an athlete could ever dream of. A pair of double doors leads you to their two practice courts, which are so shiny and new that you can see your own reflection in them (according to Front Office Sports, this area can seat more than 400 people). There’s a player’s lounge, a film room, an infrared sauna, a cryotherapy room and more. It’s hard to not just stop and stare at it all, especially knowing that most teams in the WNBA don’t have a facility like this (yet?). But then again, Vegas isn’t like anywhere else. 

And the Aces aren’t just any team.

WSLAM 3 featuring A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young is out now.

In a city full of flashing lights and high rollers, they’re the squad shining the brightest right now, with the best record in the WNBA (13-1) as we go to press. The night before our shoot, they had Michelob ULTRA Arena, also known as “The House,” rockin’ with a 31-point blowout win over the Minnesota Lynx. Afterward, a crowd of fans waited eagerly in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino lobby, holding posters and jerseys and hoping to take flicks with the reigning champs. Drive down The Strip and you’ll see that the Aces are modern-day rockstars. A poster of the starting five, including Candace Parker, hangs outside the arena. Nearby at the Aria Resort, there’s an entire Aces-themed cake and “sugar masterpiece” on display at the Patisserie, with a sign next to it that lists fun facts about the team, including: The Aces lineup boasts five US Olympic gold medalists in A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Candace Parker. 

“Everyone talks about the entertainment side, but you just knew that the sports side was brewing, and to be a part of it is truly amazing,” says Wilson. “It takes a village to build and grow anything, but when it comes to a sports team, I think Vegas really took us in. Vegas is my second home; I’m not afraid to say that I love it here.”

Vegas is now a certified sports town and has its WNBA franchise to thank for bringing the city its first-ever major professional sports title just last year. Now the other pro teams are catching up—the Golden Knights just won the NHL Stanley Cup last month, while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has hinted at an NBA team possibly coming to Sin City, saying that Vegas “will make a great location for a franchise one day.”

Still, there seems to be some confusion about just how impactful the Aces are. When they started the 2023 season with a seven-game winning streak, the internet compared them to the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors. After the Knights won the Stanley Cup, President Joe Biden congratulated them on Twitter, calling the hockey team the “first major professional franchise in such a proud American city.”

Rather than diminish the Knights’ performance, let’s look at what the girlies have been doing for quite some time now. Plum, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2017, has been a key piece of the franchise since it was located in San Antonio. She emerged from an Achilles injury in 2020 to become the 2021 Sixth Woman of the Year and is now an All-Star and All-Star Game MVP. Wilson was drafted No. 1 just a year after KP and has gone on to win Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, two MVPs the 2022 FIBA World Cup MVP and has been named an All-Star four times. Oh, and she also has an entire statue dedicated to her at South Carolina, where she won a national championship in 2017. 

Then there’s Gray, who was drafted in the first round back in 2014 by the Sun and is a four-time All-Star. She won a championship with the Sparks (alongside Parker) in 2016. After signing with the Aces as a free agent in 2021, CG got herself another chip last season and won Finals MVP. And then there’s Young, yet another former No. 1 pick, who won the Most Improved Player award and was named an All-Star last year. Add in the fact that one of the greatest players of all time, Candace Parker, signed with the team this past February, and the squad has reached a whole different level this year. They’re beating opponents by 20, 30 and, as we saw early on in the season against the Storm, sometimes by 40 points. Our four cover stars are all averaging double-figure points per game. 

With so much talent, how exactly does a team full of stars work so well together? Look no further than the set of our cover shoot. There’s a confidence to Wilson, Plum, Gray and Young that’s undeniable—the way they’re able to command a room and own the moment. As they pose for the camera, the four All-Stars collectively decide that they want to try a new formation, something no one else has done before on the cover of SLAM, let alone the past two WSLAM issues. In between takes, their chemistry is apparent, even if they might think no one is noticing. They help fix each other’s hair, they have a lot of inside jokes and seem to always be laughing and chatting about something. At one point, Gray starts vlogging and recording on Young’s phone; later, Plum jokingly interrupts Wilson’s interview about the Divine Nine.

First impressions are everything, though, and if they’re being honest, it wasn’t all laughs in the beginning for Wilson and Plum. Back when they were both playing on the USA Basketball U18 team, the two were roommates and didn’t exactly vibe. “We did not speak to each other at all,” Plum admits. “And it’s not because we [didn’t] like each other, but you know, it’s like a really awkward age. You’re just kinda like, Hi…” 

Flash forward to today, and their relationship has grown over the years into a “friendship and a bond,” Wilson says. They’ve watched each other grow from top recruits to stars in college to superstars at the pro level. “A and I, like, we just kind of been through it over the years,” Plum says. “There’s just a level of, like, what’s understood doesn’t need to be said, and I feel like that’s not just in basketball, but in life. And we relate on a lot of levels like that…I appreciate A’ja because I feel like she just remains true to who she is, regardless of the circumstances. And a lot of things are thrown her way—professionally, personally, things like that—but she just handles it with grace. And I just admire that.” 

There are moments when even those closest to you have to keep it a buck, and KP and A have been there, too. In Game 2 of the Finals last year, it was Wilson who told Plum to “get her shit together” amidst a rough shooting night. Real always recognizes real. 

“I’m gonna always push KP’s buttons, I don’t care how she’s feeling. I don’t care what’s going on, I want her to be the best,” Wilson says when asked about that game. “And if that means setting a bar so high that I know she probably can’t get to it, just like not missing a shot in a playoff game, I’m going to [hold] her to that standard. I want her to be that, even if I see her dipping down or feeling like she’s getting into her head, I’m gonna always be the first person to let her know, I’m not going for that shit. Like, Wake up. We’re in this together, and you’re not by yourself. You’re not alone.” 

Plum lets out a laugh and dishes it right back. “I mean, that’s nothing new. I be yelling at her, too! Y’all don’t hear it in the press conference, but it’s OK.” 

“KP always circles back,” Wilson adds. 

Plum, who was the second leading scorer in the League last season, has also figured out how to respond this year—even when opponents are trapping her on ball screens, she delivers with elite reads and assists to her open teammates. As their former competitor, Gray knows that firsthand. 

“Maaaaaaaan, it was just a lot of moving targets,” Gray says, when asked about the scouting report on the Aces. “You had to stay in front of Jack[ie]. KP was just, like, she’s a bullet down the court. A’ja can score in a bunch of different ways. If you have to just foul her, just foul her. I was just like, I just don’t want to switch. Let me have my matchup, let me just lock in on that. They just have so many weapons. They were really rebuilding, but at any given moment, they could just take off.” 

And they did. By 2020, the Aces finished with the best record in the League and made it all the way to the Finals. “I was just excited to join some great athletes. I’m here with people that are going to be in the Hall of Fame,” says Gray. “And I could confidently say that [about] everybody that I look to [on] my left or right, for sure.” 

The feeling is mutual when it comes to how they feel about Gray. “Being young in the League and having to guard somebody like [Gray], it was just tough every night,” says Young. “The only thing I could do was try to get up and pressure her. But, yeah, it didn’t really matter. It didn’t matter because, I mean, she’s gonna throw a behind-the-back pass, no-look pass.” 

Adds Plum: “Pretty much you don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of the highlight. I would just foul. Or when she turns her head, put your hands the other way.” 

Plum also spent most of the offseason with Young and saw firsthand how hard she works. While the guard out of Notre Dame might come off as being on the quieter side, her teammates admit that she’ll just be in her own world, for real—she stayed dedicated to putting in hours in the gym and conditioning. “People don’t realize the amount of time and work that she has put into her game, and I don’t think that she gets a lot of credit for that. People don’t really talk about that. I don’t know why,” says Plum. “Because there’s a reason that people hit her and bounce off.”

Young went from averaging just 6.6 points as a rookie to leading the team in scoring so far this year with 20.2 ppg (she’s also currently ranked sixth in the W). Gray used to call her “Silent Assassin,” and it makes sense why: she’s so lethal with the rock, whether that’s from three or beating defenders off the dribble. “She’s even talking and getting a little spicy a little bit more now,” Gray says. “She’s veering away from Silent Assassin, now she’s ‘30-point Nugget.’” New nickname alert. 

“We all had vital parts to the championship run last year, and then now where we are today…Jackie is a huge piece of that,” Wilson adds.

And then there’s Wilson, who has been an undeniable force on the Aces from the moment she arrived. Whereas most rookies need time to develop, She’s made an impact immediately by starting every game and averaging 20.7 points that season. Now in Year 6, Wilson is still bringing the heat to everything she does, all while ranking second in blocks this season with 2.2 per game. “A’ja [is a] whole bucket with personality on 10, but still hasn’t reached her potential either. I think I can say the same about all of them, like not reaching their ceiling,” Gray says. 

Individual talents aside, when asked what’s been the biggest factor in the team’s success—which includes leading the W in almost every major statistical category, from points to blocks to both field goal and three-point percentage—they each attribute it to something different. Ask Wilson and she’ll say it’s about accountability. Gray adds that they just don’t take things personally. KP feels like it’s two things, the first being that they each have that hunger within: “It just kind of permeates,” she says. “It’s just kind of like, Oh, Chelsea is on one today. I need to raise my level. You know what I mean? Or like Jackie—one day in practice, I’m like, Oh, you want to be Michael Jordan today?”

Then there’s how selfless they all are. “It’s really easy to have an ego,” Plum adds. “Because everyone is valid, like everyone could argue for why they should be able to get more, etc. And I just feel like people are just like, No, we want to win. And we understand that that little bit of sacrifice is probably the most important part to keeping this together.” 

As for Young, it’s also their “contagious” energy and the way everyone competes day in and day out. “I think that’s what makes us so great in general.”

If there’s one thing about the Aces that might surprise you, it’s their take on the whole narrative that they’re a superteam. “We were talking about it earlier, like people say superteam, super this, super that…I’ve never said that before,” says Plum.

“I feel like it’s more of the media and other people saying that, and [they’re] more worried about that than us,” adds Wilson. “Because our locker room, we ’gon keep it tight, we’re gonna be us [and] who we are every single time we step foot on that court. So when it comes to superteams and all this big rah rah rah, I don’t think we pay any attention to it, because at the end of the day, we have to perform at a high, high level, and we’re gonna do whatever it takes to do that.”

“We were picked fifth last year,” Plum also points out, to which Gray adds, “I don’t [remember] what it was, but it wasn’t top three.” 

Plum continues: “No one was saying superteam then, and we had the same exact roster, and we won. And then this year, you know, we add[ed] some pieces, but like…”

“Our core is still our core,” A’ja agrees.

Maybe that’s it, though. The sugar, the spice and everything that’s nice about the Aces is within them. All of them, from 2022 WNBA Coach of the Year Becky Hammon to every single person on the roster. There’s no secret formula to their success. 

“I think that’s also why people [are] always trying to figure out what’s going on in Vegas, because we just really have fun,” Wilson continues. “And it’s not for the cameras. It’s not—it’s just who we are. We make it fun because it’s our job, and we love what we do. But I think that’s a huge factor [for] people like, What’s going on over there? What y’all got going on? And it’s like, we have fun, but then on top of that, we win games. So it’s kind of like, what’s the secret sauce? We are.” 

Wilson’s words couldn’t describe the Aces’ momentum any better, especially as they look to capture another title and continue their reign as a dynasty in the making. Meanwhile, Vegas is hosting WNBA All-Star Weekend this year, and by the time you’re reading this, many of you will be there, holding this very magazine in your hands as the excitement and energy buzzes all around you.

After all, women’s basketball and the Las Vegas Aces are the greatest show on earth.

We’re tuned in, are you? 

Rise of a Dynasty. Exclusive WSLAM 3 Cover Tees are available now.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post Aces Superstars A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young Open Up on How They’ve Built a Powerhouse in Vegas appeared first on SLAM.

Step inside Scoot Henderson’s world. The first thing you might notice, right as you get to the front doors of the Next Play 360 training center in Georgia, is a giant photo decal of him on the window. He’s wearing his white G League Ignite uniform and holding a basketball. From a certain angle, it looks like he’s charging full speed ahead on the court, maybe even directly at you. 

The facility, which is run by the Henderson family, is where we filmed Scoot’s “Day in the Life” video just two years ago. Back then, Scoot was rockin’ a fro and dominating at Carlton J. Kell High School as the No. 1 ranked point guard in the Class of 2022. He became the youngest pro hooper in the United States when he signed a two-year deal with the G League Ignite as a junior. Then, at 18, he inked a multi-year endorsement deal with PUMA that was reportedly the richest shoe contract ever signed by a non-draft-eligible player. 

It’s April and Scoot is now 19. He just played two years with the NBA G League Ignite, where he averaged 14.3 points his first season, and then appeared in 19 games this year before he was shut down for the remainder of the season. The Marietta native has come a long way from just seeing his name “on social media sites” as a highly touted prospect. He’s being projected as a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Mock drafts have him going as high as top three. 

Scoot Henderson covers SLAM 244. Get your copy here.

When his reps offer us the chance to watch a private workout with his trainers, we get to see what all the attention has been about. There’s a few PUMA reps in the gym with us, but otherwise, no videos or photos are allowed. It feels quite literally like a moment to remember: watching a shirtless Scoot, who now has slickback braids and a fresh cut, driving to the basket. When you see how explosive and insanely athletic he is, you understand why he’s earned comparisons to Russell Westbrook. When he takes off and dunks the ball, he just stays up there for a moment, hanging on the rim. 

Suddenly it hits you. There’s no need to wonder what the future of basketball will look like when it’s standing right in front of you.

Later, Scoot reveals what he envisions for his own destiny. “I see a big house. Family. NBA. All-Star. Rings. MVPs, DPOYs, Rookie of the Year. Whatever I can achieve, I know what it takes to get there. I know it’s not an easy route at all, but I think I’m the man to do that.”

Looking around the gym, Scoot’s motto, “ODD,” is plastered on the wall. It stands for “Overly Determined to Dominate.” He says he made it up on the spot one day. 

“I’m like, Dang, I need a slogan. Like, it really came about [based on] my journey to where I am now: it was unorthodox and unheard of and very odd. So I’m thinking of ‘odd’ and I’m like, Hmm, some O-words that just describe me. I work hard, so I just came up with ‘overly determined to dominate.’ That’s kind of just how I view my competition, I want to be overly determined to dominate the competition. Not just that, it applies to life as well—to dominate that day.” 

Anyone close to Scoot will tell you that he’s ready in every aspect of the word. Ready for the spotlight and the responsibility. Ready for the League. Ignite teammate and veteran Pooh Jeter, who has known Scoot since he was 17, repeats it over the phone. “He’s so mature at this age, and just ready,” Jeter tells us. 

After dominating in the G, Scoot has only gotten more prepared. Physically, he’s ripped—Jeter brings up a running joke about whether Scoot puts muscle milk in his cereal. He can handle the moment, too. When he matched up against Victor Wembanyama and the Metropolitans 92 in an exhibition game, he hit a three right over the 7-4 French anomaly in the first quarter. Later, he scored on a reverse layup, showing everyone that he’s lethal with the ball in his hands from anywhere on the floor. “He just took off after that,” Jeter says. “The whole world was talking about Scoot.” 

The Ignite has proven to be the perfect launching pad for Scoot’s career. Not every 17-year-old can handle leaving home and moving all the way to Nevada, not to mention dealing with the attention and pressure that comes with being a top NBA draft prospect. And yet, Jeter has noticed how Scoot is moving like a pro now, too. He leaves his phone in the locker room during practice, is one of the first people in the gym and has learned how to handle things like injuries or coming off the bench. “I’m just feeling prepared,” Scoot says.

“Everything I’m doing right now and leading into the draft, the biggest goal in my life right now is getting there. And I feel pretty prepared. I’m training right now, getting my mind right, my breathing right. I was a pro for two years, so I just feel prepared [for] my dream. And I think I’m ready.” 

His family has seen the shift in him, too, especially older sister China (Scoot is the second youngest of seven siblings). She remembers when he was little and would wake at 6 a.m. before football games singing his team’s song, “We Will Rock You,” and stomping his feet to the rhythm. Fast forward to now and Scoot is still always dialed in, whether on the court or discussing business with the family. 

“[His mindset] is completely different compared to myself at that age, and just your average 18, 19-year-old,” China says. “So to kind of see him transition from when he first came on at 16, 17,
and then to now, it’s like, OK, now you’re speaking about grown adult things. Now you want to be put into certain rooms. At first, [his] focus was, OK, I just need to make it to the NBA. Now you see yourself as an entire entity, [and it’s like], How can I leverage this relationship versus this relationship? Just those conversations are kind of mind blowing to me.” 

I want to be the best point guard to ever play the game.

— Scoot Henderson on His Future

Spend an afternoon with the Hendersons and you can tell just how incredibly tight-knit the family is. On set, China is with Scoot the entire time, supporting him and sharing her thoughts on different outfits. But when the cameras are on, everyone just lets Scoot rock. He’s energetic and playful, like any 19-year-old; he watches The Boondocks and Rick and Morty, and prefers listening to his own music on set—he takes over the aux as soon as the shoot starts and mainly plays rap. Then there’s the Scoot that’s a bit of an old soul—he’s into reading and listening to old-school jams like Mary J. Blige’s “My Life.” While filming SLAM’s “Bag Talk,” Scoot even sings it a capella. His sisters Onyx and Diamond say that they all have an inside joke about the time Diamond called Scoot “Old Man.” Scoot will sometimes repeat it over and over again while laughing hysterically.

He’s also very into fashion and has fun trying different looks during the shoot, from going shirtless and wearing knitted shorts and black shades to pulling off an oversized mustard-colored floral jacket with his own pair of burnt orange flared pants. “That flair is kind of the same thing that I have on the court,” Scoot tells SLAM. “You just got to be confident—fashion is something you got to be confident with.” 

While wearing his white G League Ignite uniform, Scoot puts on his blinged out chain that reads, “CAVEAT,” which means warning. When we ask Scoot about what kind of legacy he wants to leave in the League, he says it so confidently that it sounds almost like one, too.

“I want to be the best point guard to ever play the game. That’s the legacy I want to leave behind. I’ve always thought to myself, how they say, you know, MJ and Kobe and those guys…I just want to kind of show people that like, you can be great no matter where you’re from. No matter how old you are, you could do what you got to do, as long as you put your mind to it. And you’d be ODD.”

This is the Future Issue, but really, we’re all living in a new era of basketball where hoopers like Scoot are entire “entities,” as China puts it, meaning they’re brands with endorsement deals, shoe contracts and blue checks on social media. For Scoot, that new era means posing for photo shoots like this one and designing his own PUMA All Pro Nitro colorway (which we got a sneak peek of while on set). Scoot says the blue, red and checkerboard details all pay homage to the Marietta Diner in his hometown. 

He’s also been tapping into his creativity through acting, starring in the recent biopic Shooting Stars about LeBron James and his early years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School with his childhood best friends and teammates. Scoot, who plays Romeo Travis, says he was nervous at first. Looking at him on-screen, though, it looks like he’s done this before. 

“First take I was like, Yo, I’m in a movie for real. This is crazy. It was kind of nerve-racking, but I got over it really fast.”

Every kid grows up dreaming of playing in the NBA or starring in a movie one day, but few ever actually do. Then there are the ones who believe limits don’t exist. “I always envisioned myself being a pro, being a household name,” Scoot says. “I wanted to do everything. I didn’t want anybody to limit me to anything, like, limit me to being a football player or a basketball player. Right now I’m doing whatever I can. Whatever opportunity comes, I’m taking it.”

What happens next, in the actual future, is up to him. This next generation of stars isn’t just ready for the moment; they are the moment. Scoot knows what he needs to do to capitalize on the journey ahead once he gets to the League. “I plan on dominating by learning quickly, by having confidence,” he tells us. “I think that’s just the biggest thing for rookies. You know, LaMelo [Ball] came in and did what he had to do. Ant Man [Anthony Edwards] came in and did what [he] had to do. Paolo [Banchero]—obviously [he] had the Rookie of the Year and they did what they had to do because they were confident in themselves, they were confident in the work they put in, they were confident in their environment. And that’s just how I’m gonna go in.

I’m gonna go with my own flair and my own personality, and my own culture built up, and I’m gonna go in there confident. And that’s how I plan to maneuver my way up in the NBA.”

He knows it’s not just about him though. That’s something Jeter has told Scoot as he gets ready for this next chapter. “I always say, Whatever your pick [in the draft] is, it’s what you do after that. That’s how you create that [next] generation,” Jeter explains.

When the Ignite were in L.A. for their last game against the South Bay Lakers, Jeter remembers Scoot telling him that he wanted to go with him to his 8-year-old son EJ’s baseball game. “My youngest who’s 4, instead of Whoomp there it is, he’ll be like, Scoot there it is! That’s who [Scoot] is!” 

After our shoot wraps up and everyone is getting ready to leave, we notice that most of the young players trickling into the gym are wearing PUMA Stewie 1s. It’s another glimpse of the future, of Scoot’s impact. How he, and his family, are just as invested in future generations to come. “That’s always been my dream,” Scoot says. “For little kids to look up to me and just be there for anything.” 

The future has never looked brighter. 

Portraits: Diwang Valdez

Styling: Ian Pierno // Assistant: Kai Mac 

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The post Scoot Henderson is on a Mission to Become the Best NBA Point Guard Ever appeared first on SLAM.

Curry and top NBA Draft prospect Scoot Henderson have announced that they will form a “groundbreaking mentorship and strategic alliance,” that will focus on basketball, business, media and having a social impact.

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A post shared by Scoot Henderson ° (@thereal0_)

Henderson, who is a projected top lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, starred on the G League Ignite throughout his two years and averaged 18.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game this past season. As he continues to ascend on the court, Henderson is just as dedicated to his impact off of it. His family is currently based in Marietta, GA and is passionate about making an impact in their community—they run Next Play 360°, a non-profit organization in Georgia that’s provides both youth basketball programing and STEM education for underrepresented K-12 students throughout the Metro Atlanta region.

In addition to mentoring Scoot, the alliance will also extend to his younger sister, Crystal “Moochie” Henderson, who was just named the Georgia State Player of the Year, as well as the entire Henderson family.

“I have been watching Scoot and his family for a while now, and I am beyond impressed with what he has accomplished thus far, and excited to watch him take control of his future and grow,” says Stephen Curry via an official press release. “Our values are deeply aligned when it comes to prioritizing family, hard work and appreciating the blessings in our lives. I firmly believe that what he and the Henderson Family are building is transformative and will change the narrative for how athletes and their families leverage their influence. I truly admire that we share a common interest and commitment to promoting equity and access for athletes through youth sports and empowering the next generation. As I look towards the future of the NBA and the broader world of sports, Scoot embodies the next evolution of the game over the years, demonstrating the importance of playing for something greater than oneself.”

As a four-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and businessman and entrepreneur, Curry has made waves across multiple industries, including Unanimous Media, Eat. Learn. Play., Curry Brand and UNDERRATED Golf and Basketball. Henderson says he’s just as hyped to gain support and learn from Curry, especially as he gets ready to launch his career and grow his own enterprise.

“I am so excited to establish this one-of-a-kind strategic alliance with Stephen and his team,” says Scoot Henderson. “This is an incredible opportunity and a dream come true for me, as I have grown up watching Stephen on and off the court, admiring him from afar as he disrupted the game and built empowering businesses over the past decade. His accomplishments are inspiring, and I want to learn from Stephen and the team he has assembled and take the reins of my own future. Stephen has such a profound impact on people and his community, and his humanity and unwavering humility are evident. As we embark on this new journey, I look forward to learning and growing together, while focusing on becoming the best version of myself, in basketball, business and beyond.”

Photo via Noah Graham for SC30 Inc.

The post Stephen Curry Will Mentor Top NBA Draft Prospect Scoot Henderson, Providing Support in Basketball, Media and Social Impact appeared first on SLAM.

Quickley is actually so dialed in that he forgets to do his own warm-up entirely. “I was just watching him shoot the whole time, and he was making every single shot,” the Knicks guard tells us.

It’s been three years since, but this season, it’s Quickley who has had plenty of eyes on him. The Havre de Grace, MD, native emerged as a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award (finishing second in voting) while averaging career highs in field-goal percentage and points per game as the Knicks headed into the playoffs. As a starter, Quickley stepped up big in the final weeks of the regular season while Jalen Brunson was out with an injury: he had a career-high 38 points against the Celtics on March 5 and a 40-ball against the Rockets at the end of the month.

All that momentum continued when Quickley dropped 39 points and hit 7 threes against the Pacers on April 5. Two days later, his phone suddenly started blowing up with notifications of people tagging him on Instagram—Damian Lillard had just endorsed him for 6MOY. 

“Just knowing that [an] NBA superstar is vouching for you is something that’s pretty cool,” Quickly says. He first got connected to Dame during his rookie year through Knicks assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and says the NBA All-Star has given him advice on “working hard and believing in the work.” 

While the award ultimately went to the Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon, the moment is a testament to Quickley’s commitment. 

Then there are the words of wisdom he received from Stephen Curry. During what Quickley calls a “tough time where I couldn’t make any shots,” he decided to reach out to Curry and pick his brain. He asked the four-time NBA champ for his opinion on shooting when a player thinks they’re in a slump or not playing well. 

He got a reply, and the recording is almost three minutes long. In it, Quickley can hear the sound of a car’s windshield wipers and blinker lights in the background as Curry recorded his message: 

“Honestly, shooting is all confidence. Even if you miss some shots, your confidence shouldn’t change because you could miss 50 shots in a row, but if you know you’re still a shooter, you’re still a shooter. That doesn’t change.” 

Quickley still has the recording saved on his phone. He says he listens to it all the time.

“He’s the greatest shooter ever, why would I not listen to it as many times as I can?”

In times when shots haven’t been falling like he’d want them to, Quickley has still managed to channel Curry’s advice. After going scoreless in Game 4 in the first round of the playoffs this spring, he dropped 19 points in a series-clinching Game 5 win against the Cavs. 

“It’s part of the game, as far as, you know, shots not falling,” Quickley says. “But that’s never a reason to not play hard or not play defense or keep encouraging your teammates and things like that. So that’s something I’ve learned at a young age, and it’s something I’ve kept with me through the NBA.”

Another part of his approach is positive affirmations. Quickley says he’ll say things to himself while on the court, like, The next shot is going in. “I talk to myself like I’m my best friend,” he says.

But more than anything, it’s his faith that plays the most important role in his life. He still does 15 minute Bible studies with his mom whenever he needs and has pastors that he’s known throughout his life who give him words of encouragement throughout the season. He also has a scripture from Romans 8:28 as the screensaver on his phone: We know that all things work together for the good of those that love him and are called according to His purpose. 

In discussing the things he’s learned about himself over the last year, Quickly sounds wiser than his years: “I think the biggest thing for me is I’m just much more aware, spiritually, of when I’m not doing enough. Sometimes, we can get caught up throughout our day or throughout working out. We can get busy.”

Before games, Quickley will sometimes listen to a church service. “I think, for me, definitely just seeing the bigger picture [has] helped me to lock in and [to] always remember the reason that I’m playing basketball and who’s giving me the gift that I’m able to share with others.” 

He’s hip to legendary gospel singer Kirk Franklin and is an avid listener, comparing his game to Franklin’s music because of it’s upbeat style (“Just good vibes,” he says). He’s had moments this year—like his 38-point performance against the Celtics in double overtime—where he’s found his rhythm on offense and was simply just having fun with it all. That’s really when he’s playing at his best, and he is not the type to hesitate showing it. 

“Honestly, when I’m having those big games, it kind of feels like I’m at the park playing with my friends. There was a game against Boston, I made that layup and I was skipping down the floor. Some people think that I’m just, you know, being funny, but I was honestly just having so much fun that game that I just started skipping down the court.

“Before the game even started, I knew I was gonna have fun whether I played good or not,” he adds. “And that kind of just propelled me to have that game because I had that mindset of, you know, just having fun on a nationally televised game. I knew I was gonna have a fun night.” 

Since Day 1 of training camp, and even going back to the summer, Quickley says his mindset has always been to “just have a great year.” Despite what happens next or how far the Knicks go in this year’s playoffs, it’s a fact that the Knicks have become one of the most fun teams to watch this season—and Quickley is a major reason why. 

“Really, I feel like it’s the joy that I play with [is] where it shows the most—unselfishness, togetherness, unity,” he says” “All of those things kind of embody what it means to me to be playing and the gift that God has given me.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Immanuel Quickley Opens Up On How Faith Has Helped Him Level Up This Season appeared first on SLAM.

But admittedly, the 37-year-old is still dealing with the narrative that followed him throughout his 16 years in the NBA. 

“Even when I go on the golf course now, I feel like people still have a misconception of who I am,” Smith says over Zoom. “Even if they know I play golf, I still feel like they still expect me to act a certain way [as] opposed to, like, just a regular dude out here playing golf, you know what I’m saying? Oh, We’re gonna take shots at the golf course, we’re doing this, we’re doing that. It’s like, Nah, we playing golf! Like, the music ain’t blasting, I’m being respectful to the game, I’m being respectful to people in my group, to the caddies. I don’t know what you would think it was. And it’s hard for me because it’s like again, I get caught up in that.” 

“That” would be the countless headlines from his time in L.A., New York, Denver and most definitely Cleveland. After the Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Championship, Smith earned the nickname “Henny God” for carrying a bottle of alcohol in his hands and then being shirtless during the parade (Smith clarified on the “The Warzone” that it was actually champagne).  

Despite the fact that he was a certified bucket, set multiple three-point records, won two championships and a Sixth Man of the Year award, the jokes continued. In 2021, a TikTok of him on the NCAT circulated on social media, with one student noting he was “probably off the Henny right now.”  

After picking up golf 14 years ago at a fundraiser while he was with the Nuggets, Smith is stepping into a new chapter, both as a student-athlete and the co-host of a new golf podcast, “Par 3.” Here, he talks with SLAM about his NBA days, what it’s like to still be misunderstood and life on the links.

SLAM: When you were in the League, there were a lot of misconceptions about you. How did you deal with that?

SMITH: I deal with it to this day, honestly. People already have so many misconceptions of who I am and so many things that they already have an opinion about before they even meet me. Men and women still tell me to this day, I didn’t think you were like that. Like, I thought you were way more arrogant or way more, you know, just self absorbed or something like that. It’s just, no. I mean, I acknowledge that there are other people out here in this world and it’s not just about me. I understand everybody has feelings and emotions and everything else. 

I almost questioned myself like, What persona am I giving off that people have this type of perception of me? Because if y’all really think that I’m like that and then when you finally meet me you’re like, shell shocked, it’s like, Damn, you know? So for me, I kind of questioned myself and took it back to like, Yo, you gotta make sure you on your Ps and Qs, because so many people are watching, and it’s influencing so many different people in a way that even I can’t even control because if I had it my way, it wouldn’t go the way it’s gone. 

SLAM: Is that a realization that you’ve come to since your pro career ended, or did you feel that way while you were playing, too? 

SMITH: I thought about it more throughout my career because it was, for me, once it got out of hand, it’s like, there’s not so much I can say. My platform wasn’t as big as it is now; there weren’t these platforms where people could really [be in] touch with me and have a better type of understanding of who I am or whatnot. It was literally only what the coaches were saying, if you were a superstar player or the GM. And there wasn’t an outlet for the sixth man or the seventh, eighth, ninth man on the bench and stuff like that. There weren’t any podcasts and interviews and Instagrams to really have that link—or touch—with the fans.

So you can have way more ways to, you know, express yourself and give people a better understanding. For me, it was always, Oh, he’s the bad guy. And everybody was like, Oh OK, well he’s the bad guy. And it was like, Alright, well, did you even take time to know who the bad guy is, where he’s from, what he’s about? You just know that this person told you that he’s the bad guy and y’all just run with it. It’s been like that for so long. Even when I played for the Knicks, the media really ran that team. We had one of the best seasons we’ve had and then one person says something about the coach and then all of a sudden it’s like, Well, he’s got to go. It’s like, Yo, how do you fire the best coach that we’ve had for so long? Just because you want to listen to what somebody in the media is talking about, as opposed to people who actually know the game, the success of the game. You get into that political game and it’s like, what do you do?

SLAM: If you played golf when you were younger, do you think you would have pursued golf or basketball?

SMITH: I probably would’ve chose golf.

SLAM: Wow. Why?

SMITH: I feel like it’s way more on you. I think basketball is very easy to not take the blame.

It’s like, Oh, well they weren’t making shots. I did my job, I had 25 to whatever my numbers were. Golf, nah, it ain’t none of that. This is all you, champ. It’s tough because even in golf, like little times you’ll see people get mad at the caddies and thinking the caddie is getting the wrong number or whatever. But at the end of the day, you hit that shit bro, don’t get mad at anybody else, that is on you! This is not that! And that’s what I love about the game so much, because it’s all accountability. That’s all it is. If you could be accountable for every shot you take and be able to bounce back from a bad shot to your next shot being a good shot, that’s what life is. For me, that’s all it’s about. And that’s where the game is, when you start playing the game like that, it’s like, Oh, OK. I feel like you have a better chance of figuring it out.

SLAM: What do you think is more of an adrenaline rush: knocking down threes in a playoff game or getting a hole in one?

SMITH: Yeah, I think it would be a hole in one. A hole in one is just a perfect swing. I mean, it’s crazy, because it really doesn’t have to be a perfect swing, where if you hit that shit and won. There’s very few people who do it. [Thinking about basketball again] I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know. That’s tough. I just thought about that Atlanta series and that’s tough. 

SLAM: What was more nerve-racking: walking onto the golf team at North Carolina A&T or going to the NBA combine or training camp? 

SMITH: Walking onto the team for sure because like hoop, no matter what, I’m used to being in the gym. I have routines, and regardless of whoever is in there, I don’t really care about—not that I don’t care about them, but I know that I spent so much time on this regardless of who’s out here. I know what I’m capable of, and I know what I’m going to do. But on the golf course, it don’t work like that. I know that at the end of the day, I can rely on my shooting, get into my step-back, going left or right. Defending. I know where I can hang my hat on the basketball court. On the golf side, it’s like one day it might be my driver, the next day it might be just my putt, the next day it might be my wedges. But it’s never all in unison. Basketball, because I’ve done it so much, it’s like, OK, this is easy, like I don’t even think about it no more. But now in golf, where you already don’t have that confidence, and then you add in competition and then you add in other people just watching and critiquing and it’s like…

SLAM: Does that frustrate you at all? To have played at the highest level in one sport and then pick up a different sport and have to build your skills? 

SMITH: No, I love it, because the expectations are so low for me. It’s like I really get to learn and ask all the dumb questions. I’m already a person who likes to ask questions. People always try to make you think that every question that you ask, it’s just like common sense. Like, well, if I’m asking you, it’s not common sense. Don’t make me feel dumb because I’m asking you this question, I don’t care what kind of question it is. If I’m asking you, then I genuinely wanna know, I’m not just asking you just to be an asshole just to be asking. I want to know.

I think a lot of times in this new world, we don’t have space to ask questions. Or not even ask questions, [but] for people to have the patience to answer questions.

SLAM: What’s your relationship like with basketball today? How do you feel about the game?

SMITH: Nah, I ain’t playing. Nah, I can’t afford to mess up my golf game. If I go out there and get hurt, I can’t afford it. If I can’t play golf, I’m miserable. I’m gonna stay in shape, I’m gonna do my yoga, I’m gonna do my stretching. I work on my flexibility more and my calisthenics. I do a little cardio here and there, but not as much anymore. But on the court, nah.

SLAM: Do you miss hooping at all? 

SMITH: I mean, I have golf, but it’s not the same. I definitely miss hooping. I love the game, and I feel like if I wanted to I still could [play], but I’m at a different point in my life where I’m like, I’m kind of glad I’m out of the hamster wheel. 

Portraits Atiba Jefferson, Action Photo Getty Images.

The post JR Smith Talks Golf and Dealing with the Narrative That’s Followed Him Throughout His Career appeared first on SLAM.

We’re walking around the streets of Queens with Sunrise Christian Academy senior Matas Buzelis looking for someone to chat with. As we film an episode of “Man on the Street,” one of the questions is: If you had to give an 18-year-old in the NBA financial advice, what would it be?

Buzelis is just moments away from going pro himself. Last June, he announced that he would be going the G League route rather than attending college and plans on signing with the Ignite once he graduates high school. People around the city already recognize the 6-10 standout with an all-around game. They ask to take photos with him and offer advice, like putting his first big check into a savings account and making smart decisions. Buzelis smiles and nods while listening carefully to their words.

“I picked the G League because I’m trying to become a pro. That’s the end goal,” Buzelis tells SLAM. 

The SLAM Summer Classic alum was actually a swimmer before he really started playing basketball, competing in the 50-meter and 100-meter breaststroke. He told Pro Insight that swimming taught him how to “remain calm in the chaos,” and that will certainly come in handy over the next few months as he balances school and his senior season with all of the other obligations that come with going pro. Buzelis was just out in Salt Lake City to attend the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, and as he watched players in the League show out, he envisioned himself being out there and competing in the Skills Challenge.

“I think I’d win,” he says with a smile.

Buzelis started playing competitively in sixth grade, but it wasn’t until eighth grade that he really started taking it seriously. Sports run in the Buzelis family—both his mother, Kristina, and his father, Aidas, were professional basketball players in Lithuania before they immigrated to the States. His older sister, Sophia, is a midfield lacrosse player at Furman University, and his younger brother, Vincas, is a sophomore at Sunrise. The opportunity to finish his high school career playing alongside Vincas, as well as to suit up for one of the best high school programs in the country, were the main deciding factors in why Matas decided to transfer from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, to Sunrise last year.

“When it comes to bonds, I mean, no one is closer than me and my little brother,” he says. “We’re really close. And playing with him—he brings the energy that every team needs.”

One of the biggest things Matas’ parents have taught him is how to stay humble, which says a lot when you meet him—the McDonald’s All-American is just as down to earth as he is dominant on the court. At the SLAM HQ, he was shooting around with the staff on the mini hoop in our lounge, knocking down nine shots in a row like it was nothing. In the photo studio, he was laughing and having fun while playing with a Beyblade that was left behind from our cover shoot with Jalen Brunson. 

When asked who he admired growing up, Buzelis lists LeBron James and Tracy McGrady. “I’d watch highlights of them, and then I’d try to go outside and recreate the same thing,” he says. “I’d say I took a little bit from [their games].”

Matas would describe himself as someone who can “play all five positions and do everything overall,” and that’s exactly why he’s one of the most highly anticipated young players headed to the G. He’s already connected with a few future Ignite teammates, including top prospect Scoot Henderson (who might not be there for much longer) and Leonard Miller. 

“I’m gonna go to the G League and impact the team and try to win as much as possible,” Buzelis says. “Also try to get drafted to the NBA at the same time.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Meet Matas Buzelis: the Sunrise Christian Academy Senior Who’s Primed to be the Next G League Ignite Star appeared first on SLAM.

The song choice is almost too good for this moment. Clarkson, who, per our sources, actually styles himself, is a rock star in his own way, from popping out at New York Fashion Week in the fall to arriving this season ready to really turn things up and average new career-highs. As he poses for his first-ever SLAM cover wearing his Utah Jazz City Edition jersey and rockin’ a black gel manicure, his All-Star teammate, Lauri Markkanen, asks for his thoughts on how he should style his jersey. 

“Gotta have it untucked,” Clarkson says. 

SLAM 243 featuring Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson is out now. Shop here.

While Clarkson and Markkanen might seem different—Markkanen was born and raised in Finland and turns 26 in May, while Clarkson is from down South, raised in Texas, and a few years older (he turns 31 in June)—they actually have a lot in common. They’re both fathers and both born under the Gemini sign, which is Latin for “twins,” for the two stars that make up its constellation. This season, the Jazz’s two leading scorers are shining brighter than ever: Markkanen is averaging a career-high 25.7 ppg and was just named an All-Star for the first time, while Clarkson has significantly improved as a playmaker and is putting up a career-high 20.8 points and 4.4 assists per contest. They’ve gone from being parts of trades—Clarkson was sent to the Jazz in 2019 after stints in L.A. and Cleveland, while Markkanen was a part of a blockbuster trade this past summer after four years in Chicago and a year in The Land—to becoming two key pieces of a franchise on the rebuild.

“Confidence is everything in this League,” Markkanen says. “In life, in general. It makes everything so much easier when you believe in yourself—what you’re doing—but it goes to your teammates as well. On the court, for example, going [into] every shot, knowing that my teammates believe that I’m going to knock it down. I think it’s just everything in this building. We all believe in each other, and I think that’s really helping us build something bigger than ourselves.”

While JC and Markkanen describe themselves as chill—as Clarkson takes photos, Markkanen chats about taking his family bowling for the first time and wanting to make time for them in between traveling—they’re equally as perceptive when it comes to the future of the organization. They know it’s not just on them, or about them. They’ve got an entire squad behind them, too.

“Everybody is hungry,” Clarkson later adds. “We’ve got a bunch of young guys who are willing to prove themselves, coming in here to work. That’s like a foundation point of anything.” 

Just a few days after our shoot, the Jazz went out and showed how promising their future can be with a big win against Boston, in which Markkanen scored 28. Even as he and JC sat out against Sacramento, the rest of the team held it down, with Kelly Olynyk notching his second straight double-double and rookies Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji, who impressed with a 27-piece, shining. 

“We’ve got big goals for ourselves. Obviously it is a process, but we’re not trying to fast forward a little bit as well [in] trying to build a winning culture,” he says. “…For everybody, the end goal is to win a championship. While we’re having a good time as a team, I don’t think that’s why we’re here. I don’t think we’re here just to have a good time. We’re trying to win games and play meaningful games. That’s what we’re working toward.” 

There are guys who have been exactly where the Jazz are working to get to. Even Juan Toscano-Anderson, who just joined the team after a trade sent him to Utah in February, won a championship with the Warriors just last year. JC has been to the playoffs four times throughout his career. What he’s learned from playing with LeBron and Kobe is that in those moments, good or bad, you have to just keep it pushing. 

“It goes with the territory,” Clarkson later adds. “The biggest thing is that you wake up and the sun comes out the next day. You put your shoes back on, tie ’em up and figure it out. All of this is a part of the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs. The roller coaster ain’t no fun unless it makes loops.”

Back in 2018, JC was a 25-year-old with a low-top cut, learning those lessons firsthand in Cleveland. He made his first playoff appearance, and at the time, everything was “eye-opening.” The play calls. The level of communication. The Cavs went seven games against Indiana, swept Toronto and then went seven more against Boston to get to the Finals. Clarkson was trying to get up to speed as quickly as he could, but admits now that he didn’t feel as prepared as he thought he needed to be. 

The Cavs ended up losing to the Warriors in four games in the Finals. Clarkson didn’t hit the floor in either of the last two matchups. 

“Trying to get up to speed in a time where I’d never been in that situation was pretty crazy,” Clarkson says. “I kind of take it as a learning experience for me and just kept pushing and pushing, and now we’re in a position [where I’ve] played in the playoffs the last three, four years, have produced and we’ve won games—not where we wanted to be in the end goal but, I think I’ve made progress in that sense and being in a position now where we’re winning games and we’re trying to lead guys as well.”

As someone who prefers to live in the present, Clarkson has been able to dial in and prove the narrative wrong that his game is one-dimensional and he’s limited to just scoring wrong. He’s emerged as a playmaker who can dish no-look passes to Markkanen and orchestrate an offense. “The biggest thing is calm down. Not try to do too much and let plays happen,” he explains. “A lot of times, aggressiveness turns into bad things, so just being able to find yourself in those moments and being able to reel yourself in with a snowball effect…Knowing that I am an older guy now, I’ve been in the League for a while, [so], just trying to knock those moments down and just help the team. 

Is that what he’d tell his younger self? 

“Oh yeah, for sure. I’m probably talking to myself right now,” Clarkson says.

Both literally and figuratively, JC has really been climbing his way throughout his career, and since he arrived in Utah, he’s also been exploring what the city has to offer. He’s hiked the Living Room Trail, visited the hot springs and traveled even further south to see the canyons. “I just kind of get lost up there,” he says. “I know a few times, we’ve been up there when it was dark—figured out that’s not our cup of tea.” 

Utah has been a turning point for Markkanen, too. While he hasn’t had much time to really see Salt Lake City like that—he was playing for Finland in the EuroBasket this summer when the trade went down—he felt a “mental shift” from the minute he touched down in the city for training camp. 

“Getting traded, first of all, and then arriving here, I think just kind of flipped the switch in my mindset,” he says. “I thought I did everything I was asked to a year ago, and then to see the business side of basketball and still get traded. I kind of go out there and try to play my best every night. That really motivated me as well.” 

When asked how he’s managed to make such a massive leap within just a year, Markkanen admits that he’s always had the individual goal of wanting to become an All-Star. But to actually make that happen, he gives credit to his support system. “Coach [Will] Hardy has been doing a great job in just empowering the whole team and trying to play everybody [to] their strengths,” Markkanen explains. “And so, we’re all working toward a bigger goal, and it’s been a big part of why I’ve been able to do that—just getting the help and watching film, and again, back to that teammate thing, I’m not doing it by myself. A lot of my scoring, for example, is assisted baskets. They’re coming off my teammate’s passes, so they’ve been finding me, giving me good looks, and then I just gotta be able to knock them down. So I always give the biggest credit to my teammates and coaches.”

Clarkson is quick to show him love right back. “This year, as a player, seeing what the defenses are throwing at him and how he’s adjusting has been amazing,” he says, when asked about Markkanen’s growth. “It’s one of those things [where]—I’ve been around stars, major stars. Bron, Kobe. Seeing Don [Donovan Mitchell] last year as a young star. Seeing [Lauri] come into his own as a star, it’s been amazing.” 

Regardless of what the outcome of this season is, there’s power in Clarkson, Markkanen and the whole team keeping everything in perspective. To move up in the Western Conference standings, and solidify themselves as playoff contenders, they’ll have to keep that same energy, and keep it pushing. 

“I know it sounds crazy, but stick with the process,” Clarkson tells Markkanen. “The biggest thing you can always say: it’s never a failure, it’s just a learning experience. Next time, I know how you are, how you get to work. You ’gon figure it out. Next time that happens, he’s ’gon be prepared for it.”

SLAM 243 is also available in this exclusive Gold Metal Edition and Cover Tee.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson are Ready to take the Utah Jazz to New Heights appeared first on SLAM.

Seeing is believing, and artist Troy Murray, who goes by the name TYP, has created just that and more: his latest work, titled “Rhetorical Question” depicts a realistic portrait of the NBA legend and even features sculpted Reebok Questions that were molded and casted from the actual kicks. 

When the Detroit-native pulls up to our office in Long Island City, he reveals that his artwork represents his early childhood memories of watching Iverson, who was his favorite player growing up, and begging his parents to buy him his own pair of kicks. He also got a subscription to SLAM when he was 12, and would keep issues on his bedside table. 

“Everybody has this memory of that AI cover,” TYP says. “Anybody that loves basketball has a memory. I was able to tell my version of the memory through that piece.” 

TYP says it takes him about two weeks to create each piece. He begins by sketching the portrait on Procreate to get an idea of the color scheme and textures he wants to incorporate. When it’s time to build the sculpture, he starts by creating the shape of the piece using foam and wood, and then sprays a light layer of concrete on top. To give it that rocky, aged-look, he casts and molds different elements of the piece, like the sneakers, out of a clay that hardens into a proxy, and then sands it down.

Shop Allen Iverson SLAM Cover Tees here.

His journey into developing his own distinct style started with a different pair of kicks, the Jordan 1s. After focusing primarily on drawing portraits, he wanted to explore an entirely new medium when he picked up a sneaker box one day. “I just saw how [the Jordan 1s] were sitting in there, and I just thought that if I just pattern those in the right way they could make a pretty relatively even painting surface for me. So I tried it and it worked.”

He would take pairs of kicks and quite literally cut them in half to use in his artwork. Yes, you read that right. “That original one, we were like, this is kind of crazy. We were just cutting these sneakers in half, but once we did it once [and] we cut one sneaker and started to actually piece it together and pattern it we were like, this is so dope. This is gonna work.” 

Eventually though, TYP’s friend Anthony let him know that instead of cutting them up, he could just mold them and replicate as many pairs as he wanted. Learning the entire molding and casting process, put things into perspective that he could now create his art on an even larger scale. 

By turning a real SLAM cover into a real-life sculpture, TYP has captured the very epitome of how art, basketball, history and human connection all intersect. .“I wanted to play off of the question and the answer here. I always thought that was so cool as a kid that he had a sneaker. That was the Question, the nickname was The Answer. And so the name of the piece was a Rhetorical Question. And the whole narrative was based around this, he’s always been the answer.”

Photos by Marcus Stevens.

The post Artist TYP Reimagines Iconic SLAM Allen Iverson Cover with ‘Rhetorical Question’ Sculpture appeared first on SLAM.

When the Knicks point guard pulls up to our office in Long Island City for his SLAM cover shoot, it’s clear that the man himself hasn’t changed since the last time we saw him. Brunson is still as focused as he was in Dallas—even sharper now. He’s figured out a way to not only elevate his own game, but help lead an entire franchise to new heights. Is this what he meant last year when he said that he didn’t think about how well he was doing…because he knew he could be doing even better? 

“You had to bring out the receipts, huh?” Brunson says when we bring it up on set. “I definitely have improved. I think it’s a mixture of work ethic, opportunity, fit and a little bit of luck, too. I mean, it’s a mixture of everything, but I’m honored to have the opportunity to go out there and play every other night and do what I can to help the team win. I just feel like whenever I step on the court, I have to be the best player I can be. And then we go back and watch [film] and [it’s like], how can I improve? And that’s just been my mindset since I can remember.” 

SLAM 243 featuring Jalen Brunson is available now. Shop now.

We’ve told this story before: how his mother, Sandra, taught him early on how to set goals and envision what he wanted out of life, while his father, Rick, who had a nine-year yourneyman career in the League and played on the Knicks inin the ’90s, pushed him and showed what staying true to the grind really means.

The too-small-kid out of Stevenson High School became the best point guard in the country and then a champion at Villanova. When his opponents were bigger, faster and stronger in college, he’d think to himself, How can I be creative? How can I get my opponents off balance? 

Now, at 26 years old and in his fifth year in the L, Brunson is writing a new chapter. He’s become that much more dangerous, especially when he’s beating dudes off the dribble and hitting them with the dream shake. “How can I use my smarts versus their athleticism?” Brunson says. “I’ve always been that way and it’s worked. It’s gotten me here.”

“Here” is the mecca of basketball. New York City has produced point guards so undeniably smooth with the rock they’ve become cultural icons, from God Shammgod to the Jelly Fam. Brunson, who grew up in Cherry Hill (NJ) back when Rick was suiting up in blue and orange, isn’t super flashy or hitting three-to-the-dome celebrations in Madison Square Garden like Melo, but he’s been exactly what the Knicks have needed to bring them back to the playoffs this season. 

“Being the point guard of the Knicks is special. It’s like a dream come true. You’re playing for a legendary organization, a legendary city,” he says. “And you just have to go out there and perform and just be yourself. And I think all year that’s what I’ve done. I’ve gone out there. I’ve been myself. Obviously you don’t play great for 82 games, but I give effort every time on the court. If I play with effort, just be genuine, be myself, not really care about anything going on but keep winning as my most important thought. The city of New York can praise you, but just gotta go out there and just be you.” 

Everyone is going to have an opinion, and when Brunson signed with the team during free agency, there were plenty of things said about him, including that he was overpaid and overhyped. “A lot of people [that] are saying the things that they’re saying, whether you’re playing basketball or doing whatever, they probably can’t do it to a level that you could do it. You don’t really worry about it—you just focus on yourself, focus on what you can control. And that’s my mindset. This is how I’ve always been and this is how I’m going to be for the rest of my career.”

People also thought that the Knicks weren’t going to amount to much. But as we go to printers, they’re fifth in the East and legitimate playoff contenders. 

Wait, run that back. The Knicks are…what?

This is the same franchise that’s been building and working to get to this point. Every win was a step forward. And sure, missing the playoffs last year and losing in the first round the year prior seemed like two giant leaps backward, but you can’t deny that they’ve been making major strides this season. They’ve shown that they can hold their own against teams like Philly, Denver and Boston. They’ve had not one, but two serious winning streaks—eight games in December and a nine-game streak in February. Who’s laughing now?

Brunson is having an even better season than he did last year, and averaging new career-highs across the stat sheet: 23.8 points and 6.1 assists per game, shooting 41.4 percent from behind the arc. The duo of JB and Julius Randle, who was named an All-Star this past February, is just pure magic. 

“He’s been special since I got here,” Brunson says of Randle. “Just to see how hard he works, how careful he is with his craft and how bad he wants to win, and we share that. Obviously, we’re both lefties—including RJ [Barrett] we’re all lefties. But we all want to win.” 

When the Knicks are winning, the entire city is buzzing with an energy that can be felt across all five boroughs and beyond. In Midtown, there’s a sign outside of Marathon Coffee that lists things the establishment is grateful for. The first is Jalen Brunson. All the way past the Bronx in Yonkers, a man is pulling up to a laundromat proudly wearing a pair of Patrick Ewing 33s, a pair of Knicks basketball shorts and a snapback. The Knicks are New York’s team, and right now, everyone is hyped about this year’s squad. Barrett just scored more than 25 points for three straight games and has been solid while Brunson has been out with an ankle injury. When Immanuel Quickley dropped 38 against the Celtics in a double-overtime win, Brunson was on Twitter faster than an NBA insider, calling him everything from HIMBO FISHER to HIMMY FALLON. Then there’s Josh Hart, who just arrived in the city after being traded from Portland in February and is already being embraced. 

Brunson and Hart go way back—they were college roommates at Villanova when Brunson was a sophomore and Hart was a senior. “Josh is my brother,” Brunson says. “That’s just a bond that can never be broken when you do something as big as win a national championship. That’s special. And the fact that we kind of get to keep that flame burning in the NBA and play together. It’s been an honor, it’s been special. He brings a different element to our team and I think you’ve seen it. Since he’s played it’s been amazing. What he does on the court is so evident, so special. It may not show up in a stat sheet—some of the things that he does—but he’s a killer.”

The Knicks already had leaders in Randle and veterans like Derrick Rose, but what they now have with the addition of Brunson is someone just as dedicated to the grind and in a constant pursuit of consistency. Brunson has told us before that his confidence comes from his work ethic, but there’s a reason why he always brings it up—he just can’t stop thinking about it. “The one thing I obsess over is just my work ethic,” he says. “If I’m always working, I’m always getting prepared, I will never have to just get ready. Don’t need to get ready when you stay ready.” 

What’s been key to the Knicks’ resurgence this season, as well as their growing confidence, is how they’ve been able to stay connected. They’re balanced on both ends of the court, and harmonious off of it: cracking jokes with (and about) each other on Twitter, telling the media who would and wouldn’t survive a zombie apocalypse. When they beat the Heat, it was Brunson who hugged Randle in the middle of his postgame interview, while the big man explained how much love they have for one another. This year’s squad has nicknames for each other, too: JB calls Randle “Sergeant” (but says that Randle has to be the one to tell us why) and Rose is “OG.” 

“The best advice that Derrick has given me is probably, he just tells me to lead every day,” says Brunson “Every single day. There are days where obviously you just kind of want to get your work and you want to get out of there and clear your head, but a leader leads every single day. And he reminds me to do it every single day, and it’s just special to have him. I think his presence alone kind of makes me just have to lead because I look at him, he looks at me and it’s kind of an unspoken thing that we know what we got to do.” 

As for Brunson’s own leadership style: “At first, I like to lead by example, to kind of show everybody what I’m about, what my agenda is, and [let them] know what’s most important to me,” he explains. “And then once everyone starts to see that, you can start to be more vocal and kind of say how you feel, say what you want. But I love to get to know my audience—know my teammates, how they react to certain things, how they can take criticism or whatever. I wouldn’t say anything to my teammates that I wouldn’t do myself. And so it’s special. It’s unique. But I think for me, it works just because I’m genuine. I am who I am. And I’m unapologetic. But at the same time, I want to win. And that’s just first and foremost on my mind.”

When asked if he’s taken a moment to look at how far he’s come, Brunson brings things into perspective and admits that it doesn’t feel like he’s accomplished much of anything yet. “No, I haven’t had a moment yet,” he says, “because I haven’t done anything.” 

Really? Nothing? 

“I want to win as much as I can,” he adds. “I want to be a person that’s special. I want to win a championship in this League. That’s just my goal. And I just think that if you have a championship, you can talk about whatever you want. But I mean, individual stuff is great and all that stuff, but everyone strives to win. And that’s what drives me.”

That mentality is why Brunson fits right in. He knows the formula that it takes to achieve those goals, to become everything he’s always wanted and more. Brunson isn’t quick to call this a new era for the Knicks just yet; but as always, he’s ready to put in the work to get there. “I would just say that we’re growing. We’re getting better every single day,” he says. “I wouldn’t say this is an era because there’s a lot of history with this organization. And we have to do a lot more for it to be an era and can’t be just complacent with where we are now. [We’ve] got a lot more to prove.”

SLAM 243 is also available in this exclusive gold metal edition. Shop now.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are Proving Everyone Wrong appeared first on SLAM.

“You gotta think: somebody that can keep a dribble, show the ref that you’re holding them off balance but keep themselves on balance to finish or practice being unbalanced and finishing, they’ve mastered it,” Shumpert tells us on set. “You watch so many different players that come out of college polished [and] able to do things that we weren’t working on cause the college game wasn’t half that stuff wasn’t even allowed. The game is evolving and there’s becoming a universal understanding of what you can do.”

To put on performances like what we’ve seen so far this NBA season—from 71-point nights to 100-plus game totals—is as much testament to the level of talent as it is passion. “This young group, they’re so talented and in love with [the game],” Shumpert continues. “You know what I’m saying? They sleep with basketballs [and] their game shoes on. I love that. They be in pressure situations and they’ll still windmill it. Like, they don’t care and they are so locked in and so in love and trusting of their bodies. Me being somebody that had all them surgeries, I’m like, I wish I could trust my body on game 55, [and] I’m just doing a windmill on a breakaway in traffic. 

I remember being that young and just dribbling to a place and just being like, f*** it, let’s try it. I’ve never done it from this angle, turn this way contorted, but let’s do it. It’s like, those kids that were like five and they were trying those grown moves and you like, bruh, your ‘lil self can’t do that, like calm down. But they kept doing it and kept doing it and now they look at a grown up like, you ain’t even worked on the stuff I worked on. I mastered it.” 

Shumpert, who suited up for the Knicks and won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016, has both played alongside and against NBA superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Now, he’s witnessing firsthand how the next generation of standouts not only look up to the older players, but are taking their game even further. “Now, they look at a grown up like you ain’t even work on all the stuff I worked on. I mastered your game in my mind at eight. I start working on Steph Curry game, too, then I added a ‘lil Melo game ‘cause I had to learn how to play in the post. Now I got Kyrie Irving all up in my head so you can’t stop me. It’s crazy. It’s so cool to talk to a kid now that’s playing in the pros and they be like, yeah I been watching Kyrie my whole life and I be like, dang bro that’s crazy. I’m old. Me and Kyrie are old? Wow. Kyrie [is] younger than me so I’m like, Kyrie is who you look up to? We’re watching a new generation of just killas. It’s cool.”

As for the level of competitiveness in the League, Shumpert’s next take sparks a conversation amongst the Starting Five: “They wanna win but I meant the competitive nature of I’m gonna score on this end and you can’t score on the other end. I think the grittiness of that has left—part of it is them adjusting to officiating, the hand checking is gone, the ability to rough somebody up sorta got taken away completely but I just felt like that’s what [is lacking] when I watch it…I know what it’s like to be in the League and it’s like Iman you got four fouls, stop and I’m like, dog who’s letting somebody lay a ball up? Like why y’all mad at me, bro? I didn’t even foul ‘em, like that was a tic-tac call. But it’s like you don’t just get layups, you don’t just get open shots, you have to do it under duress or I don’t believe it. 

I’m one of those guys. I don’t believe he’s that good [if] he can’t do it under duress,” he adds. “…That’s what I end up watching but like I said that’s my personal [opinion]. I want y’all to play how I want y’all to play and it’s like nah, they worried about scoring 150 points and they’re doing it very well.”

As for what SetFree, Kiss and Danielle think? Watch the DraftKings’ Starting Five series here.

Photos via The Compound and DraftKings.  

The post Iman Shumpert Shares His Take on the Competitiveness of the NBA on DraftKings’ Starting Five  appeared first on SLAM.

“In reality, looking back now [and] having hindsight, I wasn’t prepared,” Plum tells SLAM over Zoom when asked about her transition from college to the pros. “I wasn’t prepared mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, for the next level.” 

The Washington Husky suddenly found herself having to balance her training with all of the other responsibilities that come with now being a professional athlete, like signing with an agent and getting an endorsement deal. “Not to mention, the WNBA itself is like a different sport,” Plum adds. “The wake up call that I had was so brutal.”

The culmination of all of this, specifically the “lack of information and resources” provided to her that could have given Plum, and really any college student-athlete, valuable insight on what to expect at the pro level, played a toll on her mental health. She says it took her “four or five years” to feel more comfortable in the WNBA, and it’s that experience that inspired her to want to empower and support the next generation of women’s college basketball players.

“That’s one of the big reasons why Under Armour and I just meshed,” she says. “I was like, listen this is really important to me. I want to make an impact. I want to be able to leave the game better than I left it. And I felt like this is missing in the women’s game. In the NBA, there’s a lot of help transitioning. From the agency side, from the combine side. These guys are prepped from teenagers all the way to becoming NBA players. And I felt like, you know what? We don’t have that on the women’s side, and why not take a swing at it?”

Plum and UA are launching a first-of-its-kind mentorship program, the Dawg Class, that will give nine women’s basketball players, all personally selected by Plum, the opportunity to participate in a three-day experience and learn directly from the Las Vegas Aces star and WNBA champion. The camp will feature on-court drills meant to help refine their skills, as well as sessions on training and recovery. 

Plum knows firsthand how important it is to be physically ready for the WNBA: “We kind of lifted weights in college, but I didn’t know,” she recalls. “Then you get into the League and Sylvia Fowles just gives it a little love tap and you go four feet. And I’m like, Wow, these are grown women. My body is not prepared for this.”

Players will also have the chance to learn more about media training, mental health, finance, nutrition and how to express their personal style. The program is meant to truly prepare them for what’s ahead while giving them all the tools needed to navigate that transition. 

“I feel like if we can catch some of these women a little bit earlier, like junior going into senior year or sophomore or freshman, and [give them] a better, full understanding of the process. [Like], what it’s gonna be like, how is Draft night gonna be, how [to] pick your agent or if you already have, what should you be looking for? 

[There’s also] a lot of different things mentally. If in college when you miss some shots and you’re not performing at your best, a lot of times you’re the best option that they have. And they’re gonna keep letting you try. Whereas in the pros, there’s an All-American sitting on the bench waiting for you to mess up so they can go in and play great. This is a whole new reality that mentally, a lot of people aren’t prepared for. So a lot of these different things we’re gonna try to attack at camp and just give them a better idea of how a pro trains and how a pro approaches the game.” 

The very name of the program is a reflection of what’s important to Plum, from having a dawg-mentality to creating a community that continues to empower female athletes, even after the camp concludes. “I kind of started with this idea of the Dawg Class and the dawg-mentality is really a mentality that anyone can have. It’s a lot bigger than sport, but in particular, just the way you approach life. A lot of times we’re given tough tasks and there’s a lot of hard things to overcome, but having that mentality is showing up every day, consistently ready to attack the day and just not taking no for an answer. And I think that dawg-mentality kind of resonates within me and kind of how I was raised.

I think that there’s a lot of people, particularly women, that share that. And so I’m proud to partner with Under Armour to bring this to the forefront and give other people the opportunity that I didn’t have.”

When asked what advice she’d give the next generation of standouts when it comes to navigating the college landscape today—from the NIL era to social media—Plum harps on that idea of community and building more connection between college players and professional athletes. “It’s kind of hard to sum up in like one little answer, but what I would say is seek advice. I think just because you’re in college right now, if you do have aspirations, you want to play professionally, especially in the WNBA, find someone in the WNBA that you resonate with and seek them out. I had a relationship with Sue Bird, but I should have been a little bit more like, ‘Hey Sue, help me.’ Whether [you are] a little bit timid or you don’t really know if that’s appropriate, I would just say have no fear because they’re gonna be able to tell you the best advice that you need.” 

Learn more about the Under Armour Dawg Class here.

Photos via Under Armour.

The post Kelsey Plum and Under Armour are Empowering Women’s College Hoopers through the Dawg Class Mentorship Program appeared first on SLAM.

“That’s the beauty of style and fashion,” says Barnett, now a creative consultant for the Utah Jazz, over Zoom. “You can really create your own narrative, and you can drive the story. You can have people focus on certain things.”

Wade went on to average a career-high 30.2 points and make his fifth consecutive All-Star appearance that year, and Barnett, who started working with him in ’07, has remained the visionary behind his ever-evolving style. It’s her innovative thinking, as well as her keen attention to detail—the Miami native was studying to be an accountant for the FBI before getting into fashion and attending FIT—that makes Barnett perfect for her new role as creative consultant for the Utah Jazz. As creative director of their private label apparel brand, Counterpoint, she’s been monumental in how the team approaches being more “fashion forward” as well as how they are reimagining fan apparel.

As excitement continues to build around the Jazz, which has one of the most stylish players in the NBA, Jordan Clarkson, on its roster, and has Wade as a co-owner, Barnett is ready to help bring Utah to the forefront. There will even be a pop-up event at this year’s All-Star Weekend featuring some pretty big-name brands. “I think that once people see it, they’re going to be like, Oh, you know what? I don’t need to go to New York, I don’t need to go to L.A. I need to go to Utah, where there isn’t much in terms of fashion but people are hungry [and] they’re ready for the stores to come to them.” 

The post How Calyann Barnett Went from Being an NBA Stylist working with Dwyane Wade to the Creative Consultant for the Utah Jazz  appeared first on SLAM.

“After one of the natural disasters they had over there, I saw a picture where it’s flooded and kids are still playing basketball with the hoop still standing,” he said to NBA.com. “Just showing love for the game over there and how pivotal basketball is, how far it stretches. It’s crazy then just seeing the support I have from the Philippines.”

Clarkson, whose mother is of Filipino descent, recently told the Philippines media that it was important to him to represent the country at this year’s All-Star event in Salt Lake City. “I know in the West they’ve got a lot of talented guards,” he said to ESPN. “But I feel like I can represent Utah, the Philippines at the All-Star Game, if it happens. It would be exciting if that happens.”

Whether he’s selected or not, Clarkson has been having quite the year so far, from putting up career-high numbers—21.1 points and 4.3 assists—to embracing his role as an experienced guard. Having played with and learned from the likes of King James, the Black Mamba and Lou Williams, JC knows firsthand what stepping up as a leader looks like, too, telling NBA.com: “Being around Kobe and Bron, there’s been [lots] of vets I’ve been around in the NBA, you know. Lou Williams, guys like that. It’s kinda pushing me to a leadership role in my ninth year in the League. Just seeing how they handled it and kinda doing the same.” 

After getting traded to the Jazz from Cleveland, Clarkson has found all the support he needs to thrive. “The trade was definitely a lot to take in. I didn’t know what to expect,” Clarkson told The Athletic back in 2021. “But when I got here, the team, the coaching staff, the city and the fans, they welcomed me with open arms. The Jazz showed they invested with me and made me feel comfortable. I feel free here.” 

It’s that freedom that has allowed Clarkson to remain true to himself. As head coach Will Hardy recently emphasized to Andscape, Clarkson is “a very creative player, and he sees the game in a unique way sometimes. And I have to give him the latitude to be himself out there because when he plays freely, he plays with his instincts, he’s at his best. He’s a guy that I definitely don’t want to put in too narrow of a lane because of his ability to impact the game in a lot of ways. Off the court, he is as fun-loving and easy going, engaging a person as I’ve been around in the NBA.”

Clarkson is undeniably one of the most unique and stylish players in the League, from his painted nails and his appearances at Paris Fashion Week to his eternal presence on @LeagueFits. Regardless of what other people might think, Clarkson has always remained true to himself. “Everybody around the League knows who I am and respects it,” he told Marc J. Spears.

What many have also come to respect is Clarkson’s commitment to the grind. The 46th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft has come a long way from playing on the then-Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League his rookie year. And he was just coming off the bench a year ago. He’s now a solidified starter, second on the team in scoring, and, as Hardy pointed out after the Jazz’s win against the Cavaliers, can make “some big plays.”

Even when Donovan Mitchell made his well-awaited return to the Beehive State on January 10, it was Clarkson who stole the show. But anyone who saw his tunnel fit that night already knew what type of time he was on. Clarkson pulled up wearing a black graphic tee from his brand, Shop Sixx, that has a printed skull in the middle and icy blue lettering spelling out his name. 

Many fans will recognize Clarkson’s sartorial side; he once told @LeagueFits, “When I take a night off from dressing, I think I go 0-20 and it ain’t a good look.” Well, that night against Spida and the Cavaliers, he went 11-19 from the field and erupted for 32 points in the win. 

Clearly, Clarkson isn’t taking any time off soon.

And as the Jazz look to continue their climb up the NBA standings—as we go to press, they’re
No. 8 in the West—they’ll look to Clarkson for his leadership, energy and the unwavering passion he brings to everything he does on and off the court. 

“His ability to kind of reform himself, reshape himself around that idea is leadership in itself,” said teammate Mike Conley, according to KSL.com. “And he’s been awesome.”  

He’s also got a dedicated fan base rooting for him, one that extends 7,400+ miles from Utah to the Philippines. Clarkson has said he plans on suiting up for the Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup next summer, too. 

But until then, he has business to handle at home. 

Photos via Getty Images

The post Jordan Clarkson Has Brought His Game, and Tunnel Fits, to Another Level in Utah appeared first on SLAM.

That adoration never wavered, and flash forward to today, the award-winning creative has collaborated with SLAM to reimagine the SLAM 242 cover of Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown for their Artist Series.

“I think my brothers kind of taught me all of the contemporary culture and different kinds of Black identity [that surround the game],” Poppy says over Zoom. “…And because they played it and consumed so much media around it was very easy for me to fall in love with the game even faster because I kind of grew up so organically with it all around.”

Get your copy of this exclusive SLAM Artist Series cover designed by Karabo Poppy.

When it comes to creating art that will be showcased in a different country, Poppy approaches her work with intention by paying homage to her home country of South Africa. Having grown up in a small town, Poppy eventually moved to a bigger city and draws inspiration from that environment, specifically all of the movement of people and the public transportation.

That’s reflected within her rendition of the Jaylen Brown SLAM 242 Artist Series cover, where she captures the dynamic movements in Brown’s elite game while also incorporating African patterns and symbolism—specifically the meaning of the sun and fire.

“I think a symbol that runs through the entire African continent, which is a pretty difficult thing to do to find—golden threads throughout such a diverse continent—but the sun being seen as something positive and something that is going to bring growth [and] brings life. I wanted to show basketball in the same sense as something positive and growing, moving forward and looking towards new things as well.” 

Poppy’s storytelling perfectly encapsulates the energy and impact of the Celtics All-Star, from his elite playmaking and powerful dunks to the fire and drive he has in wanting to make a difference within the Boston community and beyond. 

The cover is a visual representation of what the SLAM 242 cover line—POWER MOVES—truly means to her. As Brown told SLAM in the exclusive cover story, he’s driven by his higher purpose, and so is Poppy: as she continues to make waves as a creative, she also wants to spotlight her South African identity and use her platform to empower others.

“My art speaks not only about just creating beautiful images but about identity, conversations around that, culture and looking at traditional African aesthetics versus contemporary African aesthetics. It speaks towards inspiring people who have grown up the say way and have heard the same kind of voices either from parents or people that they’re very close to. Art is something super important to me and I’ve also always wanted to travel the world—I didn’t get the opportunity to do that when I was much younger but as soon as I started working, art opened that door for me and that has only made it better.

I see it not just as my career [or] just my purpose, but also my responsibility to create art that is authentic and contemporary and still follows all of the things that I’ve learned about my traditions and culture and representing it in a way that hasn’t been seen before.”

Whether it’s through art or the game of basketball, wanting to inspire and representing African and Black culture is a major power move. The SLAM 242 Artist Series is available now.  

The post Award-Winning Artist Karabo Poppy Reimagines the Jaylen Brown SLAM 242 Cover appeared first on SLAM.

The symbolism is all there when it comes to Brown’s own ascension into becoming a certified NBA superstar. As our SLAM 242 cover story reveals, Brown is always one step ahead and making power moves both on and off the court. He’s focused on building a brighter future of the Boston community and bringing a championship title to the 617.

We went up to Boston to speak the NBA All-Star and we were blessed with some amazing words from the Atlanta native about his mindset after the Finals, what motivates him and what he wants to see for the city he now calls home.

Here’s an exclusive behind the scenes look of Jaylen Brown’s SLAM 242 cover shoot.

Boston, this one is for you. Go get your copy of SLAM 242, available now in Metal Editions and more.

The post WATCH: Go Behind the Scenes of Jaylen Brown’s SLAM 242 Cover Shoot appeared first on SLAM.

But the mind has ways of playing tricks on you. It starts to sense oxygen deprivation, triggering a response to the body’s nervous system. Feelings of fear and anxiety arise. But at that moment, as it started to feel like he was reaching a breaking point, what did the All-Star decide to do?

Brown chooses survival. Hurling the weights out of the pool, he accidentally tosses them in the direction of Hamilton’s wife, Gabby. “Almost drowning will for sure humble you,” Brown tells us while on set for his SLAM cover shoot. “Water is a great equalizer. You could have the most confidence in the world, [but] when you get in that water, it neutralizes [you]. It [doesn’t] care if you’re a billionaire or a normal person, that water treats everybody the same. It’s not forgiving, and if you don’t respect it, or think you’re above it, it’ll show you. You learn that you got to be humble. The humility will show in the water.”

Jaylen Brown is always a step ahead. Get your copy of SLAM 242 featuring the NBA All-Star.

The idea to do underwater training came to Brown this past summer, when he initially looked to hire a swim coach (at the time, he says, he wasn’t the greatest swimmer). Just a few months after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown shared a video on his Instagram account of one of the 20 sessions he did with Hamilton, doing everything from squat jumps to backflips. He learned how to stay calm and composed, even when his mind was telling him the opposite. 

“When you feel like you’re out of breath, that’s your mind sending alarms to the rest of your body saying you need air, but you probably still got 40-45 seconds left in reality before you actually run out of air,” Brown explains. “It just feels like that. [But] you don’t panic. You got time to set the weights down [and] compose yourself. Just swim back to the top.”

His words are almost prophetic for his own ascension. From averaging just 6.6 points as a rookie, to being on the bench, getting snubbed from the All-Star team last season and falling short in the NBA Finals to averaging the best numbers of his career this season: 26.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, as we went to press. Brown has been playing at a level so undeniably elite that by the time this magazine hits your hands, we expect him to be about to land in Salt Lake City for the All-Star Game. His name has even been mentioned in the MVP conversation (along with his teammate Jayson Tatum, of course). The symbolism is all there. 

And yet, Brown’s thinking goes way beyond just basketball. It’s bigger than that. “Everybody has those moments in life where adversity hits and you think, Why me? Adversity hits and you think, Oh, my life is over. Adversity hits and you think, This is the end. When, in reality, it’s just the beginning.” 

Jaylen Brown’s first introduction to Boston came during the 2016 NBA Draft. As a highly touted and gifted prospect out of the University of California- Berkeley, Brown took a master class in college, choosing not to be represented by an agent. One GM labeled him “too smart,” and the Celtics’ fan base made it clear how they felt about their No. 3 overall pick. 

“They booed me,” Brown recalls. “[Owner] Wyc [Grousbeck] was calling my name and he’s up there saying, Jaylen, he’s gonna be one of the best players the city has ever seen. He’s up there, like, defending the pitch. We’re sticking with it, y’all get over it. This is who we’re going with.” 

Any rookie might have felt some type of way, but Brown knew that there was a higher purpose for why he was selected by the Celtics. 

“Before I got drafted, honestly, I told God to put me where he needed me,” he says. “He chose me to be here, for whatever reason. I remember, distinctly, I didn’t care where I went, you know, I could have played basketball in Alaska. But I told him to put me where I needed to be and he placed me in Boston. So, instantly, I knew that it was bigger than my personal decisions. My personal happiness is about what you can do and how you can affect the community and how you’re going to use your platform. I really feel like that’s the only reason why I got talent. Our creator wanted me to do something with it. Bigger than just what I do on the court.”

There are signs everywhere. Brown, who is into astrology and believes in angel numbers, has a specific connection with the number 7, which symbolizes intuition and inner wisdom. He wears the No. 7 on his jersey and named his foundation 7uice. “Guardian angels showing me the right way to go,” Brown says. 

Now, in his seventh season, in the year 2023 (whose numbers, he points out, add up to seven), Brown has become just as revered for his impact within the Boston community as he has for his dominance on the court. Back in October, he surprised middle schoolers at the Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy in Dorchester with free backpacks. He’s taken the time to get to know the city, too. One of Brown’s favorite restaurants is a Black-owned Caribbean-Asian-Latin fusion spot called ZaZ, located right in Cleary Square in Hyde Park. This summer, amid trade rumors reportedly involving Kevin Durant, Brown pulled up to Harambee Park, also known as Franklin Field, for the Dorchester vs Roxbury basketball game. He even wore a green t-shirt that referenced his now-famous tweet, “The Energy is About to Shift.” 

While the Celtics did manage to completely turn things around last year after being under .500 midway through, Brown was actually referring to himself when he tweeted that on January 31, 2022. 

“A lot of times when I tweet stuff, it’s like I’m talking to myself. Posting, like, reminders for me. Sometimes it’s not for the world, it’s for me,” Brown tells SLAM. “There was a lot going on, and you know at certain times of the year where you feel like things aren’t going in your direction, where it just seems like everything is going wrong. It could be like Murphy’s Law, could be a retrograde, whatever you attribute it to…At that moment, that’s what was going on for me, and it felt like that not only for me, but kind of for our team. I just tweeted [it] out as a reassurance to myself. Like, don’t worry, the energy is about to shift.”

It’s been almost a full year since then, but Brown admits that he’s been tested “on different levels physically, emotionally and mentally” lately, too, but won’t go into too much detail on the latter. 

The Celtics have also been tested, from battling injuries and trade rumors to a very public coaching change this offseason. For Brown, though, it’s about finding balance. “Experience has always been my best teacher,” he says. “At times when you’re feeling yourself get out of balance, just remember that I’ve been here before. I’ve seen this before. I feel like I’ve seen the highest of highs, being able to go to the Finals, but I’ve experienced the lows—losing the Finals, losing games, being on the bench, not playing, being injured…I’ve been trying to remove all self-limiting beliefs.”

After that 33-point blowout loss to the Thunder on January 3, Marcus Smart revealed to the media that it was JB who offered him words of encouragement. He also let Smart know that he was going to shift the energy in the next matchup against Dallas. “[Brown] came out and said, Listen, this is how I want to start. I’m going to pick up Luka [Doncic] early. I’m going to get the energy going, so you can get going.” 

Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla said Brown told him the same thing about guarding Doncic. Despite getting in early foul trouble, Brown showed a level of composure in the 124-95 win against the Mavs, and Doncic was held to his lowest point total since December, and his lowest assist total of the season. The Celtics went on a four-game winning streak soon after, cruising past the Spurs, Bulls and then, on the night after our shoot, the Pelicans. No one could stop Brown or Tatum. The Jays proved that they are the best scoring duo in the League and combined for 72 points. Brown put up a season-high 41 points while JT delivered a smooth 31-piece. 

Brown says he prepares for those big matchups by studying the rhythm of his opponent’s game. “Every player plays with a certain rhythm, a certain cadence, plays at a certain pace. Luka, Steph[en] Curry plays with a certain cadence. Kyrie. When I watch the game and film, I study their rhythm.”

He’s always been into music, too, and at one point made his own beats. When asked about the tempo of his own game, Brown breaks it down: “I can be, like, more uptempo,” he says while snapping his fingers. Snap. Snap. Snap. “I can play like I just got shot out of a cannon. It depends on the matchup, the mood, the energy of the game. I think part of my game is being able to be versatile, where I can slow it all the way down or I can be run and gun, running down in transition. Being versatile is key.” 

Just as Jayson Tatum described him after Game 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bucks, it’s clear that Brown sets the tone. “I could be smooth jazz, I could be hardcore rap. Gangsta rap at the same time, too,” Brown says. “When that’s coming out, there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

Inside the Celtics practice facility, Jaylen Brown is posing for this cover shoot but dialed in on playing a game of chess entirely with himself. He once called the game “comparable to life,” and it’s easy to see why he’s so into it—chess is all about strategy and requires winning and losing pawns and pieces in the process. Eventually, though, those wins and losses lead to even bigger moments. “Small victories,” Brown says of his goals for himself right now. “It’s a blessing to be considered one of the best in the game right now, [but] I don’t think I’ve reached my peak. I have a lot to still learn, a lot to look forward to in this game.”

The No. 6 patch on his Celtics jersey, in honor of the late Bill Russell, is another reminder of powering through adversity. Spiritually, the number also symbolizes high ideals. “To be able to have this six on [my] jersey means the world to me. At times when I get overwhelmed, where my spirit is just being aggravated, or I just feel weak, I just remind myself that I have one of the greatest examples, Bill Russell, [who was] able to deal with all the controversy that he dealt with when he was here,” he says. He later added, “Today, you would think the way people speak on his name was that he was welcomed and he was accepted during the time that he was standing up for what he believed in. That wasn’t the case. People trying to make it seem like it was, in Boston.

“Nah. Bill Russell, they was trying to run him out of town, terrorizing his family, his house, calling him all types of names, being disrespectful. And worse, right here in the city of Boston. Now he has a statue, and I think it should be twice as tall as what it is now. How things can change—sometimes you’re not always gonna be accepted for what you think or what you believe, but hopefully, if people know the essence of your heart and your intentions, with time it’ll equalize itself out.”

Brown doesn’t hesitate to keep it real about the Boston community. There are issues that still need to be addressed.

“There’s misconceptions in Boston. There’s a lot of Bostonians who have lived there, who are great people, into the community, who devoted their [lives] to some of the issues—incarceration and wealth disparity. Our education system. There’s a lot of families that have been there for a long time in Boston that represent excellence, [but] you wouldn’t hear that, or see that, if it wasn’t for the narrative that there is in Boston. But there’s also a part of Boston where the shoe fits—I’ve seen where, subliminally, there’s a lot of issues that go on in our society that gets covered up…Somebody’s got to say something.” 

Building a brighter future for Boston, and delivering the city its first NBA championship title since ’08, is a lot of weight and responsibility. 

But this is Jaylen Brown we’re talking about. Rather than panic, he’s too busy making moves on his way to the top.  

SLAM 242 is available now in an exclusive Gold Metal Edition and Cover Tee.

Deyscha Smith is the Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, @deyschasmith

Portraits by Marcus Stevens is a Content Producer at SLAM. Follow him on IG, @Marcus.stv

The post Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown is on a Mission to Fulfill His Higher Purpose appeared first on SLAM.

The 2023 LeagueFits All-Star Teams are here and we’ve got some newcomers and some savvy vets on this year’s squads. There are a lot of surprises and some notable names are left off the list. Meanwhile, the west backcourts are STACKED.

Tune in to the latest episode of ‘Survival of the Fitted’ to find out who was selected.

The post The Official 2023 LeagueFits All-Star Teams are Here appeared first on SLAM.

When we caught up from Smith in January (throwback to SLAM 143 when we photographed him on a course) to talk about his new golf podcast, Par 3, which he hosts alongside producer, actor and jewelry designer Ben Baller and Stephen Malbon, who co-founded Malbon Golf, he told SLAM that he got “hooked” on golf pretty quickly and soon developed a deep fascination with learning more about it and, specifically, how to improve his skillset. Back for SLAM 143, we even photographed Smith on a

“I tried to translate it to basketball,” Smith tells SLAM. “I really started learning how to work on certain skills as opposed to just trying to hit shots. I started working on my short game, started working on trying to work the ball left to right, right to left and different swings. [I started] watching a lot more videos looking at Tiger [Woods], watching Taylormade—those videos gave me a lesson here, lesson there, [but] everything else was pretty much self taught.”

Next thing Smith knew, he was all in: buying the gear, checking out different courses and thinking constantly about how to get better and better.

“At that point, I really realized I really had a problem,” he continues. “Because then I started going into different pro shops and started playing really, really good courses, or buying up all the gear—I got a closet right now that pretty much looks like a pro shop from different [stores] all over the country. And it’s just game that I really love…I feel like golf is a sport that you can always improve [in] and continuously get better. You never really have a cap.”

On the Par 3 podcast, not only will Smith, Ben Baller and Malbon dive into their personal journeys and how they’ve developed a love for the game, but they’ll also share hilarious commentary and dive deep into the culture of the golf from fashion and trends to some pretty wild stories, like Smith picking up a few pointers from the late, and great-Moses Malone. While there’s a lot of misconceptions surrounding golf, Par 3 is here to re-define what the “golf life” truly means by offering a unique perspective.

Check out the latest episode and be sure to subscribe here.

The post JR Smith is Hosting an Exciting New Golf Podcast, ‘Par 3,’ Alongside Ben Baller and Stephen Malbon appeared first on SLAM.

When we caught up with Redick after filming was done, he was just as reflective about his playing career and going into broadcasting and sports media.

“I think a big part of it was just going to play for the Clippers, to be honest with you,” Redick says of how he’s transitioned into media while being introverted. “Duke felt like a bubble. And then Orlando is a smaller market, even when we were really good it didn’t feel big. And when I went to the Clippers, big media market, a lot of eyeballs, we were a good team. The city’s huge. You start meeting people, you’re randomly at a fundraiser for the Democratic Party at Magic Johnson’s house and you’re up on stage with Harry Reid. And you’re like, what? How did I f***ing end up here? I’m taking a picture with Diane Keaton. 

“By the time I was doing ESPN [and] by the time we had launched the ‘The Old Man and Three’ in 2020, I was very comfortable by then. I look at those four years in L.A. as sort of the growth and the journey. That, to me, was a pivotal moment in my life—and it coincided with me becoming a father.  That gave me a whole new perspective on things and what mattered and not caring as much to be honest with you. Not being so sensitive.” 

The decision to get into podcasting for Redick really started out of curiosity. “It was something other than basketball, which is something that I had thought about for a long time,” he says, later adding: “It’s weird, because I grew up so introverted and now I have to have gotten comfortable. I have to talk a lot on camera.” 

It was around 2012-2013 when Redick, who was then playing on the Orlando Magic, took a trip to Boston to visit his best friend from high school. They hit up Fenway, as well as Harvard, where they ended up having a two-hour long conversation on the quad. “I remember thinking at the time, ‘I wish somebody had recorded that.’ I didn’t have the podcast [yet].” This moment ultimately contributed to the start of a journey that would lead to Redick diving into podcasting. 

Now, Redick has established himself as one of the strongest voices within sports media, offering both a deep knowledge of the game, as well as a player-first perspective. Whether he’s challenging Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take, interviewing superstars around the NBA on the “The Old Man and Three” podcast, including Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum, alongside co-host Tommy Alter, or going back and forth with the DraftKing’s Starting Five about the state of the game today, Redick admits that these are all skills—public speaking, asking questions, getting subjects to open up—that he’s had to learn and develop over time. Since he became the first active player to host a podcast when he launched a weekly show with Yahoo Sports in 2016, Redick has spent the past five years perfecting his craft with the same preparedness and attentiveness to the game as he did as a player. 

“There are certainly comparisons, there are certainly similarities. I think a lot about preparation. For me, being undersized with a short wingspan, not particularly bouncy, not particularly agile—I mean relative to you, I’m a better athlete, but relative to NBA players, I was on the lower end of the spectrum. So I had to prepare and people tell me all the time, and it drives me f***ing crazy, ‘Oh, you’re a natural.’ And I’m like, ‘Mmm, no, I’m not.’ It goes back to the extroverted thing. I’m not. I’ve actually got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of reps. Like last year, I would do a f***ing five-minute SportsCenter hit at 12 o’clock, I’m preparing 45 minutes for that. I get the questions. I’m doing my research. I’m thinking about clips. I do it the same way I played. That’s how I had to play and I look at it [like] I have to do it the same way here…Look, if we’re being honest, you go to Miami in Game 4, you’re down and you hit a big bucket down the stretch, you make the game-sealing free throws, and Joel gets the rebound to end the game and you’re going back in the locker room with your teammates to fly back to Philly to close them out. There’s no better feeling than that. We probably, as athletes, we probably won’t ever feel that again. There’s got to be some level of acceptance on that but you can still grind and search and challenge yourself in ways that you approximate that.”

When he’s watching the game these days, Redick pays keen attention to body language—a skill he learned at Duke while playing under Mike Krzyzewski. 

“I think it’s because I played for Coach K, I am big on watching body language—and I know that sounds weird. There’s four or five actions you can run in the NBA, and there’s three or four ways to defend those actions, generally. There’s some creativity around watching Phoenix or Dallas—the different ways they get into the pick and roll. I find it fascinating and when I call their games, I’ve tried to find ways to point this out and break it down because I think most casual fans [are like], ‘Explain pick and roll. What’s that?’ [and] the Twitter nerds, they love it.  But I watch body language a lot and when I’m evaluating a team, I’m watching the body language. When I’m evaluating a team winning or losing, I’m watching the body language. I’m watching players that have edge—I am fascinated by Jose Alvarado, T.J. McConnell, Marcus Smart. I love watching those guys. 

“And then, as a true basketball fan, and this is where I, like, for whatever reason, run into such headwinds. I appreciate greatness. Shouldn’t we all? I guess not because so much of the narrative side of it is pointing out all the failures of great players versus celebrating the longevity, the scoring, the winning. It annoys the f**** out of me, to be honest with you. It does. I love watching Tatum play, I love watching Ja Morant. I view games through the analytical lens for sure, but I’m also just a basketball fan. I retired and I was like, I’m going to take a break, and then I had to sign up for ESPN, but then, like, f***ing two weeks into the season I’m like, Jesus, man, I’m doing the same thing I did as a player. I’m watching eight [NBA] League Pass games, switching back and forth channels, channels, channels, and then it’s 12:30 at night and I’m like, Okay, I can finally go to bed because I’ve watched all the games.”

For Redick, there’s “two components” to the way he approaches his work now as an analyst and podcast host: “There’s the analysis of the game, which to me, seems very black and white,” he explains. “In that, I can go look at advanced stats, and I can talk about them all day, I can watch a play, and I can break that down. It’s cut and dry. The narrative side of media, which is where I think I’ve made some headway, if that makes sense, that is the gray. Tobias [Harris] and I talk about this all the time, because he was such a black and white person, and it used to drive me crazy. I’d be like, ‘Dude, you gotta learn to live in the gray.’ And I like to live in the gray. That’s how I operate in my life. And so I think, every conversation we have about narrative, it’s always super nuanced. I enjoy having those conversations. That, to me, is where you get a lot of disagreement. And that’s inevitable, because so and so player, team, their stans. And you are never going to change the opinion of a stan. You’re just not. But I enjoy having those conversations. And I’m not always right. I know I’m not always right. And I knew when I was wrong. I do, or at least I try to. Kings fans, I’ve acknowledged that I’ve admitted the whole trade, whatever.”

Then there’s Redick’s ability to understand his subjects, an attribute that has made him so compelling as an analyst. He’s been there, not just on the court, but as a professional athlete who’s been put under a magnifying lens by the media and general public. When the scrutiny surrounding Russell Westbrook gets brought up mid-interview, Redick offers both perspectives—there’s the one that only he, and his former NBA teammates, could ever possibly understand, and then there’s the outside, fan perspective. “So, number one, we’ve all been memed and GIF-ed. I think we’re all cognizant that the camera is on us, but we’re also human. And I remember during the [NBA] bubble, our second game, we got blasted by the Clippers and I had to lay down because of my back, so I never sat on the bench. I’m rolling my back …and I’m, like, staring into the abyss. That became a GIF for, like, four days and it’s like, Yeah, you caught me in a bad moment. I was f***ing pissed. We were losing by 30 in the third quarter. Like, it happens. So, the body language part I get and certainly players like Russ are scrutinized, especially once different storylines get added in.” 

It’s in the gray area where Redick shines most. By intertwining his knowledge of the game and 15 years of playing experience with his understanding of how NBA fandom works, as well as the media, Redick has been able to get players around the League to let their guard down and open up about never-before talked about topics, from mental health to getting cut from a team, in a way most broadcasters could only imagine. He’s still that same determined, competitive and straight-up clutch sharpshooter that he was at Duke and in the League—the only difference now is that he’s bringing that same passion to every assignment, every game and every interview. 

“It’s the juice. Yeah, that’s the juice for me,” Redick says of getting players to open up. “When I played, the competition part was such a drug. And the highs of it were just so good. The lows were so bad. But it was so addicting, all of it was so addicting. And as athletes we really struggle to recapture that in our post-playing days, it’s damn near impossible. I sometimes get it on the golf course. Going back to recording, for the podcast, for me, that is the drug. When PJ Tucker talks about how, at the end of his first season, the Raptors cut him and prior to cutting him for the playoff run, they brought him into the office, the whole staff was there, and they showed we’ve had a camera on you. For the last two weeks, here’s your body language in huddles, here’s your body language when your teammates scores, here’s your body language in practice. Like, when he tells that story, that’s a high for me. When DeMar [DeRozan] opens up about his mental health approach and his struggles and his journey there, that’s a high for me. You don’t always get that in every interview or every episode, but when you get it, God, it’s so f***ing good.”

Watch the latest episode of the DraftKings Starting Five series featuring JJ Redick here. 

The post JJ Redick Quickly Became a Rising Star in Sports Media by Approaching it the Same Way He Approached the Game appeared first on SLAM.

When we sat down with Jadakiss and Set Free Richarson on set at The Compound, we knew we had to ask the two icons about their own journey. It’s one that’s always been interconnected—the two met way back in the late ‘90s when ‘Kiss was signed to Ruff Ryders, and Set Free even reached out about performing at halftime of the AND1 Mixtape Tour games. They’ve remained close friends ever since. Set Free has watched the Yonkers native make waves in the music industry as a member of the iconic rap trio, The Lox, and as a solo artist; while Jadakiss has witnessed first-hand how Set Free has emerged into a connoisseur of the culture, from founding the AND1 mixtapes to his DJing and artistic endeavors. “Besides any money or business, we’re like real family, like brothers,” says Jadakiss. 

But back to the original question: even throughout all of their individual success, when was that moment when they really bet on themselves?

“I think for me, the first time was [when] I was DJing,” begins Set Free. “I was signed to Tommy Boy Records in 1997. Prince Paul was one of my mentors, and there was a DJ battle that he couldn’t make in Zurich, Switzerland. I was young—.” 

“Ambitious,” chimes in Jadakiss, who is sitting right beside him. 

“This was before the record deal,” Richardson continues. “Prince Paul said, ‘Yo, do you want to go to Switzerland and do this battle?’ I was like, Yeah, I’ll do it. But he was like, ‘You gotta go by yourself.’ And I’ll never forget, you know, God bless my mom and pop, they didn’t want me to go. We lived in Philadelphia and they drove me. My mom cried the whole time to the airport, back and forth crying because I literally went to Zurich by myself with a bookbag of records and my little suitcase…But I knew that that moment in my life, to be able to DJ in another country, I was like, if music could take me this far around the world, it’s gonna take me to levels in places that I could never even imagine. That was a defining moment in my career, to be able to go to Zurich by myself.” 

As for Jadakiss’ defining moment: “I bet on myself when I could have gotten signed at like 16 or 17 with Ruff Ryders [but] my mom and pop was like, ‘Hell no, you going to college. I don’t know what y’all talking about. This is noise.’ And then at 18 I was able to sign on my own and tell them, I ain’t going to college. I ain’t working at that job doing this. I’m betting on myself. Just give me a year or two and I’ll come back with a house with a bow on it.”

“And the rest is history,” adds Set Free.  

For both Set Free and Jadakiss, their impact on not only music, but on the game, has been monumental. Set Free has done everything from founding the AND1 mixtapes to designing the social justice hoodies worn in the NBA bubble in 2020, meanwhile Jadakiss’ music has continued to be the soundtrack to basketball culture for decades—during filming of The Starting Five, his iconic Reebok Answer V commercial with Allen Iverson even gets brought up. As the two reveal to us, another pinnacle realization for them both was accepting that their hoop dreams weren’t going to happen. 

“Don C said it earlier, ‘Once I got asthma, the ball dream was over,’” recalls Set Free. “And I was like, you know, I still want to be in the NBA. I still want to be on the court. To be able to take pictures on the Knicks [court] now, not as a player, these are dreams [coming] true. So once the dream was over that I wasn’t making the League, I had to figure out a way to still connect to the League [and] be a part of the players, the teams, the fans, the fashion, the music. Still, to this day, I’m still a fan of the game. I’m still a kid. It never gets old. I want to be a part of the game in any way I can since I’m not a player.” 

“I played in high school, [but] once I knew that I wasn’t going DI, you got to figure it out,” says Kiss. “At that age in life, you running wild. You don’t know what you want to do. I did know that I’ve always enjoyed the game. I always enjoy watching and I always enjoy kicking it with the players. Then to see a lot of them, their interest in music, how they use music to work out [and during shootarounds…So, just to see that they need that music as much as we love watching the sport itself, it showed that I would always have that connection. And I [have] the games on in the studio, without the sound. I’m listening to the beat or the track or whatever I have to do in the stu, but the game gotta be on.” 

That deeply personal connection to the game shines through in every conversation Jadakiss, Set Free and the entire Starting Five, which includes streetwear designer Don C, gambling expert Danielle Alvari and NBA 2K insider Jamie “Dirk” Ruiz, have in the series. Whether they’re chopping it up with former NBA All-Star Baron Davis, going back and forth with JJ Redick about the NBA 2K gaming world in comparison to the real-life experience as a player, or getting insight from Ty Young on WNBA fashion (respect to Ty for mentioning LeagueFits on the episode), the Starting Five’s passion for the game is deeply ingrained in who each of them are today.

There’s Don C, who has been influential in not just the music industry, but in streetwear with his brand, Just Don. The Chicago-native and lifelong Bulls fan has also collaborated with brands like Nike to design his own Air Force 1 colorway, and just last February, he was named the Bulls’ Creative Strategy and Design Advisor. 

“The Bulls, honestly, to me, are the biggest brand in basketball, and the biggest brand of Chicago. So, it’s kind of like the brand I use as a vessel to represent where I’m from—where people can relate to it, everywhere…I’m trying to represent, in an authentic manner, certain trends we had locally [in Chicago]. I like to try to amplify it or put people on them. That’s why I started my brand [Just Don] with the buck fifty cap. [Just Don] was started off with snakeskin visors on the hats, and that was the trend of drug dealers and hustlers from Chicago. When I traveled the globe, I never saw it anywhere else. I was like, ‘Man, I think this is something I think people would appreciate, the storytelling. So, I’m always trying to bring things to the forefront that I think makes Chicago special, and relatable to other people.” 

Then there’s Alvari, who comes from a basketball family—her dad was a grad assistant coach at Gonzaga in the ‘80s while John Stockton was on the team. The Bay Area native grew up obsessed with box scores, and now emerged into an Emmy-nominated sports reporter and sports betting expert who can recall over/unders and team stats so effortlessly and accurately that she’d make any Basketball Reference nerd question how much they really know about the game. 

“My favorite thing about sports is how they bring people together,” Alvari tells us. “It does feel like a lot of areas [in] sports are, like, gatekept, or only certain people can work in this space and talk about this sport, and that’s changing a little bit everyday. So, what I love about what we’re doing with The Starting Five is that we’re taking all these different avenues to get to sports culture, and talking about all of them, and that’s what’s ultimately gonna include more people… I think I’m really excited about how it’s going to bring even more people to the game.”

As for Ruiz, whose nickname and gaming tag is inspired by his adoration of Dirk Nowitzki, he started playing NBA 2K10 and NBA Live when he was just 12 years old, and ended up going professional only a few years later in high school. After starting his own Youtube channel right after he graduated, and ultimately deciding not to go to college to invest more in his craft, his dedication and passion has certainly paid off. Now, Ruiz is the lead analyst and commentator for the NBA 2K League. 

“I wanted to do something different. There had never been a commentator turned professional player ever. It’s usually always professional, [then] they go down to a commentary role,” he says. “Even now, esports is becoming more regulated [and there’s] people [that are like,] ‘Oh, yeah, my kid plays this. He wants to be a professional. My kid wants to be a streamer.’ I think it’s being—I don’t want to say like a pioneer. I mean, ten years is a lot of time [and] esports has been around for even longer, but just to stick out and have a unique career that I can sit there and tell people about it and [they’re like], ‘Wow, you get paid to actually do this.’ That’s something that’s always motivated me.”

As they all continue to make waves within their respective fields, it’s evident that what fuels each member of the Starting Five is not only their love for the game, but their unwavering passion for every aspect of basketball culture. How would a Yonkers native become a hip-hop icon, a DJ become a visionary and Cannes Lion winner,  a former UCLA cheerleader become a renowned reporter, a designer become a streetwear mogul and a gamer become a professional analyst who is transcending esports? The answer is simple: by betting on themselves. 

Watch the DraftKings’ The Starting Five series here.

The post Jadakiss, Set Free Richardson, Don C, Danielle Alvari and Jamie “DirK” Ruiz are Celebrating Basketball Culture with DraftKings’ “The Starting Five” Series appeared first on SLAM.

Jayme didn’t come empty handed, though. She’d brought along a giant poster of an animation of Francis on draft day wearing his Houston Rockets jersey with the Vancouver Grizzlies logo in the background. The gesture was enough to impress the former No. 1 pick. 

“For somebody to come to Houston, Toyota Center, where my face is planted all throughout the [arena], knowing how people looked at me in Vancouver, at that point, I was surprised,” Francis says of meeting Jayme for the first time. He later adds: “I would have never thought about coming [to Vancouver] if I wouldn’t have [met] Kat, but, you know, people have different effects on people and the way that she came [to me] was very respectful. That’s what opened the door.” 

Jayme admits on the same Zoom call that she was nervous to even approach Francis in the first place. She had a script prepared, which she wrote down on her hands, and was pacing back and forth outside of the arena while practicing how she was going to introduce herself, let alone convince him to be a part of the film. “Steve is part of the Vancouver Grizzlies’ history. And so, that was kind of my pitch to him, like, You are a part of this story. I am making this film [and] I’d love for you to be a part of it because we need to talk about what happened. I would love for you to have your own voice in it because people are gonna be talking about you.”

The pitch, and Jayme’s sincerity, worked. Not just Francis, but also convincing former players, coaches and members of the Vancouver Grizzlies organization to be interviewed for the film. The result is a candid and captivating investigation into the long lost history of the team, and ultimately what led to the franchise leaving Vancouver. 

To learn more about what went into filming The Grizzlie Truth, and the impact the film has on retelling a piece of NBA history, SLAM caught up with Jayme and Francis while they were in Vancouver promoting the film. It was the first time Francis had been back there in over 20 years. 

SLAM: When did you, Kat, first start thinking about making this film? 

KAT JAYME: When I was in university, I went to film school, and I think, you know, I was so into 30 for 30s and I was just like, I have the perfect story—the story of the Vancouver Grizzlies. I think every filmmaker has that one story in their career that they want to tell and for me it was the story of Vancouver Grizzlies, mainly because I knew my personal connection to the team—I have photographs of me at games, I have footage, as you see in the film of me at games, I have childhood drawings of the team, I have all these, like, all the toys. Documentaries that I love are ones that have many layers, and I just knew with the archival that I had, that it was the right story for me to tell.

SLAM: That’s amazing, and for you, Steve, what was it like to have someone tell your story? Were you nervous at all?

STEVE FRANCIS: Uh, because the last image the Vancouver fans had of me was at the [NBA] Draft [and] the hostility every time I played here, it kind of felt a little relieving to be able to talk to somebody who wanted to hear my side of the story and did not just put me in a box [about] what was said about me in ‘99 until probably this film.  I still get people from Vancouver that’ll say, “What are you doing here? We don’t like you.” But, I’ve been through so much so that doesn’t mean anything to me.

KJ: I feel like that’s gonna change after people watch the film.

SLAM: Steve, how did you begin to process everything and the adversity you had to deal with and still go out there on the court every night?

SF: If you look at my NBA career and the way I played, it didn’t make a difference what was said about me. So, until I retired and Kat brought it back up, I never really thought about retouching on it. I [took] some shots here and there, I couldn’t take shots at the whole city, but they continuously do it every time my name is mentioned, but, you know, it’s full circle like I was explaining earlier.

SLAM: On that note, Kat, as a filmmaker did you feel a sense of responsibility in telling not only Steve’s story, but the entire history of the franchise? How do you think Vancouver Grizzlies fans will react to this film?

KJ: For the past four years, [I] have just been working on this film nonstop. And so, obviously, there’s the nervousness that comes with sharing your work, especially when it’s such a deeply personal story. We shared the film with a few die hard Grizzlie fans I know and the response, especially after they’d [watched] Steve’s story on screen, it’s been overwhelmingly positive, and everyone has just been like, Yeah, [I] can’t hate on Steve anymore, Kat. So, that’s been really great and I wanted to make sure that we did some test screenings with a few Grizzlies fans. 

I think it won’t take a lot for [people’s] tune to change. I think as soon as you watch the film, you see Steve in a different light and that light is just as a human being. And I think before in the ‘90s, we were just seeing him as an athlete. But of course, these athletes and these people who worked on these teams are people. They’re human, too, and I think that’s one of the things that I’d love for people to come away with after watching this film.

SLAM: We won’t spoil what happens in the film, but there’s definitely a pretty incredible moment of community and connection throughout. Kat, as a longtime Vancouver Grizzlies fan, are you rocking with this year’s Memphis squad at all? Or are you strictly loyal to Vancouver?

KJ: I’m grateful for the friendships that this film has brought about with Steve and with the fans that I met when I was in Memphis. The idea of cheering for Memphis before this film was just like a straight-up hard pass. Like, heck no. But now, you know, I’ve come to realize that the Grizzlies, they’re as much Memphis’ team as Vancouver’s team. They’ve been in Memphis for 20 years. That’s over double the time that we had them here in Vancouver. 

I think one of the messages that I hope that fans get after watching this film is that it’s not like an us versus them mentality. Antonio Braxton Jr. said it perfectly in the interview, Why can’t we share the team? Why does this need to be Memphis versus Vancouver? So, I think Vancouver fans should be proud that the Grizzlies are still alive today and they’re doing well in Memphis and we had a hand in that. We are a part of that history as well. 

The post Steve Francis and Kat Jayme on the ‘Grizzlie Truth’ and What Actually Happened to the Vancouver Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

The SLAM x SUPLMNT Water Bottle Collection is available now.

And yet, the very act of consuming it, or even having access to an insulated water bottle, isn’t the norm everywhere. In some parts of the world, water is a commodity. It’s that sentiment, specifically within communities of color, that Jairus Morris set out to change when he founded the brand SUPLMNT. Growing up in South Philly, and eventually Jersey for high school, he admits that drinking water wasn’t even reinforced in his own household, and as he’s grown older, he’s had to watch those around him get sick and deal with different health issues. That’s when it hit him. 

“I was like, Man I’m not trying to grow up and live like that,” he says over Zoom. “It’s like a term that you always hear, like, Oh, this runs in my family. And I realized that I mean, it’s, it’s really not true. It’s really the bad habits that we get passed down. Where we’re putting a bunch of sugar in your juice and drinking Kool Aid and never drinking water, or over salting your food and only eating fried stuff. Those different things are what get passed down. So from there, I really wanted to make a change.” 

Flash forward to 2018 when Morris decided he wanted to start his own business that was “vision-focused and could impact the culture.” That’s when he stumbled upon the highly-profitable market of selling insulated water bottles—except, there was one problem: he wasn’t seeing anyone at the time marketing towards a demographic that looked like him. “[People of color] are not marketed to because we’re not really seen as the people that do outdoorsy things. Water bottles were kind of created for being outdoors, being in the mountains. You need your stuff to stay cold or hot for a certain amount of time…. But in a way, we do go outside, we don’t [just] sit in the house. We commute, we go outside, play basketball, go to festivals, cookouts and different things.” 

That’s where SUPLMNT steps in. With a  mission to change the game in urban communities when it comes to hydration, the brand has created a product that’s more than just a water bottle. Inspired by Morris’ upbringing and love of sneaker culture, every aspect of a SUPLMNT water bottle reflects the brand’s ethos, Where Hydration Meets Culture. The rubber foot grip at the bottom of the bottle mimics the sole of a sneaker, while the loop is made from a shoestring. Then there’s the texture of the bottle—gritty and resilient, just like the community Morris grew up in—and the SUPLMNT logo, which symbolizes how hydration can not only bring the block together, but communities everywhere. 

SUPLMNT’s recent collaboration with SLAM is a merging of the elements—from basketball and sneaker culture to hydration, all while keeping that same mission at the top of mind. The SLAM x SUPLMNT water bottle is available now and comes in three different colorways, including an all-over print bottle with the SLAM logo, an all-black bottle with a vertical SLAM logo, and a laser-etched RESPECT THE GAME lockup. The 24 oz insulated bottles not only keeps drinks cold for 24 hours, and hot for 12 hours, but is meant to keep you looking even cooler with its sleek design and insulated functionality. Just like a pair of kicks, the SLAM x SUPLMNT collection can be rocked anywhere, and everywhere. 

“I feel as though we have the same audience,” Morris says of the collab with SLAM. “A lot of NBA players and basketball players kind of resonate with that same exact story that I [mentioned] earlier, with growing up in the same kind of environment [and] not having those resources or people telling them about health and wellness or even drinking water… SLAM is basketball and sneaker culture, and it just made sense [to collab]. It’s like the dots connecting. Us creating together and coming up with the design, everything just worked.” 

Looking ahead at the future, Morris envisions the brand evolving into the definitive water bottle for the culture. That includes raising awareness and spreading their message—Morris even mentions wanting to create a fund to give back, while also building hydration stations and hosting giveaways within urban communities.

Just as the game has the ability to unite, SUPLMNT is doing so, too, with health and hydration at the forefront. Now, that’s a mission for the culture. Respect. 

Shop the SLAM x SUPLMNT Water Bottle Collection here. 

The post SLAM Collabs with SUPLMNT on Exclusive Water Bottle Collection That’s For the Culture appeared first on SLAM.

The last time we caught up with the man behind the 7, the same one who founded the AND1 mixtapes, he was quarantining in Mexico and designing impactful social justice-inspired t-shirts that were worn by players around the NBA from inside the Bubble in Orlando. At the time, The Compound was located in the Bronx, but since its relocation to Kings County, it’s obvious that Set Free’s initial vision for the space has reached a different magnitude. He’s created a space entirely for artistic expression and curation, and nearly every square inch of the studio is, in his own words, a “living, breathing creative gallery,”—once you walk past the KG jersey, there’s even a custom Star Wars-inspired wallpaper of Luke Skywalker that reads, Meanwhile back at The Compound, the battle continues, and with Yoda saying, “Do or Do Not. There is No Try!”

As we walk throughout the studio, and past a room still in construction that Set Free reveals is going to become a recording studio—the space feels like a sneak peek into his mind, passions and interests, from the work of art to the sports memorabilia and vintage antiques. Hanging up on one wall are stunning, black-and-white portraits of the late-DMX and The Lox—Jadakiss has also been featured in a recent episode of DraftKings’ new The Starting Five series, which is filmed live in The Compound. In another corner of the room is a sophisticated-looking lounge area with microphones set up for podcasting, and a set of turntables on top of an antique, wooden chest—a nod to Set Free’s DJing days. Not too far away is an antique barber chair that looks like it’s from the early 1900s, down to the red leather and wood paneling. Wherever you turn, there’s something to marvel at. 

“A lot of art galleries, you can’t touch anything, you don’t feel like you are part of it,” Set Free later says while sitting inside his office. “I wanted The Compound to be this living, wall of art that you can be a part of and it inspires you to create.” 

The Starting Five series is filmed, specifically, in the living room-type area with plush, brown leather couches that are perfect for not only kicking back, but debating the game, music and culture. It’s here where Set Free has powerful conversations about basketball lifestyle with exclusive guests Jadakiss, former NBA star Baron Davis and streetball legend “Skip to My Lou.” In a recent episode where the Yonkers music artist discusses one of his most special albums, you might notice that sitting on a coffee table are an assortment of memorabilia—from magazines (including a copy of the SLAM Presents Warriors special issue) to action figures. 

When we stopped by The Compound in November, it appeared that Set Free had switched it up with works of art one could only imagine to see in person—from Kevin Durant’s KD10 signature kicks, which he wore when he won his first NBA championship in 2017 (a gift to Set Free from KD), to the AND1 mixtapes in their original yellow, blue, brown and fire-engine red cassette boxes. 

It’s one thing, though, to see the mixtapes in person, but it’s another to later hear from Set Free about how he thinks the game has evolved and is moving to its own beat. 

“I just love seeing the game evolve with the new generation of young stars. [With the griddy dance], I don’t think there was ever an NBA player that did a dance [like Ja Morant], [Stephen] Curry with the shimmy with the shoulders. It’s exciting, it’s like seeing two generations of the game being played. On one hand you got Ja Morant, Trae Young, Luka [Doncic], [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown and then you still have [James] Harden, [LeBron] James and Kawhi [Leonard]. Seeing these two worlds is incredible, and then with seeing the worlds you’re also seeing the connection. One of the things I say is, [when we were growing up], everybody in the NBA wore high top sneakers. Now all the guys are wearing these low cuts, and they look incredible. LeBron even took his sons to the Nike meeting to design a sneaker with him. So, you know, you’re seeing a generational culture clash that’s really exciting. I’m seeing Ja dunking over veterans and I’m like, Oh my goodness. But then I’m seeing LeBron dunking on kids, and it’s incredible. So, for me, just to see the older generation and the younger generation, with the music, fashion, with the style of play—it’s been one of the most exciting years I’ve seen in a while.”

When asked to describe the tempo of the game today, in relation to music, Set Free pauses and marvels at the thought. “Wow,” he whispers, later adding: “Creatively, intensely fast. It’s like some of the things I’m seeing, [I think when] Ja Morant went up [for a dunk], caught some contact in the air and changed it to a finger roll. … LeBron is still dunking like he’s in his twenties, Tatum is going crazy, Zion, when he’s playing, it’s very intense, creative and it’s fast.” 

Set Free isn’t just an admirer of how the game is being played, but the culture of the game as a whole. When asked who stands out to him style-wise in the tunnel, he doesn’t hesitate to name LeagueFits MVP Jordan Clarkson. “He’s a star. … He puts it together right. I don’t think it’s about the brands, he wears high end [brands] and pieces nobody knows. You don’t have to go to Paris anymore, just watch the beginning of Sportscenter.”

Other fashionable players around the League that he mentions include Jayson Tatum and James Harden, but when asked what he thinks about players walking the runway at New York and Paris Fashion Week, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Set Free explains: “What happened is, [there] was a transition, though, from players sitting front row in Paris, and shoutouts to Virgil [Abloh], he kind of brought a lot of NBA players to his shows. The NBA players were always the model type—they’re thin, slim, tall, the exact build of a model—so it was just a transition from them sitting in the front row to being on stage now. I always thought it was coming.”

Nearly every answer from Set Free, whether it’s about basketball, fashion, and hip-hop, is woven together through the lens of a passionate admirer of the culture. “For me, music is a beat that always never changes. No matter the artists, it always does something the same way. Basketball is the only thing with a genre of music connected. So, when you say basketball, you say hip-hop. If you say golf, you don’t see music. Tennis, there’s no music [there]. But it’s always been this way [with basketball]. At one point it was Public Enemy that drove that beat and then Nas and Mobb Deep, it’s still this same connection to me from Drake to Rick Ross at one point, Lil Wayne and Cash Money at [another] point. 

“I mean, for me with the AND1 mixtape, it started with Common and Mos Def and Busta Rhymes, but now it’s 2Chainz, Lil Baby, J Cole but it’s still the same feeling now and which I’m happy about. Super happy about all the collaborations, the [DJ Khaled] album, NBA Youngboy, Griselda is one of my favorites. Of course, the legends of the Jadakiss’s and Cam’rons, and all the “babys”—Lil Baby, DaBaby, I’m baby-ied out, in a good way…It’s an exciting time in music [and] I love how the players embrace it. You know, you’ve seen them [wearing] in ear [headphones], over-ears coming through the tunnel, pregame, shootaround. You see them [mentioned] in lyrics, and even with the griddy-thing…I don’t think music is going to leave the NBA, hip-hop is so connected [with it]. At one time it was movie stars like Jack Nicholson, Bill Murray, but now those [courtside] seats are filled by Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.” 

Just as the game is changing, Set Free and The Compound are also constantly evolving, too. As a self-declared “artistic, cluttered minimalist,” Set Free admits that when he first arrived at the space and it was empty, he could look at every blank wall and know exactly how many frames would fit. 

“[When I walked in] and saw it empty, I literally [knew] every block where everything fits. I stood in the middle, and was like, five paintings fit there, three fit there, six on that wall. If you’ve noticed, every space is almost full. I’m going crazy because I’m waiting on tables for that space. For me, it’s just art and math. Like that gray wall, ten frames is going to fit perfectly on that.” 

Like every artist, Set Free is rarely ever satisfied with the way things look in The Compound, and he’s constantly been moving and changing the layout around. But like every visionary, he sees an opportunity to create something new and innovative. That’s the future of The Compound. 

“It’s always evolving. But I think that’s what keeps it fun. Like, usually [with] the last Compound [space No. 1], maybe twice a year, definitely maybe once, I would take all those 10 frames down, put them back in storage and go get new art and put it in that sport to keep [it] refreshing.”

With his blessing, Set Free wraps up the interview by encouraging us to wander freely around the space and take it all in. To get close enough to really see every intricate detail of the art, the jerseys, the mixtapes and the NBA championship kicks. After all, The Compound is meant to capture all of your wildest, most creative curiosities.  

The post Inside the Creative Mind of Set Free Richardson and the 3rd Version of his Famed Creative Space—The Compound appeared first on SLAM.

After going undrafted in 2021, the 6-0 guard out of Georgia Tech, who was splitting time between the Pels and their G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, kept telling himself that if he wasn’t going to play, just make sure that it felt like he was out there playing.

Do something that makes you impact the day, he’d say. Not just the game but the day. 

That meant learning how to be impactful in other ways, even if he wasn’t on the court. Not only would he watch the game, but he’d study it, thinking critically about ways he would attack the defense if he was out there. Teammates like Brandon Ingram took notice and would ask him for his perspective. 

“Brandon Ingram used to come to the side and be like, Yo, what you see out there? What do you think we should do with it?” Alvarado recalls over the phone, later adding: “I think little by little I grew more disciplined and it made me lock in more.”

Despite what many had said about him coming into the League—that he was too short, or not equipped to hold his own in the NBA—Alvarado’s emergence last season has made him beloved in NOLA and respected all across the League. He went from being an undrafted player making a little over $400K to securing a four-year, $6.5 million contract and solidifying his spot in the Pelicans’ rotation, all in a matter of just four months. 

The word “UNDERDAWG” isn’t just something Alvarado has written in his Instagram bio, it’s a reflection of who he is and what he’s about. Don’t sleep though, the bag has always been well-equipped with his elite style of play: that baseline sneak-attack move, the same one that earned him the GTA nickname in the first place? He’s been doing that since AAU. His lockdown defense? We’re talking about an ACC Defensive Player of the Year here. And yes, he can shoot, too.  

“Going through the whole pre-draft, even college and high school, they said I wasn’t ready for the ACC. I had a rough two years [in college], my junior and senior year I had a breakout. I won Defensive Player of the Year, we won an ACC championship. Then I come in and they say, The League is pushing it. I’m undrafted, come in on two-way, and six months later I’m playing in a playoff game and my guys want me out there to help win the game. That’s truly what I mean when I say I’m an underdog.”

It’s one thing, though, to surpass other people’s expectations, but as Drizzy once said: You know it’s real when you are who you think you are.

“I always have believed in myself, obviously, but for me to do what I did made me feel so much excitement and belief. It was like, Alright Jose, this ain’t no more if or what. This is you now. This is what it is now. It taught me that if I be me, everything else will take [care] of itself.”

All that waiting and studying and preparing paid off when he saw action on the court in January. The New York-native dropped 13 points against the Knicks during his Madison Square Garden debut (and homecoming) and didn’t back down when he went at it against Joel Embiid a few nights later, earning the respect of the five-time All-Star. By March, Alvarado was putting up 16 points, 10 assists and 6 steals in a win against Houston, followed by a career-high 23 points against the Spurs. 

Then came the playoffs.

During the biggest moment of his career, Alvarado held his own in the first-round series against the Suns. The team’s defensive ace averaged 1.2 steals in 19.5 minutes and understood the assignment when it came to competing against the point god himself, Chris Paul. This postseason performance prompted praise from none other than CJ McCollum: “He was agressive, fearless, showed that New York mentality.” 

Looking back, Alvarado says that there was one moment during the playoffs that might top, or at least match, the MSG performance as his best memory from his rookie season. He still remembers that night vividly, how all of Smoothie King Center—over 17,000 people—chanted his name while his family, including his mom, dad and brother, sat on the sidelines and smiled at him as he dribbled the ball up the court. 

“It was like a movie. I remember it like it was yesterday. I started tearing up, like, wow, and everyone was screaming, ‘Jose!’ It was one of those moments I’ll never forget, it’s one of the best memories I got in the NBA.” 

Alvarado even sat down with his friends and family to process the  journey, how everything he’d worked for was coming true, right before their eyes.

“I was like, I can’t believe everything worked out how we always said it would. How many times have people said, Yeah, we’re going to make it to the NBA or we’re gonna do this? A whole bunch of people and it never really happens for whatever reason. I definitely sat down and went, Wow, you’re living the dream and being more than you thought you could be. 

“I’ve been around a lot of people and this doesn’t come around often. Being able to put an NBA jersey on, being in a rotation, being someone in the lineup. I think I’m always going to embrace that,” he says. “No matter what happens to me later in life, I could always tell my kids or anybody like, Jose, you did something special in that one year. But I’m also looking forward to doing more special things.”

That includes representing Puerto Rico on the national team over the summer at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Alvarado says he hadn’t been to PR since he was around 12 years old, but it nonetheless felt like home as soon as he touched ground. 

“I told my parents that as soon as I got off the plane, it felt like home. I had people [on] the plane waiting for me and they recognized me right away. It was crazy, [I] was like a superstar. I called myself ‘Spanish LeBron.’ I’m glad I did it. Everybody was telling me about how Puerto Ricans are so proud about just being, you know, the love of the game of basketball. Going out there and experiencing that love and everyone showing me so much love just because I’m representing them at the highest level. I’ve been doing a lot but seeing them and putting a jersey on definitely is a memory I’ll never forget.”

The decision to step away from the national team wasn’t an easy one, but ultimately Alvarado felt that he wanted to make the Pelicans his priority this summer. 

“That was a tough decision. I am focusing on being Jose, at a higher level. Just learning. I want to polish my game and obviously make shots. I want to be a high-level shooter. I want to work on my confidence. Most importantly, I want to have guys—like, they respect me already and they love me but I also want to be able to hold the superstars accountable. Just more of being a leader. Just going out there and having fun. I think we’re really good [and] once we click, I think all the guys know that we could be something special.”

Back in May, Alvarado tweeted that he was going to win Defensive Player of the Year one day, and when asked about it, he makes it clear that he wasn’t just talking. To him, it’s not a matter of if, but when.

“When I tweeted it, I meant it,” he says. “Not necessarily to say [that] I will win it next year, but I will win it one year because of just how much I love defense and how much I wanna pride myself on it. This NBA thing is not gonna be an easy route for me, no matter what happens here. I had a really good year, but I’m always gonna have to fight and prove every year that I belong, no matter how long I’ve been in the NBA. So that’s my mindset on everything. And especially, this is where [I’m at]: I do the sneaky thing, which is unique, and I love it—everyone loves it—but I want to show that if you’re in front of me dribbling the ball, it will be a difficult time, too.”

He’s also ready to showcase that his talents aren’t just limited to one end of the floor. 

“I talk to [my agent] Ron [Shade] about this all the time, I don’t think everyone knows how good I am offensively, that’s why people get so shocked. I am good, I’ve shown it. It’s just about showing it on the highest level. But my focus is on being the best defender on the court. I’m not the tallest, I’m not the strongest, I’m not the most athletic, but I want it to be like, Where’s Jose at? or Lock in on him. 

“I want to affect the game, and I’m not gonna affect the game by scoring. I am going to affect the game with my energy and defense. The offense is a plus, I know I can make shots, I know I can get to my spots. So, if I do my thing on defense, the offense will become a little more easy for me.”

With the long-awaited return of Zion Williamson this season, Alvarado believes that the Pelicans are only going to add to what they did last season and could make an even deeper run in the playoffs. 

“We have an important piece coming back with Zion. We did pretty good without him, and adding him will be amazing,” Alvarado says. “The rest is about locking in on us. Not letting the outside distract us, the little noise that would make us not [be] together. I think everyone is so locked in on how good we could be. If we lock in how we are supposed to, and if we get along how we are supposed to, then we will have a memorable season that we could talk about for a very long time. I think the team is really locked in. 

“My mindset is obviously getting past the first round but also winning a ring eventually. This is a building process. If we don’t get a ring this year, we know we could definitely get one in the coming years.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After a Breakout Rookie Season, Jose Alvarado Says He’s Ready to Take Everything Up to Another Level appeared first on SLAM.

“It meant a lot,” Mitchell said. “The guys in the locker room, when I saw RoLo get it last time, I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty dope.’ For me, just to feel a part of the group. They’ve accepted me since day one. Just to go out there and continuously just find my way, whether it’s offensively, defensively. Then to get this, it’s awesome.”

Even before Mitchell arrived in the Land, it was becoming clear that the team was truly starting to buy into the underdog-mentality. Darius Garland, who averaged a career-high 21.7 points last season, once described the team as a “pest” on the hardwood, and that’s become apparent not only in their on-court play and defensive dominance, but in their demeanor. Lamar Stevens was the one who started the barking last year, and since then, the whole team has caught on to it.

“Lamar [Stevens] started it, but I kinda adopted it,” Jarrett Allen told SLAM. “I think it’s perfect for what the team is trying to achieve…. We’re a young team, but we have the talent to back up the scrap.”

The Junkyard Dog Chain perfectly encapsulates all of the energy and excitement building around the Cavs’ young squad—designed by The Foundry at Jared, the hardware is made up of 14k Yellow Gold and features the 216 Cleveland area code, JYD [Junkyard Dog] acronym and Cavalier logos from throughout franchise history on the piece. Past recipients to rock the Junkyard Dog Chain, which is given to a player after every team win, includes Stevens, Garland, Kevin Love, Dylan Windler, Isaac Okoro and 2021-22 Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley.

Last Saturday, Robin Lopez became the first recipient of this season’s Junkyard Dog Chain after putting up 12 points in his Cavs debut.

As the latest Cavalier to win the award, Mitchell is continuing to impress and is setting franchise records, including being the first in Cavs’ history to put up back-to-back 30-plus point games to start the season. With a new superstar at the helm and a stacked roster of hungry talent, this is only the beginning of the team’s continued ascension.

But then again, Darius Garland did warn us back in February that the Cavaliers are ready to earn their respect.

“I think we’re starting to put the League on notice that we’re not just any slouch anymore. Like, you just can’t come into Cleveland and roll over us. I think we definitely deserve our respect.” 

Photos via Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post How the Cleveland Cavaliers Have Bought into the Underdog Mentality this Season with the Junkyard Dog Chain appeared first on SLAM.

Not everyone knows what it takes to get to the next level, let alone to the highest level of a sport. But Dorell Wright does. Before he became head coach at Donda Academy, the former NBA small forward was a first-round pick in the ’04 Draft straight out of high school and went on to win an NBA championship the following season in 2006 as the youngest member of the Miami Heat. After nearly 12 years playing in the League with the Warriors, Sixers, and Trail Blazers and overseas, Wright got into coaching after he retired mainly because of his own children—he coached his son, Devin, in middle school and co-founded his own AAU program, Team Wright Legacy, with his brother Delon.

With a coaching style that’s a “mixture” of the legends he’s been coached by in the past—demanding at times like Stan Van Gundy, but still motivational like Pat Riley—Wright is ready to help the next generation of hoopers at Donda. Featuring a stacked roster including Kentucky-commit Robert Dillingham and top-50 recruits JJ Taylor and AJ Johnson, many of the Doves have already started making names for themselves on the national circuit and even graced the cover of SLAM 236. 

“You could get those kids that are super entitled [and] super into what they’ve done, [but] one thing about me, I’ve done just as much as them at this level, you know? Probably even a little more. But it’s never an ego trip on my side or with the kids,” Wright says over Zoom. “The returning players want to have a better result than what they did last year, so they’re buying in. And then the guys that we added are just great kids, [who are] looking at this as using this platform, getting more offers [and] learning the terminology of the game of basketball from somebody that did it at the highest level.”

Photos by Dominique Oliveto.

The post Dorell Wright is Ready to Lead Donda Academy as their Newest Basketball Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

At first, Angola thought the game, compared to soccer, was sorta soft. He first tried playing basketball at 10 years old, but ended up picking up the ball, running with it and being called for a travel. He’d bring his soccer ball to every game and tournament, and during timeouts, he’d start playing soccer on those very same nets.

And yet, coming from a poor family, Angola soon learned that there were opportunities that could come from playing basketball, like getting an education, housing and even food, all provided for.

“Something on my mind I don’t have to pay for,” he’d think to himself. 

At 14 years old, Angola then made the decision to move from Colombia all the way to the United States, by himself, to play for then-prep school Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. He went on to suit up for Northern Idaho College after, and now looking back, Angola admits that any money he had at the time, he’d send to his family back home rather than spend it on himself. He would sometimes go long periods of time without eating.

Eventually, the 6-6 guard got the opportunity to play at Florida State, where he averaged 12.5 points during the 2017-18 season, and after going undrafted in 2018, he signed with the Orlando Magic to play with their Lakeland Magic G League squad, making him the first Colombian-born player in the L. 

“When I found out that I was going to Orlando, I started crying. You got to think about it, like, when I tell you the stuff that happened in my career, there’s a lot of stuff. I used to eat out of the trash,” he admits over the phone. “So, when I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Hey, you’re going to Orlando, they want to sign you and do Summer League with them,’ I got on my knees and started praying.’”

This past August, Angola even got the opportunity to represent his home country in the World Cup Qualifying Round, where he averaged 17.8 points and 2.8 assists for the Colombian National Team. 

Angola is just as dedicated to giving back to his community—he has his own foundation in his namesake, and he recently played in the Barrio Basketball League alongside other Colombian national teammates like Romario Roque and Jaime Echenique, who’s currently signed to the G League’s Capital City Go-Go and was called up to the Wizards last season, before they headed off to Brazil to compete in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers against Chile, Brazil, Mexico and the United States for the very first time. 

Founded by SLAM FTW’s Andres Puerta and Jonathan “DJ Yonny” Avila, the Bario Ball League put on for the city of Medellin with a pro-basketball showcase, as well as a basketball clinic for over 200 youth with Jr. Knicks jerseys, as well as bags and other giveaways, all donated by the team.

“Colombia needs to be on the map,” says Puerta over Zoom, later adding: “There needs to be exposure here, they need to have a mentality where it’s just not soccer, and these basketball organizations got to support the talent. Whatever it takes to take it to the next level—because they’ve done it with music, they’ve done it with soccer and these other sports—but there’s [basketball] talent here, [too].” 

“For us, Barrio Ball is basically basketball from the hood and there’s hoods all over the world,” adds Avila. “So, we want to do that and not only educate and inspire young kids, but take some of these local, unseen talent that the world hasn’t seen, and bring them to light.”

Adds Jonathan Ochoa, manager of fan engagement for the New York Knicks: “Our goal with the Barrio Ball League is to go to communities in need and provide them with the resources to play the game of basketball [and] then source the top local talent and host streetball games to help them garner exposure.”

From Angola to Echenique, Roque, Leyder Moreno, the “female LeBron of Colombia” Manuela Rios, Juan Palacios, and elite skills coaches like Alvaro Cortes, who are training the next generation, the talent in Colombia is visible everywhere. It’s time for the rest of the world to finally take notice.

For Jaime Echenique, the reality of being the first player from Colombia to ever suit up in an NBA game didn’t really hit him until a teammate put it all into perspective.

“He said, ‘Okay, think this: in the 75 years of the NBA, there was never a Colombian in the NBA.’ And I said, ‘Okay, yeah, you’re right.’ [He then goes], ‘After all, how much is the population in Colombia?’ I said, 50 million, and he says, ‘You are the first after 50 mil to get to the NBA.’ And I said, ‘Well, you got a point. You got me on that.’ I kind of understood a little bit better,” Echenique says over Zoom. 

Echenique’s journey to the NBA started at Trinity Valley Community College, where he arrived on campus speaking barely any English at the time and had to take classes to better his proficiency. His transition on the court was just as challenging—the 6-11 forward still remembers how much he struggled in his first training session there. “Man, oh my God, I remember the first workout, it was horrible.”

During that time, Echenique admits that he didn’t have his sights set on one day making it to the League—instead, he was focused on just trying to get a Division I scholarship. Still, his talent and skill set were enough to earn him a starting spot as a freshman in 26 games, where he averaged 9.2 points. After a consistent sophomore campaign, Echenique committed to Wichita State over offers from programs like Baylor, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky and Illinois. 

In Kansas, he averaged another 9.2 points per game and 6 rebounds as a junior, and upped his scoring average to 11.3 points his senior year and earned All-AAC Second Team honors that season. He went on to sign his first pro contract with the Acunsa GBC of the Spanish Liga ACB, where he averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. 

Then the Wizards came calling with an opportunity to compete in the 2021 NBA Summer League. “I was pretty nervous. It was my first time,” he says. “Obviously, I was living the dream, I’m with an NBA team [but] I was missing layups. Literally, the coaches were tired of me. I didn’t think that they would play me…[In] the last five minutes, I was being really vocal, really loud. Doing what I do best and commanding the team, playing good defense and running the court. I think that those kind of [moments had the coaches] like, ‘Huh, he can play.’” 

Against Brooklyn, Echenique finally found his rhythm and showed out, dropping 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. His performances were enough to earn him an invitation to Wizards training camp and soon a 10-day exhibition deal with the team. In October, he signed with the Go-Go as an affiliate player, and by December, he was making his NBA debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers, making NBA history in the process. 

But what a lot of people don’t know is that heading into the last game of the G League Showcase, Echenique had sprained his ankle pretty badly. “Nobody knew that. So by the time I got called up, my ankle became swollen. And I told the trainer—sorry for what I’m going to say—tape that b—- up,’” he says now, with a chuckle. 

“Then I got into the game and it was an amazing experience. By the time I [got in], I wasn’t thinking I’m about to make history, I was like, let’s get the job done, let’s be focused, communicate. Just do what I do.” 

“I think what happened was an appetizer, that was the beginning of something more that helped me to push even further,” he adds. “When I got back to the gym, I was pushing as hard as I could and going [into this year’s] Summer League, I was even pushing to a higher level to understand how to be part of a role, because sometimes the younger guys, including me, [what] we don’t understand is like, we’re trying to impress everybody [and] doing so many things. One of the coaches once told me, ‘When you go to the League, you get paid for maybe one or two good things. That’s all. That’s the main thing that I can focus on.”

Having experienced firsthand the grind of going from playing in Colombia to college, and now the pros, that’s why Echenique says it’s especially important to not only provide more showcases and tournaments for players in Colombia to get more exposure, but to make sure they’re competitive enough to challenge them at the next level. 

“The level of competition and the quantity of competition in Colombia has to increase in order to get more exposure. Like, we don’t have AAU tournaments, we don’t have showcases like that. We have a state tournament, maybe national teams, and a select group of [players] can go to those tournaments. So, creating more quantity [of opportunities], with a lot of quality in Colombia will be a huge wake up call for a lot of [teams] overseas—doesn’t matter if it’s in the United States, there’s [also] a lot of European teams [that can] come here and start picking up [players] to go to their [leagues].” 

He’s not alone in thinking so. For pro hoopers like Leyder Moreno, who played high school ball at Texas Christian Academy, he wants to not only let people know that soccer isn’t the only sport Colombians are good at, but that they can also hoop at the highest level. “People think we don’t play, but we want to show people there’s basketball in Colombia, ” he says, later adding: “One of my friends, [Jaime Echenique], he made it to the NBA as the first Colombian. We’re proud of him, [and if] he keeps working, he’s going to make it. Everybody’s behind him. He [has] support from the whole country, everybody’s excited to see him and, of course, not just him. Like, why not other players, [too]?”

Romario Roque, the starting point guard for the Colombian National Team, echoes that sentiment while also expressing that the issue at hand is exposure. He admits over Zoom in August, just a few weeks before Colombia is set to play Mexico in the FIBA World Cup qualifier round, that the lack of visibility is one of the reasons why he decided to also take his talents overseas to Switzerland. There, he’s been able to learn how to utilize his skills as a playmaker and get his teammates more involved. 

Roque initially played soccer growing up, but around the age of 10, he discovered his love for the game while shooting around on a local court with a friend. Shortly after that, he started watching highlights of streetball games on Youtube and clips of NBA superstars, including the late Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. 

“[My] dream is to play in the NBA one day but I also understand what it takes to get to the NBA,” Roque admits over the phone, via a translator. “I still have it in mind as one of my goals.”

For Roque and teammate Juan Palacios, the chance to compete against Team USA at the FIBA World Cup is an opportunity that can “open doors” and show that not only is Colombia good enough to compete, but to compete against some of the very best.  

“It’s a challenge and it’s an opportunity to show that we’re not just lucky,” says Palacios, “but that we’re actually good enough to play against these great teams.”

The game has taken Palacios all around the world—from Colombia to New York at the age of 15 to play at Our Savior New American, where he went on to average 20.2 points per game as a senior in high school, and then eventually to Louisville. Throughout his 13-year career as a pro, he’s played everywhere, including Spain, France, Lithuania and Turkey.

“I think the most important thing is, like they say, the more stronger survive, [but] I believe it’s the most adaptable survive. You know, you can be the strongest but I might be someone stronger or [a] situation stronger that you cannot deal with. But if you are adaptable to every situation, you [are] able to figure out what’s going to work in the place that you are with the coaches that you [have]. My slogan is movement. The more you move, the more you live, and the more experiences you have.”

The lack of exposure and coaching expertise available in Colombia is exactly why one of the country’s most prominent trainers, Alvaro Cortes, has dedicated himself to training up and coming players, oftentimes free of charge. 

Alvaro’s resume speaks for itself: he’s coached at the high school level, for various programs and basketball clubs, and has worked alongside everyone from Puerto Rican basketball coach Carlos Morales to Drew Hanlen and Michael Lancaster. He’s trained pros from around the world, including Renaldo Balkman, former NBA guard Greivis Vásquez and former West Virginia power forward Devin Williams. 

“What I’ve learned from [training in the] United States and all the techniques and offseason workouts that are going on, my dream is to bring that type of basketball knowledge here to Colombia and offer it to the people here and take them to the next level,” Alvaro says via a translator. “My dream and motivation is to one day have my own facility and court to [give back] to the kids that don’t have the resources to one day go to a private gym or or attend some workouts that you need to pay for. 

“[I want to] produce more players to [go on and] play in college and in the NBA, not just have Jaime be the only one. I want to produce another Colombian NBA player.” 

Known as the “Chris Brickley of Colombia,” Alvaro’s day-to-day includes waking up at 4 a.m. and getting through his first training session by 6, followed by two more workouts after that. Then he has another 2-3 workouts throughout the afternoon. One of the players he trains is Samir Viveros who is from Buenaventura, and has been working with him on his defensive game and building up his IQ.

“Everything has changed for me ever since working out with Alvaro,” he says. “My mental game, my physical ability, I’m actually getting the right training.”

And then there are standouts like Rios, who is pioneering the women’s game in Colombia and dominating as the top player in the Americup and the South American Games. In 2019, she and her Colombian National teammates played against Team USA at the Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Argentina—and even got a legendary photo opp with the USA’s squad: a smiling Rios can be seen surrounded by WNBA greats like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and 2022 WNBA champions A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. 

When asked about her thoughts on how the game can continue to grow in Colombia, Rios says there also needs to be a women’s pro league there, just as there is the W in the States. It’s a dream that’s shared amongst her teammates.

“A pro league for women would be a great start, but of course with that there needs to be people to buy into this league,” she says via a translator. “A lot of the women on the Colombian team, their dream is to get to an Olympics and to represent Colombia, and definitely giving an opportunity to women to have a league here.”

Photos by Andres Puerta and via Getty Images.

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The custom-designed court celebrates a passion and love for the game that runs as deep as the mountain range. 

Seeing is believing, and amidst the fog and stunning 360-views of the landscape, up-and-coming hoopers even had the opportunity to compete in a scrimmage, right at the foot of the mountain, that was hosted by BSTN Brand and adidas.

While the installation on the Alpine will be temporary due to looming seasonal changes, both brands will be donating the court, as well as two full-size baskets. 

BSTN Brand is set to debut their inaugural collection this October. Learn more here. 

The post BSTN Brand and adidas Celebrate the Beauty of the Game with Stunning Basketball Court Installation in the Alpine Mountains appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM 239 featuring Scottie Barnes is out now. The rest of the issue features an in-depth look at Stephen Curry and the Dubs’ incredible run to the ’22 chip and much more. Tap in.

For our exclusive SLAM 239 cover story, we caught up with Barnes in the 6ix to learn more about his standout rookie season and what’s next for the Raptors. Barnes discusses winning Rookie of the Year, embracing Toronto and hanging out with Drake at his mansion, how he emerged as a super-star in the making this past season (even legends, including Damon Stoudamire, have taken notice) and what it’ll take to elevate his game to the next level.

SLAM 239 is also available in these exclusive gold and black metal editions. Platinum Metals will be sent out at random to 24 customers who purchase the regular issue at SLAMgoods.com (#d 1 to 24).

The post SLAM 239 featuring Scottie Barnes is OUT NOW! appeared first on SLAM.

At that point, Barnes had yet to fully embark on the entirety of a season that many are now calling perhaps the most impactful rookie season in Raptors’ history. But to have the chance to chop it up with a member of the inaugural Raptors team (Stoudamire won Rookie of the Year that season in Toronto, like Barnes) just seemed like fate. 

“He was just really telling me to try to get Rookie of the Year, keep doing what I got to do and really take over this League,” Barnes says while on set of his SLAM 239 cover shoot.  

That was Stoudamire’s first time meeting Scottie officially; he’d watched him play in high school and at different Nike EYBL and AAU events, but now he was actually seeing what Barnes was capable of doing in the League. Just a month prior to their meeting, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft had dropped a double-double on the Cs—in just the second game of his career. 

“He was a matchup nightmare,” Stoudamire, who’s now an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, later tells us on the phone. “The good Lord doesn’t bless us with everything, but if [Scottie] figures out a way, and he doesn’t have to be a knockdown guy, but once he figures out his spots on the floor in terms of shooting the ball on a consistent basis, it could be dangerous. He would have cracked the code then because, I mean, everything else he has.” 

SLAM 239 featuring Scottie Barnes is OUT NOW!

Barnes wasn’t even born when the Raptors drafted Stoudamire as their first-ever pick in 1995, or when he graced the cover of SLAM 11 in the spring of ’96 (subscribe here to the SLAM Digital Archive). When he got to Toronto, Stoudamire explains, the team was just trying to grow the game of basketball throughout Canada. But what he didn’t realize back then was that he’d ultimately be able to impact an entire country. Many after him have been just as revered—from Vince Carter and DeMar DeRozan to Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry. All-Stars. Champions. Icons. But in this new era of the game, Scottie Barnes isn’t a glimpse into the future of Toronto. He is the now, and even the legends who came before him see that already.

“He has [an] opportunity to lead Toronto, but then be the face of a country,” says Stoudamire.

Excitement has been buzzing all around T-Dot about their superstar-in-the-making. His SLAM 239 cover shoot feels like a momentous occasion, from the Drake tracks blaring over the speakers (Honestly, Nevermind had dropped just a few days before) to Scottie singing along in between takes while he rocks a black and gold Swingman uniform and an icy, blinged-out chain that has an even icier “SB” for the camera. It’s the crowning of a new star in the North. 

After all, it’s been three years since the Raptors won that historic, first-ever championship in 2019, and since then, the team has been well-equipped with an arsenal of All-Stars and bucket-getters who helped them make the playoffs every year except one. The arrival of Scottie has had the place boomin’ with hype around what’s to come, especially since the Raptors exceeded any and all expectations last season when they finished fifth in the East. 

“I feel like I have the defensive tools, I really just want to put on the offensive end,” Scottie says. “Make my game more all-around. I’m just working on being able to get to the basket, being unstoppable on the floor. Scoring, being in the midrange area and just being a consistent shooter. Being able to knock down shots consistently, being able to carry myself in that way as being one of those top people in the League.” 

He’d look at those goals every single day. Winning ROY was a major moment not only for him, but for his family. It’s one of the reasons why he surprised his mom, Kathalyn, with the news. He had watched her relentlessly sacrifice for him and his siblings growing up, working late nights to put food on the table and get them school clothes. “[She tried] to get a few pairs of shoes to go to school, try to have some swag going to school so we could carry ourselves with that confidence. She made a bunch of sacrifices for us. Even though we didn’t have that much, we were still some spoiled little kids, [wanting] everything, trying to flex.”

Winning ROY also meant something for Toronto, as Barnes became just the third Raptor ever to win the award, joining the company of Stoudamire and Vince Carter. “That award meant everything to me. Everything. All the hard work, effort I put in since I was a kid. It meant everything for the city of West Palm Beach, for the country of Canada, city of Toronto. Masai [Ujiri], Bobby [Webster]. They put their faith in me, and I put in the work. So, every single day, I try to carry that with me.”

Now, his Rookie of the Year trophy sits on a stand, right next to two Rookie of the Month awards, inside his game room at his house. Since the season wrapped up, he’s been mainly spending his offseason in his native Florida, while going back and forth to Toronto. It’s a place he’s now calling home, and he’s already found his go-to spots to eat at, too. “I got a couple. Harbour 60, Cactus Club. I just love the city. It’s beautiful.”

A few days before our shoot, Barnes was livestreaming when he raved about how hyped he was to be a Toronto Raptor. When we asked him about it, he didn’t hold back in letting us know how much he’s been embracing the city. 

“It’s a blessing for me to get drafted to Toronto. I felt like it was just the best thing for me and the program,” he says. “I felt like I found the right home, with them being able to draft me…I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I feel like it was just a big thing that happened to me. It’s amazing. I feel like Toronto, they always support me, even the whole country of Canada supports me, shows me love. And it just feels like we’re all family.”

Scottie reveals he’s already on a text message/IG story-reply basis with Drake (“It’s really small talk, but we can tell that we’re brodies”). When he first arrived in Toronto after the draft, he even hung out with him at his mansion.

“His house is humongous. He got a lot of things that’s going on in there, it’s a dope house. He got the basketball court as soon as you walk inside, where he plays his league basketball. You know, he be killing ’em, but his house is fire. I think we put up like a couple of shots, but we were just getting to know each other. Just really chatting it up.”

According to Scottie, Drizzy let him know then that he had to put on for the city. “He just told [me] that the city’s gonna love [me], just really put on for the city. Do what we got to do.”  

In his rookie debut against the Wizards, Scottie showed glimpses of exactly what he could do, from a lefty sky hook for his first bucket to dishing out an elite bounce pass to Chris Boucher in the fourth. Nick Nurse called his performance “OK,” but also pointed out, “I think we see a really good player there.” 

For Barnes, the mindset early on was to do what it takes to win by making the right plays and putting in the effort, whether it’s rebounding, passing or guarding the best player on the court. When asked about what he expected for himself early on in the season, “winning” is the one word he mentions over and over again. “I felt like coming into the season, I really just tried to focus on winning, try and do whatever it takes to win…I really tried to focus on those little things, and then I knew everything else would carry on to the court with me.”

Scottie’s always been competitive. Growing up, he’d compete with his older brother in school and try to get better grades than him so he could show it to his mom, hoping she’d give him a few dollars. He wanted to play on his brother’s basketball and football teams, too, even though everyone was a few years older. He started playing organized basketball in third grade at the Salvation Army on a team that was mainly made up of fourth graders. Scottie then went on to become a five-star product in high school—he played at the University School alongside Vernon Carey Jr and then with Cade Cunningham at Montverde before suiting up at Florida State, where he earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

Now he’s channeling that same drive into everything he does, from video games (“[I’m] the best out of all my friends in [NBA] 2K, top three in [Call of Duty]”) to whatever challenges were thrown at him on the court this past season—from guarding all five positions against the Bulls, Celtics and Wizards in October, including superstars like Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal. By November, he was logging 35 minutes a game, but as Nurse previously said, “one of the first things to instill” is playing the “full 48.” 

When asked about his early season performances, Scottie points out that for him, it was a matter of maintaining the energy. “I would say in the beginning, I showed a lot of energy, but you got to really try to find those ways of channeling it [differently] because sometimes you can express way too much energy and then that next possession, you get really tired…Being at Florida State, I played a good three, four minutes, and then I would get subbed if I was too tired. But now, it’s just like, you got to be able to maintain that energy throughout the whole entire game for however long you’re playing.”  

On a team full of different personalities—from “chill vibe types” like Fred VanVleet and Isaac [Bonga] to “funny guys” like himself, Justin Champagnie and Dalano Banton, according to Barnes—it also helped that the team fully embraced him and allowed him to be himself on the court, especially OG Anunoby. “He was really telling me to be me on the floor, each and every single time. That really [gave] me that confidence when I stepped on the floor to be who I am, keep being aggressive, attacking.”

In December, Barnes dropped a double-double against the Knicks, was a defensive ace with those five blocks against Sacramento a few nights later, and then followed that up with a 23/12/5 stat line against Brooklyn, while being matched up against Kevin Durant, making him the youngest Raptor ever since Tracy McGrady to put up at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 dimes. By January, Bradley Beal was already calling him a “special” talent and saying he “looked like a star” after Barnes put up 27 against the Wizards. 

The Raptors went on an eight-game winning streak going into February, and after the All-Star break, Scottie was averaging just under 20 points per game. When he dropped a 31-piece on the Lakers in March, even the King let everyone know what was up. 

“I saw Scottie Barnes for the first time in seventh grade and I told one of my good friends that this kid is going to be special,” LeBron James said after the game. “It’s a beautiful thing to watch.” 

Looking back on the season, Barnes says he’s started processing the game quicker, too. “I felt like on the court I really know where I could get to my spots, can score the ball at [and] how I can just set my presence throughout the game, on both ends of the floor. I feel like I’ll be able to make more of an impact on the game because I really just found ways to really just attack the game. I got smarter throughout the year, and I just really realized how the NBA works with the calls and all the little things about the game.”

This same team that had missed the playoffs the year prior soon found themselves in a first-round matchup against Philly. Barnes nearly had a triple-double in his playoff debut—15 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists—and despite missing Games 2 and 3 with an ankle injury, another SLAM 11 cover star, Magic Johnson, saw that the promise was all there. “There’s definitely a lot of ‘Showtime’ in him,” Johnson told the Toronto Star.

While the Raptors lost that series, it’s clear that things are really looking up in the 6ix. Their 48-34 record was a vast improvement from the previous year, and Barnes is making it clear that his past season was really just the beginning. “This is just us getting our footing together, but I feel like we’re gonna take that next step to try to make a deep playoff run and be one of those top teams in the League.”

And as for his own goals, this offseason has been all about prepping his body for the demand of the 82-game regular season (Barnes started all 74 games he played in), while also sharpening the tools he’s well-equipped with. You might’ve already seen recent videos of his “revamped jumper” circling around the internet, too. Scottie’s already looking ahead at the type of player he wants to evolve into. Him adding to his already extensive bag? Dangerous. 

“Be who I am on the floor [and] be able to keep developing my playmaking [and] really just improve my scoring,” Barnes says of what will take him to the next level. “Keep [doing] what I do on defense, but just amping it up to another level where I can change the impact of a game throughout the court. Really taking over on the defensive end where I can get multiple stops, being able to be so active on the floor where I can just alter shots, change shots, just give teams different looks where I can have that presence. Talking, communicating and kind of just step up my role of being a leader on this team. I feel like that’s really what’s going to take me to that next level.” 

Deyscha Smith is an associated editor at SLAM. Follow her on Twitter and IG, @deyschasmith.

Portraits by Gabe Pineda/Victory Creative, follow them on Instagram @gabepineda/@victory. Styling by Ian Pierno, follow him on Instagram @ianpierno.

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Things have now come full circle for the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, whose squad is currently sitting at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. Montgomery recently had the opportunity to attend the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award Show in Los Angeles and support some of the brightest and best high school hoopers from around the country. “What makes [the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award] so exciting is this is a step further. I was the Gatorade Player of the Year for West Virginia, but this is Athlete of the Year for the entire year across various sports.  It’s the best [of the best] here, not only their sport, but what they’re doing off the court. It’s exciting to see the next generation and also be here to give them energy and pump them up and let them know, like, you’re doing something right. Don’t let nobody tell you anything different.”

The award show, which took place at Goya Studios, made its highly-anticipated return last week after a two-year hiatus and featured a star-studded group of college and pro athletes in attendance, from Montgomery to Pistons rookie Jaden Ivey and Stanford’s Haley Jones. During the award ceremony, Gatorade honored all 12 National Gatorade Players of the Year winners—which includes Kansas-commit Gradey Dick—for their excellence within athletics, academics, and how they’re committed to making an impact in their communities. SLAM All-American Kiki Rice was named the 2022 Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year, adding yet another award to her already illustrious, multi-sport high school career at Sidwell Friends—she won the 2018-19 Gatorade Washington D.C. Girls Soccer Player of the Year and Basketball Player of the Year award twice throughout her high school career. On the boy’s side, cross country standout Colin Sahlman was named the 2022 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year. 

Rice led the Quakers to a 28-0 record and a DCSAA Tournament title this past season while maintaining a B-plus average and volunteering with So Others Might Eat, an organization that supports those experiencing homelessness and poverty. She also mentors younger Sidwell Friends students and is a veteran leader in the Sidwell Friends Athletic Leadership Academy.

For Montgomery, it’s that type of unwavering commitment to making a difference and pursuing their passions, both on and off the court, that makes watching the next generation of young hoopers so exciting. “I would say what stands out to me about this next generation of hoopers is the fact that they can do whatever they want to do. I was talking to some of them on the [Gatorade] orange carpet and asking them about what kind of style they like [and] what kind of music. Yes, you’re an athlete, but you can be an ambassador for so much more. So, that’s what’s most exciting about the next generation. They can literally do whatever they want.”

Ivey, who pulled up to the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award Show rockin’ a leather fit, echoes those same sentiments while offering a bit of advice to all the young standouts. Although his trajectory to the NBA has been different than many others in his draft class—Ivey was a four-star recruit out of La Lumiere School and ranked No. 84 on the ESPN 100 list for the Class of 2020— he knows firsthand that it’s all about trusting the process.

“My journey was a bit different,” he says. “I wasn’t heavily recruited [and] I didn’t really have all the spotlight. So, I would say to just embrace it, your journey. That’s the biggest thing, embrace whatever you do.”

Photos via Gatorade.

The post Renee Montgomery and Jaden Ivey Support the Next Generation of Standouts at Gatorade’s Annual Athlete of the Year Award Show appeared first on SLAM.

And she did so with her first signature PUMA sneaker on her feet. The Stewie 1 “Quiet Fire” was unveiled for the first time this past Friday. 

Just when you thought there wasn’t another level of greatness Stewie couldn’t reach (our coverline for SLAM 229 was, after all, Breanna Stewart Can’t Stop Winning), she continues to prove time and time again that greatness can’t be contained. At this point in her career, she’s emerged into a legend, and the arrival of her first-ever signature sneaker, the Stewie 1, is the perfect canvas to capture all of her glory. 

“Knowing that that was going to be the first one, I wanted to make sure it was something that, you know, popped,” Stewart told WSLAM just a few days before the unveiling. “And [that] when you see it, you couldn’t unsee it.”

The Stewie 1 reflects Stewart’s journey and the relentless competitor that she is. The bright and bold green and black colorway is a nod to the Seattle Storm, and there’s a flame molding that morphs in ripples of water to represent the essence of her elite game, as well as her humble personality. The Molded Heel Counter, which provides stability, features a neon green scar on the heel to represent Stewie’s two Achilles surgeries, and there’s even a North Star-inspired upper that pays homage to her high school team, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, and their mascot. 

“It’s just a way of me never forgetting where I came from,” Stewart says over the phone. 

The Stewie 1 is also equipped with multi-zoned monomesh layers for even more targeted support, along with NITRO Foam technology that gives cushioning while remaining lightweight. It was important that the Stewie 1 not only fit Stewart’s own needs as an athlete, but she wanted to create a product with PUMA that really anyone can rock. 

“No matter if you’re a guard, or a post or a style you like to play, it’s something that’s definitely for everyone. It’s a [sneaker that can] make you feel like your foot [is] fully secure, and that you’re able to kind of just not think and just play. Yeah, and the design process behind that was just really wanting to have a [sneaker] where it’s the best and just doing my best to create that understanding that, you know, I have specific needs, especially with coming off of two Achilles injuries and wanting to have that support, especially in my heel and on the scar. But you want to have something that’s comfortable and looks good, too.” 

For Stewart, making history with PUMA is just the start. Stewart is looking ahead at the next generation of young girls, as well as championing women around the game and beyond. 

“When I look back to when I was little, there was no product to wear that was a women’s basketball [sneaker]. So, you weren’t able to get a player’s [signature sneaker] and then, like, go and [try] to play like that. And now to be able to create that connection where young players can watch me play or see me play, and then also get the product and try and emulate what I do on the court and use that as motivation—I think that’s something that’s definitely going to continue to help gain interest in our sport [ and] continue to gain a following. Because the Stewie 1, you’re going to see it on the court, off the court, you’re gonna see it in a lot of different places. And for me, that’s what’s so exciting. 

“This is the first women’s basketball signature shoe in over a decade. And it’s crazy. I feel like every time I say that I’m like, I can’t believe it when you look at the amazing players in the WNBA. I hope that this just puts pressure on brands and other companies to continue to believe in women, uplift women, especially women’s basketball, and know that with everything going on, there’s no better time to invest in women and get behind us and help get us to where we need to go and help push our sport in the right direction.” 

The Stewie 1 will be available this fall.

The post Breanna Stewart Talks PUMA Stewie 1 and Having the First Women’s Signature Sneaker in a Decade appeared first on SLAM.

“They’re a different breed,” T-Mac tells us over the phone.

One quick scroll through NBA Twitter or NBATok will show you that nowadays everyone is debating about hypothetical matchups: Could X player beat X player one-on-one? Most people are drawn to legendary NBA matchups—with McGrady often being mentioned in the conversation. Being the visionary that he is, T-Mac soon realized that there was an ocean of untapped talent out there, full of people who could hoop but just needed an opportunity. And when you strip away all of the other components of the game, like needing to put together a team, or hiring a coach, all you really need in order to show if you can actually hoop is the rock, a court, and a platform. It’s with that realization that the mission of the OBL was born.

“One-on-one basketball is the true essence of basketball,” McGrady says. “To get into [it], you gotta be wired differently anyway, right? You’re on an island, every frickin’ possession.”

The OBL is the perfect crescendo of just that—the spirit of the game and the fact that it can be played anywhere, by anyone. The premier, one-on-one basketball league, which debuted in April, hosted regional, weekend showcases featuring 32 players in six different cities, including Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, DC (Springfield, VA), and Los Angeles. The best of the best in each city competed for a cash prize of $10,000 in each region, while the top three guys received an automatic invite to the OBL Finals in Las Vegas later this month.

Out in Vegas, they’ll then compete for a grand prize of $250,000 and the chance to be crowned the honorary “Ruler of the Court” by T-Mac himself—a hooper’s dream turned into a reality.

“Everybody can’t make it to the NBA, but right in here in our backyard, on every block, we got KDs, James Hardens, Kyries,” said McGrady ahead of the tournament. “They out here. They need a platform and I’m providing that platform for them.”

The first stop of the OBL Regional Tournament was in Houston. There, a range of talents and standouts, from YouTube influencers and pro hoopers to guys just trying to get their name out there, all went head-to-head in front of T-Mac and even WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes. None of them held back either, bringing a gritty, tough-nosed, in-your-face intensity that even had T-Mac off his feet.

In the end, John Jordan, who played at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the NBA G League (where he won the dunk contest in 2017) and most recently in Romania, won it all with an overall 9-1 record.

Next up was Atlanta, where legends like eight-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo were in the building to watch the action. It was ultimately Glen Rice Jr. who really showed out, even on a tweaked ankle. Going against Antonio Hester in the championship game, Rice held his own to win the weekend and qualify for the Finals. Rice isn’t new to this, though, as the Georgia Tech product was drafted in 2013 by the Sixers, and went on to play for the Wizards and then overseas. Still, it’s anyone’s game.

The rest of the OBL Regional Tournament went a little something like this: Mario Smith, the only non-local player to compete in the OBL Chicago Regional, put in work while making the commute from Kalamazoo, MI, every day. All those drives ended up paying off when he beat fellow OBL Finals qualifier Yoshi Craig, 9-8.

Then, in the Mecca of hoops (NYC, of course), Queens’ own Isaiah Brown showed why they call him “Leaky Roof”— you need buckets to deal with a leaky roof, don’t you? Well, this certified bucket-getter out of SUNY Potsdam, where he averaged 24.2 points per game, put on for the city and swept through the competition with an undefeated 10-0 record to win the OBL New York Regional.

Out in the DMV, Kevin Kuteyi embraced the challenge ahead of him as the eighth and last seed, but just as his loud and energetic personality goes to show, if you got it, you got it. He technically needed to win the play-in game just to qualify for the quarterfinals. But he ended up putting together three more wins thanks to a hot shooting streak (and elite confidence) that couldn’t be matched.

The last stop before Vegas was the City of Angels. At that point, even T-Mac could feel the energy of the OBL in full-swing. “By the time we got to L.A., we were rolling and we understood what [to expect] and where we wanted to go,” he says.

In LA, it was another New Yorker who showed off and showed out. George Beamon, a co-captain and two-time First Team All-MAAC standout at Manhattan College, was electric and won four straight games on Sunday to become the OBL Los Angeles Regional champ.

“I’m from New York but we outsiiiideeeeee,” Beamon said when he hopped on the mic.

For McGrady, watching his vision not only come to life, but exceed expectations, was just one of the many highlights of seeing the OBL come together. Really, it’s all about making an impact and giving these hoopers an opportunity to showcase themselves on a national stage.

“I’m getting so many calls, and everybody I talk to is talking about OBL. It’s really the topic of conversation. On top of that, the storytelling with these guys that are involved with OBL, this is a platform for these guys that make a name for themselves. And, really, have people that love the game of basketball, know their names, and [even] people that don’t watch the game of basketball, be in attendance and understand who these players are, playing at this type of level. I mean, we’ve never seen this before. So, it’s pretty cool to have this vision and to see it come to fruition.”

The OBL Finals are set to take place in Las Vegas July 15-16 at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. If you’re looking to see all the action in person, you can buy tickets here. Tune in to all of the OBL’s coverage and highlights here.

The post Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League is the Ultimate One-on-One Hoops Showcase appeared first on SLAM.

To her surprise, the Three Stripes not only rocked with her vision but wanted to turn her dream of having her own court and, more importantly, giving back to the community into a reality. 

“I’m like, Oh, my God, are you serious?” McCoughtry says over Zoom of her reaction when she found out adidas wanted to help her put the project together. 

This past Friday, the five-time gold medalist and adidas unveiled the newly refurbished “Reach for the Stars” basketball court at Shively Park. They started organizing everything for the refurbishing last fall—while opting to begin painting in the summertime to ensure the paint would dry—and the result is a vibrant and intricately designed court, created by Project Backboard, with an array of colors and geometrically shaped patterns. 

McCoughtry says she specifically wanted reds to be included in the mural’s color scheme because it represents both Louisville and the community. There are also hints of yellow and her favorite color, purple. 

“There’s just hints of all kinds of colors that just brighten it up. It’s just really going to attract everybody to the court and to that area.”

Located less than 10 minutes away from the University of Louisville campus, the court also features a stunning portrait of a women’s basketball player lifting her hands in the air in triumph.

“I think what the mural symbolizes is just overcoming adversity,” McCoughtry says over Zoom, just days before the court’s unveiling. “Being a champion. There’s so much emotion behind it, and that’s what I love about the court. It’s a woman’s face, a Black woman. You don’t really see many courts with a woman figure.” 

There’s also the phrase “Reach for the Stars” written in her handwriting on the court, which also happens to be the title of her latest single. For McCoughtry, the opportunity to intertwine her love for the game with her passion for music makes that detail even more special. 

“I’ve been doing music for so long, and, of course, basketball has been my number one passion, but I’ve done it for a while. Many people don’t know that, and I just never really promoted to that level, it’s just [like] I put it out, and whoever likes it likes it, and I keep it moving, I go play basketball. But with this, just to have a connection with the court, reaching for the stars, and then they can download the song and actually be inspired by the song as well. I don’t think we’ve heard anybody do that. With adidas, we are definitely setting the bar high. We are definitely breaking barriers. I’m really excited about that part just for people to see, like, Wow, you can really do anything. That’s what my speech is going to be to the kids on that day, like; I just started playing basketball at eight. I just love the game. So if you find something you love, it can take you places you’ve never imagined. I’m standing right now on a basketball court that I helped create with adidas. So, it’s amazing.”

Growing up in Baltimore, the five-time gold medalist admits that the courts were “rough,” At the time, she didn’t see anyone, from big names to brands, coming in to refurbish the space for young hoopers like herself to play on. She heard a lot about Shively Park during her time at Louisville, and while she mainly spent most of her time on campus and in the program’s training facilities, she did pass by it once or twice.

To be a part of the court’s revamping is a full-circle moment for McCoughtry, as it represents not only her own chance to give back to the community, but she hopes it will inspire more female hoopers to “know their value” and have courts of their own.

“I think that is going to start to spiral more women [and] next thing you know; more women will have courts. I assume you could see Sue Bird have one and Breanna Stewart. I’m sure they’re like, whoa, you know? That’s the goal: for more women to do these kinds of things and to inspire (them) to set the bar high. I think it’s time for us to start setting the bar high in our worth and our value and what we can bring.” 

It’s also about the next generation of female hoopers paving the way for future opportunities to arise, too. McCoughtry has continued to be an inspiration throughout her career—her resume includes numerous gold medals, WNBA Rookie of the Year, five WNBA All-Star appearances, and earned All-WNBA First Team honors twice.

Lately, she’s been spending time recovering from significant knee injuries that caused her to miss the 2021 WNBA season, but as of now, she says she’s been back in the gym and is in a good place.

“I went to the gym yesterday to just play; I felt really, really good where I’m at. I gave my agent the okay to talk to teams, so I think very soon, by the All-Star break. I’m really excited to get back out there.”

And now, having a court with her image on it only adds to her illustrious legacy. She’s not stopping there, though, and hopes that the refurbished court at Shively Park will create even more opportunities for both herself and the future of women’s basketball. 

“I will say this is definitely something that leaves a legacy. Even after I retire, I can go on and see that, wow, there’s a court. These are things that last forever—my grandkids can come and see that court. It’s amazing, and sometimes it’s like winning a championship ring, right? The championship ring doesn’t really have its value until 20 years later, 10 years later. You see how we go back and look at what Magic Johnson’s done or Michael Jordan or Lisa Leslie because the value increases as the years go by. That’s how I feel about the court; I think just the value will continue to increase. And off the court, I already talked [NBA] 2K, you know they have the WNBA side of it, [and I’m like], hey, this is an opportunity. The court to be in the video game. There (are) so many ideas and ways to maneuver with it, and (it) talks about putting the music in the video game on the WNBA side. Not even just the W side; put it on the whole video game!

But hey, just the fact that they’re loving my idea and being able to pitch that part is just amazing. Whoever thought the WNBA players would be in the video game anyway? Now I’m talking about our assets, our courts, (and) our music in video games, too. We’re taking this to a whole other level.”

The post Angel McCoughtry and adidas Look to Inspire the Next Generation with Refurbished ‘Reach For the Stars’ Court in Louisville appeared first on SLAM.

“I just wanted to let the city know [that] I’m fully behind the message. I think the team is [too], at the same time. We’re trying to bring Detroit back on top in the sports world because that’s what we control, but Detroit got a lot of things going on. I think the city’s gonna continue to grow.” 

SLAM 238 featuring Cade Cunningham is AVAILABLE NOW!

Moments earlier, Cunningham was dripped out in a furry, fire-engine red Des Pierrot coat, his Pistons City Edition uniform and a blinged out gold chain while posing for his cover. He was hip to the Detroit scene long before his arrival: he started listening to Detroit rap in high school, from 42 Dugg to Sada Baby, Babyface Ray and Veeze. He messes with the movies heavy, too. “I don’t know if you know about Buffed Up. It’s a little movie. Tough! See, I can put y’all on, fam! Y’all gotta watch McGraw Ave.” 

It’s crazy to think that there was a time, especially in the beginning, when many doubted Cunningham’s potential in the League. The hype was real coming in. As a senior in high school, he averaged 13.9 points and led Montverde Academy to a 25-0 record. At Oklahoma State, he averaged 20.1 ppg and led the Cowboys to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite the Pistons’ struggles this season, the 20-year-old rookie didn’t shy away from the moment.

Some might have questioned him at first, but make no mistake now: Cade Cunningham is a certified superstar in the making.

He’s had conversations with Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas about leadership and what it takes to bring a team together. He’s well aware, too, of what it’ll take to earn respect.

“I think the biggest thing I learned is that the League, the media, nobody will care until you’re winning,” he tells SLAM. “I could feel bad for myself all I want about [how] people didn’t respect or appreciate the season I had, or anything, but I didn’t win a lot of games. So, I think that’s been the biggest thing that I’ve locked in on and I decided within. I have to win games if I want people to respect my name, and if not, then I can’t be mad at people not watching enough games and how I really play. That’s the challenge that I’ve tried to take on. I’ve talked to teammates [and] we’re all trying to take that challenge on. I think that’s the next step for us.” 

Just a week before our interview, it was announced that his Montverde teammate, Scottie Barnes, had won Rookie of the Year. Cunningham, who led all rookies in scoring (17.4 ppg) and was second in assists (5.6 apg), finished third in voting behind Barnes and Cleveland’s Evan Mobley. He isn’t sweating the outcome, though. “Scottie is my brother, I’m happy that he got that award. I feel like it’s great that it’s him, [my] Montverde teammate. I’m super excited [for him]. I mean, it’s never really been about that award for me. I’ve had a ton of questions asked about it, you know—Rookie of the Year, what do you think about you winning? So, I’ma answer the question, you know? I feel like I should win it. That’s natural. But it was never a knock on those guys. I love their game and I’m happy that now we can quiet that question down. Congrats to Scottie, man, I love my dog.”

Cunningham’s own emergence this season, one which catapulted him into the running for ROY after missing all of the preseason and the first four regular season games due to an ankle injury he suffered in training camp, is a conversation worth having. The expectations were very high for him coming in, and while his debut was underwhelming—just 2 points against Orlando, followed by 6 against Milwaukee three nights later—even Pistons head coach Dwane Casey had made it clear during media day that Cade would need some time to get adjusted. Still, the media, and social media, reacted immediately. Some called him a flop and a bust. There were memes and tweets that claimed he should get traded.

“I wanted to take it slow, but at the same time I was so anxious to hurry up and get out there for my first NBA game,” he says in retrospect. “It was a balancing act, [and] I think it was something that was definitely a lesson learned as far as who I am and my body. It taught me a lot of patience, for sure. I dreamed of being in the NBA, and to have my first game be a bit of a tease from me, like, You can’t play yet. But when it did come, I felt like all of that stuff was behind me.”

He was well aware of what people were saying about him. When he became the first Pistons rookie to put up a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) in just his third career game, joining the elite company of Grant Hill and Isiah Thomas as the only Pistons rooks to do so, everyone had something to say about how he was shooting 17.9 percent from the field at the time. The reality was that, in the beginning, he was just as hard on himself. 

“I think I was bothered with myself more than anything, just because I wasn’t playing the way that I had expected myself to play, where I dreamt of coming into the NBA and playing. Everybody comes in and dreams of dropping 35 in their first game and everybody’s shocked. You know, everybody dreams of that. Whenever I got into the League and I played and that didn’t happen—I scored one bucket my first game—you just kind of take it for what it is and then move on. Hope that things get better. Not even hope but make sure that they do.”

His teammates, coaches and family continued to reassure him that he was straight. Keep going, keep pushing, they’d tell him. Keep being aggressive. He put up 17 points against Brooklyn in November, showing off his court vision and shot-making ability, and earning props from Kevin Durant, who has known him since high school. The narrative was starting to shift. Headlines went from calling him on the “wrong side of history” and “struggling early” to suggesting that he could take over for Detroit. A week later, he had 25/8/8 and hit five threes against the Kings to become the youngest player (20 years, 51 days) in League history with that stat line.

“I think anybody that says, I didn’t hear it, that’s cap,” Cunningham says. “But, I try not to put too much weight on [it] whenever I’m playing well, and everybody’s praising me—the same way as I try not to put too much weight around when people are hating, because at any time you have a good game, people are gonna love [you and] when you have a bad game, people are gonna hate you. You can’t put too much of your feelings into that, the Twitter game, Instagram, whatever it is, because it’s not gonna help me on the court. I just tried to lock into what the locker room needed, what they wanted. I think just keeping my mind in the right place allowed me to end up turning the corner.”

Rather than get caught up in the outside noise, good or bad, he looked inward. Cunningham, who has been practicing yoga since last summer, is big on meditation. He does it daily, even multiple times a day, but it really started as something he did before games. “I think it’s really helped me. Anytime that I feel like I need to kind of reset, I can do it in the moment a little bit.

“In some of these instances, it feels like there’s really nothing you can do to fully take it off—the anxiety of going into a big game,” he adds. “Sometimes it’s impossible to relieve that. But, I mean, that’s what we asked for. That’s what I asked for, to be in the NBA, to be in these moments. I try not to just completely shy away from those times, where I’m like, you know, my head is all over the place. And you know what happens whenever you go into games feeling like that, so, just trying to tune that stuff out. And then, like I said, just locking in to who I am and being unapologetic about what I look like out there.” 

Even during a 14-game losing stretch, the 6-7 guard continued to show flashes of his potential. A triple-double, his career’s first, against the Lakers, 26 points against Portland, 28 against OKC. The losing not only tested him and the team, but looking back, he says it will only prepare them moving forward. 

“What we [were] going through in that time, mentally, emotionally, having to get through that and overcome that, as a team, I feel like that’ll set us up for [dealing with] the adversity that we’ll run into in the future. I had never went through anything like that, losing. I feel like it taught me a lot about myself and how I can lock back in and get back on the right track.” 

The wins, few as they were, did start to come. He was clutch in an upset against the Celtics, dropping 20 points and helping deliver a crucial block on Jaylen Brown in the final seconds to end Boston’s nine-game winning streak. He pulled up to All-Star Weekend and won MVP of the Rising Stars Game. In March, the Pistons went on a three-game winning streak, their first in three years. Even after a loss to the Nets, Cade matched his own career-high of 34 points. When a reporter pointed out the Pistons’ struggles to KD, he clapped back. “What do you mean, a team like Detroit?” Durant asked. “I know their record isn’t good, but they’ve still got pros over there.” He had some more words about Cade, too. “When you got a 6-7 point guard, it’s a good start…Somebody that can wreck a whole defensive game plan with his size, his talent, his skill…I could see this team being a force to be reckoned with in the future.” 

Legends have shown him love. The whole city is rockin’ with him. The excitement is building around not only the team, but Cunningham as the face of the franchise. He has a few things planned this offseason as he trains for year 2: taking care of his body, getting stronger in the weight room and packing on some protein (he’s vegan). He recently took a trip up to Joshua Tree in Cali and plans on taking his daughter Riley to Disney World for the first time. (Riley, who was born during his senior year of HS, loves princesses.) Fatherhood, he goes on to say, has taught him that he’s not just doing this for himself, but for her, too. “I had her in high school and [she] changed my whole lens on life, really,” he says, adding, “I know that I’m doing everything for a greater purpose now.” 

And even when he’s felt like it’s Cade versus everyone, he knows that this is just the beginning. The Pistons did put up more wins this season than they have in the past few years, and their young core of Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and  Killian Hayes all averaged career-highs in their second seasons. Jerami Grant averaged almost 20 ppg. The come-up is real. 

“Within, I think it’s me versus everybody, but I got a squad behind me, too. It’s us versus everybody.” 

SLAM 238 is available now in this exclusive Gold Metal Edition and Cover Tee. Tap in.

Portraits by Jonathan Lewis.

The post Cade Cunningham is Ready to Lead the Pistons Back to the Glory Days appeared first on SLAM.

And yet, back in December Ja had made it clear via Twitter who he felt was deserving of the award: Desmond Bane.

On Monday night, the SLAM 238 co-cover star posted on his Instagram story that he gave the award to Bane and left it in his kitchen.

“You deserve it killa!” he wrote in his caption.

Bane has improved across the stat sheet in his second year and is averaging 18.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. When Morant was out with a tweaked knee last month, he stepped up and averaged around 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in three games. He dropped 34 points in a Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies are currently tied with Minnesota 2-2 going into Game 5.

The post Ja Morant Wins 2022 Most Improved—and Gives Award to Desmond Bane appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t think about [how] I’m averaging career-highs. I know people always say it, like, How’s it feel? I’m just trying to be me, I’m not trying to blow anything out of proportion. Obviously, what I’m doing is good stuff, but the best thing about it is I know I could be doing better. That’s the part that keeps me hungry.” 

What exactly does better look like for the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer?

“I’ll know when I get there,” he says confidently. 

Until then, it’s all about staying prepared. There’s nothing flashy about the grind, nor is there about Jalen. At his SLAM photo shoot, he prefers to keep it simple and rock a few Nike sweatsuits. In between takes, he chops it up about how he’s a big movie guy and dishes a few takes on The Batman and Euphoria. When another question comes up about where his confidence comes from, there’s no ego or anything extra to his answer. “My work ethic,” he says. Simple as that.

His father Rick pushed and demanded it out of him. Jalen watched his father constantly work during his own 12-year long pro career, night in and night out. He trained relentlessly, too—in the summer, Jalen says Rick would run in the blazing heat wearing a sweat jacket, and at 7 years old, he’d be there, riding his bike alongside him. “I didn’t really understand it, I thought it was just what he did,” he says. “Seeing what people do now in their free time, versus what my dad did, I’m like, Damn. He did all that and he was in the League for nine years, overseas, CBA and never had a guaranteed contract.” 

“I’m fortunate to be guaranteed four years, and I’m like, Wow. If I could work half as hard…I have to do something to get better, every day.” 

He’s become methodical and committed to his routine, which has pretty much stayed the same over the years, whether he’s starting every game or playing less minutes: shooting the night before games, getting in his conditioning, eating at certain times of the day, taking a nap (if time permits) and entirely dialing in on the task ahead. 

Brunson has always been that way, routine-oriented. He grew up watching how Rick would get ready for games, and at 2 years old, would mimic what he saw. According to his mother Sandra there’d be a “full-court” set up in his grandparent’s kitchen and living room with New York Knicks stickers taped onto their hardwood floors [Rick played for the Knicks for a couple of years at that time—Ed.]. A young Jalen would pack all his gear—sneakers, shorts and a jersey—into a duffel bag, put on a blazer or vest and say, Mom, I’m going to my game. 

He would then walk through the house, put on his sneakers and do exactly what he does now as a four-year guard in the League—go to work with the ball in his hands. He’d copy the moves he saw the players around him do, including Rick’s then-New York Knicks teammate Allen Houston. 

“I just like knowing what I’m getting myself into. I’m one of those guys that if you find a good restaurant, I could eat at that restaurant every time we go out,” Brunson says of being routine-oriented. “I think that gets your mind right. Once you’re in that zone of doing what you got to do to be ready for the game, it kind of takes the thought process out of worrying about other things. I don’t run any errands on game day. Sometimes I’ll stop and get a tea on the way to games, but I’m not trying to do anything to make me not think about being ready for the game. If I’m in that routine, I’m not thinking about anything. My mind is just, like, free.” 

It was Sandra who taught him the art of goal-setting. While Rick was working in Charlotte as an assistant coach with the Bobcats, the rest of the family lived in Illinois. Sandra wanted Jalen and his sister to have a way to focus on themselves and their own goals, rather than on why their father wasn’t there or how long he’d be gone. It all started organically—school would begin in August, and Sandra would ask, What are your goals this year? What do you want to do? Jalen started getting creative with it, and would draft them up on the computer and hang them around his room. “I told him, It’s great to have goals and dreams but let’s stick with realistic goals. What are the things you can really achieve, right now? Let’s not think about down the road, like, Oh, I want to be in the NBA. That’s great. But let’s think about 10th grade. What do you want to do?” 

That year, Brunson led Stevenson HS to a state championship against Simeon Career Academy, who was stacked with standouts like Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn. By his junior year, the five-star recruit was averaging 26.1 points and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. When Villanova head coach Jay Wright came over for a home visit, Sandra recalls him noticing the pieces of paper taped onto the walls in his bedroom. 

Fast forward to Brunson’s junior year at Villanova, when he wrote down all of his academic and athletic goals and typed them up on the computer. He added on-court images of himself in the backdrop and then placed his goals as overlay text in an all-caps, bold white font. He hung the two pieces of paper on his dorm room’s white wall—on the left side were his academic goals, from graduating in the summer of 2018 to making the All-American, Big East and Big Five Academic teams, and on the right were his athletic goals. Those were very specific and performance-based: 2018 First-Team All American, All-Big East, All-Big Five. There were also some team-oriented ones—conference regular season and tournament champions, and winning an NCAA National Championship.

He’d then send Sandra the picture of those goals hanging on the wall to prove to her that he actually did them. Sandra still has the picture on her phone, which she shared with SLAM via text mid-interview. 

“It was a thing, and it stuck,” she says of the goal setting. “I don’t really put too much pressure on him now. I still say, What are your goals? And I’ll text him, [but] I don’t see [them written down] in his apartment. Maybe it’s in his locker, or maybe it’s more internal.”

“That’s how I measure myself. I see these goals, and [how] I’m going to get there,” Brunson explains. “They’re mostly short term, for that year, I have long term goals of course, but that’s how I measure myself.” 

Preparedness, consistency and staying true to himself and the work have become the foundational fabrics to his approach. It’s how he solidified himself as one of the best guards ever to suit up for the Wildcats, but even then, Brunson wanted more. “I was a version of myself, I guess I technically didn’t know I had. I always knew I was good, playing the post, but we really used it as a weapon,” he says in retrospect. “I would say that where I was then was a perfect place, because I knew that I had accomplished a lot, I did a lot [and] was successful, but I knew I had so much more room to grow.”

When he came into the L as a rookie, Brunson found himself having to work his way up. He  averaged just 9.3 points in 21.8 minutes of action. “That’s something that I’ve done at every stage in my career, high school, college and the pros. I have no problem with it, and honestly it makes me better. It makes me hungry, not really complacent. I’m always trying to find ways to improve myself. I just knew that whenever I got my opportunity, I was gonna make the most of it.”

Now in his fourth year, Brunson’s pursuit of consistency put him in a prominent spot in the team’s starting lineup, having started in 61 regular season games, averaging 16.3 points. When the team has needed him the most, Brunson has more than delivered. During a 10-game stretch in December, when many of his teammates, including Luka Doncic, were out due to injuries and COVID protocols, he steadily put up double-digit figures and averaged 21 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. 

“That’s when it really clicked. I had some good games in the beginning of the year, but I think that stretch kind of solidified how people view me a little bit. My coaches know, my teammates know, and that’s all I really care about, [but] I guess people started to see and take notice. Thank you for noticing, but I’m doing this for myself, my team.” 

His words echo yet another lesson instilled in him by his parents. It was Rick who suggested to Sandra one day that she print out what people were saying, or inspirational quotes, onto sticky notes. Sandra placed them all around the house—in the bathroom, on the fridge, the television and mirrors. Seeing is believing, and when every corner in your place has a note reminding you of who you are, eventually, it becomes ingrained.

Rather than ride the wave of a good game, or in his case, the best season of his career so far, Brunson says that for him, it’s the standard. “Sometimes after games, yeah, I’ll watch [them] over and stuff like that, but [the feeling] is short term because I feel the same way when I don’t play well. I can’t be riding a hot streak of playing well, [or] when a bad day comes, I gotta switch it up. Whether it’s good or bad, gotta move forward. 

“Just staying consistent with work, and obviously a little more opportunity helps, [but] I think being able to have [Jason] Kidd as a coach has really helped me understand things that I thought I already knew. Hearing it from someone else definitely could help me. He’s pushed me, he expects the best out of me every time. I do appreciate that, because it just doesn’t keep me satisfied. That’s how my dad was, just always wanting more, more, more.”

When Brunson dished a pass to Dorian Finney-Smith in the corner for the game-winning shot against the Kings in March, it was Kidd who came in with the constructive criticism while everyone else praised him. “He was like, ‘Oh, you should have went a little later. We wanted the last, last shot. Great pass though. Everyone else was like, Oh, he kind of just stole your show, and in my mind I’m like, Yeah, but like, when I think about it, that’s what I want. I want them to be coached like that. If people see me being coached like that, that gains a lot of respect from my teammates. I’m all about what the team needs, I’m all about respect. I’ll do anything to earn that respect.” 

As the Mavericks get ready to face the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs, Brunson isn’t forgetting what happened last year. The loss still sits with him. “I haven’t moved past it. I still think about it, in a good way. I’ve always done well with a little bit of adversity.” 

But he’s focusing on what he can control. His family’s saying, The magic is in the work, often runs through his head, and he even wears it on two bracelets.

“You’ve got to be consistent with what you’re putting out there on the court, but most importantly, keep your routine, keep having the same mentality [and] doing the things that you do that have gotten you here. Don’t just say, I’m here, now I can take a chill pill. Like, no. Keep pushing yourself. That’s how I want to continue.”  

Portraits by Jonathan Lewis. Follow him on Instagram, @johnnyysilk.

The post The Pursuit of Consistency: How Jalen Brunson Has Emerged into a Prominent Force for the Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

“I knew I was gonna be good, but [to] get all the way here and achieve all these goals, to [have] everyone look at Kentucky and think, Rhyne Howard, that’s big,” she tells WSLAM. “I have a huge smile on my face right now, just even thinking about that. It is very exciting and I’m super happy that I’ll be able to leave a legacy.” 

Throughout her four-year career, Howard has not only solidified herself as one of the coldest scorers in college basketball but one of the greatest to ever rock a Kentucky uniform. Even with her quiet demeanor, the Cleveland, TN (yes, it exists), native lets her game do all the talking. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and as a sophomore, she was second nationally in scoring with 23.4 points per game, winning back-to-back conference POY awards then and as a junior. 

This past January, she continued to make history by becoming just the third Wildcat ever (men’s or women’s) to score 2,000 career points in 100 games or less, earning her a shout out from one of her favorite players, Klay Thompson, who congratulated her in a video. “I lost my mind,” she says of her reaction.

Despite the Wildcats’ difficult run this year, Howard made the most of her senior season and tried to keep her team encouraged. It’s that leadership that led the Wildcats on a magical run to the NCAA tournament. Just a few weeks after her interview with WSLAM, Howard and the Wildcats defeated No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Championship game, marking their first conference title in 40 years. After the win, Howard was spotted rocking a paper crown with her name on it as she held the trophy in her hand. The crown, in many ways, is symbolic of her legacy—the team has been using the slogan #CrownHer for years now.

Howard, who majored in Digital Media and Design, even has crowns on her own merch as well as her header on Twitter. “It’s like, never put your head down [or your] crown is gonna fall off,” she says. 

Tonight, she’ll add yet another lifetime achievement to her already illustrious career at the 2022 WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to be selected as high as No. 1. Having worked out with pros like Tiffany Hayes of the Atlanta Dream and Shavonte Zellous in past summers, Howard says she feels like she’s “got the skill set to be able to play with them” in the W. 

“For it to actually be coming true, and to be as high of a prospect as I am, is like, Wow,” she says. “I’m mind-blown. Like, I was just trying to make it, but now I’m at the top of everyone’s lists. It’s a dream come true.”  

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After an Illustrious Career at Kentucky, Rhyne Howard is Ready For the WNBA appeared first on SLAM.

Listen, can you hear the pounding? Listen closely, you can hear it. It’s the basketballs bouncing. 

For the small fishing reserve of the Metlakatla, a remote island located off the coast of Southeast Alaska, basketball isn’t just a sport or a passion, it’s the cadence of the entire community’s heartbeat. The game has been played by generations, and during the most difficult of times, it’s brought hope when hope might seem far, far away. 

“It’s just who we are, and what we do.” 

The award-winning film, which is available to rent and download now, captures that unwavering love and passion while taking viewers along the Metlakatla Chiefs quest to bring another high school basketball championship to the island, the first title since 1984. Directed by Jeff Harasimowicz, Alaskan Nets captures their two stars, cousins Danny Marsden and DJ King, as they navigate their responsibilities to another net, fishing, to support their families. In one scene, DJ even admits that if it wasn’t for basketball, he wouldn’t even want to attend school. Instead, he’d be out there on the water to financially help his family. 

All the while, basketball also provides a sense of immense healing for the community—both of DJ’s uncles, who also played on the Chiefs, tragically committed suicide at a young age, and when another death in the family shakes the town, right in the middle of the Chief’s season, the game continues to be fuel their sense of purpose.

“One thing that always goes through my mind is, I need to win a state title. That’s the one thing that’ll bring peace,” DJ says. 

To tell this story takes immense trust—trust from the community, the players, and the tribe. SLAM recently caught up with Harasimowicz to learn more about how he gained permission from the Tsimshian tribe to film Alaskan Nets, what the filmmaking process was like, and ultimately, how much basketball means to the community.

SLAM: To start off, how did you first learn about Metlakatla and how did this project come about?

Jeff Harasimowicz: I had always been interested in doing a sports documentary. I’m a huge sports fan, myself, and I take a lot of joy and pride in good sports movies. So I’ve been looking for a story for a while and I honestly kind of stumbled across it. I stumbled across this photo essay about Metlakatla, and it was pretty short. There’s probably 10 photos or so and maybe a couple of short paragraphs, maybe even just a few sentences, really. But once I saw the images [and] heard about this community, I was struck. It was the only native reserve in Alaska that surprised me. The fact that basketball was akin to religion that super surprised me. And then the fact that these kids, who are commercial fishermen, providing for their families, in a very dangerous industry, are also the ones responsible for playing basketball and bringing hope and joy and pride to this community. It was just a story that was too good to pass up. So, I saw that I knew I had to figure out a way to do it.

SLAM: What was the process like to get permission from the Tsimshian to tell this story?

JH: I reached out to the coach. I ended up tracking down the coach’s email, and when I emailed him, he was actually in the process of losing the state championship game that year. So, he was a little a little sour and didn’t want to get back to me right away. But a couple weeks later, he got back to me…He invited me to come up and meet the community. He’s an outsider, so he has no sway whatsoever, but he said, You need to come up and meet the tribal council that govern the island. There’s a 12 person council, kind of led by the mayor. I was invited up and I think I took three total trips to the community to spend time with the different leaders and just talk about the vision for the project and let them meet me a little bit and get a sense for who I was, and you know, the idea for the project and what was going to be needed. And then it kind of all came down to this kind of official presentation—I had to go before the tribal council [in the summer of 2017] and make them a pitch and stand before them [to] say what my intentions were, how I was going to do it and answer their questions. Then I was asked to leave and they [voted] on whether or not we could move forward. Ultimately, we were granted permission thank goodness, and the rest is history.

I was never concerned about dishonoring them or doing anything to upset them, but we didn’t know that they had this kind of veto power called the ‘blue ticket,’ where if they don’t want someone on their island, they can issue a blue ticket and you’re effectively kicked off the island for any reason. It was very much like come on in, but be careful.

SLAM: What was it like for you when you visited the island for the first time? Do you remember what your first impressions were?

JH: My very first time in Alaska was going to Metlakatla to meet [the] people in this community for the very first time. I think, like many people, and I’m definitely stereotyping here, but probably more young men like the idea of Alaska—it has this drawn, romantic appeal of the wildlife, the hunting, the fishing and adventure, and you think of you [authors like] John Muir and others. So, I was super gung-ho to go there and was super excited.

I get off the plane in Ketchikan and it’s on this little island, you have to take a ferry over, and there’s this bald eagle everywhere and fields. I’m like, Oh, man, I am in Alaska right now. The basketball coach had actually taken his fishing boat over to Ketchikan to pick me up, so that was my first time really meeting him. I remember throwing my bag in the back of a fishing boat and him taking me across. It was probably the roughest ride I had been on in a boat to that point in my life. That was kind of a welcome to Alaska moment really quick.

SLAM: As a filmmaker, how did you go about gaining the trust of the community to be able to film them and their lives so closely?

JH: Honestly, I had never done anything quite like this before. I had always been producing and you kind of stay home for the most part, like you’re at a desk or in an office, occasionally you’ll go to set. But really, it’s like, you’re kind of at home. This [was] the first time I was not at home, I was very much away. [It] was a whole new experience. When I first went in, I wanted to be all virtuous of like, okay, I’m going to draw a fine line and I’m not going to interact with the people too much, it’s more, I’m going to be a fly on the wall [and] observe. I think that lasted like a day, maybe two.

I think part of that was the nature of the community is they’re so warm, they’re so friendly, and they’re so inviting that, to be a fly on the wall in Metlakatla is not possible. You’re going to be a guest in their home for dinner, whether you like it or not, or you’re going to be invited to go hunt, or go fish, or go down to the market. You kind of just become part of the family really quick. I think the trust was earned fairly quickly, and I don’t necessarily know why, in a sense, like, I don’t want to toot my own horn, I just think they felt very comfortable with us. We kind of blended in, like we were low profile, and we just kind of went in and just did what they did, and went where they went and kind of said yes to everything. I think very quickly it felt like we were just part of the community and they treated us as such. I think if you watch the movie, there’s many times whether it’s emotional highs or lows, or even kind of like quasi embarrassing moments for some characters, they don’t even flinch. They don’t act differently, they act like we’re not even there. And I think that’s a real testament to the comfort level that was achieved, and I think the only way that’s possible is to live amongst your subjects and truly be there with them because once we were there, we were there. We didn’t just leave throughout the story.

SLAM: What was it like to see these athletes have to balance their tradition and the responsibilities they had to their families jobs with the game of basketball?

JH: I stand in awe of these kids, if you can even call them kids. That was kind of the one [thing] that we learned in this process, we kind of had an idea that was going to be the case. You think of, you know, probably 95% of athletes in the country, maybe even more, have a pretty comfortable life when you think of like what they’re faced with. Most kids don’t have jobs that are kind of life and death, first and foremost. Most kids don’t have the responsibility of providing for their families, because if they don’t, they could go hungry and there could be real issues that result from that. You don’t have kids who are just dealing with so much mature content for a young person. I think in many ways the kids that we were filming and living with felt like adults in many ways in terms of what they were exposed to, both in terms of work, of pressure, responsibility, tragedy and trauma. I stand in awe of them, knowing [that] what they go through, so few people I think could really go through it themselves and come out the same person on the other side.

SLAM: Can you talk more about the communities’ deeply rooted, spiritual connection to the game, and what you observed?

JH: I think it’s everything from the fairly seemingly innocuous things like [the players saying], If not for the game of basketball, I would not go to school, like I would literally just go fish. The only reason why I go to school is to be on the basketball team and to play the thing that brings us pride and joy and all that. I think probably the ultimate representation of that love for basketball takes place when [their] former star of the basketball team, dies in the middle of the season. When he passed away, it sent shockwaves through the community, and, whereas a lot of communities and teams who are so connected would probably just kind of fall apart in mourning, it became this rallying cry where it’s like, the only thing that’s gonna make [his death] better is winning a state title. That’s a crazy sentiment to have. I mean, I could understand a [few] people feeling that way, like, We just need something to be happy for. But no, it was his dad [who] told Danny and DJ, the stars of the team, his nephews, “Go win state.” To hear a father, who just lost his son, go tell the basketball team, you need to win it—that is the representation of what basketball means. It is life and death, and winning can bring life back in some small way to a community that’s been dealt with so much grief.

SLAM: Representation is so incredibly important, especially when telling these about native communities, is incredibly important. As filmmaker, what does this project mean to you and what is it like having that responsibility to tell their story?

JH: I take a lot of pride in what we did, in the sense that I think we did it. Throughout the process, it was important for us to earn their trust, and truly earn it, not, oh just let us do what we’re going to do. It was really to involve them in the process, and they were friends with us, they became family with us and I think that bond will remain for many years. But really, when you get that level of trust and love, a lot of responsibility comes with it, because their literally handing you their lives with an open door saying, Come on in. You’re seeing them at some really great moments, but also at some really horrible moments, and you feel a lot of pressure. This is not obviously a culture to which I am part, there’s so many things that were foreign and new to me, but I know that throughout that process we were respectful of their world, of their tradition, of their customs [and] making sure they were comfortable with what we were doing. Nothing was forced, nothing was coerced, everything was done in kind of lockstep with them.

Even the final version of the film, like when we finished the film, [which was] kind of tricky because COVID broke out right when we finished and our plans for showing them are kind of altered, but ultimately, we brought the film to their community and showed it at their longhouse over the course of a long weekend. We let the whole community watch it, and it’s like, the emotion, the pride, the joy that we saw was evident to us that we had done what we were supposed to do and treated our subjects, not as subjects but as family and friends. That’s the most important thing to me, especially wading into a world that is not your own. You really just needed to, in a way, be hands off and let them tell their own story. And I think that’s what we did.

Alaskan Nets is available to rent and download now. Stream here.

The post ‘Alaskan Nets’ Tells the Powerful Story of Metlakatla, Alaska’s Last Native Reserve, and Their Journey to a HS State Championship Title appeared first on SLAM.

And yet, even with all of this ever-evolving change, women are not always the intended-focus when it comes to designing basketball apparel—all too often, jackets, tees and even jerseys are either distinctly hyper-feminine, or unavailable in smaller sizes. That’s why QORE, a fashion-forward brand founded by Harry Ling and Banjo Albano in 2019, has made it their mission to create a fashion-forward brand exclusively for women NBA fans. 

“We want to build a brand around women and give them something cool to gravitate to,” Ling says. “We are here really to rep women, and we intentionally, other than Banjo and myself, are hiring only women. [Qore] is going to be a brand grown by women.” 

The QORE “New Legacy Collection” is available now!

QORE intertwines the nostalgia of the game with a fresh, and completely new take on women’s NBA lifestyle and athletic wear. Rather than stick to the status quo—or the notion that women’s apparel should be shrunk down in size and come in different shades of pink—QORE puts a unique twist on women’s athleisure wear and how female consumers can rep their favorite teams around the League. The brand has everything from vintage jersey-inspired oversized hoodies, NBA crop pullovers, windbreakers, and an everyday jacket that can be worn to any function, whether that’s courtside or on your way to the gym. While the design features Bulls, Knicks, Warriors and Raptors team logos on the back, all of the fonts are designed by QORE’s in-house graphic designer.  

QORE, which is currently available in 10 NBA venues around the country, just dropped their New Legacy Collection, which features retro, 90s-inspired NBA hoodies and sweatpants and even graphic tees. The beauty is in the details, too, as each piece features the signature NBALAB logo with a completely fresh and new design. 

The brand’s influence, in Ling’s own words, is a mixture of their roots, from growing up in the ‘90s to their Asian heritage and identity. “Nostalgia to me is everything. It represents all your influences and childhood and the things that shaped your own identity and culture. For myself, the vintage logos [are] definitely rooted in the sports wear [brands] from my childhood; Sean John, Phat Farm, Polo [and] Polo Sport.”

QORE’s logo is an ode to the past and the era of CDs, while its namesake, which is pronounced core but spelt with a q, comes from the idea of inspiration coming from the center of one’s core.  Having lived in different parts of Asia—Ling in Shanghai, Albano in Manila, and Chloe Kim, who leads the brand’s marketing, in Korea—the brand is also heavily inspired by the style and fashion trends from around Asia. “I know for me, going to Tokyo from Taipei was like a regular thing and I just loved the way people embraced a style there, they were so passionate about what they followed,” Ling says. “I loved all the oversized fits in Japan, from the double pleated khakis that were super oversized to the simple items like hoodies and long sleeve tees that they just made oversized but fit right.” 

Ling, who grew up in the Bay area and is first-generation born Taiwanese-American, saw firsthand the impact and growth of basketball during his time in Shanghai. After moving to Taiwan, he soon discovered that his family even had ties with the NBA—Ling’s uncle owns SpecSeats, a folding chair business that makes courtside seats at NBA and NCAA games. 

While working with his uncle to rebrand the company and build their online and social media presence, Ling got his first opportunity to build a relationship with the NBA. When he decided that he wanted to start his own fashion brand, QORE, that connection led to a meeting with the League in New York and eventually a partnership with NBALab. QORE officially got their NBA apparel license in September of 2019 and launched in February of 2020 during NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. 

At its core (no pun intended), the vision of the brand is to take women’s sports apparel to the next level. Ling and Albano, who met in Manila, both felt that at the time, no one was “really messing with” women’s fashion in the fan apparel space like that; and those who were are simply sticking to a more-feminine color scheme or making jersey-style dresses. Albano, who has worked in marketing and even ran his own agency that handled NBA athlete visits with major sneaker brands, including Nike and Under Armour (he also was a part of the group that started SLAM Philippines), saw personally how important it was to bridge the connection between women and sports apparel. Growing up in Staten Island, Albano, who is one of six children, all of whom played basketball (Banjo went on to play at Hunter College, and then overseas in the Philippines), would watch Knicks games on Christmas day with his family every year. His sisters, he recalls, would always steal his oversized hoodies. 

“That was part of the story: building something for women. I have a 16 year old daughter and six nieces, [many of whom are] somewhat in fashion in the game as well, so [we’re] creating something that, as a basketball fan, would be a little different from what traditionally have been on shelves.” 

Keep your game day cozy in QORE’s “New Legacy” Collection. Shop now.

Not only is QORE designed for women, but the brand’s creative vision is led by Kim, who joined the team a few months after they got their license. She’s been there from the beginning, and even was a model in one of their very first shoots in New York back in 2019. With a background in development production for contemporary designer brands including Alexander Wang, Chloe has played an instrumental role in elevating QORE’s influence and design, from leading their social media presence and managing customer experience, to creating mood boards and being inclusive when it came to selecting models for their marketing campaigns and photoshoots. 

“I just really loved their vibe,” Kim says on a Zoom call with Ling and Albano. “I loved what they were trying to do with the business and how they’re trying to [go] into the women’s wear market with NBA license goods. I felt like they might [have] needed a little [bit of] a woman’s touch,” Chloe says, adding.“[Now], we’re slowly changing the paradigm of how NBA [licensed apparel] can be worn in real life, even when it’s not a game day.” 

When it came to the brand’s direction, Kim saw a vision for QORE to not only appeal to basketball fans, but to women, like her, who are maybe more into fashion. 

“In the future, we definitely want to [produce] innovative designs that [some] NBA licensed brands haven’t [explored], like bra tops, skorts, oversized t-shirts [and] varsity jackets. Something more of a statement piece that will really show our DNA.” 

For QORE, this is just the beginning, as Ling mentions that the brand is gearing up to “rock” the WNBA fan apparel space. They’re also intrigued by the recent wave of upcycling and crossover between art and basketball, citing artists like Tyrrell Winston. “I love to see these artists take their love of the game and interpret [it] their way. Like upcycling to me with fashion and fan gear can create some really dope shit, and that’s something I’m very interested in exploring as we mature.”

The QORE New Legacy Collection is available now. Shop here.

The post QORE is Elevating How Women Can Rep Their Favorite NBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

Then there was the performance of Grant Williams, who played solid defense on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and even blocked his shot in the second quarter. After the game, teammate Jaylen Brown told the media that Williams “wants his nickname to be Batman.”

According to Williams, his dad came up with it awhile back.

“My dad came up with that over a year ago,” Williams said, per Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “We played Denver, he was joking about it saying, ‘We should just call you Batman from now on.’ It wasn’t just because of the whole Joker thing. It was more so I’m not like the most athletic, I’m not the most incredible, but brains and then like everything else you work with, that was the Batman kind of spiel.”

Williams apparently has other nicknames for his teammates, too, based off of Marvel characters. Given the Celtics “superhero-like” ascent this season into a top spot in the East, they might be fitting, as the team currently holds the highest defensive rating in the League.

On Monday night against the Thunder, Williams’ continued to impress and posted his first career double-double, scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 132-123 win.

In the postgame press conference, teammate Al Horford interrupted and asked, “IS THIS BATMAN?”

Williams is currently averaging a career-best 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The Celtics will head back home to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

The post Grant Williams Posts First Career-Double and Nicknames Himself ‘Batman’ appeared first on SLAM.

Black Market, out now, masterfully reveals how the business side of college athletics actually operates—all from the perspective of someone who not only was a college athlete himself (Code played four years at Clemson from ’93-97) but later as a director and consultant for some of the biggest sports brands in the world. Code gives eye-opening, first-hand accounts of what exactly went down, from the families and players he formed relationships with to the ways in which he did the job he was “instructed to do.” When tasked with helping evaluate promising NBA talent, Code details how in order to evaluate rookies coming into the League, he needed to be tapped into the high school basketball circuit. 

“I had to know what kids in my markets had NBA potential, kids who might spend one or two years on a college campus before being a first-round draft pick,” he explains. “…If a high school kid in my region had pro potential, I started showering him with the flyest sneakers and gear at least once a month.” 

This was the case for college athletes, too. “If there was a college kid in my region that had some first-round draft potential, I was calling up his coaches to tell them I was sending him a side package…” 

After years of media coverage on the high profile investigation, all stories that featured no quotes from Code himself, Black Market allows him the opportunity to finally own his narrative. And he brings the receipts, too. The book includes an internal email, text messages and even excerpts from the wire-tapped phone calls, including some with college coaches. 

“Being able to put some of those transcribed situations into the book that says, wait a minute, these are actual conversations, and this is what actually happened. I wanted to make sure that I could now start creating the true narrative versus what the media has portrayed the past four or five years.”

While he watched coaches, athletic directors, and others directly profit off and “exploit” hoopers, many of whom are Black, Code says he saw players with families in need, whom he believed should get some sort of benefit out of the system. He says necessities included anything from groceries and winter coats to mortgage and rent payments, and he says he doesn’t regret anything he did to help them, either.

“I was mad, [but] I’m not mad anymore. I’m determined to make sure that I do everything I can to touch as many people as I can with my story [and] with the truth. That’s why if you notice at the beginning [of the book], it makes people uncomfortable. I’m not sugarcoating, I’m not doing it anymore,” he says. “So all of the platforms and all the opportunities I have to speak [the] truth, we’re gonna do it. And if that causes people to be uneasy, I don’t care. They made me uneasy for a very long time. So it’s my turn.”

He had a lot more to say, too. In his own words, here are Code’s thoughts on the NIL era, what he hopes people will get out of reading this book and where his relationship with basketball stands today.

SLAM: How did the idea for the memoir come about? That moment, when you just said, You know what, I’m going to speak my truth.

Merl Code: Oddly enough, that was never my idea…A good friend of mine, who was like a brother to me, Eric, he was a former hooper that played at Morgan State…When all the things were happening with me in terms of the arrest and the court case and what have you, he called and was like, Hey, man, we need to talk. And I said, OK, what’s up? He said, You need to write a book. I said, Eric, I don’t know anything about writing a book. I can write, but my writing is typically reserved for emails. So, he convinced me that this was kind of the path I should take. And I said, Well, why? I was being short-sighted in my thought process, and he basically said, Listen, man, you got to take the first step to start telling your story. My initial thought was that it would be done, you know, this way—through interviews, whether it be radio or television. And he said, ‘Listen, all of the things that you have to say, and all the things you have experienced, [it] can’t be captured in a five-minute radio interview, or a 10-minute Zoom call. So, unless somebody [who] knows you and knows your story is willing to say, Here’s a movie deal, we have to start building the layers of your story to really give the public a true sense of who you are as a person and the true narrative that you want to tell.’ 

SLAM: Did you feel like you were fully ready to tell your story?

MC: No, because I was angry. I had to get past my anger so that it wasn’t a venomous story. I didn’t want it to be a vindictive diatribe, right? I wanted it to be a heartfelt but true account of what happens in this space, my personal experiences [and] my personal thoughts and feelings. If anybody has had the opportunity to read it, I think that comes across in a tenor and tone of voice. And listen, I’m not here to bash anybody. I even leave situations and names out, because what good does it serve? What purpose? Because it’s happened to me, it should happen to you? No, if that was the case, I could have taken a stand and told on any and everybody that I knew in the business. I’m not built that way. Whatever you gonna do to me, I’m gonna deal with, but what I’m not gonna do is put other Black men in harm’s way, because you guys can’t control me. And when white folks can’t control something, they criminalize it…I’m a grown man.

SLAM: Can you walk us through the writing process and what it was like to revisit those moments, including your own experience as a college athlete at Clemson and hearing that some of your teammates were getting paid.

MC: It was cathartic, in a sense. It was an opportunity for me to kind of talk about things that I’ve never spoken about before. I’ve joked about them or been in the conversation with my teammates and we’ve joked about those things in the past. Because it’s a fraternal society. You don’t talk about what happened in the locker room or what happened on the road trip. We got together at a reunion, or met up at a championship game or somebody was in town and we all went to grab dinner, we laugh and joke about what happened on this particular day, at this particular practice. 

But to talk about it in a public forum so that others who don’t get the experience of being a college athlete, who don’t understand the time commitment, who don’t understand that it really is a job. It is a full-time job. I think the part that I really wanted to resonate was like, you guys keep talking about all these NCAA rules—well, shit, we were signing documents lying because they were forcing us to, saying that we were only practicing or doing anything basketball related [for] 20 hours a week. That [was] absolute garbage…Everybody’s up in arms about NCAA rules and violations. And it’s a farce. It really is. It’s a farce. But again, you charged me with a federal crime, but there’s no federal legislation. And now those same kids can make money and accept the same things that happened in my situation, but there’s been no legislation to change? So how is it then a federal crime? When you get to a place where you really realize, OK, you were trying to make an example out of me. But it backfired. So I’ll take my punishment, but these young men and women will benefit going forward. 

SLAM: How long did it take for the book to come together? 

MC: About 16 to 17 months. There were a lot of gaps in there after the proposal—really trying to formulate thoughts and where the book was going to go, and how much are we going to put in because we have so much stuff. I mean, we probably have two more books full of information that just wasn’t conducive to this project. We didn’t want to produce an encyclopedia, so we wanted to keep it streamlined. But, there are other relevant stories that we just didn’t touch in terms of the experiences and things that I’ve dealt with. So that could be another project down the line or be something that turns into a podcast or a television series or movie…That would be great if those things happen, but that wasn’t the purpose for this.

SLAM: Was there a moment during the writing process when you realized the gravity or the magnitude of a certain situation and said to yourself, Wow, that actually did happen!

MC: I mean, sitting in a courtroom and hearing a judge say, You’re not gonna talk about poor Black kids in my courtroom, was kind of like a, ‘What the f***?’ [moment]. Excuse my language.

And then when you realize, wait a minute, he’s protecting the universities because he won’t allow any of the contractual relationships, nor the coaches to testify, nor the athletic directors, nor any of their wiretapped phone calls. Like, you’re not letting any of this information in? So, all the jury gets to hear is the government’s narrative that I am corrupt. Wow. 

SLAM: You’ve said there were so many other things you could have included. How did you decide what to include and what to keep out? 

MC: It was a collective [decision] in that regard. Certain things, from a legal perspective, could cause us some liability issues. Even though it’s the truth, but you can’t prove it. Well, shit, it was 20 years ago, how could I? There were certain things for me, [saying] a name didn’t really add to the story. And all it would do is damage that particular person and his family, whether he’s dead or alive. That kind of stuff. And so, [I] kind of withdrew and said, Yeah, that doesn’t really make sense to put that man’s name. He’s got children, you know? That’s why I wanted to make sure that the tenor and tone was not one of vindication. It is one of an actual true account of what happens in this space, the things these kids deal with, and if you notice, I even applaud some of the families. Hey, man, you should have gotten more. I know what I did to try to help you. I know what the schools did to try to help you, and I’m OK with it. You should have gotten more, because of the kind of money that you helped generate for that particular coaching staff, that athletic director, because at the end of the day, sports pays for these universities to survive. They can’t survive on sheer tuition. If they don’t have football and basketball, they can’t survive. They pay teacher salaries, they build new English and Science buildings, they do all that stuff off the backs of these young men and women. And when the pandemic hit, it was really brought to the forefront in terms of how important sports was. 

SLAM: On that note, what are your thoughts on the passing of the NIL laws?

MC: People don’t understand the concept. [They’re like] Oh, but it’s an NIL deal. Yeah, but I still have to ask you, white folks, Can I use my name? Can I use my image? Can I use my likeness? Can I use my ability to earn money for myself? Again, people keep passing by this like that’s OK. And it’s not. If we really live in a capitalist society, every young man and woman should be able to go out and make as much money as they possibly can with their abilities. Whatever that looks like. You don’t cap the white sports…So let’s really get down to the nuts and bolts of what this is, because these are the revenue-generating sports [that] keep these universities alive. Because if they don’t win, they don’t bring in sponsorship dollars. They don’t get the same kind of TV revenue. The boosters don’t give as much money. It’s all predicated on winning, and you don’t win without these young Black men and Black women. You don’t. 

So, until we really get to a place where people are uncomfortable talking about this conversation—because I’m past the point of trying to mince words—and until others get to that same place, it’s not gonna change.

SLAM: Everyone is saying that this book is going to turn the college basketball world upside down. What are your thoughts when you hear that? 

MC: I don’t know if it’ll do that. I hope that people will see it on a deeper level. This is about the truth. I didn’t put all of the transcripts in because it wasn’t necessary. Because there’s so much more I could have put in there than I did…I’ve been called everything from corrupt to undesirable. You name it, I’ve been called it. For doing my job. And again, these are people who’ve never experienced a space and don’t understand nor care about these kids and their livelihoods and their circumstances. All they care about is, did their team win?

SLAM: What is your relationship with the game today? 

MC: It has been tainted. I still love the game. It’s been such a huge, important and critical part of my life that I’d be remiss to say that I’m done with it. I still love the game and will always love the game. I’ve since removed myself from the business of basketball, for the most part. I mean, I still have love for the people that really know me and the people that really confide and still trust in me. I still brought some opportunities to advise them in certain situations or scenarios. It makes me feel good that I’ve built that kind of rapport with people throughout my journey because, again, all I really did try to do is help, whether it was within their rules or not, all I tried to do was help. This was not a personal benefit or gain. I’m not a rich dude by any stretch of imagination. I’m not worried about my lights being cut off, but I ain’t the one with the beach house as my second or third home. 

So, I would like to get to a place—and I think this is part of the process for healing some of that for me—I think once I get to the platforms where I can really kind of continue to dialogue about this and once I have this particular space and time in my life behind me, then I think I’ll be able to kind of start putting those pieces back together to get back into some form of being a part of the business side. 

Photos via Merl Code and Getty Images.

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He’s only 11 years old, but Lil Noah James already has more Mitchell & Ness jerseys than most of us have probably ever owned. The young hip-hop artist, originally from Bridgeport, CT, and currently residing in Atlanta, has a really impressive collection. When we hopped on a Zoom call in December, he confidently said that he’s owned over 500 in total, many of which he’s since grown out of. As of our call, he says he’s got about 150 that he keeps inside his closet and stored in bins. 

“I started collecting jerseys around the age of 5. My favorite Mitchell & Ness jerseys are the Kobe Bryant [number] 8, I don’t even have that. The Lakers purple and gold one, I like. The black and red MJ one, that’s another one I don’t have. I like the green Kevin Garnett, I have that one. T-Wolves KG, Miami Heat Shaq. A lot of them. LeBron when he played in Cleveland his first year. I like the Scottie Pippen ones.”

Just from listening to Lil Noah, it’s clear that he’s already so passionate about the game—from basketball to his music career. Even though he’s only in elementary school, he can hold his own in an interview—and on a track. He’s already dropped a handful of singles, including  “2K21 (Mamba Time),” a tribute to the late Lakers legend that has garnered over 73,261 streams on Spotify. In the music video, which has 13,000 views on his YouTube channel, James, who idolizes Bryant, rocks a purple Lakers Hardwood Classics satin raglan full-snap jacket while he’s rapping in the booth about Bryant’s dominance. 

“I have a lot of Nike jerseys, but I really like rocking the old ones,” he says. “I look up to my idols like Kobe, LeBron and Jordan, and other people…I like baggy jerseys, so that’s what Mitchell & Ness really brings for me.” 

James wears a jersey pretty much every day and says it’s become a part of everyday life. He’s rocked a few of them at NBA games and events, too, including 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he appeared on an NBA TV broadcast wearing a purple and gold Mitchell & Ness Magic Johnson Lakers jersey. He also wore a black Mitchell & Ness Lakers jacket in the many selfies he took with stars, including LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jayson Tatum and Diana Taurasi. 

James, who mostly listens to Lil Bow Wow, Drake, Lil Baby, Fetty Wap and Soulja Boy, started rapping when he was around 7 or 8 years old. While he often references basketball, he says he also wants to tell his own story through music. “I just write my raps off of how I’m feeling. I only write about my life, I don’t write about stuff that I haven’t done or am going to do. I just write about what’s in the present and about me.” 

On songs like “Thank You,” James opens up about being born prematurely at 25 weeks and 1.5 pounds, as well as about the loss of his twin sister, Nalah Jade. He gives her a shoutout on “Sometimes,” featuring Omar Wilson—“Rest in peace Nalah Jade, I’m always praying for sis”—and keeps it real about having to balance all the traveling he does with school and chores. 

James says that he’s been “working on stuff in the studio” and has about three or four songs that haven’t been released yet. All that hard work is starting to pay off, too, and a few people at his school, New Manchester Elementary, have even started coming up to him to compliment his music. “I was actually shocked that they knew who I was. Two people in school came up to me and asked for an autograph.” 

As he continues to build out his career, we bet Lil Noah James will continue building out his Mitchell & Ness collection. The question isn’t will he rock a throwback in a future video, but which one? 

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Portrait via Jamesy Codrington / Maziv Photography

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There’s no myth or magic to Evan Mobley’s game. He does what he does. After sweeping nearly every postseason conference award during his lone-season at USC, including Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft says he came into the League with the goal of finding his rhythm and making an immediate impact. “I just wanted to come in and get acclimated as quick as possible,” he says over Zoom. “I feel like I’ve been getting better and better every game and feel like I still have a little bit to go. But I feel like it’s been good so far.”

A few games into the regular season, Mobley soon realized that he could hold his own in the Association, playing against the very same stars he watched growing up. “You start seeing that they’re players just like you, and you don’t have to look at them as anything more than [what] you are because you’re in the same position,” Mobley says. “I try to go out there and trust in what I’ve been doing my whole life.”

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Now, those same players around the League have started taking notice of Mobley, including the King himself. “He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this League,” LeBron James said back in October after the Cavs played the Lakers. Mobley finished with 23 points that night. 

Added Anthony Davis: “His game is going to progress. He’s going to keep getting better and better. You see the potential to be a three-level scorer, watching film on him a little before the game.”

Against the Wizards, Mobley dropped 21 points and impressed Kyle Kuzma so much with his up-and-under finish at the rim that Kuz dapped him up right after the play. “You damn right I’m going to dap him up. I just saw the closest thing to George Gervin in the flesh!!!” Kuzma tweeted.

So yeah, Mobley really is that guy. And the Cleveland Cavaliers really are that team again—by the time we went to press, they’re sitting at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. They’re young, hungry, and equipped with a standout rookie who can hold it down on both ends of the floor—from finishing at the rim like a guard to snagging his own offensive rebounds to dishing out some assists, and against the Bulls, a notching a career-high 5 blocks, which was a first for any rookie this season and the first time a Cavaliers rookie has had 5 blocks since LeBron James in ’04. 

“I felt like coming in, my defense was going to be a strong attribute that I have just because of my length and agility. That’s what I normally just rely on, and depending on who I’m guarding, I’ve just tried to play him differently—if it’s, like, a guard, [I] give him a little bit more space, so I can react in time. And then if it’s a big, press up a little bit more [and] just use my length at the end of the shot and contest all shots. And if not contest, block it. Coming in, that was what my mindset was: to have a strong defensive presence.”

As of this writing, Mobley is ranked No. 6 in the League in blocks and No. 27 in defensive rebounds. He’s also leading all rookies in rebounds (8.1) and blocks (1.7) per game and sitting at No. 3 in field goal percentage (50.5). 

“It’s great, but I feel like I’m not satisfied,” he says when asked what it’s like to see his name at the top of the statistical leaderboards. “I still feel like I need to get better in certain areas, so I’m gonna still keep working, get better at those things and hopefully keep making a big impact on my team and keep winning.”

When asked to elaborate on what he wants to work on, he says: “[Be] a little bit more attack-minded offensively, and then defensively, just maintaining what I’ve been doing and gradually getting better throughout the years and learning new things, because, I mean, you can always get better at something.”

He credits his teammates for helping with his transition from college to the NBA, specifically vets like Kevin Love, as well as the young core guys like Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland—both of whom were also on the same Zoom call when we caught up with Mobley back in early December. 

When asked what advice they’ve given their new rook, Garland and Allen both harped on the fact that it’s a long, 82-game season. “Keep working,” Allen says. “This is a long season, there’s gonna be ups and downs. But, [when] Evan came in, he blew away all of our expectations. Like, man, does he really need our advice? You know, he’s already coming out here and killing it.”

“I was the same way, just telling him that it was going to be a long season and just enjoy it,” Garland adds. “I mean, it really goes by fast. I only have three years in it, but [they] went by super quick. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it.”

With his name among the top candidates in the Rookie of the Year conversation and with a pivotal starting role on the team, Mobley says he doesn’t feel any added pressure this season. He’s just out there hoopin’ with his teammates and posterizing his opponents along the way. 

“I just go out there, have fun with my guys and play the game. I feel like they’ve helped me not feel pressure because they believe in me. Same with the coaching staff, they all believe in me and put trust in me to do the right things. And they believe that I’m a good player. So there’s no pressure when I go out there. I just go out there and play.” 

Portrait by Jimmy Longo/Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Rookie Sensation Evan Mobley is Putting His Own Stamp on the Association appeared first on SLAM.

“This was just the beginning of me just having to prove myself. Prove my intelligence.”

Chicago Sky head coach James Wade has said these words before—he powerfully delivered them after the Sky won its first-ever WNBA championship title. When he’s asked about it over the phone two months later, the first thing the Memphis-native does is tell the story of what happened to him when he was 11 years old. 

In sixth grade, Wade was an honor roll student. That is, until his school bussed him out to a predominantly white school the following year. Suddenly, his grades dropped. He got a D in reading and a C in math. It didn’t make sense. At home, his father had him reading the Book of Genesis, Deuteronomy and Leviticus. In his head, he could calculate “quicker than anyone.” And yet, the perception at school was that he couldn’t read at all.

“I [felt] like I wasn’t invested in,” he says. 

Wade still has the report cards. He remembers that time vividly—it’s one of the reasons why he wanted to go into teaching initially. “This is an education in a different domain, but it’s another reason why I want all our players to feel appreciated. Maybe sometimes I don’t do the best job, but I try my best to make sure everybody feels appreciated and feels seen and heard. Because I know I wasn’t when I was growing up.”

What Wade did have was the game. “Basketball kind of gave me an outlet, where it was mine. I took joy from it. It’s the only thing that I had, really.”

Wade played college ball at Middle Tennessee State, Chattanooga State CC and Kennesaw State University before pursuing a 12-year pro career overseas, including stops in the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain and France.  

The game, Wade says, had given him so much, and after finishing out his pro career, he “couldn’t imagine” his life without it. While he thought that he’d coach at the junior high or high school level, it was then-San Antonio Stars coach Dan Hughes who invited him to lunch and offered him an internship in 2012. All Wade needed was an opportunity, and a year later, he became a full-time assistant coach with the Stars and then spent the 2013 offseason in Russia as an advance scout with the FIBA Euroleague championship-winning UMMC Ekaterinburg.

After a three-year stint as an assistant coach of the Basket Lattes Montpellier Agglomération (BLMA) in France, Wade returned back to the W and served as a player development coach with the Minnesota Lynx during the 2017 season, working directly with players like Sylvia Fowles, whom he says was “undervalued by the League” at the time. That February, he called her and proposed a challenge to her.

“I was like, Hey, Syl, this is what’s going to happen. We’re gonna win MVP. She was like, Let’s do it. I was like, We’re gonna win Finals MVP, we’re gonna win everything.” 

And she did. “[That was] one of the first times that I said, This is what I want. And this is what’s going to happen,” he says over the phone. 

From the minute he arrived in Chicago as head coach in 2018, Wade knew the Sky would see this moment. He’d let them know it, too. “I told Courtney [Vandersloot] and Allie [Quigley], We’re going to win a championship here. Sloot said, How? and I said, Don’t worry, just buy in. Everything will be fine.” 

And, as only the third Black coach in the W to win a chip, he wants to be a light for other Black kids and coaches. 

“I know that my rise to this place is unique. It’s not common. Every time I go to work, every time I get up, I know I’m not doing it for me.”

This story also appears in SLAM 236, featuring Chicago Sky’s Kahleah Copper. Shop now.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post James Wade Opens Up About His Childhood, Working With Sylvia Fowles and Always Believing the Chicago Sky Would Make History appeared first on SLAM.

“Philly Kah is the ultimate competitor, just a dog,” Copper says over the phone. “Like, just a real representation of flat-out toughness. I think it’s important for me to be like that, and for me to be able to even flip the switch once I’m off the court. But, when I’m on the court, like, I’m just so locked in, in this zone. That’s just who I am.”

It’s December, and Copper is calling from Spain, where she’s been suiting up for the Perfumerias Avenida in the EuroLeague this WNBA offseason. Fresh off her “world tour” of winning a chip and putting everyone on notice, she took three weeks off from basketball, went to Philly for her first SLAM cover shoot, and then quickly jetted off to Europe, where she admits that even her teammates noticed that she “talked different.” 

“[They were] like, Wow, you’re so much nicer than we thought. We didn’t think you were mean, but like, we didn’t think you was this nice. And I’m like, Yo, that’s really not me. On the court, that’s really Philly Kah.” 

SLAM 236 featuring Kahleah Copper is OUT NOW!

Chicago Sky head coach James Wade explained it perfectly: “It’s like when she gets on the court, she has something like, You ain’t taking my candy. Like, this is my game, and you can’t have it. And if you try to take it, I’mma show you…It’s just a toughness. It’s that North Philly.”

North Philly is the place that birthed her intensity, nurturing it in the parks on 33rd and Diamond, where she’d play against the guys, and then on 32nd and Berks Street against her own cousins on a “makeshift” rim they’d built near both of her grandmothers’ houses. 

“Now this is some Philly shit,” Copper says, as she explains over the phone how the rim was created. At first, they had a crate, but then “someone” stole a blue-trimmed Lifetime shatter guard backboard from the park and nailed it to a street pole. That’s where it all started. 

“I think that really heightened my competitiveness, because I always wanted to beat them. It was never like, You a girl and  you can’t play. It was just like, You need to be tougher. We all out here playing, it don’t matter that you’re a girl. Be tougher.”

That toughness never left her, and this past season, the world watched Philly Kah take her full form. During the regular season, Copper averaged 14.4 ppg. During the playoffs, those numbers jumped to a playoff career-high 17.7. She played with an energy that couldn’t be contained, or defended, from anywhere on the floor. Not in the first round against the Dallas Wings, where she shot 71 percent from the field, knocked down pull-up jumpers with a fury and effortlessly caught no-look dimes from Courtney Vandersloot in transition. Or, in the semifinals, when she dropped a playoff-career high 26 points against the Connecticut Sun in a Game 3 win to help give the Sky a 2-1 series lead.

“I think my competitiveness just reached an all-time high. I think I was the ultimate competitor…Even re-watching the games and seeing how locked in I was and seeing my intensity on defense. Getting hyped, just every little detail. I think that my competitiveness hit another gear.”  

That fire poured out of her in the Finals against the Phoenix Mercury. In the second quarter of Game 2, after Sophie Cunningham caught an outlet pass from Diana Taurasi and missed the layup, Kah was right there, diving onto the floor and muscling her way to try to snag the loose ball. As the refs blew the whistle, she jumped up, got right in Cunningham’s face and gave her the look. 

The photo that was captured became so iconic that Copper even put it on a t-shirt. “Yo, I love that picture. That’s Philly Kah right there,” Copper says. “They expect us to be all good and happy and shit, like, that’s not how it goes. We are the best at what we do. We are super competitive.” 

Oh, and just to be clear, Copper doesn’t have any beef with Cunningham. “People keep asking me if I have beef with that girl. I won a chip, that’s over with,” she says.

That’s just what happens when you challenge the kid from North Philly. She’s been dominating since her high school days at Prep Charter, where she emerged as one of the top ranked prospects in the country and was named a McDonald’s All-American. The legacy continued at Rutgers where she learned from the legendary C.Vivian Stringer and established herself as one of Rutgers’ most dominant scorers ever, finishing her four-year career as the program’s third all-time leader in points. 

By the time the 2016 WNBA Draft came around, Copper, who was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Washington Mystics, knew she wanted to carry the Rutgers legacy for Coach Stringer, for the program and for her own family. Her mother, grandmother and great grandmother have all had breast cancer. Sharing that moment on draft night with her grandma, specifically, was special. 

“I was in college, and she had [it] and didn’t tell me,” Copper says. “When I finally found out, she was like, I didn’t want to distract you. You’re trying to accomplish goals and I know that you’re going to do it…I think she held on to every pain that she had, or whatever the case may be, just for her to be able to share that moment with me. I’m just so grateful that she was able to see the seeds that she planted really blossom. And to see me reach one of my ultimate goals.” 

Copper came into the League with the sole focus of wanting to make an impact and be whatever the team needed her to be that year. And she did. As a rookie, she came off the bench and averaged 6.2 points in 16.2 minutes, a modest start to her pro career. But when she went to play overseas, she started seeing a “whole bunch of shit on Instagram” that a trade could possibly happen. Next thing she knew, she got a call from Mystics head coach Mike Thibault with the news: She had been traded to Chicago.  

“I was mad,” she admits. “I was close to home [in Washington]. My family was coming to the games, my grandma was coming to the games. Once I got to Chicago, it was a little more difficult for them to come.”

Her first season with the Sky was, in her own words, “a lot.” Copper didn’t get as much playing time as she had the season prior in DC, only 14.3 minutes per game, averaging just shy of 7 points a game. That would be the case for the next few years. But she knew that this was the WNBA, and the process wasn’t ever going to be easy. “That’s how you build your character. That’s how you build that toughness. Most people can’t handle a little bit of adversity, so for me to have it so early in my career, well, that was good.”

She decided that she needed to refocus. She had a conversation with Wade about her growth and what she needed to do to take it to another level. “He was just like, We’re going up from here. We’re never looking back. You’re going to be that player for us….There’s nothing like having somebody truly believing in you because that changes everything. Especially your head coach. When [your coach] and your teammates genuinely believe in you, and want you to win, a different person comes out.” 

She played with a vengeance during the 2020 WNBA wubble season, listening to Dreams and Nightmares before every game. As a full-time starter, Copper posted career-highs in nearly every category, including points (14.9), assists (2.1) and rebounds (5.5) per game. Not only did Wade believe in her, but she believed in herself. She was putting the work in and now seeing the reward. 

“I think that I’ve always believed in myself, and I think I was able [to] because of how I prepared. Prepared in a sense of putting the work in…Even rewinding to the bubble season, there’s people who are always like, I want to play more. I deserve to play more. But when you get more time, what do you really do with it? I was always like, When the preparation meets the opportunity, I’m gonna be ready and I’m never gonna go back.”

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She spent the offseason as an assistant coach for the Purdue Northwest women’s basketball team and then returned for the 2021 season with two clear goals: become an All-Star and win a championship. To get there, Wade challenged her to become an even better defender. And then there was the arrival of Candace Parker, who pushed her every day to be the player the team needed her to be. 

But the road to a championship wasn’t an easy one. The Sky battled through a seven-game losing streak early on in May, only to come back and embark on a seven-game winning streak by June. Still, many doubted that the Sky could make it all happen. Copper admits that at one point during the “bumpy season,” she could have “went one or another way,” and while she won’t go into too much detail about it, she does reveal that she and Parker had to have a conversation. 

“When she hears this, however it’s translated or whatever, she’ll know exactly the conversation that we had,” Copper says. “[It was] just about me having growth and me being mature. I think that without that conversation, the season would not have gone the way it went. We’re so much the same—stubborn. So stubborn. She’s worse than me, but she knows when to be super stubborn and when [to be] like, OK, alright. And that’s the point that I needed to learn, like, OK, you pick and choose these battles.” 

In the end, those moments are what has shaped her into the champion she is today. This offseason, Copper found herself sitting in her room in Spain, thinking about the “long ass year” that she’s had and how she’s stayed the course and trusted the process. Not only did the Chicago Sky make history by winning the first title in franchise history, but Copper has cemented her own legacy.  

“I’ve got legit superstars on my team, like, Finals MVP could have easily gone to anybody. Allie [Quigley] hit big shots in that game, we wouldn’t have won that game without her. Candace’s leadership, period, outside of her game and what she does for us on the basketball court. Then you got [Courtney Vandersloot], who sets everybody up. I feel like we have so many great players that, for it to be me, is—I feel like it’s a testament to what I’ve been through and just a reward for, just everything.” 

Even on the highest mountain top, Copper is ready to ascend to another level. To become the type of player who can help orchestrate an offense, not just dominate within it. When Spain played against Russia this past December, Copper talked to Vandersloot about how she can be unguardable. 

“I think the next level for me is being a better passer. I was telling Sloot, You think I’m unguardable? You know how hard it is to plan to play against you?…If I’m out here driving and dropping dimes, now the weak side don’t want to help ’cause now I’m that good of a passer, so now there’s no weak side and I’m shooting the three. That’s unguardable. I think that people don’t understand [that] there’s so much more to being unguardable than just to create for yourself. When you’re able to create for other people, that’s it. 

“And when I tap into that, it’s over.” 

Photos via Getty Images and Johnny Lewis.

The post Kahleah Copper on Her North Philly-roots, Emerging as Finals MVP and Becoming ‘Unguardable’ appeared first on SLAM.

The four-star forward is sitting beside a few of his newfound teammates—Jahki Howard, Chuck Bailey and Braeden Moore—explaining how exactly they all ended up at Donda Academy, the prep school created and backed by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West. It’s December and the Donda Doves have just wrapped up practice at the team’s training facility. 

Most of the players say they found out about the school after someone from Ye’s camp reached out to them and their families. “We had to make sure it was the right position for us [with] so many of the top players playing with each other,” says Hooks, lounging in a pair of YEEZY slides.

Inside the meeting room on the second floor, the rest of the team still has on the YEEZY 500s they were practicing in. Howard claims that he and Robert Dillingham were the first on the team to start wearing them in games, rocking them in the season opener against Minnesota Prep at the Target Center back in November. Ye was sitting courtside that day. Soon, the whole team caught on. 

“[They’re] mad comfortable,” he says. “Only shoe I could really hoop in.” 

Down the hall, Dillingham and Bryce Baker are getting a quick haircut, while the rest of the team is still downstairs, lingering around the court. There’s a pair of newly released adidas “Amber Tint” QNTMs sitting unclaimed on one of the black chairs courtside, which features a clean black and white aesthetic.

Ye’s impact is everywhere around the gym, from the team’s sleek Balenciaga-produced jerseys to the adidas sneakers to the fact that all of these elite prospects—Dillingham, Zion Cruz, JJ Taylor, Brandon White, Omarion Bodrick, Seven Bahati, Bryce Baker, Hooks, Bailey, Moore and Howard—are here because they’ve trusted his vision enough to leave their respective high school programs to play for Donda Academy instead.

Get your copy of SLAM 236 featuring Ye and Donda Academy.

And yet, there’s a lot of mystery behind what exactly Donda Academy is or why the kids have all chosen to come here. People have questioned whether it’s even a real school or if the kids take actual classes. And that’s not even the craziest thing the players have heard.

“A lot of my teammates, when they left [their hometowns], they had some bad reactions,” explains Moore. “People called them clout chasers and said the [school] offered them money.” 

So allow us to fill in some of the actual facts. The very existence of Ye’s Donda Academy is an honor to its namesake. After all, it was Donda West, a professor for 31 years and chair of Chicago State University’s Department of English, Communications, Media and Theater, who wrote in her memoir, Raising Kanye, that her hope was for more kids to get exposure to travel, different cultures and customs.

“I always think, I got Donda looking down on me. I gotta make this right,” says Shayla Scott, the school’s Vice President and Director of Athletics. A former four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh who served as an assistant coach at La Salle University and most recently athletic director at The Ellis School before coming to Donda, Scott elaborates on what makes the school special. “That’s one thing that we’re constantly thinking about—how can we do things in a way that is beneficial to who we are and what we have going on. And that might not mean that it’s traditional.” 

The school’s official mission statement speaks of using ethics, integrity and care to “prepare students to become the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators by providing them with a world-class education.”

The program has a lower school that has in-person classes and serves students from age 3 through eighth grade, and the educational program is powered by K12 Private Academy, an NCAA-approved online curriculum. The players, who all live together in luxury apartments with chaperones, start their daily workouts, which occasionally involve weight training, as early as 8 a.m. Classes start at either 9 or 10 a.m. (depending on the day) and are hour-long blocks with breaks in between, and the online curriculum gives them the option to take them wherever they may be. Scott says that sometimes the players take them in their apartment complex, and when they’re on the road for games, academic support staff accompany them. 

As for meals, at one point the team had Ye’s personal chef cooking for them. 

Practice is from 1-3 p.m. with additional workouts afterward, but the players say that the gym—which is a short walk from the apartment complex where they stay—is available pretty much whenever they want it. At any given moment Ye might pull up to a practice, and, as many have seen, he’s there at the games, too. This past December, Ye was spotted dapping up a few of the Doves at their “Homecoming” event at Whittier College. 

Scott admits that when she was first brought on to serve as AD, even she wondered what exactly Ye’s involvement would look like. But through her conversations with him, and what she’s seen firsthand, it’s become clear that Ye is invested in every aspect of the program, as well as the players themselves. On one of the first calls that she was on with him and the school leaders of the K12 curriculum, Scott says that Ye was “passionate and loyal” as he expressed his vision for Donda Academy. 

“When I have opportunities to talk with [Ye] about his vision for the school, it’s by no stretch of the imagination something that’s out of reach. He wants to do all the things, and big things,” she says. “I get really excited whenever we have a chance to just sit down and talk about what we’re doing and how it’s so minor in some respects to what he wants to do.” 

When it came to designing the team’s uniforms, Ye brought in his Innovation of Apparel team to get the players’ direct feedback on what style and cut they’d prefer to wear. (They said “not too baggy” and requested a slim fit.) In early October, the team held a media day-style photo shoot and Scott says Ye was there, too, adding his creative perspective and specific ideas into the portrait sessions. 

As the Donda album played in the background, Ye directed the entire shoot, dictating different looks and poses, and he brought out what Scott called a “bag of goodies” with accessories for the players to wear. Inside were wristbands and the same all-black sunglasses that some of the players chose to rock at their SLAM cover shoot, too. 

Aside from photo shoots and courtside appearances, Ye will often check in to see how the Doves are doing both athletically and academically. A few of them got to meet him on their initial visit, while Scott reveals that Ye has even made it a point to call some of them on the phone just to talk one-on-one. “I remember watching JJ [Taylor] talk on the phone with him for the first time,” she says. “That was really cool that he took that time, and obviously they share a bond of [being] from Chicago together.” 

For many of the players, this is their first time being immersed in an environment of this magnitude. They’re spending significant time away from home, living in Los Angeles and playing in front of sold out crowds littered with other high-profile celebrities. They still make time to be, well, teenagers, when they’re not training or going to school; they all mainly hang out together, going to the movies or taking trips to Six Flags and the Santa Monica beach. 

“In actuality, anybody can do school this way,” says Scott. “But, to know that we’re doing it because of the support we have from Ye and all the parents and players, I think is really, honestly, going to build for future years.”

The Donda Doves will be the first to admit that it took a minute for them to learn to play together—most of them were the best players at their previous schools—and in the beginning, a few players told us they were too focused on being ballhandlers and scorers. 

There were some healthy arguments, too, and as a result, the coaches had them in the gym one night, running and working out. 

“Ever since, our bond and chemistry has been like this,” Howard says, crossing two of his fingers. 

“That’s how you build bonds with people, especially when you got elite athletes around and a lot of alphas,” Bailey adds. “Everybody is going to go at each other.”

Having lived through all the noise surrounding the start of their season, and with tons of eyes on each game, the Donda Academy Doves are learning what it’s like to live and play in a special kind of spotlight, all while making history along the way. And each of them is ready for the challenge.

Robert Dillingham had already made a name for himself in North Carolina long before he came to Donda Academy. As one of the top point guards in the Class of 2023, he averaged 21.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game last season at Combine Academy. Still, he felt like he needed a change.

“I really just wanted to get out of North Carolina. It was just, like, a lot of stuff going on with my parents, my dad and my coaches from the school for transferring out here. To keep myself sane, I just blocked all of them out and kept playing basketball. I wasn’t really listening to it. It didn’t really matter to me.” 

Instead, he says he’s been learning from his new teammates and adding a thing or two to his already well-equipped bag. 

“JJ [Taylor] teaches me how to get to the rim and not stop…Jahki [Howard], he just dunks on people, so I guess he’s teaching me how to dunk a little bit. Zion Cruz, he’s teaching me the aspects of dribbling, going faster, slow, changing different speeds.”

It was Rob Dillingham, the self-proclaimed “GM” of the team, who originally texted Zion Cruz about Donda Academy. “He broke everything down,” Cruz says. “It was a no-brainer for me.”

At the Patrick School, Cruz averaged 16.7 points and 2.1 assists. Still, he felt like making the move thousands of miles away from his hometown of Jersey City would allow him to completely dial in on his game. 

“In Jersey, I feel like you see a lot of people outside every day, but here you don’t see a lot of people,” he says. “[There’s] not too much distraction. I don’t got a lot of [other] friends around.” 

At Donda Academy, the No. 2-ranked shooting guard in the country, according to 247 Sports, found the kind of environment he was looking for. “I just wanted to be in the gym 24/7 and I knew I could do that here,” he says. “Anytime I want to get in the gym, I can get in.” 

But he’s also been learning to navigate the mental side of the game, especially now that he’s playing with other high level players. Cruz admits he’s been working on not being in his head so much. “When you go to college, you’re playing with a lot of good players, so it’s good to know that I can do it on any level.”

Cruz recently announced the colleges he’s deciding among: Memphis, Western Kentucky, Xavier, Georgia and DePaul.

JJ Taylor says he never thought he’d leave his hometown of Chicago. The five-star guard was doing his thing at Kenwood Academy and had solidified himself as one of the best small forwards in his class. Ranked No. 5 in the country by ESPN and 247Sports, he’s the first player from Illinois to be ranked in the top 10 since the class of 2014’s Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

And yet, Taylor felt like the chance to play for Donda could give him something new. “A lot of stuff here, they don’t have in Chicago. The training is different. This is all basketball, basketball, basketball, basketball. I’m just falling in love with it.” 

Taylor says he’s had to adjust real quick: “I was pretty much the last one. I had to almost fit in, get adjusted faster, and learn everything faster than everybody else.”

Equipped with an all-around game and absurd athleticism, he’s already starting to see the move pay off. “For me, I like getting other players involved because we all can score. That’s my whole thing, playing unselfish,” he says. “I feel like I’m even [getting] better at making others better.”

Five-star shooting forward Jahki Howard kept it real when explaining why he chose to transfer from Norcross High School. “To be honest, I really just came out here to get better. I’m already a top-five player in my class, [so] for me, I wanted to come out here and get better at my level.” 

Still, he admits that when he first came out to the school, he wasn’t too sure what everyone would be like. “I’m really anti-social with people [and] I think I thought a lot of us would be the same way,” he says. “But no, [everyone] is chill.”

He’s become especially close with Bailey and Hooks, whom he calls his twin, and during their SLAM interview, the three of them excitedly talk about seeing the new Spider-Man movie together. With so many eyeballs on the team, Howard knows that a little hate is what comes with playing at this level.

“If I go to college or the NBA, it’s going to come with it,” he says. “I like it. It’s gotten to the point where it’s entertaining. It motivates me to just do better.”

Jalen Hooks, who averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season at Crispus Attucks, might have had the wildest initial visit to Donda Academy. 

Hooks’ first time in Cali went a little something like this: he hopped on a 6 am flight, saw the Hollywood sign, and went out to eat right after he landed. Next thing he knew, Ben Simmons was walking right up to him and sat at his table. “He was like, What’s good, Hooks?” 

Then Hooks hopped on the phone with Kevin Durant. “He was like, What’s up, killah? Just keep working,” he recalls. “I met KD and Ben Simmons in my first 10 minutes.” 

And while he and Dillingham were working out at another of DSTRKT’s gyms nearby, Hooks says he met Ye. “He was like, Thank you for trusting the process, and then he started praying with us.” 

So, yeah, between the training sessions and the meet and greets, Hooks’ visit out west was a movie. He was sold. “I was just like, if I can get this every day for the next two years, that’d be nice.”

After fracturing his nose and injuring his ankle last April, Hooks says the main priority since he’s arrived in Simi Valley has been getting healthy. “I’m still a four-star. I’m [looking] to get back to where I was.”

Brandon White, or B-White as some of his teammates call him, is already regarded as one of the best shot blockers in his class, but at 6-10, the big man from North Carolina says he came out to Donda Academy with one mission in mind.

“I want to do everything, play every position,” the four-star center says. “Dribbling, shooting, just doing stuff that I’ve never done before.” 

White’s versatile game has already caught the attention of a handful of DI schools across the country: Wichita State, Illinois, Purdue and LSU. As he continues to build out his game, he’s sure to be a scary sight at the next level.

Chuck Bailey says that when he first heard about Donda Academy, he didn’t fully believe it.

“My dad told me. I thought he was joking at first when he was like, There’s a school called Donda. They want you to [go] there,” he says. “Then I saw it on the news with Rob [Dillingham] and I’m like, Oh, shoot. It’s a real school.”

While he says he wasn’t a huge fan of all the cameras and media attention at first, he knows that this is what comes with it, and it’ll be there at the next level, too. Whether it’s supplying the room with energy during his SLAM shoot or holding his own against his teammates in practice, it’s clear that Bailey is ready for the bright lights.

“The thing that surprised me is how good I fit in and play at this level, [though] I knew I could. I’m really seeing it every day in practice. I actually see I can play at this level, and I can play really well.”

And, after spending the entire summer and the start of the season dealing with an injury, the 6-3 guard is back and looking to evolve his game even further. “I really just came here to balance out my game [and] learn how to be a true point guard, because that’s what I’m gonna be in college.”

Omarion Bodrick is another player from down south who decided to link up with his former Combine Academy teammates and shock the world by heading to Donda. From the looks of it, it seems like the senior forward has been finding his rhythm out in Cali. 

The day after his SLAM shoot, Bodrick’s athleticism was on full display at the team’s homecoming game against Veritas. During the third quarter, he had the entire standing-room only crowd at Whittier College, including King Combs and OT Genasis, on their feet when he caught a transition pass from JJ Taylor and levitated to the rim for a two-handed dunk. That wasn’t all he did; throughout the game, O was everywhere on the floor, diving for loose balls and dishing out dimes to Taylor on the wing for three-pointers. 

Bodrick will take his talents to Youngstown State University next year.

Braeden Moore was one of the last players to join the team. A standout at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville and a TSSAA Mr. Basketball finalist, he’d always joked that he plays better on the West Coast—he was born in California and has relatives there, including his grandparents, who live only 20-30 minutes away from Donda Academy’s gym. Since he’s arrived at Donda, Moore’s impressed his new teammates from the get-go.

“He’s cold. I didn’t even know he was that good,” Chuck Bailey admits.

After decommitting from Rutgers, a decision he felt he’d “rushed into,” Moore says he’s looking for a program that will not only use his height and sharpshooting talent to “the fullest ability,” but will also offer him an all-around experience. He’s interested in business and entrepreneurship, and now that he’s at Donda, he’s already put himself in a position to be one step ahead. 

“I know how important education is and I have goals that surpass basketball,” Moore says. “That’s another reason [why] I came here, like with Justin [Laboy] and Ye, creating these relationships not only sets me up for success in basketball, it sets me up for life.”

We already knew Seven Bahati was on his own wave when he pulled up to his SLAM interview rocking a pair of all-black square-rimmed shades—and kept them on the entire time. “I was already making a name for myself, so I was just going to stay in my situation,” Bahati admits when asked how he ended up at Donda. “But my parents saw a great opportunity.” 

Although the California native didn’t have to travel very far, now that he’s here, he’s already started to evolve his all-around game. The 6-5 guard has DI offers from programs like UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount. 

“I’m more of an efficient scorer, so I shoot and then I’ll drive,” he says. “I don’t really use shifts or anything like that. I just get to my spots and elevate. But being here with Rob and Z, and seeing how they dribble, it’s more like putting it on [top of] my skills and getting to my bag.”

This isn’t Bryce Baker’s first time playing on a highly competitive squad—he suited up alongside Dillingham and Bodrick at Combine Academy before coming to Donda Academy.  And yet he says this is definitely a first for someone that’s from where he’s from. “I come 
from a small town in North Carolina,” he says. “Really, nobody has done nothing like this.” 

Baker gives a major shoutout to his mom for letting him take advantage of the opportunity, knowing that he’d have to move across the country. “She trusted me and my judgement. And I felt like this was the best path for me to take to get myself to a different level.”

Now that he’s out in Cali, the 6-4 guard who can effortlessly knock down jumpers from behind the arc and block shots on the other end of the floor, says he wants to “grow himself as a person,” on and off the court—especially as he gets ready to head to Old Dominion next year.

“I’m about to go to college, so I feel like this is the necessary step for me to take. Having my friends here and making new friends, this is basically my family now.”

Creative Directed by Ye; Cover and Portrait of Shayla Scott: ONDA; Solo Portraits: KAITO.

The post Decidedly Different: Ye and Donda Academy Cover SLAM 236 appeared first on SLAM.

‘Top Class’ is back for a second season and continues to draw back the curtain, revealing how the team grappled with the pandemic, fame, and the pressure of trying to win their third-straight Southern California regional title.

Telling honest, real and impactful stories that reveal the human experience has always been important to Tavares. “At the end of the day, it’s all about human emotion and feeling. I think that we all as humans, whether you’re Black, white, Mexican, Asian, I think we all can feel a way when we watch something [and] experience something. The biggest thing that I go into any shot, score, color selection [and] storyline is how do we create an experience where people can feel something, whether that’s good or bad, or motivational, or sad. You may not remember certain scenes and what you watched, but you know what you felt at the end of watching it. Who knows how that could impact your life moving forward—that  might inspire you to go create something, [or] go visit your grandma who you haven’t talked to in some years, or just send a text message to somebody who you haven’t seen in a while, saying I love you.

“Those human pillars and those emotions that we face on a day to day basis is something that I put in my filmmaking, [and it] becomes relatable. That’s my goal with any film that I touch.” 

Tavares first made waves with a short film he created that was inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s song “Lust.” He was attending the University of Oregon at the time and had heard the song playing in his car one day and instantly was moved: he heard, repeatedly, what a Black man was taking on and having to deal with on a day to day basis. Tavares then hit up his friend Eugene and asked if he wanted to make a film. 

The powerful video instantly caught everyone’s attention, including outlets like XXL and Complex. “People actually thought it was the music video for the song,” Tavares says. 

SLAM caught up with Tavares last month to learn more about what led him into filmmaking, what it was like working with Dame, and what his vision was when capturing the most famous high school basketball team in the world. 

SLAM: We know you’ve worked on a number of different projects before ‘Top Class,’ but can you take us back to when you first started getting into filmmaking and directing?

Tevin Tavares: There was this commercial called The Ring Maker by Nike, and it was when LeBron [James] had won his first ring. Ironically enough, I broke my arm my senior year of high school and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I was kind of going through a moment where my grades were kind of so-so [and] I really know what I wanted to do moving forward.

Then, I remember I saw this commercial [of] LeBron going through trials and tribulations as he got his first ring… [When] I saw, “Just Do It” in the end, it made me cry. It inspired me and it made me feel a certain type of way. That’s when I was like, ‘Yo, you know what. I’m about to go to University of Oregon [and[ I’m gonna try to do work for Nike and make commercials. Eventually that led to doing filmmaking. 

And Ryan Coogler. We’re from the same hometown and seeing what he did, going to watch Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, it’s kind of like you’re watching in the shadows of this big figure. I’m going to theaters that are packed with people like, ‘Oh, man, I gotta go support Ryan Coogler because he’s from Oakland, too.’ You hear those rumblings [and] you see newspaper clippings, like ‘Bay Area Filmmaker is Putting On’—when I saw that, it just added fuel to the fire, like, I could do that, too. Fortunately enough that is what’s happening. When I see people talk about ‘Top Class’ in the Bay Area and they’re like they’re watching it, it’s kind of reminiscent of when I was growing up, and I was seeing Coogler doing what he’s doing now. 

SLAM: After the “Lust” short film dropped, how did you start working with Dame and other artists? 

TT: My best friend, Marcus, had just hit me up and was like, ‘Yo, Tev, Dame is doing a music video in Oakland and he’s looking for directors. You should do it.’ And I was like, ‘Man, he ain’t going to pick me.’ So, I just DMed his cousin, Brookfield Duece the Forbes article and he was like, ‘Yo, let’s do it.’ 

I got a chance to form relationships with Dame from that video, and then from there, the next music video that I did was for Guapa Le for the film called, “Homeroom.” I got to work with the legendary director, Pete Nicks and with Proximity, Ryan Coogler’s production company.

SLAM: What was it like to see Dame in his musical element? 

TT: He’s a genuine hometown hero. I think probably one of my most proud moments in the video was when people talk so highly about him coming back. And, when we filmed that there was a moment where he legit was in the back of a scraper and it was like a parade almost in a way. It’s him and his cousin, and I literally watched kids run outside towards the scraper to try to get on camera. It was like a parade in Oakland, in his neighborhood. 

The one thing that I learned is that Dame is probably one of the most humblest, down to Earth, real people that I’ve ever met. He’s always down—I remember I was like, ‘Dame, I want to get on top of this roof for one shot’ and he was like, ‘Yo, let’s do it.’ That’s the thing that was dope about working with him is he’s always down for the art and when you work with people [like that], they’ll do anything to make good art. Damian Lillard, him being an artist himself and realizing what things look like on screen, that was what we were able to create. I see that music video as a piece of art.

SLAM: That’s fire. On that note, what was your initial vision with ‘Top Class’ and what were you looking to capture or show people going into season two? 

TT: Even dating back to season one, we wanted to capture cinematic rage. Cinematic rage is, you have these young kids in season one that are rock stars. Season two wasn’t about cinematic rage, it was about family ties and intimacy. I think that you take on certain themes every year—our first first year was like gang gang, it was Travis Scott [and] going crazy. [Going into] the second year, I remember writing in my notebook before every season, what’s the theme? What do I want to capture? I was like, Okay, well, what’s the theme? What do I want to capture? Around March I put intimacy and family ties, and “Family Ties” the she song hadn’t even come out yet. I was still spooked by that because when I read it, ‘I was like, dang, I wrote family ties?’

I think that this year, the theme of season two was more about emotion, not high flash dunks and crazy fans and all that. No, it’s about intimacy, emotion and watching these kids go from boys to men. It’s about watching a family come together through struggle [and] watching these young men deal with adversity. But how do they overcome that adversity? It’s about watching these young Black men figure out this world and I think that’s what we captured in season two.

In comparison to season one, it was more fun, but season two is less about having fun and more about the lessons that are needed to become a man.

SLAM: Were there any moments while filming that surprised you most? 

TT: I would say that the moment that I love the most is when Coach Andre says, ‘We live in a one strike world.’ In episode two he talks about why [he doesn’t] let Amari get away with so much because he tells them that as a team, as young Black men, you live in a one strike world. 

I remember when I was sitting there doing the interview with him, I asked him what [that] meant and he started crying. He literally said that could [mean] walking on the wrong side of the block, getting pulled over by the police, just any little mishap, one strike. This polarizing figure, I watched him as he cried talking about that [and] it showed how much love he has for these kids. When you watch that, I think that’s going to be a moment that really makes people sit down and be like, Wow, these young Black men really do live in a one strike world. That was probably the most rewarding experience, being able to interview him and witness him have that comfortability with me, as a young Black man, and talk to me about that and let his emotions out on camera. 

SLAM: With that, how did you get him and the players to be vulnerable and open up like on camera? 

TT: It’s therapy. Sometimes people don’t ask you those questions. And when you get asked those certain questions, it really makes you think. So there’s moments where I interviewed Bronny or Shy or Amari and it [was] almost like a sense of like, let me collect my thoughts and actually think about how I felt in that certain moment. Sometimes when you let it off your chest, it’s therapeutic. I could ask them a certain question and maybe it’s been on their mind for months, and they’ve been thinking about it and they finally are able to let it out, [like] a sense of relief. 

I think filmmaking is a sense of therapy for myself, an actor [or] could be somebody who’s a character in a documentary or a fictional film. You’re able to let out and express emotions that you hold back. I think that’s the beauty of the art of it. 

Photos by Cameron Look.

The post How ‘Top Class’ Director Tevin Tavares Went From Directing Damian Lillard’s Music Video to a Docu-Series on Sierra Canyon appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s a history lesson for you: Long before the NBA was established in 1946, there was a period known as the “Black Fives Era” that marked a time in which Black basketball leagues and teams were being formed all across New York and Chicago, from the Alpha Big Five to the Savoy Big Five (who would later become the Globetrotters, and then renamed the Harlem Globetrotters). Because many players of color were “barred” from competing in white-only clubs and gymnasiums, they hooped in church basements and even ballrooms instead, oftentimes with jazz music and dances taking place before and after games. Don’t sleep though, the Globetrotters were certified buckets and entertainers all in one: two years before professional basketball became desegregated, they beat the Minneapolis Lakers off a buzzer beater in 1948. A year later, in 1949, their iconic theme song “Sweet Georgia Brown” by the Brother Bones (originally released in 1925) became a top-10 hit on the radio.  

All the while, jazz has continued to become intertwined in every aspect of the game as we know it today: the Utah Jazz, who were originally founded in New Orleans in 1974, decided on the Jazz as its mascot because of the city’s deep connection to the art form. Then there’s its influence on the players themselves—the late-Wayman Tisdale, who was a standout at Oklahoma and has the USBWA’s National Freshman of the Year award named after him, even pursued a music career after playing 12 years of pro ball, and in 1995 his debut album reached No. 4 on Billboard’s jazz music charts. 

So yeah, if you didn’t know then, then you certainly should know now that jazz is for the culture. Remember that Nike commercial from 2017, where Kyrie Irving is literally performing to the tempo of the drums, played by Questlove? There it is, the two worlds colliding. 

The connection between the two art forms has inspired visionaries like Melanie Charles, a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, dancer and composer that experiments with jazz, soul and Haitian-rooted music. “The fact that it wasn’t a Black man that created basketball is so interesting. I feel like we took over the sport and made it our own,” Charles says on Zoom. “And that same thing with jazz—I’m not saying anyone invented jazz because it’s a fusion of so many things, but it is definitely the people of color who have always shifted it and evolved the sound. It’s because of our soul. It has that extra thing that we have that makes it [where] when we’re going to play the blues, it’s going to sound this way. And we play ball, I mean the Greek Freak is the Greek Freak but he’s still a brother.” 

Charles, whose mother is a Hatian immigrant and loved Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City as a flute major and went on to attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Her work is not only compelling, but honors the jazz legends that came before her, all while intertwining her own unique sound to reflect the Black experience. On her first album, The Girl With the Green Shoes, Charles reimagined Nancy Wilson’s “How Glad I Am” by adding a more soulful R&B “groove” to it, and while working on her next project, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, which came out this past November, Charles was encouraged by her record label, Verve Records, to continue putting her own twist on records from their catalog. The result is a body of work that includes songs like “Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined)” “God Bless the Child,” and especially “Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined]”—a funky, soulful bops that an older crowd can mess with, along with a beat drop that younger generation will certainly vibe out to. 

“I wanted, like, a Prince energy and I’ve never heard a version of “God Bless the Child” like that. There’s also an element of shock factor a little bit too, like, what is a different way that we can experience this song? That’s always my intention and in the history of jazz music is that a lot of the songs were pop songs of the time that people took and made jazz versions or musical theater. So, that’s always been part of the jazz experience and that’s my whole make jazz trill again thing— is like, how can we sustain that idea of there’s so much material that is so amazing, but how can we experience them differently? Like, that’s always been the vibe and that is definitely the approach with me reimagining the songs. But then there are other ones like, “Women of the Ghetto,” that’s a straight chop-up situation. Chop, chop, chop. And even “Jazz (Ain’t Nothin But Soul),” the ending of like, (singing). Maybe we can actually hear this in the club.” 

Charles says that when she first started working on the project, she initially planned on recording with her band inside the studio. But when the lockdown started, she suddenly was left having to figure out how to record an entire album remotely: she set up her own in-home studio, bought her own gear and even learned how to use the Logic music software. All the while, she found herself diving into the catalog and connecting with not only the records and classics, but the experiences that are reflected through them. 

“I realized that the universe is always connecting me to explore in depth what my jazz ancestors were doing,” Charles says. “Louis Armstrong was probably, if you think about it, one of the first musicians to have his home studio because bruh had cassettes, on cassettes, on cassettes, on cassettes of house recordings, him in a hotel talking about the band. He was about that life. So, with Y’all Don’t Really Care About Black Women, I really wanted to honor the things that all of those women have always been saying—women like Nina Simone, Billie Holiday.” 

During lockdown, Charles also discovered a newfound passion for basketball after her childhood friend Vanessa asked her if she wanted to play. Although she’d never hooped before, Charles found that when she started playing with other female jazz musicians in Brooklyn, who call themselves the Bushwick Globetrotters, she found herself not only discovering her love for the game, but has found that the game has connected her within her own community. 

“I think that ball is such a part of the fabric of our culture, whether you play or you don’t. Like, I’ll go to the park and shoot around and these young kids that, I might have been like, Oh these kids, they come up to me and they’re like, Hey, you want to shoot? It’s allowing me to connect with the real of my neighborhood and my community. I think ball for the culture, like riding around in Brooklyn, you see all the different types of tournaments, all the pickup games that are happening, it’s everywhere. It’s like a revolving unit on every block. [It’s] really important to me to connect with that because I feel like as we evolve, we lose sight of the importance of the culture. Not in a glorified way, but in the honest, everyday way.”

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One of the women Charles plays with is a curator, and she invited her to put together an Open Air show. Charles knew that she wanted to incorporate not only her music and sound into the performance, but to intertwine basketball as well. 

“I was like, Okay, it’s gonna be like a jam session. Like, Space Jam but a jam session that [connects] the tradition of improvised music with the game of ball,” Charles explains. “I invited my friend Kayla Faris, she was an incredible dancer…and the dancers were sort of reenacting a basketball experience, from drills to warming up to passing the ball around. They were dressed in uniform gear, and the band, we were sort of like in suits, sort of like the management of the basketball team. I love how the structure of a band and the structure of the team is the same [and] you’re only as strong as every member in your team. Everyone has to be killing. And, [just like how] some musicians can play many instruments, some ballers can play many positions and they can fill in the raw, [whereas] some people, they got their specialty and you know what they’re going to bring to the table. And, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it [type of] idea. In jazz, you got to shed you [and] do your long tones, your scales and if you don’t do that you’re going to sound crazy.”

“I’m constantly seeing the correlation and it kind of takes off the pressure, even in the way I make music because I’m like, it’s just like playing ball.” 

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Although the performance was unfortunately cancelled, the vision was all there. In the words of SLAM’s video producer Ciara Ingram, who has played pickup basketball with Charles, Charles is a true point guard—whether it’s on the stage or the court, she’s a facilitator and a collaborator who loves to get everyone involved. On the album, tracks like, “Pay Black Woman (Interlude)” are a reflection of just that: the song features excerpts from a short documentary she’s currently working on, titled, A Love Letter to Jazz Girls, and Charles included a conversation with a few creatives and close friends, including Rena Anakwe, KeyiaA and Salenta Baison, about how Black women are underpaid.

The song, and truly every track on Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, is not only honest and real, but undeniably important. 

“I love bringing people together and spotting where they shine and finding ways for us to shine together. That’s my love language. I’m about to get emotional,” Charles says. “That’s all I care about—how can we be dope together? I have friends who came to America from Cuba and they’re like, Melanie, you gave me my first gig. And it’s like, Bro, because you kill it. Let’s go,  let’s play music. Even when you play ball, you play music, we’re all playing. And if we vibe, we vibin’.  I guess I am a point guard in my life and on the stage. Let’s be together, let’s do some sh*t.” 

You can stream Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women here.

Photo via Getty Images and Melanie Charles MGMT.

The post The Jazz Point Guard: Melanie Charles is Intertwining Jazz With Her Love For Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

“That was kind of my first goal, to do more, like, lifestyle types of pieces,” Andrews says over Zoom. “When I got to college, the only opportunity they had at the paper was in sports. I thought, I know the game. I can cover sports. So for me, there is this dual and equal love of basketball and journalism, and they both sort of played out in their separate ways. I always loved writing classes, I always loved the conversation pieces of class that sort of existed over here, and then over here. I liked watching basketball…I didn’t think they were going to come together the way that they did in college.”

Andrews has been making waves since her days at the University of Portland, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Beacon. A few weeks into her sophomore year, she was covering a soccer game when her advisor pointed out that a player had been sent to the hospital. Andrews then went back and interviewed the school’s athletic trainer, who told her that they had suggested to the school “several times to pad the wall” that was around Merlo Field, but the university had failed to do so. After Andrews included this vital information in her piece, the school finally made the change two weeks later. 

“It’s not like a huge thing, but to see the work you do create change was something that was really awesome for me.”

It was then that Andrews’ passion for writing and reporting was born, and she went on to become editor-in-chief of The Beacon in 2016. “I like to say I majored in the weekend—I majored in the school paper, I was there all the time. Late nights, cutting up stories, reworking things on the floor. I love to write, I love to talk to people.”

She’s come a long way since. After working for the Chicago Tribune and covering the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls for ESPN, Andrews transitioned into becoming a sideline reporter. Understandably, she admits that she was nervous her first time being on camera. 

“I was in Milwaukee, on the baseline [for] six o’clock SportsCenter. Giannis had a concussion, Kawhi [Leonard] was out…That was my first time. I was wearing a jacket, like a blazer, and I looked afterwards to be like, Yo, did I just sweat through my entire [jacket]? But it was kind of cool, because today my colleague Jamal Collier did his first hit on [ESPN] NBA Today and I did think to myself, I wonder if he was feeling right now the way I was feeling then. I was fine, I wasn’t great, I wasn’t awful. But holy shit, I was so nervous.”

Still, with every opportunity, Andrews has seemingly seized the moment like a seasoned pro. She’s has continuously impressed with her live game coverage—especially during the 2020 NBA bubble in Orlando, where she became its youngest sideline reporter for a broadcast. 

“I think that writing and reporting prepares you for anything. I get asked now, Oh, what’s it like transitioning from a reporter to a host? I have the same backbone, I have the same make-up. I’m not transitioning into being an analyst or a spewer of opinions. I have wonderful colleagues, who by the way, do have those credentials that so many are looking for—where they played the game, they played the game at a high level and they’re going to break down the game. My credentials are in asking questions, in pushing people to explore themselves, to reflect, to examine something and potentially change or think about it differently. And that’s what I’m good at. That’s how I approach my job now.”

Last season, as the Bucks lifted the LOB trophy for the first time in franchise history, Andrews was there to cover the historic moment. She became the youngest broadcaster ever to host the NBA Finals trophy ceremony.

And now, at just 26 years old, she’s bringing that same energy to her latest role as the host of her very own show, “NBA Today” on ESPN, which debuted in October and has had LaMelo Ball and Draymond Green among its guests. Andrews admits that she hasn’t wavered from her love for writing, and in fact it’s all intertwined into what she does now. 

 “I write the scripts of the show, so I’m writing in that way….Writing for print is a very solitary activity, [whereas] writing for television is something where, yes, I’m writing but my producers are [like], Hey, why don’t we change this and tweak that? I always tell young people this when they ask me [and say], Oh, I want to be a broadcaster. I want to be on television. Being on television, that’s just the medium. Why do you want to do it? Do you want to do it for the storytelling [or] because you’re curious about people? As long as there is that, then it translates across mediums because writing is hard. It is a different type of hard. So for me, the transition from print to television, I was aided in the fact that it was just about reporting. It was just about gathering information and sharing it in a different way. Information is what’s important. It was about getting information and writing it or getting information and being able to say it on TV. And those are just two different parts of the same cloth that I think are important.” 

Even with all of the success, Andrews is committed to building her craft even further and spearheading a show that not only entertains, but also informs. Earlier this week, she had NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on to talk about how the League is addressing the omicron variant and the continuation of the season. 

“I just want to get better and help be a part of a show that is a part of the fabric of the NBA,” Andrews says. “I think that if we can get a little bit better every day; If we can tell some stories that we’re proud of, if we can maybe change something for the better, just a little bit—maybe make someone think a little bit differently about something that they hadn’t thought about in that way before, [or] push someone to question appropriately [and] think about someone in a more caring way—if we can achieve all of that, while celebrating the game, I think we’ll have done our job…I have a whole bunch of goals, but if at the end of the day we got better and we’re having fun and people have fun with us, watching us, listening to us, [and] they learn something, that’s all I can ask for.”

Andrews admits that she’s still working on finding a balance between her work schedule and doing the other things she enjoys, like reading and listening to the Dr. Death podcast. 

Still, Andrews’ presence is everywhere: turn on the TV and she’s there covering the League on NBA Today or the sidelines of an NBA arena. Hop on Twitter and you’ll definitely see her breaking news on your timeline, or even Adrian Wojnawoski retweeting her. 

She seems to be always tapped in. And therefore it makes sense why she would much rather not talk about what her screen time looks like. 

“Don’t ask me about it. It’s embarrassing. It’s gross. When [my] Peloton instructor—on a pre-recorded ride, by the way; I take the pre-recorded stuff because I don’t have time to figure out when I can take a live class now—[is like], Yes, you! You, put your phone down! I see you over there. How do you see me? How do you see me texting this person back or checking in with that agent or whatever. And you’re like, Oh, this half hour is carved out for the day. This half hour is for us. There is an US that exists within my phone. I get very excited when my screen time is down. It’s something that I’m like, Yes, this is exciting! But it’s not very often.”

Still, it’s clear that Andrews’ rise in the industry is a testament to her hard work. She says that it feels “gratifying” to be in the position that she’s in, where people not only watch and read her work, but will also come up to her in the line at the supermarket or while getting coffee just to talk to her about hoops. 

“It’s awesome that they want to take time out of their day to come and chat with me about a sport that we all really enjoy watching. The conversations we have on NBA Today, the conversations that I have with Ryan Ruocco and Doris Burke and Mark Jackson and Mark Jones and Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen, those are the conversations that everybody has in their car, yelling at the radio, with their friends at the barber shop. I just so happened to be privileged enough to get to have them where people want to watch and listen to what we have to say. I’ve said it before, [but] I have a get-to job, not a have-to job. And so many people in the world have a have-to job. My job is a reprieve from theirs. Sports is a reprieve from their have-to. What do I have to complain about or adjust to? This is awesome.” 

Photos via Getty Images and ESPN.

The post Malika Andrews’ Meteoric Rise to Becoming One of the Most Renowned Broadcasters in Sports appeared first on SLAM.

As the son of three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade, Zaire has had to deal with naysayers, haters and negative energy his entire life. Different can be hard for people to accept. Many have tried to compare him to his father, or his former teammates at high school powerhouse Sierra Canyon. He’s heard it all. 

Wade admits that while it can be tough, he’s learned to ignore the noise and accept that his path is just different. “You may sit back [and] try to compare yourself to what somebody else is doing, but you got to sit back and realize that, you know, this is your journey, this is your path, you’re going to be different,” he says. 

After doing a post-grad year at Brewster Academy, Wade decided to “go the non-traditional route” and not attend college. He says that while “everybody assumed” he would be selected by the Stars (Dwyane became a co-owner of the Jazz earlier this year), he in fact was nervous and anxious about whether or not he was even going to get picked at all. Sharing the moment with his family, particularly his father, was special.

“He said to me after, You know, this is the first step to continuing the Wade legacy on the court. And that really meant a lot to me, to make him proud. I felt like over the past few years, sometimes I may have let them down with not being as successful as I should have been, or whatever, even if it wasn’t my fault. But just to have this moment, to see how proud he was, it just felt good.”

Z Wade has also been venturing into his own business pursuits. He founded his lifestyle brand, YNGDNA, three years ago with co-CEO Jalen Newsome. With a focus on sustainability, youth, health and fashion, YNGDNA has ventured into exclusive streetwear apparel as well as a recent collab with House of Kibaa, Electric Token and FACINGS on an eco-friendly collection of YNG Meta NFTs, which includes a one-of-one Meta avatar of Zaire Wade on the WAX blockchain. Whoever redeems it will get the chance to hop on NBA 2K and play against him. 

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With his pro career now underway and an innovative brand that’s taking on new and exciting projects, Zaire Wade is doing things his way. After all, different is the new wave.

The post How Zaire Wade is Following His Own Path in the G League and With a Collection of YNG Meta NFTs appeared first on SLAM.

When Shelton Diggs took over as head coach at Long Beach Poly High School, he knew what came with coaching a historic program that has been dominating since the 1920s. As an alumni of the program, Diggs was a part of the Jackrabbits’ CIF championship team in ‘97 before going on to suit up at Western Washington University, where he was a four-year starter and spent time as a student assistant.

Diggs says his decision to return to his alma mater as a coach was a “no brainer.” He was ready to give back to the program, and served as the JV coach for six years before being named the interim varsity coach going into the 2013-14 season. 

“When I took [the program] over, I didn’t want to be the guy in the store and there’s a kid behind me in line and he tapping on his mom’s shoulder like, ‘Mom, mom that’s the guy that messed up the Poly program.’” Diggs says over Zoom. “I’m all Long Beach, so I’m just trying to give back to these kids and keep this thing going because you know we’ve been around for a long time and I’m just trying to keep the ball rolling. I love my city; I love Poly. I’m trying to give back as much as I can, take a little out and you give a lot back in. That’s what I live by.”

Diggs’ impact on the program was immediate in his first year: he led the program to a 26-8 record, a Moore League title and the program’s 20th CIF Southern Section Division 1AA Championship title. In 2016, the program came close to adding yet another title before falling to Serra.

Going into this season, the team has amassed 2,105 all-time wins (and counting) going back to 1907. For context, no other school in the state of California has more than 1,800.

Diggs says his passion for coaching goes beyond the game. Having played for legendary head coach Ron Palmer, he knows, firsthand, how impactful the program can be on the lives of young men, specifically players of color. 

“Somebody did this for me so it’s like my job to give it back for the kids. I mean a lot of the kids we coach it’s not just about basketball it’s helping them with life skills. Maybe giving them a ride home after practice because they have to walk through a neighborhood or something like that. So, that’s the coaching part outside of practice.” 

Over the years, Diggs has had former players go on to suit up at the collegiate level, including Myles Johnson, who graduated in 2017 and spent four seasons at Rutgers and most recently five-star prospect Peyton Watson, who is currently a freshman at UCLA this season. 

“That was big to me, that’s all-hard work,” Diggs says of Watson being honored as a McDonald’s All American last year. “I feel like that doesn’t have a lot to do with me. It’s just my job to put him in the right environment and help him get there. But I feel like that was all his hard work and his determination that did that. I feel the same way when kids get scholarships that’s not me, that’s them with all the hard work that they’ve done. I’m just kind of a vessel to help them get there but they earned that scholarship…It’s a wonderful feeling to watch him go from a freshman at 6 feet, 130 pounds wet to this now 6’8 195-pound kid, it is an honor to be able to watch that, but it’s all his hard work it really don’t got nothing to do with me.” 

SLAM caught up with Diggs to learn more about his coaching journey, how he’s carrying the legacy at Long Beach Poly and what it takes to coach a successful program at the high school level. 

SLAM: What made you decide to go into coaching and return to your alma mater?

DIGGS: Well, I mean I always wanted to be a coach and my college coach, when I got done playing, he always saw that in me. He asked me to come be a student assistant that first year, so I learned and I kind of fell in love with it more. I still wanted to be around basketball—I wasn’t good enough to go play overseas or anything like that [but] I still wanted to be involved with basketball, so coaching was kind of like the next step for me. I mean Long Beach Poly that’s my alma mater, I would give up anything to come back and coach here…Somebody did this for me so it’s like my job to give it back for the kids, so it was a no brainer coming back to Long Beach Poly and helping them out.

I was never the best player on my team. I was always, you know, just a good guy; I started a lot, but I was always a guy on the team who was one of the smarter guys on the team making sure we were running the plays and stuff like that. I just always saw myself in coaching: I remember I used to work all the camps and stuff like that, and I just enjoyed being around kids, I enjoyed watching the kids learn the game. I wasn’t the most talented so I had to work at the things I had to do to become good at basketball and most of these kids aren’t super talented they have to work at they want to do to become better and I feel like I can help them a lot with that so that was one thing that I always looked at in coaching. I remember when I was younger, my mom would actually have us learn the game—not just have us play basketball, but she would have us learn about the game, learn about stats. I remember we made our own little stat book and if my brother [AJ] had a game, I’d be doing his stats and he’d be doing my stats. It was always good for us, she made us learn the game and not just be able to play the game of basketball and we learn the game I feel that’ll lead you in the coaching realm because my brothers are coaches, too. That’s what we were put here to do. 

SLAM: What’s your coaching style like? How do you approach coaching a high school squad?

DIGGS: I’m fiery in practice. In practice and stuff like that you’ll see me doing a lot of talking, a lot moving around getting on guys a lot. In a game I feel that’s their time to do what we’ve taught them. So, I’m a lot more calm during the game [and] I allow my players to play because I do all my craziness in practice. 

In high school, every year is a different year. You got a new team, even if you got guys returning and stuff like that you got a new list so every year you have to look at what you have and kind of based what you’re going to do off what you have. You can’t just be [like], This is my style and I’m going to play this style every year and all that. Where I’m at, we’re not getting 6’10, 6’9 [players] every year, [so] you have to adjust to what you have. That’s the key for me, being able to look at what I have for that year and being able as a coach to adjust on the fly. 

SLAM: Have you ever considered going on to coach at the collegiate level?

DIGGS: I mean I think about it, but I never really had the opportunity for that. I wouldn’t even know how to get into that—I know coaches and stuff like that, but I mean I don’t know if you just got to ask them, “Hey I want to be an assistant coach.” I just don’t know how you go about doing that. But I love where I’m at. Like I said, somebody did this for me and helped me out and it’s my job to kind of give back and help the kids out.

SLAM: How have you seen your program progress from when you first started coaching there? How do you feel you’ve grown as a coach?

DIGGS: At Poly, we’ve got a good program, like we’re always one of the top teams in the state. It really wasn’t about making it better, it’s kind of about keeping the tradition going along. Keeping it rolling, keeping things going. Since I’ve been the coach, I felt like I’ve done a great job keeping the program going along [and] keeping our dominance within our league [as] one of the top teams in the state every year. Individually as a coach, I’ve become a lot better—when I first took over, I felt like I was just a chicken with his head cut off, just out there being upset with every single call, every bucket I’m tripping. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned it’s a long season and you don’t want to be playing your best basketball at the beginning of the year you want to be playing at the end. So, kind of being able to calm down and sit back and relax and let the teachings show through the kids instead of every single play, [doing] everything to micromanage. I’ve just grown [to] understand what a high basketball season [is] about and being able to accomplish that goal rather than trying to accomplish that goal on day one.

SLAM: How do you think more opportunities can come about for coaches of color?

DIGGS: It probably goes both ways. Like on my end, I need to be better at talking to coaches that are in college, you know what I mean, assistants or head coaches. I think I need to be better [at] putting myself out there. I feel [that] once we can get more coaches in the head coaching ranks, that’ll kind of trickle down and will be able to move up a little bit more, but we just kind of need a bigger jump in head coaches because those are the guys, in my opinion, that are doing the hiring. We got a lot of assistant coaches but the assistants are usually assisting. In the end, you’re not making the final decision so we need more of those guys that are in the position to make the final decision and then I think it’ll trickle down and will be able to get more coaches of color into the ranks. 

SLAM: What can an organization like the BCA do to support you as a Black head coach?

DIGGS: The BCA has just helped me get to see other coaches, talk to them and learn from them, not from a competitive standpoint. You know how us Black coaches compete: I see him, he sees me [and] we kind of give each other this look…I think this’ll give me the opportunity to become closer with other coaches because that’s what we need. We got to do this together. It’s not just me against the world, him against the world…We’re so competitive as Black coaches. If I got my team, he has his team, I’m not talking to you, you ain’t talking to me. I’m from Long Beach, you’re from LA [and] we kind of got that disconnection [like] we’re fighting each other. In the end, [through] the BCA we’re able to get together, we’re working together and not just fighting against each other. 

In the end, we are all in this together and if we’re going to try and make changes like we’re trying to get, we got to do this together. It’s not just Shels [being] the only one that’s going to do it or Reggie Morris from LA [being] the only one that’s going to do it…I think the BCA has just helped me personally with that because I have that mentality, it’s me against everybody and if I want to move on, I’m going to have to have other people that are going to help me just like I have [to help] other people out, too. 

Photo credit John Napalan, the562.org

Learn more about the BCA here. Follow them on Twitter @BCAWORLDWIDE

The post Long Beach Poly’s Shelton Diggs on the Importance of Black Coaches Supporting Each Other appeared first on SLAM.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy is on, and Mitchell quietly sings along to “Love All” in between takes. The lyrics seem to echo a truth that’s reflective of his own journey. 

Lotta fallin’ outs help me build foundation…

Now in his fifth year in the NBA, Mitchell is on a mission to do something that’s never been done before in the Beehive State—win the franchise’s first NBA title.

“It’s not like this is a regular occurrence here [in Utah],” Mitchell says of winning a ’chip. “This isn’t like the Lakers where they have [17] of them. This is us. The team, the organization has never won one. So, how meaningful would that be? If you look at three or four years ago, Kawhi went to Toronto [and] that was a truly special moment for the country, for the team, for the organization. That excitement, we want to be the last team standing for many different reasons but that’s a big one as well—to be able to bring the first one here in history.” 

SLAM 235 featuring Donovan Mitchell is available now!

That’s always been the mission for Don since the minute he arrived in Salt Lake City as the No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft after two years at Louisville. While Mitchell has been a lead catalyst for the franchise’s success over the years, he’s also learned that it’s all about the work that it takes to get there. 

“I came into the League as a surprise,” he says. “I tell people all the time, it’s one thing to get drafted, but [it’s another] to be able to do this on a year-to-year basis, day-to-day. I think [that] is definitely what sets guys over the top. That’s my goal every year—to come out being the same player who gets better each year and you know what to expect coming from me, and I think that’s definitely what I’ve learned from my rookie year—the work. You gotta stick to it, the work doesn’t stop because you had one good season or one good game.”

Although his rookie campaign started on a slower note, that “surprise” came eight games in—he had back-to-back 20-plus point performances against Portland and Toronto, and by December, he dropped 41 points against the Pelicans, becoming the first rookie to score 40-plus points in a game since Blake Griffin did it in 2011, while also setting the franchise rookie scoring record. Two months later, Spida—a nickname he earned as a kid by a teammate’s father because of his long arms—paid homage to Vince Carter’s iconic 360 windmill dunk and snagged the 2018 Dunk Contest title. By the end of the season, Mitchell had led all rookies in scoring with 20.5 points per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was a runner-up for Rookie of the Year. 

And yet, even with all of his early success, Mitchell told SLAM in 2018 that he could “care less” about whether or not he won the award. What he did care about was making a “playoff push.” The Jazz advanced to the playoffs that year, and rookie Don seemed ready for the moment, popping off with a 27-point performance in Game 1 against the Thunder, and another 28 points in Game 2—his combined 55 points were the most ever by a shooting guard in the first two postseason games of their career, a record that once belonged to Michael Jordan (53). The Jazz advanced all the way to the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost to Houston in five games. 

 Still, that was just the foundation, the first layer to the building blocks that Mitchell was establishing as a future All-Star and face of the franchise. Looking back on his first year, Mitchell does have a message for his younger self, though: 

“Slow down. I think just understanding the game and letting the game come to you,” he says when asked what he learned as a rookie. “You’re not always going to go get it every game, being able to kind of pace yourself for an 82-game season. I really don’t want to say much to my younger self because without those bumps in the road, without those mistakes, victories and success, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Maybe if I learned some things earlier, I’d be better now, but I think for me, just being able to go through those mistakes, [going] through those things allows me to be the player I am today.”

This exclusive SLAM 235 cover featuring Spida is available only on SLAM Goods.

By his third year in the L, Mitchell’s game had only gotten better. He went from averaging 20.5 points as a rookie to having career-highs in nearly every category, including points (24.0), assists (4.3) and boards (4.4). His dunks had somehow gotten even more explosive, his layup package was more impressive and the behind-the-back dimes to teammate Rudy Gobert had become all too easy. 

Mitchell was named an All-Star for the first time in his career that season, and the Jazz ultimately embarked on a playoff run against Denver in the Orlando bubble. His numbers were astronomical. He broke Karl Malone’s previous franchise playoff scoring record by dropping 57 points in Game 1, which was also the third most points in playoff history. He followed that up with 51 points in Game 4. 

When he screamed, “I WANT THIS SH**!” that game, it was clear, especially then, that he truly did. After losing to the Nuggets in Game 7, an emotional Mitchell knew that yet another shortcoming was just the start to something great. 

“This is me scratching the surface,” he said after the game, per ESPN. “This ain’t the end. This is just the beginning.” 

Grab the top spot, like pardon my reach… 

The 2020-21 season marked new beginnings. Mitchell returned with a vengeance, averaging a career-high 26.4 points and 5.2 assists. He’d also added a deeper three-point shooting range to his bag, which—considering the fact that he was already equipped with absurd athleticism and elite playmaking abilities—made him that much more lethal. 

While an ankle sprain in April would force him to miss 16 games, the setback only led to a major comeback when he returned at the end of May, just in time for the playoffs. The Jazz, who had finished with a League-best record (52-20) for the first time in franchise history, as well as the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, took out Memphis in the first round in five games. Playoff Don was on a different type of time and made a statement early in the second round, dropping 45 points in Game 1 against the Clippers, followed by back-to-back-to-back 30-plus point performances in the next three games. The momentum was there, but for another consecutive year, it wasn’t enough.

“I didn’t watch basketball until Game 6 of the Finals,” Mitchell admits when asked how he felt emotionally after the elimination. “It just didn’t sit right with me. I felt like we had the opportunity to make it to the Finals, and for me, that was the first time I’d ever done that. It allowed me to sit back and approach the game differently, my training—obviously I was hurt, so I had to rehab, too, but I had to approach my whole summer differently.”

During the offseason, Mitchell let out his frustrations in the weight room and in on-court drills with trainer Chris Brickley. Those sessions became his escape, and the loss only added to his motivation.

“It adds fuel to the fire, it adds an element of, OK, we got to the second round, now how do we get to the conference finals? How do we get past that? We lost Game 7 two years ago in the first round, like, finding ways to level up and get better each year. If you let it absorb you, it can deter you from what your goal is, so for me, it’s being able to let it fuel my fire, fuel our fire as a team and go out there and improve in each category that I need to for myself, and the team as well.”

This season is another opportunity to run it back and build on what the Jazz have accomplished over the past few years. It’s still early, but they’ve been off to a solid start so far. As of this writing, they’re 8-3 with a No. 2 standing in the West. What’ll set them apart, Mitchell says, is how they perform when it counts.  

“We’re a pretty good team, [but] we’ve got to perform when it’s time. That’s no secret, that’s the biggest thing. We’re a good regular season team and we’ve had success in the playoffs, but we haven’t had the ultimate success. We haven’t gotten past the second round. That’s pretty much what we’re looking at ourselves [for]. Obviously, the external stuff is what it is, but internally, whatever you hear—multiply that times 10 and that’s what I’m thinking. You know what I mean? 

“Of course, we want to be able to make it past the second round, conference finals and Finals. So for me, that’s where it’s at for us. We’ve got to be able to do things the way that’ll work and we can’t skip steps throughout the year. We got to continue to go through what we’ve been going through, take care of what we need to take care of and we got to be ready.”

Woke up one day and it was all on me

If it comes down, it’s gon’ fall on me…

As for his own goals, Mitchell’s mindset has stayed the same since day 1. While he’s projected to have even better numbers than he did last year (according to Basketball Reference), it’s still not about individual accolades for him. 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t win Rookie of the Year [in 2018] and I didn’t make All-NBA last year, although I feel I should have, [but] it is what it is. For me, it’s all about winning. Winning takes care of everything in this League—if you’re able to win, you’re able to be top in the West, top in the NBA, everything else takes care of itself…For myself, it’s understanding that it’s not about you or the individual stuff, because you could be an individual award winner and not win a championship. The goal is to win a championship.” 

With Dwyane Wade in his corner as the new co-owner of the Jazz, Mitchell has been able to learn from someone who has reached the heights he’s trying to get to. 

“He’s just passing the game down, passing the knowledge down, and I appreciate that,” Mitchell says of Wade. “It doesn’t have to always be that way, that’s not always the case with guys. I ask a thousand questions and he’s always ready to answer it. There’s certain times where it’s like, Nah, bro, you know the answer. You need that, there’s definitely times for that, no matter how old you get or how experienced you get. There’s always times where it’s like, Figure it out. I think that’s why I’m thankful for him because he’s always able to keep it real.”

While on a press tour for his new memoir, DWYANE, Wade recalls the first time he met Mitchell, when he was playing against him. “I think I was in Cleveland at the time, and he was guarding me. I got a chance to size him up and I was like, He’s little,” he says, later adding, “but he was so explosive.”

When asked what advice he’d give to Mitchell about reaching the next level, Wade says, “Losing, it hurts, but it helps at the same time. He’s been knocked out of the playoffs, he’s had injuries. He has things to get that chip on his shoulder, he has experience…But, make sure that your effort every day is championship quality effort. Make sure you carry yourself as a champion, so that when you become one, when you get that opportunity, it’s not foreign to you. You know how to act, you know how to do it, you know how to respond to it.” 

Just as Mitchell embraces Salt Lake, they’ve shown him love right back. His impact is everywhere, from the sea of No. 45 jerseys in the crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena to the way that crowd goes insane when he pulls up from three and nails one in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve had greats play for this organization. You got Karl Malone, John Stockton, so many legends that have played for this team. For us, that motivation, being the first one to do it, I think is definitely in our heads when we’re out there and competing. But, more importantly, we want to do it for each other, our coaches, our staff. That’s something that’s great, that we have that as a group. We’re connected. We’re locked in as a group and we want to be able to give our fans a show and bring one to Utah.” 

These SLAM 235 metal editions are available now. Shop here.

Portraits Atiba Jefferson.

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That was just the beginning: over the next ten years, and with Wade’s trust, Metelus has captured and filmed him nearly everywhere he went: from working out with LeBron James during the lockout to going to Fashion Week. 

Over a decade’s worth of footage turned into Wade’s documentary, WADE: LIFE UNEXPECTED, which Bob directed. All the while, they’d also amassed hundreds of photographs over the years, many of which have now been included in Wade’s new photography memoir, Dwyane, which visually chronicles his life, his career both on and off-court, as well as special moments with his family and friends. 

“We just connected right away,” Wade says of Metelus over the phone. “And, like I said, once you connect with someone, once you have some trust in them in your private moments, they’re able to capture all kinds of things, you know, they’re able to capture moments of crying, moments of sadness, they’re able to capture it all and it’s real. I’m super thankful for, one, for when he came around, he had a camera on him. And then he took a photo, and that photo led to [where] we are today: we put out a documentary, and now we’re releasing a book. Big up to Bob for just continuing to create and giving me a platform, and I’m just taking it and putting it together.”

Wade also worked on the book with writer Justin Tinsley, and his narratives give detailed accounts of his memories and moments throughout his life. We won’t reveal too much, but just know that there’s some major gems in the book about him playing against the late-Kobe Bryant, working out with LeBron James the night before the 2013 NBA Finals against the Spurs, the Heatles era and even a breakdown of Wade’s approach to his game.

There’s also special moments and photos of Wade with his family, as well as a chapter titled titled “Postgame,” where the legend talks about his legacy and playing with, and against, players around the L: from James to Donovan Mitchell.

We recently caught up with Wade to talk about his memoir, the writing process and the special moments that are featured in the book.

SLAM: We know that Bob directed your documentary and has been photographing your life for a while now. Where did the idea for ‘Dwyane’ come about? 

WADE: Building a relationship with someone who gets the chance to get the personal moments, whether it’s videos or photos, that means you get a lot. And so Bob has been with me for the last 10-11 years. And he’s got a lot. And so we just went through the millions of photos we have and we picked a little more than 200 to kind of give my supporters and my friends and family and everybody who has supported me throughout this process a kind of visual memoir, not just give them the words. I want them to be able to see photos, to see private moments, I want them to kind of get into my psyche a little bit. You know, to see the moment when I’m a little nervous, or anxious. All these things.

SLAM: What was the writing process like for you? 

WADE: The writing process was hard. First, it was hard to pick between millions of photos that we had to try to narrow it down to go [in] a book. And then from there, after we get through that, now, you got to go through every photo and let it speak to you. So my writer, Justin Tinsley, we sat down over a period of time and just went through photos, and we went through the format and how we wanted this book to feel and sound…We really put a lot of thought into it. It wasn’t easy, but it was definitely, you know, worthwhile.

SLAM: Is there a photo or memory from the book that stands out the most to you? 

WADE: It’s hard to pick one photo because I went through and picked 200. But, as a I say, every time I do look at the book, I find a different photo. And it speaks to me, right? So whatever photo [it] is, like yesterday, the first day that I was doing media, I kept turning to the page of the photo of [59th Street and Prairie Ave], the apartment complex I lived in. And just thinking about that little Dwyane and being in that house at the age of eight, nine years old and here we go, 30 years later. Look how my life has changed and developed. Certain moments just take you back to that moment. 

SLAM: What is it like for you, as a father, to look back at these photos of your children and watch them take on new heights, specifically with Zaire playing in the G League?

WADE: [Zaire] has been on this journey with me the entire time since I entered the NBA. He’s in every moment. His evolution and growth is what I’m excited about more [than] anything that I have done or anything I am doing. You know, it’s his time [and] we’re trying to, as a family, continue to prop [him] up, to give him opportunities [and] to continue to allow [him] to understand his abilities, and his power and all the things that he has. So, I’m a proud father. Zaire is also one of my best friends, so we talk all day [and] every time I do something he’s always like, ‘That’s another thing you did, you get further and further away from me, I’m trying to catch up. You keep adding stuff and making it harder and harder.’

SLAM: Zaire has been doing things in a different way than probably most people expected him to—not playing in college, going to the G League out of high school. What has it been like for you to see him follow his own path?

WADE: Yeah, that’s how it should be. People before you set a blueprint… The blueprint is basketball, he loves it. And so, the blueprint is business, he loves it. There’s blueprints out here: his father has one, his uncle LeBron, his uncle Carmelo, Chris Paul, all these guys have a blueprint. And so it’s up to him to look at the different blueprints and see which one fits him and make sure that he adds and brings his own style and flavor and vibe to what he’s trying to accomplish. And I’m all here for it. I’m here to support him. I’m here to give them all the answers. I’m here to tell him, ‘Hey, Z. Don’t go left right here, go right.’ I’m here to move buildings and stuff out his way so he can see his opportunities clearer, because I didn’t have that. I’m just super excited for my son for these next few years of his life, these are gonna be some of the best years of his life. And he’s doing it. Right now, he’s in the G League and every day, he’s waking up and he’s doing the work.

SLAM: There’s also a photo of Donovan Mitchell in the book. Can you talk about your relationship with him?

WADE: We’ve had, since he came into the NBA, a pretty good relationship. He was one of those young guys who reached out and wanted more knowledge…We have similar attributes in our game, so we just kind of connected from there. I’ve always been an open book, not only to Donovan but to any player in the NBA. I love being a mentor and now, not only am I a mentor and a big brother, I’m part of the ownership group in Utah now, so our relationship now has went to a level that, it doesn’t happen often. Like, this is a one-of-one kind of relationship that Donovan and I have…We both reach out and ask each other questions about things. I’m trying to learn Utah, the ownership and how to handle things better, and what better person to be able to communicate with than Donovan. 

SLAM: Do you remember the first time you two met?

WADE: The first time I met him [was] probably when we played against them. I think I was in Cleveland at the time, and he was guarding me and I got a chance to size him up and I was like, ‘He’s little.’ [laughs] I knew right away, just the way that he competed, the way he played the game, I saw, this kid has an opportunity to be good. Like I said, he was the one that was like, ‘Yo, let me get your number. Can I reach out to you? Could I call you?’ Stuff like that. It was a great first meeting.I’m 6-4 and I was like, ‘Let me see how big this kid is.’ And I was like, ‘Oh he’s little.’ You just size each other up—he was guarding me and I was like, ‘Yo, how tall is this dude?’ But he was so explosive. You would see highlights of it but you didn’t play against him, so you didn’t know…He went hard at me, man. I was a little older and he went hard at me. I love that about him.

SLAM: What have been some of the lessons, or advice that’d you give him about ascending his game and reaching the levels that you’ve accomplished? 

WADE: There’s different things that you have to reach: you have to reach an individual level of greatness that is different than most of the NBA…Donovan, over the course of time, he’s just been figuring it out. Figuring out how to be a leader, especially when you have the ball in your hand, you’re the one taking the shots. You gotta be a leader. And he’s learning all these things, all these things will help him. Losing, it hurts but it helps at the same time. He’s been knocked out of the playoffs, he’s had injuries. He has things to get that chip on his shoulder, he has experience. And so now, you know, some of it too is [it’s] gotta be the right matchups, be the right time, it’s a lot of things.

But, make sure that your effort every day is championship quality efforts. Make sure you carry yourself as a champion so that when you become one, when you get that opportunity, it’s not foreign to you. You know how to act, you know how to do it, you know how to respond to it. I’m excited that I get that front row seat courtside to watch him try to accomplish something that not many great basketball players have been able to accomplish.

Photo credit Bob Metelus.

The post Dwyane Wade On His New Memoir, Zaire Wade and Being a Mentor to Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

“I’ve just kind of found that love again,” said Green, who snagged 14 boards in the win (via ESPN). “Kind of go through a lot of s— and the love kind of wanes a little bit. But I’ve just found that love and joy for the game and I’m just enjoying playing basketball and controlling what I can control. A point of emphasis for myself this year was simply to control what I could control. That means on the court, that means with the referees, that means off the floor—that’s just a step in my life and I think it shows on the basketball court.”

“My son is getting older, my oldest daughter, she’s seven now,” he added. “They kind of get on my ass if we lose, so that’s motivation. And I think for me, also, I’ve been s**** the last couple of years, so my kids don’t really understand how good I am. And I want them to see how good I am so that they’ll have an understanding. So that is motivation for me.”

Earlier this month, Green had talked about the “mental hurdle” of shooting, and so far this season, his numbers have improved offensively: he’s currently shooting a career-high 55 percent from the field and averaging 7.8 points per game this season. On the boards, Green is averaging 7.9 rebounds, which is an increase from last year’s 7.1 per game.

The Warriors have been off to an electric start to the season and are currently No. 1 in the West with a League-best 15-2 record. As the team continues to dominate and prove the doubters wrong, Green says he’s “motivated” by all of those who have “doubted” him.

In fact, he has his sights set on reaching All-Star status again and even winning Defensive Player of the Year for the second time—a feat he accomplished in 2016-17 when he became the first Warrior to ever win the award.

“And most importantly I want to win, I want to be a Defensive Player of the Year again, and I want to be an All-Star again. And that is motivating me because a lot of people had counted me out. Same mistake people made before when I first came into the League—but a lot of people doubted me, and doubted me again. And that’s fuel to the fire.”

Green and the Warriors will take on Sixers on Wednesday night.

The post Draymond Green: ‘I Want to be a Defensive Player of the Year Again’ appeared first on SLAM.

Those who were there from the beginning will tell you that Kevin Garnett didn’t want to make a documentary solely about himself. They’ll tell you that as a storyteller, he simply wanted to be a character who was part of a larger story, and everything he’s ever done, every basket he’s scored (or blocked, or rebounded) are domino pieces stacked within a long trail of other dominos. One decision led others to fall, and the story of Kevin Garnett, the story that will be told in Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible, is a visual representation of that domino effect. 

Co-directed and produced by Eric Newman and Dan Levin, along with producers Mike Marangu, Marc Levin and Brian Bennett—KG’s partner at his production company, Content Cartel—the documentary is a look at KG’s past, diving deep into the impact he’s had on the League and the legacy he’s currently leaving as a Hall of Famer.

Garnett had expressed his interest in filmmaking way before the documentary even came to fruition. Stephen Espinoza, president of SHOWTIME Sports, recalls the first time he met KG, back in 2014 while on a flight from New York to China. SHOWTIME, one of the Barclays Center sponsors, was invited to join the Nets on the trip, and Espinoza recalls chatting with KG on the plane about boxing as well as Kevin’s post-career plans and goals. 

“We ended up talking so long that eventually, they had to separate us because we’re keeping everyone else in the cabin awake talking and laughing,” he says. “When we finished that conversation, I remember thinking that if there was ever an opportunity to do a project with him, I would jump at it because he is such a great dynamic, peripatetic personality and has really been an icon and a trailblazer in the League and in the culture for a long, long time.” 

Marc Levin, who first met KG during a Super Bowl LIII party, remembers having earlier conversations with him about his interests in exploring filmmaking and production. Garnett, who had seen Levin’s earlier film, Gang War: Banging in Little Rock, was intrigued by notorious gang leader Larry Hoover and interested in telling his story. 

Garnett also shared his interest in documentaries with Mike Marangu, who had previously worked with Levin on a number of sports documentaries, including Freeway: Crack in the System, along with being a producer on Iverson. The two had been introduced in 2018, just two years after KG retired, by Brian Bennett. 

No shade to other sports docs, but having grown up in the era of hip-hop and the heavy influence of Nas, Tupac and Biggie, KG told Marangu that he wanted his own documentary to be, in his own words, some “gangster shit.”

“When you’re talking to him and he’s literally acting it out, he can’t just tell you a story,” Marangu says on a Zoom call. “He’s full sweat, acting out and imitating everyone’s voices. He’s just an amazing storyteller and he always says that came from hip-hop…from day one he was like, I don’t do anything soft. I see what other players are doing, and I love those guys and all that, but I just want to do all gangster shit.” 

After that conversation, Marangu reached out to Levin, who reeled in Newman—who at the time was building his work as a filmmaker and producer covering sports. Newman had served as a producer on both The Legend of Swee’ Pea and created the vision and executive produced the DeMarcus Cousins film, The Resurgence, with SHOWTIME. Together, Newman, with Dan and Marc Levin created the concept of what Kevin’s documentary would be and put together the dense story deck that was presented in the pitch meeting with SHOWTIME.

“I tend to go mad scientist mode with story decks, and I took this to a different level,” Newman recalls. That includes “The Butterfly Effect,” a diagram he created, which was inspired by an earlier conversation he had with KG, that shows just how much KG impacted the League, the culture and how he paved the way for future generations.

The first meeting with SHOWTIME took place in June 2019, during the NBA Finals. KG, Marangu, Bennett, Newman and Brian Dailey, SVP of SHOWTIME Sports, all sat in one of SHOWTIME’s West Hollywood offices, while the Levins called in. 

The initial pitch meeting went well and led to another one getting scheduled in July at SHOWTIME’s office in New York. Newman and Garnett spent nearly the entire day together, getting breakfast and bouncing around the city. Newman shared his own story about how basketball has played a huge role in his life, a moment of vulnerability that he feels helped create a level of trust and respect between the two early on. 

During that meeting, everyone was ready to execute the pitch to the SHOWTIME Sports team. But, as soon as the meeting began, the plan went out the window and the 15-time All-Star immediately took the reins. Garnett had something to say and went into full KG mode. He knew what he wanted this film to be, and just as with anything involving Kevin Garnett, everyone simply watched with amazement. 

“He was so animated and couldn’t sit still. He’s going from sitting straight across from me staring at me to leaning back in his chair to his feet up, to getting up pacing the room, to getting in a defensive stance,” says Newman. “He was like, I want to make this about the domino effect of going from high school to the pros. I don’t want this to just be about me. I want this to be about all of the other elements and lanes. We kind of had to bring him back and be like, Hey, we’re going to cover all of that!”

When Garnett and everyone who was in the room that day (physically and virtually) shook hands and officially greenlit the film, they knew that not only were they about to produce the first documentary about him, but they were going to create an important body of work with cultural significance. Kevin had never gone into tons of detail about his past, simply telling bits and pieces to the media: growing up in South Carolina, moving to Chicago, playing in a pickup game that included Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, witnessed by Isiah Thomas, having a heart-to-heart with Thomas about his future. This film would dive deeper into all of it and then some. 

“Garnett was always the ultimate story to tell from my generation,” says Newman, who grew up rooting for the Boston Celtics and, as a former high school coach and basketball clinic director, was deeply impacted by that ’08 championship team. “Our senior year of high school was his rookie year in the NBA, so watching that leap while also having a very meaningful basketball experience of my own was very impactful. Just thinking back on that time, part of our story is looking at this magical 25-year framework—which was launched by his decision and everything else that came with it.”

The film, produced by Blowback Productions, Content Cartel and SHOWTIME, is centered around Garnett’s impact and journey during this 25-year period. Garnett wanted to keep it real for the film, and for the first time, he opens up about his accomplishments in one-on-one interviews and is honest about the moments that have made him who he is. 

“Kevin was drawn by a range of SHOWTIME documentaries,” Dailey says. “Kobe, Iverson, most recently Ron Artest, DeMarcus Cousins, the Shut Up and Dribble project with LeBron [James]—there is a connection between all of those subjects. This resonated with KG, and he wanted to be part of our brand of storytelling: bold, unfiltered unapologetic.”

“The bar was set high,” adds Espinoza, about SHOWTIME’s array of films on legendary players around the game. “And Kevin was a trailblazer. I think part of what also makes this film special is to celebrate his career, the competitor that he was, what he brought to the League. Part of it is to sort of show respect and recognize the contributions he’s made on a cultural basis, on a sports basis and even on an individual basis with a range of young players today.”

Life is oftentimes unexpected, and so was the filming of the documentary, right from the very start. Two days into production, which began in January 2020, the Levins, Newman, Marangu and the rest of the crew joined KG on a beautiful beach in Malibu where he often enjoys working out, meditating and clearing his thoughts. None of them could have known then that nearly 10 miles away, a devastating tragedy would take place 24 hours later on January 26. The news was unimaginable: Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and her teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash.

Kevin’s demeanor changed from that moment on. He had lost his little brother and friend.

“[Kevin and Kobe] came in around the same year,” Marangu reiterates. “Kevin ’95, Kobe in ’96. Kobe and [Allen] Iverson were the youngsters that looked to Kevin like, Hey, you made it. What’s the NBA like? [Kevin] was really downloading all those guys that came in that ’96 year about making the jump, so [Bryant’s passing] hit him pretty hard.”

“Everything felt different after that, the world was different, he was different after that,” Newman adds.

Stream KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible on SHOWTIME. 

During All-Star Weekend in Chicago last year, the crew joined KG on a trip to visit his former high school, Farragut Academy. They saw the banners, the trophies, the glass windows Garnett often refers to, and, most notably, the star reuniting with his old coaches and laughing and joking as though no time had passed. The producing team saw firsthand just how much that time he spent in Chicago shaped who Garnett is, and the documentary will show a side to him that not many have ever seen before.

“You felt from the moment he had that reunion with his coach and the assistant coach that, that experience [and] that one year at Farragut really is what made him Kevin Garnett. You felt it. You saw his picture in the gym and all the trophies and the retired jerseys,” says Marc Levin. “This country kid, who obviously was incredibly talented, was just a [boy] from South Carolina thrown into [an environment like] west Chicago. The gangs, Farragut [had] students fighting every day, and [Kevin] was just thrown into that. Then, [he has] this incredible moment where he made this decision that he was going to take a chance at going pro—it was all palpable, emotional and I had never realized that his high school year was such a crucible in terms of forming who he was.”

While the trip to Chicago had its celebratory moments, including the announcement of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists, a dark cloud also lingered. The world was still mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant.

“The Hall of Fame press event was at All-Star Weekend in Chicago and that became a whole Kobe tribute, so that affected him, and [it seems like] he still hasn’t been able to really talk about it,” Marangu says. “That’s the most impactful thing during production that happened.”

“Chicago was supposed to be a celebration of 25 years, but instead it was this somber, reflective [moment] on Kobe. [Kevin] did two hours on ALL THE SMOKE and it was almost like therapy…which made the Farragut visit that much more meaningful. He was really reflective after that. We finished and did that exit shot of him leaving the building and to me, it was so much more than filming a guy leaving the building. The whole day was really impactful.”

One tragedy practically led straight into another. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and production was halted for three months. Once it started back up in June, everyone felt like they were making a different type of film with a handful of uncontrollable factors: loss, tragedy and a global pandemic. Everything felt different, and even Kevin—with all of his bubbly energy and excitement—wasn’t the same person from the beginning of the year.

“Kevin needed, and I’m comfortable saying this, Kevin just needed time,” says Newman, looking back. “Everything that’s happened in our world weighs on us all differently and these things were weighing on him, and a lot of the times I have to remind myself, OK, this film is obviously very, very important to the people making it, it’s very important to the subject, but it’s not the only thing that he’s conscious of every day when he wakes up. He’s a father, he’s launching different things, he’s involved in different ventures and projects, so when the timing is right to pick it up, it’ll be right and thankfully that happened in June.

The crew eventually had to conduct some of the interviews virtually and had to administer COVID tests when filming in-person at Dream Magic Studio in L.A. Still, they were able to interview Kevin’s former teammates, friends and peers, including Paul Pierce, Sam Cassell, Ronnie Fields, Doc Rivers, Rajon Rondo, Isiah Thomas, Danny Ainge, and even Snoop Dogg—all of whom shared stories and insight into who the big man is and the impact he’s had on so many people.

Garnett also opened up more and more as production continued and showed moments of vulnerability. 

Last October, they all traveled back to KG’s old stomping grounds in Minnesota. While there, they took time to pay respect to and mourn the loss of George Floyd. It was then that both of them saw just how impactful these moments they spent with Garnett were. Making a documentary about him was one thing, but in many ways, it felt like 2020 was another character in the film. 

“It would be A, foolish and B, completely irresponsible, to ignore what is going on in the world,” Dan Levin says. “Whether it’s Kobe, whether it’s social injustice, police brutality, all of these things and how they affect us—how we were going to do that remained to be seen but we knew we weren’t going to shy away from it when the cameras were rolling.”

Subjects, in all their glory and accomplishments, are simply humans who have done extraordinary things, but they’re also multi-faceted rather than one-dimensional. Many know Kevin Garnett as the dominating, all-imposing and destructive force that he was on the court, with an intensity that oftentimes followed him off of it. That’s the KG we’ve all seen, cheered for and marveled at. He’s honest, energetic, personable and entertaining all at the same time, someone who will tell you like it is. Newman, Marangu, Bennett and Marc and Dan Levin have described him as a one-man show, someone whose magnetic personality commands a room. Yet they’ve also seen him get somewhat uncomfortable with having the spotlight be entirely on him. From the start, Garnett was intensely passionate and hungry for storytelling, ready for the next chapter in his career. 

In his own words, Garnett wants this film, and his production company, to keep it just as real as he does. “He was like, Everything I’m watching is soft! Man, it’s all treble. I want this to be about the BASS,” Marangu recalls Kevin saying. 

“It has to be about bass.” 

Photos courtesy of KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible.

The post Behind the Scenes of the Making of Kevin Garnett’s Documentary ‘Anything Is Possible’ appeared first on SLAM.

Together, Detrick and Kuo have created a “sports manifesto” that’s a culmination of their two crafts: Detrick has contributed to the New York Times, Grantland and written about NBA rivalries for The Ringer, while Kuo is an artist that regularly contributes vibrant visual columns to the New York Times as well. The New York-based creatives also host the podcast, Cookies Hoops—which dives into topics ranging from the Celtics’ “floundering rebuild” (their words, not ours) to the first episode of Succession. Guests include former NBA players Jayson Williams and Craig Hodges, as well as hip-hop icons such as Jadakiss.

The Joy of Basketball was another way for them to bring together all of their ideas about the game, and take a look at it’s monumental impact: 

“This was kind of our opportunity to really nail down what we thought and what we wanted to say,” Detrick explains over Zoom, adding: “This will sound a little trite, but we were trying to be a three level scorer, where it’s like, you open it up, and there’s a big flashy illustration of Kevin Garnett. And then there’s some interesting charts, and then you can get into the text, which is really dense and kind of presents ideas that may be a little complicated for someone who is, like, a new basketball head. But there’s something that if you are like a hooper guy—if you really love the sport, there’s going to be stuff in there for you, too. So, it was really trying to balance creating something that someone who’s a casual fan would like, and someone who lives and breathes basketball like we do could also sink their teeth into.”

“These basketball ideas lead into bigger philosophical ideas and life ideas,” Kuo says on the same call. “It is just the game, but the ideas we applied to that game are big and fun, and fast and loose. We wanted to bring that all together in a book to explain how we kind of felt about the world.”

The book, which was written during the pandemic, is a celebration of the game and all of its many moments—from memes to superteams, influential players and even gameplay and the “positional erosion.”

“Our goal is to celebrate players and what they brought to the table and their influences and what may have been unforeseen or unseen at the time,” says Detrick. “For me, the most fun part of it was going back and [being] like, Alright, I’m going to deep dive on articles, YouTube clips of everything about, say, of Boris Diaw, and really get into there and say like, I knew he was really good…Finding how these guys were so unique and influential was a really fun experience, especially since we wrote it while the League was on hiatus. So that was like my dosage of hoops. I remember watching Kyrie [Irving] clips and kind of welling up a little bit [and being like], Man, I miss basketball so much. Look at these dribbling highlights.” 

“Basically what we’re trying to say is everyone got better. Everyone just got more awesome to me,” Kuo adds.

As the game continues to evolve and change, one scroll through NBA Twitter will show you that hoop fans are constantly debating and throwing out hot takes about, well, everything when it comes to basketball. With The Joy of Basketball, Detrick and Kuo point out that they aren’t trying to “create debates” but instead, they’re taking a look at that very change.

“I think there are plenty of entries in the book that people may disagree with, other ones they may say, you know, Oh, you completely nailed how I view this player or this trend,” says Detrick. “But we weren’t really necessarily trying to create debates or even end debates. We were kind of trying to dig into the collective basketball mind and understand why the sport got to where it is today and why do we view players the way that we do? Why do we view the lore of the sport the way that we do? Why did the game develop to this place where you look at the game in 2021 and it looks so different from 1996.”

“I think the way we experience this game, and the way people decide to talk about it is always right, you know, whatever is right for you,” Kuo notes. “And to Ben’s point, I think [we] tried to write this book being like, Hey, this is our point of view. And you know, as being skeptics, and then coming out on maybe on the opposite side of that being like, Yo, the Celtics had had some wonderful players. Like, let’s get real Kevin Garnett was maybe one of the coolest players we’ve ever seen in green and white, you know, and it’s awesome…We’re talking about the game and how to look at the game. And everything else, I think is a different conversation.”

And with that, here’s an excerpt from The Joy of Basketball: An Encyclopedia of the Modern Game.

IVERSON, ALLEN

Back in 1970, a column published in Cherokee County, South Carolina’s Gaffney Ledger juxtaposed Pete Maravich, a rookie shooting guard on the Hawks, to the shiftless ilk of his generation: “While you were out smoking marijuana, Pete was playing basketball like the good, American boy,” wrote the essayist. It included this kicker: “Pete is now a millionaire.” To today’s conservative intellectuals, that prototype of young NBA player—hardworking, drug-free, and deserving of vast wealth—is a thing of the past, an abstraction supplanted by, as they see it, a dangerous variant. Thug, criminal, ball-hog, team cancer, lazy malcontent, fortune squanderer. Or Allen Iverson.

Iverson grew up in the East End of Newport News, Virginia, a place nicknamed Bad News. His father, the leader of a local gang called the Family Connection, bounced in and out of jail before going to prison in 1996 for stabbing a woman. His mother was fifteen at the time of Allen’s birth. “When the nurse brought him to me, I looked at his little body and saw those long arms and said, ‘Lord, he’s gonna be a basketball player,’” Ann Iverson told Sports Illustrated. Light bills went unpaid, a broken pipe spewed raw sewage onto the floor, friends were murdered and incarcerated. As a junior at Bethel High School, Iverson was named the Associated Press High School Player of the Year in basketball and football.

On Valentine’s Day of 1993, Iverson and three friends were arrested after brawling with a group of white teens at a bowling alley. None of the white participants were arrested, but he was convicted of “maiming by mob” and sentenced to five years in prison. “It’s a high-tech lynching without a rope,” said Marilyn Strother, an organizer who rallied against the sentencing. Iverson spent four months at Newport News City Farm before Governor Douglas Wilder granted him conditional clemency (later, an appeals court overturned the conviction). By virtue of his supernatural gifts, Iverson was able to escape anonymously tumbling into the American meat-grinder that has devoured Black lives for hundreds of years.

As his mother knew, Allen was the chosen one. Even by the impossible standards of professional athletes, he was peerless—a sinewy, 􀀁-foot outlier among the fieldstone-shouldered caste of generational deities like Jim Thorpe, Jim Brown, Bo Jackson, and LeBron James. On the court, Iverson moved in a spasmodic blur. He seemed to glide on a different plane than everyone else, shifting with precise coordination to hit a third gear, vanishing with a soft sonic burp to magick a 1-on-3 break into a 1-on-0 layup. Despite his size, he was unyielding. Over his first twelve seasons, Iverson averaged a shocking 41.8 minutes a game while leading the league in the iron-man category seven times. “He is, indeed, a prodigy,” wrote talk show host Tony Kornheiser in 1995, after watching him play for Georgetown University, “with talent so stunning he shimmers on the court like light reflected off a mirror.”

Iverson came to kill your idols. As a rookie, he crossed-up Michael Jordan and buried a jumper in the face of His Airness. It was not a transfer of power, exactly, but the moment when it became clear that Jordan’s reign was not indefinite (the clip remains just as poignant today, due to Jordan’s decision to retire following the Bulls’ 1998 championship instead of succumbing to younger wolves like every other superstar). When Iverson went up against Utah’s John Stockton, he snarled, “No fucking white boy is going to stop me.” 

The Answer won Rookie of the Year and four scoring titles, led the league in steals for three consecutive seasons, and was named to eleven All-Star and eight All-NBA teams. In 2001, he was honored as Most Valuable Player and dragged a low voltage Sixers team to the Finals. His postseason career aver-age of 29.7 points per game is the second- highest in NBA history. After Jordan’s departure, there was a several- year window in which Iverson was, unquestionably, the nastiest basketball player on the planet (even if big men like Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan may have been more effective). “I wasn’t a point guard,” Iverson said after being elected to the Hall of Fame. “I was a killer.”

Even as Iverson became the NBA’s most popular superstar, he remained enmeshed in scandal. He was accused of ejecting his naked wife out of their home and then showing up at a cousin’s house with a gun (all charges were eventually dropped). He put out a rap song under the name Jewelz that included lines like “gats in each hand / twin 4-5s in mine.” His tattoos were airbrushed away in photos, his rap album was shelved, his voluminous jeans and chest of platinum chains were banished by league dress code decree. Yet as a teammate, he was beloved. “We had a lot of guys who were just kind of journeyman, guys who hadn’t really stepped out and came into their own,” Theo Ratliff, a former Sixer, told HoopsHype. “He helped push us and elevated our game and our status as NBA players. He’s a tremendous person.” When the younger brother of team president Pat Croce rifled through Iverson’s baggy pants in the locker room and stole money, he declined to press charges.

In recent years, there has been an irresponsible compulsion to reframe Iverson as a controversial antihero instead of one of the baddest motherfuckers in the history of basketball. He is acknowledged as an important countercultural figure who shifted paradigms in fashion, branding, and attitude—but is increasingly seen as Monta Ellis with a compression sleeve. Part of this inaccurate portrayal is due to the natural leveling effect of time and recency bias. The peak stature of almost every superstar from the past is eroded by crashing waves of new talent. Hal Greer, another player who spent much of his prime on the Sixers, went to ten consecutive All-Star games from 1961 to 1970, and no one under sixty has ever heard of him. But Iverson was too successful and remains too visible to attribute this rewritten storyline entirely to the swirling zephyrs of time. “I don’t think people realize how cold he was,” said Kobe Bryant, who cited showdowns with Iverson as motivation for improving his defense. “They have no idea how hard it was to guard this guy.”

The greatest threat to Iverson’s legacy is the fetishization of efficiency. For his career, he shot 42.5 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc, both numbers that are inky blemishes when compared to contemporary volume scorers like James Harden or Stephen Curry. But it goes unmentioned that Iverson spent his prime in the early 200s—his unsightly 51.8 true shooting percentage during his 2001 MVP campaign was exactly NBA average. 

The game was played between the fluted Corinthian columns of M. J.–inspired architecture: if you had an offensive star, you soaked the floor with defenders and hoped your go-to guy could drag the phalanx to a brutish victory. Over a five-year span, only the Lakers and Spurs won titles, carried by the aforementioned O’Neal and Duncan.

To some, Iverson is a creature of the millennium NBA. It is believed that his dismal field-goal percentages, spotty perimeter shooting, and taste for contested floaters would not be tolerated in today’s game. In truth, he played twenty years too early. Offenses built around singular scorer- distributors like Harden and Luka Dončić flourish. Shooting has unclogged lanes. According to stats for pace (the number of possessions a team gets per game, on average), the slowest tempos in NBA history all fall exactly within Iverson’s late-1990s to mid-2000s prime. The idea that one of the fastest and most unguardable players ever would struggle to eat in today’s pace-and-space savanna defies reason. “A.I. would be the point guard and you would surround him with shooters and then just have him run a ton of pick-and-rolls,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, describing how Iverson would have been used today.

Sadly, Iverson spent his prime under the eye of coach Larry Brown, a micromanager with a mil-dewed offensive playbook, who bobbed between passive aggression and shoving his players under the bus. On the 2001 team that went to the Finals, Iverson started alongside Eric Snow, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, and Dikembe Mutombo. Outside of the Answer, the other starters hit a combined average of 0.3 3-pointers a game. “We tried to get defenders and rebounders and unselfish guys with him because I wanted him to shoot the ball,” Brown told Maxim. “Allen created double-teams wherever he was on the court. If he missed, we became the best rebounding team in the league.” How can one compare Iverson’s efficiency in that system, under that coach, with those teammates, in that era, to optimized weapons like Steph Curry or Steve Nash?

As divisive as Iverson was during his fourteen- year career, he has been vindicated. He was right about the blurred future of backcourt roles and the value of the hybrid scorer-distributor. He was right about the wear and tear of practice. He was right about pushing the tempo and playing with fluidity. He was right about the simplicity of putting the rock in the hands of your best player as many times as possible. He was right about the NBA’s jittery tightrope act of selling a product created by young Black men to an audience that is fearful of them. Iverson separated the old NBA from the new NBA. In return, both his predecessors and his descendants have used him as a cudgel to hammer away at what-ever they dislike about the sport.

But unlike other former players who speak with bitterness about today’s game, Iverson has shown nothing but love and support for today’s generation of stars. He embodies the joy of basketball.

Excerpt from the new book THE JOY OF BASKETBALL: An Encyclopedia of the Modern Game By Ben Detrick and Andrew Kuo, published by Abrams Image

Copyright © Text copyright © 2021 Ben Detrick

Illustrations copyright © 2021 Andrew Kuo

Photo credit Jason Nocito.

The post Ben Detrick and Andrew Kuo are Celebrating the Game With Their New Book, ‘The Joy of Basketball’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, Budenholzer says that the team “thought he just had a head cold or some type of non-COVID illness. And then didn’t feel good again the next day. And got tested and has come back positive.”

Ahead of tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Middleton had been listed as out.

A positive diagnosis means that a player has to sit out for a minimum of 10 days, meaning that Middleton could “miss the next six games” potentially until next week (per ESPN). The 30-year old, who is currently averaging 20.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and and 4.5 assists this season, is one of the latest players in the League to enter health and safety protocols—including Kevin Love and Tobias Harris.

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The top ranked prospect in the class of 2023, who committed to UCLA back in March, has continued to make a name for herself on the court. From her elite mid-range jumper to her athleticism on the court as a scorer, the La Jolla Country Day High School point guard won the JR NBA Championship in 2021 and was selected to play for Team USA at the FIBA Americas U16 tournament. There, she averaged 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while helping lead the team to a 6-0 record and a gold medal.

In September, Williams turned up at the Nike Nationals and effortlessly showed off her versatility, knocking down shots from three-point range and dishing out dimes to her teammates. Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony was even in attendance.

When we caught with Jada earlier this month, it was clear that not only is she confident, but her passion for the game runs deep.

“A lot of people say, Oh, how come you don’t average 30? At the end of day, I want to win,” Williams told SLAM over the phone. “I’m gonna do whatever I have to do in the game to win, I’m gonna be the person that dives on the floor every possession. I’m going to be the person that guards the best player on the floor. I’m gonna do all that…If my thing that game is to have 30 assists, that’s what I’m gonna do…My whole heart is into this game. This is my passion, this is one of my purposes.”

 “Every time I step out there, I’m going to communicate with my teammates, I’m going to be a leader of the team, I’m gonna do all that because, like, in my head, I’m a true PG…That’s my goal: to be able to lead the team on the court. Yes, there’s a coach off the court, and I’m going to have a special relationship with them, but when we’re in between those [court] lines, it’s us five versus the other team, right? So when I step out there, I’m going to be the leader of the pack. It’s me and my mine versus you and yours. I think that’s what really separates me, just knowing that I can impact the game more than just scoring.” 

That passion will serve her well at UCLA and as the newest brand ambassador of Spalding. Williams says she’s ready to use her platform to help elevate the women’s game, and through the multiyear partnership, she’ll help front campaigns, collaborate on a limited-edition basketball series, and even engage in programs focused on growing women’s youth basketball. 

“Ever since I was young, I’ve always played with a Spalding. [I’ve heard] that I played with other balls, just because I had to because the game ball was something different, but usually it was always Spalding or Wilson. So, just being able to be here now, like, when I was younger, I just remember getting my first ball for Christmas and being able to play outside with it, taking it everywhere basically, not really knowing where it was going to take me in life.”

“To be in this position and grow the women’s game [as] one of the first girls to sign with the basketball company and still being a junior in high school is something that I never [knew] I would do. But, I’m super blessed. I prayed for times like this and God put it on my plate because He knows I can handle it. So, [I’m staying] grounded, being humble [and helping] grow the game and use my platform to the best of my ability.”

As a standout female hopper on the rise, Williams says it’s always been a priority of hers to use her platform to inspire others, especially young girls. Growing up, she looked up to players like Sue Bird and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who showed her that she could be into modeling and fashion and hoop at the same time. 

“When I was younger, [people would] say, Oh, well, you can’t be a girly girl and play basketball. She kind of paved the way for me [where] I could be cute, I could take pictures if I want to and can still get on the court and hoop with the boys if I have to. The WNBA in general, these women go through so much adversity with the haters…The WNBA just inspires me.” 

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With that, Williams says she cherishes the moments she got to spend talking to the late-Kobe Bryant, and wants to continue to honor both his, and Gigi’s legacy.

“Kobe, [he] was probably my biggest inspiration ever. I would definitely call him like an uncle to me. Every time I spoke to him, he always had wise words and made me wake up every day and really think to myself, how can I push myself beyond the limits that other people don’t…When I wake up in the morning, I think about, How can I live their legacy? I just feel like God is just telling me to just go hard, go hard, go hard.” 

She admits that when her mom told her about the opportunity to work with Spalding, her immediate reaction was, Spalding, as in the basketball company? To her own surprise, the legendary basketball brand—who has been changing the game since it debuted its first-ever product in 1937—wanted her to be their brand ambassador alongside NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan and even Australian pro hooper Ezi Magbegor.

“I’ve done other stuff where I post on my instagram with one ball, but I had never signed a contract because up until now, it wasn’t allowed because of NCAA rules,” she says. “I knew stuff was gonna come in, but I didn’t know that it was going to come in as soon as it did.” 

 “What better platform to be [an] ambassador for the company and be able to grow the women’s game,” she adds. “That’s one of my ultimate goals: to grow the women’s game and be somebody that the younger girls can look up to. People ask me, well what do you want to do? and I’m like, inspire young kids.”

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And, now that college student-athletes can profit off of their own name, image and likeness (NIL), and high school athletes can do so in the state of California, brand deals such as this one will also give Williams the opportunity to give back to her family. 

“I think for all athletes, whatever we get to do now is a blessing because we’ve always dreamed about this. Everyone’s always been, you know, debating why we shouldn’t [and] why we should get paid and stuff like that, but when they passed [the NIL legislation], I feel like we do so much and we give our life to this and [now] we’re able to give back and provide for our families. That’s really my goal, like, I’m not trying to get money to buy shoes right now. It’s for the long run—to be able to start those connections.” 

Don’t get it twisted though, Williams says her aspirations aren’t just financial. She’s looking to use her platform and fulfill her purpose:

“Money is not the end goal here, it’s to grow the game,” she clarifies. “Everybody’s passionate about something, basketball and something. It’s not just basketball, you know? My purpose is much bigger than basketball. If I can be that light in someone’s dark world now, that’s my end goal.” 

Spalding is releasing a new collection of apparel, the Fundamentals—which features an exclusive collection of tees, sweatpants, shorts and hoodies that make for the perfect on, and off, court fit. It’s available starting November 5.

Photos via Spalding and Getty Images.

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Led by WNBA All-Star Candace Parker, WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper and standouts including Allie Quigley—who finished with a team-high 26 points—the Sky have won the first-ever ‘chip in franchise history.

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An emotional Parker, who finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, also acknowledged the impact that the late-Kobe and Gigi Bryant had on the WNBA:

“I think Kobe and Gigi have meant so much to our League,” Parker said per Yahoo! Sports. “So the advice I got from Vanessa before the game was, ‘Play Gigi’s way.’ And I think we’ve done that. We did that all playoffs. And so I just want to acknowledge [Kobe’s] contribution.”

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The win is not only a momentous occasion for Parker, who is now a 2x WNBA champion, but for the city of Chicago. Even Chance the Rapper, who promised to get a tattoo if the Sky won Game 3, told NBC that he’ll be fulfilling that promise.

Parker had shared in her SLAM 233 cover story just how special it was for her to return home:

“I believe a lot of things come full circle,” Parker said. “I think just over the course of my career I realized how much important people have meant to my career. Coming back home, I mean, my dad fixed my blinds the other day, we went over to his house for Father’s Day, my mom cooks me pregame, picks up my daughter all the time. Dad brings doughnuts over sometimes for my daughter, like, it’s just, I can go see my grandma. I really respect the time that I moved away from home because I needed it. I needed to establish myself in my home and get away from that, but to come back, who I am now, to really appreciate it.”

While Parker has continued to solidify her legacy, teammate Kahleah Copper emerged as a superstar in the Finals, averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series. As her teammates chanted “KFC,” Copper was named the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP after winning her first title.

Per CBS Sports, Copper says that Parker really pushed her to step up her game:

“I just lived up to the challenge and her expectation,” Copper said. “It felt like it was really far for me at first but every day she consistently told me what I could bring to this team and I just continually brought it every single day.”

The post Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky are Crowned 2021 WNBA Champions appeared first on SLAM.

“If they’re in the NBA, or playing overseas in the G League, whatever they do obviously got them somewhere. So, you want to continue to groom that stuff,” he explains over Zoom. “Let’s say you watch 30 games of a guy and he’s a really good three point shooter [and] he shoots the ball really well from both wings and the top of the key, we’ll go through that stuff. And then when you see that he struggles from the corner, [or] he struggles off the pick and roll or off the dribble, then the workout would consist of trying to improve that.” 

Training typically starts in June following the NBA playoffs. As a coach, Derrick says he’s “super big on the details of the game,” and, through extensively studying a player’s film, he’s able to simulate in-game play to help player’s maximize their potential. 

“I’m not inventing some new style of training that doesn’t exist. What I try to do is watch film on these players so that when they come in, I know where they’re at out on the floor, I know what type of system that their team is currently running. So, when I’m putting together the drills, it basically mimics what they would do in the game.”

He continues: “[Using] SWOT analysis, one thing I do is track their percentages, even in the workouts. It holds them accountable. If we start in the middle of June and we’re shooting—let’s say we shoot 100 three’s at the end of every workout, and they’re making 60-70. And then by the time you get to July, you know, they’re consistently hitting 80-85, sometimes 90. Once they see that, they know what we’re doing is working. And then obviously a lot of this stuff is mental, so that when they get in the game, they just have the confidence that they put in those hours and those reps. Hopefully it leads to some kind of success in their season.”

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Derrick knows the game well, having grown up around it his entire life: his father, Octavio De La Grana is currently the Assistant Coach/Player Development for the Miami Heat, but prior to coaching in the NBA, he led the high school program at Florida Christian in Miami. During those early years, a young Derrick would often accompany his father to camps and clinics, where he’d be fully immersed in skills training and coaching. 

In high school, Derrick suited up for Florida Christian, where as a point guard he amassed over 2,000 career points and earned First Team All-County and All-State honors. He then took his talents to the NAIA’s Reinhardt University in Georgia.

While attending college, Derrick’s father joined the Miami Heat’s staff in 2007, the season after Shaquille O’Neal and D-Wade won the title. It was then that Derrick got an exclusive inside-peek at what it took to run a successful championship organization. After graduating in 2010, Derrick took his talents overseas to play for the Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile. While there, he was also commissioned to run skills clinics in Chile, as well as China, Costa Rica, Germany, and Puerto Rico. 

Following his pro career, Derrick took on a head coaching job at Calusa Preparatory School in 2012. He says it was then that a lot of young hoppers in the area also started hitting him up to run through drills and workouts, prompting him to pick up a “side hustle” in training one or two players at a time. 

“I really started studying, watching film and designing my own workouts to cater to a specific player. So, if a kid was 6-foot-8 and he was a bigger type of guy, [I would try] to do stuff for that kind of kid,” he says. “Just kind of doing more detail oriented stuff.”

Since then, Derrick has worked with hoopers at every level of the game: from Tyler Herro’s lil’ bros Austin and Myles Herro to Columbia-commit Emily Montes and basketball influencer Tristian Jass, who has 2 million followers on Instagram.

He started consistently training pro players, such as James Johnson and Ellington, five years ago. With Miami being a vacation spot for many players, as well as his dad’s ties with the Heat, Derrick and a friend decided to put together an open gym.

It was then, Derrick says, that he started to learn the ropes, and through working with Johnson and Ellington, he built up his confidence as a trainer. 

“I’ve always been confident in what I did, and what I brought to the table with that stuff. But when those guys are telling you, you’re onto something, we like what you’re doing, that really gave me the confidence to just step into any gym or training facility and be able to do what I do without questioning stuff. That was probably what got me going.” 

His clientele has grown by fostering relationships with players and coaches around the League. He linked up with D-Lo through Johnson—the two played together on the Timberwolves, and Russell had even bought a house near him. 

“JJ was like, Hey, this is a guy that I work with sometimes, you know, if you ever need a gym, you ever want to workout, hit him up. And we spent last summer together when everything was shut down [during the pandemic], going from random gym to random gym trying to get working. It was cool.” 

Derrick uses the opportunity of working with NBA players to pick their brains and learn from them, as well as other coaches around the League.  

“Sometimes with different players on different teams, some of their coaching staff will sneak in, so that I get to coordinate with those guys and learn from them, too. It’s been pretty dope to [work with players] when [they] go to different teams and branch out a little bit.” 

While he didn’t necessarily see being an NBA Player Development coach as his exact career path—growing up with a coach as a father, he “always knew” he’d follow that route, and even aspired to become a basketball coach like Pat Riley “with all the swag and all that”—his journey has led him to skills training. With a “laid back” approach to his craft and music blasting in the gym, he tries to make sure that his players are comfortable and tapped in while they dedicate their offseasons to the grind.

“I try to keep a chill vibe, because at the end of the day, this is offseason,” he says. “These guys come in and they’re here to get better. They’re here to work.” 

Photos via Kimberly Toledo and Ethan Zabari. Follow them both on Instagram, @holytoledophoto and @ethanzabarifilms.

The post How NBA Player Development Coach Derrick De La Grana is Preparing Guys like D’Angelo Russell For the Upcoming Season appeared first on SLAM.

Spelling, she says, is just a side hobby. That might come as a surprise to those who have heard of Zaila Avant-garde, the middle schooler from Harvey, LA, who became the 2021 Scripps Spelling Bee Champion in July at just 14 years old. After spelling the word “murraya” correctly, she became the first Black American—and the only second Black winner after Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica won in ’98—to be crowned champion in the contests 96-year history. Zaila is also the first competitor from Louisiana to win. 

Videos of her victory and celebratory twirl went viral and caught the attention of the basketball world, earning retweets from LeBron James to the WNBA and  the Seattle Storm.

But spelling is just a “side thing” to Zaila. Basketball is what she loves to do. 

“Basketball, I’m not just playing it,” she shared with the AP. “I’m really trying to go somewhere with it. Basketball is what I do. Spelling is really a side thing I do. It’s like a little hors d’ouevre, but basketball’s the main dish.”

Scrolling through her Instagram feed (@basketballasart), it’s clear that beyond her spelling prowess, Zaila’s truly gifted athletically. She started playing basketball at age 5, and video clips show her, at only 8, consistently practicing crossovers, behind the back dribbles and between the leg combos with two basketballs. She currently holds three Guinness World Records for dribbling and juggling.

According to the New York Times, Zaila’s father, Jawara Spacetime, noticed her gift for spelling when, after watching the National Spelling Bee, he asked then-10-year-old Zaila to spell the winning word, marocain. A 2017 IG video shows her rattling off words like foudroyant and rijksdaalder with ease. (Yeah, we had to look them up, too.)

“Since I was a young child, reading and words has always been something that I loved,” she discussed with NPR. “Reading books. I’ve read, like, over a thousand books.”

The next year, she was featured in a commercial with Stephen Curry for the Under Armor Curry 5s, where she impressed the two-time MVP with her handles and crazy dribbling combos. 

Both spelling and basketball take extensive training and focus, and Zaila’s commitment to both is a testament to her greatness. She shared with the Associated Press that she goes over about 13,000 words a day, which takes “about seven hours.” 

Spelling obviously took priority over hoops during the summer, and the champ has said that out of all of her accomplishments and records, she likes it for the “mental acuity that it takes.” But she’s just as dedicated to the game. Zaila has said that she “really wants to go somewhere” with basketball, and one video on her IG feed shows her in seventh grade, snagging a steal, driving down the lane and dishing out spin moves to the basket. As of this writing, she’s been offered full-ride scholarships, both academic and athletic, from multiple programs, including Tulane University, LSU and Maryland.

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A post shared by Zaila Avant-garde (@basketballasart)

Zaila has said that she has her sights set on attending Harvard and dreams of playing in the WNBA or coaching in the League, that is if she doesn’t work for NASA. Maybe we’ll see her run for office one day, or even better, become Commissioner of the W. 

Get your copy of the first all-women’s issue of SLAM!

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Spelling Bee Champ Zaila Avant-garde Has Some Serious Hoops Game, Too appeared first on SLAM.

“We called Terrence and said, Terrence, is that a filter? And he was like, Mommy, that’s just me! Like, he just had this beautiful light,” Osmine recalls on a rainy afternoon in August, exactly four months since Terrence passed. She’s sitting down on a plush grey loveseat inside the dimly lit, yellow-painted living room at her mother’s house in Boston, telling the story.

She remembers she was at an IHOP in Brockton with her daughter Tatyana when she saw the photo on March 19. That same day, Terrence had declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, and in what appears to be a screenshot of a Face Time call, Terrence is looking slightly away from the camera and smiling a wide, cheeky grin as the sun beams down on him. The words, “Guess who just declared for the draft! Congrats broo I’m so proud of you” are written in the caption.

“His melanin was definitely poppin’,” says Taty, who is standing behind the couch while entertaining her 4-year-old brother Gavin.

“He had this beautiful light,” Osmine adds, gently smiling at the memory. “It just looked so beautiful. I thought it was amazing, as if it was an angel. There’s so many things leading up to now and Terrence passing that, it’s almost like, I don’t want to say a premonition but it’s like, this is an angel but eventually we have to take him.” 

Her voice breaks and the emotions start to overcome her. Gavin, who has just climbed up onto her lap, reaches over to a box of tissues on the wooden table beside them and hands one to her. 

Here you go, Mommy. 

“I think that everything leading up to the accident were, like, signs,” Osmine repeats. “But we could have never known that [then].”  

SLAM 234 featuring the late-Terrence Clarke is available now. All proceeds from the sale of this issue will go directly to his Terrence’s family and the TClarke5 Foundation.

Terrence Adrian Clarke was born on September 6, 2001, a month after his expected due date, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Even during the early years of his life, he always knew that he wanted to go to the League. 

His father Adrian would often take him to Boston Celtics games as a kid, and at 8 years old, Terrence met his favorite player, Rajon Rondo, who told him to “keep working.” There’s a photo, Osmine recalls, from one of the games where Terrence is on the court and looking up at the basketball. The look on his face says, I’m going to be here. 

“When he came back from the games he said, Mom, I’m going to be in the NBA. He just spoke it into existence, like, This is what I want to do.”

Brandon Watson, Terrence’s gym teacher at Young Achievers Academy in Mattapan, recalled a young boy who picked up the sport in second grade, showing a serious commitment to the game even back then, so much so that he’d cry whenever he had to finally leave the gym. 

Growing up, Terrence spent most of his time at the Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury, where he trained with his mentor Dexter Foy, whom he met when he was entering fifth grade. Terrence was playing at Tobin Community Center in Roxbury when Dex and AAU coach Maurice Smith first noticed him for his height. They were looking for someone tall to join their team, the Titans, and that’s when Dex went up to Terrence and asked for his mother’s phone number.

That was the beginning. Not long after, Dex started taking his two sons, Jamari and Keon, and TC to work out at Vine Street, where he’d set up ballhandling and shooting drills. Even then, Terrence’s passion for the game was undeniable, and he showed a deep, innate desire to want to get things right. To want to do things the right way, regardless of what others think. 

It made him emotional at times, both on and off the court. Osmine and Dex both remember the time when Dex took the boys to see one of the Fast and the Furious films at the Randolph movie theater. The other kids didn’t want to go, but T refused to do what the majority wanted. He was set on something happening, and like any kid would do, he threw a fit to get his way. 

“He was like, Do you know everybody else didn’t want to go to the movies? And I still told Dex, I want to go regardless!” Osmine recalls, laughing. “And I was like, Terrence, you can’t be selfish! That’s typical Terrence. Have you ever seen him when he’s playing?” Osmine then gets up and starts mimicking Terrence pouting up and down the court, arms waving. “When you [saw] him go like this, that means he’s in his funk.”

Dexter says that during those moments, Terrence was just misunderstood. “He had so much passion on the court. He just wanted things to be right. I think that [came] from his training. You know, Terrence put in a lot of work. He was training so much that he just wanted everything to be right. And when it wasn’t right, I think it came off differently to people. But they don’t know what he’s gone through to get to that point.”

SLAM 234 featuring the late-Terrence Clarke is available now.

Terrence once said that he didn’t get much of a childhood because he was always playing basketball. He didn’t even learn how to ride a bike until ninth grade, Dexter later reveals. Terrence was in the gym, committing himself to workouts with his trainer Brandon Ball. 

At first, Ball only trained the athletic shooting guard once a week, but that soon progressed into twice-a-week sessions. As Terrence got older, the two of them started working out every day, even twice a day. Ball would later pick Terrence up from his grandmother’s house at 5 am to train before school. 

“You [didn’t] have to tell him things twice. He [got] it right away,” Ball says. “To the point where he could see something right away and go act it out in terms of every step that was in the movement, the rhythm of it. If you [taught] him a read, he [was] going to be able to pick that read up right away in the game, in live action. He’d get things so fast.” 

After attending a camp at Syracuse University and heading into his sophomore year, Terrence told Ball how everything was starting to click for him on the court. All of his hard work was coming together. “He was like, B, it’s easy, now. I’ll never forget that. It was one of the moments when I really started seeing things turn for him. The confidence.” 

Terrence brought that energy with him to the NBPA Top 100 Camp in 2018, where he averaged 10.4 ppg. Dexter went with him, and it was there that he saw Terrence hold his own against the other top prospects in the country. 

“You heard rumblings of him having chances to make the NBA,” Dexter says. “But after we left that camp, [I remember] him and I talking and realizing that this is obtainable.” 

That July, Terrence announced his decision to transfer to Brewster Academy. Doing so meant leaving his neighborhood, his friends and the familiarity of the city to live in rural Wolfeboro, NH. He once said that he made that sacrifice for not only his own future, but for his family. 

While the adjustment was difficult at times, Terrence powered through to average a solid 15.9 points his first season. He then went on to average 16.2 ppg playing for Expressions Elite on the EYBL circuit that summer and earned an invite to Chris Brickley’s exclusive Black Ops runs. There, he trained with 10x NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and soon-to-be All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young. 

“The main thing I learned is that I could play with anybody—in the country, in the world,” Clarke told SLAM in 2019. “It doesn’t matter who it is, I feel like I can play with ’em. That built my confidence a lot.”

He then showed out that August at the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 2 in NYC, where he joined a stacked roster full of elite high school prospects and future pros, from Jalen Green and Sharife Cooper to Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Christopher. 

Following the grind of the summer, Terrence popped off his junior year, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3 assists in 37 games. He was ranked No. 4 in the class of 2021 by ESPN. He often said he aspired to “put Boston on the map” and prove that top-level talent can come out of the 617.

Osmine loved watching her son do his thing on the basketball court, and she’d always be at his home games at Brewster with a satchel purse made out of a basketball on one side of her, Gavin on the other. Her favorite hoop memory of T is from that season, when Brewster played against Catholic Prep in November 2019. She remembers it well, the way that her son soared to the basket after a fast break, effortlessly dishing the ball between his legs and jamming down a dunk. By the time he got his footing and landed to the ground, he blew a kiss to the cameras as if it was a performance. To him, it was. Terrence was always putting on a show.

As he continued to ascend, the hype followed in the form of thousands of followers and a blue checkmark on IG. “I think for him to get recognized for the hard work he put in, I think that was a good thing for him,” Dexter says. “I remember the first time he got verified. He was on cloud nine. [He called me] and was like, I got it. I didn’t even know what it [was]! I think that’s when he recognized that, you know, this is different.” 

Terrence once said that he wanted to go to a school that would help get him “ready for the NBA.” After fielding offers from powerhouse programs including Duke, Boston College, UCLA and Kentucky, he finally held his college announcement ceremony in September 2019 at Vine Street. 

With Osmine sitting by his side, a video played as Terrence stood up and unzipped his green-camo printed jacket to unveil a grey t-shirt with the words KENTUCKY WILDCATS printed in blue on the front. He would be reclassifying to the Class of 2020 and heading there in the fall. 

Head coach John Calipari says that we didn’t get to truly see Terrence at his fullest during his lone season at Kentucky. After dropping 22 points against Georgia Tech and another 14 in a matchup against Notre Dame, Terrence injured his ankle on December 19 against North Carolina. Coach Cal says that he shouldn’t have played Terrence after that, despite the fact that doctors said he was OK and MRI results didn’t show any significant damage. And yet, after Terrence continued to let Cal know that his leg hurt, the team sent him to get an MRI/X-ray, which revealed a “stress reaction” in his leg. 

“At that point, I thought the season was over. He and I were in the office. He cried. I cried,” Cal tells SLAM. “Can you imagine being 19 and your career flashing before your eyes? You had aspirations and opportunity, and you come to Kentucky, you’re one of the top 10 players in the country. But he did stay positive. He would tell the team, I’m coming back next week.”

Three months later, on March 11, Coach Cal let Terrence get on the floor for the last game of the season against Mississippi State. He scored 2 points and had 3 assists in nine minutes. “Even then you could see just a glimpse, and you’d look and say, He made plays normal guys couldn’t make,” Cal says. 

After his charismatic freshman signed a deal with Klutch Sports in April, Cal had heard that Terrence was getting stronger and better. “They said it was off the chain, how he was playing, what he was doing, how he was training. His athleticism. His leg was better and he was back. He was on that path.”

Terrence’s life ended too soon for him to see the dream he spoke of being manifested into a reality. On July 29, the NBA selected him at the 2021 NBA Draft as an honorary draft pick, with Osmine, Taty and Gavin on hand at Barclays Center to accept the recognition on his behalf. 

Later this fall, with the support of Mayor Kim Janey and the city of Boston, the Celtics and New Balance plan to unveil a newly renovated home court at Vine Street that will be renamed and dedicated to honor his legacy. 

Terrence’s memory will live on there, and through his family, especially Gavin. The similarities between the brothers are undeniable, from the magnetic personality to the height: at 4 years old, Gavin is already four feet tall. He’s also starting to develop a love for the game and can dribble two basketballs at one time. Osmine has started taking him to the gym on Saturdays to train with Brandon Ball. 

There, Ball has noticed that Gavin has Terrence’s same energy. Just as T would cheer and clap his hands out of excitement, Gavin is a little hype man. “He’ll watch other guys working out and when they make shots, he’ll go crazy,” Ball says. “Like Terrence, he’s a big motivator.”

During the final moments of his life, Osmine and Dex say that Terrence was happy. Truly happy. The light in him was shining brighter than ever. On the day he passed in April, he was laughing and smiling with them outside of the training facility. He was hyped about a full-court run that was scheduled for the next day. He was ready to show what he could do out there. 

After finishing up his workout, they both remember Terrence excitedly going up for a dunk, the first time he’d been able to do so in about a month. His confidence was sky high.

“He was like, Mommy, I’m so much stronger,” Osmine says. “I’m saying this now, but I would have never said this if Terrence was alive: I think that God put us through that moment to be there for him, and to see his last smile.”

SLAM 234 is available now in black and gold metal editions, as well as these exclusive cover tees. Shop here.

All proceeds from the sale of the regular issue, metal editions and the cover tee will go directly to his family and the TClarke5 Foundation, which you can donate to here. 

Photos via Getty Images, University of Kentucky Athletics and the Clarke family.

The post Terrence Clarke Covers SLAM 234 appeared first on SLAM.