He asked that the current players at Simeon, his alma mater, be included in the shoot. And
not just the varsity squad—freshman and JV, too. And, so, after we finished solo shots with Rose, about 40-ish teenagers arrived to join the Bulls legend in a media day-type set up that included photo and video stations. Except, when they first arrived, they had no idea what they were about to partake in. 

Looking to surprise the kids, Rose’s team and Simeon varsity head coach Tim Flowers, who was Rose’s teammate and starting center when both played for the Wolverines in the mid 2000s, decided not to tell the players in advance why they were being asked to come down to the school on a Saturday afternoon. After Rose was done with his solo shots, he walked up to a classroom where the players had been asked to gather and surprised them with a visit. Rose made sure to go around the room and individually dap up every single player before stopping at the center of the classroom and delivering an impromptu, off-the-dome speech. A raw and candid talk with them about life, mistakes, obstacles and the challenges that they’re facing in the South Side of Chicago, all of which he could relate to.    

All of this to say, Rose’s post-playing career is primed to make an even bigger impact in the world than the one wearing a basketball jersey ever did. Or at least that’s definitely the goal,
as you’ll read below. This chapter of Rose’s life is about stepping out of the comfort zone and entering industries and sectors that once didn’t even seem likely or a match for him. And, so, we thought it was only right that we delivered our interview with the superstar to the world unfiltered, in Q&A format, for everyone to take in directly from Rose, as he looked back at his historic career while also looking ahead into the future.

SLAM: Aside from your social media post, your retirement announcement involved a letter to the game of basketball that ran in newspapers in all the markets you played in. Can you walk us through the thought process behind deciding to announce your retirement in that unique manner? 

Derrick Rose: I feel like it was a team effort. You know, when I first made the decision, of course, I told my two friends, Randall [Hampton] and Maddie [Ornstil] about it and they’re [now] working on my team with me. And Maddie mentioned, What about the newspaper? I didn’t answer right away. That’s something we kept ideating on, and it came together great. But we wanted to give something that was tangible for the fans to actually go out and purchase. Something to have, like a time stamp. I’m a collector now, but I know people that’ve been following my career for numerous years. I know they would’ve loved the opportunity to be a part of that moment. So, putting something out like that into the world, [that’s] tangible and giving you the old-school feel of how things used to be—like the fabric of things back in the day. 

SLAM: Your IG caption for the announcement read: “The psychological assumption automatically provides the means to fulfill the dream desire.” Why did you decide to go with that line for your announcement caption and how would you say that statement relates to your own personal journey?

DR: That’s something that I wrote on my mirror [and] I look at every day. It’s whatever you think you are or whatever you think of, you can actually become it or manifest it. So, it’s just a reminder. I got like five to eight quotes on my mirror that remind me every day. But that one is number one because in order for me to fulfill my dream and desire, it has to be on [my] mind constantly. It has to be an obsession. It has to be intrusive. You can’t just love it, you have to be obsessed with it. And I feel like this process right now is not only me, but my team being obsessed with the journey, the challenge, and just pushing each other to be great. So, we have a goal, [but] I don’t want to say the goal right now, but we have a goal and we have a vision that we’re going to complete. But there’s no point of my stating it right now when we still got a lot of work to do. 

SLAM: Where is that mirror located?

DR: It’s my personal mirror, my bathroom mirror. And I just started that like a few months ago…Like two months ago, recently…Just something that I heard through somebody. It was through a lecture or something like that. And I just tried it just to see how it would work. My wife was looking at me crazy, my kids were looking at me crazy, but, yeah, just pushing myself to be uncomfortable and living in the unknown. 

SLAM: You signed off your retirement letter by saying that the game will always be a part of you, no matter where life takes you. How do you anticipate the game will continue to be a part of you in your post-playing days? 

DR: I feel like being from Chicago is already ingrained in me. I gave my all to the game. That’s one of the reasons I could step away and be happy with stepping away and not feel any resentment or feel down about it. My son plays, my youngest son plays and it’s really me tailor-making their schedule, however I see it’s fit for them. Like, both of my kids play, but I don’t push them to actually go out there. I give them the opportunity to voice their opinion on certain things. So, we’re on the court, You don’t like this drill, what you want to do? And that relationship, it helps a lot with me and PJ, and with my youngest, him seeing PJ work out, too. So, basketball is always going to be a part of my life in general. But my goal, when these years pass, and I keep telling Maddie and Randall this, I want to remove myself from that imagery—where 20, 30 years down the line, I want young guys that play here or when I go visit places, I want them to not know that I played basketball at all because I want to keep completing my goals, and that’s to become a businessman and really to boss up in every area.

SLAM: Are there hobbies or personal interests that you’ve now been able to dedicate time to post-retirement that you maybe didn’t have time to do during your playing days? 

DR: It’s a lot to do with that camera right there. Figuring out if I want to be a director or producer, figuring out the difference between the two, because I always thought that they were the same. But I feel like I’m heading toward the director side, really catching the eye. I feel like I’ve put in the work, I’ve put in tens of thousands of hours in watching documentaries and films, weird docs and great docs. And now it’s all about taking the courage to actually be behind the camera and to voice my opinion. I feel like that’d be the hardest challenge. I’ve also been playing a lot of chess and hopefully somewhere down the line within the next couple of weeks, I’ll ink a chess deal [and] you’ll be hearing about it pretty soon.

SLAM: Where and when did that passion for storytelling originate? 

DR: I will say toward the end of my career, like five or six years ago, knowing that, first, I was into history. I then went from history to me questioning myself, Would you ever think about putting out a doc or putting out stories that are in books that people really don’t tell? And it went from that to me actually getting a camera, me being behind a camera, me being so uncomfortable being behind the camera, talking, multitasking, while I’m behind the camera, and trying to put it all together and being uncomfortable. That’s what I love about just holding a camera. How cool would it have been if it was Michael Jordan or Magic or Michael Jackson behind the camera and it was them shooting everything? It would make the doc a little bit more special, I feel like, instead of them having a crew to shoot it. You hear their voice, the little mess-ups, the errors, everything. I just love raw footage. 

SLAM: You mentioned you enjoy history. Is that something that developed while studying at Simeon or later in life? 

DR: As I got older, it came from my mom. The love of history came from my mom because my mom is big into history, not knowing that I would love it somewhere down the line. But with me figuring out who I was through self- knowledge, self-revelation and self-identity—figuring those three keys out—I started to realize, like, Hey, I’m obsessed with this. I just don’t love it, I’m obsessed with it. I started to cry about certain things that I read. I started to look up or daydream about certain things that I read. And at that moment, that’s how I knew that I was really passionate for it. So, it’s about now translating that over to what that looks like with me finding my eye for certain films or certain things that I want to shoot. And the next step is having the courage to put that out there to present it to the world.

SLAM: I’m sure you’ve had some time to reflect on your playing career over the past couple of months. Looking back, what would you say were your top three on-court moments? 

DR: I would say [winning] MVP. My first game as a rookie. And the third one would be the 50-point game in Minnesota. In that order. 

SLAM: Similarly, having had some time to reflect, what would you say is the biggest life lesson you took away from your playing days that you can now pass on and teach the kids at Simeon? 

DR: I would say to cherish the moment. When you look up the definition of cherish, it means to protect, too. Not only to remember, but to protect. All my best friends that went here, we still talk about Simeon to this day. And now that I’m thinking about it, that’s something that we protected in a way, where, for one, you’re not going to say anything crazy about Simeon when we are around. But also knowing that we now have people in powerful spots here, so that’s our way of being on the ground, always having somebody nearby to protect it. And just knowing that these days, you can’t get them back.

If I could tell the kids, I wish that I could have held on to the memories a little bit more because it was a blur. You win the first [MVP award], that’s already out the window. You want to get to the second [MVP]. I wish I would’ve cherished that first one a little bit more. I wish I would’ve took more pictures, I wish I would’ve had videos. I wish I would have just held on to it. 

SLAM: A big portion of your retirement ceremony weekend will be dedicated to community initiatives around Chicago and local kids. Can you tell us more about some of the initiatives you’d like to do on the community front moving forward? 

DR: For one, coming back here [to Simeon], we’re doing an all-star game event here. This came from—when we were in high school, on this random day, Cam’ron and Dipset had a game here, and it was unexpected. We were about to go home. We didn’t have practice [that day] and to see them pull up in Range Rovers—pink Range Rovers—back there and just had everybody come back to the school, pack out the gym and watch them hoop. I didn’t think of the idea, but Randall ended up asking me, Man, what do you think if we did something like that? And it was a no brainer, we for sure have to do that, but [this time] we’re going to play in it. 

It’s about activations, collaborating with the Bulls and Sloomoo, the slime company, and other partners, to move around the city and make it a real all-star weekend experience.  

SLAM: If 36-year-old Derrick Rose could have a conversation with 22-year-old Derrick Rose, what would you say to him? 

DR: Be patient. When I was younger, I always kept the mindset of like, keep it moving. I call it KIM: keep it moving. And once again, I didn’t cherish those moments because I’m thinking, like, Ah, I won one MVP, next year I’m about to win another one. I’m about to win three or four more. I’m about to win the championship. So, I don’t got time to really celebrate because you hear all the time, once you achieve something, you can’t really bask in it that long. If you do, you’re going to miss out on the next opportunity. I always kept the mindset of, like, keep it moving. But at the same time, looking back at it [now], [I would suggest] just enjoying it. Going to dinner, going to concerts more, events. Really, throwing myself into the matrix. But at that time, I wasn’t ready for that…It was the little things that I overlooked. My third or fourth year—I think it was my fourth year—that’s when I saw Kobe kind of relax. Once I saw that, that’s when I started to relax, because I knew that he wasn’t living the life that he portrayed. Not in a bad way—he wasn’t that intense, I would say.

SLAM: If you had to identify a couple of mentors who helped you stay mentally level-headed through all the ups and downs of your career, who would you say they were and how did they help you? 

DR: For one, my man, Harvey Hampton, that’s my best friend’s dad. He kind of took me in as his third child, [his] family took me in as like their third child. I used to spend the night over at their house almost the entire summer. When I first met him, he threw me for a loop because everybody in my neighborhood that was doing well or had families that were doing well, they were doing nefarious things. I remember being at his house and I asked him straight up, like, Do you sell drugs or something? He started laughing in my face and took me to his office, which is a part of the living room, and was just showing me, like, Nah, I work at a chemical company. I clean the water that you drink, that you bathe in. So, to assume that he was doing nefarious things and for me going there to hear the complete opposite, it kind of blew me away. 

Another guy Dre—Driller—lived in my neighborhood, another guy that was into nefarious things, but changed his life at the right time to help not only in the neighborhood but at Simeon and was one of the coaches at Simeon while we were here. I had another guy that coached along with Harvey, with us in AAU; his name is Lou Tops. And Lou was kind of like the wild card on the team, but taught us heart, bravery and just passion for the game. Coming here, Bob Henry, that was the varsity coach here before I got here. When I came here, I played JV and our coach was Robert Smith. But the varsity coach here, the same guy who coached Benji Wilson, he taught everybody a little bit of something as far as becoming a man, making sure you didn’t mess up in school, making sure that you did think things through, critically thinking and teaching you discipline. That’s the biggest thing I got from here and from all the people that I’ve been around—how disciplined they were.

SLAM: Your retirement weekend will have lots of activations that are meant to celebrate with fans in different capacities. What do you hope people take out of the weekend from an experience standpoint? 

DR: Peace and love, some type of peace and some type of love, or just a vibration. We never thought that we would have an all-star weekend here or host two days here. If we did think that, it was probably a thought that [it’d happen] while I was playing. But to do all of this after the fact, and to conflate everything together and come up with something that’s going to be special and that we could probably turn into an annual thing—you never know. We’re pushing ourselves and we’re getting the most out of every day. It’s a perfect place to be. I call it a great problem. Most people just got problems, but we got great problems. 

SLAM: Twenty, 30 years from now, when people talk to the next generation of kids about your career, what do you hope they remember most about it and the impact you made on the game and on the city of Chicago?

DR: I’d want the question to be, He hooped? I want that one question. I want them to be amazed that I hooped. That’s how far away removed I want to be from it.

The post EXCLUSIVE Derrick Rose Interview 🌹 Former MVP on his Past, Present & Future appeared first on SLAM.

My 40-year-old knees are worn out. Worn out like the lawn behind my childhood home, and for the same reason. It’s the reason I bought a rim and backboard set with the cash I saved on my 12th birthday. It’s why I had my dad lower the rim after the first week. It’s why I replaced it with a spring-loaded rim a year later. Before that, it was the reason that my Spalding Micro-Mini hoop snapped within an hour of purchasing. The reason the old lady next door complained. The reason why Shawn Kemp was (and still is) my hero. It’s the reason why, even all these years later, the skin on my palms at the base of my fingers is rough. It’s why my 1994 NBA All-Star Weekend VHS tape went fuzzy.

It’s because all I ever wanted to do was dunk.

The problem was that I did most of my growing early so, by the age of 16, my height was just about scraping 5-10 and my fingers just about scraping the rim. Hope, as usual, would be found within the hallowed pages of SLAM. It wasn’t in a frame-by-frame SLAMADAMONTH spread, either (although those were insanely dope). No. It was the ads that provided a solution to my problem with gravity. The range of Jump Higher programs on offer in our first two decades was wild, and within our magazines were scattered a medley of options. It wasn’t just me who wanted more bounce. We all did.

The ad that initially stood out to me was from the late ’90s. What’s crazy is that the program didn’t even have a name; it was just a lot of writing (we had larger attention spans back then…) and a black and white pic. The text implied that someone was giving away some top secret, Area 51 type of info. This, combined with a mysterious photo that was giving “Loch Ness Monster” style vibes had me completely locked in. The pic featured a young-looking kid jumping freakishly high (a trampoline?! definitely not…) with a defender helplessly waiting to have a basketball smashed into his unathletic face. It was significant that the kid featured was white. I was (and still am) also white and, until YouTube and Mac McClung (shout out to Rex Chapman, too) proved otherwise, our destiny was to replicate Larry Bird’s dunk package, if we were lucky. If this program could get a white kid dunking, then there was hope for us all. Surely.

I never did meet anyone who got their hands on that report—it claimed to be free—but the brand name, “Why Almost Everyone is Wrong About How They Train to Increase Their Vertical” was possibly a little long and not too catchy. Others, though, really stayed in the memory bank and, despite being pricey, saw a lot of success.

Jumpsoles and Strength Shoes were the early big hitters. For a long stretch, it would be common to find both brands battling it out in an issue, fighting for our pockets and their share of a bunny-hungry market. While basically the same product, Strength Shoes provided an entire shoe, along with Bob Knight and Bobby Hurley Sr’s approval. Jumpsoles, on the other hand, were strapped onto your existing shoe. This flexibility, as well as an athlete endorsement from the greatest short dunker (at the time) ever witnessed in Spud Webb, made sense. Although he was winning dunk contests almost 10 years before this product hit the market, we didn’t ask questions.

For a short period, we saw ads from imitation products such as Gainers and Skyflex, who apparently didn’t get off the ground (pun intended, always). Jumpsoles and Strength Shoes would hold their solid grip on the market and remain in our pages for a long time. My skeptical assumption, combined with the fact that I didn’t want to risk spending more money than I ever had in my bank account, was that they probably didn’t work. I’d heard reports of Yeah, right moments where a dude who couldn’t touch the rim wore them for five minutes and went on to throw down a windmill, all in an effort to sell units to kids at a camp. Others reported that the shoes would blow out your knees or that just working the calves would never be enough. Still, there have been countless others who claim them to be totally legit, and the fact that both of these brands exist today is perhaps proof of this.

Other equipment-based products available included ankle weights, vests, even a board with bungee straps that promoted itself with the tagline, “INCREASE YOUR VERTICAL BY ACTUALLY JUMPING!” Still, other programs boasted “No special shoes or weights necessary” and products like the Air Alert series began to push plyometrics over physical products. The fact that these brands required no actual equipment (other than books or DVDs) to be shipped, combined with the rise of the internet, meant that this section of the market was even more competitive. Names such as AIRBORNE!, JUMP ON, Mad Bounce and Vertical Leap Beyond Belief would fight for the attention of SLAM readers, all following a similar format. Some would refer to their information being “top secret…until now!” Quotes would be included from happy customers whose lives had been drastically altered by jumping higher. An ad by Leapfrog attempted to hook us in by sending customers a “dunk montage of 75 slams including a 6-1 LEAPFROGGIN’ jam over a 6-3 person.” I would’ve loved to have seen that whole thing. Oh, and they all, of course, guaranteed a specific gain of inches, a claim that was awkwardly comparable to a completely different industry that was spamming our in-boxes at the time. Fulfilling the desire to perform and/or impress is big business.

In the end, I never did invest in a “jump higher” type of program (three-pointers are cooler these days anyway, right?) but I remain fascinated by how synonymous they are with SLAM and, in turn, basketball culture. If I could go back to when I was a teen, I don’t think I’d opt for Strength Shoes or Jump Soles, not even Air Alert (which is still going btw!) for that matter. Too much effort. Instead, I’d give the Vertical Growth supplement pills a go. What could go wrong? If not then the Vertical Blast 2000 would have done the job. They worked for Todd from Phoenix, AZ, (pictured with a female companion no less) so why not Sammy from Erdington? If I wasn’t too late (this particular ad states that it’s only available to the first 125 “athletes” who respond) then a bottle of Adenotrex looked like a safe bet.

If all else failed, then there’s one product that couldn’t. Genuinely. The Slam Station springboard—”a stable but portable ‘mad ups’ producing dunking machine that gets you where you want to be…ABOVE THE RIM.” Incredible.

I barely ever dunked on a regulation rim ( a couple of times, maybe), but my dunking fantasy remains. And sometimes, after bending down to rub my aching 40-year-old knees, I still think to myself, “Why didn’t I send for that top-secret jumping info in SLAM…” 

The post These OLD SLAM ADS Promised to Help You Dunk and Improve Your Vertical—Guaranteed appeared first on SLAM.

The last 12 months have been a flurry of camps, tournaments, events and enacting his own clinics on defenders and offensive threats alike. And the wide-spread recognition has rightfully poured in. “It’s just kind of recent, like my freshman, sophomore year. I realized that I loved basketball once I shot out my sophomore year and I just kept wanting to play,” Chris says. “Because most people, they’ll just stop and quit, but I kept going and worked harder, and it motivated me.”

The 6-10 center with the bag of a guard has always been one of the tallest among his peers. But it wasn’t until his freshman season at Riverside Academy that he began building toward his future. Alongside his trainer, coach James Parlow, Chris crafted the foundation of the skill set that we see today. One dribble, with a shoulder into the chest, straight into a two-hand flush. Face up fadeaways from the same spot. Pull-up middies off the pick-and-roll. The handles to create coast-to-coast in transition and for others. 

“I feel like every year I got two times better than where I was the year before, which is the goal. Just development. A lot of skill work, working on having a lot of skills,” Chris says. “The goal was to be a versatile big that can guard all positions, handle the ball, shoot the ball, take a guy off the dribble, all those types of things. That was our plan, and I worked and got better and it came to life.” 

Despite the pieces falling into place, Chris was forced to sit out the entirety of his sophomore season after transferring to Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Transfer rules ruled him ineligible. While the team went on to capture its second straight state championship, Chris was holed up in the lab trying to close the gap between himself and the top-ranked prospects who had been grinding for their keep since middle school. “I was just thinking, Be in the gym and catch up to everyone,” Chris says.

He entered the summer with a Big Easy-sized chip on his shoulder and led the school to its third consecutive state title the following season, averaging 13.9 points and 10.2 boards a game. Now, he’s taking his double-double game to the acclaimed Link Academy in Missouri. 

At the program that’s produced the likes of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jordan Walsh and current Texas freshman Tre Johnson, Cenac Jr is taking advantage of every glimmer of opportunity that presents itself. He’s assumed the role of the squad’s head honcho, electing to lead through actions and let his voice follow as he builds out the habits for his future. “The main thing right now for me is winning the national championship with these guys that I’m at Link with,” Chris says. 

The journey has been rewarding, ranking as high as the No. 7 player in the class of 2025. But that feeling of catching up still hasn’t faded. There are more levels to climb before reaching the ultimate goal. 

“It feels good, but at the same time, it’s not the only place that I want to be at. The rankings now, it’s cool. But the NBA, and lasting in the NBA for a long time, is the main goal. I can’t be complacent.”

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait by Marcus Stevens.

The post Chris Cenac Jr Has a New Home at Link Academy and His Sights Set on a National Championship appeared first on SLAM.

Just as Page, who had always loved hoops as much as music (even if he’d never worked in the sport), started to get anxious about what magazine he might launch next, a friend of his from the music business, Alan Grunblatt, suggested he start, effectively, “a hip-hop basketball magazine.” 

Sports media would never be the same.

Professional athletes have been “cool” for almost as long as sports have existed as a vocation. Page’s first favorite players were guys he saw in person growing up in Trenton, NJ—local legend Tal Brody, and New York City’s Lew Alcindor, whose Power Memorial team had visited Page’s hometown to take on Trenton Catholic. As Page’s hoops exposure grew with sports media’s gradual growth, he fell in love with players like Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Then there was Isiah Thomas. And by the early 90s, of course, there was Michael Jordan. But the way these superheroes were covered by the press stayed pretty static. Newspapers focused on games and stats. TV focused on broadcasting games. Street & Smith’s magazine took the time to care about spotlighting young players and Sport and Sports Illustrated raised the level of writing in the field, and Page devoured all of them. There wasn’t much flavor, though.

As Page writes in the intro to the recently released book, 30 Years of SLAM: The Definition of Basketball Culture, “The idea crystallized as a basketball-only magazine from a hip-hop point of view. I could see it in my head clear as day; the design would look like those Nike/Mars Blackmon/Michael Jordan print ads, the photography would be as good as VIBE, and the writing would be irreverent like Rolling Stone.”

There were some hiccups over the early years—Michael Jordan retired just as Issue 1 was being planned, Reggie Miller didn’t appreciate some of the jokes made at his expense, some long-time NBA execs and old-school reporters did not enjoy SLAM’s tone—but more or less, Page’s vision played out beautifully. SLAM’s covers showed the players like the “rock stars” they were. SLAM introduced fashion shoots to sports magazines and has covered the look of basketball players in some manner ever since (most famously in the 2020s with its must-follow Instagram account, @leaguefits). SLAM introduced a KICKS section about sneakers that for many years was the first place players and fans would turn when they opened an issue. The KICKS section begat a KICKS Magazine that has come out annually since 1998 and in many ways set the tone for the now-countless numbers of sneaker mags, blogs, and social media accounts (including @slamkicks, natch) that have popped up since.

The mag’s almost non-stop ascension as a business lasted from launch in 1994 to early 2004, when the 10th anniversary issue dropped at a whopping, lucrative and Vogue-like 260(!!) pages, stuffed with ads from every sneaker brand and hip-hop label you could think of and it was the best-selling sports magazine on American newsstands.

Then the internet took over. SLAM—and in particular, Harris Publications, the old-school family publisher that operated it—was pretty slow to figure out how to monetize online. Issues shrank in terms of revenue and page count. There were some terribly hard times from a business perspective, but the staff—Page always had a gift for hiring and empowering talented folks who were on the rise in the profession, the best of whom had a gift for hiring and empowering an even newer generation of on-the-rise future stars—never stopped caring about the sport, the lifestyle, or the “#slamfam” that stayed loyal through it all. 

While SLAM had been slow to convert to the world wide web, it was lightning-quick as social media became the new place to reach fans, surpassing one million followers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook very quickly on each of those platforms without ever spending a dime to “buy” or “boost” its reach. SLAM was, and is, an organic media outlet fueled by the love of the game.

In the most-recent stage of SLAM’s life, from about 2017, when SLAM was acquired by JDS Sports and Page became an actual part owner of the magazine he’d started, to today, you’ll occasionally “hear” Page say—either literally, in his classic South Jersey accent, or virtually, via an Instagram post or comment—“this shit ain’t easy.” 

It wasn’t. And isn’t. But with Page’s dedication to the game and the brand, and the many great folks who learned from him matching that devotion, SLAM has made it to 30 years and transformed the sport every step of the way.

Reprinted from the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement 2024 Yearbook courtesy of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ben Osborne is a longtime sports writer and editor who served as SLAM’s Editor-in-Chief from 2007-2016.

The post How Dennis Page Founded SLAM and Transformed Sports Media appeared first on SLAM.

Those were the exact words that Corey “Homicide” Williams said the day he called me in 2015 to let me know that he had just landed a TV broadcasting job in Australia’s National Basketball League.  

The New York playground legend hadn’t even finished his playing career (played in Australia, Sweden, China, Germany, France, Lebanon and Iraq, among many other countries) when the NBL approached him to be a commentator for the league. Despite not having any previous experience as a broadcaster, Homicide’s larger-than-life personality was suited to be in front of a camera, an infectious energy that then General Manager of the NBL Jeremy Loeliger understood was missing from Aussie television screens. 

I was working for ESPN Australia based in New York when Homicide rang me at my Queens apartment from Melbourne to tell me he’d just been made an offer by the NBL. In typical Homicide fashion, he’d already mapped out his 5-year plan for making the transition from the court to television and leaving his mark on the NBL. 

He officially became a full-time media personality with the NBL prior to the 2017-18 season and it came as natural to him as Steph Curry pulling up from the logo. His opinions on topics, infused with a touch of his New York braggadocio, endeared him to the Australian public from the very jump. 

He figured that to get the people going, you needed to be provocative. 

Homicide interacted with fans—and haters—on social media. His weekly power rankings, which he posted on his Instagram page, became a motivational tool for players wanting to prove him wrong, or, in some cases, correct. 

Once the league started gaining traction globally, he coined the now famous phrase, “this ain’t no cupcake league.” It let import players know that the NBL was to be taken seriously, and if you didn’t, you’d would be out of a job real quick. 

As his career flourished, Homicide decided he wanted to do his own podcast, giving listeners an insight into his world beyond basketball and the NBL. He wanted a platform to voice his opinion on his life, basketball, music and culture. I was back in Australia by this time, and he reached out to me to co-host with him. 

“There’s nobody else I wanna do this with, b,” he said. 

When it came time for us to record the first episode of “UPFRONT with Corey Williams,” he hammered home the point that this was a joint venture. He didn’t want me to take a back seat, even to him. 

“I want the people to know your story, too. This [show] won’t work if it’s just me,” he emphasized. Homicide never wanted the spotlight to himself. If he shined, you shined, too. 

He wasn’t afraid to tell it like he saw it, and no player or coach was safe if they were underperforming. Even as he battled cancer, he was still unafraid to speak his mind on our podcast, calling out Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman during the 2024 NBL Grand Final series. 

He connected with Australians because he was unashamedly himself. His love for the game, and desire to see the NBL grow, shone through. Attending NBL games with him meant at least a thirty-minute detour before you could get to your seat, as fans stopped and asked him for selfies. 

He galvanized NBL fans, and in the end, even the ones who may have hated from a far can’t deny that the NBL was better for having had him champion it. 

A legend of the game, on and off the court, and across opposite ends of the hemispheres.

Photos courtesy of Nick Metallinos and Getty Images.

The post From NBL MVP to Becoming a Renowned Broadcaster: the Legacy of Corey “Homicide” Williams appeared first on SLAM.

That’s because the 6-8 guard is the youngest player in American hoops to have gone pro—ever. 

Last spring, just after turning 17, the wiry, athletic phenom bypassed his senior year at LG Pinkston High School in Texas to join the G League Ignite. He etched himself into the record books by signing a two-year deal with the NBA’s premier developmental unit, edging out former Ignite star Scoot Henderson—who, up to that point, had been the youngest American to participate in a professional basketball league—by five weeks.

But beyond Pate’s historically young age marker—which, to be clear, has become more normalized in the modern world of basketball—he’s simply a baller. Throw on his highlight tape and you’ll quickly understand why this Southern blue chipper has been wildly sought after. Ranked as a five-star prospect, he garnered recruitment from the nation’s premier college programs (Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown and the like) as one of the most coveted additions of his class.

Instead, he took the LaMelo Ball route by going pro early. He played with the Ignite for a season, and in his limited but stellar outings, cemented his potential as a hybrid 1 guard who can do it all. He concluded his debut campaign with an average of 24 minutes, 8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest. His length, smoothness, creativity and tempered decision making are reminiscent of Penny Hardaway (one of Pate’s idols) mixed with Shaun Livingston—another of Pate’s exemplaries—and a dash of (yes, I’m gonna say it) LeBron James, who is Pate’s all-time favorite.

“I watch the big guards. I key into what they’re doing,” he tells me over a Zoom call from his porch in Dallas. “But basketball wasn’t even my first love. I was a football player, bruh. I wanted to go to the NFL like Julio Jones, Dez Bryant. I only started playing basketball because I was in a program where you had to play both.”

It explains Pate’s propensity for action and his ability to shift gears and hit the lane with relentless bursts of speed. Large and point-guard minded, Pate knows where his spots are and will surgically get there to create for himself and his teammates. A panther in transition, he pounces, glides and Euro-steps around, through and over any defenders clogging the lane. Impressively, the former NFL hopeful plays with more finesse than force on the hardwood. In fact, it’s his cerebral grasp of in-game rhythm and flow that most seems to define his potential contributions at the NBA level.

But his plans to reach the Association became complicated by Ignite’s recent disbandment; only halfway into his contract with the team, the Las Vegas-based squad folded. Their unexpected dissolution means Pate and his cohort were the last to ever suit up in the experimental NBA organization’s black, purple and white threads. Like always, he had to figure out the best play to make next.

First, he attempted to enter the 2024 NBA Draft with his teammates Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland (lottery picks for the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons, respectively) via a waiver exemption, but was denied due to being under the League’s age limit. That hasn’t deterred the bucket-getting protégé from pursuing his telos, though. Pate made a historic pivot by signing with the NBA-affiliated Mexico City Capitanes.

“I found out [about Ignite’s ending] 45 minutes before the world found out. I didn’t think an NBA program would shut down,” he admits. “But I don’t regret it. That’s adversity. That’s where I get my confidence from. I have to be fully prepared. You never know what’s gonna happen next. What’s next is I went to the gym and I had a job to do, the season wasn’t over yet. And it means I’m the last one in history, as the youngest to ever play with the Ignite.

“I’ve always kept the main thing the main thing,” he adds, without hesitation. “Basketball is the main thing.”

Basketball is why Dink Pate—a Black, Gen Z teenager from Pleasant Grove—is living in Mexico’s capital. Currently, he’s projected to be a star on the Capitanes.

The outfit is the only Mexican-owned sporting franchise to ever compete as a full-fledged member of any pro US league. Having officially joined the G in 2021, Mexico City has since become a top destination for NBA veterans like Jahlil Okafor, Kenneth Faried, Michael Carter-Williams and Juan Toscano-Anderson, who enjoy the chance to shine in North America’s largest city (Mexico City is bigger than New York, L.A, Chicago, Toronto or any other city you can name on this continental expanse). The metropolitan scale and commercial offerings, along with its passionate, international fan base, is something that other G League teams located in places like Southaven, Mississippi and Oshkosh, WI, simply cannot match. And unless they’re on a two-way contract, Capitanes players are available to be called up by any of the NBA’s 30 troupes, which makes it an ideal proving ground for a rising star like Pate. 

And yet, the Capitanes are also Latin America’s home base for its growing ranks of hoop talent aiming to reach the NBA from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. The coaching staff is bilingual. The players and personnel vary in age, experience and career paths. It’s no ordinary circumstance for anyone to enter, let alone an American teenager who nearly ended up playing at the University of Alabama before deciding to go pro.

To his credit, Pate isn’t overthinking any of it. He’s taking Spanish classes once a week. Growing up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where the Capitanes coincidentally played their home games during the COVID-impacted 2021 season (and which boasts over 2 million Mexican-heritage residents), has prepared him for this moment. He feels eager if not proud to put a spotlight on Mexico’s culture and its affinity for basketball.

“I be wearing my sombrero, bruh. I got Mexican homeboys. I stay representing,” he tells me, a Mexican American, with a genuine smile. “I feel like I got a country on my back now. I went down for two weeks and was showered with nothing but love. I love Mexico. That’s family.”

Mexico City will provide more than enough opportunities for what Pate is ready to deliver. Unlike his US-born contemporaries who will be mostly playing in front of college students and alumni at prestigious, ivory-towered campuses, Pate will be electrifying thousands of Spanish-chanting fans at Arena CDMX in the Azcapotzalco neighborhood of Mexico City as a member of the Capitanes.

When we linked up down south, he had just finished practice at Mexico’s national Olympic facility. We met at the bustling Monumento a la Revolución in the Aztec capital’s Plaza de la República. The triumphal arch—think the Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Élysées—symbolizes Mexico’s revolution, in which myth-like heroes such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa were crowned liberators of the country’s working classes, effectively rewriting Mexican history over a century ago. 

Besides standing for the nation’s rebellion, the memorial is also the primary logo for the Capitanes. And what better identifier is there for Pate—a player who has already broken history as the youngest pro US baller, and who signed to Reebok—than an ode to revolution?

The NBA’s current age eligibility rules were implemented in 2006, just three years after LeBron James entered the League straight out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School like an otherworldly meteor of fiery athleticism and professional maturity. But what King James has accomplished since going pro as a teen has been, well, kingly and unprecedented. In 2005, the NBA’s CBA determined that the League simply needed more time in assessing its ultra-young pool of talent, so mandated that all future players must be at least one year removed from their high school graduation and must turn 19 years old within the same calendar year of being drafted.

Unfortunately for Pate, being born in March means he won’t hit 19 until 2025, when he can finally become eligible for the NBA alongside fellow lottery prospects like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. At this stage, he’s embracing each step with a precocious mindfulness.

“You can do everything with poetry,” Pate says. “Poetry is real calm. It’s not loud. Stay low and move slow.”

When asked where he developed that mindset, he cites the apodictic rap revolutionary, Tupac Shakur. Pate flashes his Makaveli tattoo and tells me that all 713 of Pac’s tracks are worth listening to. 

On the court, Pate carries a Shakurian blend of maturity and freeness of spirit. You can see it in his off-the-dribble shooting. His calculated step backs. His rhythmic spins. And you can see it in the way he carries a joyful confidence, too.

“I’m not worried about my game,” he says. “I’m focused on my leadership, my communication. I’m gonna be that guy on the team. I’m ready to take the blame. I’ve always been a leader to high school kids but I’m about to be thrown to the fire. I’m ready for it.”

Portraits by Sandra Blow.

The post Dink Pate is Ready to Make History and Become the First Pro Hooper Drafted Out of Mexico appeared first on SLAM.

The state of his English was apparent over the course of an hour-long conversation in New York City in October: Risacher showed off a solid grasp of the language, much of it picked up from teammates in the LNB Elite, the top French pro league, where he made his senior team debut as a 16-year-old in 2021 and spent the next three seasons. “It’s locker room English, not what you expect to learn in a classroom,” he says. There were also movies, especially hoop flicks like He Got Game and Coach Carter, which he’s recently been able to watch without French overdubs. “They were actually better in English, for sure.”

Based on initial impressions from the NBA preseason, Risacher’s time in France’s pro league was no less beneficial to the development of his game. The 6-8, 200-pound wing, chosen No. 1 overall by Atlanta in the 2024 NBA Draft, made a dream first impression in his NBA debut, going for 18 points (on 7-9 shooting) in just 23 minutes in a win over the Pacers. Those numbers, and that result, might not count toward the Hawks’ hopes for a bounce-back season, but the value of Risacher’s outing is no less real.

Just ask the two guys whose appraisals matter as much as anyone’s in the ATL.

“It looked like he was enjoying himself,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder told reporters after the game. “He’s going to have good games, he’s going to have some bad games, but seeing him really have fun playing with his teammates, and those guys making each other better, was what I enjoyed.”

Trae Young, the Hawks’ franchise player, was similarly pleased with what he saw from his new running mate. “That was a hell of a performance,” Young said. “I want him to feel like he felt tonight, like there’s no pressure on him. He can go out there and be himself. He’s gonna have a hell of a career.”

None of this should come as a surprise—by definition, we expect big things from No. 1 picks—but the buzz on Risacher wasn’t quite on the level that his countryman, Victor Wembanyama, generated before and after the Spurs made him the top pick a year earlier. So, no, he hasn’t been anointed a generational game-changer like Wemby—nor, in the opinions of the 30 general managers who participated in the annual NBA GM survey, is he even a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. (Five players got at least one vote in the poll, and Risacher somehow wasn’t one of them.) None of which seems to faze him in the least. Risacher knows his value, and he’s confident the glimpses he showed in preseason are just the start.

“I’m the type of player who can do a lot of things on the court—the term would be ‘versatile,’ I think, in English?” he says. “The exciting part of having me in your team…I will take pleasure to do whatever it takes to win. I’m that type of player. And I want to win.”

On-court versatility comes easily to a player for whom the game is birthright.

“Basketball is a habit for me and my family,” he says. “Basketball was already there before I was born.” That’s what happens when you’re born in the midst of your father’s 23-year pro career, as Zaccharie was. Risacher was born born in Malaga, Spain, in 2005, where his dad, Stéphane, was hooping for Baloncesto Malaga in the Spanish top division. That was one of 10 stops on Stéphane’s professional résumé in a career that lasted from 1987 to 2010 and also included stints in Greece and his native France. A six-time All-Star in France and a member of the country’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Stéphane was also a fixture for years on the French national team, winning a Silver medal with the 2000 Olympic squad—and, as it happened, being one of the 10 men on the court when Vince Carter created the nastiest poster of all time over his French teammate, Frederic Weis.

Le dunk de la mort happened five years before Zaccharie was born, so he knows it only through the YouTube clips. But of his own earliest memories, naturally, so many connect to basketball. “I cannot even remember the first time I played,” he says. “It was just there. Going to my dad’s practices and games, coming to the gym with him at a really young age—I just did it, and I never stopped doing basketball. It was a way of life that I liked. I never felt like I had to do it. I just wanted to be in the gym with my father. I started getting better, and I wanted to be the best version of myself and accomplish what my dad did—and even better.”

Risacher emphasizes that his father never pushed too hard, but simply gave his son the guidance he asked for. (Clearly, the approach is working in the family: Not only has Stéphane been instrumental in helping Zaccharie reach the NBA, but his daughter, Zaccharie’s younger sister Ainhoa, is one of the top young prospects in Europe; she was recently named one of the best players at the FIBA U17 World Cup. Says Zaccharie, “I’m proud of her, excited for her. I can shoot better than her, but she can handle the ball better than me. She’s tall, she loves to play the point, make crazy passes. She’s special. I can’t wait to see her grow.”)

Zaccharie’s own breakthrough came when he made his French league debut for the senior team at ASVEL Basket in 2021. No matter how helpful his father was, the kid had to learn for himself what it was like to play for, with and against grown men who had salaries and careers on the line. Looking back, he says, “Being pro at 16, that definitely was the biggest challenge of my life. In our league, a coach can get fired super quick. They don’t have time to be nice. It’s a lot of things to handle for a 16-year-old young man. You gotta learn fast, because you play with grown men. You gotta just learn how to deal with it. How I handled it? Just the fact that I never stopped working.”

Risacher thrived, earning LNB All-Star status in 2023 and being named EuroCup Rising Star earlier this year; more important, the experience toughened him, giving him the confidence that when he made the jump to the NBA, he would be better prepared than most rookies to appreciate the stakes. It made it that much easier to settle in after his move to the States. He says he “felt at home pretty quick” in Atlanta, which he credits to the vibe of the city and the Hawks organization. Good vibes aside, he’s taken that transition seriously, working out hard between the draft and training camp. “I wanted to be better than I was in June,” he insists.

He also had a chance to bond with the All-Star teammate with whom a successful partnership is essential for the Hawks’ hopes of improving from last season’s disappointment. A recent highlight: Traveling out to Oklahoma to visit Young on his home turf, catch an OU football game and appear on Young’s podcast. “I really appreciate him for that,” Risacher says of the trip. “That really meant something for me.”

The rookie doesn’t need a podcast of his own to return the favor. He just needs to simply continue balling out, working to develop his potential and the versatile skill set that convinced Atlanta to use a No. 1 pick on him. The results will no doubt mean something to Trae, to his new franchise and to long-suffering Hawks fans ready to root for a contender.

Portraits by Christian Quezada.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post From France to ATL, No. 1 Pick Zaccharie Risacher is Primed to Make a Big Impact with the Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

There’s his team, the Sacramento Kings. He’s their clutch architect, entrusted with the responsibility of winning close games. He’s so nice with that part. So nice that he was fifth in total clutch points scored last season and third in most clutch field goals made, too. 

He’s the Kings’ offensive foundation in all the other moments of the game. He breaks defensive walls with speed that scares. Got defenders looking like the Popeyes lady. They can’t catch him or their breath. He makes dudes in their mid-20s look like grey beards at the barber shop, the ones talking about how nice they used to be. But he’s really that nice. 

He’s got five straight seasons of 20-plus points per game to his name. And with how he’s stacked the improvement of his career, the numbers don’t illustrate the way he’s pieced everything together. 

Bop, bop–quick cross. He’s found space. Lots of it. Could be a faster-than-light pull from the midrange. Defender won’t even get their hand up. That kind of speed. Could be a left-handed smash at the rim over a skyscraper. One of those dunks where his legs kick back behind him. Something to see the Flow outsole real good. Could be a dish to one of the many shooters that now call Sacramento home. Could be a drop-off to the big. But it will be a bucket. And it will be rapid. 

Alright, offense orchestrated. Time for defense. The kind of defense that some coach in the middle of the country is gonna show their star player. “See, see, this is that desire,” he’s gonna say. “You play like this? You play like this? You’re gonna make it.” He’s gonna almost plead with the kid. He’s gonna show Fox picking up three-quarter court, sitting on the point guard’s strong hand. When that point guard does a lazy spin move to try and get back to his dominant side, Fox will pick him on the turn. Boom. Bye bye. Another bucket. 

That’s the way Fox has been upping his game. He’s got the Kings in prime position to scare the daylights out of the West. 

But it’s the night lights that are coming to define this All-Star. There’s the beam. It gets lit every time the Kings win a game. It rises high through the Sacramento sky, a vertical line of purple, built as a warning shot.

Not night lights of the city, though. Nah, not those kinds that are made for social outings. He intimately knows the night lights of weight rooms, of empty gyms, of phone screens. After the workouts that nobody sees, Fox has been building something else. He’s been working on the Fox 1 by Curry Brand. 

Now all those texts messages, emails and FaceTimes back and forth with Ed Wallace, Senior Designer at Curry Brand and Under Armour, have been realized in a physical product. 

The Fox 1 by Curry Brand is here.

A Friday under the daylight of Rancho Cordova, CA, is where all the time under the night lights pays off. Fox, along with his wife Recee and their daughter Poppy, saunters into the athletic facility where we’ve set up our cameras. Fox gets his hair cut by Kevin McClain of Skills Barbershop. Recee eats some lunch. And three colorways of the Fox 1 are waiting for all of us. 

The “Happy Fox Day” is a blue/orange joint inspired by one of Fox’s favorite Christmas movies, Jingle Jangle. The purple/green “Light the Beam” is an homage to the aforementioned winning signal that shines over Sac-Town. 

No. 5’s favorite edition of the trio we have here on set is the “Happy Fox Day Alt.” It’s a green option, also inspired by that same movie. Green is the lefty’s favorite color and it induces a vocal reaction from him when he sees it. 

Slowly, without even realizing it, Fox has been working on a database of colorway ideas. He loves video games, he loves anime and he loves his kids. Those are just the foundations for what we’ll see on the Fox 1. 

“Ed would come to me and ask, you know, five, six, seven different questions and then you give him an answer and I’m thinking, I don’t know what the hell he’s gonna do with that answer,” Fox says. “Then he comes back with, like, 75 different concepts of the 10 things that you might have told him. So just how the creative people are behind the scenes, just having him take those words, come back, you know, a week or two later and putting them on a paper and then asking, you know, Which ones do you like? That process was crazy.”

Wallace heard a lot about Dragon Ball Z and Avatar in his early conversations with Fox. They started to make him PEs of the Curry 1, Curry 2 and the Curry 4 that were callouts to some of his interests, including one for his son, Reign. But as Wallace got to work on the signature, things took an unexpected turn. 

“I started looking at more animals, like foxes,” he says. “Normally I wouldn’t have a reason to do that. It’s just something I thought about. Like, This can be cool to put a little fur up there [on the tongue] and having a strap as I was thinking about speed and brought that to a point [where] I was like, I can make this look like a little fox tail. So those were the things I never explored before.” 

The Fox 1’s defining design piece is the midfoot strap. Each of these different colorways has a different visual across the strap. It’s something De’Aaron had always wanted, ever since he was playing in Under Armour silhouettes as a middle schooler. 

“A big thing for me was having a strap,” Fox says. “One of my favorite shoes to play in growing up was the Bloodlines with Brandon Jennings. That and the Black Ices. The Black Ices also had a strap, too. Those were kind of the concepts that I thought about. I didn’t know what the strap would look like exactly, but when going through the process, I’m like, That’s a big thing for me.” 

Wallace, who is also the lead designer on the Curry line, said that he initially sat down with Fox at a photo shoot for the Curry 11. Fox mentioned then that he wanted a strap. Wallace ended up with a fixed strap and a two-mesh upper, along with no-sew wrapping near the toe area and a heel overlay that provides support under the heel. The traction is powered by Flow, the mainstay cushioning for No. 30 since the Curry 8. Curry Brand’s innovators found out how to remove rubber from their products, resulting in premium grip on the outsole. The Brand’s namesake is always heavily involved in the sneaker creation process. But he wasn’t for this one and it resulted in an amazing memory. 

“When we were in China actually, he hadn’t seen the shoe yet,” Fox says about the trip that he accompanied Stephen Curry on in September. “So when we were in China, we were about to lift in the hotel and he was like, Yo, you got your shoe? I’m like, No, I don’t got them on me. He was like, Damn, I wanna see them.”

When he finally did see them, it was a wrap. 

“He didn’t let them go,” Fox continues. “We went through a whole workout actually, he was, like, holding them, putting them down, doing his thing and then, like, [he’d] be looking at them… Like, Steph’s 10 years older than me, right? I think he’s played eight more years than me. But I watched—I was in high school when Steph won his first MVP, when he won his first championship. Since I’ve gotten to a certain level, I’ve never really, like, necessarily idolized guys. But then when we went on that trip, I’m, like, Steph is on a different level. The way that people react when they get around Steph is, like… But then when you actually see it, we can’t even walk through an airport. Just being around someone of that stature and then seeing him love the product that has my name and my logo on it is just, like, that’s a different feeling, too.”

It won’t be the last time that Fox sees someone wearing his sneaker. He’s already heard from teammates and opponents about the silhouette, although it was just preseason by the time we went to print. He wants to see them on teammates, on his opponents and on fans in the streets. 

“We knew we had to bring a lot of energy and make the shoe fun,” Wallace says. “He also talked about wanting to make the shoe look fast. We know his playing style, so we knew that we needed the shoe to look fast, and he also mentioned that he wanted it to look runner-esque.”

Fox and his close friend Reno have also been mentioning that they’re trying to usher in a bygone era with the Fox 1’s aesthetics. 

“Reno definitely was the most excited,” Fox says. “We kind of knew how we wanted it to look a little bit. He was like, I’m wearing them with jeans, [with] sweats. I’m bringing back the wearing basketball shoes with jeans.

“I’m like, yeah, I want a shoe that you don’t only wear on the basketball court because especially, like I said, this day and age, people aren’t going to buy basketball shoes to not play in them. So we wanna kinda have that. We wanna try to have the best of both worlds.”

So Fox is building with the Kings and with his signature sneaker. And Curry Brand is building out their larger family. 

That’s the key word—family. 

Type of family that goes all the way to China and then comes back for a barbecue on a Sunday afternoon. Where Canon Curry plays around with Reign Fox. Where No. 30 and No. 5 go head-to-head in postseason matchups and then hug it out afterward. Curry Brand is a family, where athletic gifts take a backseat to morals. 

“I couldn’t think of a better athlete and person to join the Curry Brand team,” the best shooter ever says of Fox. “To have somebody that believes in what you’re doing, believes in what the brand stands for, and believes in not just being a Curry Brand athlete, but taking that and building that into your identity as a player is special. And that’s exactly why we chose De’Aaron—he believes in Curry Brand and our mission as much as he believes in himself on the court. I’m grateful to have a partner that is so dedicated to our brand and invested in what our collective future holds.” 

What does that future hold? Lots and lots more clutch shots. Lots and lots more speed that scares. Lots and lots more steals. And lots and lots more Fox 1 colorways. Because brick by brick, step by step, De’Aaron Fox is building. 

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post De’Aaron Fox on the Fox 1 by Curry Brand, Family and His Love of Christmas appeared first on SLAM.

Back when FILA was a major player in the basketball space and Grant Hill was at the forefront of its marketing efforts, SLAM featured bold, wild and hella fun ads throughout the magazine. Over the past 30 years, we’ve had everything from a Jordan perfume ad to brands that marketed products that allegedly helped increase your vertical jump or even helped you grow taller.

In honor of all those timeless classics, we’re hyped to announce SLAM Presents OLD SLAM ADS.

In this exclusive special collector’s issue, you’ll get to peek behind the curtain and hear from those members of the brand partnerships team who were tasked with selling ad space at SLAM throughout the years, as they offer up some behind-the-scenes gems of how many of these ads ended up in the pages of the publication.

You’ll also find a couple of other features that dive deep into the phenomenon of the aforementioned jump higher/strength category of ads that ran in SLAM throughout the decades, as well as a look back at the legendary D-Band headband product of the early 2000s and more.

The post The Best, Boldest and Wildest Ads Ever Published in SLAM appeared first on SLAM.

Now that we’re back, it’s only right that we predict what this insane rookie class will achieve. Some of the most versatile players of the new generation have arrived and we suggest you buckle up for the ride.

So check out our official Rookies Most Likely To list, which appears in SLAM 252. Get your copy and cover tees here.

Houston, we solved your problem. After averaging 20 points in Summer League, Reed definitely proved he’s got that shooter’s touch. He’s our pick to take home ROTY honors.

Greatness flows through his veins. Since he was young, Bronny’s always had some of the best feets on the court, and nothing changes now.

That massive poster dunk Matas Buzelis had against the Warriors in Summer League was just a preview of what he’ll do to opposing players this season. If anyone’s going to end the 36 year dunk contest win drought for the Bulls, it’ll be this guy. The last winner in Chicago, who we all know, went on to have a pretty good career…

The 7-foot Duke product is underrated and we don’t really know why. When he wakes y’all up and starts balling with the Jazz, we told you so.

The shiftiest rookie in the class will be a walking highlight reel. Scary hours coming soon from the Timberwolves…

There aren’t many players with a smoother shot than Risacher. The number 1 pick will put the League on notice as he and Trae light it up from downtown.

Zach Edey is a walking double-double and he’s our lock to average 10 boards a game. Being one of the tallest players in the league will undoubtedly help.

Jared McCain is a man of many talents. The social media star is always turning heads with the latest trends and he’ll be turning heads on the court this year as well.

Already one of the best dressed players in the League, Cody Williams is always going to put that ish on. Don’t be surprised when you see that same swag on the court…

Arguably the hottest shooter in the class, Reed Sheppard is a certified scoring machine and he’s going to prove that this season.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s Official 2024-25 NBA Rookies Most Likely To List: Rookie Superlatives and MORE appeared first on SLAM.

Following a four-year career at Dayton, where he led the nation in three-point percentage last season, Washington Heights native Koby Brea is heading south to the school of his dreams, the University of Kentucky.

It all started at those courts on Nagle Ave. In the heart of Washington Heights, a neighborhood north of Harlem, tucked behind the hallowed main court of Dyckman Park, lies a smaller half-court lined with a singular black fence. It’s there that a young Koby Brea fostered his love for the game. Just a few blocks away from his parent’s apartment, Koby would go to the court and meet up with his friends and other local kids to draft their own teams and hoop throughout
the day.

When he was 6, he would lace up his kicks, grab his ball and head down the street with his dad, Stephan, to meet up with his pop’s friends. They’d travel from park to park, hooping to their hearts’ content. “They still play to this day. I don’t know how, but they do,” Koby says. And there was Koby, witnessing that love for the game in real time.

“Being around it, all you can do is really watch and enjoy the ride,” he says. “Any time they ran down one way, I’d be on the other half trying to shoot, trying to get my ball and be quick before they came back down.”

A few years later, he was waking up at 5 a.m. to work out at those same courts. Everyone sleeping while he was working? That was the best motivation.

Dyckman set the standard for who Koby Brea wanted to be. In 2024, that would be the best shooter in college basketball and the latest addition for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Fifteen years after first being introduced to the concrete courts, Koby is back at Dyckman. It’s a piping hot mid-August afternoon and the sun is unrelenting. Pay it no mind, Koby’s suited in a full Eric Emanuel baby blue tracksuit with matching “Industrial Blue” Air Jordan 4s on-foot. After watching him learn to play and eventually compete in the summer Dyckman tournaments, his father, mother and youngest brother Tyler now stand off to the side as we snap photos. It’s a family affair. For the Breas and Washington Heights, that’s always been the case.

“Growing up in Washington Heights, it’s like having a really big family around you,” Brea explains. “You’re just around a whole bunch of people that are just like you, that come from the same culture, the same background. We have a lot of Dominicans, a lot of Latin people, and any time you’re walking down the street, you see somebody that’s just like you, that looks just like you, talks just like you. It just feels like family.”

The endless hours spent surrounded by his community, on and off the court, set the stage for his commitment to those who have poured into him. As he stands at center court with Tyler dribbling around his legs, he sees his own childhood mirrored back at him. It’s an eerily familiar feeling, one he experienced just a few weeks prior to our shoot when he first stepped foot inside the Joe Craft Center in Lexington. For years, Koby envisioned himself suiting up in the Big Blue. Now it’s a reality.

“You see all the blood, sweat and tears that was put into that gym that I just walked into,” he says of that visit.

When Koby wasn’t dicing it up at Dyckman, he was watching Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and the rest of the mid-2010s Wildcats. He longed to get shots up underneath the weight of the eight banners that hung above. That level of prestige was captivating. So he aimed for it. 

Koby remembers the first time his coach at Monsignor Scanlan High School brought him to the campus in the Bronx. As they made small talk about the team and the school, the coach asked Koby where he wanted to play at the next level.

“I remember I was a kid with big dreams and I told him, I want to go to the University of Kentucky,” Koby says. “And he looked at my dad and he was like, You’ve got a wild one. I don’t know if I can get you to Kentucky, but I’ll make sure I get you somewhere. That just goes to show that when you have people around you that are confident in you, want to push you the most you can, you also have that confidence in yourself that this is what I want to be and that’s how I’m going to make it. It sets it off for yourself.”

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Koby Brea’s not only suiting up for Kentucky, he’s expected to help the program capture national prominence once again.

But the Washington Heights native didn’t just get to the blue blood of his dreams. He grinded his way toward the opportunity. Coming out of Scanlan as a second team All-New York selection, Koby set his sights on a career as a Dayton Flyer. He took home A-10 Sixth Man of the Year in his redshirt freshman season, but suffered a pair of stress fractures in each of his legs the following year that prevented him from taking that next leap he was ready for.

Instead, he spent the summer getting form shooting in while sitting in his wheelchair. It took the entirety of the offseason and a portion of the preseason to fully recover. With just two weeks of practices and conditioning under his belt, Koby proceeded to light nearly every net in the nation on fire, leading the Flyers into the second round of March Madness.

On 201 attempts, Koby led the nation in three-point percentage, nailing 49.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Sorry, not sure if you caught that. Koby Brea hit damn near half of his shots from downtown. Throw in 11.1 points and nearly 4 boards a game and the accolades started to flow. A second A-10 Sixth Man of the Year honor was appropriately bestowed and just like that, Koby was instantly on the radar of every major powerhouse in the country. At the end of the day, Kentucky always had the upper hand.

“This year I just really wanted to take the opportunity to take a step back so I could take a couple steps forward. I came back to college with the expectation that all I was going to do this summer was work,” Brea says. “Work as hard as I could, work the hardest that I ever had, just to ensure that I had a great year at a great new place.”

The wait, the work, it was all worth it. He made his stamp at Dyckman. He found himself at Dayton and inscribed himself into the college basketball record books. Now he’s putting up shots in the same gym Booker did nearly a decade ago, as visions of the 2025 NBA Draft grow closer and closer to reality. But in the here and now, Koby Brea is letting those years worth of lessons guide him as he takes it day by day. He’s stronger, healthier and more lethal than ever with the ball in his hands. And as he turns the chapter to his collegiate epilogue, there’s a looming goal that Koby’s longed for ever since he took those walks to Dyckman with his dad.

“The expectation is simply to hang the ninth banner. Me, I’m a true competitor, and I pride myself on winning. I definitely want to leave my stamp everywhere I go. Being at Kentucky, the standard is so high and everybody expects success,” Koby says. “I just want to have the opportunity, day by day, to keep growing and be the best version of myself.”

Portraits by Alexander Zhang and UK Athletics.

The post Washington Heights Native Koby Brea Talks Realizing His Dream at Kentucky and Overcoming Obstacles as Best Shooter in College Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

Twin, where have you been? The Pauldo twins are breaking new ground as they become everyone’s favorite duo on and off the court. New Jersey’s very own Mia and Mya Pauldo have made a name for themselves nationwide, holding two spots in the top-50 rankings for the Class of 2025 and both committing to carry on the Lady Vols’ legacy starting next year.

As one of the toughest backcourts in the country, Mia’s playmaking skills and Mya’s command of the floor showcase their grit and determination. Together, they’ve etched their names in New Jersey hoop history.

Playing together is like “having two killers with you, because we’re both tough,” Mia says.

“She’s my best friend,” says Mya. “We do everything together, tell each other everything. Our bond is so close, and that translates to the court.”

Winning has always been a top priority for the twins, whether it’s state championships, Player of the Year awards or any game they compete in. While All-Star Games might split them up, their focus remains clear: to play hard for the name on the back of their jerseys.

“We want to see each other shine,” Mia says. “That’s my mindset. I’m cheering for her even if she’s on the other team.”

Minutes before the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 6, the twins were asked to send messages to each other. Almost in unison, they encouraged each other to “handle business and get the dub.”

The SLAM Summer Classic was a key goal for their senior year, with the hopes of also being invited to the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic next spring.

Their sisterhood will extend to Tennessee next season, and hopefully the WNBA beyond that. What truly stood out during our time with the twins was their composure and affection for each other, but also their commitment to giving back to their family and community.

“We have to keep going,” Mya says. “Keep hustling, because we’re doing something right. We need to continue because people are watching us and looking up to us.”

“You always have to hold yourself to a higher standard and be respectful, knowing everyone is watching,” Mya adds.

With eyes on the sisters, how will they continue to build on their legacy? Young Mia and Mya initially set their sights on playing overseas, but now, with the WNBA closer than ever, their goal has evolved to make history as the first twins to play in the League simultaneously.

“We want to grow the game in this country,” Mya says. “We want more teams, better pay and more eyes set on women’s basketball.”

Being the first wouldn’t come as a shock. “That’s our life; we’re trendsetters,” Mia says. “We want to be the first to do it in our era.”

When asked what message they’d give their future selves as they look back on SLAM 252, Mia replies, “Always be inspired by something.” Mya adds, “Take a moment to learn something new every day.”

What more could one ask for than having your twin by your side to inspire and learn from every day?

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Two Good: Twins Mya and Mia Pauldo Are Ready to Make History as the Next Generation of Tennessee’s Backcourt appeared first on SLAM.

What would you do if you could bring a star down to eye level? What if you were just an arm’s length away? Would you try to recreate its shine? Or would you stare into its beauty, both incomprehensibly bright and painstakingly supernatural?

Being that close to greatness would make the average person’s eyes pop out of their head, like a scary gimmick in the windowsill of a Halloween store. However, for recent BYU freshman Kanon Catchings, he’s been holding onto stars since the time he was born.

The legacy begins in the fall of 1974 with Harvey Catchings, who made his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers. In the middle of what would be an 11-year career in the L, Catchings became the basketball equivalent of Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard Williams Jr. Harvey’s daughters, Tamika and Tauja set the stage for a family-wide takeover on the hardwood.

If you were wondering what it would be like to touch a star, you’d have to either ask someone on the 2002-2016 Indiana Fever, or her own nephew to truly understand how bright of a star Tamika Catchings is.

“I looked up to her a lot,” Kanon reminisces. “She was one of the first basketball players I really knew.”

Tamika Catchings, despite an under-the-radar hearing disability, kick started her legacy winning three high school state championships in two different states (Illinois and Texas). Stepping into her college career, she made her presence known on the court, helping the Tennessee Lady Vols to an undefeated season and NCAA championship in 1998 under legendary coach Pat Summitt, paving the way for recent college stars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.

Spending her entire career with the Fever, Catchings led the team to a championship in 2012 and racked up a long, decorated list of accomplishments, including WNBA MVP (2011), 10 All-Star selections and five Defensive Player of the Year awards. Not to mention, four consecutive Olympic Gold medals (2004-2016) and holding the all-time WNBA record for steals (1,074).

A unique star, Catchings transcended familial expectations, and set the precedent for what greatness moved like. “I wanted to be just like her,” Kanon explains. 

The next closest star in Kanon’s orbit was Tamika’s sister and Kanon’s mother, Tauja, who led her high school team to two state championships (’95-96), and was named Illinois’ Ms. Basketball in 1996. At the University of Illinois, Tauja became the first player in Illini history with more than 1,400 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals, earning her All-Big Ten honors and the status of one of the best players in Illinois history.  

Almost a decade later, another branch of the Catchings family tree has emerged with Kanon. Standing at 6-9 and known for his athleticism, the youngest Catchings has stepped into new beginnings at Brigham Young University (BYU) where he’s quickly made a name for himself.

“An aspect I’d like to show a lot of people is that I can guard every position on the court,” he explains. Being able to be anywhere on the court is where Kanon feels like he has a leg up on other recruits.

Dating back to his junior season in high school, Kanon averaged 17.5 points and 4.8 rebounds before joining Overtime Elite (OTE). There, he maintained his collegiate eligibility, playing at a high level and averaging 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Kanon’s decision to suit up for the Cougars had a lot to do with a lot to do with his former OTE coach Tim Fanning.

“That was a big drawing point for me when I came to BYU,” he explains. “It means a lot to have somebody that knows you and has coached you before on the staff.”

At BYU, Catchings hopes to refine his shooting and physicality, notably looking forward to improving on his skill set in a way that transcends the expectation that comes with his family name. His defensive instinct—a hallmark of the Catchings family—is something that he wants to showcase, and with his Hall of Fame aunt as a mentor, he’s looking forward to growing all parts of his game.

“I feel like I’ve improved a lot,” he says. “In ballhandling, passing the ball, [and] defense especially, but also, just ripping out shots—[I’m] just trying to be as consistent as I can in everything that I do on the court.”

In the wake of what could potentially be a breakout freshman season, the four-star recruit has every bit of pressure on his shoulders come November. But, with that transcendent familial stardom looming in the background, Catchings has all the guidance and tools he needs to add to the legacy—perhaps not only reaching for the stars, but becoming one himself. 

Portraits via BYU Athletics.

The post Family Ties: The Beginning of Kanon Catchings’ Journey and The Continuation of the Catchings Legacy  appeared first on SLAM.

Growing up the youngest of four siblings, Nate Ament did everything his brothers did. It’s why when it comes to sports, soccer was the first thing he gravitated to. His older brothers played it, so he did, too. And when his third oldest brother Frederick started to pick up basketball, Nate was more than game.

By the time he was 10, the rapidly growing Manassas, VA, native realized that he was going to be too tall to stay on the pitch. So hoops it was. It started out as 1s and 2s at the local elementary school. After a two-minute walk, Nate and his brothers were on the blacktop, meeting up with Nate’s classmates and Frederick’s friends from high school. The battles were fun, but it was pride that Nate was seeking, even in middle school.

“The part that I fell in love with was being able to play a sport where you can take someone 1-on-1 and you can try to beat them, not just offensively but defensively,” Nate says. “Being able to have a matchup is being able to say, I’m gonna guard you the whole game. I’m gonna stop you from scoring on me. I’m gonna make sure my team wins. So, I really fell in love with the competitiveness of it.”

Seven years later, that will, love and determination serves as the foundation of Nate’s game, a game that has seen him blossom into a consensus top-5 player in the Class of 2025 and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia. Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UConn, Virginia and many, many others have stamped the five-star do-it-all wing as a future difference-maker for their squads.

Between the 3SSB circuit and his tape out at Highland High School, it’s easy to classify Ament as the modern NBA archetype. He’s a lengthy 6-9 forward who’s continuously fine-tuning the framework of his three-level scoring. The locks on defense are there, too. Mind you, with a handle and quickness to break down defenders in transition and off the wing. Size-ups, step-back treys and low-post fades, it’s all his game.

“From when I first started playing basketball to now, I knew that you just have to be consistent, always getting in the gym. In anything I did, I just knew that I wanted to be the best,” Nate says. “I just kept it consistent. I knew that I had the capabilities to be one of the best in the country. But for me, it was just important not to rush things and to stay patient with my journey, because my journey’s different than anyone else’s.”

As of late, the game has taken him from the gleaming lights of Times Square to the gold medal podium at the FIBA AmeriCup with the U18 USA Team. And to cap off a summer driven by years of commitment to his craft, he took home the Terrence Clarke Spalding MVP Award and the dub at the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 6. While he netted contested jumpers and rose up to meet the rim more than a few times while playing at the Rucker Park, memories from his days on the blacktop resurfaced. He wanted to get the best of his matchup, just like his brothers.

“They try to be the best at everything they can do, whether that’s sports, whether that’s school, life or anything. I try to do that with basketball as well,” he says. “They’re kind of my motivation. I play hard for them. Not just for my brothers, but for my whole family, just to make sure that I’m representing the name on the back of my jersey in the best way possible.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Smooth Operator: Class of 2025 Highland Park Star Nate Ament Details How Family and Competitiveness Shaped His Journey appeared first on SLAM.

The pair of six-story structures are wrapped in abstract silver paneling with crystal clear glass composing the full face of the main wing’s entrance. Ten white beams sit at an angle supporting the L-shaped walkway above. Black adirondack chairs and tables are sprawled out underneath the shade that the canopy above provides. It’s a sick scene. Flick worthy for sure. 

SLAM 253 featuring Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper is available now.

As we wipe away rain that fell on the chairs just 15 minutes before, the doors of the building swing open. Class is out. Students wearing sweatpants, backpacks, slides and with iPhones in hands pour out of the automatic double doors. 

Initially, the kids don’t pay any mind to the 6-10 and 6-6 freshmen who will be leading the Scarlet Knights into the 2024-25 season as one of the most talked-about teams in the country. And then Dylan starts messing with his boy.

“Free pictures with Ace Bailey! Ace Bailey’s here!” Dylan, who’s wearing a black Rick Owens jacket and black PRPS jeans, calls out to the crowd of students trying to make it to their next class. Ace isn’t having it. 

“THE Dylan Harper. Five dollars for a photo with Dylan Harper!”

The two go back and forth for 30 seconds, until a group of students starts to gather. This wasn’t the intention. They were just trying to mess with each other. A healthy balance of embarrassment, if you will. But before we know it, a line has formed and the two have created a routine that’s down pat. 

Dylan holds the adidas basketball stamped with the Rutgers R and stands to the right. Ace, who’s wearing a black sweatsuit with red accents from the Lifestyle Sports Agency, which was founded by Sharife Cooper’s dad, Omar, and currently reps the Tennessee native, stands to the left with room in between them. They wave someone over and Dylan asks if they want to hold the ball. They smile while a friend takes the photo. A few dap-ups follow and encouragement for the season, then it’s off to class, the dining hall or the dorm. After about five minutes, the line disperses, and Ace and Dylan go right back to posing for their SLAM cover shoot.

This has never been the norm for Rutgers basketball. Impromptu meet and greets. Sold-out season tickets months out from the season. Thirty-plus journalists showing up for media day. It all represents just a bit of the hype that this pair of freshmen have injected into the program. 

As the No. 2 and No. 4 players in the Class of 2024 (per ESPN), Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are the highest-ranked recruits to ever suit up in the Scarlet red. And that’s no shade to the likes of Phil Sellers, James Bailey and other Rutgers legends, but the energy around campus this year is different. These kids don’t just walk with the gusto of rock stars, they play like it, too. NBA scouts, head coach Steve Pikiell and the students who just got out of class all know it. And to think it all started with a Big Ten win nearly two years ago.

It’s January 15, 2023, and Ace Bailey is on his official visit to Rutgers. He’s with now-sophomore Jamichael Davis, sitting behind the bench waiting for Ohio State vs. Rutgers to tip.

“And then Coach Pike’s coming down talking to me and J-Mike [Jamichael Davis] like, Come on, put your stuff on. Y’all ready? That just showed us right there that he’s excited for us to come down,” Ace says. “And I’m still a junior, I wasn’t even a senior yet. So, him saying that, it meant a lot to let us know he’s ready. He’s ready to pour into us and give it his all. So we’re ready to give our all for him.” 

Amid the hype and excitement in the locker room after watching the team rally together for a thrilling overtime win, Ace knew that this was where he was supposed to be. He leaned over to Coach Pikiell and verbally committed to the program on the spot. 

“I didn’t have any idea that I was going to commit that day, but what I felt in the locker room was something that I wanted to be a part of. So I committed, and from there we went out to eat,” Ace says. “B. Knight [associate head coach Brandin Knight] called Dylan and was like, Talk to Dylan. And I was like, I just did it, it’s your turn now. He was like, I got you.”

In truth, Ace had no idea who was on the other end of the line when Brandin Knight handed him the phone. It took a second for the two to figure out who they were talking to. But once they did, they fell right back into the brotherhood that’s been fostered since they first met at Sharife Cooper’s camp a few years ago. 

“Off the court, it was never about basketball for us. It was about building a friendship and a bond,” Dylan says. “I think from day one, we connected and clicked right away. And it would be little stuff. [I’d] call him, FaceTime him like, Yo, how was class? How was school? We got practice later. Stuff like that. So it was never about the basketball part, it was about being a brotherhood and coming together as one.”

It took around 11 months, but Dylan came through. Surrounded by his immediate and extended family, the No. 1 point guard in the country announced his commitment live from the Fanatics HQ in New York City. After going back and forth with his brother, Ron Harper Jr, about their battles growing up and passing the torch of the program, Dylan decided to return the favor to Ace. 

“I was in school when he called me, too,” Ace says. 

“Yeah, he was laying on the couch,” Dylan says while Ace laughs. “I think it was before practice. It was just, like, a brother thing. After you do something good, you want to call your family, your people, and tell them what happened. So that’s what I did right there.” 

Dylan’s connection to Rutgers runs deep. Between middle school and high school, he was running around the RAC (now referred to as Jersey Mike’s Arena), getting shots up while his older brother led the program’s resurgence with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. 

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“His four years here, just seeing how the coaching staff really worked with him, I was just like, Why can’t that be me? So that was probably the biggest thing. The family lineage, I want to be myself and [know] I can come here and be myself,” Dylan says.

While Dylan was building out the framework of his game, he was equally immersed in the program’s cultural fabric. He watched Rutgers basketball climb from winning less than five games in Big Ten play to flirting with AP rankings. He witnessed his brother rise from being a four-star recruit (per Rivals) to making the League under the guidance of Coach Pikiell. Now it was his turn to build off of the foundation his brother constructed. 

For the past few months, Ace and Dylan have been building chemistry and rapport with their teammates and coaching staff. Workouts preceded and followed their daily practices from June to August. They’ve been putting in the work. No doubt about it. 

“We learned a lot from the summertime. That was just a time to bond with our teammates,” Ace says. “We’ve got great bigs, great guards, great shooting guards. We bonded, see how they play, they see how we play, and we just connected and put everything together.”

It’s only been a few months and they’ve already built out an uncanny cerebral connection. Dylan knows when it’s time for Ace to turn up. He can feel the pockets within the game where Ace can build his confidence through buckets, and vice versa. Backdoor cuts and alley-oops are signaled with the bat of an eye. At the same time, Ace knows when Dylan’s going to find him for a slashing cut off the baseline. He’s taking advantage of the moments where he can break open his bag and rain down pull-up threes while expanding his playmaking.

They’re adjusting to the pace of the college game and “not wasting your energy on doing a lot of moves. Being exact in what you want to do, stick right to it. Don’t try to play around,” Dylan explains. “These are grown men. Like 23, 24. You’re not going to have time to really do everything that you were doing in high school.”

“Get to your spots,” Ace chimes in. 

“Get to your spots,” Dylan repeats in affirmation.

Even when they’re not connecting on displays of basketball genius, Ace and Dylan are in sync. Target runs are routine, most recently copping a new comforter for Ace. So are late night stops at Shake Shack or hitting up the dining hall after practice. Since arriving on campus in the midst of June for summer workouts, Ace and Dylan have been stacking on the bedrock of their brotherhood. When one calls, the other answers. It’s been that way long before the commitments. 

“Yeah, we go to Target, like, every other week. If y’all want to catch us, catch us at Target. We’ll be at Target. All the time, I’m telling you,” Dylan says. “But, probably in the summertime it was more like, practice early, then the rest of the day we’re with each other. No class, chilling in the room, playing the game. Doing kids stuff, honestly, just being ourselves and bonding.”

Inside the third floor of the practice facility, Ace and Dylan pose for flicks in their Scarlet Knights uniforms. Despite standing in front of a matching backdrop, the bond between them is clearer than the panes of the business school they’ll be next to 30 minutes later. Jokes get thrown back and forth like the rock on the perimeter. They call out to passing teammates in unison, checking in to see what their guys have been up to. And when Josh Turner’s “Your Man” blares from the speakers above, an unanticipated karaoke session ensues.

Piscataway has become a second home. There’s a sense of comfort, family and loyalty that runs through the campus. Their commitment to Rutgers’ prominence is being met with a trust to be themselves, to keep their feet grounded in the present while holding each other accountable to what they set out to accomplish almost two years ago. Team up. Dominate.

Welcome to the new norm. Rutgers, you ready?

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Range Brothers: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey Talk Coordinated Commitment to Rutgers, Building a Brotherhood and Sights on the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Non-New Yorkers might think the Big Apple seems like one compact unit where everyone is familiar with the boroughs and neighborhoods, but that is definitely not true. Especially for a teenager who lived in The Bronx’s Mitchel projects in the 1980s.

“I never came to Brooklyn,” chuckles Long Island University’s men’s basketball coach Rod Strickland, a New York City Point God who spent 17 years in the League and more than a decade on high-level college staffs before getting this, his first head coaching job, in the summer of 2022. “I came here a couple of times to play, but I was so young I barely remember… I played in The Bronx, obviously, and we played in Harlem.

“So when I first got the job here, it was a whole different environment. I just had to get adjusted to that, which was fine. At the end of the day, it does look like The Bronx and Harlem. I just hadn’t been here. Now it feels like home.”

And isn’t that lovely for the LIU Sharks? If you’re doing a double take on what one of your favorite point guards ever is doing at a school you may not have even heard of…let’s take a step back.

LIU, formerly known as the Blackbirds, were a national power going back to the 1930s, when legendary coach and author Clair Bee led them to undefeated seasons in 1936 and ’39 and NIT championships in ’39 and ’41. The program crumbled in the 1950s after a point-shaving scandal and did not resurface in DI until ’68. The only reasons fans under 50 might be familiar with the program are the dope ’97 and ’98 teams that featured New York City ballers Mike Campbell, Charles Jones and Richie Parker or the ’10-13 teams that made three straight NCAA Tournaments.

Since that time, the university’s Brooklyn and suburban Brookville locations officially merged and the school has officially been known solely as Long Island University. What’s more, the sports teams are now the Sharks.

Rod Strickland, who in 1998 led the NBA in assists (he ranks 13th all-time in career assists) and was subsequently named second-team All-NBA, has been coaching the LIU Sharks for two years and we’re just getting around to covering them? Well, that’s OK with him, because it took about 24 months for him to get fully comfortable. “I had to get the experience and feel things out,” says Strickland (whose teams went a combined 10-48 in his first two seasons) from the comfort of his office in LIU’s Steinberg Wellness Center. “As of today, I feel like I have a great understanding of the environment. Now it’s a clean slate. These are my recruits. Whole new staff. It feels good.”

OG NYC hoop heads should consider this team a must-watch on the strength not only of Rod but his newly hired assistant Derrick Phelps, who starred at Christ the King in Queens before a stellar four-year career at UNC. But we get it; that demo is aging. Why should a modern hoop fan tune in to see the Sharks? Because they’re gonna be good!

The newcomers LIU fans are most excited about include freshman Roc Lee, a highly touted shooting guard from Atlanta considered a contender for NEC ROY, and Malachi Davis, a senior transfer wing from the Toronto area by way of Power 4 program Arizona State who has NEC POY potential. We find Davis overlooking the Sharks’ court from an office across the hall from Coach Strickland. “The important thing is building the LIU brand,” Davis says. “We’re trying to change the culture. We’re trying to change the environment. And bring the community together and do something real special this year.”

Sophomore forward Jason Steele, a Queens native who played his high school ball at Our Saviour Lutheran in The Bronx, is one of a select group of returnees for the Sharks. “The realistic goal for us is to win,” Steele says firmly. “We have people who want to compete. I would refer to them as straight dogs. Everyone here wants to work and everyone wants to win.”

The de facto team leader is another returner with a very familiar last name: senior point guard Terell Strickland. Terell had a great high school career in the Tampa-St. Pete area (Dad used to coach at South Florida) before playing in 50 games for James Madison University between ’20-23. Rod got the job too close to the ’22-23 season for Terell to get up here, but there was no doubt he’d arrive for the ’23-24 season. Terell had a solid junior campaign at the point, averaging 7.2 ppg and 3.6 apg, and everyone expects an even better performance this year.

“There was no debate about me coming to play for him,” Terell says. “I really enjoyed my time at James Madison, but this was just too special of an opportunity to pass up. Not only is he my dad, but he’s an NBA player who’s played the game at a high level. The chance to learn from him was something I couldn’t pass up.”

As Rod says, “I was quoted as a player as saying I never wanted to coach because I wouldn’t want to coach five of me. But when I was done playing, I needed a job. I called my guy at Memphis—William Wesley—and he got me with Cal [John Calipari]. Cal was so forward-thinking; he knew I was a point guard, and he got Derrick Rose, Tyreke [Evans], J-Wall.”

Strickland followed Cal from Memphis to Kentucky and then did stints at South Florida and with the NBA G League. “I wasn’t ready to be a head coach at first. But after being in it—at a high level at Memphis and Kentucky, playing for national championships—I don’t know exactly when, but it just got to a point where it was like, the next step. I played. Then I was an assistant coach. Then the next thing was to be a head coach.”

It’s an all-around, feel-good New York story that just needs some success on the floor to reach the happy ending everyone in the building seems to think is inevitable.

When asked about his father, who is obviously the key to the whole LIU hoops rebuild, Terell says, “I’m really happy for him. Very proud of him. It really is an amazing opportunity for him, especially for him to be back in New York to do it, surrounded by his family and a big group of supporters.”

Action photos via Getty Images and David Patalano.

The post Shark Sighting: How the Legendary Rod Strickland is Leading Long Island University Back to Prominence appeared first on SLAM.

There’s nothing quite like being drafted into the NBA. A decade’s worth of blood, sweat and tears has all led up to that surreal, life-affirming moment when one’s name is called to the stage. But even in a place where one’s wildest dreams come true, rarely do the stars align like they did for a then-18-year-old Carlton “Bub” Carrington.

Mere minutes after being selected 14th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, Carrington was informed that he’d be traded to the Washington Wizards. He couldn’t believe it. He recounts thinking, “There is no way … Wait, what is happening right now?” Because, to Carrington, there’s more to repping the Wizards than individual pride; he’s repping his home state, too.

Take a 40-minute drive northeast of Capital One Arena, and you’ll arrive at Carrington’s childhood roots in Baltimore, a city that exudes its own grimy, uber-competitive basketball culture. However, compared to the abundance of opportunities in cities like New York or Los Angeles, there are only so many spots to be filled in Baltimore. “You’re trying to make that one team, you’re trying to go to that one school, trying to be in that one area,” Carrington says.

Point-blank, if you want to make it in Baltimore, you have to earn it. Carrington is no exception to the rule, and it’s not far-fetched to presume that’s where the battle-tested guard developed his pedal-to-the-metal tenacity. Just ask the man himself. “In some way, shape or form, [you’re] a product of your environment,” Carrington says. “On the court, it’s always been that one mode for me: you got to kill that person in front of you. Figuratively, of course.”

As Carrington puts it, it doesn’t matter if your opponent is someone you’ve never played before or someone you’ve been rivals with for as long as you can remember, every ball game is a battle. For Bub, some of his most formative memories came from those long-standing rivalries. Those battles became his statement to the city that he’s got the drive and game to back up his merciless mode of playing.

One battle stands above the rest, however.

When Bub first arrived at St. Francis Academy, one of the city’s most well-known prospects, Jahnathan Lamothe, was also there. 

“He blew up big,” Carrington says. And for the rest of high school, whether it was the final minutes of practice or the AAU circuit, an overlooked Bub made it a point of emphasis to earn his stripes through his battles with Lamothe. “I wasn’t, like, talked about, or anything … [so] he was on my list. He was on me and my dad’s list, telling me you had to go at him every day. [My dad would say] wherever you see him, you got to go at him.”

Those are words you don’t take lightly. Bub’s father, Carlton Carrington II, is a revered local AAU coach, and his insight into the sport allowed Bub to stay one step ahead of his contemporaries. “You see the game from a different perspective, from a coach’s perspective. A lot of kids see from a coach’s perspective for an hour, for however long you’re in practice…I see it every hour of the day,” he says.

That father-son, coach-player dynamic is unique. It’s a high-wire balancing act for them both, and sometimes, when players are younger, those lines are blurred beyond comprehension. “When I was younger, I used to think there was no switch,” Carrington recalls. But once Bub matured, he began to see the fruits of his labor as his understanding of the people around him started to crystallize. “I stopped trying to think I’m smarter than him. He knows what he’s doing…[and] it’s always a good thing to have someone that knows what they’re talking about.”

All this culminates in the player he is today: a 6-4 guard who’s a magician pulling up from the mid-range and a smooth operator from the pick-and-roll; a player who, in an effort to be the best player he can be for his team, embraces the little things and the not-so-glamorous aspects of basketball.

But, with all of Baltimore’s unrelenting competitive spirit, there is also a cherished sense of community. Ask any basketball player from Baltimore, and they’ll tell you everyone is trying to be nothing less than the best in the city. But when that once-in-a-generation player reaches the top, and their sky-high aspirations carry into college and beyond, the whole city relishes in their success.

That pride only intensified with Carrington playing so close to home, and to Bub, it’s only right to give back to a community that shaped him into Washington’s guard of the future. So, while the NBA eagerly waits for Carrington’s first game, he hasn’t wasted any time putting his charitable activism into effect. He’s already taking part in local back-to-school and annual Thanksgiving food drives while also conceptualizing community-oriented projects with fellow teammates.

“I’m trying to be a voice. I’m trying to actually be active in the community,” Bub says. “I like helping people. I help people because I was helped.”

Photos via Getty Images.

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Everything he needs is here, including a state-of-the-art gym, where we’ve set up to shoot the cover of SLAM 252. Behind one basket, stretching the entire length of the wall, is a blown-up image of Lillard’s series-clinching three-pointer against the Rockets in 2014; behind the other, the unforgettable shot that knocked out the Thunder in 2019. Other photos marking significant moments in Lillard’s life and career surround the court—of family and friends, of award ceremonies and celebrations, of dunks and game-winners. “All part of the story,” he says.

SLAM 252 featuring Damian Lillard is available now.

A year ago, Lillard wasn’t sure where the next chapter of that story would unfold. After requesting a trade in July, his summer plans had to be altered. He couldn’t play competitively—couldn’t train as rigorously as he likes to—knowing that an injury would compromise negotiations. He waited three months until the deal with Milwaukee was done, leaving him with just a few days to pack his bags and adjust to his new situation before training camp began. It was all so hectic.

This summer has been a refreshing change. Less business, more family. Less uncertainty, more peace. Less waiting, more action. Lillard has been able to focus on his training, embracing a holistic approach that includes a strict anti-inflammatory diet. He even spent four days in Las Vegas working out with retired Navy SEAL David Goggins.

As the 2024-25 season looms, Lillard is prepared in a way that wasn’t possible last September, both physically and mentally. Here, he reflects on the past year, his transition to Milwaukee, building chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo and much more.

SLAM: What was it like to work out with David Goggins and how did that come about?

Damian Lillard: We had had many conversations over the last two-and-a-half years about getting together and training. And he would always tell me, like, ‘Man, I could take you to the next level as far as your conditioning and your mind.’ And I wanted to do it. It was just a matter of finding the time and opportunity that fit both of our schedules. And that time came this summer.

It was definitely a challenge physically. A lot of those exercises and conditioning drills that he pushes you through are a challenge. It pushes you past your limits. But I think it was more of a mental thing than anything. You realize how hard it is to do those things, and then he’s constantly demanding more. I walked away from it just understanding myself a little bit better, as far as like what you have to give. There were a lot of moments [where] I was ready to quit. And he didn’t say, ‘Just give me a little bit more.’ He was demanding a lot more when I had nothing left. He kept saying, ‘Don’t just survive, you gotta conquer it.’ And the fact that I was able to do that, I think it did change something for me mentally as far as when I feel like I’m breaking down and wearing down.

SLAM: Reflecting on last season, what are the challenges that come with adapting to a new team that people on the outside tend to overlook?

DL: I think the number one thing people don’t understand is the change that it is for the person—the change that comes with picking up and going into a new environment. Sometimes you leave one job for another job and you might have to relocate, but a lot of people go job to job locally. They don’t have to pack up their lives and go to a completely different place. And that’s not something that everybody experiences the same as us.

The number two thing is having to learn to work with somebody new. And not just having to—being expected to work together and figure it out right away. And I think that’s something people don’t understand. They just look at, This player’s great, that player’s great, you got this, you got that, and they just think it’s supposed to work. But you gotta figure out how it works for everybody. Me playing with Giannis is one thing, but we have to figure out how we work best and how that works for everybody, because there are a lot of guys that have to be able to do what they do best and be in a position to succeed for the team to succeed. So I think a lot of people look at two [people], and they don’t look at the big picture of the entire team.

SLAM: Now that you’ve been able to get settled a bit in Milwaukee, is there a level of comfort and peace that you think will translate to the court?

DL: I definitely think there is. Like I said, being able to come back and do everything to prepare myself to the best of my ability is the first thing. I know that when this summer ends and I get ready to go back to Milwaukee, I’m gonna go back prepared, not just because of what I did for my body, my PT, my strength and conditioning and my diet—all of those things are great for me physically but being able to come here and I didn’t say, All right, this summer I’m gonna take off and go on all these vacations and do all these things. I spent a lot of time with the people that I really care about and that I want to be around, and that’s my kids, my mom, my nephews, my sister, my brother, my cousins. We didn’t do a whole lot, we just spent a lot of time around each other. And I think that that did me very well this summer. So going back knowing that I’m physically prepared and I’m mentally prepared and it’s a more familiar situation. We gained some stability with [head coach] Doc [Rivers]. Knowing who I’m gonna go play for, having a much better understanding of the team, knowing guys now—I mean, it’s just different. And all of those things give me a different level of peace going into it than I ever could’ve had last year.

SLAM: You talked last year about the challenge of figuring out who you are on the Bucks. With a year under your belt, have you figured it out?

DL: I think I definitely have a much better idea coming off of last season and only getting to know the staff better. Even over the summer, spending time around them, talking to them, and also being able to step away and look back, I have a much better idea what is necessary for me. I know that I don’t need to play the same type of game that I played for the first 11 years of my career, but I think my mentality has to be what my mentality has always been. Instead of trying to come and overly fit in, I think I was brought in to be who I am. I spent too much time trying to ease my way into, What does it look like?, instead of just asserting myself and being who I am. Looking back now and also being there for some time, I think my understanding of that is much better.

SLAM: How has your relationship and chemistry with Giannis evolved and where is it at now?

DL: I think it developed great over the course of the season. He’s not a super talkative person and I’m not a super talkative person myself. Over time, I’ve become [more outspoken] the more that I start to build relationships with people, especially on the team. And I think as the season went on, me and him definitely started to talk more and more, and I started to come to his house to do conditioning or work out together. We’re on the phone. I’m sending him clips and stuff like that. And this summer, we’ve been in constant communication. We both know that we need each other. I think he’s excited coming into the season just like I am, because we became a lot closer as the season went on and we started to learn [about] each other a lot better. So having a full offseason of being connected to each other and being able to go into this next season, I think we’re both going to be ready. And we’re both excited to do what we gotta do.

SLAM: Can you talk specifically about building pick-and-roll chemistry with Giannis? How has that developed?

DL: To start the year, we just weren’t in a lot of pick-and-rolls together for a long time. We were playing in transition, or I was in ISO, or he was in ISO. It just wasn’t a lot of pick-and-rolls. The best way to get chemistry in pick-and-rolls is to be in a lot of pick-and-rolls together. And I think it got to the point with Doc where he was having us in practice, just, Set it. Throw it to Giannis. Giannis, give it back to Dame. All right, Dame, throw it back. All right, Giannis, uphill DHO. It was almost like the team was laughing at us, just repping it out over and over.

Then in games, we ended up being in a lot of those actions together a lot more the second half of the year. I started to see what he was thinking, and I think he started to see what I was thinking, and then we would talk about it. Once you start to build chemistry, then I can start directing a little bit more because we are more connected, instead of me just trying to tell him what I want him to do [when] we haven’t even really worked together on it. [I was] wanting to give him the respect of, like, he might have something that he wants me to do a little bit different, but it’s hard to figure that out when you’re not in a lot of pick-and-rolls together. And as the season went on, I started to see how I can make the game easier for him, and I think he started to see what I needed from him to be free out of the pick-and-roll. And from here, I think it’ll continue to just get better.

SLAM: Do you feel like people are overlooking the Bucks heading into this season?

DL: Yeah, I think people are definitely [doing that], and that’s how the league is. It’s like, on to the next thing. There are younger teams on the rise, you have teams that made big free agency moves, teams that made trades, all types of things took place. So obviously that’s going to be what’s sexy. When I got traded to Milwaukee, it was like, Oh, the Bucks gonna win! Everybody just jumped on it, you know? So when something major happens or something big happens for a team, especially if it’s already a good team, like of course [that’s the reaction]. Rightfully so, all of those types of teams are going to be mentioned at the top.

SLAM: On the Club 520 Podcast, you talked about how consistency tends to get boring for people, to the point where it starts to go overlooked. Can you elaborate on that a bit and how you’ve seen that play out during your career?

DL: I think early in my career, I always felt like I was underappreciated. I had an underdog mentality. Sometimes even when I was getting credit, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough credit or they were ignoring what I was doing. And then I think I reached a point in my career where I started to get acknowledged how I felt I should be acknowledged. And then fast forward to being named to the 75th Anniversary Team, [that was] like, the ultimate nod to what my body of work has been and how consistent I’ve been since I stepped foot in the NBA.

But on the podcast, I was really just saying, like, I’m not loud and I’m not saying too much and doing all these things, but I’m always productive. Even in a season like last season where I feel like I could have been better in a lot of areas, I still had a productive season, and we were still a successful team throughout the season—a two-seed for pretty much the entire season. I think people just kind of look past it because of what they think we should be or whatever their personal opinions are. But the fact of the matter is, I’ve always been productive. This is gonna be my 13^th season, and I continue to just show up and be productive. And my team is always a good team. Over time, people are just like, Yeah, you don’t have a ring. What’s next? But I think they get bored with the fact that I just do it over and over and over and over and over. It’s like, Do something else. When it’s really, like, I’m showing up, putting my best foot forward.

SLAM: We see how much fun you’re having with your kids today. Can you describe the motivation that you get from them?

DL: I get a lot of motivation from being a dad and from my kids because how I was raised—like, the principles and the values that my parents raised me with—having my own kids, now I got even more pride about those things. There are some mornings where I gotta work out at 6:30 and I’ll get my kids up and bring them in here. They might have a tablet or whatever it is so they’re entertained and not getting in the way, but they’ll sit over there while I work out because I want them to be able to see, like, this didn’t just come out of nowhere. You gotta work hard for stuff. You gotta do stuff that you don’t want to do. A lot goes into the life that you guys have. And I want them, from a young age, to understand what it means to work hard for things and sacrifice. I say that to say, they have to see me be the ultimate example of what I preach to them.

And the motivation comes in where, if I’m being criticized, or if I’m struggling, or if something makes me uncomfortable, I think about my kids when I’m having to respond to those types of situations. I know that, especially with the internet and cameras being everywhere, there’s gonna come a day where my kids will be old enough to understand like, This was happening to my dad or, This was what people were saying about my dad, and there will also be evidence of how I responded to those things. Whatever the situation is, I’ll be the example for my kids and my nephews and nieces, where they’ll be like, He’s not just telling us this, there will be proof of, like, This is who I am. I think that’ll give them a sense of pride, because they’ll see it with their own eyes. And I feel that way because that’s how I feel about my dad. He said all this stuff to me and I see him walk that out. So that’s the kind of motivation I have. It’s not about—if I win a championship, that’d be great. That’s a cherry on top. But how you represent yourself and what you stand on as a human, I think that’s most important. So I get a lot of motivation from the opportunities to show that even when it’s a tough or a bad situation.

Portraits by Gabe Pineda, Victory Creative Group.

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Jrue immediately points to Derrick, the winner.

“I won the blocks, I think Jrue won the steals. I was pretty confident I would beat him in blocks, and we discovered that,” Derrick says, before flashing a quick glance to Jrue as he prepares for a potential comeback. “The Stock Exchange, they both count,” he continues.

Steals, blocks, dropping 30-pieces and everything in between, it’s no exaggeration to say that the Celtics’ starting guards do anything and everything that’s required to win. And as a result, they’ve experienced a summer that only six other NBA players ever have: winning an NBA championship and an Olympic Gold medal all within the span of two months. Now add SLAM cover stars to that list. They just won’t stop winning.

SLAM 252 featuring Derrick White and Jrue Holiday is available now.

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday aren’t just dedicated to their many, many responsibilities. They achieve greatness through them. They excel at being great at everything, so at a moment’s notice, they can fulfill any role needed. They defend the best players, no matter the position. They initiate the offense. They operate out of the dunker spot. They put their bodies on the line. They make the game easier for everyone around them. So when it came to the construction of the 2024 US men’s national team, the transition from the Cs was damn near seamless.

Jrue started in three of the team’s six games as the primary ballhandler, dropping 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals against Serbia in the opening contest. Off the bench, Derrick went 3-3 from downtown and swiped 3 steals against South Sudan. While a surrounding cast of superstars soaked up the spotlight, Derrick and Jrue held down the intangibles in the backcourt.

“Everybody was making a big deal about roles and everybody’s got to play a little bit differently. But for me and for Jrue, we just kind of played the way we play, just do the same things that we do with Boston,” Derrick says of playing in Paris with Team USA. “We didn’t have to change too much. Obviously, the minutes and everything looked different, but I didn’t feel like I had to go in there and be somebody I wasn’t or change anything.”

There’s a stoic confidence to Derrick White, one that was fully realized by the rest of the League’s fan bases after being torched again and again by the Parker, CO, native. From Boston’s outpouring of appreciation to receiving All-Star chants in San Antonio—where Derrick spent his first five years in the L—last year’s campaign was the best of his career: 15.2 points, 5.2 dimes, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1 steal per game. On a ridiculous 39.6 percent shooting from three.

The playoffs were his playground. Thirty-eight against Miami in Game 4 of the opening round. Four blocks on the Pacers in Game 3. Five steals two nights later.

But it’s the absurd amount of blocks that Jrue’s consistently amazed by—87 of ’em on the season, to be exact. Go to YouTube and there’s a three-and-a-half minute masterclass dedicated solely to rim protection.

“Nobody else in the League can do it the same way,” Jrue says of Derrick. “He blocks shots like a big man. To me, that’s amazing. Not only having the talent, the ability, the timing to block a shot—he’s also guarding your best perimeter player, where in this League, it’s super difficult to guard anyone. To have a backcourt mate like that and know the drop-off isn’t there at all, I feel like for other people, it’s scary, but it’s exciting to know that every night is going to be a tough night for any team.

“Putting on this jersey isn’t easy. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with it,” Jrue continues. “Even the season he’s had is a testament to the work he’s put in. How he plays, how he came out and played from the beginning of the season, how he ran the team. Even starting us off in Miami, like, the first series. I mean, just cooking. That means a lot to us, but he put in the work.”

There’s a common thread throughout the duration of our conversation: Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are unselfish to the core. They can’t help but give the other their flowers. This isn’t just how they play, this is who they are. Compliments get thrown back and forth like they’re working the perimeter. They’ve earned them. And as the both of them can attest, these are lifelong habits.

“I think our parents did a good job of raising us and being able to show us that giving is the way to go, and that’s how you, I guess, get happiness—by serving other people,” Jrue says. “I think over time you start to realize that service to other people is very important. For us, I think it just translates to our game. Yeah, Stock Exchange.”

The joy they’re looking for doesn’t come from posting a career-high. Winning takes care of that—as well as the assists and persistent displays of defensive brilliance that result in 64 regular-season wins and gleaming gold hardware.

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A blend of pride, skill and fearlessness anchors the Celtics’ two lockdown artists. Sprinting back on D. Poking the ball away on drives. Deflections on the help side. Cutting off the pick-and-roll. Diving for loose balls while chipping teeth. It’s a concerted effort of chaotic beauty.

“As long as I’ve been in the League, it’s been known that Jrue is the elite of the elite on that end. Just being on this team, you see how guys don’t even want to dribble the ball up the court when he’s on ’em. As soon as they see Jrue, it’s just like, Give it to somebody else, let them figure it out,” Derrick says. “Playing against him, you really get a deeper appreciation seeing it night in
and night out.”

While Derrick had two seasons to get acclimated to playing alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co., Jrue arrived in Boston on the first day of training camp. A handful of weeks remained before the tip of the season, and Derrick was already comfortable running the point. So the two worked through what their version of the Celtics offense would look like. The more reps they got together, the more comfortable they felt.

“When we came into training camp, Derrick was so sure of himself at the point guard position that it helped me,” Jrue says. “I think being able to mirror him from the beginning was great for me. Him being confident and knowing that I’m here to run the team and do whatever it takes to win, it just gave me confidence, knowing alright, If I follow him and I follow his direction, I’ll be fine.”

More often than not, Jrue has been the one leading the direction throughout his career. In Philly, in New Orleans, in Milwaukee, each stop had him running the show as the head honcho of the offense. Then 33 years old, entering a situation that had already been somewhat solidified, Jrue’s mindset was the same as always: help where he’s needed.

Game averages of 12.5 points and 4.8 assists might have been a drop compared to years’ past, but the game is so much greater than the context stats provide. The work Jrue did this season didn’t always show up in the box score—unlike his career-high 5.4 rebounds—but it more than resonated with the team and the greater Boston area.

“This season, I feel like the city of Boston is kind of like how we play. Hard nosed, blue collar, no excuses. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to do, and I feel like the city of Boston is like that,” Jrue says. “You should see these fans. I’m telling you, literally from the first preseason game to the last game of the season, they’ve been there supporting, they’ve been there cheering in a way that I’ve never seen before. It’s like one of the craziest experiences that I’ve been a part of. I feel like they appreciate that because [they] understand my game and how I play.”

The recognition is shared from Dorchester to the front office, with both Jrue and Derrick signing four-year, nine-figure contract extensions. The best defensive backcourt in the League is back in Boston, and so is the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Even though they’re fitted in their green and white Icon threads, an overwhelming amount of gold fills the facility. Light dances off the Olympic Gold medals that dangle from their necks, reflecting off the Finals trophy that they carefully hand to one another. Standing in front of a row of cushioned bleachers, even here the weight of the 18 championship banners that hang in the rafters off to the left can be felt.

Derrick and Jrue know the expectations will be higher next season and they’re embracing it. They’re leaning even more into the trust that they’ve built in the backcourt, and the infamous mentality of head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“Right now, we’re just getting back into it, getting our minds right. Knowing that when the season starts, Joe’s gonna have us ready to go,” Derrick says before Jrue laughs.

“That’s for damn sure,” he says.

“He’s probably more excited than anybody to have a target on our back. Y’all heard the quote. That’s legit who he is. That’s the kind of guy you want to play for,” Derrick says. “Last year was last year. You just got to continue to have that same mindset of getting better, improving and focusing on the things that we do.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Surreal Summer: Derrick White and Jrue Holiday Discuss Winning an NBA Championship, Olympic Gold Medals and Doing the Little Things appeared first on SLAM.

Whether you’re a longtime basketball junkie who already knows everything there is to know about Hoop Dreams, the cinematic masterpiece about Arthur Agee, William Gates and their families, or a young buck just learning about the film for the first time, you have to understand how utterly improbable it was that the single best movie of any year was a basketball doc. Quadruply so back in ’94, when there was no such thing as 30 for 30 and you were lucky if you found a documentary on any subject anywhere other than PBS. In fact, filmmakers Steve James and Frederick Marx originally set out to make a 30-minute piece they hoped would make it to PBS and on the back end, well, there’d be no such thing as 30 for 30 if Hoop Dreams didn’t show the world how powerful a documentary rooted in sports could be.

It was no short-lived phenomenon, either. Hoop Dreams has appeared in numerous lists of the greatest documentaries of all time and tends to be passed down from one generation to another in basketball families like a treasured heirloom. “I think the biggest impact is knowing folks in my generation are watching with their kids. I just saw a clip of Carmelo Anthony saying Hoop Dreams is a film his son needs to watch,” says Gates, who during the film commutes 90 minutes from the Cabrini-Green Homes in Chicago out to the private St. Joseph High School in Westchester and eventually overcomes a knee injury to earn a scholarship to Marquette. “At the core of it, the film is as relevant today as it was then because the issues still remain…You’ve still got kids who have the dream of making the League, and there’s two elements of the story. There’s injuries, there’s grades, there’s lack of opportunities. These issues still exist. Just change the faces.”

Says James, who directed Hoop Dreams as his first major project and subsequently worked on numerous successful films with Chicago-based Kartemquin Films, “I’m shocked and surprised how many people still talk about it. It’s not every day, but I do get approached about Hoop Dreams a lot. It helps that it’s out there and available—people can still watch this film.”

While James and Marx had the idea for Hoop Dreams and started the work on it, Peter Gilbert came on shortly thereafter and served as the Director of Photography and a producer. Gilbert has also gone on to produce many movies and remains prolific to this day—but nothing has hit quite like Hoop Dreams did.

“It’s an interesting thing. I’ve made 30 or 40 other films, including one about the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, Innocence Project films about people who were wrongly convicted, all different kinds of stuff, as well as narrative stuff,” Gilbert says. “But Hoop Dreams is the thing that people define me by. [It’s] not a bad film to be defined by.”

Where Gates, James and Gilbert have all branched out since Hoop Dreams came out three decades ago (the former as a pastor and motivational speaker who moved to San Antonio and the latter with all their subsequent movie projects), Agee is, effectively, “Mr. Hoop Dreams.” He’s got his Classic HD Basketball Clothing Co. and is working on Hoop Dreams 2. He also teams up with Gates on Agee and Gates The Podcast: What’s your Hoop Dream? Asked over text if Hoop Dreams feels like a daily part of his life all these years later, Agee doesn’t hesitate. “It’s never ending, it’s always there no matter where I’m at,” he types back quickly. “It’s just a real cool thing to live every day.” Dreams are real, indeed. 

SLAM has and would celebrate a film such as Hoop Dreams no matter how old we or the film might be, but there’s special resonance that the movie is turning 30 this year just as we are. In February, we brought the guys together at the first annual SLAM Film Festival to celebrate the 30th anniversary, which kicked off a year-long celebration of the film.

Now, Alamo Drafthouse will be re-releasing the film in theaters this week as part of their 1994 look back series, Project Backboard is refurbishing the court at Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side as part of JDS Sports’ Play With Purpose initiative, with a court unveiling this weekend, and SLAM will be dropping a capsule collection this Friday. You can join the stars and filmmakers of Hoop Dreams for an exclusive 30th anniversary panel at the prestigious Chicago Humanities Festival on November 9th. For more details and tickets, visit chicagohumanities.org.

Photos via Kartemquin Films.

The post Hoop Dreams: The Iconic Basketball Documentary Remains as Powerful as Ever 30 Years Later appeared first on SLAM.

It was everything we could have dreamed of. One by one, the 2024 NBA All-Stars from the East and West made their way from the tunnel to the court. It was February 18, 2024. Everybody was suited in their best. The King debuted a hybrid Nike LeBron 21 fused with Deion Sanders’ monochrome Nike Air DT Max. Stephen Curry was rocking his titular Curry 4 Low FloTro. The digs were clean. And then a metallic finish gleamed under the lights of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Draped in the game’s half-red, half-blue striped warm-ups, Kevin Durant sent everyone—including us—into a fever pitch. The litany of social media posts that followed echoed the culture-shaking moments from the heyday of NikeTalk. Bright orange Swooshes stamped at the strap and the medial heel. A faint baby blue speckling littering the jet-black midsole that reflected the depths of deep space. A translucent, glow-in-the-dark outsole sitting just below. And under the hood, a picturesque galaxy of stars, big bangs and wormholes extending across the insoles.

For the first time since 2012, Kevin Durant was wearing the KD 4. And this wasn’t like him kicking it in a pair of Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 OG Lows from his beloved rotation. The two-time NBA champ was dropping buckets in the Zoom-cushioned silhouette just like he did 12 years prior.

For the entirety of the first half, we got to watch KD play in what’s continuously heralded as the best sneaker in his lengthy signature discography. We literally witnessed history repeat itself in real time. Top of the key threes, alley-oop reverse lays and no-look assists on the perimeter. Different jersey, different city and a few more grays in the beard, but the kicks stayed the exact same.

We’re serious, the exact same. Kevin Durant’s retro run is precisely that: a retro. This isn’t the same ethos that surrounds Kobe Bryant’s Protro pairs that have been retooled for the modern game. The 4s have the same smooth TPU strap, full-length Zoom Air bag and monomesh midfoot windows that Leo Chang masterfully cobbled together out in Beaverton.

On a hallowed night in Orlando over a decade ago, the world watched a 23-year-old Durant stamp his unyielding love for the game in his third-ever All-Star appearance. Thirty-six points, 7 boards, 3 dots and 3 steals = MVP. Fast forward 12 years, and the sneaker wasn’t just laced on KD’s feet as he poured in a surgically efficient 18 points; it also lay in a shielded display case at CORPORATE on McCrea St.

Everyone knows about the different hallmark moments in the NBA season. But for the sneaker brands, All-Star Weekend is the epicenter of the year. Budgets are allocated, plans are set in place and venues are booked months and months in advance. In-person activations are the name of the game, marrying newly released products with experiential moments. Customizable gear is like its own currency. Then there are the true sneakerheads, who are are searching through pop-up stores and local boutiques for the holy grail of the weekend.

This past February out in Indianapolis, everyone was hunting for the pair Durant would famously wear a few days later.

The tonal beige and brown “Year of the Dragon 2.0” colorway may have officially kicked off the silhouette’s revival in early February, but the “Galaxy” was the first original colorway from that iconic 2011-12 run that the Swoosh brought back to market. A shock drop on February 15 set the stage for the return of the community’s favorite ensembles.

Just as we spoke it into existence last year in KICKS 26, Nike wasn’t hanging it up like they
did with the 2018 release of the KD 4 “Thunderstruck” after Durant and the Warriors claimed the title. The Swoosh combed through the catalog and hand-selected the best of the best. Nothing but haymakers for months.

In late May, we were blessed with the topographical “Weatherman” joints as images of cargo pants and color-coordinated tees screamed of a bygone era. By the time you have this magazine in your hands, what some consider the most acclaimed colorway of Durant’s 17 signature sneakers will have returned, with the aesthetic of rubber-tipped bullets and plastic magazines. The KD 4 “Nerf” is upon us. And while it won’t be packaged in the same square box that held a cardboard mini hoop and foam basketball, those same pops of deep blue, gray, orange and volt will be transporting everyone back to memories of denting the closet door with All-Star-caliber dunk contests in their childhood bedrooms.

The releases have been timely yet staggered, allowing more than enough breathing room between each drop to reignite the deep-rooted passion that exists for that midfoot strap. Nike knows they’ve got us in a vice grip. It’s why they’re reportedly set to close out the 4s retro run with a duo of bangers, the copper and black “Christmas” colorway and the heart-tugging “Aunt Pearl” rendition—the first of a now 13-silhouette-strong series dedicated to KD’s late aunt.

The past seven months have been a bunch of nostalgia-induced trips down memory lane. We’ve been living in the parallel reality that we dreamed about just a few years ago. It’s back on the streets, on the courts and in closets all around the world. Lucky for us, the story of the 4 continues.

Photos via Getty Images and Nike.

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Harlem native Darryl Roberts is the founder of Bridging Structural Holes, a nonprofit that spearheads the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic. Like many young hoopers, he dreamed of playing at a high major. Instead, his opportunity came at Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. “I fell in love with HBCU culture. My HBCU foundation is pure and authentic,” Darryl says. “And so are my Harlem roots.

“Anybody who hasn’t lived underneath a manhole cover understands that Harlem is the epicenter of Black excellence, Black culture and Black creativity,” he adds. “So when we were looking for a location [for the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic], there was no second choice because we wanted to do things outside of sports to inspire kids as well.”

This year’s Classic had it all: an HBCU resource center; food from Charles Pan-Fried Chicken on the adjacent handball courts; AKAs strolling by, and a youth marching band playing during game breaks. There were boosters chanting from the baseline; classic Marvin Gaye blasting from the speakers. And even Harlem’s own Pee Wee Kirkland. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you were at the Greatest Homecoming on Earth.

Still, the main reason that hundreds of people gathered on this day was to watch 40 of the best HBCU hoopers in the country put on a show. After a tightly contested and action-packed girls’ game that set the tone, the boys’ game that followed was just as exciting. Both games were filled with highlights galore, prime examples of the overshadowed yet high-level talent that floods the HBCU basketball community and how they can compete with the best of ’em.

HBCU basketball has historically lacked marketing and promotion compared to its PWI counterparts, but that tide is turning slowly but surely. They may never be able to contend with high-majors when it comes to resources, but the HBCU hoops experience is second to none, and the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic shows it on full display, creating a loud and robust narrative about HBCUs, HBCU conferences and the HBCU lifestyle.

“For us, the scoreboard is not important,” says Darryl. “Our mission statement is to provide opportunity, access and resources to help people make better life choices.”

Sometimes, that “better life choice” means sticking to your roots and etching your name in the beautiful fabric of HBCU culture.

Photos by Curtis Rowser III.

The post HBCU Spotlight: The Annual Dream Classic HBCU All-Star Game is a Nexus of Black Excellence appeared first on SLAM.

These are just some of the WNBA players who have had impressive, eye-opening rookie seasons.

Add to that list Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Not since Parker—who went on to be the first and only player to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season—has a rookie impacted the League and everyone and everything around it as much as Clark.

Call it the Caitlin Clark Effect.

SLAM 252 featuring Caitlin Clark is available now.

Record-breaking performances. Game sell-outs across the country. Fans packing up and traveling wherever she goes. More eyeballs than ever on the W. Clark has been the talk of the W.

But there’s a flip side to it, too. Heated arguments and debates on sports talk shows and across social media are nonstop, all about Clark and her effect on the League. Is she getting too much press? Is she being painted as the WNBA savior when there are other players who have been here holding up the League for so long? Depends on who you ask—and the time of day you ask.

One could argue that never has so much pressure been put on a player coming into the League. Expectations were high from the jump, even while Clark was still in college at Iowa. There, she set the NCAA Division I scoring record with 3,951 total points. A lightning quick point guard with fast hands, she also became the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader (1,144) and hit the most three- pointers in a single season with 201. So, coming into the League, all eyes were expectedly on her.

But, ironically, Clark has not said much about the hype and fanfare surrounding her first season in the W. She appears to have chosen, instead, to just play her game and seemingly be content with breaking record after record after record and helping her Indiana Fever team do the same. All the while, she is assisting in a brand of excitement for women’s basketball, the likes of which haven’t been seen in a while.

The list of WNBA records broken by Clark is long and exhaustive. There are almost too many to name. They include setting the WNBA single-game assist record (19) against the Dallas Wings, recording the first triple-double for a rookie in WNBA history against the New York Liberty, and breaking the record for most assists in a season by a rookie.

You can’t leave out tying the rookie single-game three-pointers record—Clark made seven of those early in the season in the Fever’s game against the Washington Mystics. Other records include 21 games with at least 15 points and 5 assists, the most ever in a single WNBA season, and becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds and 150 assists in a season.

Clark was also named to the WNBA All-Star Game in July and finished with 10 assists, the most by a rookie in the prestigious game’s history.

This unbelievable rookie season has also included a not-so-great statistic: She recorded the most turnovers in a debut game in WNBA history, with 10 in the Fever’s opener against the Connecticut Sun. She also has the most turnovers in a single season by any player in WNBA history. There’s definitely work to be done in that department, but overall, the Caitlin Clark Effect can’t be denied.

And it has extended beyond just her individual game.

The Fever clinched its first playoff spot since 2016 and currently sit at No. 6 as we head to print. In addition, the WNBA announced that the 2025 All-Star Game will take place in Indianapolis. The 21st WNBA All-Star Game, set for Saturday, July 19, 2025, marks the first time that Indy will host the League’s midseason showcase.

The Fever—already on an upward trajectory after last year’s acquisition of No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, along with Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and NaLyssa Smith—have soared to new heights with the addition of Clark. This starting five earned a playoff spot after going on a hot streak following the Olympic break, rattling off seven wins in eight games. Collectively, they have transformed into a team whose ceiling keeps rising.

Hot shooting from Hull has landed her in first place in the League in three-point percentage (49.2 percent). Mitchell, who has been on her own personal tear this summer, is fifth in three-pointers made this season (96) and ninth in points per game. Clark is the assists leader, averaging 8.5 per game and is first in the League in three-pointers made at 111. Boston is fifth in field-goal percentage (52.8 percent) and eighth in blocks per game (1.3).

In August, the Fever led the entire League in scoring (89.7 ppg) and hit a season-best 100 points in a win against the Chicago Sky on August 30. Indiana also knocked down the most three-point field goals in the month with 72.

On August 16, the Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 98-89, marking the first time since the 2015 regular season that Indiana has swept its regular-season series with Phoenix. Less than two weeks later, Indiana toppled the Sun, 84-80, for the first time since 2021.

The team’s success has also extended to its coach, Christie Sides, who formally entered the Coach of the Year chat and was named WNBA Coach of the Month for August after guiding the Fever to a 5-1 record. Sides is the first head coach in franchise history to earn the honor.

Clark has racked up accolades League-wide as well. In August, she was named both WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and WNBA Rookie of the Month. It was the third time she earned Rookie of the Month honors, having also received the recognition in May and July, while marking the first time she was named Player of the Month. She was recently recognized as the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time in her young career, and she also leads her rookie class in scoring, assists, steals, free-throw shooting and minutes played. And on September 13, she broke the WNBA’s all-time assists record, previously held by the legendary Ticha Penicheiro.

The player many call the female Stephen Curry has been under the microscope since before she entered the League, and the heat has been turned up all season long. Whether you agree or not, whether you’re a fan or not, Clark has dealt with the pressure, lived up to the expectations (even exceeded them in many ways) and has cemented her name in the sport after only one year as a pro.

The Caitlin Clark experience has only just begun but it’s already in full effect

Buckle up.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Simply Undeniable: Caitlin Clark Covers SLAM 252 appeared first on SLAM.

There’s an elite group of current NBA players who are Nike athletes with signature sneaker lines: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and Ja Morant. An argument can be made that none of those future Hall of Famers has the best Nike sig on the market at this exact moment. There’s a strong case that Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty sharpshooter, currently holds the heavyweight belt.

Ionescu took the hoops world by storm in college and put together one of the best amateur careers ever. She was the first player in NCAA history with 2,000+ career points, 1,000+ career rebounds and 1,000+ career assists; she shattered the NCAA triple-double record; she broke the Pac-12 (RIP) all-time assist record…and those are merely a handful of her many accomplishments while starring for Phil Knight’s pride and joy, the University of Oregon.

Sabrina’s been killing shit for so long, and it’s scary to think she’s just now entering her prime. She’s proved that she belongs in any conversation in which the greats, men or women, are being discussed. She further solidified that when, after setting the all-time WNBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest record in 2023, she went toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend.

Ionescu fell just 3 points shy of Curry in what was the first-ever NBA vs WNBA Three-Point Contest, but even a blind man could see that Ionescu was right where she belonged—under the brightest lights, front and center on a basketball court, representing both a group of women who’ve arrived and a group of young girls who are on the way.

“Just to be able to have this be the first of this kind of event and come out here and put on a show but understanding what this means,” said Ionescu. “I’m excited to change the narrative and be able to do it alongside the greatest to ever do it.”

It wasn’t just Ionescu’s sweet stroke that captivated the eyes of viewers; her kicks did, too. She was sporting her Nike Sabrina 1s in a clean colorway of Liberty hues.

On a few occasions, Ionescu spoke to the idea of the Sabrina 1s embodying a story about defying those who doubted her ability to play basketball, let alone with boys, when she was growing up.

Well, defy she did. With the Sabrina 1s, Nike and Ionescu laid the foundation of a gold mine for her signature line, as they quickly became one of the more popular on-court picks among the basketball community.

“Not a women’s basketball shoe or a men’s basketball shoe, but just basketball,” Ionescu said to ESPN this year, when describing the Sabrina 1s. “Being able to tell that story and have people authentically buy in and respect that, I think the time is now in terms of wanting that to be pushed.”

Everywhere you look(ed)—high school, college, the WNBA, the NBA, your local basketball gym—you are/were sure to see a fair share of feet in various colorways of the Sabrina 1. The model was the fifth-most played in sneaker in the 2023-24 NBA season, with players clocking a total of 17,209 minutes played in the silhouette.

And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Ionescu and Nike are running it back and running it up.

Sabrina and the Swoosh launched Ionescu’s second sneaker, the Nike Sabrina 2, along with an apparel collection this past June. Instead of a complete design overhaul, they built upon the first silhouette, maintaining a similar shape, cut and cushion.

“At the center of the collection is the Sabrina 2 signature sneaker, built for players who want to accelerate and cut with quickness,” the brand said. “Nike design teams partnered closely with Sabrina to combine the best of the Sabrina 1 with fresh upgrades that create a sneaker that’s 28 grams lighter and doesn’t sacrifice support, stability or comfort.”

Some of these “fresh upgrades” include a Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole (the first ever in a Nike Basketball sneaker), a Nike Zoom Air Unit in the forefoot, an updated band system around the midfoot and a new “S”-inspired pattern that provides multidirectional traction for quick cuts. Additionally, select colorways will showcase mirror-finished Swooshes, which Nike explains are “an affirmation from Sabrina to the next generation to see themselves in the shoe.”

At first glance of the Sabrina 2, and even the Sabrina 1, it’s obvious where Ionescu’s inspiration comes from. Two sneakers in, and her signature line has drawn early comparisons to Kobe Bryant’s.

Throughout her storied college career and early years with the Liberty, Kobes were Ionescu’s go-to sneaker. The fact that Ionescu’s line is mentioned in the same breath as Bean’s says a lot about the WNBA All-Star’s cultural appeal, but more importantly, her ability and commitment to leading the push to elevate the women’s game to national, and ultimately global, mainstream relevance. It’s a vision she and Kobe shared.

Ionescu first met Kobe in 2019 when he and his daughter Gigi pulled up to watch her Ducks dismantle the USC Trojans. Ionescu developed a close relationship with the Bryant family shortly thereafter. Kobe kept tabs on her throughout the season, often sending words of encouragement as she continued to etch her name in the history books. That summer, Ionescu trained with Gigi and even helped Kobe coach his girls’ team, of which Gigi was a member.

“If I represented the present of the women’s game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it,” Ionescu said during her tribute at Kobe and Gigi’s Celebration of Life service in 2020.

It’s over four years later, and Ionescu still “represents the present.” And at only 26 years old, she represents the future, too. Think Kobe rocking No. 8 for the purple and gold.

“I grew up watching Kobe Bryant game after game, ring after ring, living his greatness without apology,” she recalled. “I wanted to be just like him, to love every part of the competition, to be the first to show up and the last to leave, to love the grind, to be your best when you don’t feel your best and make other people around you the best version of themselves. And to wake up and do it again the next day. So that’s what I did: Wake up, grind and get better. Wake up, grind and get better.”

If you see Ionescu walking through the tunnel before a game, scroll through her Instagram feed or observe her demeanor during interviews, you’ll see a charming personality that everyone likes being around. But underneath that is a fierce competitor who approaches her craft with utmost seriousness and focus, with a long list of results to show for it.

As we go to press during the Olympic break, the New York Liberty are hitting on all cylinders and have the best record in the W by a comfortable margin. Ionescu is averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1 steal playing a career-high 33.7 minutes per game.

Ionescu’s impact on the court is undeniable, and her influence off the court is just as powerful. On the heels of the Sabrina 1 and with the latest release of the Sabrina 2, she continues to push the boundaries and create waves for those coming after her, like fellow Nike signature athletes A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark—each reported to have their first signature sneaker coming soon.

Ionescu is programmed for greatness—all she has to do is continue being confident and unapologetic about who she is and what she brings to the table, just like Kobe.

Ionescu is a blessing to the game of basketball, and her presence will transcend well beyond her playing days, just like Kobe.

Once, while in college, she said Kobe texted her. “Be you, it’s been good enough, and that will continue to be good enough.” He wasn’t lying.

“I wanted to be a part of the generation that changed basketball for Gigi and her teammates,” said Ionescu in her tribute, “where being born female didn’t mean being born behind, where greatness wasn’t divided by gender.”

From her consistently dominant play to the huge success of the Sabrina 1 and now the 2, there doesn’t seem to be a height that Ionescu can’t reach. For the younger generation who wasn’t lucky enough to watch Kobe in real time, just watch how Ionescu, one of his closest mentees, dissects her opponents with a relentless will to excel.

And in her new Sabrina 2s, she’s gonna look magnificent doing it.

Photos via Getty Images and Nike.

The post The Sequel: Uncovering the Inspiration Behind The Nike Sabrina 2 appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM 252 featuring Jewell Loyd is available now.

Before Jewell fell in love with basketball, her world revolved around tennis. She was exposed to basketball because her older brother, Jarryd, played, but tennis was her thing, and she was destined to be a pro. During her early years growing up in Lincolnwood, IL, a suburb outside of Chicago, she played tennis “every single day, for six hours a day,” she says. And chances are, if she had stuck with tennis over basketball, she’d probably be competing in the same US Open match she was heading to watch after shooting her SLAM cover at our office on a cool and sunny September morning.

But one day at the park changed her outlook forever. 

Loyd played at the park all the time as a young kid. “Of course, after my homework,” she’s sure to add. But on this particular day, when she was about 7 years old, two older boys wouldn’t let her play on the basketball court. Jarryd, about 15 years old then, saw what was happening and offered a solution: We’ll play you for the court. So, it was game on. Two-on-two. The first to 10 points wins. It was Jewell and Jarryd’s first time teaming up together.

With the game on the line, the boys double-teamed Jewell, who was inches away from committing a turnover. In doing so, they left Jarryd wide open near the basket. Throw it up, throw it up! Jewell recalls her brother saying.

In dramatic fashion, she tossed the ball backward over her head and toward the rim, and Jarryd caught it for a game-winning flush. “Jarryd was just flying in the air, and it’s the first time I [had] ever seen my brother dunk. We won, and in that moment,” Jewell says, “I knew that basketball was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

She spent the next few years making a name for herself in the parks around the neighborhood. In many ways, this is what shaped her approach to the game.

“You started at Drake Park, and that’s where you play 21, knockout—it’s kind of the beginners’ court. Then you go to Columbia Park and play three-on-three. And then, once you get a squad, you go to Proesel Park and you represent and play five-on-five. So, you kind of have to move your way up.

“Growing up in Lincolnwood was a privilege,” she continues. “Being in an environment like that allowed me to just be myself, and it challenged me in a lot of ways because I was one of four or five girls to play with the guys, and that was a great experience for me.”

By the time she was in high school, Loyd developed into one of the best players in the country. She was a four-year starter at Niles West High School in Skokie and essentially broke every school record, averaging 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.2 blocks for her career.

While in high school, she had the opportunity to be a practice player for the Chicago Sky. Jewell says this experience is what really put her untapped potential in perspective. She had a front-row seat to observe what it takes to play at the highest level. “Seeing their routines and their lifestyle and the games up close opened my eyes to really be like, Wow, I think I could really do this,” she says.

She committed to play for Notre Dame and joined an already-loaded roster led by All-American guard Skylar Diggins. It didn’t take long for Jewell to adjust to high-major hoops; she was ready from the jump. She understood that she wouldn’t be the strongest and most athletic freshman, so she focused on what she could control.

“A lot of it is your body’s still growing and developing. I knew I wasn’t going to be the strongest right away, so I focused on conditioning,” she says. “When I got to college, I was making sure I was in the best shape, and that’s something that’s been with me since leaving college and going to the pros.”

At Notre Dame, Loyd etched her name in the history books as one of the best players in program history. She was a two-time All-American, two-time All-ACC selection, two-time ACC All-Defense selection, two-time NCAA All-Tournament selection and the 2015 ACC Player of the Year. For good measure, let’s not forget she also has a 2013 Big East Freshman of the Year under her belt (before Notre Dame moved to the ACC her sophomore year).

She accomplished all of this in only three years, and in a move not so popular in women’s basketball, decided to forgo her senior year and enter the 2015 WNBA Draft. And to nobody’s surprise, the Seattle Storm drafted her with the No. 1 pick.

Loyd arrived to the W with enormous expectations, not only because of her pure dominance dating back to her high school years, but also because she was tabbed with the nickname “Gold Mamba” by the Black Mamba, the late great Kobe Bryant himself. Now, that’s a lot to live up to. But if there was anyone built to carry that weight, it was Loyd. She embraced the lofty expectations head-on. It’s extremely hard for a No. 1 draft pick to meet expectations; she has exceeded them.

“Throughout [my rookie] year, it was just about understanding who I am, the belief that I could do something, the belief that I could stay in the League and be part of this League and grow the League. I really thought I could do that,” she says.

“And I’m the kind of person where, if I really believe I can do something, it’s probably going to happen. I’ve always been that person since I was young. I’ve never been afraid to say what I want to do, believe it and write it down. And I don’t dream small. I always dream big, and that’s something no one can ever take away from me.”

The Gold Mamba is cut from the same cloth as her namesake. She’s naturally gifted, has a relentless work ethic and is simply willing to do what the average aren’t. But the similarities run deeper than that. Like Kobe, Jewell has an unquenchable thirst to learn.

“It’s pretty cool as a professional athlete to still be learning and building your game up. For me, the best part about the game is that I’m still learning so much about it,” she says. “That’s the best part about life in general—you constantly learn and build, and you don’t know until you make mistakes and you can learn from those mistakes. A lot of people go to the next level, nervous to make mistakes. But you need them; you need a lot of experiences to help you grow and get better.”

Now, it’s Loyd’s turn to pay it forward. As eager as she is to continue learning and acknowledge those who paved the way for her, she understands the importance of mentorship and is now in a position to help guide the next generation of hoopers. She’s been seen working out with USC star Juju Watkins; she’s been very supportive of Seattle Storm rookie Nika Mühl and the exceptional 2024 rookie class; and she makes herself available to any of her younger peers seeking wisdom or advice.

“I understand that I’m here because people helped me. I didn’t get here by myself,” she says. “If it wasn’t for my family, if it wasn’t for the people in my circle, I don’t know if I actually would have been able to go to the next level.”

The honors are plentiful: two-time WNBA champion, six-time All-Star (and 2023 All-Star Game MVP), three-time All-WNBA selection, the 2015 Rookie of the Year and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, her most recent coming this past August at the Paris Games. And from the looks of things, all of these accolades, aside from Rookie of the Year, of course, should probably be qualified as “and counting.”

The 2023 WNBA season was a contract year for Loyd, and she played like it, averaging a career-best 24.7 ppg (which was also a League-best that season) and 4.7 rpg. Yet, the Seattle Storm struggled as a team and finished with an underwhelming 11-29 record. 

Instead of jumping ship to team up with other All-Stars, she signed a contract extension with the Storm in the offseason, and bet on herself that other players would be interested in joining her in Seattle and building a championship contender. It seemed like Seattle was heading for a rebuild until a pair of elites, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, hopped on board.

As we go to press, Loyd is averaging 20.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg. More importantly, the Seattle Storm have clinched a playoff berth and are looking to make a deep run. And while they may not be the odds-on favorite, trust us when we say that nobody is looking forward to matching up against them.    

Loyd doesn’t have an in-your-face type of personality but rather a sort of quiet confidence that’s felt by her mere presence more than her words. She doesn’t ask for extra attention, though her game demands it. She isn’t typically the loudest in the room, but when she speaks, you want to listen. She has a wealth of knowledge and insight and is one of the most eloquent and thoughtful people—let alone athletes—you could come across.

Since she was a freshman in high school, Loyd says she’s been asked about the legacy she hopes to leave, and she says her answer constantly changes. This time, though, her answer has nothing to do with the game she loves, one that’s defined her life for the past 23 years, ever since that day at the playground with her brother.

“I just want my legacy to be that I’m a really good person, honestly,” she says. “I’m here to serve. That’s what I want people to understand about me. As much as I receive from the world, I’m going to give that back. And you don’t have to take it, but I’m here to let you guys know it’s all love here.” 

Portraits by Luke Schlaifer.

The post Jewell Loyd Discusses Her Journey to Becoming The GOLD MAMBA | SLAM 252 Cover Story appeared first on SLAM.

Devin Booker is different. The way he approaches the game is different. His obsession with decades past, definitely different. His extensive classic car collection, different. His Arizona home decked out with tastefully placed vintage furniture, different. His historian-like knowledge of basketball sneakers, mad different. How he’s approached the life cycle of his debut signature shoe—the Nike Book 1—has been emphatically different.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. And with an eye as unique and curated as Devin Booker’s, his debut signature sneaker was bound to be the culmination of years’ worth of meticulous passion and patience.

Off rip, the Book 1 looks unlike anything Nike has brought to the hardwood in years’ past. It’s refined simplicity with a regal accent. Buttery-soft leathers, a rounded toe box and simple stitched overlays all create an off-the-court aesthetic coupled with a crazy court feel. Plush is an understatement.

Set atop a Cushlon 2.0 foam midsole and a top-loaded Zoom Air bag in the forefoot, Booker and lead designer Ben Nethongkome infused a cohort of premium materials and tech into his debut signature.

The Book 1 echoes the essence of a museum, casting a compilation of vintage and modern textures throughout the low-top. Depending on the colorway’s inspiration, the finish is bound to wax and wane, like the cracked detailing reminiscent of the Phoenix desert in the forefoot of the “Chapter One” or the smoothed touch of the tonal tan “Mirage.” In the midst, a thickly stitched work wear textile adds an emblematic depth to the mid-foot panel.

But before we dive in too much deeper, we need to take a journey. A physical and metaphorical one. A journey through the mind of Devin Booker and the literal path he walked from the dew-fallen ground of Beaverton, OR, to the scorched pavement of Arizona.

Nike’s 24th athlete to have a signature shoe has been heavily committed to the signature process. The evidence is overwhelming. Taking a trip to the Department of Nike Archives—DNA, for short—in Beaverton early in the model’s 18-24 month production cycle sparked the vision that Booker has since brought to life.

His first silhouette serves as an homage to the firsts in Nike Basketball history: the Air Force 1, the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike Blazer, the first Nike basketball shoe. Drawing inspiration from Booker’s ‘72 Chevy Blazer K5—where he preserved the vintage exterior and souped up the interior with a modernized engine—the Nike Book 1 explores an aesthetic that bridges decades. The result is a future classic crafted with a sea of lavish materials and a historic level of storytelling that can only be found in the mind of the 27-year-old.

During All-Star Weekend, Booker invited media members and close friends to an intimate library lounge to celebrate the debut of the Nike Book 1 in the “Mirage” colorway on the SNKRS app. Various colorways weaved throughout bookcases that lined the walls of the dimly lit room. Large leather-bound boxes inscribed in gold foil lay on wooden tables housing the inaugural sneakers. This was more than just input. A true, authentic collaboration was taking shape. An alliance that featured many, many exclusive iterations.

Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, Booker showed his vast appreciation and understanding of the Beaverton brand’s history via an assortment of Player Exclusive colorways. On Christmas Day, he unveiled an homage to his father’s favorite shoe, the Air Max 95, in the 1995 “Neon” color blocking. A tribute to the legendary Air Jordan XI “Cool Grey” landed in early November. And those “Be Legendary” Kobe 4 and Kobe 5 colorways he was hooping in a few years ago? Yeah, he transformed them into their own matching ensembles.

His love for the outdoors was channeled through the infamous ACG Air Mowabb “Twine” colorway, matching the “Teal Charge/Club Gold/Twine” trifecta to a tee. And his refined, classic mystique emerged with a salute to the circa 1972 Nike Cortez in the white, red and blue color blocking that Forrest Gump was kicking around in the 1994 film.

The Air Jordan 1’s construction wasn’t the only inspiration that Book drew from the landmark model. The “Metallic Purple” and “Shattered Backboard” compositions were given their due shine, too. Classic after classic. OG after OG.

While the Book 1 made pit stops throughout Nike’s sneaker mile markers, several nods to Book’s personal tastes appeared on the floor of Footprint Center. A triple-black treatment embroidered with a crisp white Detroit Tigers emblem arrived in early November. An icy blue throwback to his 2019 “Moss Point” Air Force 1 Low touched down a few weeks later. And a white clad concoction devoted to one of his favorite shows, Narcos, materialized in late March.

For the past 10 months, Devin Booker has been slowly reinventing the level of involvement for a signature athlete. The approach has been methodical, calculated, timely, purposeful; a canvas for his dedication to the process and the ones who came before. This sneaker, this moment, is decidedly Devin Booker.

The colorways, the mixture of fabrics, the tongue tab, the sleek aesthetic, even the ambiance found in the room out at All-Star Weekend, it’s all a result of who Devin Booker is at his core.

There’s a reason the model’s debut “Mirage” colorway smoked on the SNKRS app in minutes. Devin Booker just gets it. He cares about the storytelling, cares about materials, cares about creating moments. Devin Booker is a different level of tastemaker.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Open Book: Chronicling the Ingenuity Behind Devin Booker’s Debut Signature Sneaker, the Nike Book 1 appeared first on SLAM.

One of the most successful streetball teams in New York City—year after year after year—is the Sean Bell All-Stars, coached by Jamaica, Queens, native Raheem “Rah” Wiggins. A decorated new short film, Bring Your Name, reminds viewers of the story behind the team’s name.

Sean Bell was a former high school baseball star from Queens celebrating his impending marriage in November, 2006, when he was shot by plain-clothes police officers. He died that night at age 23. Wiggins was a childhood friend of Bell’s who had been inspired to become a basketball coach by New York-area legends Jimmy Salmon and Tiny Morton. Wiggins was already entering streetball tournaments under the team name DDN (Dat’s Dem N—s), but he renamed the squad in honor of his fallen friend. And the team—not a high school AAU squad but a collection of adults, often with pro experience like Lance Stephenson or Tyshawn Taylor—has been a powerhouse ever since.

“We’re the best team in the city,” Wiggins says in the film, which takes you up close and personal to a game at Brooklyn’s Gersh Park. “People ask when I’m gonna walk away? As long as when I lose, people make a big deal out of it, I gotta come back.” He adds later, of the significance of the team’s name: “That’s my job, to keep [Sean’s] name to the public ear.”

Bring Your Name is directed by Raafi Rivero, the filmmaker and artist behind the ongoing Unarmed project, which exists “in memoriam of Black victims of police violence.” Rivero also worked on an upcoming docuseries around the 2024 NBA postseason that will air on ESPN.

Bring Your Name will make its world premiere at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia in August. From there, Rivero hopes to screen it at playground basketball venues in New York City as well as at other film festivals. And what does Rivero want viewers to take away from the film? “I hope they are inspired,” he says, “by the everyday heroism of people like Rah Wiggins.”

Portraits by Jon Lopez.

The post New Short Film Bring Your Name Details How the Sean Bell All-Stars Are Honoring the Memory of the Late New York Hooper appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a typical sunny day on the west side of L.A. and Trevor, Tajh and Tristan Ariza are trying to see who can hit a half-court shot first. It’s been two years since the NBA champion and L.A. native retired, and today, he’s back on the campus where his basketball dominance began. Except Trevor’s not the one in his old white, red and black threads. His oldest son, Tajh, is.

Tajh is currently one of the top 16-year-olds in the nation, and come next fall, he’ll be running the gambit on the same court his dad did. After finishing the basketball season at St. Bernard HS, Tajh soon after transferred to Westchester this spring.

Inside the school’s gymnasium, Tajh stands at halfcourt surrounded by a sea of red, black and white, from the “Comets” branded bleachers and walls to the shades of his dad’s original No. 4 home jersey that he’s wearing. The faded banners showcasing Trevor’s two state titles with the Comets hang proudly as father and son pose for flicks. Even in this moment, Trevor’s influence is ever-present. It’s surrounded Tajh since he was a baby, dribbling around with Kobe and Derek Fisher. Yes, he’s the son of an NBA player. But Tajh Ariza’s game is entirely his own.

“I gotta keep putting in work every day,” Tajh says. “You know, my dad [had a] great career, but I want to have my own name and show people like, Oh, I want to be like him, you know? So I just gotta keep working so I can get there.”

The 6-8 rising junior exploded on the recruiting circuit and is now considered top-10 in the class of 2026. After his freshman year, he held just three major DI offers. In the span of five months last year, he racked up five more. This past spring he received an invite to USA Junior National Minicamps, and over the summer he was playing up with Team Why Not 17U on the EYBL circuit. Things are just clickin’.

But the path wasn’t so easily laid out. Trevor let Tajh find his own love for the game. He didn’t push, he didn’t nudge; he sat back and watched his son discover their now shared passion.

“My idea for him was always right before he got to high school, if he was serious about it, I would give him all the tools that I use or the things that I learned to help him. So I would say when he got serious—about wanting to get better or actually work at basketball—was going into the ninth grade,” Trevor says.

Tajh agrees. He loved the game, but there’s a vast difference between loving to play and loving something enough to commit yourself to 5 a.m. workouts, two-a-days and a grueling 82-game season.

“I had to change my habits. Before maybe middle school, I didn’t really take it as seriously. It was just fun for me I guess. Of course, it’s still fun,” Tajh says, “but now I see that I have a real chance at what I want to do and be great. And I just kept going. I just took it.

Right before Tajh entered his freshman year, Trevor laid out what it would look like for his son to reach his highest potential. It ended with a soft yet subtle reminder: It’s time to kick it into the next gear. “I sat down with him and told him that it’s not gonna be fun. A lot of the time, it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna take a lot of sacrifice. And most kids, when they hear sacrifice or take away fun or free time, they kind of shy away from things. Lucky for me, he wanted to do it. So it was easy,” Trevor says.

In the year since, Tajh and Trevor have built out a dedicated plan. At least three times a week before school, they either lift or grind through sand drills with Trevor’s old Hoop Masters teammate. Working in the soft sand of L.A.’s beaches is taxing, exhausting, unnerving—all the above. But his explosiveness has taken off. “I started dunking on people, so that’s when I noticed that it started helping,” Tajh says. Off the court, he’s studying the ways larger guards like Paul George and Brandon Miller create space off the bounce.

After a shower, breakfast and school, Tajh will hit whichever program they didn’t do in the morning before heading to the court for myriad of shooting and ballhandling drills. From the gym to the sand dunes, Trevor is right there with his son.

Tajh’s dedication is persistent, a combination of witnessing the professional traits of his dad’s career and the will to carve out his own legacy. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. to run in constantly shifting sand is as much of a mental workout as it is a physical one. While Tajh embraces the results of his work, Trevor views it as a mile marker for how far his son has come since their freshman year conversation.

“It’s easy, for him especially being so young, to get the attention that he’s getting and kind of, like, be complacent and stuck in that. And my message to him is always just put your head down and focus on the work that you put in,” Trevor says. “Focus on the hours that you’re putting in, in the gym, in the sand, watching the game, learning the game, just focus on that. Everything else will take care of itself.”

When he moved from North Carolina to L.A. to attend Saint Bernard HS as a sophomore, Tajh says the talk around his game remained relatively quiet aside from the allure of his last name. That was until the beginning of the season when he received his first two offers from the University of Washington and USC. He’s still got the reaction video on his phone. “I was so excited. I was jumping up and down, yelling. It felt good to finally get, you know, what I felt like I deserved. But it also just motivated me to keep going. [To] just keep on stacking on that,” Tajh says.

Witnessing that joy in his own kin is a pride only a parent can experience. At the same time, Trevor has come to curtail his advice even after an 18-year career in the L that featured a 2009 championship with the Lakers and stops with 10 different organizations. The guidance he provides his sons is often rooted in the steps that he took in his journey to the NBA. And just like their games are different, so are the options and decisions available to them.

As Tajh prepares to enter his junior season and his younger brother, Tristan, gets set to start school, too, Trevor knows he can’t assume the roles of coach, dad and teacher all at once. He has to be selective and mindful of the hats he wears, and when he wears them.

“If there’s a week where I’m heavy on, like, Clean up your room or Take the trash out. How many times I gotta tell you to take the trash out? I gotta ease up on what’s going on on the court, because I’m hard on them at home,” Trevor says.

If Tajh is taking care of business at home, Trevor will drop some more knowledge. “But again, it’s his canvas. So he has to paint it the way he sees it. I can only tweak little things or give him little nuggets until he comes to me for big things.”

Big things like transferring to your dad’s alma mater.

As he looks up at the banners placed by his dad decades ago, Tajh can feel the target on his back expanding. Teachers are already flooding him with memories of the school’s past legendary battles with crosstown rival Fairfax. But the noise is just that: noise. And as his dad walks down the halls that he once occupied, he knows Tajh is ready to fully walk into his own. 

“I think for Tajh, he’s always been around it. So, it’s almost like second nature,” Trevor says. “He’s been around the environment since he could walk, since he could talk. It’s tailored for him. Some kids are born to do certain things. And to me, in my eyes, I feel like he’s one of those kids that was just born to be in this space.”

Portraits by Sam Muller.

The post Passing the Torch: With Guidance From His Dad’s Career in the League, Rising Junior Tajh Ariza is Ready to Make the Family Name His Own appeared first on SLAM.

Cam Thomas has always gotten his buckets in bunches…a lot of buckets in bunches.

He led the entire Hampton Roads area in scoring as a freshman at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA. He left Oak Hill Academy as the program’s all-time leading scorer despite having only played there for his junior and senior seasons. He then led all NCAA DI freshmen in scoring during his sole season at LSU. It didn’t matter who Cam played with or against. His responsibility was always the same: score, score and score some more.

That all changed when he fell into the Brooklyn Nets’ lap at pick No. 27 in the 2021 NBA Draft. Not only would he be joining an organization with championship-or-bust expectations, but he was also joining a roster that wasn’t hurting for scoring. Do the names Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden ring a bell?

On one hand, Cam had first-class access to work with and learn from three of the best offensive players in hoops history. On the other, he had to wait his turn and deal with inconsistent playing time, something he’d never experienced at that point in his young career. Even then, Cam never lost even the smallest bit of confidence. It was tested, but that confidence is what got him here. And there’s a tad bit of “crazy” mixed in there, too. All the greats have it. But we know how the phrase goes: It’s only crazy until you do it.

In the sparing minutes he was given, Cam showed flashes of his scoring brilliance. Yet, on any given night, he could play anywhere from four minutes to 17 minutes or even have a DNP. It was like this for most of his first two years in the League.

And then, in February 2023…he erupted. Amidst the Nets moving on from their big three of KD, Kyrie and Harden and trying to figure out what direction they’d move in, Cam got a few more windows of opportunity. And he took full advantage. With Harden long gone, Kyrie just traded to Dallas and KD in trade rumors, Cam was unleashed. It all came together as he made history, becoming the youngest player to score 40-plus points in three straight games. And these 40-pieces were efficient, the works of a true professional scorer.

This past ’23-24 season, it started to slowly but surely all come together. Cam started in 51 of the 66 games he played in, averaging 22.5 points in about 31 minutes per game, a 12-point increase and 15-minute increase from the season prior.

And now we’re here. The Nets just completed a massive trade, and there are many questions about which direction the team is headed. There’s also an entirely new coaching staff, including Jordi Fernandez at the helm. But even with all the questions, there’s one thing that is for certain. The Nets have a more than capable number one scoring option in Cam Thomas.

It’s a warm Friday afternoon in July at SLAM HQ in New York, and the 6-3, 22-year-old combo guard who sits across from us is on the brink of what will be, one way or another, a defining season in his career. He sat down to discuss his offseason, proving doubters wrong, his love for Kobe Bryant and more.

SLAM: How’s the offseason been going?

Cam Thomas: It’s been good. Just laying low, resetting, getting ready for next season. It’s been real good.

SLAM: Have you developed some sort of routine, or do you approach each offseason differently?

CT: I usually try to go with a clean slate because you never know. Stuff changes from year to year, like coaches, schemes, etc. This summer was probably the longest I took off—about two or three weeks. Then I got right back to it.

SLAM: You’re mostly known for your ability to score at the highest level, and you’ve improved as a scorer each year since entering the League. Are there any specific things you’re focused on improving for next season?

CT: Nah, not really. I just want to keep working on everything. Last summer, I tried to put more emphasis on catch-and-shoot shooting, and I think I was way up in the League percentage-wise on catch-and-shoot [this past season]. So, just continue to work on that and fine-tuning the skills I had coming into the League, like my off-the-dribble stuff and finishing around the basket, [while] still improving on catch-and-shoot, trying to have the best percentage in the League.

SLAM: The Nets were part of one of the biggest moves this offseason when Mikal Bridges went across the bridge to the Knicks. This positions you for the biggest role of your career thus far. How have you begun to approach and prepare for this increased role, not only physically but mentally?

CT: Just knowing that and embracing it. Attacking it head-on. I’ve kind of been having those roles [as the leader of the team] ever since I was in high school and college. So, I’m not really worried about it. I’m just excited to get it going and to try to do it in the League. I’m not really worried about it at all; I’m just ready.

SLAM: You’re on a short list of the most talented young guards in the NBA. What do you think you need to do to get to that next level?

CT: Just doing everything—doing it consistently. I had the biggest jump in points from my second year to my third year. I was at 22.5 [points per game], so I think trying to get into that 25 ppg range, upping the playmaking and just trying to keep improving my all-around game. And hopefully, it leads to wins.

SLAM: Are you inspired by the doubters, or would you say you’re completely self-motivated?

CT: It’s a little bit of both…I don’t really worry about the doubters because I’ve always had them. Nobody really believed in my talent and scoring ability—even at Oak Hill, and even in college, and even in the League. So, I’m used to it. Now, it’s really just self-motivation. Even down to sliding in the draft all the way down to pick 27. I still carry that chip on my shoulder. And even with the Nets, not playing consistently my first two years. I have that in my back pocket so I can keep growing and keep improving…to show why you should have played me in my first two years.

I’m not focused on trying to prove myself anymore. Everybody knows I’m one of the top young scorers—top young guards—in the League now. So, it’s really just trying to maximize my ability, see where I can take it and become the best player I can be, this year, and for years to come.

SLAM: There’s clearly a lofty confidence you must have to be an elite scorer in the League, let alone as an undersized guard. What do you think is the main source of that mentality?

CT: I’d probably say growing up in [the Hampton Roads area]. It’s physical there. Everybody’s fighting for the same goal, sports-wise. I feel that helped me in a way. And really…Kobe Bryant. Just reading his mentality and idolizing him, that’s a part of it, too. That’s really how I shaped my mentality: Kobe and my hometown. At the same time, that’s just in me.

SLAM: Do you have any specific individual or team goals for next season? Are you concerned with All-Star, All-NBA and those types of individual accolades?

CT: Individually, I just try to stay in the moment. Whatever happens, happens. If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. I just want to keep improving. As far as the team, the goal is to be better every day and try to win as many games as we can. Honestly, we don’t know what our team could look like going into next season. But whatever it looks like, we just want to be the best team we can be and try to put a good product on the floor for Brooklyn.

SLAM: What should Nets fans and Cam Thomas fans expect next season?

CT: Excitement. Entertainment. [I’m] hoping everything leads to wins at the end of the day. We’ll see. It’s different in the League. But I’m prepared, not worried at all. I’ve done it in the League, but I want to take it to another level, for sure.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post Moment of Clarity: Brooklyn Nets Guard Cam Thomas Discusses His Offseason, Staying True to Himself and Proving the Doubters Wrong appeared first on SLAM.

The soulful piano keys of “Lost One.” The bellowing horns and drum breaks on “Show Me What You Got.” The screaming high hats from “Oh My God.” These are the sounds of Paolo Banchero’s education.

“Jay-Z was one of the first rappers I ever heard in my life,” Paolo says. “That was when I was growing into my own, just as a kid, as a player. So that CD was always on in the car. I heard it countless times, just running it through, and I just grew to love it.”

SLAM KICKS 27 featuring Paolo Banchero is available now.

Glance at Hov’s discography of album covers. Then watch the way Paolo plays the game. It’s an eerily similar sight. Dimly-lit backdrops and a polished getup. There’s a suave commotion going on. A don-like figure stands center stage with thousands of eyes thrust upon his every move. In turn, the figure speaks an eloquent truth. Both words—and pivots in the post—tell the tale of one wise beyond their years.

Paolo Banchero is here. His days as a Blue Devil are gone. That Rookie of the Year award is off in the distance. He’s dropping 30 on ya head, denting defenders’ chests with his shoulder and towing the Orlando Magic back to the playoffs, with the Air Jordan 39 on his feet. Rarified opulence.

Paolo may have grown up a Hov disciple, but the self-proclaimed music connoisseur is an old soul with an ear for the new school. By February of the 2023-24 season, the soon-to-be All-Star realized he had strayed too far from his roots.

“I just caught myself listening to the same music, kind of getting bored of it,” Paolo says. “And so I was like, Man, I ain’t listening to Jay-Z! I was like, Why am I not listening to Jay-Z? I’ve been listening to all this for months. I’m like, Man, I need to go tap back in.”

He did a bit more than just tap back in. Just like he did with the stack of CDs in his pop’s car, Paolo was swiping through the legends in his music library in search of that old shit. The throwbacks. The music that nurtured his soul.

Between the last two months of the regular season and through all seven games of the Magic’s opening round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Paolo was shuffling through nothing but Lil Wayne, Jay, Nas and Jeezy. “I felt like it gave me a new energy,” he says.

The Pelicans got served a 20-point triple-double in late March. Then there were the back-to-back 32-pieces on the road in early April. Jalen Duren got as close as humanly possible to contest Paolo’s step-back jumper, but Banchero still hit the game-winner back in February. And to close it out, a 26-point double-double to clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a dub over the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season finale.

This isn’t the stuff of a typical second season. His numbers—22.6 points, 6.9 boards and 5.4 dimes a night—weren’t just an increase in production from year one. We all watched as Paolo took that next step in a future superstar’s career. And he did it in year 2. Wayne’s rhymes, Jay’s tone and Nas’ cadence all fueled the master class that unfolded before our eyes.

In the week of practice leading up to the Magic’s first postseason appearance since 2020, Paolo switched everything up. Lil Baby turned to Lil Wayne. The braids that were once tied to each side of his head were now in tightly bound cornrows. And the slew of Jordan Luka 2 PEs he’d been wearing throughout the season were swapped out for the pair that sits boldly on these pages, the Air Jordan 39.

Those at the AdventHealth Training Center out in Orlando in April got the first look at the sleek mid-top solution in the wild. For days, Paolo couldn’t take ’em off. The Air Jordan 39’s cushioning set-up is fueled by the same magic that propelled Eliud Kipchoge’s world-record marathon time and Mike’s fifth championship in the Air Jordan XII. Combining that full-length ZoomX foam with Air Zoom cushioning became an addictive feeling.

“Once I put the shoe on, though, that was when I was like, It’s over. I gotta be in these. I told Sam [Druffel, Paolo’s sports marketing rep at Jordan Brand] this 39 is their best work in my opinion. As long as I’ve been with the brand, it’s their best work. It’s a super comfortable shoe, I love wearing it,” Paolo says.

That love eventually turned into us seeing the 39 earlier than even the brand had planned. Paolo was diggin’ the sig so much, he asked the team out in Beaverton if he could be the one to debut the model in Game 1 of the playoffs. With a game that so effortlessly paralleled the silhouette’s ethos, the answer was a resounding hell yes.

The 39th iteration of Michael Jordan’s signature sneaker began with Mike’s infamous cross-step. From his three-dribble rule that forced the offense to create art within simple parameters to the fluid footwork that left defenders stuck in the mud, the foundation of Michael Jordan’s game lay in trusting that simplicity. It’s why there’s only nine colorways set to release from now through next spring. It’s why the haptic print upper, the textured tongue and the tumbled leather toe box are most prominent amidst a sea of hidden premium tech. The Air Jordan 39 is the epitome of refined elegance.

The essence of clarified minimalism that permeates around the Air Jordan 39 is exactly why Paolo is leading the charge for the game shoe. His movements on the block and in transition are that of a calculated craftsman. A polished spaceship hardwired with a jet engine.

“How can I get to the basket or make a play without taking seven or eight dribbles? I think in the playoffs, that was what I really honed in on and realized,” Paolo says. “That was something that I knew coming into the playoffs—I was going to have to make a lot of mid-range shots. I was going to have to shoot catch-and-shoot threes. I was going to have to take what the defense gives me and basically cut the fat from my game and just be as efficient as I could.”

The triple-white “Sol” colorway—marked with a dash of red at the tongue’s Jumpman logo—rode with Paolo through a combined 45 points in the first two games of the series.

“It felt like I was floating. Obviously, I’m a big guy. I play with a lot of force, I cut a lot, I jump, and there’s just a lot of force being thrown around in my shoes,” Paolo says. “But those shoes, I don’t feel limited at all. I feel like I can make any movement, any cut. I can put however much force I need to into the shoe, and it’ll hold up. It just performed really well. I think I noticed it right away. Sometimes, a shoe feels stiff or a shoe feels too narrow and stuff like that. I think there was just a sense of freedom when I was in the 39 where I felt like I could move and do anything.”

At 6-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo is a walking force of nature, yet he glides across the hardwood with an unmatched fluidity. Getting bullied is unavoidable. Every team knows it. It’s why they routinely pack the paint and force him to operate in the midrange any chance they get. But that’s where the magic happens.

In that seven-game playoff series, Paolo was straight spot hunting. He wasn’t taking half the shot clock to break his guy down or analyze the rotations. Everything was an instinctive reaction. If he drove toward the paint and saw bodies, he was pulling for a middie. If he saw the slightest crack of daylight, he was absorbing contact and dishing to the open shooter. If they sagged off at the top of the key, hand down, man down.

He wasn’t worried about the stats, wasn’t worried about the percentages. He “just wanted to do whatever it took to win and get the job done.”

“That whole series, I progressed and I learned every game. The first two we lost and everyone thought we weren’t ready, and Cleveland was talking a bunch of smack, saying we were kids,” Paolo says.

The last thing that Paolo Banchero is is a kid. Scratch that. It’s not even in the vocabulary. We all watched the same maturation this year. The Magic may have dropped their first two games in the playoffs, but in Game 3? The production that played in the background of those car rides with Dad started to emerge in the back of his mind. Back to the basics. A surgical 31 points through three quarters. Jumpers met nylon. Fadeaways stood unbothered. Getting to the rim was the regimen. Drop-steps were imposing. The Magic pulled Paolo before the fourth up by more than 30.

Game 5 featured 39 points on 57 percent shooting from three. Game 6 consisted of 27, 10 of ’em in the fourth to tie the series at three a piece. “That was just dope to do in front of the fans, in front of the home crowd, just to be able to protect home court like that,” Paolo says.

From October to early May, sellouts at Kia Center became common practice. For the first time in what feels like a long time, there’s a bonafide superstar wearing the Magic blue. He rocks with the old and the new. He’s laser focused on his growth. And since the season wrapped, he’s been back in his hometown of Seattle, surrounded by the love, comfort and inspiration that raised him. He’s been refining his tools, trusting his instincts and evolving every day.

“When I first got to Orlando, there weren’t a lot of expectations for the team, and so there were a lot of expectations for me. But I wanted to have that rub off on the team. I wanted it to be team success. I wanted people to come back and start coming to the games,” Paolo says. “So it’s just been awesome seeing the fan base grow, obviously, the organization grow, us just getting more serious and being in the playoffs.

“But now I think it’s time to transition, kind of from that beginner stage of success and being happy about having success. Now, we’re trying to be one of the household names of the East and of the League. That’s not going to be easy—I know that, we all know that—but I think we’re all ready for it and we’re all excited.”

The 2023-24 season saw Paolo storm the Magic Kingdom, take the throne and reveal a path to immediate success for an entire organization. The time of chipping away at the end of the tunnel is over. The lights are shining bright, the expectations are thunderous and the hopes of an entire fan base rest upon his shoulders.

“I think eventually, when it’s all said and done, I’ll look back to my second year, last year, and kind of look at it as the start,” Paolo says. “That was kind of the start of something special.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. Action Photos via Getty Images.

The post Refined Elegance: Paolo Banchero Covers SLAM KICKS 27 with the Air Jordan 39 appeared first on SLAM.

June 26, 2024. NBA Draft Night. We’re in NYC, where else? AJ Storr is on a Zoom from… Athens, Greece!?! We’ll explain all that in a second. More importantly, he knows the meaning of tonight as a prelude to his future.

“Literally one year from tonight, is it crazy to think you will be up on the stage…” we say before Storr interjects excitedly, “…in a suit and tie!”

Ten points for honesty with this one. Storr, now a rising junior for the world-famous Kansas Jayhawks and a projected 2025 NBA Draft pick, is not dancing around a topic many college players with eligibility remaining play hot potato with. “Yes,” Storr confirms, “I’m planning to be in the draft next year.”

Now that we have that very logical business decision covered, let’s backtrack and share one of the most unique and thoroughly modern basketball journeys of any high-profile player in the world.

We’ll start with the world business. Storr is in Greece at the moment because the Bahamian national team, of which he recently made the roster (pending some lingering paperwork), is playing a couple of exhibition games before an Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain that will determine if the small island nation with the increasingly outsized basketball talent advances to Paris.

The 6-7 Storr, a smooth-shooting, scoring guard tied to The Bahamas because his father was born there, is excited to be in Greece. Partly for the experience of what he calls his “world tour,” but even more so for the chance to play with folks who have gotten where he wants to go. Bahamas basketball has quietly built an explosive roster featuring current NBA players Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield, Kai Jones and Isaiah Mobley, as well as other talented college and pro players. The squad is coached by longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco.

“It is a really great experience to be out there with all these pros,” Storr says, a day after scoring 15 points (on 7-9 shooting) in a 93-80 loss to Montenegro. “I played a couple of games with them last summer and then we had training camp in Houston earlier this month, and now I’m playing real games with them. It’s great to be around all this talent.”

Whenever The Bahamas’ run ends, the world is on notice that it’s a program to watch out for in the future, and then Storr will have more time to spend in his latest “home”—Lawrence, KS. And what a home it is. Perhaps the most storied program in all of college basketball—“I hadn’t known that James Naismith founded the program here. That’s who founded basketball!” Storr exclaims—and a program with typically high expectations for the ’24-25 season. As ESPN’s Jeff Borzello put it in his recent “Way-Too-Early Top 25,” the Jayhawks are No. 1 after Bill Self responded to a disappointing ’23-24 “with the most loaded roster in the country. He went into the portal and landed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama); then, All-American big man Hunter Dickinson opted to return for another year.”

It says here that Storr, with a shooting touch that the Jayhawks sorely missed last season, may be the biggest piece of the puzzle. As for all the places he’s been before Kansas, that unfolds like a bit of a puzzle in its own way.

This young man is in the sweet spot for a proper SLAM profile because he’s “big” enough—thanks to playing one year in New York City and another year going viral as the athletic leading scorer for B1G power Wisconsin—to be heard of but without his full story being known because he was not a super high-profile recruit. We’ll tell you the story now so you’ll be in the know when he blows up even more at Kansas and then flies into the NBA in 12 months.

Storr grew up in Rockford, IL, a city of nearly 150,000 about 90 minutes west of Chicago. It’s most relevant in modern hoops as the home of current Houston Rocket Fred VanVleet. AJ came up alongside one older sister, Ambranette, who scored more than 2,900 points in her high school career before playing in college, and five younger brothers, raised primarily by his mother, Annette Brandy—a former Chicago high school star who played in college as well—and his stepfather.

AJ attended Rockford Lutheran as a high school freshman, showing promise as a hooper who was still just 6-1. After that, a ride started that has yet to end. The family moved to the South Chicago suburb of Kankakee when his mom, a teacher, got a better job offer, and AJ spent his sophomore and most of his junior year at Kankakee High. Then Covid hit. As Brandy explains, it was time to make some decisions. “The whole state of Illinois shut down. He had some offers—Chicago State, IUPUI—but he still hadn’t gotten major looks. We knew he was a Power Five kid, he just hadn’t been seen,” she says. “His dad lived in Vegas, and AJ was hesitant about it, but I convinced him to go. Build a relationship with your dad and put yourself out there with basketball.”

It worked. Storr started playing for Vegas Elite and Bishop Gorman High School and his exposure—and ranking—skyrocketed. He was set to play his senior season for Bishop Gorman and then…Clark County, NV (which includes Las Vegas) announced there would be no winter sports due to Covid. “After Vegas shut down, he transferred to AZ Compass and they made it all the way to the GEICO Nationals,” his mom says. “By then he had gotten a lot of offers, but I thought he needed to mature a bit.”

So it was off to renowned IMG Academy in Florida for a post-grad year that went great. In the end, AJ had attended five high schools in five years, albeit for reasons that were outside his control. When the time came to make his official college choice, Storr enrolled at St. John’s, firmly hitting the (admittedly biased) radar of the #SLAMfam’s college fans by putting together a Big East All-Freshman campaign highlighted by 40 percent shooting from three-point range, 9 ppg and an exciting style of play. Alas, the Johnnies fired Mike Anderson and Storr decided to transfer back to the Midwest, putting together an All-B1G Second Team season (17 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg) in Madison and establishing himself as a future pro. Storr flirted with entering this year’s draft before instead deciding to transfer one more time. To the best team in the county. 

“Playing for all the different teams has really helped my IQ. I’ve learned different plays, different coaches, different cultures,” Storr says, explaining the benefits of his journey. “Off the court, every school has welcomed me and made it like a family. I’ve got friends from every school.”

In Storr’s mind, the ascension from unknown high schooler to likely first-round NBA pick is not because he recently got good at the sport. For better or worse, exposure still matters. “I’ve been pretty good at basketball my whole life, but I had to get around the right platform and coaches and take advantage of the opportunities,” he says. “St John’s is in a great conference. Then I went to the Big Ten and the Badgers, who have made Final Four runs and are known worldwide. Being there helped me a lot. Now I’m looking forward to taking my game to another level at Kansas.”

Storr describes himself as very coachable and has learned bits and pieces from all the coaches he’s played for, but none of them have been around him consistently enough to have developed a deep mentorship. For daily support as he pursues his dream, Storr points to the people who have been around the longest. “I’ve got a team with my mom, my sister, my management,” he says. “It takes a team to accomplish your dream. You can be the most talented player, but if you don’t have the right people around you, you’re not going to make it.”

For her part, Mom could not be prouder. “I’m so excited for him,” says Brandy, who recently got a new job—and bought a house—back in Rockford. “He has put in so much work to get here.”

And to reiterate, Storr himself views his varied experiences as a positive. “My game translates to a lot of different places,” he says. “I know how to buy into a program. I respect all my coaches. I’m a great teammate. Once you step on that court or in the weight room, you become brothers. Where I’m trying to go, you gotta be prepared. In the NBA, guys get traded all the time. So this could be an advantage.”

Portraits via Missy Minear Kansas Athletics.

The post From Undiscovered to Unrivaled, AJ Storr Has His Sights Set on the League After Transferring to Kansas appeared first on SLAM.

A little over 24 hours before being drafted 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht was in our office getting up shots on the mini hoop.

While the SEC’s scoring average leader from last season made his way around to the 10 designated shooting spots we’ve laid out across the floor, we realized that the final sticker got swept up in the hustle of the day. So instead, we gave him the option to shoot from anywhere on the floor. He could go back to the faux free-throw line, try another from the couch or hit a simple layup. Instead, with a pure shooter’s mentality, Knecht took several steps back into the hallway, putting at least 25 feet of distance between himself and the hoop that’s bolted to the opposing cement wall and netted the shot.

“I felt that confidence arise from the moment I touched a basketball,” Knecht says. “My parents have always made me super confident, always told me [to] trust your hard work. I always felt like that. So no matter what, when I step on that court, I’m gonna be the most confident player on that court.

Knecht is a gym rat, whether that’s on a regulation-sized hoop or not. He’s drawn to the hardwood and its sights and sounds; the screeching of herringbone traction patterned outsoles, the smell of repolished floors and the sound of the leather ball falling through aged nets. It’s an obsession that he’s fostered meticulously over the past five years while on a journey exclusive to him and him alone. 

“I’d say it’s just kind of like home. When you’re in the gym, playing your own music, whatever you want, and you just go out hooping, either with some friends or just by yourself, you just go there to fall out of reality, just being on your own, flow on your own stuff,” Knecht says.

Hailing from Thornton, CO, the 6-6 23-year-old, in a purely figurative sense, lit the Thompson-Boling Arena ablaze every single night as a fifth-year transfer at Tennessee. From JUCO to the Big Sky to playing under head coach Rick Barnes, Knecht stormed into the SEC with a chip carved into his shoulder this past season, averaging a team-high 21.7 points and 4.9 boards a game while shooting a ridiculous 39.7 percent from deep. He dropped a 40 burger on Kentucky in early March, became the first player in the SEC since Shaquille O’Neal to score back-to-back 35-pieces and took home SEC Player of the Year in unanimous fashion.

Knecht’s story is the annual reminder that there are guys all throughout mid-major programs who belong on the biggest stage in college basketball. All they need is a sliver of opportunity. And Knecht snatched his in an instant.

Without an influx of offers after graduating from Prairie View High School in 2019, Knecht elected to go the junior college route. Surrounded by acres of prairie fields in the high plains of Sterling, CO, he poured his days into the gym. After two seasons and a first-team NJCAA All-American selection to his name, he set his sights on the Power Five conferences. And then the pandemic happened. So he adjusted, transferring from Northeastern Junior College to Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference. 

As a junior, Knecht acclimated himself to DI competition amidst a nagging injury and a stacked roster filled with upperclassmen. Enter his senior year, where his 8.9 points per game from the season prior erupted into 20.2 alongside the Big Sky scoring title, only confirming what he’d believed for years: betting on himself was worth it. So he decided to do it again.

On March 23, 2023, with a year of eligibility remaining, Knecht entered the NCAA transfer portal. Colorado, Oregon, Indiana and Tennessee all came knocking. But there was a glaring difference between the Volunteers and the rest of the pack: head coach Rick Barnes had coached Knecht’s favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant.

Knecht will be the first to admit he’s painstakingly combed through all of KD’s highlights on YouTube. He may not have the same funky warm-up routine as the two-time NBA champ, yet Knecht has drawn an affinity between their games.

“I tried to apply as much as I can to my game, and it kind of just carried on to watching—at Tennessee with Coach Barnes—a lot of Kevin Durant’s highlights, as well as Devin Booker’s,” Knecht says. “So, I just try to take as many players as I can and put it in my game.”

Throughout the year, Barnes and his starting guard sat in the film room and dissected Durant’s highs and lows from his lone season in Austin. They studied his cadence with the rock, his mastery of time and possession and his fluidity in iso scenarios. But mainly, they’d watch Durant’s monumental game against Texas Tech that featured 37 points and 23 rebounds.

It didn’t even take a full game before Knecht started amassing his own mix of highlights that Barnes will surely show to his pupils in the future. “I’d say that dunk was Coach’s favorite memory.”

“That dunk” was actually a full-on poster. With 15 minutes left in the second half of a “friendly” exhibition against Michigan State in late October, Knecht found himself pushing the pace up the backcourt. In a moment’s notice, he turned on the jets, lost his defender with a clean wrap-around the back at the three-point line, took two steps, rose up with the ball cradled in his right arm and threw down a silencing dunk on another Spartan defender. Straight filthy. The epitome of a body.

“The first thought was…I don’t even know. To be honest, I can’t even remember. But I just know before the game, one of my coaches, Rod Clark, he told me to go punch it on somebody if you get the chance. And I had the chance in the first half and I didn’t,” he says. “Then the second time, you kind of saw what happened, and to see my teammates’ reactions, like Josiah [-Jordan James] running up to me, was priceless. It was fun, just putting on a show and showing what I could do to the world.”

The poster heard from East Lansing to the Rocky Top set the standard of what was to come from No. 3 in Knoxville. Knecht has a knack for leading conferences in scoring. Go ask the NJCAA, Big Sky and SEC. Lights out shooting was a constant, curls in the midrange were automatic, putback dunks came and went and dusting defenders at the three-point line while finishing contested lays became routine.

“He also taught me on the offensive side about showing where gaps are and reading my secondary guy, ’cause Coach [Barnes] always told me you can get by your guy at any time, you just gotta worry about the secondary people,” Knecht says.

With around 20 hours between him and his hometown, Knecht scored tons of buckets night after night, helping to lead the Volunteers to the Elite Eight, where they fell to Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers, despite Knecht dominating with 37 points and cashing in 6 threes.

After long years spent honing his craft and waiting for the opportunity to place his bet, Knecht saw decades of self-belief and confidence validated by the highest entity in hoops on June 26, when the Lakers snagged him with the No. 17 pick.

Some say he came out of nowhere last season, but the good people of Thornton, Sterling, Greeley and Knoxville have been tapped in for years. Meanwhile, Rob Pelinka told reporters that new Lakers coach JJ Redick has already started drawing up pindown and ATO actions for his rookie sharpshooter.

“My journey’s not like everybody else’s, and that’s OK,” Knecht told reporters in his first press conference as a Laker. “Just creating my path is something special, and a lot of kids will look up to it. It’s really cool to write my own story.”

Portraits by Eli Selva. Photos via Getty Images.

The post Knecht Four: Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht Talks About His Rise From Junior College, to Tennessee to the League appeared first on SLAM.

When asked how this story should start, Sienna Betts was a little taken aback as she prepared her answer. She emphasized how important one specific year was to her journey. In 7th grade, Betts decided to walk away from soccer and focus on her true passion for basketball. “Something switched, and I realized what I wanted to do,” she says. The eagerness to be better pushed her to understand what was needed in order to be one of the greats. “If I want to succeed in basketball, I need to focus.” It was a pivotal moment that would define the next year for her as she began training.

All it took was for her to be in the right place with the right people. Sienna’s trainer, Derek Griffin, saw potential in her at an early age, challenging her to see that her dream school, UCLA, was more than possible. “He made me realize what I could possibly become in the future and he brought me to that,” she says.

During the pandemic, Betts would stay in the gym day in and day out, working on her game from every angle. As an 8th grader, she was practicing with Colorado royalty: Raegan Beers, Sam Crispe and, of course, her older sister Lauren.

The amount of accolades Sienna and Lauren have brought to their home state is remarkable. At Grandview High School, they delivered two state championships and four Gatorade Player of the Year awards. With Lauren currently at UCLA and Sienna committed to the program, the future duo is bound to do incredible things together in Westwood.

How does Sienna scout her own game? “I would describe my game as versatile, high IQ, and specialized,” she says. “My whole goal [in the game] is I don’t care about my stats or anything like [that]. Whatever I can do for a win, that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

From the development of her handles to her strong footwork, Sienna has found her rhythm and has yet to let up. The recipe for success has been to keep her feet planted in the moment and maintain her confidence—because she has prepared for this. In a year’s time, Sienna went from a role player off the bench to leading in every statistical category for the Hardwood Elite club team.

Speaking about the year Sienna went all-in on basketball, Michelle Betts, her mother, says, “She wanted to do it, so she did it.” Painting the picture of that moment back in 7th grade, Michelle remembers Sienna saying, I don’t want to just be the girl who goes in to play defense and blocks shots. I want to be a great player.”

She became just that. “All of a sudden, all the things she said she wanted to do, she could do them and then some,” Michelle says. “She went and grinded and became all the things she wanted to become, which I think is incredible.”

The outpouring of support for Sienna has fueled her. “My dad sends me a reminder text before every game,” she says. His most recent text before the FIBA AmeriCup Championship was: Just run the floor, rebound, I love you so much. You’re amazing. The impact of the text was huge. “I repeat this to get it in my head, and throughout the game and halftime, I repeat it to myself,” Sienna says.

As a gold medalist, two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and state champion, the 7th grader who made the decision to take basketball seriously and is now the top post player in the country is simply “just playing my game.”

“I’ve worked to be here,” Betts says. “I should have confidence in what I do.”

Portraits via Garrett Ellwood.

The post The Rise of Sienna Betts: The No. 2 Player in the Class of 2025 Talks Accolades, Her Work Ethic and What’s to Come Next Year at UCLA appeared first on SLAM.

Like any young hooper, Caleb Wilson tended to look to the most obvious sources for inspiration. “When I was younger, I used to only look at the stars—LeBron, Kobe, the big names,” he explains. “But my dad brought it to my attention that there were a lot of people I didn’t know about.”

A willingness to accept his father’s guidance helps explain how, when asked to name some of the players whose games he admires, the 18-year-old rattles off a list of guys who would impress any hoop-savvy dad—and probably a lot of grandfathers, too. “I watch Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway, John Stockton, Steve Nash, David Thompson, Alex English. I watch Clyde Drexler, Rick Barry, Chris Mullin and Run TMC, Nique, young Shaq in Orlando, and then the Lakers—I could go on and on about Magic and Kareem…”

He smiles. “I can keep going. I know a lot about basketball.”

Of course, his appearance in this magazine means Wilson is more than just a well-informed fan. The 6-9, 205-pound forward at Atlanta’s Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School is also a consensus top-10 prospect in the 2025 class, with a game informed both by that multigenerational collective of NBA greats and current stars like Nikola Jokic. With the game’s positionless revolution firmly entrenched, it only makes sense that a dude like Wilson would look far and wide for inspiration. “I feel like every player has aspects you can learn from,” he says, “especially the great ones.”

Wilson has a long way to go before he hears his name mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned All-Stars and Hall of Famers, but then he’s already come a long way. He was a relatively late bloomer compared to most of his peers near the top of the rankings, and the memories of how far he felt from the game’s elite provides ample motivation now that he’s among the best high schoolers in the country. “I feel like a lot of younger kids look up to me because of that, so I want to talk about my humble beginnings, my struggles as a young player,” he says. “I remember not being the best player—it sticks with me. Just because you’re not good at something now doesn’t mean you can’t be good at it later.”

Wilson’s rise is proof of that, as evidenced by his production at Holy Innocents (he averaged 21 points, 15 rebounds and over 4 blocks last season) and on the Nike EYBL circuit, as well as his invite to this summer’s USA Basketball U18 junior national team camp. Of course, big-time programs have noticed. As we went to press, Auburn, UNC, Stanford and Duke were among the favorites to bring him to campus in 2025.

Low-key off the court—“I like to play video games, I watch a lot of TV, especially anime, and sometimes I do Legos,” he says—Wilson is committed to the game and usually in the gym. Still somewhat raw offensively, he’s athletic and savvy enough to still get his points or get teammates involved, and as those blocked-shot numbers attest, he’s got the potential to be a game-changer on D. Talent and motivation go a long way, of course, but ultimately, Wilson says the foundation of his game comes down to nothing more complicated than holding himself accountable and putting in work.

“I feel like it’s just discipline and commitment,” he says. “Once you tell yourself, I’m gonna do something, and you follow through with it, you build trust with yourself. I became true to myself about that: Caleb, you’re going to dribble every single day for 30 minutes, you’re going to do push-ups, you’re going to do sit-ups every single day. It allows for belief that you can do better. You’re competing with yourself.”

Portraits via Omar Rawlings.

The post Caleb Wilson Studied the Legends of the Game, Now He’s Channeling Their Wisdom as He Makes His Own Mark as a Top 10 Player in the Class of 2025 appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM 251 featuring Naz Reid is available now.

The name of the reigning Sixth Man of the Year represents more than just a name at this point. Naz Reid has become a greeting between Minnesota Timberwolves fans outside of home games. It’s turned into a consistent stream of car horns outside of Parkway Pizza in Northeast Minneapolis with the now famous “Honk If You Love Naz Reid” sign sitting right outside. It’s transformed the seats of the Target Center into a beach day with Naz Reid towels in late March. It’s seen hundreds of yard signs plastered with his face strewn about lawns across the greater Minneapolis area.

It’s the name of a Jeopardy contestant’s cat. It’s even become the first tattoo for everyone from 18-year-olds kids to 82-year-old grandmothers. Naz Reid has got a hold on the Timberwolves fan base and the greater NBA community. There’s no explanation, no broader details. This is the epitome of if you know, you know. And trust us, after this past season, everyone and their momma, and their mommas, knows about the rise of Naz Reid.

But at first, Naz didn’t think the ink was real.

After the Timberwolves took down the Denver Nuggets by 26 points in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals—featuring 14 points, 5 boards, 4 blocks and 4 threes from the man himself—two lifelong Wolves fans and artists at Beloved Studios in Roseville, MN, set the stage for the community’s latest outpouring of admiration.

At 12:29 a.m. on May 7th, tattoo artist JC Stroebel tweeted out, “Will tattoo ‘Naz Reid’ on anyone for $20. I’m dead serious.”

Hundreds of requests followed.

“It was crazy. I think the 82-year-old lady was the first person that I saw, and then the list just goes on, I think 200-plus,” Naz tells SLAM. “It was up to the point where I was at the barbershop one day and two kids came in [and] my name was their first tattoo. So, that was crazy to experience. Definitely super exciting. It’s something you obviously dream about as a kid, to have that type of fan base and that excitement around your name is huge.”

From the back of the tricep to the lower thigh just above the kneecap, that excitement is on permanent display in Times New Roman font. The feeling has been surreal, in Naz’s words.

His name has become celebrated among a small market fan base longing for a return to prominence. Yes, the Timberwolves have a bonafide superstar in Anthony Edwards, alongside All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert manning the paint. But it’s the 6-9 versatile New Jersey native with the bag of a guard that has completely won over the hearts and minds of Timberwolves fans. And it’s the reason he’s on this very cover.

Naz Reid is the unsung hero of Minnesota. His quiet confidence is on full display as soon as he walks into the gym we’ve rented out in Las Vegas for his first SLAM cover shoot. Summer League games are taking place just a few miles away, but Naz is suited in his midnight blue and white Timberwolves threads with contrasting “Reverse Grinch” Kobe 6s on his feet as we snap away flicks. He’s paying no mind to the record-setting 116-degree heat that awaits just outside. 

Reid is only the third-ever undrafted player to win the Sixth Man of the Year award—joining John Starks and Darrell Armstrong—and the first Timberwolves player to take home the honor. His 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 41 percent shooting from three weren’t just a bump across the board from years’ past. The 2023-24 season served as his arrival as a full-fledged force in the L.

“This is the craziest I’ve ever seen it, especially this past season with how far we made it in the Western Conference Finals,” Naz says of the culture in Minnesota. “It’s been crazy. We have posters everywhere, chalk on the ground everywhere. It’s super exciting. Definitely something that we’re looking forward to for years to come.”

If you were to truly dive into why the Timberwolves fan base has such a deep-rooted love affair with the stoic 25-year-old, the overwhelming answer would probably be the relatability of his journey. And definitely the way he moves with the rock.

It’s the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs and the Wolves are cruising with a 17-point lead over the Phoenix Suns. With 9:53 left in the fourth quarter, Naz snags a loose ball and sets out in transition. A duo of rapid in-and-out dribbles follow, keeping Eric Gordon from planting his back foot confidently. As Naz finishes the second move with the ball, he whips it wide over his right shoulder, high above Gordon’s head, into a fluid pro hop. Time stops for a moment, as he cradles it in his chest and Bradley Beal enters the scene to contest. Except this is Big Jelly we’re talking about. With ease and a calming finesse, Naz pulls his momentum to the left side of the basket and lays the ball onto the glass and through the net with a clean right-handed reverse.

These routine displays of basketball artistry have sent home crowds into a frenzy, but for those in Asbury Park, NJ, they’re reminiscent of the days Naz was cooking at Roselle Catholic and dropping highlight after highlight as an official member of the Jelly Fam.

“That’s just my go-to. I’ve been doing that for a long time, long time,” Naz says of his transition excellence. “I think Jersey guys are just shiftier than a lot of other people. We just come with a different type of swag and game to any move that we put into play. That’s just kind of how we roll. You think about all the guards that have been in the NBA or near the NBA. You’ve got Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Briscoe, Kyle Anderson; you’ve got a lot of guys who are shifty and move with a different type of swag. I think it’s just kind of how we roll and where we come from.”

Looking back on the days when high school phenoms were stitching a new era into the cultural fabric of hoops, Naz now appreciates the impact being surrounded by guys like Jahvon Quinerly, Atiba Taylor and Luther Muhammad had on his game. “Everything has definitely translated and taken off to what it was back then to where it is now,” Reid says.

Twenty-seven points, 6 rebounds and 7 threes against Dallas in mid-December. A 31-piece and 11 boards while shooting 75 percent from the field in an early April dub vs. the Lakers. Twenty-three points on 78 percent shooting from three in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

From Roselle Catholic to Minneapolis, Naz has blended a guard-like fluidity and pace with the size and skills of a stretch big. He punishes smaller mismatches in the low post with surgical footwork and hook shots while dusting slower opponents at the elbow. He cashes in corner threes before his defender even realizes he left the paint. And he thrives, absolutely thrives, in any position head coach Chris Finch puts him in.

“We’ve had lineups this past year where I was the 3. We’ve had big lineups, so that’s something that I’ve been working on and continuing to work on,” Naz says. “Time will tell, but I can probably transition to a 3, 4 or 5 in this League. So, I’m just going to keep working on it and keep expanding my role.”

In that role as first off the pine, Naz recorded the most consistent season of his career in ’23-24. Fourteen 20-plus point performances in the regular season behind a career-high shooting from deep. And his defensive instincts began to shine. With No. 11 on the floor, the Timberwolves recorded a League-best 107.9 defensive rating. The infamous Game 2 that spawned a litany of tattoos saw Naz enact a defensive masterclass. In the first half alone, he stuffed Jamal Murray twice, then rejected Nikola Jokic on a pair of shots.

Ahead of the ’23-24 season, Naz signed a three-year, $42 million extension with the Timberwolves. The deal was five years of tumultuous work in the making.

His illustrious rise from Jersey to LSU wasn’t met with the same amount of enthusiasm you might have expected when he set his sights on the NBA. After a lone season in Baton Rouge, the 6-9 forward went undrafted in 2019.

His 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds during that season were enough to receive SEC All-Freshman team honors, but the League wasn’t biting. Concerns around his draft workouts and size were highlighted.

“It just made me more hungry. It kind of rose, kind of changed to where I was the hunted, now I’m hunting at that point,” Naz tells SLAM. “In high school, I was a top recruit, five-star, McDonald’s All American, things like that, to where now I had to grind to be in a position where I had to compete against others who were at high levels, who were drafted and things of that nature. So [I was] putting myself in that perspective of just hunting.”

Over the past five seasons, Naz has hunted for more minutes, more shots, more defensive assignments and more responsibility. In every role he’s found himself in, he’s progressed. Dialing into the specifics matters—who he works out with, his daily routines, even what time he goes to sleep at night—all of his habits are predisposed to how things carry over into the next season. Consistency in his role, in his growth, “that’s just the key to the sauce, to be honest.”

As a result, the fame, the outpouring of love and the appreciation he’s received have reached yet another peak. From influencing an entire generation with how they lay the ball up as a 17-year-old to the cult following of his name in the League, Naz has been dealing with the many waves of notoriety for years.

“I treat it as second hand and whatever comes with me putting the work that I put in, I’m excited to have,” Naz says. “Obviously, I’m truly humbled to have all that. I think as anyone should at the professional level, take that along with the bumps and bruises. Just keep being you and playing your game.”

Standing in front of a blue seamless backdrop that lets the aurora green piping of his shorts pop, Naz holds the infamous “Naz Reid” towel outstretched across his back. That March 22 evening was his favorite from this past season. As 18,000 faithful unfurled the towels throughout the arena, Naz dropped 18 points en route to a 13-point win over the Cavaliers. “That moment was a moment where I had to really take it in,” he says. “I haven’t really explained how much I appreciated that moment and how much that really made me feel as far as excited and wanted and loved.”

So we asked him to expand on that appreciation, to speak directly to the fans. From Naz to the Timberwolves fan base, NAZ REID the cat and those who hold his name in ink, this is his message:

“I appreciate every single one of you guys. You guys have seen me come in and work since day one, since the two-way signing to where I am now to this point,” Naz says. “I think everybody knows how much work and dedication I put in and [the] aspirations that I put in to get to where I am now. It’s not going to stop now. This is only the beginning.”

Portraits by Erik Isakson. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post Naz Reid Explains His Cult Following, Winning Sixth Man of the Year and Building a Newfound Culture in Minnesota appeared first on SLAM.

South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, is, as I write this, the proud home of a national basketball team hooping in the Paris Olympics, an outrageous accomplishment for a strife-ridden nation that has only existed since 2011.

Even if this program was led by people that no one at SLAM had ever heard of, the accomplishment is so grand it warrants our attention. Alas, it’s led by two of our favorite people in the sport, gentlemen who have been bringing smiles to us and all who love the game for almost as long as SLAM has been around: Luol Deng and Royal Ivey.

Deng, who most of you should know from his longtime NBA career, if not the many remarkable steps in his life path before or since, is the crux of this story. I learned about Luol around 2000, when his older brother, Ajou, was a highly touted recruit at UConn and agents started whispering about a younger brother they called “Louie” who would be even better than Ajou. By late 2002, I was hanging out at Blair Academy for a feature on then-Blair senior Luol and his teammate, Queens’ legend and future NBAer Charlie Villanueva. Luol was certainly one of the most impressive teenagers I’ve ever spoken to (as if writing about high schoolers for SLAM wasn’t enough exposure, now I have a teen of my own), and he came with a breathtaking backstory. 

Born in the southern part of Sudan when it was still one country in the throes of a civil war, Luol and his mother and siblings fled the country for a safer life in Egypt in 1990, and in ’94, they reunited with his politician father, Aldo, in London. Luol spent some formative years in the South London neighborhood of Brixton, picking up a proper love for Arsenal and football but also hooping all the time. And growing. Luol followed Ajou’s footsteps in coming to America for prep school, which is how we found him at Blair. And he wasn’t just a nice kid playing some ball while getting a quality education to set himself up for a college scholarship; he was the second-best player in his high school class. Literally, pretty much every 2003 high school ranking system or all-star game had a No. 1 and No. 2 player. Luol was No. 2. No. 1 was LeBron James.

Deng went to Duke for one season, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four (where they lost by 1 point to Villanueva’s UConn team, ironically). Deng was the seventh pick in the ’04 Draft and began a 10-year stint with the Bulls that featured two All-Star appearances, two seasons leading the NBA in minutes per game and a ton of playoff games. This was mostly the Thibs-Derrick Rose Bulls, and Deng was the engine that made them go. He played five more seasons after Chicago to give himself a tidy 15-year career in which he was absolutely beloved by his coaches and teammates and always a pleasure to chat with in locker rooms (especially if I led with Arsenal check-ins). 

Deng was not satisfied just being a star on the court, though. Off it, he created the Luol Deng Foundation and was regularly going back to London and Africa to take part in various charitable efforts and basketball events designed to grow the game. In 2021, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which is one of those very British things that, at least in Great Britain, means that he should be presented as Luol Deng OBE; becoming “Sir Luol Deng” might happen in the future. At the same time that he was making his mark with charitable work in his adopted home of England, Deng was reigniting his relationship with his real home of South Sudan. He’d been named President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in 2019 and began spending more time there. “Imagine your family fleeing a country and going to find life somewhere else,” Deng says in a mini-doc about the team qualifying for the Olympics that was shared with SLAM. “And instead of you being in that other country and forgetting about South Sudan and enjoying your professional basketball career, you’re actually committing to come back and play for that same country that you fled because of the war, and you’re the one now bringing all this positivity to it.”

Beautifully said, Luol. Unsurprisingly for a country of less than 13 million that has been around only 13 years—and suffered through internal fighting and development challenges the whole time—building a basketball program was not a priority. But there is a heritage of the sport there and in the people who come from there, beginning with famed NBA shot blocker Manute Bol (who originally inspired Deng and his brothers) and continuing with Deng, former Syracuse star Kueth Duany, Manute’s son (and SLAM fave) Bol Bol and heading into the future with young stars like Khaman Maluach, a 17-year-old incoming freshman at Duke who is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Since his appointment as president of the SSBF, Deng has instilled structure around the team and sought to get the best players from the South Sudanese diaspora suiting up for the country of their roots. Things coalesced last summer when South Sudan, playing in its first-ever FIBA World Cup, earned an Olympic berth by finishing as the highest-ranked team from Africa.  

If Deng has been the SSBF’s Jerry West—the retired legend now building a roster with guile and conviction—Royal Ivey has been their Pat Riley, a retired role player turned motivational master as head coach.

Ivey, currently an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, has been on my radar since 1999, when he led what was once unquestionably the #SLAMfam’s favorite high school, Queens’ (NY) Cardozo (shout out Ronnie Z and Coach Naclerio!), to an NYC PSAL title, earning MVP honors in a 57-47 win at Madison Square Garden that gave Naclerio, now the winningest coach in New York State public school history, his very first title. 

After graduating from Cardozo with that ’99 title on his CV, Ivey spent a post-grad year at Blair where he played alongside…a young Luol Deng. “Luol has been like my little brother since I met him his freshman year at Blair,” says Ivey over Zoom from Kigali, Rwanda, where the South Sudan team is holding pre-Olympic training camp. “I was older and I wanted to protect him, but he was also motivation to me. I was 17 years old and he was 13, waking me up at 6 a.m. to get in the gym. Then we were in the same draft class and we’d hang out in Chicago and stay in touch. Later on, I worked his camps in London.”

Ivey was a 6-3 2-guard who couldn’t shoot all that well, but he always played hard—especially on defense—and he was a great teammate. He played four years at the University of Texas, reaching the ’03 Final Four and making such a mark with his intangibles that he was the 37th pick in the ’04 NBA Draft despite four-year college averages of 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game.

Ivey’s numbers were even lower in the pros, but he lasted a decade in the League and then, after his final stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014, OKC GM Sam Presti asked if Ivey would serve as an assistant with their G League team, the Blue. Ivey’s been on the coaching grind ever since. 

“The way I got this job was crazy,” Ivey shares today. “I was watching Luol coach [South Sudan] on Instagram. I’m coaching in New York. [Then-Knicks head coach David] Fizdale gets fired. I was looking for a new opportunity and I was intrigued about helping Luol move forward. I told him I’d love to be part of the staff. You don’t have to be a part, Luol told me. I want you to run this thing.”

And with that, the two—friends through two wild decades in the business of basketball—were off and running, coming out of the pandemic with a fast playing style and the buy-in of more and more good players. South Sudan has plenty of work to do as a nation, but when the basketball team, nicknamed the Bright Stars, plays and wins, there’s a national pride that is not typically on display. “We’re here to put South Sudan on the map,” Ivey says. “We’re here to heal. To bring a country together through sports is something life-changing. I’ve been there and touched the ground and touched the people.”

Adds Deng in the mini-doc: “I want these guys to realize what sports does for the country. Sports is gonna be the vehicle of unity.”

Clearly, there’s a full-length movie to be made here. I know I’ll watch it.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Building the Foundation: Luol Deng and Royal Ivey on the Rise of South Sudan’s National Basketball Team appeared first on SLAM.

To celebrate Boston winning their 18th title, we just dropped SLAM 251, the Champs Issue, featuring none other than the Jays; Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.

SLAM 251 FEATURING THE CELTICS IS OUT NOW

Get your copy of SLAM 251 right now so you can reminisce on the season, whether that’s in Beantown or beyond. And we’ve got Gold Medal Editions on lock, too. Go grab a piece of history and celebrate the champs accordingly.

The post The Champs Are Here: The Boston Celtics Cover SLAM 251 appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM 251 featuring Alyssa Thomas + DeWanna Bonner is available now. Shop here.

An uplifting energy was flowing throughout our office on a Monday morning in late June. After a two-and-a-half hour drive from Connecticut to NYC, all that can be felt and heard is an abundance of love and laughter shared by the couple as they pose for photos at their first-ever SLAM cover shoot.

Rocking their bright orange Explorer Edition uniforms, both Alyssa and DeWanna are fully present in the moment, while creating pockets of time where they fall into a world all to their own. They’re holding staring contests while we snap flicks and poking fun at their height difference.

“I love playing with Alyssa. She’s one of the hardest working competitors in the League, so it kind of makes me want to go harder,” DeWanna says. “Even at my age, I’m like, I’ve got a little bit more in there to give because I see her going just as hard.”

The two have been dating for the past few years, and during 2023 All-Star Weekend out in Las Vegas, Alyssa proposed to DeWanna underneath the shade of palm trees accented by candles and hundreds of roses. They started off as competitors and still are in some ways. DeWanna drafted to the Phoenix Mercury in 2009. Alyssa drafted to the New York Liberty and immediately traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2014. Ahead of the 2020 bubble season, a blockbuster trade sent the two down the path of a relationship as teammates that eventually turned into partners.

The past five seasons have been a journey of ups and downs: new teammates, new coaches, new positions, new responsibilities. And yet, the two remain anchored to the culture they’ve instilled since they first teamed up four years ago. It’s a culture that has the Sun sitting at 18-6 as the second-best team in the W with both DeWanna and Alyssa dominating, again. The wedding’s gonna have to wait ’til after the Olympics, though.

Before the morning of June 11, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner had never been inside the Connecticut Sun offices. As Alyssa walked down the hallway with DeWanna closely behind, the four-time All-Star peered through the frosted glass of the room to her right. She instantly dropped her head to the side as the emotions began to build. A familiar figure stood in the room, Connecticut Sun president and USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team Committee Chair Jen Rizzotti. In her hands were Alyssa’s deep red, white and blue USA Basketball threads, honoring her with a spot on the 2024 US Women’s Olympic team.

“Honestly, they told me I had a meeting,” Alyssa says. “I turned the corner and I see her [Jen] through the glass and my heart kind of just dropped that it’s finally happening. I’m probably the second-oldest on the team at 32, and I’m getting my first opportunity to be on a team like this—it meant a lot to me.”

In the video posted to USA Basketball’s Instagram, the loudest voice in the room is DeWanna’s, cheering and clapping for her person with pride. “It’s funny because I think I was more anxious than her during that waiting process. I’m just like, When is it going to happen?” she says. “So for me, I’m just so proud of her, I’m so happy for her. It’s something that she really, really worked hard for, like she said, at 32. Yeah, we’ll be in Paris.”

Throughout her 11-year career in the WNBA, Alyssa’s offseason timeline has rarely matched up with the Olympics. She prefers to recoup her mental and physical in what little downtime there is between the season ending and the start of her overseas schedule. The 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021 due to Covid) were at one point an option, but the rehab process for a torn Achilles that she suffered in January took priority.

AT was back on the court nine months later. And when the season wrapped, Cheryl Reeve convinced Alyssa to suit up for her and Team USA in the 2022 FIBA World Cup. Winning Gold has been an inescapable feeling ever since.

Just three days before our shoot, the first voting update for the 2024 WNBA All-Star roster was revealed. DeWanna ranked in the top 10. Knowing the festivities this season will see the USA Basketball roster face off against the WNBA All-Stars, the two are already looking forward to playing opposite one another in Phoenix. “Oh, I’m gonna whoop her up,” DeWanna chimes in immediately.

“She’s not scoring. She’s not getting a bucket,” Alyssa interrupts.

“Shut up,” DeWanna says in a playful tone as Alyssa laughs out loud. “Please. I don’t care where I am, I don’t care how crazy of a shot it is, I’m going to try and make it. And if I make it, oh, I’ve won a championship. If I make one shot on her, it’s over.”

“It won’t happen,” Alyssa fires back.

The back-and-forth is more than just a great sound bite—it’s a peek into their unique dynamic, one filled with love, teasing and a very, very healthy amount of competitiveness.

GET YOUR COPY OF SLAM 251 + COVER TEE

“We almost had the opportunity to do that overseas, but I got hurt, which I was happy about,” DeWanna says about playing against each other. “I was a little nervous playing against her, because Alyssa is a little rough and I’m not. But in this environment, where it’s not too much on the line, it can be friendly. But I promise you,” she says looking right at AT, “I’m trying to bust you up.”

“It’s not friendly at all. It’s all business,” Alyssa replies.

For the past five seasons, it’s been just that: straight business. After DB was traded from the Phoenix Mercury—where she won two championships and was a three-time Sixth Woman of the Year—to the Sun, the two quickly formed one of the most dominant duos in the history of the W.

Under their purview, sustained success has become routine out in Uncasville, CT. Numbers 24 and 25 have led the Sun to four straight semifinal appearances plus a trip to the 2022 Finals. They’re insurmountable in high-low actions, transition and half-court defensive schemes. In the midst, a list of collective and individual accolades has been running longer than the Susquehanna River.

“They really are the heart and soul of this franchise,” head coach Stephanie White told the AP. “You think about not just what they do on a day-to-day basis, but the consistency with which they’ve done it since they’ve been here.”

Unstoppable doesn’t even begin to describe AT’s game. She’s a point-forward who sets the game to easy mode for everyone while leading the team in assists, rebounds and steals. This season, she’s putting up 11.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and a League-high 7.9 assists a game. And to start the season against the Indiana Fever, she threw down a 13/13/10 triple-double. Yeah, last season wasn’t just a one-off.

In her 15th season, DeWanna has only continued to expand the mastery of her offensive repertoire. The midrange is lit up with hot spots like a Christmas tree for DB. Transition treys stick to the net and post-up fadeaways sing of swishes. She uses her length to snatch steals on the defensive end, plugging up gaps and sending shots into the third row. As of press time, the 6-4 bucket-getter is pouring in a team-high 17.1 points, pulling down 6.3 boards and swiping 1.3 steals a game.

“I always say we have to be that much better than other teams. We’re not a super team or anything of that sort, so our margin for error is a lot smaller than other teams,” Alyssa says. “And just trying to get everybody to buy into that and understand that there are no off days. There’s no relaxing or taking plays off. We’ve got to go hard for 40 minutes.”

This season, the two have been clocking in overtime. Alyssa’s already popped off for two triple-doubles and DeWanna’s posted eight 20-pieces. Between Alyssa, DeWanna and two-time All-Star Brionna Jones, the only other constant that resides in Connecticut is change. The past five years have seen a revolving door of coaches, players and front office personnel.

“I think that’s just the nature of the beast in Connecticut,” Alyssa says. “It’s not a favorable market for people that like to do the other things, be in the spotlight, things like that. It’s a quiet area, you’ve got to be a different type of player to come there. We don’t have all the bells and whistles that other people do, so it’s really about the basketball for us.”

The 2024 campaign has been filled with even more adjustments. DeWanna and Alyssa spent the majority of last season surveying the paint at the 4 and 5. With center Brionna Jones back from a torn Achilles, they’ve dipped back into their typical roles while infusing elements of last year’s success. They’re developing chemistry with the new backcourt pairing of DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris, who have stepped in to the starting guard positions. The newest additions of Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson coming off the pine have been an added piece to juggle, too.

“I don’t want to say we started over again, but it’s implementing new people and trying to get them to understand the system. But in the same way, reworking it to fit everybody’s style of play and get the best out of everyone,” Alyssa says. “We’ve had our ups and downs so far, and it’s still a work in progress, but it’s going to come down to us and the coaches coming together and figuring out what is best for this team. That’s why it’s a long season and it’s about playing your best basketball come playoff time.”

The playoffs are still a bit in the distance, but in June, the Sun were already in midseason form, posting an early 13-1 record and becoming just the seventh team in League history to win 13 of their first 14. All six of those previous squads reached the Finals, and four of them won it all. We’re not saying it’s destiny, but history has a way of repeating itself.

“We’ve been right there on the cusp, so now this year, I think we’ve kind of taken the fun out of it a little bit, but we’re trying to get that back,” DeWanna says. “It’s championship or bust for us. That’s where we are.”

As seamless as the highlights look, the couple warns that playing basketball every single day with your partner isn’t as magical as one might think it is. There are angles, reads and passes that Alyssa may see that DeWanna doesn’t, and vice versa.

“It’s like a gift and a curse. You’re playing with somebody that’s the best in the world and she’s also your partner, so you get to bounce ideas off of each other, you talk basketball. But also, it’s competitive; we go at it on the court as well,” DeWanna says. “But I still want to bust her up on that court.”

“It’s mostly that she wants to bust me up on the court,” Alyssa responds. “Nine times out of ten.”

“Tune in! When is the [All-Star] Game? July 20th. Vote me in, ’cause tune in,” DeWanna exclaims.

“Drinks on me the night before,” Alyssa says with a laugh.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Power Couple: Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner Talk The Olympics, Their Engagement and Building A Winning Culture With the Connecticut Sun 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.

Inside the green-accented gym of Myers Park High School in Charlotte, NC, stands 6-7 senior Isaiah Evans. In front of him, a sea of white t-shirts screaming obscenities. But here’s the thing: Slim—one of his many monikers—was bred for this environment. Hell, he lives for it.  

The nation’s No. 13 overall prospect in the Class of 2024 (via 247 Sports) is simply built different. Nights like these are filled with overwhelming expression and talking mad trash to the crowd—only after it’s been dished his way. With his tongue swaying from side to side as he begins to unfurl a contested side-step middie, it’d be a good business decision to just get out of the way. Though there are few—very few—who have been successful doing so.

Draped in his royal blue and red North Mecklenburg threads, the future Duke Blue Devil pulled his squad across the finish line against the defending 4A state champions in a tension-filled atmosphere that rivaled the Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef. And yet, Showtime Slim enacted a masterpiece: 48-piece no fries—21 of them in a row during the second half.

“I always had an energetic feel toward me, but I really started getting real active my sophomore year, right after that ninth-grade summer,” Evans says. “I was really taking it personal.”

After being placed on the JV team during his freshman year, Evans spent the entirety of the following summer grinding his way into the varsity rotation as a sophomore. In Slim’s words, “It was time to activate.” After flipping the switch two years ago, the 18-year-old forward now holds the title of one of the most lethal scorers in his class. Gatorade State Player of the Year in North Carolina, McDonald’s All-American, reigning state champion and SLAM All-American—the list of accolades has only cemented his legacy. 

It was just over a month into his sophomore campaign before the major college offers began to trickle in, transitioning quickly into a downpour. While his peers began to stack themselves on prep school rosters, Slim chose to stay home, finishing the last of his high school days in the city that raised him. 

“Once I had gotten those first couple of offers [my] sophomore year, there wasn’t really any reason to leave,” Evans says. “You’re playing a national schedule every year, you’re going to these tournaments with these top teams, so I’m going to gain exposure. And I feel like I’m getting better year by year, so what’s the point in leaving?”

After pouring in 23 points—including four treys—Evans’ journey in his hometown was cemented with an undefeated season and the 2024 state championship. While visions of Cameron Indoor and hostile enemy crowds are in the near future, Evans knows he’ll miss the memories of those lively Friday nights when he bent the game to his will. But there’s still one solvent, a memento of his legacy. 

After igniting North Carolina’s historic basketball community as its latest homegrown star, Evans was cemented in North Mecklenburg history by having his jersey retired at the end of April. He let us in on the honor when we spoke. 

“A lot of people don’t know this, but I’m going to be the first and last person to wear No. 0 [at North Meck]. It really meant a lot to me.”

Portraits by Luke Schlaifer.

The post Future Duke Blue Devil and SLAM HS All-American Isaiah Evans Talks Staying Home for His Senior Season, Confidence and Being a State Champion appeared first on SLAM.

We connected with Coby to speak about his offseason plans, becoming the go-to guy in Chicago, staying in the moment and more.

SLAM: How’s the offseason been so far?

Coby White: It’s been quiet, bro. I really haven’t been doing much because of how long the season was. I’ve been taking it easy—really just been in the weight room, tryna lay the foundation down before I get back on the court. I usually give myself two weeks [of rest], but this year I played a lot more minutes, so this offseason is a little different for me. I’m taking three to four weeks, and then I’ll really get back to it.

SLAM: You’re coming off the best season of your career so far—we’ll touch on that in a minute—but I want to take it back to last year. Was there anything you did differently last offseason in preparation for this season, or was it just a matter of everything finally coming together?

CW: I think last year, as far as on the court and in the weight room, the physical aspect of it was pretty much the same. What really changed for me was that I took the mental side of it differently; I took a different approach. Coach [Billy] Donovan really put it on my mind to transform myself mentally. He felt that was the next step for me. So, I started trying to grow mentally, doing little things such as reading more, meditating, putting myself on a set schedule, praying multiple times a day and things of that sort. And then Coach Donovan took me and a couple of the young guys to Colorado last year. We met with a mental coach, and he gave us little exercises. I just wanted to carry that to my summer training and into the season.

SLAM: You only started two games last year, but early on this season, it was clear you’d have a much bigger role. How was the transition for you establishing your role as the team’s lead guard?

CW: It was challenging at first, but it was fun. Obviously, things changed over the course of our season. Going into the year, I knew I was gonna have a big role, but by the end of the year, it was even bigger than I thought it was going to be. I just embraced the challenge. My teammates and coaching staff were supportive of me and patient with me. It was a learning experience. There was definitely a learning curve at the beginning. But once I got the hang of it and became accustomed to using my voice and being a leader, that’s when things just kind of clicked and I took off from there.

SLAM: Unlike many other lottery picks, you weren’t given the keys to your franchise right away. Can you speak to what staying the course looks like for you and how you stayed ready for the inevitable moment when you’d get the opportunity?

CW: It was hard at first, especially as a rookie. You kind of look around the League and see all your counterparts who were drafted around the same area as you, and you see a lot of guys playing 36 minutes, starting, leading their teams to wins and playing [in] those crunch-time moments. For me, I was coming off the bench, playing, like, 18 minutes a game. I think the mental part was the toughest for me. I’ve always been a hard worker and always worked on my game. I just wanted to show them that no matter what position you put me in, I’m going to continue to be myself and work how I always work in the gym. I just had to understand the mental part—it was a different type of adversity I had never been through in my life. But once I accepted the fact I was gonna have to work for this and be patient, I got a lot closer to God, especially his plan for me. I felt it in my spirit for the longest that my time was gonna come; I just had to be patient. This year, it finally came and I just thank God for allowing me to be in this position.

SLAM: Was there a moment early in the season that you could point to where it was like, This year’s going to be different?

CW: I think training camp just felt different. I just knew I couldn’t fail. I had the support of my teammates and my coaching staff, and I was more outspoken and the leader out there. Then, as the season started, I wasn’t very good—the first month, I was OK. I wasn’t myself the first month, but I remember talking to my brother, telling him I had this gut feeling that it was just all going to come together. Then, in December, things just clicked, and the confidence kept rising. Then, you know, you get comfortable [in your role], and you get the sense like: I belong here. This is who I am. And then I just kept getting better as the season went on.

SLAM: You finished second for the Most Improved Player Award; even though you didn’t win, is there any satisfaction in knowing that other people and your peers are considering you among the young stars in the League?

CW: You couldn’t go wrong [with any of the finalists for the MIP Award], but for me, it’s like—I lost. There isn’t really any gratification. Like, you either win or you lose and that’s just kind of how I see it. For me, it’s extra motivation, extra fuel—but it’s not animosity. Any one of us could have won it. In terms of being in conversations and people starting to recognize who I am—I try not to pay attention to it because I try not to get too high or too low. I enjoy the moments as they come. And then, after they go, it’s behind me. I had a great season, but I have to continue to build a foundation and continue to grow in every aspect of my game.

SLAM: Y’all fell just short of making the playoffs after losing in the play-in; what do you think is the next step for you to become the lead guard for a team that’s a consistent playoff contender?

CW: I think just continuing to build as a leader and use my voice. One of the hardest parts is the emotional aspect. There are so many emotions that go into one game, let alone the entire season. I’m an emotional guy; I wear my heart on my sleeve. When it comes to basketball, I care so much, and I’m emotional about it, and sometimes it’s affected me to the point where I’m not being the leader I should be. I have to be that rock for the team—that foundation for the team. I have to be the one to reel everybody back in. I’m learning in that area.

And I think this summer, I have to do a lot more conditioning. I can’t let fatigue play a factor [in] if I play well or not. I didn’t know I was gonna come in and play damn near 40 minutes a game. The role I had coming into the season, I was like the fourth option. By the end of the season, I was the first or second option. Towards the end of the season, when teams started adjusting to me and making things a lot harder for me, I feel like fatigue played a huge part in some of the games in which I didn’t play as well. I feel like taking a step in my conditioning and physicality will help me take the next step to where I want to be.

I’ll also work on being more creative on the ball. I’m learning how to get to my spots, learning how to play through physicality, because now, every night, I’m getting the first and second best defender on the team.

SLAM: Looking ahead to next season, what are some goals you’re aiming to accomplish?

CW: I think winning truly takes care of everything. But for me, individually, I think that next step is just becoming an All-Star. This past summer, I had one goal, and that was to prove to everyone that I deserve to be a lead guard in the NBA and that I can be a starting guard in the NBA. The one thing I want to do going into next year is just prove that I can sustain this level of play and also take a leap and become that All-Star. I feel like if I continue to work and be on the trajectory that I’m on, I think winning would make it an easy choice. For me, winning always comes before anything.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Bulls’ Coby White Talks Offseason, Staying the Course and Goals of Becoming an NBA All-Star 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.

Now honoring banner 18 with an all-Boston special edition collectible item. This magazine is entirely dedicated to the Celtics and it features both new and old stories from SLAM’s past coverage of Boston’s squad.

The post SLAM Presents Celtics is OUT NOW! appeared first on SLAM.

An actress then in her seventies, Allison peered out at the group and saw one figure towering above the rest. 

His name was Rueben Chinyelu.

He was 14 years old and stood around 6-8.

Allison couldn’t believe her eyes. What was this boy doing here? Why was he selling clothes? She maneuvered through the crowd to find him. 

“Do you play basketball?” she asked Chinyelu.

He smiled and laughed, as he did every other time someone asked him that question. 

“I’m serious,” Allison said. “You could go to school playing basketball. You could further your education.”

This caught Chinyelu’s attention. The idea of playing basketball had never been framed to him in this way—as a possible ticket to a better education. And for some reason, it struck a different chord coming from Allison. Chinyelu had never played basketball before in his life. But suddenly, he felt compelled to pursue it. “I just think everything happens on God’s timing,” he says.

That was the summer of 2018. Six years later, Chinyelu is a 6-11 rising sophomore at the University of Florida. He transferred from Washington State University, where he played in all 35 games last season and finished fourth in the Pac-12 in blocks.

Growing up in the eastern region of Nigeria, Chinyelu was six years old when he lost his father. His mother raised him and his three older sisters, emphasizing discipline and education above all else. Chinyelu didn’t play any sports as a kid—not even soccer, which is by far the most popular sport in Nigeria. Instead, he focused entirely on his schoolwork and dreamed of one day becoming a doctor.

Everything changed that afternoon in 2018 when Allison, whom Chinyelu now refers to as his grandma, walked into his brother-in-law’s shop. Less than a week later, Chinyelu went to the National Stadium to register to join Raptors Basketball Academy. Despite his inexperience and rail-thin frame, he made an immediate impression on his new coach, Charles Ibeziakor. 

“I saw something that was different from the other boys that come to learn basketball,” Ibeziakor says. “I saw that this guy is going to be a potential player, a prospect, because of his hard work. He did not relent.”

Chinyelu’s discipline carried over from academics to basketball. If I’m doing this, I’m all in, he told himself. The team practiced Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon during the summer, but Chinyelu would come to the court at 6 a.m. for extra work. He trained individually with Ibeziakor every Sunday and watched tutorials on YouTube to tackle the fundamentals. Soon, his dream was to make it to the NBA.

Within a year, Chinyelu was picked to represent Nigeria in the 2019 FIBA U16 African Championship. He averaged 12.3 points and 17.6 rebounds (best in the tournament) to help his team place third. “He was one of the best,” says Ibeziakor. “From there, I knew that this guy was going to go places.”

Even before his debut for the junior national team, Chinyelu received interest from high schools throughout the United States, but his request for a visa was denied by the embassy. Eight times. And Chinyelu never really found out why. He was hurt, but undeterred. He just had to find a new path. “If I cry or get mad about it, I’m just doubling the problem,” he says. “I just never doubted myself.”

Coach Ibeziakor is also a scout for NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal. The Academy was established in 2017 to provide top high school-age prospects from across the continent with the tools necessary to pursue a future in the sport. Chinyelu arrived in 2021, having gotten much stronger after working out at home during the pandemic. He now had access to state-of-the-art facilities and was surrounded by the best young players in Africa, all of whom shared his ambition to reach the next level. In the school’s multi-purpose room, where the students eat, watch TV and socialize, pictures of African players who have made it to the NBA adorn the walls—a constant reminder of the goal they are all chasing.

With expert guidance from staff members such as technical director Roland Houston and head coach Alfred Aboya, Chinyelu improved dramatically at the Academy. “They have plays. Back home, we don’t have plays,” Chinyelu describes. “Just go play basketball, catch the rebound, pass the ball, make baskets. It was different getting breakdowns, extra workouts, when to work out, how to maintain your sleep. In the Academy, they didn’t just teach us about basketball—they taught us how to be a basketball player and also how to be a man. Because it all works together.”

Chinyelu founded the “6:00 a.m. Club” with Coach Aboya, a morning workout ritual that his teammates, who typically reported to the gym closer to 7:00 a.m., eventually joined. “He’s a tireless worker,” says Aboya. “He will bug you to work him out.”

The Academy competes in exhibitions and showcases across the globe, and Chinyelu also participated in the 2022-23 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, averaging 5.4 points and 7.9 rebounds for Stade Malien. Since he started so late, his game—particularly on offense—is still being polished, but Chinyelu always brings energy and intensity. He becomes “a different person” on the court, according to former Academy teammate Seifeldin Hendawy. “Rueben’s game is so emotional,” Hendawy, an incoming freshman at Loyola Chicago, continues. “Super aggressive. When he comes between the lines, he just forgets everything. He doesn’t care. He’ll be dunking on people, destroying rims.”

Hendawy remembers one game of full-court two-on-two when Chinyelu “just went crazy” battling against fellow Nigerian and current Louisville big man Emmanuel Okorafor. The trash talk was flowing and the match-up was becoming increasingly physical. At one point, Chinyelu threw down a vicious dunk and let out a scream so powerful that it startled Hendawy and other spectators. “The gym was shaking,” Hendawy recalls with a chuckle. Houston eventually had to interject to settle things down a bit. “I’m him, Coach!” Chinyelu hollered at Houston, pounding his chest. “I’m him!”

That image stands in stark contrast to Chinyelu off the floor. He is soft-spoken, polite and eloquent, his comments peppered with the same sort of inspirational phrases that are taped up in classrooms at the Academy.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“The easy road is not always the way.”

“The only thing I can control is the present.”

“I know that something that is meant to happen is definitely going to happen.”

He has a calming presence that one could easily foresee translating into an excellent bedside manner. While his main objective remains to make it to the NBA, Chinyelu is also studying to become a dentist and plans to take summer classes to finish school should he leave early for the draft. 

Chinyelu joins a talented Florida squad (slotted at No. 20 in ESPN’s current rankings) and should assume a much bigger role this season after averaging just 13.8 minutes per game for Washington State. The Gators have several solid frontcourt options, but Chinyelu is projected to start at center. He arrived on campus at the beginning of June following a brief trip back to Africa, during which he visited family in Nigeria and caught the BAL Finals in Rwanda.

Watching him today, his first coach, Ibeziakor, is not surprised by the player Chinyelu has become. “Because I know the kind of person that Rueben is,” he says. “I know that Rueben will work extra to get there—to play in the NBA. And I believe that he will play [there] one day.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post From Nigeria to Gainesville: The Improbable Journey of New Florida Big Man Rueben Chinyelu appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a beautiful afternoon in mid-May and we’re at the Pippens home for a “Day in the Life” shoot with Tissot, and Justin and Scottie are going back and forth in their game of PIG. Well, initially, they were playing HORSE, but as the ball continued to find the net, both father and son quickly realized they’d be there until dusk if they didn’t make a pivot. So, PIG it is.

Scottie’s got just one letter; P, while Justin looks to save himself from elimination on the right wing. As soon as the shot clanks off the back iron, Scottie begins to celebrate. But Justin still has a shot at redemption. Right?

“I feel like I defeated that kid twice,” Scottie explains. “I’ve played PIG numerous times in my life, and I’ve never heard of you getting a second shot after you miss. I went with his rules, but in my world, I won twice. But in his world, he won once. So, I’ll let him win once.”

In Justin’s mind, and by the book for some players, if you miss your first shot on the last letter of PIG, you automatically receive a second shot to redeem yourself. If you make the second, you play on. If you miss, game over.

“There was not a new rule,” Justin says in his defense. “We played PIG, he had me at P-I and then for the last shot on G, you get two shots if you miss it. I don’t know [how] he never heard that. That’s how me and my brothers grew up playing. I can call [them] right now and I’ll ask [them] and [they’ll] tell me the same thing.”

Right on cue, the youngest Pippen whips out his phone and Facetimes his older brother Scotty Pippen Jr., who just finished his second season in the League with the Memphis Grizzlies. There’s no brotherly catchup, no “How are you doin?” It’s straight to business. Justin asks and Scotty Jr. answers: “When we grew up playing, yeah.”

Competitiveness runs in the Pippen family, from the hardwood to Connect 4 and Monopoly. As we prepare to walk with the two through a typical day in their lives, both father and son are giving each other a hard time. The quips aren’t negative, they’re purposeful. As Scottie puts it, the banter builds a competitive edge while instilling confidence. Coaches say it all the time: “Worry when I’m not giving you a hard time.”

Scottie’s got six NBA championships to his name, Scotty Pippen Jr.’s carving out the beginnings of his career in the L after dicing up the SEC at Vanderbilt. Now, it’s Justin’s turn.

The post The Pippen Hoops Lineage Lives On appeared first on SLAM.

The view provides a calmness effect after the ruckus from the previous hour, when both players found out the short list of teams that are most likely to end up drafting them in June. It’s been quite the journey for this duo—one that will have them stamped in college hoops history for eternity.

SLAM 250 featuring Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle is available now.

Clingan, a 7-2 center, won back-to-back national titles in his only two seasons at UConn. He averaged 13 points, 7.4 boards and 2.5 blocks per game this past season, earning him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch List, the 2024 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team and a ’24 NCAA East Region Most Outstanding Player nod.

Meanwhile, Castle, a 6-6 freshman wing who averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists while becoming a top perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his own imprint in the history books. He set a new Big East record with 11 Freshman Conference Player of the Week honors, surpassing Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. He was also the first Huskie since Rudy Gay in 2005 to win Big East Freshman Player of the Year.

We sat down with both projected top-10 picks after our shoot to discuss their historic run, their chemistry and their NBA outlook, among many other topics.

SLAM: It’s been a few weeks since you guys cut down the nets and made history, going back-to-back as national champs. Now that you’ve had some time to process it all, how do you put into words the accomplishment?   

Donovan Clingan: To win back-to-back, you know, for me personally, was something really special just because there’s not too many people that could go around saying that they’ve done something that special. We did it in such a historic program that has a lot of history, and it’s a place where it’s hard to make history. But to go out there and do some of the most historic things that have happened in the program was something really special. I think UConn is a special place that will always be home to me. I know Steph will say the same thing. I’m just super, super blessed to be able to have accomplished what I’ve accomplished, and I’ll be forever grateful for my two years at UConn.

Stephon Castle: I mean, honestly, it really still doesn’t even feel real to me. I only won once, I can only imagine what it feels like for DC. Just the whole experience was super, super fun.

It really was a blessing just to be out there with the great group that we had. We had a real special group. Like [DC] said, it’s definitely a second home for me.

SLAM: At what specific point in the season do you remember feeling like y’all had a really good chance to run it all back?

DC: I feel like when we went on our trip to Europe [UConn played in Monte Carlo and Spain last summer—Ed.], we saw the potential we had. To be honest, I feel like I didn’t know if a national title was a possibility again, just because I realized how hard it was the year before, and we were going to have a big target on our back, but when we got back from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we came back in for the start of practice in the regular season. And you could just tell the energy and the will of everyone on the team, everyone on the staff, everyone in the building, really, just wanted to go out there and win every game, every night.

SC: Early in the season, I didn’t know how good we were. I mean, we always talked about going back-to-back and chasing a national championship, but I feel like every school talks about going for a national championship. I feel like it was about the midpoint of the season, probably like where the Big East [season] really kicked off, when I kinda knew, like, we really had a chance at winning the whole thing over again.

SLAM: Donovan, your freshman season, you only averaged 13 minutes per game but played a major role in the rotation on the 2023 national championship team. What did you learn from that group that you were then able to apply to this past season, when you became a major focal point?

DC: Just realizing everything I had to give every single day. I played [in practice] against the most dominant big in the country in Adama [Sanogo], who went into practice and into workouts every single day knowing that he’s gonna get better and knowing that the team was gonna need him that year to make a big jump [and] lead us to where we wanted to go. I feel like that was something for me, coming into the season—I have to make a big jump. I have to be a leader. I have to dominate the floor on the offensive and defensive end. I just gotta give my all, day in and day out, just to make sure that this team wins.

SLAM: Steph, you got thrown right into the fire despite being a freshman—you were a starter from the very first game, and only came off the bench a few times due to an early season injury. What was the early challenge like for you?

SC: I mean, it was definitely hard at first. Definitely something that you have to really adjust to and really just embrace. But I feel like my teammates, they had a lot of confidence in me this year and they instilled a lot of confidence in myself. So, just going out there, just trusting my work that I put in and just knowing that the coaches believe in what I do.

SLAM: Donovan, you decided to return to college without even testing the NBA waters in 2023. A reporter afterward said that NBA scouts believed you could have been selected anywhere between 25 and 40 in the draft that year. Why did you think it was important to return?

DC: I knew I had to mature as a person, as a player. I had to expand my game in many ways. I only played 13 minutes a game last year. I wanted to go out there and be a starter, try to lead the team to another national title and I just wanted to go play for UConn. I love Coach [Dan] Hurley, I love that staff, I love the school, and I just wanted to try to be part of something really special and to be able to say that I did that means a lot to me.

SLAM: Steph, do you remember the moment when you realized that despite being a freshman who’s starting for the reigning national champs, you had what it took to hold your own at an elite level?

SC: I don’t remember the exact practice but I know I was frying though, that’s the only thing I do remember. I think I was on the second team at the time, too. So, that definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into it, especially coming back from an injury.

SLAM: Are there parts of your game that you didn’t get a chance to showcase in college because the team didn’t need you to, that you’re now excited to be able to show at the next level?

DC: Yeah, to be able to step out, shoot the three ball a little more, play off the dribble, really just working that midrange game and setting the pick-and-pops and just roll to the rim, lobs. You know, Coach Hurley had a great game plan for this team. He always put us in the best position possible and my team didn’t need me to shoot threes to win games. That’s something I didn’t have to do. [But] that’s something I’m gonna have to do to take my game to the next level and succeed at the highest level.

SC: I mean, probably just being on the ball more, taking more shots, like off the dribble and stuff like that. I feel like Coach had a great scheme for us and he asked specifically what he needed for us to win a championship. And I thought we got it done. But if there was anything, I’ll say shooting off the dribble, playmaking a little more on the ball and, you know, stuff like that.

SLAM: Steph, you set the Big East record for most Conference Freshman of the Week honors, and in doing so, you surpassed Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. What did that historic feat mean to you?

SC: It meant a lot, just to put my name next to those high-level type of guys. You know, I feel like that meant a lot for my career and what my legacy was at UConn for that short time. But a lot of that credit goes to my teammates and my coaches. I feel like they put me in a great position to be successful in those games. I just had to go out there and just be myself. I feel like a lot of credit goes to them.

SLAM: You also became the first UConn men’s player since Rudy Gay in 2005 to win Big East Freshman of the Year.

SC: I wouldn’t say it was regularly just a goal for me, but it’s definitely in the back of your head as you’re playing. It’s something that you kind of shoot for. So, like DC said, it’s a pretty historic school. There’s been a lot of great names to come out of there, so just to have my name beside those guys and instilled in that history forever, it’s super special to me.

SLAM: Donovan, do you have an off-the-court story of Stephon that you’d say perfectly reflects his personality when the cameras aren’t rolling?

DC: I mean, Steph loves to nap. He loves to sleep. When we were on the way back from Europe, I remember before we left out of Barcelona—like, I don’t think everyone was even on the plane yet—he was already asleep, and he didn’t wake up until the lights turned on when we landed in Boston. It was like an eight-hour flight, and he did not wake up once. Not even to use the bathroom. Nothing. And I was just like, That’s Steph! Like, when he’s sleeping, he’s sleeping. But when he’s up, he’s just hooping. But he just loves to nap. Every time I see him, he’s napping. On the bus, on the plane—he’s napping.

SLAM: What about you, Steph—any good Donovan stories?

SC: So, it’s one day in practice—I think [Donovan], he wasn’t having the best practice. He was kind of mad at himself. I want to say he kicked something or he punched the backboard or it was something crazy like that, but he hurt himself. And we had a game coming up. I mean, we always called him “Cling Kong,” so I feel like that was one of his moments. He ripped his shirt in practice, punched the backboard, he started screaming. He was going crazy.

DC: I want to win [shrugs with a smile].

SC: It’s practice, though [laughs].

DC: It’s OK, I don’t lose.

SC: I don’t remember the whole story. I know you can tell the story.

DC: I mean, I get upset sometimes with how I’m playing, and if I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do on the floor, I take it out on myself. And I put a lot of pressure on myself. I do just get frustrated at times—

SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen somebody punch the backboard without jumping?

DC: I just want to win [laughs].

SLAM: When people talk about the 2023-2024 UConn Men’s team 10, 20 years from now, what do you hope they say in terms of your legacy?

SC: I think we might be up there as one of the best college basketball teams ever, because if you think about it, our only games we lost were away games, and one of them, we didn’t even have our full team. [Actually], two of them—one game I was hurt and then one game [DC] got hurt.

DC: Just to be remembered as one of, if not the best college basketball team ever. There was a bunch of guys who gave it their all every single day for 11 months of the year. It’s a special group. We were a brotherhood. Everyone loved each other, and that’s going to be a special team. There’s no one that’s going to be left out forever. We’re all going to stay in touch, we’re all gonna be brothers for life, and that’s just something that’s really important to me.

Portraits by Joe Pinchin. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post After Winning Back-to-Back Titles at UConn, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle are Ready to Make Waves in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

We’re commemorating Luka’s unbelievable run to the 2024 NBA Finals with this cover of SLAM 250, which is also available in an exclusive orange and gold metal edition. Tap in.

The post The World is Mine: Luka Doncic Covers SLAM 251 appeared first on SLAM.

When the legend herself walks in wearing an all-white fit, her aura and energy is mesmerizing. Her presence commands the entire room. This is the same visionary who just led her team to an undefeated season and the program’s third national championship, a feat very few expected them to accomplish. This is the very trailblazer who is the highest paid Black coach in all of women’s basketball. This is the Dawn Staley, the dream merchant who has led not just a program, but the culture, into a new day where no one can deny what she’s done and no one can doubt that she is one of the greats. It’s written in the banners, in the stars, and on this very cover. She is in charge. The CEO of excellence. 

SLAM 250 featuring Dawn Staley is available now.

With her right hand man, Champ, prancing a few steps behind her, Staley exudes calm, cool and collected as she walks onto set. Biggie is blasting through the speakers in the background, serving as the perfect anthem for what we’re trying to capture: her aura, her energy and all that damn swaggggg. Not only is this Dawn’s first-ever solo SLAM cover, but it’s the first time ever that any coach has had their own cover for the magazine. Today is about capturing the legacy of someone who is way bigger than the box scores—but, if we are talkin’ hoops, a legacy that includes 38 straight wins this past season. The Gamecocks were out here destroying teams by upwards of 50, 60, nah, 80 points per game. 

As legendary photographer Diwang Valdez snaps away, Staley, who is now wearing the team’s 2024 National Champions tee, effortlessly poses in front of the camera. Just when you think the flicks couldn’t get any more fly, Dawn turns things up with another outfit change. This time she’s rocking a black blazer, tearaway joggers and, of course, a crisp Louis Vuitton tee. She goes from giving soft smiles and playful banter to transforming, as she leans back into the chair she’s now sitting in, crosses her legs and rests her elbow on a basketball. She stares into the lens, giving the same look that we’ve seen from her on the court. It’s deeply methodical, poetic even. Right now, Dawn means business. 

This is the face of someone who has personified strength, resilience and authenticity for decades. Here, she gives us a glimpse into her mind and her magic—a conversation that is as much about basketball as it is about how she sees people, her legacy, and—with true sincerity—herself. 

SLAM: You’ve mentioned in the past how you didn’t really have an interest in coaching, at least early on. Can you bring us back to when you were playing in the WNBA and coaching at Temple at the same time?

Dawn Staley: One of the most gratifying moments of my life was to be able to play and then be able to coach all at the same time. Because it played on both sides of my brain and the passion was on full display. If any of the younger players in the WNBA ever have the opportunity to do both, they would find that it’s so fulfilling. You’re able to get out the aggression of playing while also being a dream merchant for younger players and giving them an experience that you are actually living. A lot of coaches have to go back in time to that place when they were playing, but when you’re able to do it in real time, it is an automatic respect from your players because they know you’re doing the very thing that you’re asking them to do and to be disciplined at.

SLAM: You often refer to yourself not just as a coach but a “dream merchant.” Can you elaborate on what you mean?

DS: Anybody that is coaching this game, that’s what you are. I know we try to figure out our purpose in coaching, and it’s just that: being a dream merchant for young people. Helping young people find their passion [and] work towards that. It’s not always basketball—it’s not. For 90 percent of them, it’s not basketball. It is figuring out what you want to do, because I want people to work in their passion. It is a lot easier to work in your passion if that’s what you do on a daily basis. The real world really is taxing. It pulls you in a lot of different directions and if you’re not passionate about it, you are not going to give it your full effort. And maybe half of you is good enough in some instances, but for you as a person, your fulfillment is most important. 

So, what does a dream merchant do? That person guides, that person helps to navigate, that person is a listener [and] an observer. That person is someone that is trustworthy of not only the student-athlete but everybody that touches that student-athlete, because it’s not just a one-way street. All young people have people in their lives that impact them. I find that young people talk to their parents every single day…I think back to when I was their age, I probably talked to my mom or my dad maybe twice a month. And you know when that was? When the funds were low. But they talk to them every day, so I’m like, OK, well, I may have to change my style. I may have to pivot a little bit because I want to be the biggest voice in my players’ heads, and if it’s the parents that have access in that way, in talking to their daughters every day, [then] I gotta talk to the parents. 

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SLAM: Who were your mentors? And did any coaches inspire you?

DS: I really didn’t have coaching mentors. I’m more of a private person. I don’t like to show weakness, and that’s probably a downfall of mine, but it’s the very thing that keeps me going, because it has me working. It always has me preparing for the worst, and I don’t like to take my problems to anybody else. I will say I have people in my life that I bounce things off that [are not] as close to the game as probably some other coaches, and I like them to give me feedback from the outside looking in, because when it’s all said and done, I like to be covered. My mind works as a basketball coach most of the time, so I’m always looking for basketball things to teach lessons to our players because I believe that sometimes they learn better from that standpoint. 

And then, if I get advice from somebody that’s not in the basketball world, I can balance that and make sure that I’m giving our players what I see, as well as what somebody else may see that I’m not covering. 

SLAM: Has your approach to coaching changed at all over the years? Are there things that worked early in your career that may not work now and vice versa?

DS: We’re in an era where we have to pivot. What worked 24 years ago will not work today. I’ll say this: The core principles of who I am as a person and coach doesn’t change. [The] battles I fight? They change. Take for instance this year—my approach was entirely different than my approach in just the recent years. In recent years, we had a group of players that got it. They understood the assignment and what they needed to do and they executed on and off the court, so they gave us no issues. I was just able to be a basketball coach. 

This year, they were different. They were younger, their approach was different. They were lackluster, they didn’t really have a plan as individuals—they may have thought they had a plan. Their plan was just to play more. You can approach it that way, but it’s shallow, so you gotta put something behind it. We worked from a place that we hadn’t worked from in a long time, which was, Hit the ground running. We couldn’t [even do that] because they couldn’t run, they were outta shape. They came in just thinking, I wanna play. I sat for a long time. It’s my time. Well, their time, and who they thought was taking their time, [the] approach was a lot different. Zia, Aliyah, Brea [Beal], they all came in shape. Every time that we had to come back in the summer, so we could hit the ground running…It was more of creating better discipline and habits, because they hadn’t formed it to the degree of them being ready to rock and roll. So, I looked at it as a challenge, and once I looked at it [as that], I got more passionate behind it because I’m drawn to challenges. It was cool because they did teach me [that] there are a number of ways to be successful and a number of ways to approach things.

One of the battles that I did not fight that I normally fight: if everybody had the same sweatsuit on, and one person didn’t, I knew that they spoke to that person. I knew it. I could see it, I’m looking at [it] and it looks strange to me…I approached it as a mistake that had been handled. But that’s one of the things I didn’t fight, because I knew this team had a way of delivering the message that I would deliver. 

SLAM: As you mentioned, the start of the season was a little different for you. What do you attribute this year’s success to? 

DS: We’ve had the best team in the country prior to this year, I would say for years. The best team in the country and this one ended up being the best team in the country by way of default, so to speak. But it was a way that was formed by them and I will give them all the credit because they could’ve balked, they could’ve said, I should be starting—for a while, they could’ve said, I’m the It. I should be starting. 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. 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. And they kept holding each other accountable. Ashlyn [Watkins] found her superpower, and her superpower is on both sides of the basketball, but it was also leading. Her voice was prevalent in huddles, and it got to the point where they didn’t want to lose. It wasn’t even being undefeated, they just didn’t want to lose. It was nothing about winning each and every game, but in the moment of each game, they didn’t want to lose. So, they would listen to each other and they were very coachable, and then we just got momentum. We kept pushing through and then when we got to the Final Four, they were like, We gonna win this thing.

Before the national championship game, they were talking major cash ish. The coaches’ locker room is connected to the big locker room, and we don’t go in there [to] let them have their space. I’m too close to the situation, I don’t want to hear them, [but] they’re like, We’re going to kick their A, and I’m like, Lord, they don’t know what they don’t know. Either we’re going to get blown out, or we’re going to blow somebody out because they were talking. And I know they’re hyping themselves up, but as coaches, you know, we gotta go out there and face Caitlin [Clark] and them. Like, they got themselves here, they got momentum. 

As coaches, too, we would ask each other, You drinking the Kool-Aid? We would literally ask each other. So, for the most part we were like, Nah, we ain’t drinking it. Towards the end of the year, we asked, How about now? You drinking the Kool-Aid? I’m like, I’m sippin’. I ain’t taking a big gulp, but I’m sippin’. Because they’re putting it on display. I think, just overall as I reflect, it was a super cool journey and environment to be around them. They just played loose. I told this to a friend, I said, “They played free.”…So, I think that was really kind of cool for them to take us coaches down their journey. It’s usually, like, our journey—how we want to direct them and guide them. Nah. Nah, we got on their train and we rode their coattails. 

SLAM: Now that you’ve accomplished it all—going undefeated, winning your third chip—how does it feel?

DS: It feels great, like seriously. It’s unbelievable to me…[The] 2022 [team] looked the part. They looked the part, they played the part. They played just freer, but with pressure. And then this group was just unlike any of them. I don’t think anybody saw it coming. We didn’t see it coming, so that’s what I like about it. I’m sitting [here] and I’m happy…I want to share our story. I want to share the good, the bad, the ugly but also the likelihood of someone else doing what we did—I want to give them hope, because we didn’t look like a national championship team at the beginning of the season. We looked like most of the teams in the country, so we’re relatable to most of the teams. If we could do it, anybody could do it. 

SLAM: Your legacy reaches far beyond Xs and Os, wins and losses. We could go on and on, but what do you, Dawn Staley, want your legacy to be? 

DS: I want my legacy to be an “odds beater.” I am an odds beater. The odds said that I wouldn’t be an Olympian, I wouldn’t be the head coach of an Olympic team. To have coached 24 years in this game, I know that I don’t care about a personal legacy. I want to let my players talk about the legacy that they were able to feel every day from our coaching staff. I don’t have to say anything, they say it. Historically speaking, you don’t really hear my name as being a great coach, whether it’s X-ing and O-ing. I’m probably known to be a player’s coach, whatever that means. But to win three national championships, to not be an X and O coach and only be a player’s coach, I think we’re doing pretty good. If the X-ing and O-ing coaches aren’t winning national championships, I know they would probably flip it and be a player’s coach, if it produces national championships. I really don’t care about any of that, but what I do care about is our players, their experiences [and] their legacy, because the more of a legacy they have, it comes back. I just want to do right by our players. 

SLAM: You’ve seen women’s basketball skyrocket from a business standpoint, starting from your playing days to what it is today. What has it been like to see this transformation in real time?

DS: Women’s basketball is super cool, now. I would say now. It was super cool to me when I was growing up playing it and going to college because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Now that I know what I know about our game, one, we’ve been intentionally held back. I know that because it just doesn’t come out of nowhere. It seems like our game has just come out of nowhere and now everybody is falling in love with it, when we know different. We know that back when I was playing in ’88, in college, in ’89, people were watching. They would tune in. I know it because I know when I go to different places, I’m more known for playing at Virginia than anything. So, they were watching it. 

So, what happens between then and now? Decision makers are making some really good calls when it comes to our game…They know that women’s basketball is a mainstay. So, the biggest difference now is we are being treated like a real sport. The good, the bad and the ugly because in sports you have storylines, like a Caitlin Clark. In our game you have storylines of us being undefeated, winning a national championship. You’ve got Juju [Watkins], Hannah [Hidalgo], MiLaysia [Fulwiley], all of these storylines that are being played out now because the fans want more and more and more. And now, finally, and maybe, it’s the new negotiated TV deal that is allowing us to continue to grow. Maybe there’s somebody in the room that’s making sure that we have different people telling our stories. You got Elle Duncan, Chiney Ogwumike, Aliyah Boston, [Andraya] Carter, Carolyn Peck…I thought that whole crew broke basketball down like no other. Wasn’t biased, because we gotta get the bias out of our game. So, you saw what happens when it’s unbiased. It was absolutely beautiful.

SLAM: You don’t seem like the type to chase milestones or history, it just sort of finds its way to you. With that being said, is there anything that you have your eyes set on before you bow out of coaching?

DS: Selfishly, it’s just one thing that I wanted out of this game: I wanted to be a Hall of Famer. So, I went in [to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame] in 2013 as a player. Now, I do want to go in as a coach. 

Portraits by Diwang Valdez. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post The Excellence of Dawn Staley: South Carolina Head Coach Talks Championship, Being a ‘Dream Merchant’ and Growth of Women’s Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

He was in class that morning when the text came through. It was John Calipari: I’m coming to the game today. Knowing the guy who had just recruited him would be in the building, the Arkansas commit suddenly had even more motivation for that night’s game. “My family was there, my future head coach was there—and just for him to pop up like that was very special,” Fland says. “I just wanted to put on a show.” 

It all hit even harder at the gym that night. “I was tearing up before the game, and then once I saw they were honoring me for making the McDonald’s All American Team, the tears came running down,” he says. Once the game tipped, Fland immediately made clear that the emotion of the occasion wouldn’t derail him from performing at the level that has made him a top-20 recruit and arguably one of the top point guards in the 2024 class. The line: 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to lead his Archbishop Stepinac (NY) squad to a senior-night dub. 

His only slight disappointment afterward? “Man, I was trying to get 50,” Fland says. “I was locked in.”

It was a dominant but not at all surprising showing from Fland, the 6-3, 175-pound, Bronx-born guard who checks all the boxes for an elite floor general. Explosive and in-control, he dictates pace as a scorer and playmaker, a skill set made clear by the players whose games he works to emulate: everyone from LeBron and SGA to Ja Morant, Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley. That includes working to perfect one of the game’s most unstoppable shots.

“If you go on YouTube and search my name, you’ll see a step-back as the thumbnail. Just watch how many step-backs I do,” he says. “I’m so quick, they try to play the shot and the drive, and when I see that they’re playing the drive, it’s easy for me to snatch back and step back.”

The path that took Fland from the Bronx to White Plains (where Stepinac is located) and will see him in Lexington leading a typically loaded Wildcat recruiting class next winter has included plenty of stops that allowed him to show his skill set and sky-high potential. He’s been among the best hoopers at his age level since anyone can remember. “When I was in, I think, second grade, we were ranked top 25 in the country,” he says of his AAU squad. “Yeah, second grade, but it was something to us.”

A few years later, he led his AAU team to the national championship game, where he missed what could have been a game-winning shot. “That moment taught me that, you know, there’s going to be lows,” he says now. “I was so used to winning. That was an eye-opener for me. That taught me I gotta get better.”

The improvement really hasn’t stopped, as he’s shown time and again against elite competition. He was a member of the U17 US national team that took gold at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and was selected to join the stacked US roster for the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit. With that résumé, where can he still improve? “Before Coach Cal left on senior night, he said I need to talk more, be more vocal—it helps everybody on the floor, and it helps me.”

That shouldn’t be too difficult. Fland brings the same energy to every court he steps on, with his Bronx roots always on display. 

“New York is different. When people say that, it definitely is true,” he confirm emphatically. “You gotta have some swagger to you. You can’t be stiff. When you walk in the gym, they gotta know, Oh, he’s from New York.”  

Portrait by Marcus Stevens.

The post Stepinac’s Boogie Fland is Ready to Put on a Show at Arkansas appeared first on SLAM.

30 YEARS OF SLAM fully chronicles our history in 256 beautiful pages and includes a forward written by Allen Iverson.

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“I was just out there having fun, I didn’t really care about talent. We just wanted to play to have fun,” Edgecombe says.

But talent is something the now-18-year-old has always possessed. It was just a matter of time before those outside of the islands came to know his name. After going toe to toe with juniors and seniors as a 13-year-old at Buddy Hield’s basketball camp in the Bahamas, V.J. decided to capitalize on his powers and potential by heading to the States to chase his dual dream: make the NBA and support his family.

The transition was smooth, Edgecombe says, but the reality of spending your teenage years in an entirely new country hasn’t been without its challenges. “I know it’s all for the best,” he says, “so I can sacrifice that for sure.” 

Ahead of his freshman year, V.J. headed to Florida, where he was initially unable to hoop due to the pandemic. His sophomore campaign was spent on the local AAU circuit with the South Florida Kings before he caught the attention of the Southeast Elite squad in the adidas 3SSB circuit.

“I was playing with a sprained wrist so I couldn’t shoot or anything. [I was] just on the court to play defense, go to the rim and make plays,” V.J. says of the summer going into his junior year. “I left those last two sessions with no offers. I was just hooping. I was just having fun, that’s all that mattered to me.”

Despite not being able to demolish defenses with a barrage of pull-up jumpers and spot-up threes, Edgecombe’s dominance quickly garnered traction at the grassroots level. Chase-down blocks and help-side pins off the backboard were a constant occurrence, alongside emphatic tomahawk dunks.

Imbued with lessons of determination grit and from his childhood in the Bahamas, V.J. brought an unrelenting hunger to Long Island (NY) Lutheran the following season. In his junior year, he exploded with the sheer force of a supernova.

“I came to America to play basketball, knowing I’ve got to feed my family and all of that. That’s definitely helped me and the person that I am right now. Just work harder than everybody else,” Edgecombe says. “I don’t want to be in that [percentage] that don’t make it out. I want to be in the part that makes it out and sets the standard high and sets a path for all the younger kids behind me.”

In his first year playing against the nation’s top prospects in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), a new league for elite prep teams, Edgecombe earned Gatorade New York State Player of the Year honors while also securing the League’s Player of the Year and scoring titles by pouring in 17.3 ppg. The offers started flooding in. In mid-January, Edgecombe announced his collegiate decision, becoming Baylor’s highest-ranked commit in over a decade.

Edgecombe has cemented himself as one of the most physically imposing players in his class. The athleticism is just unfair. And that J is smoother than the threads of his LuHi uniform. Trust that we’ve put you on game, because the Bimini native is holistically locked in to the next chapter of his journey.

“I feel like it’s going to separate me, to be honest,” V.J. says of his defense. “You have a bunch of prolific scorers in the country. I’m gonna be honest—everyone can score. I just need to do something that’s going to set me apart from everyone else. I’m not trying to be the same, I’m trying to be different.”  

Portraits by Erick Sasso.

The post Baylor Commit V.J. Edgecombe Left the Bahamas as a Teen. Now, His NBA Dreams are Within Reach appeared first on SLAM.

Sarah. Joyce. Kate. Kiyomi. Jaloni.

VJ. Cooper. Isaiah. Dylan. Tre.

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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.

Even when he turns his camera off, and despite being in the middle of a vacation, you can hear the passion in Noah’s voice when he begins to excitedly talk about the different community initiatives he’s currently working on, whether in Chicago or in Africa. It’s been years since he’s hooped on an NBA court, but the enthusiasm the former NBA All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year was always known for remains intact.

SLAM: Are there any new passions or hobbies that you’ve found during retirement that maybe you did not discover during your playing years, or just didn’t have the time to dedicate to while in the NBA?

Joakim Noah: Well, I’m not gonna lie to you, I’m on the top of a mountain right now overlooking—I’m on a ski slope right now. I just did three hours of skiing with my kids. My nephew just came for the first time from Maui. It’s his first time seeing snow. When you’re playing basketball in the NBA, you’re not allowed to do things like [skiing]. You don’t want to put yourself in a position to get hurt. So, I’ve been picking up skiing, that’s a good one. And just being able to travel and take time and not being rushed into getting back in playing shape. It’s a different kind of training. [Now] you train for health. Training for health and training for championships are two completely different things. I think that my nervous system appreciates it.

SLAM: Where’s your skiing skill level?

JN: Skill level, I would say I’m not comfortable going down heavy duty stuff. I’m not going down any black slopes. Or even blue slopes. I’m very comfortable staying in the green. You know, that’s seven feet, 260 pounds going down the slope. That’s a different animal.

SLAM: What new business endeavors have you been getting into?

JN: Being able to be an investor in the NBA Africa league, the BAL, has been a real blessing, because I’ve been able to travel all around the continent and just really learn from the best in the business with [President of the Basketball Africa League] Amadou Gallo Fall and [NBA Deputy Commissioner] Mark Tatum. You know, taking a leadership role in NBA Africa, and just really starting from scratch on the continent, and just watching this league flourish. We just came back from South Africa. It was packed, it’s a different energy. And we’re just getting started on something that I’m really excited about.

SLAM: What is your ultimate goal with the BAL? Where do you see it in 10 years?

JN: My ultimate goal is when you see African kids, like, doing a tween-tween hesi, then you know that we did something right. You haven’t really seen the African kids do the hesi-hesi yet, and that’s coming!

SLAM: It sounds like there’s a lot of untapped basketball potential in Africa, plus also a business model structure to enable the league to flourish.

JN: There’s definitely a business model structure. But the continent is 54 different countries and the fastest growing youth population in the world. So, the math adds up. But it’s also understanding that when you’re playing in systems in America, you get to play in a beautiful gym, you have your school’s high school rival, you have your little girlfriend that’s coming to watch you play, mom and dad are coming to watch you play. Like, these are all things that places around the world don’t have. So, the problem with Africa is the lack of—this isn’t a sport that’s part of African culture. So, it’s really starting from scratch. And understanding that the issues are lack of infrastructure and lack of basketball education, even when it comes to refereeing, when it comes to coaching.

A lot of people are putting in the time and making long trips and teaching, [running] basketball and coaching clinics, clinics for the referees. Just to see how far the growth has come in the last five years is just astounding, but we still have a lot of work to do.

SLAM: How did you end up connecting with the BAL?

JN: I think, for me, it was having a relationship with the president of the BAL, Amadou Gallo Fall, who was a dear friend of mine throughout my career. Even though he was the guy who was a scout for the Dallas Mavericks, [and] I never played with the Mavericks, [he] was just somebody that I always connected with. And I think that that’s something that I realize now that I’m done playing. You realize that when basketball is over with, all you have in the end is just your relationships and your memories. So, I think that’s just important to sometimes [remember], there’s so much money involved, and it’s so easy to get caught up in the business. Just make sure that you go out on your terms, and that you make solid, solid relationships and solid bonds.

SLAM: Are there some non-basketball endeavors that you’re into that you might want to put on people’s radars?

JN: I think that most of the work that I’m doing right now is basketball-oriented. The other endeavor that I’m really excited about is this One City Basketball League that we created in Chicago. We’re working with 28 violence prevention groups all around the city and having at-risk youth playing basketball against each other, getting state funding and being able to build a basketball league that’s much bigger than basketball. We have financial literacy courses, job education, job training, and all this. Things are moving fast. I’m really excited with the development of our One City Basketball League. We’re doing special things. We’re really hoping to be able to grow it in other cities, and hopefully other guys around the League get inspired and want to do things in their neighborhoods. I really feel like the future of this league can be a national program. I think that’s very important in our communities in America.

SLAM: You mentioned fatherhood earlier. How has fatherhood changed you as a person after retirement? What is Joakim Noah, the father, like these days and what have you learned from your kids?

JN: It’s teaching me that it’s not about me, ever, especially when the kids are around you. When you’re playing, sometimes you feel like it’s about you, and the lights are on you. But my kids, I can be watching my favorite show on TV, and they’ll turn that right off [and] put on Moana. They don’t care.

SLAM: What do you think about the current state of basketball? What are some trends or things you like about the game today? And what are some things that you feel could be improved upon?

JN: Well, I think that the game is definitely more skilled. I think one through 15, even the guys who are just coming into the game, are just so good at basketball. I think that, obviously, the spacing is different. A lot of people are putting an emphasis on [saying that] there’s no defense and stuff like that, but I don’t think it’s the players’ fault. I think it’s just the way that the game is ref’d, the way that the game is, it’s completely different. They’re not letting you have any contact with guys. The game is a lot softer because that’s just the way the game is called. It’s just less physical. And I think it’s just putting a lot of pressure on the defense when you can’t use your hands, these are all things that were part of the game even 10 years ago that they’re not letting guys do anymore. So, I don’t think it’s a question of guys not wanting to play defense. I think it’s just the way it is officiated.

SLAM: Is there one thing you didn’t get a chance to do or try, or maybe you just were
apprehensive about, during your playing days that you look back on now and regret not doing?

JN: I think that my mind would say that I wish that I had developed a three-point shot. I think that would have definitely helped. But, you know, at the time, I was a rolling big—you set screens and you roll, and that was my role. That’s just the way the game was played. And what I tell the young guys all the time is, it’s about being as effective as possible and trying to affect winning. And when your mindset is trying to score points for yourself, I think that takes away from the ultimate goal, which is to win the ball game. I don’t really talk about Xs and Os too much, I don’t talk about technique, because that was never my strength. My strength was always being as available as possible for my teammates and being a good teammate, and doing whatever it takes to help win a basketball game.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Former All-Star Joakim Noah Talks NBA Africa, Community Initiatives in Chicago and Fatherhood appeared first on SLAM.

A first-generation Canadian whose parents migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up around hoops ever since he could remember.

“Filipinos in general, we love basketball. That’s what I was exposed to very young. I got okay at playing. I played in the OBA—it’s almost like AAU but a Canadian version. I played for an organization called the Scarborough Blues, which made a lot of basketball players that play in the NBA right now—whether it be Corey Joseph, Kellly Olynyk.” Niko says. “My dad played college ball in the Phillipines and then when he came in the ‘70s to Toronto, he kind of found his love again for the game in these small adult leagues. He would bring me with him and that’s kind of how I fell in love with the game.” 

Eventually, the Toronto Raptors arrived to town, and Niko says he still recalls attending the franchise’s first ever youth camp. Like with most hoopers, though, he eventually came to the realization that it wouldn’t be something he’d pursue professionally. As fate would have it, it was the music industry he’d enter, helping his close friend Drake became a global icon. 

Nonetheless, Niko still found ways to keep himself around the game. He launched OVO Bounce, a local summer pro-am tournament that drew NBA stars from across the border. OVO Bounce blew up and became a summer hoops staple. For Niko, though, this was only the beginning of his journey with the sport. 

As his name and reputation grew—known for being Drake’s right-hand man since Day 1 as co-founder of OVO and for helping push hoops in Canada via his OVO Bounce tourney—he says he was eventually approached by the Canadian Elite Basketball League post-pandemic about helping establish a new professional team in Toronto. 

His initial response was that he’d only be interested if the team would be based in his hometown of Scarborough instead. As expected, his response raised some eyebrows at first but the league ultimately agreed and the Scarborough Shooting Stars were soon born, with Niko serving as co-owner.  

“I gotta shout out the commissioner, Mike Morreale, because initially when I brough that up, everyone was just like, Why? Why are we doing Scarborough? Scarborough is a small suburb, and they wanted obviously a Toronto team because it’s a bigger market and to capitalize off that. But my heart wouldn’t be in it if the team wasn’t in Scarborough. I’m passionate in what raised me… [Marreale] was like, there’s this guy that’s just as passionate about Scarborough as you are. I’m like, Yeah? Who is it? And that’s how I met Sam [Ibrahim]—he’s one of our partners that contributes greatly to this organization.” 

The Shooting Stars essentially serve two purposes: a culture of community and culture of winning. While the Raptors have become a global brand, and do in fact stay active in the community, their demanding schedules and off court obligations in many ways limit how accessible players can be to the community. That’s where the Shooting Stars come in. Niko says the goal has been to host some type of community event every week during the season—whether it be camps, clinics, or meet-and-greets. And that doesn’t just apply to the players, he’s applied that same responsibility of accessibility to himself as well.     

“When we made this team, I wanted to make it about the youth. For the kid that couldn’t afford tickets to the Raptors. I didn’t ever go to a Raptors game until I was probably 18 years old. The Shooting Stars is one of those things where it’s accessible,” he says. “Let’s reach out to all the youth basketball programs and high schools, and give them tickets. Doing camps and having them meet the players and meeting me. And going through a full day of what it’s like to be a professional basketball player. Just trying to find a way to inspire kids… I’m just trying to stay as connected as a I can with them and be personable with them. We’re not unreachable. I want Scarborough Shooting Stars to not be unreachable. You can reach out, you can shake hands. Us being a community team, we can do that.” 

The CEBL, which launched in 2019, is comprised of 10 teams across Canada that play about 20 regular season games and a single-game elimination playoff structure, where after the quarterfinals being played at home, the semis and title games are played at a rotating neutral site (last year was in Vancouver, this year will be in Montreal) during a championship weekend. The league, which goes from May to August, has unique rules that aim to prioritize local Canadian talent. For example, only 4 imports are allowed on each team—3 of them being Americans and the other being an international player from anywhere else. The rest of the roster is all Canadian hoopers. The league also requires for two Canadians on each team to be on the court at all times. If a team doesn’t follow that rule, it’s an automatic technical foul.    

The way the season is structured does bring some challenges, of course. The roster is made up of guys that play professionally in the EuroLeague and other top divisions across the globe, as well as NBA G League and Sumer League regulars. Some of the players on the roster in previous years included Jalen Harris, Isaiah Mike, Cam Chatman, Kasssius Robertson, Kyle Alexander, Cat Barber, Kalif Young…and Grammy-winner J. Cole. 

But with high-level talent comes obstacles. Some of the players arrive late if their season overseas goes deep into the playoffs, some have to leave early if their respective overseas teams start early, and some have even gotten invited to NBA Summer League in the middle of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his staff have to constantly navigate through with precision, forecasting which players they might lose or start without and coming up with contingency plans. To Niko, navigating through the roster shuffles just means that his guys are experiencing upward mobility in their careers and that the Shooter Stars are playing a role in their development.  

On the court, though, those challenges haven’t affected the team’s success at all. In just two years of existence, the team made it to the championship game in their first year and won it all last year. The early success is of no surprise to Niko, whose ultra-competitive nature helped establish an expectation of claiming the top spot from the very beginning. He knew that the team would automatically have much more eyeballs and pressure on them (and naturally haters, too) than any other team in the league due to their affiliation with OVO and Drake. 

Whether being in the studio with The Boy, or on tour across the globe, or in business meetings talking strategy around the most-streamed male artist ever, it all prepared Niko for this very moment. 

“I learned from Drake a lot in terms of, he’s involved in everything of his creation—whether it’s concepts for his music videos, the beat production, writing, hooks, whatever the case may be, he’s involved in everything. And that’s what I did with this. On a regular day, I’m going to training camp, I’m watching film with the guys, I’m going to coaches’ meetings—I’m just learning and soaking it all in, and contributing with anything I can,” he says. “I just wanted to win or lose at my own merit, and I didn’t it want for it to be a thing where it didn’t work out but I was right. So, I wanted to be as involved as possible, so if I lost, it was on my own merit.” 

“The expectations are high. We’re repping a big city. We’re repping the east side of Toronto We’re repping OVO. We’re repping Drake. There’s a lot at stake here. I think that’s something I don’t take lightly. I want to be competitive here. I learned a lot from Drake, you can’t settle, you can’t be content. We cannot not have a successful season. We have to continue to find ways to stay on top somehow.”  

Beyond the wins and losses, the Xs and Os, and the championships, Niko’s story is a very relatable to the natural human experience. One that ultimately revolves around finding your true purpose and calling in life, living out your passion not just yourself but also ideally while pulling up those around you. It’s been quite the full circle moment for the Scarborough native. 

“Growing up, I wanted to be the starting point guard for the Raptors. But, obviously, being Filipino, I didn’t really grow much,” Niko says with a laugh. “I didn’t really know what [else] I wanted to be. I went to college for one year before Drake kind of snatched me and brought me on the road. I went to college to be a social worker. So, I always wanted to inspire and help the youth, troubled kids. I don’t want to say I was a troubled kid, but I wandered. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I always felt stuck. I never thought I could be a sports team owner, working in sports professionally. Now, I just want to inspire those that look like me.  

“It was tough, in terms of that feeling of being stuck—it’s a scary thing. That feeling of helplessness. Like, what’s next? Waking up every morning and being, like, Yo, what’s next? What am I going to do? Like, I don’t know what I’m going to do. There’s life after that. As long as you keep at it, good things will happen for you.”           

Photo credit: PlaceNEW.

The post Niko Carino, aka OVO Niko, Has Emerged Into a Successful Pro Team Owner After Transitioning From the Music Industry             appeared first on SLAM.

Jimmy Butler is everywhere these days.

There he is at the US Open, serving as an honorary ball boy for an exhibition match between Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe. There he is in the new music video for Fall Out Boy’s “So Much (For) Stardust,” sporting his now-legendary “Emo Jimmy” look. There he is in ads for Hulu, Alo, State Farm and Hotels.com. There he is sampling products for BIGFACE, his budding coffee brand, and at the first-ever Reserve Cup, a padel competition that he helped bring to Miami. There he is at the Kaseya Center, soaring for lobs and knocking down threes.

And here he is at ZZ’s Club Miami, singing and dancing along to Lloyd’s “You,” breathing energy into the club’s swanky sports bar. He is, after all, five cups of coffee in, and it’s just 2:30 p.m. (he drinks 10-12 cups a day, by the way). A wide-ranging playlist booms through a handheld speaker—everything from “Let Me Love You” by Mario to “Jamming” by Bob Marley & the Wailers to “Loop Hole” by Tee Grizzley featuring 21 Savage. In between posing for photos, the Heat star snacks on sushi and sips an old fashioned.

Welcome to Jimmy Butler’s SLAM cover shoot, and welcome, more broadly, to his ever-growing universe, where you’re invited—err, encouraged—to be your authentic self at all times. To follow whatever passions you may have.

SLAM 249 featuring Jimmy Butler is available now. Shop here.

Butler is a man of many interests: coffee, wine, country music, tennis, padel, soccer (which he calls football), dominoes, spades, UNO, traveling—the list goes on. He is always up to something, always surrounded by family and friends. His house in Miami doesn’t even have TVs. Instead of binge-watching shows, Butler does things like chase tennis balls around Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, NY, because, well, it’s fun and he felt like doing it. He is currently working on his own country album; right now, it features 62 songs (!) and Butler, who has played a DJ Khaled-like role, is debating whether to hop on one.

“He loves to get into a whole bunch of stuff that you wouldn’t think he would enjoy doing,” says Butler’s teammate Caleb Martin. “He’s just super active, man, whether he’s doing something on an off day or meeting up with certain types of artists or playing dominoes or going to tennis matches. He’s definitely a dude full of surprises.”

Surprises like…starring in that aforementioned Fall Out Boy video in an all-purple cowboy outfit. 

“Anything to shake up anything on the internet and continually be myself, be happy and love my life and what I’m doing, I’m down,” Butler says. The video was shot over All-Star break and it dropped less than two weeks later. And yes, it shook up the internet.

Butler strikes a difficult balance: he doesn’t take life too seriously, but he is also extremely competitive. He cracks jokes, but often leaves people wondering…was that really a joke? 

“Don’t be fooled because you see me on TV or a commercial or a billboard, I do a lot of the same stuff y’all do,” he says, before adding with a grin, “I’m probably just better at it than all y’all…but I can’t help that.”

The truth (and irony) is, Butler engages in many extracurricular activities, such as tennis and songwriting, “to humble” himself. He wants to experience firsthand the challenges of other professions. Of course, he is also certain that if he keeps working at something, he will excel at it. He has a burning desire to be the best at everything he does. 

To win at everything he does. 

Take spades, for example. The Heat like to play on the team plane during long road trips. “When I say he does not lose, he does not lose,” forward Jamal Cain says. “Me and Haywood Highsmith beat him once and he was kind of shitty after that. I kind of saw it in his face. He’s very competitive. He does not like to lose.”

Or take dominoes, which might be the game Jimmy is best at (including the one he’s famous for). “He’s a top-five, top-10 dominoes player in the world,” claims Chris Brickley, Butler’s trainer. “I know this because he and [Colombian singer] J Balvin have flown in the top dominoes players in the world, like, world champions. And he’s beat them.”

“That’s some Jimmy shit,” Martin remarks with a laugh. He and his twin brother, Cody, are a rare duo that have actually beat Jimmy in dominoes. “And we ain’t played since,” Martin says. “On and off the court, he doesn’t like to lose. He’s ducking me, for sure. Ever since we played him, he tells me and my brother, ‘Y’all are The Funky Brothers.’ Me and Cody play funky, so it messes him up.”

Butler brings that same competitive mindset to his brand, BIGFACE, which he is very dedicated to building. Along with the BIGFACE team, he has visited Colombia and Ecuador on a quest to find the best coffee. He is even trying to master latte art and how to make the perfect cappuccino. 

“People can see this on the court as well—his dedication to something and to knowing everything there is to know about it translates from basketball to coffee,” says Britt Berg, Chief Operating Officer at BIGFACE. She and Butler text about coffee almost every day. 

BIGFACE is set to open its first brick-and-mortar shop in Miami later this year, a milestone that Jimmy is eagerly awaiting. “When I’m not practicing, when I’m not with my kids, when I’m not in a game, I can tell you where I’m gonna be, and that’s in this coffee shop, meeting all the fans of myself and of coffee,” he says. “Because I do love coffee, I do want to bring the best coffee to Miami. I don’t think there’s a spot like that here yet, and I want the first BIGFACE café to be that, so that’s where I’m gonna be. And we need that. Miami needs that…along with a championship!”

Ah, yes. We should probably talk a bit about basketball. It’s mid-March when we shoot this cover—or, as Butler calls it, “that time.”

Allow him to elaborate: “It’s the time where people really gotta think about going up against the Miami Heat and myself. I know what I’m capable of. I know what my squad is capable of. And don’t nobody want to see us in a seven-game series anyways. We know that.”

We do.

Miami finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-36 record. But, then again, the Heat entered last year’s playoffs as the No. 8 seed before going on an epic run to the Finals. In 2019-20, the League’s bubble season, Miami reached the Finals as the No. 5 seed.

“Nobody can tell you anything right now,” Jimmy says. “There are three things that you gotta have in order to win a championship: you’ve gotta be playing your best basketball at the right time, you gotta be healthy, and you gotta be lucky. That’s just the way that it is. So can’t nobody tell right now who’s going to have all three of those things.”

Butler quietly had another stellar year, posting 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and shooting a career-high 41.4 percent from behind the arc. Don’t expect him to be launching more threes in the postseason, though. “I just don’t like shooting threes because I want to run into you,” he says. “I want to hit somebody. You can’t hit nobody if you shoot threes. I want to see who’s going to quit first. I’m gonna keep running in there, I’m gonna hit you, and I’m gonna hit you again, and I’m gonna hit you again, and we’re gonna see who’s gonna quit.”

That sounds like something the fabled and fearless “Playoff Jimmy” would say, doesn’t it? Only thing is, Butler continues to deny that Playoff Jimmy exists. 

“That’s not a thing for the hundredth time,” he insists. “Playoff Jimmy is not a thing. Emo Jimmy, thing. Football Jimmy, thing. Tennis Jimmy, thing. Daddy Jimmy, thing. Zaddy Jimmy, thing. But Playoff Jimmy, not so much.”

OK, fair enough. But worth noting: over a four-season stretch, Butler has led Miami to the Eastern Conference Finals three times and to the Finals twice, averaging 24.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals through 64 playoff games. During the 2020 Finals, he registered two triple-doubles, including just the third 40-point triple-double in Finals history. In Game 6 of the 2022 ECF, he hung 47 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals on the Celtics to force a Game 7 (one of four 40-plus-point performances he had that postseason). He set a franchise playoff record with 56 points in Game 4 of last season’s first-round series against the top-seeded Bucks, then followed it up with 42 points in Game 5 as his team pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever. 

Butler will admit that things “ramp up a notch” this time of year. Amid the last few weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs, he and Brickley start working out the night before every single game. They study the defense Miami is about to face and try to replicate the exact situations Butler will find himself in. What spots on the floor will be open? What shots will be available? What switches might occur? Butler’s basketball IQ is “probably the highest IQ out of any player I’ve worked with,” says Brickley.

Martin, who has been with the Heat since 2021, notices a “mental shift” in Jimmy as the playoffs loom. “I think him having the experience of going through this phase so many times, he knows how to time stuff up with his body, and then [there’s] the mental part of it, too, him just being so steady mentally,” Martin explains. “He’s very strategic. He knows when it’s time to ramp up. He knows what games probably hurt more than others or whatever the case is. Everything he does, he thinks about.”

The added reps in the gym help, as does Butler’s very calculated approach. But if there’s one reason to believe Playoff Jimmy is real, and that other teams should fear his impending arrival, it’s this: Jimmy Butler is fully confident in who he is and what he’s capable of. There’s a comfort in that, a peace. Any feelings of self-doubt and pressure are gone. He doesn’t care one bit what others think about him—what others predict he and his team will or won’t do.

That type of confidence has a way of rubbing off on the people around him: friends, colleagues, teammates. 

“When you have a leader like that, it gives you a sense of confidence in your abilities and what you’re doing,” says Berg.

“The first thing I noticed with Jimmy, he’s very comfortable being in his skin. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him,” Cain adds. “Seeing how he carried himself and how confident and comfortable he was in his skin only made me more comfortable being who I am.”

Cain remembers one game day when he and other members of the Heat huddled up to pray before taking the court, as was their ritual, and requested that Jimmy turn down the music he was blasting. “Y’all need to be praying to me!” Butler responded. “He said it in a joking manner, but just the fact that that was the first thing on his mind, I was like, Wow, this is Jimmy in a nutshell,” Cain recalls with a chuckle.

It’s no coincidence that Butler describes the Heat as being “overly confident in a good way.” In large part, that identity stems from him. Despite the ups and downs of the regular season, Butler has no doubt that his team has what it takes to make another deep playoff run. 

Why? 

“We just have a different way of going about things,” he says. “Our coaching staff cares and they’re constantly studying how we can make everybody on our roster stick to their strong suits and stay away from the weak points of their games. Ownership cares—they’re at every practice, they’re on the plane. We’re talking to one another. We really fuck with one another, which is a good thing. And, um…” 

He pauses for a moment and flashes a sly smile. 

“I’m on the team. So, I’m taking my chances every time.” 

Portraits by Alex Subers

The post The Undeniable Realness of Jimmy Butler: Heat Star Talks Leadership, Staying True and the Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

These guys are friends. 

Sounds obvious, right? For sure. Easy to acknowledge it sounds obvious. But SLAM is celebrating its 30th anniversary. We’ve been around NBA players for a while now. We’ve seen that a ton of them are colleagues, not friends. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. These guys spend months on the road together. Their team responsibilities pull them away from their families. So most players keep it cordial with each other, but in the same way that you leave your work environment, they do, too. 

We’re not here to burst any bubbles. You should still believe in Santa Claus. Hell, hopefully one day the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot finally emerge. But we regret to inform you that most NBA players don’t kick it with each other outside of practice, even if they make it seem so when they’re in public. 

That’s why the genuine laughter of this trio, all three of them former Villanova Wildcats, was a much welcomed surprise. They seem to be friends off the court. There’s a ton of history between them, which we will get into. But you just never know what’s for the internet and what’s for real. 

SLAM 249 featuring the Knicks is available now. Get your copy here.

Josh pulled up first. He was early. He and one of his agency reps sat in the corner of the gym, with windows displaying the amazing manicured lawns outside the gym. It was the first day of March and the sun was reminding us it existed after a long winter. Finely-kept evergreen trees couldn’t block the natural light, so Josh, with his perfect braids and fresh white Ralphie tee, was illuminated. 

He deserves some of the spotlight. He’s the one who does the dirty work for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. Deflections, switches, backside call-outs all fall under his list of responsibilities. He also plays a lot of minutes. Like, a lot. As we go to press, he’s averaging 41 minutes a game over his last 22 contests. He even played the entire 48 against the Golden State Warriors on March 18. Hart’s role increased when the Knicks suffered injuries to two of their best players; he was called on to essentially be a 6-4 power forward. He has to get bruised up down low, fly around on rotations, jet back down to the paint and then grab rebounds. Over that same 22-game stretch, he pulled down an average of 11.3 boards a contest, way up from his career average of 6.5. Recently, his rebounding numbers have been major. In a stretch from late February to mid-March, he’s had one game of 18 rebounds and two with 19. And to make those two 19-board moments even more impressive, they were both part of triple-double performances. Triple-doubles are portraits of desire and technique—they require reading the game on a serious level. Hart has had five triple-doubles in his seven-year career. They’ve all happened in this current season. 

Hart’s a serious competitor on the court, which, according to Brunson, is the only time he’s ever serious at all. The two were roommates at Villanova and know each other very, very well. For example, Hart knows that Brunson’s favorite childhood player was Steve Nash. Brunson can counter that knowledge by adding that Mike and Ike is Hart’s favorite candy. Brunson, who was named an All-Star this season, says plainly that besides being about his business in basketball, Hart loves to joke around. There’s no arguing from Hart. In fact, Brunson and Hart only communicate in one way throughout the entire shoot.  

Brunson and DiVincenzo arrived together at the gym in Connecticut. It was starting to get dark when they walked in. No more individual spotlight on Hart. Instead, the three of them were the center of attention. Right from the jump, Brunson and Hart speak to each other through veiled inside jokes and outright insults. Sly smiles followed everything they said. Whenever Hart did or said something ridiculous, Brunson would look around helplessly, praying somebody else noticed the insanity. DiVincenzo, the youngest of the trio, consistently cracked up with laughter no matter what. 

DiVincenzo has had a winding road since making it to the League in 2018. The Bucks picked him 17th overall, but he didn’t get a ton of burn in that first season. To go from the height of winning the 2018 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player to only appearing in 27 games (a nagging heel injury can be blamed, too) is a fall off that would take the heart of most. That speed bump, however, gave us the first look at DiVincenzo’s resiliency. He came back the next season, played 66 games and averaged 9.2 ppg. The following season, he started every game he appeared in and upped his points average yet again. He would have been a huge part of the Bucks’ NBA Finals-winning group if not for an ankle injury that needed to be surgically repaired. 

Still, he has a ring. 

The Bucks traded him to the Kings in February ’22, where he suited up in only 25 games for then-coach Alvin Gentry. His next stop, the Warriors, reminded the NBA of how he plays when healthy. More resiliency. After fighting back from injury, he showed that he can run the 1 or play the 2. The Dubs had him dishing the ball to their Hall of Fame shooting duo. They had him filling the slots on cuts. He was one of the very few guards in the NBA allowed to crash the offensive glass (in this age of otherworldly athleticism and aerial acrobats, most teams prefer to send guys back for transition defense). When given the opportunity, he showed the ability to create his own shot off the bounce. 

He’s doing all of that now for the Knicks. This season, his three ball goes down nearly 40 percent of the time, above the League average. He has four games of more than 30 points this year, too. He had never had a 30-point game in his NBA career before this season. In his last 21 games, he’s going for 20.8 per. Big jump. Big, big jump. 

As most basketball players know, being on the same team as your friends usually increases production. There’s a foundational layer of trust that underlies everything when hooping with the bros. A portion of the stresses that come from playing with strangers get replaced by the fun of running around with your boys. Taking crazy shots or throwing stupid passes are usually followed by choice words from teammates. But sometimes those bad shots or wild passes result in strokes of genius. Genius is more likely to happen with brothers than it is with strangers, when people trust in those choices, when you really know the guy who has something to say after those shots and passes. And defensively, that trust shows up in the form of big rotational swings—a gamble in the passing lane getting covered by that dude who really enjoys Mike and Ike. 

Playing alongside friends is a treat. Winning alongside friends is a special privilege from the basketball heavens. 

These guys won together on the biggest collegiate stage. 

Hart was a junior by the time DiVincenzo and Brunson got to Nova. Though DiVincenzo didn’t play much in that 2015-16 season, Hart and Brunson were two of the Wildcats’ leaders. Along with Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono, they guided the Wildcats to the 2016 national championship. They conquered close games, raced back from big deficits and survived the gauntlet together. Together is the key here. 

It’s a fact that the bonds we as humans form get deepened by stressful environments and heightened situations. When you’re 18-21 years old and the entire nation is watching your every step, giving you all their opinions, placing their hopes on your shoulders, that’s a stressful environment and a heightened situation. 

Then when Hart was playing for the Lakers in 2018, Brunson and DiVincenzo won the natty again. More stressful environments and heightened situations. 

So, of course these guys are actually friends. Their bond began in college, where young minds are shaped and formed without nationally-televised basketball games. Add in the games on TV, the thousands of screaming fans, the legacy of a Hall of Fame coach and that would’ve made for a deeper bond together. Now fast forward a few years and add the layer of Madison Square Garden, the generations-deep Knicks fandom and the pressure of possibly playing in May or June…that’s a lifelong bond. 

The three of them hit the bathroom together to change into their uniforms at our shoot. When they come back to the gym, Brunson’s no longer wearing DiVincenzo’s jersey. But they’re all still laughing. And they continue laughing. Hart is the ringleader. Brunson is the seemingly-innocent-but-actually- devilish instigator. And DiVincenzo uncontrollably laughs at it all. 

None of this happens without Brunson, by the way. He’s the All-Star, he’s the Knicks’ best player. He’s their floor general. He’s their clutch scorer. He’s the heartbeat of the Garden. All the numbers point to this being his best season yet. Those numbers actually become redundant because they all make it clear that he’s an elite player. One number, however, sums it up. Five. 

He’s fifth in the NBA in scoring, as of this writing. 

Nobody thought that the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 Draft would one day lead the Knicks’ franchise revival, be an All-Star or be near the top of the League in scoring. But the game is easy when playing with friends. 

Especially with friends who love to compete. All three of these guys are physical. They hustle hard. Hart hits the glass, DiVincenzo recovers from injury after injury and Brunson goes down into the land of trees despite his height. They relish the big moments. They love the challenge. It’s obvious they love playing together because they play together. 

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke about them after a big road win over the Golden State Warriors in March.

“Josh’s role expanded,” Thibs said at his postgame press conference. “Donte’s role expanded. And Jalen just keeps rolling. It’s a team, and that’s what we prioritize. We want guys to sacrifice and put the team first, but there has to be that belief. I think when your best players have that belief, then your entire team ends up having that belief.”

Even when they’re making fun of each other and laughing at each other, they do it together. After about an hour in front of our cameras in that Connecticut gym, they leave, together. 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

“Swagger” may be an overused term, but there isn’t a more perfect way to describe the style of play that encapsulated the 2018-19 Murray State Racers. Mid-major program? Who gave a damn. 

Led by head honcho Matt McMahon, the leaders of the Ohio Valley Conference sent a message to America with every dub: “we’ll see y’all in March.” 

A big reason why was because of a tatted standout with freeform dreads, a taper fade and had an unrelenting athletic ability. Ja Morant was simply “The One” down in Calloway County. As a sophomore, he had one of the greatest individual seasons in program history. But it was the national stage where Morant’s legend grew. 

He was the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists in the modern era, dropping 24.5 points and 10 dimes a night. He racked up the sixth-most assists in NCAA history for a single season. He recorded the ninth-ever triple-double in NCAA Tournament history. He had 14 contests with 20 and 10, with a career-high 18 dots in a win over UT Martin. The man was straight filthy–Xxplosive like Dr. Dre’s cut off The Chronic. 

Behind the back snatch then reassess. In-and-out cross into a hanging lay while drawing the contact. And-one. Cradle the baby. Flying to the rim as fast as he flew off of it. Hard to predict, nearly impossible to contain. Lobs came from anywhere and everywhere; halfcourt, baseline out of bounds, in the fastbreak. Backscratchers, reverse alleys and tomahawk posters galore, with air guitar cellys following suit. Opponents spent more time looking up at the rafters than they did tracking the midsection of their opponents’ threads. 

But then came Morant’s single-handed demolition of UT Martin. After hitting a back-door cut from the baseline, Morant received the ball, and without taking a dribble, immediately rose up over a defender—who attempted a wildly ill-advised charge on the bounciest player in the world—and slammed it home while nearly clearing the defender with his legs spread like MJ. The highlight would introduce millions upon millions to the name of Temetrius “Ja” Morant and the high-flying Murray State Racers. 

“Downtown” Tevin Brown lit up Racer Arena with nearly three trey balls a game while Leroy Buchanon cemented the Racer’s otherworldly backcourt. In the paint, Darnell Cowert resided with sheer force. The former JUCO product quickly found his footing in the OVC, utilizing his graceful footwork to dance around defenders for 10.3 points and 6.5 boards a game. 

Two non-conference losses left the Racers with an early indication of their postseason success, with respective games against Alabama and No. 7 Auburn providing down-to-the-wire tests in late November and December. The Racers would sprint their way through the OVC, collecting a 16-2 conference record on the way to their second-straight conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

After cementing their staying power in a 20-point beatdown over Marquette, the Racers fell in the Round of 32 to No. 10 Florida State, but not before enacting enough jaw-dropping displays to craft their own “One Shining Moments” reel. The Racers weren’t just the Cinderella team of the 2019 tournament, they recaptured the magic that’s cooked up in mid-major programs across the country. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

With the hardwood as their canvas, the 2019 Duke Blue Devils painted a masterpiece that will be remembered for generations to come. 

Legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff painted the first stroke by recruiting one of college basketball’s greatest freshman classes; No. 1 RJ Barrett, No. 2 Zion Williamson, No. 3 Cam Reddish, No. 17 Tre Jones and No. 41 Joey Baker. As soon as the five top-ranked 18-year-olds stepped foot on campus, the entirety of the basketball ecosystem zoomed in on Durham. 

Under the leadership of Coach K, the Blue Devils were loved and feared. They would rip teams apart inside the storied Cameron Indoor Stadium, where it was standing room only and thousands of blue-painted ‘Cameron Crazies’ would scream, jump and chant endlessly. And when they went on the road, the squad always dressed for the occasion in their all-black unis, a nod to the opposing team’s ensuing “funeral”. Every possession was an opportunity for showtime, with high-flying, thunderous dunks and defense-freezing dimes becoming the norm rather than the exception. 

And for much of the season, Duke prevailed: they finished their campaign with 32 wins and just six losses, though their championship hopes were squashed by Michigan State in the Elite Eight. 

Williamson was the main star who adorned the vast Durham sky. The freshman forward was a force of nature whose gravity-defying athleticism and boundless energy transcended the sport itself and left Twitter spinning with highlights. The Salisbury, N.C. native’s mere presence was enough to elevate Duke to new heights, bringing an unseen national spotlight down onto Tobacco Road. 

But Duke was far from a one-man show. Alongside him stood RJ Barrett, a lefty Canadian sensation whose silky-smooth scoring touch and explosiveness made him one of the nation’s most exciting prospects. Together, they formed one of Coach K’s best tandems that brought nothing but hope to the legions of Duke faithful. 

Reddish dazzled with his shot-creating prowess, while Tre Jones anchored the backcourt with his poise and playmaking ability. Meanwhile, Javin LeLaurier often sent shots flying to the third row on one end and cleaned up dump-offs in the paint on the other. 

Together, this cohort of bucket-getting artists produced scenes that have been stamped in the minds of basketball aficionados. Mesmerizing—Williamson bolted and elevated to send De’Andre Hunter’s corner three deep into a sea of staggered Virginia fans. Breathtaking—Barrett finds Reddish between the legs for a triple to tie the game against Louisville after being down by 23 points. Picturesque—Williamson spins 360 degrees in the air and hammers it home, everyone around freezing still. 

Duke’s 2019 squad exemplified what Duke basketball has come to mean—a cultural phenomenon, an eternal love-or-hate relationship. But this season was also unique: every game felt like an ethereal experience, the truest showing of pure talent and unrivaled chemistry, all backed by arguably the greatest basketball coach of all time. This squad, in all its glories and shortcomings, might have been the ‘Dukest’ Duke team to date. 

Five years since 2019, the tears, screams and memories have yet to fully escape the creaking wooden doors of Cameron Indoor Stadium. And much like the most beautiful and coveted of paintings, the 2018-19 Blue Devils’ story perhaps will remain timeless.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

There’s a reason why we called him the “greatest show in hoops” back then. Long before the lore of Ice Trae sent shivers down the backs of everyone in Madison Square Garden during the playoffs, Trae Young was silencing the doubters in the Lloyd Noble Center, too. 

The 2017-18 Oklahoma Sooners didn’t just have a star freshman, they had a rebel. He simply couldn’t be held to the limits of the three-point line, or held back by the opinions of others about his size or potential. As we wrote in our SLAM 214 cover story of him, “not only has he completely rearranged mock draft orders and the itineraries of NBA scouts, he’s also rearranged the media coverage of college basketball—this publication included.” 

Young’s destiny in Norman, the same city where he grew up and went to high school, was written long before he rocked crimson and cream. He was the ball boy for the men’s team back in ‘06, and the Young family lived less than 15 minutes from the campus.

“With me having the opportunity to play for a [future] Hall of Fame coach and play in my backyard and represent my city and state—it was something that I wanted to do and to take a different route was something that I took as a challenge,” Young told us in 2018. 

He was set to join a team that had an 11-20 record the year prior in 2016-17, and his arrival meant helping carry the team that was full of talent and had some experience, junior Christian James was the team’s second-leading scorer with 11.9 points, the Sooners would catch the attention of the world. As Trae hit mid range floaters and shots from the logo, his teammates held their own alongside him. Between November and January, the Sooners even posted a ten-game winning streak. 

Despite a season full of ups and downs, the 2017-18 Sooners ended their season with defeats by Oklahoma State and Rhode Island, but ultimately, the show they put on that year was bigger than the final box score. And as for Young, well, it was only the beginning…

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The Villanova Wildcats entered the 2017-18 season as that team. They’d just won the National Championship the season prior in historic fashion when then-senior forward Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beater shot against UNC that left the entire college basketball world shook. It was, and still is, one of the greatest moments in the history of college hoops. It set the precedence for what would come next. 

So, how exactly did Jay Wright’s squad run it back? One of the brilliant minds in the game knew exactly how to coach a hungry, fundamentally-sound squad that included Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Eric Paschall and Phil Booth. Brunson is the type of player that, since childhood, has credited his success to his work ethic, and while at ‘Nova, he’d put together a list of goals, individual and team-oriented, that he wanted to accomplish and tape it in his dorm room. That included:

Graduating in the summer of 2018. 

Making the All-American, Big East and Big Five Academic teams. 

2018 First-Team All American, All-Big East, All-Big Five.

Conference regular season and tournament champions. 

Winning an NCAA National Championship.

While there’s many, many factors to a team’s success, Brunson’s mental approach to the game, instilled in him by his father, Rick, and then backed by Wright, set the precedent for what he and his squad would achieve. Manifestation is real, and so were the Wildcats: with Brunson’s court vision, Bridges’ defensive prowess, and DiVincenzo’s scoring outbursts, ‘Nova waltzed through the regular season, finishing 14–4 in Big East play.

“I was a version of myself, I guess I technically didn’t know I had,” Brunson told SLAM in 2022 while reflecting on the 2018 season. “I always knew I was good, playing the post, but we really used it as a weapon.” 

All the while, the No. 1 seed in the East region dominated their way to the NCAA tourney, including wins against Radford, Alabama, West Virginia, and Texas Tech. After defeating Kansas in the Final Four, the Wildcats were composed against Michigan in the Championship: they knocked down clutch shots from deep, connected on dimes from Brunson, and took control of the tempo. The final score: 79-62. 

National Champions, check. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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Despite being a youthful roster filled with talented stars, the 2017 Wildcats would be questioned at every corner. De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, and Derek Willis. Those are only a few names that glued this team together and allowed them to go on the crazy run they accomplished during this season. 

Fox was the facilitator and a pestering defender who averaged 17 points per game and lived up to his social media handle, swipathefox. Meanwhile, Monk brought intensity and determination from start to finish of every game and Bam left opponents shook in the paint. Collectively this group set the tone at the start of every game. From a drop off to Bam in the paint, pass and shot by Monk, or a pass and crazy move from Fox, this Kentucky team would run you up and down a court like no other. And because they were so young, they never got tired, or at least never showed it. There was always some fight and scoring left in them at every game. Running teams out the gym, the Wildcats had over 15 games where they beat their opponents by at least 10 points in the regular season. They were ultimately a scoring madhouse. 

Led by the only John Calipari, their athleticism, drive, and determination brought them all the way to postseason: first, winning the SEC championship and then the NCAA tournament, where they swept past opponents like Northern Kentucky, Wichita State and UCLA—a game in which Fox dropped 39 points in a matchup against the Bruins’ star, Lonzo Ball. 

The Elite Eight showdown against UNC was, well, elite. The pressure was on, especially for Fox and his Wildcats, who eventually lost to the Tar Heels. An emotional Fox later revealed to us that summer: “Just knowing that was my only opportunity to win a National Championship—competitiveness spilled over,” Fox told SLAM. “Just knowing that we were up 5 with like two to three minutes left, knowing that we could have won that game is what really [hurt]. Just losing that game the way we did. It was tough losing like that. It’s not the same when you have another chance to win it. That was the part that hurt the most.”

Despite the season that could’ve been, the 2017 Wildcats helped cement Kentucky’s legacy as one of the most dominant and competitive programs. Fox, Bam and Monk are all hoopin’ in the L today, and never hesitate to support BBN whenever they get the chance, either. That’s just what happens when you rock Kentucky blue…

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Think about the NBA All Star Dunk contest, imagine witnessing that for a full season. Simply known as “Dunk City”, the 2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles literally soared and brought college basketball to new heights with their circus-like dunks each game.  

A true story of the underdog that couldn’t be stopped, the Eagles shocked the world after beating two teams that no one ever imagined they could beat. Their tournament debut was nothing short of spectacular. In an upset for the ages, the No. 15 Eagles stunned the basketball world by toppling the No. 2 Georgetown 78–68. The Dunk City magic didn’t stop there; with a convincing second-round win over No. 7 San Diego State, they became the first No. 15 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Throughout the season, the energy of this team was unmatched. There was no structure really, it was just go out, do you, and play, but play like a team. With a lot of iso and drop offs in the paint the eagles ‘13 team was not easy to keep up with. 

At the root of it all was walk-on, yeah I said it walk-on, who turned into a super freak athlete, Sherwood Brown. Who was named the A-Sun Player of the Year and continued to prove he was that guy in March Madness. Alongside Brown, a cast of electrifying players, like Bernard Thompson and Chase Fieler each contributing their unique skills, turned Dunk City into a show that was full of highlight reels. 

Beyond the wins and losses, Dunk City became a phenomenon. A nickname born out of their circus-like lobs and “highlight finishes”, “Dunk City” changed the name of Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men’s basketball.

Although the Eagles faced Florida, ending their magical run with a 62–50 loss. The season concluded with a 26–11 record, leaving an indelible mark on the history of FGCU basketball.

The “Dunk City” nickname will forever be something that fans can be reminded of. A time where undergods soared.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Headed into the 2011 season, UConn was unranked on every preseason poll and picked to finish 10th in the Big East. They had just come off a mediocre season in which they failed to make the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years. So people had already written them off as a threat in the Big East, let alone as a national title contender. 

In other words, a whole lot of fuel was being added to the fire already brewing in these Huskies—a Huskies squad led by a 6-foot, 172-pound star point guard from the Bronx.

All eyes pointed to Kemba Walker, who returned for the 2011 season, a junior with lofty expectations. He’d already become a fan-favorite proven to score in bunches, always in a fresh pair of retro Js, but could he impact winning at a high level? Could you count on him to lead UConn back to glory? 

Don’t get it twisted, though; Kemba had a well-composed squad around him. Among them were two star-studded freshmen–point guard Shabazz Napier and swingman Jeremy Lamb–who would each become first-round NBA Draft selections themselves. But was it enough? Would their lack of experience be a hindrance? UConn was very talented, but how consistent could they be?

A lot of questions, but UConn had the cheat sheet.

They made it through their non-conference schedule undefeated, winning ten straight before getting into Big East play, including wins over No. 2 Michigan State and No. 8 Kentucky. During that stint, UConn ranked as high as No. 4 on the AP poll and seemed primed to make a run at the Big East crown.

Anyone who knows anything about college hoops of the 2000s and 2010s knows every Big East matchup was a dogfight. On any given night, UConn could convincingly beat a top-10 team like Georgetown or lose by 15 to an unranked St. Johns. It was that type of up-and-down conference slate for them. They finished a disappointing ninth in the Big East and headed into the Big East Tournament, losing four of its last five games. 

Well, the way March Madness is set up, the Huskies were in perfect position to take the country by storm. 

They breezed through their first two games of the Big East Tournament, earning a spot in the quarterfinals–a rematch against Pittsburgh (the Big East regular season champs who blew them out back in December). This time around, in March, the stakes were different.

The game was tied at 74. Seven seconds left on the clock. UConn’s ball. 

Everyone in their right mind knew who was taking the last shot. It didn’t matter. With a mismatch at the top of the key Kemba hit a smooth right-to-left hesi, took a hard attack-dribble left, stopped on a dime, stepped back and raised up for his picture-perfect jumper as the helpless defender stumbled to the ground. The ball splashed through the net, Madison Square Garden erupted and a college basketball legend was born.

“It was a special moment in UConn history; I turned to my assistants as we were walking off the court and said, ‘We got something special going on,’” Jim Calhoun, UConn’s retired hall-of-fame head coach, recalled in a 2016 interview. 

Coach Calhoun couldn’t have been more right. Kemba and the Huskies sealed the deal two days later and won the Big East Tournament. That’s five days, five games and five wins. A truly unprecedented run. But next up was the NCAA Tournament. They’d have to win six more games in a row to be the last team cutting the nets. Surely, they couldn’t continue playing with the same level of intensity after having just survived that Big East gauntlet, right? 

Uh-uh, wrong.

Kemba played like a man possessed; the team went as he went. He averaged 23.5 points, 6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the NCAA Tournament en route to leading the program to their third national championship in a win over Butler–defeating future hall of famers like Kawhi Leonard and bluebloods like Kentucky (for a second time) along the way.

The 2011 UConn team epitomizes everything we love about college basketball–the swagger, the culture, the underdog story, the journey. From unranked to on top of the ladder, the 2011 UConn Huskies are forever immortalized in basketball history.

Photos via Getty Images.

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Get your copy of SLAM 249, also featuring Caitlin Clark, the Knicks and Jimmy Butler, right now.

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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.

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It’s no secret that Kentucky is one of the most prestigious college basketball programs of all time and has one of the most demanding fan bases we’ve seen. Kentucky isn’t satisfied with SEC championships and NCAA Tournament berths; at Kentucky, the standard is national title contention. Final Four and National Championship banners are the only ones hanging in the rafters at Rupp Arena. So, after another unsuccessful season, which ended with a loss in the NIT, they were ready to go through hell or high water to get back on track. Kentucky needed a change, and they needed one fast.  

The first domino that needed to fall was finding a head coach who not only understood the expectations but wasn’t intimidated by the daily pressures of coaching at Kentucky. There was only one man to do the job; ahead of the ‘09-’10 season, Kentucky brought in a fiery John Calipari–a move that changed not only the trajectory of Kentucky’s basketball program but college basketball in general.

Coach Cal didn’t come alone; he brought in the country’s top recruiting class–one of the best recruiting classes ever–highlighted by John Wall and Demarcus Cousins. Kentucky’s roster was loaded with talent that made these Wildcats a must-watch for any basketball fan (unless you’re a Louisville fan or a fellow SEC foe). Having talent is one thing, but getting a bunch of five and four-star recruits to play as a unit is the real challenge for any coach. But the 2010 Wildcats were on one accord. Cal implemented the dribble-drive offense, which only works when you have multiple guys who can beat their man off the bounce. Wall and Eric Bledsoe had no issues doing so. Add elite bigs like Cousins and Patrick Patterson to the fold, and there you have it: one of the most exciting college teams you could imagine.

Whenever the 2010 Wildcats hit the court in their fresh white and Kentucky-blue threads, two-tone Nike shooting sleeves and Nike elite socks, they had the country’s attention. If Kentucky had a game, you’d schedule your day around it.

For a squad led by a freshman core, Kentucky was mature beyond their years. Nothing rattled them; no moment was too big. They steamrolled through the always-tough SEC, sweeping both the regular season and tournament championships, along with a bunch of individual accolades.

Wall was SEC Player of the Year. Cousins was SEC Freshman of the Year. Cousins, Patterson and Wall were first-team All-SEC. Coach Cal was SEC Coach of the Year.

Kentucky hadn’t had a season like this in years; the job wasn’t finished, though. From the coaching staff to the last man on the bench to the team managers, everybody who was a part of that program embraced the task at hand–raising National Championship banner number eight. 

“The ultimate goal was to win a national championship, that’s all we wanted to do,” said John Wall in a 2016 interview, recapping the 2010 season. “So what we did all season didn’t mean anything.”

Kentucky earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They obliterated East Tennessee State, Wake Forest and Cornell, respectively, on their way to an Elite Eight berth where they’d face No. 2-seed West Virginia. By every metric, and most notably the eye test, Kentucky was the better team. West Virginia is always a tough out, but it never crossed Kentucky’s mind that they would lose that game. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they picked the wrong day to have an off-night. They couldn’t buy a three, at one point missing 20 in a row. That’s a hard stretch for any team to overcome, especially in March Madness. They’d still end up in a close game, but fell seven points short of advancing to what would have been the program’s first Final Four since 1998. 

Talk about devastated–there wasn’t a dry eye in the locker room after the game. “‘Til this day we still talk about that game and everything we could’ve done differently,” said DeMarcus Cousins in the same 2016 interview mentioned earlier.

Despite not living up to the expectations they set on themselves, there’s not a single person who wouldn’t call their season a success. They finished the season 35-3, and Wall and Cousins added first-team All-American honors to their long list of accomplishments. They may not be remembered as national champions; there may not be a 2010 banner hanging at Rupp Arena; but this team revolutionized college basketball. 

Five players (four of them freshmen) from this squad would enter the NBA Draft, and all five of them were drafted in the first round. Wall was selected No. 1, Cousins was selected No. 5, Patterson was selected No. 14, Bledsoe was chosen No. 18 and Orton went at No. 29. This 2010 Kentucky team, cultivated by Coach Cal, laid the foundation for the future of the sport; the ripple effect is still felt today over a decade later.    

If you could only pick one college basketball team from the past 30 years to represent the present generation, both on the court and off, it’d be tough not to pick the 2010 Kentucky Wildcats.  

Photos via Getty Images.

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“Playmaker first, two-way player,” Dybantsa says of his personal scouting report. “Defense and offense, can do a little bit of everything: rebound, score, pass, finish. Just a team player overall, and unselfish.” 

We’ve been following AJ since he was a lanky eighth-grader hailing from Brockton, MA, documenting his meteoric rise over the past few years. And despite reclassifying in October, Dybantsa clearly remains one of the best prospects in the country. Please, infer for yourself. With an unrelenting motor and shot-making ability matched by an equally eccentric personality, it was a no-brainer that the best player in his class is taking the pen to help officially relaunch our historic Basketball Diary. 

But more on that later. This is now. And now is Dybantsa’s time. He staked that claim not too long ago. 

“When I was in third grade, I had the dream of going to the NBA, but it wasn’t really realistic until Covid year. That’s when I started taking it crazy serious,” Dybantsa says. “There were no gyms available and I found myself just working out outside every day. I just took off. That’s when the rankings started coming, that’s when the attention started coming and I was like, This could be a reality.” 

After dominating the local New England competition as a freshman—posting 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a contest—reality set in further this past June when Dybantsa elected to transfer to national powerhouse Prolific Prep. The increased competition plus moving in with a host family—on top of living on the opposite coast as your immediate family—would be a tough transition for any teenager. 

“The most challenging part [about being AJ] is just people forgetting that I’m a kid,” Dybantsa tells SLAM. “Like, I’m 17 years old, I have a life outside of basketball. But they just see the internet side of me so they just think everything’s flowers and butterflies, when it’s really not.” 

While Dybantsa finds his footing, he leans on the life lessons and work ethic instilled in him by his Congolese father and Jamaican mother. “Nothing’s given to you, everything is earned,” he says of his parents’ reminders. “It was big for me in my life development.”

Colleges are swarming, the League’s already within view and he just signed on the dotted line with The Swoosh. SLAM has been covering high school hoopers for a minute (30 years, tbh!) and we can say with confidence, the next modern-day high school superstar is here, and his name is AJ Dybantsa. 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Class of 2025 No. 1 Recruit AJ Dybantsa is the Game’s Next High School Superstar appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Word to SLAM 117. Michael Beasley was the freshest of them all in ‘08 when he was suiting up for Kansas State. At the time, “Be Easy” was ranked No. 1 in rebounds and described by former SLAM “scribe” Bonsu Thompson as having “sticky fingers, small forward hops, Chris Brown body control plus gluttonous appetite for food off the glass…” (you can read the original cover story in the SLAM Digital Archive, fyi). Beasley didn’t hold back when describing his own game, either: “Once I step on the floor, I’m superhuman. I feel unstoppable.” 

And he was. Averaging a double-double of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds, Beasley was hungry for a Big 12 championship, and a natty. He was ultra-competitive against, well anyone, too, telling us in his own words, “…as soon as somebody get to runnin’ they mouth, that’s when I turn it up.” On a team led by first-year head coach Frank Martin, the Wildcats were young— ranked second and third in scoring were freshman forward Bill “Henry” Walker and guard Jacob Pullen—and restless to win. In the season-opener, they beat Sacramento State by almost a 30-piece and, by January, went on a six-game winning streak. The potential was all there: Beasley’s scoring prowess, coupled with the team’s tenacious defense and unselfish ball movement, became the hallmark of their approach.

In fact, Beasley felt like the only thing he needed to really improve upon was “making it look so easy”—a testament to his confidence and the star role he embraced. While his postseason ambitions didn’t come into fruition—the Wildcats eventually lost in the second round to Wisconsin—he did take home individual accolades including a consensus first-team All-American selection, USBWA National FOY, the Pete Newell Big Man Award, Big 12 Player of the Year, the list goes on. He went on to take his talent to the League and was selected No. 2 in the same ‘08 NBA Draft that his teammate, Walker, was drafted in in the second-round.

That ‘08 season would be remembered not just for the wins and losses but for the electrifying moments and the promise it held for the continued success of the program. It was just the beginning…

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: ‘08 Kansas State   appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s take it back to ‘08. The Memphis Tigers, led by then-head coach John Calipari, had lost in the South Regional Final the season prior, but going into the ‘07-08 season, all eyes were on them to see what they would do next. 

Of course, the arrival of a 6-3, top-ranked standout from Chicago who had caught the attention of the nation during his time at Simeon Career Academy, gave the hype surrounding the Tigers an extra boost. Boost might be an understatement. We’re talking about the Rose who would eventually become one of the youngest, ever, to win the NBA’s MVP award. Not a what-if story, or what-was, but what remains: he’s one of the most aero-dynamic players of all time and has set the standard for what the word even means. 

Even back then, and with far less tattoos, Derrick Rose was bouncier than ever when he suited up for the Tigers and averaged 15 points and 4 assists per game. His court vision and ability to orchestrate plays elevated the Tigers to unprecedented heights as they embarked on a 26-game winning streak to start the season, earning them a No. 1 ranking for the first time in 25 years. While Calipari, who is one of the greatest college coaches ever, led the helm, Rose and veteran leaders like Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts helped guide the Tigers all the way to the NCAA tournament. 

They defeated No. 16-seeded Texas–Arlington and 8-seed Mississippi State, triumphed over No. 5 seed Michigan State and, in a dramatic regional final, outclassed a No. 2-seeded Texas team and No. 1 seed UCLA to make it all the way to the National Championship game against Kansas. Rose, ever-so composed for someone who had yet to play on the big stage, held his own for an entire 45 minutes of the overtime matchup. He dished out dimes effortlessly, commanded the offense like a true floor general and went at it against two, sometimes three defenders as he made his way to the basket. 

Despite the loss, that game was just a glimpse into the future. The Tigers sent three players to the League that June: in the ‘08 NBA Draft, Rose was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 1 pick, while Douglas-Roberts and Anderson both were drafted in the second round; a testament to Calipari’s legacy in molding the game’s brightest stars. That ‘07-08 season is also tied for the most wins (38) in a single season in NCAA history, a feat only Calipari holds. He’d do it again during his tenure at Kentucky, but the record books will tell you that the ‘07-08 Memphis Team did it first. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month—and Black history every day—WSLAM and the Black Coaches Association are spotlighting those coaching DI, DII and DIII college hoops.

Regardless of whether they’re competing in the NCAA tournament right now or not, these are the women leading favorite squads.

Dawn Staley:
South Carolina | Began as head coach in 2008 |

Accolades include getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, leading the program to two National Championships (2017, 2022) and five NCAA Final Fours

Felisha Legette-Jack:
Syracuse | Coaching Career began in 1989 | Joined Prior to 2022 season

2024 ACC Coach of the Year and CAA Coach of the Year in ’04

Ashley Langford:
Stony Brook | Coaching career began in 2009 | Joined Prior to 2021 season
Has the ​​best winning percentage (.683) of any head coach in program history and has led her squad to an average of 20 wins per season

Vanessa Blair Lewis:
George Mason | Coaching career began in 1996 | Joined Prior to 2022 season
1998-99 NEC COY and 4x MEAC COY

Niele Ivey:
Notre Dame | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined prior to the 2020 season
Led the program to its first regular season ACC title since 2019 and named the 2022-23 ACC Coach of the Year

Aqua Franklin:
Lamar | Coaching career began in 2009 | Joined prior to the 2019 season
Finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award

DeLisha Milton-Jones:
Old Dominion | Coaching career began in 2016 | Joined prior to the 2020 season
Ranks top-10 in NCAA all-time wins; three national championships, 25 tournament appearances, 17 conference championships and 55 All-Americans

Tomekia Reed:
Jackson State | Coaching career began in 2006 | Joined prior to the 2008 season
Led the program to four straight SWAC regular season titles, back-to-back SWAC tournament titles and NCAA appearances, as well as the program’s first even WNIT appearance

Mary Grimes:
Le Moyne | Coaching career began in 2009 | Joined prior to the 2021 season
In the first two years of being head coach, led the team to two Northeast-10 Conference Regular Season Championships, and 2023-24 NEC Coach of the Year

Dawn Thornton:
Arkansas Pine Bluff | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined prior to the 2019 season
Qualified for the conference tournament for the first time since 2017

Erin Dickerson Davis:
William & Mary | Coaching career began in 2020 | Joined prior to 2022 season
Led the team to the most wins by a first year head coach in program history

Jesyka Burks-Wiley:
Florida International | Coaching career began in 2013 | Joined prior to the 2020 season
Led the team to their first winning season since 2012-2013 and matched single-season win record by having 12 CAA wins

Carrie Moore:
Harvard | Coaching career began in 2010 | Joined prior to 2023 season
Led Harvard to highest NET ranking in program history and was named ESPN coach of the week in January 2023

Margaret Richards:
Alabama A&M | Coaching career began in 2005 | Joined prior to the 2016 season
Led the team to SWAC tournament semifinals and to a program record of 17 wins against Division 1 opponents

Freda Freeman-Jackson:
Alabama State | Coaching career began in 1991 | Joined prior to the 1998 season
Has led the program to three SWAC Regular season titles, numerous trips to theNCAA Tournament and one WNIT berth. 

Adia Barnes
Arizona | Joined in 2016
WNIT champion and led the program to the Final Four in 2021.

Natasha Adair
Arizona State | Coaching career began in 1998 | Joined prior to the 2023 season
Started the season 5-0 for the first time since 2002 and CAA coach of the year in the 2020 season

Destinee Rogers:
Arkansas State | Coaching career began in 2015 | Joined prior to the 2018 season
First African-American female head coach to win a game in school history and reached the Sun Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals for the first time since 2017

Johnnie Harris:
Auburn | Coaching career began in 1998 | Joined prior to the 2022 season
Inducted in Watson’s Chapel High School Hall of Fame and defeated Texas A&M for the first time in 2019

Brittany Young:
Austin Peay | Coaching career began in 2013 | Joined prior to 2023 season
First head coach in program history to lead the team to back to back conference tournament semifinals and the 37 wins are the most by head coach in their first two seasons

Janell Crayton:
Bethune-Cookman | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined prior to 2021 season
Member of Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and in the first year recorded five wins in BCU’s inaugural season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

Charmin Smith:
California | Coaching career began in 2003 | Named head coach prior to 2019-20 season
First Black female coach in program history. Led team to most overall (19) and Pac-12 (7) wins in five years. Listed as 2020’s top 100 Most influential figures in Women’s College Basketball.

Katrina Merriweather:
Cincinnati | Coaching career began in 2001 | Joined in 2023 season
3x Horizon League Coach Of the Year

Ganiyat Adeduntan:
Colgate | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined prior to the 2022 season

Tamika Williams-Jeter:
Dayton | Coaching career began in 2002 | Joined prior to the 2023 season
Led the team to A-10 Championship Tournament

Sarah Jenkins:
Delaware | Coaching career began in 2006 | Joined prior to 2023 season
Led the team to the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title

Jazmone Turner:
Delaware State | Coaching career began in 2014 | Joined prior to the 2022 season
Part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 Class

Doshia Woods:
Denver | Coaching career began in 2001 | Joined in 2020
Led the team to be in the top 50 in NCAA free throws made and ranked 12th in the country for blocked shots per game

Kara Lawson:
Duke | Coaching career began in 2019 | Joined in 2020
Led the team to the best season in recent history, a 26-7 record; ranked third in NCAA in scoring defense (51.0).

Kim McNeill:
East Carolina | Coaching career began in 2013 | Joined in 2019
Named AAC Coach of the Year and won the 2023 AAC Tournament championship

Ke’Sha Blanton:
Eastern Michigan | Coaching career began in 2010 | Joined in 2022
Led the team to Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championships

Charlotte Smith:
Elon | Coaching career began in 2002 | Joined in 2011
Led the team to four consecutive years of advancing to the CAA championships and was the 2016 CAA Coach of the Year

Bridgette Gordon:
Florida A&M | Coaching career began in 2004 | Joined Prior to the 2023 season
Coached six players to the WNBA

Jennifer Sullivan:
Florida Atlantic | Coaching career began in 2008 | Joined prior to the 2022 season
Guided a 140% increase in wins and season sweep over rival FIU

Bridgette Mitchell:
Fordham | Coaching career began in 2013 | Joined prior to the 2023/24 season
Won CAA Coach of the Year

Anita Howard:
Georgia Southern | coaching career began in 2012 | Joined Prior to the 2019 season
Led the team to the first 20-win season since 2002 and ranked 5th out 348 NCAA Division 1 in scoring offense (79.3 ppg)

Courtney Simmons:
Grambling State | Coaching career began in 2008 | Joined prior to the 2023 season
Guided prior teams to Sun Belt Tournament Championships

Danielle Santos Atkinson:
Hofstra | Coaching career began in 2006 | Joined in 2019
Led the team to CAA Women’s Basketball Championships and the first 12-seed in the CAA Championship that advanced to quarterfinal since 2006

Ty Grace:
Howard | Coaching career began in 1998 | Joined in 2015
Won first MEAC Tournament title since 2001 and 2020-21 MEAC Coach of the Year

Special Jennings:
Jacksonville | Coaching career began in 2016 | Joined in 2023

Octavia Blue:
Kennesaw State | Coaching career began in 2008 | Joined in 2020
Fasted KSU head coach to 30 Wins

Kia Damon-Olson:
Lafayette | Coaching career began in 1993 | Joined in 2017
Brought the team to Patriot League Semifinals

Lauren Sumski:
Lipscomb | Coaching career began in 2014 | Joined in 2019
First Female in Lipscomb History to be Head Coach and tied the program record for wins (20)

Rene Haynes:
Long Island | Coaching career began in 2012 | Joined in 2019
12th Head coach in 54 years and Greater Columbus Legends Hall of Fame

Erika Lang-Montgomery:
Longwood | Coaching career began in 1995 | Joined in 2022
In the first season, Longwood to a sixth place finish in Big South standings

Danielle O’Banion:
Loyola (MD) | Coaching career began in 2002 | Joined in 2021
2023-24 Patriot League Coach of the Year

Aarika Hughes:
Loyola Marymount | Coaching career began in 2011 | Joined in 2021
Named Top 21 Coaches by The Athletic Magazine and recognized by Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Top 30 Coaches Under 30

Alex Simmons:
Memphis | Coaching career began 2009 | Joined in 2018 but named head coach in 2023
Named Big South Coach of the Year

Kimberly Anderson:
Mississippi Valley State | Coaching career began in 1982 | Joined 2022
6th Women’s basketball head coach

Trelanne Powell:
New Orleans | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined 2023
Second Coach of the Year in 2023

Jada Pierce:
Niagara | Coaching career began in 2004 | Joined 2015
Set new program record with 16 MAAC wins and earned a bid to WNIT

Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd:
Northeastern | Coaching career began in 2010 | Joined 2023
8th Head Coach in Program History

Tanya Warren:
Northern Iowa | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined 2007
3x MVC Coach of the Year

Yolett McPhee-McCuin:
Ole Miss | Coaching career began in 2004 | Joined 2018
Led the team to 11th Sweet 16 in Program History and 19th NCAA Tournament appearance

Carrie Banks:
Omaha | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined 2020
Led the team to 29 Wins and made it to the Summit League Tournament in 2022

Sandy Pugh:
Prairie View A&M | Coaching career began in 1987 | Joined 2018
Led the team to WNIT Appearance

Erin Batth:
Providence | Coaching career began in 2004 | Joined 2023
Guided former teams to NCAA Tournament appearances and 11th coach in the program’s history

Jen Brown:
Queens University | Coaching career began in 2005 | Joined 2020
Led the team to the D1 Level

Coquese Washington:
Rutgers | Coaching career began in 1999 | Joined 2022
WBCA Carol Eckman Integrity in Coaching Award and 3x Big Ten Coach of the Year

Ravon Justice:
Sam Houston State | Coaching career began in 2004 | Joined 2019
Led the team to 35-23 record and 2018-19 Southland Coach of the Year

Stacie Terry-Hutson:
San Diego State | Coaching career began in 1999 | Joined 2013
Made the WNIT which is the First Postseason Appearance Since 2012

April Phillips:
San Jose State | Coaching career began in 2013 | Joined 2022
Led the team to first Mountain West Conference Tournament win since 2020

Yolisha Jackson:
South Alabama | Coaching career began around 2016 | Joined as assistant coach 2019
10th women’s basketball Head Coach in program history

Rekha Patterson:
Southeast Missouri State | Coaching career began ain 2022 | Joined 2015
Led the team to second OVC Tournament Title and 2019-20 OVC Coach of the Year

Kelly Bond-White:
Southern Illinois | Coaching career began in 1999 | Joined 2022
Coached the team to score at least 100 points on three occasions and 2021-22 MVC Coach of the Year

Toyelle Wilson:
Southern Methodist | Coaching career began in 2003 | Joined 2021
First Black Female Head Coach at SMU and brought the team to its second consecutive WNIT appearance

Keila Whittington:
St. Francis (PA) | Coaching career began in 1991 | Joined 2023

Led the team to 1st in free throw percentage (.810) and defensive rebounds per game (27.1)

Diane Richardson:
Temple | Coaching career began in 2000 | Joined 2022
Led the Team to 11-18 Record with Eight Players and 2018-19 CAA Coach of the Year

Joni Taylor:
Texas A&M | Coaching career began in 2002 | Joined 2022
2021 SEC Coach of the Year

Vernette Skeete:
Texas Southern | Coaching career began in 2009 | Joined 2022
Reestablished the TSU brand in community

Zenarae Antoine:

Texas State | Coaching career began in 1999 | Joined in 2011

All-time winningest coach and 2023 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year

Shereka Wright:
Texas-Arlington | Coaching career began in 2006 | Joined 2020
Won Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2021

Styia Messer:
UCF | Coaching career began in 2000 | Joined 2022
Led the team to 6-0 Start since 1984

Denise King:
UMass Lowell | Coaching career began in 2005 | Joined 2018
Led the Team to Two Straight America East Playoff Semifinal Games

Dionnah Jackson-Durrett:
UMKC | Coaching career began in 2010 | Joined 2022
Led the Team to Summit League Championships

Trina Patterson:
UNC Greensboro | Coaching career began in 1991 | Joined 2016
2x SoCon Coach of the Year, 1993 CAA Coach of the Year, and 2007 AEC Coach of the Year

Nicole Woods:
UNC Wilmington | Coaching career began in 2009 | Joined 2023
Inducted into the Gatson Sports Hall of Fame

Amaka Agugua-Hamilton:
Virginia | Coaching career began in 2006 | Joined in 2022
Two-Time MVC Coach of the Year

Semeka Randall Lay:
Winthrop | Coaching career began in 2007 | Joined in 2020
Led Rivalry Wins in 2021-22 against Presbyterian, UNC Asheville and Charleston Southern

Marisa Moseley:
Wisconsin | Coaching began in 2005 | Joined in 2021
Won the 2019 Patriot League Coach of the Year

Dalila Eshe:
Yale | Coaching began in 2006 | Joined in 2022
Coached Ivy League Co-Defensive PLayer and Top 10 finalist for Nancy Lieberman Award

Michelle Clark-Heard

Mercer College | Coaching career began in 2018 | Joined in 2024

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait via AAMU and Harvard Athletics.

Featured graphic designed by Abdel Kyle Traore.

The post WSLAM x BCA: Meet the Black Women Coaching DI College Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Elite backcourt, elite bigs. A recipe for success. Michelin star level of success. Russell Westbrook. Darren Collison. Kevin Love. Luc Mbah a Moute. Four League-bound talents emphatically stormed into the 07-08 season. The result? Three-straight regular season Pac-10 titles. A third-straight Final Four appearance. Since the tourney expanded to 64 teams in ‘85, only four teams have accomplished such a feat—just another day at the office for the Bruins. 

The Bruins changing of the guard saw UCLA great Aaron Afflalo enter the League but welcome a 6-10 tree from the forests of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Kevin Love. The freshman double-double machine quickly cemented his status as a one-and-done prospect while the team’s offense flowed through the 17.5 points per game scorer. LA native Josh Ship, Alfred Aboya and Lorenzo Mata-Real have curtailed Ben Howland’s strongest roster. 

Love’s dominance in the paint and soft touch around the basket earned him Pac-10 Player of the Week after destroying Washington State. Then there was Westbrook, a player who was as fearless as they come. Collison was known for his pinpoint shooting accuracy and taking matters into his own hands when needed.

The man in charge of it all was Ben Howland, a coaching prodigy known for his disciplined approach and defensive expertise. Coach Howland wasn’t just a coach but a master strategist who knew how to get the best out of his players. The Bruins’ defense remained rooted in intensity while executing offense without a trace of a turnover.

The Bruins weren’t satisfied with just winning; they were out to destroy each opponent. And Westbrook let you know it with every chance he could—emphatic screams after highlights, strutting down the court after rim-rocking throw-downs. The first round of the NCAA tournament proved just that when UCLA dominated Mississippi Valley, securing a commanding 41-point win over Mississippi Valley. Each game was the Bruins dominating on all sides of the court. 

The true test came in the Pac-10 championship. UCLA was down for most of the game against Stanford. After trailing through the first 20 minutes, the Bruins kicked into gear in the second half and managed to snag a back-and-forth 67-64 win. They kept that same energy throughout the NCAA Tournament, breezing through until they hit the final four, where they fell short. They never backed down, always leaving it all out on the court. 

But, amidst all the style and swagger, the Bruins remained focused on their ultimate goal: winning games. And win, they did. With an impressive win-loss record of 35-4 and a deep run in the NCAA tournament, they proved to be more than just a flashy show. They were a team with heart, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed. Ultimately, the ‘08 UCLA men’s basketball team made an enduring impact on the collegiate basketball scene. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: ’08 UCLA appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

It’s hard to win a conference championship when you only have two players who average in double figures, let alone getting into the NCAA Tournament and making a deep run. Well, anything is possible when one of those players is on his way to becoming the best shooter in basketball history.

Unless you were a college hoops junkie and someone who followed the mid-majors, there’s a good chance you never even heard of Davidson College before March of ‘08–a liberal arts college with an enrollment of less than 2,000 students. A Cinderella story was being crafted all season long in Davidson, North Carolina, a small town outside of Charlotte. 

Davidson was fresh off a successful season in which they won the SoCon (Southern Conference) regular season and the SoCon Tournament. Despite a disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, they were onto something special. With just a little more time and synergy, maybe they could shock the world. 

Any success they’d dream about having for the ‘08 campaign was dependent on Stephen Curry, the baby-faced assassin, their returning point guard, a skinny 6-2 sophomore who’d been overlooked his entire life up to that point. He had just come off a season where he earned SoCon Freshman of the Year but was hardly ever mentioned when people discussed the top players in college basketball. As a small mid-major in the shadows of their fellow Carolina foes like Duke, UNC, NC State and others, Davidson and their players faced an uphill battle to earn their warranted respect.

Their coaching staff figured playing a nearly impossible non-conference schedule was the best way to earn that respect. Not only would this put the country and NCAA committee on notice, but if all went well, making it through their non-conference schedule alive would be just the self-assurance Davidson needed to know they could compete with anyone in the field. 

They were very competitive against the high-majors on their schedule but struggled to pull out wins against them. They lost close games to No. 1 UNC, No. 7 Duke, No. 7 UCLA and NC State. Losses like these often shake the confidence of young teams, but that Davidson squad saw the silver lining. They were knocking on the door.

Since Davidson didn’t have any signature wins on their resume, they’d have to run through the SoCon and win the conference tournament to earn a spot in the Big Dance. They did exactly that, going an impressive 20-0 in the conference and securing a 10-seed. For most mid-major programs, this alone would constitute the season a success.

Their superstar, Stephen, had a spectacular season that included a couple of 40-point performances, a bunch of 30 pieces and too many 20-point outbursts to count. He was named SoCon Player of the Year, First-team All-SoCon and AP second-team All-American, among many other accolades. But he still had bigger fish to fry; he wasn’t done yet. Somehow, he was still flying under the radar. Could he do it against stronger and longer athletes? Could his style of play translate in the NCAA Tournament?

Nobody outside of that program could have envisioned what would happen next. Heck, most people inside the program probably couldn’t have envisioned it. 

In three NCAA Tournament wins, Stephen scorched Gonzaga for 40 points, erupted for 30 against Georgetown and blazed Wisconsin for 33. And these weren’t quiet performances; his shooting prowess was like nothing we’d seen before, and definitely not at the college level. The fact that he did all of this while wearing a red Davidson jersey and not one of blueblood’s makes it much more significant. They’d eventually lose a heartbreaker by two points in the Elite Eight to Kansas, who ultimately won the whole thing.  

Stephen was obviously the main ingredient to Davidson’s success that year; let’s be clear, though–nobody, and I mean nobody, makes it to the Elite Eight by accident. There may not have been another household name on that roster, but Stephen’s supporting cast showed up when it mattered most. Namely, their senior point guard Jason Richards was the only player to average more minutes per game than Stephen and finished as the top assist man in college basketball that season. They were a balanced team; everyone bought into whatever it took to get the job done. No egos, no selfishness, no ulterior motives. Add a future hall-of-famer to the mix, and it’s a no-brainer that they were able to achieve greatness.  

Today, Stephen is recognized as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. His ‘08 season at Davidson was the beginning of the future of basketball. Inevitably, the ‘08 Davidson Wildcats go down as one of the most impactful college basketball teams ever.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: ’08 Davidson 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.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

In the heartland of basketball, where scarlet and gray reign supreme, the ‘06-’07 Ohio State Buckeyes emerged as game icons, stealing the nation’s hearts with their blend of youth, talent and tenacity. 

Under the guidance of Coach Thad Matta, the Buckeyes played basketball like it was an art form. They zapped the ball around effortlessly in search of an open man, giving up good looks for better looks. The ball moved seamlessly from one set of hands to another until it eventually found its way down the net. 

That isn’t to say that the Buckeyes didn’t let the individual prowess of their players shine. Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook made up the core of this Buckeyes squad. Freshman phenoms with the composure of seasoned vets, these Buckeyes were ready to make a name for themselves from the very first game. 

Oden was a towering force hailing from Lawrence North High School, where he developed close on-court chemistry with fellow freshman guard Mike Conley. Oden’s sheer force in the paint was unmatched, while his soft touch around the rim solidified him as a sure-fire top-two pick in the NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Conley’s crossovers would leave defenders frozen, while his acrobatic finishes stunned thousands of fans.

Their dominance and chemistry would be the motor on which the Buckeyes operated. Conley would blow by defenders and find Oden in the paint, who mercilessly punished anyone who dared to jump with him. In a statement win against Iowa in the regular season, Oden exploded for 29 points and 10 rebounds, with Conley running the show with 10 dimes. 

The scariest thing about this Ohio State team was that the offense didn’t just end with Oden and Conley. Senior guard Ron Lewis could catch fire quickly, while Daequan Cook would put the team on his back with his momentum-swinging shots. And there was Jamar Butler, a rim-punishing presence in the paint. 

The Buckeyes team was dynamite with enough firepower to explode at any instant and ignite the crowd with their exhilarating play. 

And explode they did in the Big Ten, cruising past teams on the way to a league-best 15 wins, only losing one along the way. The Big Ten wasn’t just their playground; it was their empire, and they ruled it with an iron fist. 

But it was in the madness of March that the Buckeyes truly shined. With the eyes of the nation upon them, Ohio State embarked on a postseason journey that would showcase the talent and grit of the team. Victories over powerhouses like Georgetown and Memphis showcased their talent and resilience, showing the world that this team had what it took to hoist the national championship trophy. 

For all Buckeyes fans, these were heart-crushing moments that still haunt them to this day. But as long as the scarlet and gray flies high, the legend of the ’07 Buckeyes—for the stars it produced, the historic comebacks and dominance—will live on.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Dynasties rarely surface in college basketball and for all the right reasons. 

The uncertainty of March Madness puts any talented team at risk of an early exit, no matter how well they played for the entirety of the season. Even the greatest individual collegiate careers are capped at five years, and, more often than not, the lure of the NBA—the checks, the followers and the chance of playing for a childhood favorite team—pulls players out of college. 

But if any team resembled the makings of a dynasty, it was the ‘06-07 Florida Gators.

After crusading to a national title in ‘06, beating UCLA and Villanova, the Gators immediately had their eyes set on a second-straight championship. Head coach Billy Donovan sat down each of his five starters after their championship season and convinced them to return for another year, painting the picture of a blue and orange dynasty. 

NBA-bound college superstars like Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green resisted the allure of the league and stuck with Donovan. Donovan’s speech and the promise of two national trophies weren’t the only things that led to the return of the starters. 

The decision was also a testament to the camaraderie of the star players. The ‘06-’07 season would be the final time for the tight group of bucket-getters to play alongside one another. Back-to-back NCAA titles were on the horizon, and they thought it could be the perfect fairytale farewell for a team that had already accomplished so much. 

The trio of eventual NBA lottery picks led the Gators’ season. Headlined by Horford, Brewer, Noah, Florida boasted the most efficient offense in America, knocking down 41% of their looks from behind the arc. Their dominance continued on the defensive end, holding opponents to a low 62.6 points per game. 

Noah, a pony-tailed, skyscraping big who called both NYC and Paris home, was the heart and soul of the team. The 6-11 junior dominated with a unique blend of size and skill, but his boundless energy and igniting passion gave him an edge on any hardwood he found himself on. In his third season in Gainesville, the big man stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 12 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. 

Alongside Noah were Horford and Brewer, who could carry the load whenever necessary. Horford was a crafty big man down low and a full-time double-double machine. The Dominican Republic’s big man would shoot, post up and rebound his way to 13.2 points and 9.5 boards per game.

Brewer was a silky-smooth sorcerer with the rock, masterfully crafting his way around defenders to big shots and acrobatic finishes around the rim. 

The brilliance of this squad, however, resided in how each complemented one another on the hardwood. And that they did.

The Gators quickly gave up good shots for better ones, thriving on selfless ball movement that found players in the right position to score. The starting five, all of whom are 1000-point scorers, gelled together seamlessly and, at their best, looked unstoppable.

 From the moment the players were recruited to the picture-perfect moment of big smiles, confetti and championship caps, there was never much to doubt about this team. They were dominant like no other, winning 12 straight in the ‘06 and ‘07 NCAA tournaments, outscoring their opponents by an average of 15 points per game. Over 15 years since the Gators’ back-to-back championships, no team has yet to emulate the kind of basketball Florida played. We’ll rarely find that same level of dominance and camaraderie in the new age of college hoops, making the imprint left by the Gators that much more impactful.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The early 2000s was a rough time for all but one basketball program in the Big Ten. 

This was when the Big Ten ran through them boys in Champaign, Illinois. Each year from ‘00 to ‘04, the Fighting Illini won either a Big Ten regular season championship or a Big Ten tournament championship. Their ‘04-’05 team brought it all together and won both, doing so in mesmerizing fashion. A reign of terror was brewing inside of Assembly Hall. 

They were any coach’s dream and any opponent’s nightmare; it starts with their incredible guard play.

Deron Williams (D-Will) was a prototypical 6-3 point guard, with a nasty handle, elite vision and a natural knack for buckets. He went on to become the third pick in the NBA draft, a three-time All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the best point guards in the League for some time. 

Dee Brown is an NCAA icon, remembered today for sporting fresh cornrows, an orange or white headband low on the brow and a long pair of shorts. He was 6 feet on a good day, but his blinding speed, defensive tenacity and swagger more than made up for what he lacked in size. He was a four-time All-Big Ten selection, two-time All-American, Big-Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner.

D-Will and Dee Brown are one of the most exciting backcourt pairings in college basketball since the turn of the century, but it was a third guard who led the ‘04-’05 Fighting Illini in scoring. That honor belongs to Luther Head, a senior, 6-3 shooting guard, who would eventually carve out a solid six-year career in the League.

Illinois approached the ‘04 basketball season with one thing on their mind. It was championship or bust–national championship or bust. They hit the ground running; there were no signs of a hangover from their disappointing Sweet Sixteen loss the season prior. Four games into the ‘04-’05 campaign, the Fighting Illini beat No. 24 Gonzaga by 17 points, putting the country on notice. The very next game, just a few days later they’d beat No. 1 Wake Forest by 18, putting any remaining doubt to rest.

They made it through the regular season almost unscathed, winning 29 games in a row before a small hiccup against Ohio State where they suffered a one-point loss, their only loss headed into the postseason. Illinois responded by dominating the Big Ten Tournament, sweeping the conference en route to a No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance.

They got through their first three games of March Madness without breaking a sweat. But an Elite Eight matchup against No. 3 Arizona, led by then-future lottery pick Channing Frye, would define the makeup of this Illinois team. With only four minutes left in the second half and their season on the line, Illinois found themselves down 15 points. Unfamiliar territory, challenge accepted.

Illinois didn’t flinch; their confidence didn’t waver. They just stayed the course. They turned up the pressure on defense, created a few transition opportunities and hustle buckets, hit a few threes and boom… the game was headed to overtime. Carrying the momentum into the extra period, they clawed their way to the finish line and gutted out the victory, completing one of the memorable comebacks in the tournament’s recent history. Final score: 90-89. 

They’d go on to decisively defeat Louisville in the Final Four before eventually falling five points short, to a loaded North Carolina team, in the National Championship game. 

Illinois finished the ‘04-’05 season with a 37-2 record, which at the time tied the all-time NCAA record for the most wins in a season. An impressive 31 of their 37 victories were by 10 points or more. They finished the season ranked ninth in the nation in rebounding, eighth in defense, fourth in points scored, second in three-point field goals made and first in assists. Now, that’s a recipe for success. 
Despite losing and falling short of their ultimate season goal, the 04-’05 Illinois team is etched in modern college basketball history. When you think of the best teams to not win a national championship, that ‘04-’05 Illinois squad is at the top of the list. And they’re celebrated in Champaign as such.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

“Almost Jordan-like in his early days when the jump shot is falling,” the play-by-play broadcaster said as Marquette’s Dwyane Wade hit a long-range shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. 

In more ways than one, the two players were just like each other. Jordan’s arrival in Chicago signaled a new era of dominance for the Bulls, while Wade’s tenure at Marquette rejuvenated the program and propelled it to national prominence. 

And just like the Bulls, the Golden Eagles left a lasting mark on their league’s history. 

At the helm of this Wisconsinite powerhouse was the mastermind himself, Tom Crean. The suit-and-tie-wearing coaching genius molded his players into bucket-getting hoopers. His emphasis on relentless defense and fast-paced offense turned Marquette into a whirlwind of chaos for any matchup in the nation. Under his guidance, the Golden Eagles flew high, winning the hearts of basketball fans across the country. 

A high-flying, sharp-shooting Wade was at the center of the team’s success. 

Wade was all you could ever want in a first option: his quickness helped him blow by defenders. He could levitate for emphatic posters and knock down big shots consistently. The Chicago native was one of the hottest players in the NCAA during his junior season, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals. 

Though Marquette could always rely on Wade’s star power, the squad also thrived on collective brilliance. Alongside Wade were Travis Diener, Robert Jackson and Steve Novak, who epitomized the essence of team basketball. 

Diener dished out dimes left and right, thriving as the team’s primary facilitator. Senior forward Jackson was a brawny bully inside the paint, punishing any defender who stood between him and the rim – the Milwaukee, WI native averaged 15.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Off the bench was an emerging star in Novak, who knocked down 50.5 percent of his shot attempts from behind the arc as a freshman. 

From Wade to the 12th man on the edge of the bench, each player brought a unique skill set to the court, complementing each other with selfless play. Together, they became one of the most explosive offenses in the Conference USA, capable of giving any Blue Blood and top collegiate team a run for their money. 

And it showed in time for March Madness. 

The Golden Eagles started their postseason campaign with a showdown against Holy Cross, setting the stage for a clash of coaching titans as Crean faced off against his mentor, Ralph Willard. Despite a slow start and Wade battling foul trouble, Marquette rallied behind Diener’s hot hand to secure a hard-fought victory, one that helped him shake off the ghosts of past postseason disappointments.

Marquette’s most dramatic game came in the second round, where they found themselves locked in an overtime thriller against Missouri. With Wade leading the charge and freshman sharpshooter Novak seizing his moment in the spotlight, the Golden Eagles soared to victory in a game that embodied the spirit of March Madness—heart-stopping action, clutch performances, and an unwavering determination to win. 

The Golden Eagles then survived a narrow win against Pittsburgh in the Sweet Sixteen to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight in thrilling fashion. 

In what might be the biggest game in program history, Marquette clashed with basketball royalty in Kentucky, a showdown that would test their firepower and define their legacy. With Wade delivering a virtuoso triple-double performance for the ages featuring 29 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and four blocks, the Golden Eagles ended the first-seeded Wildcats’ 26-game winning streak on their way to the program’s third-ever Final Four appearance. 

Although they failed to hoist the national championship trophy in the end, Wade’s heroics and stardom elevated Marquette to national prominence. Across the Golden Eagles fanbase, the Windy City native instilled excitement and hope, just like Jordan’s impact on Chicago in the 80s.  

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

An orange headband-donning megastar, Carmelo Anthony. The coaching genius of Jim Boeheim and a trademark 2-3 zone defense. The ‘03 Syracuse Orangemen always had what it took to be the best team in the nation. 

But no one really saw it that way. Not until they did the impossible, of course.

 Syracuse went into the 2002-03 season unranked and never reached the top 10 during the regular season. But with a blend of style, resilience, and sheer determination, they hoisted the first national championship trophy in program history, etching their names alongside a long line of NCAA tournament champions. 

Led by Jim Boeheim, the second-winningest coach in NCAA men’s basketball history, Syracuse embraced their trademark 2-3 zone defense, a maneuver that left opponents casting threes and fans dripping in orange paint roaring in joy on the fast break. Boeheim’s strategic acumen and ability to adapt his game plan to his team’s strengths were the pillars on which the success of this historic Syracuse team would be built. 

That isn’t to say that the squad was nothing more than just a revolutionary defensive scheme. It was the leadership of Kueth Duany, the second senior on the team. It was Gerry McNamara, a sharp-eyed sniper from behind the arc. And it was Anthony whose gravity-defying dunks and iso-shooting mesmerized all college basketball fans alike.

The freshman sensation hauled Orange County to the national spotlight as soon as he stepped foot onto the sprawling upstate campus. At 18 years old, Melo had it all—the self-confidence, the fearlessness, the stuff that separates good from great.  

With a stellar regular-season record of 24-5, including a Big East regular-season title, the Orange stormed into the NCAA Tournament with a chip on their shoulder and a hunger to prove everyone wrong. 

Starting their campaign in Boston, Cuse cruised past Manhattan and Oklahoma State in the first two rounds. The No. 3 seed then traveled up to New York, where they survived a narrow one-point win against Auburn and took down Oklahoma to reach the Final Four. 

Whenever the Orangemen found themselves in trouble, they turned to the team’s jab-stepping, bucket-getting savior: Carmelo Anthony. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native worked his magic in isolation en route to a 20-point double-double in the Elite Eight. And then he went nuclear in the Final Four, exploding for 33 points and 14 boards. 

Ultimately, the team’s season came down to one game: the national championship showdown against the No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks. In a back-and-forth battle for the ages, the Orange dug deep, drawing on every ounce of grit and determination they possessed to walk away with an 81-78 triumph. (Replace with above? – The stage was set for a national championship showdown against the No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks. The Orange stamped the mardi gras-colored court with an electric display. McNamara was scintillating in the first half, knocking down six treys, while the growing legend of No. 15 was cemented with a 21-point performance. With Hakim Warrick’s game-sealing block, a bright sea of orange erupted as a pile of players in orange unis and warmups cascaded at half court. 

In a back-and-forth battle for the ages, the Orange had secured their first-ever NCAA Championship behind the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Carmelo Anthony.)

Before they knew it, the freshman-heavy squad of Orangemen would soon decorate headlines, magazines and walls at Syracuse University—and their legacy still lingers on campus.

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The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: ’03 Syracuse appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

At the turn of the century, the Cincinnati Bearcats were the team that struck a perfect balance of old-school toughness and flash and flare. 

Led by the legendary Bob Huggins, a coaching maestro famous for his relentless pursuit of excellence, the 1999-2000 Bearcats epitomized hard-nosed basketball. Huggins, a master tactician, instilled in his players a defensive prowess and a tangible thirst for victory. 

Their mantra was simple: outwork, outlast, outplay. And they did so with ferocity, leaving opponents quaking in their kicks. But it wasn’t just their on-court prowess that captured the imagination of fans across the nation. It was the colorful cast of characters of this storied team. From the towering presence of Naismith Player of the Year Kenyon Martin to the sharpshooting finesse of DerMarr Johnson, the Bearcats boasted a roster brimming with talent and personality. 

Martin and Johnson would eventually declare for the NBA draft. The New Jersey Nets picked Martin with the first pick, and Atlanta scooped Johnson with the sixth. 

On the court, the dynamic duo and the rest of the team donned white and red jerseys that drooped below their knees, repping the fashion trends of the times with gusto. Stamped with the Bearcats’ iconic bear claw logo, headbands and ankle socks accompanied the team’s ensemble at the turn of the century. But it was the reserved allure of the Jumpman logo and the litany of Air Jordans that catapulted Cincinnati to cultural prominence. The Bearcats were one of just four programs to introduce Brand Jordan to the collegiate ecosystem. In their oversized jerseys, the players strutted, oozing confidence, reflecting the swagger and confidence of players who seemed destined for greatness. 

And greatness they achieved. 

With an impressive regular-season record of 29-4, including a Conference USA regular-season title, the Bearcats bulldozed their way through the competition, leaving a trail of defeated foes in their wake. The team’s toughest challenge would come near the end of the season when Martin broke his leg in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinal game against Saint Louis. 

Despite the heartbreak of losing the nation’s then-biggest college phenomenon, the Bearcats rallied together, sending out a clear message: even without their top performer, the team has what it takes to give any team a run for its money. They marched into the NCAA Tournament as the second seed, still determined to reach the promised land. 

The Bearcats stomped into the first round of the tournament, blowing out UNC Wilmington. Their championship hopes, however, would be cut short in heartbreaking fashion by Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes upset the Bearcats in a close game in the tournament’s second round. 

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the team’s legacy of resilience and determination would endure for generations to come. Over 20 years later, people are still left wondering how much greater this team could have been if it weren’t for Martin’s gruesome leg injury.

As the final buzzer sounded on the ‘99-2000 season, the Bearcats may not have ended the season where they wanted to, but they had won the hearts of fans nationwide. Theirs was a season filled with triumph and adversity, highs and lows, but through it all, they still enjoyed a 29-4 season, going undefeated in Conference USA. And when Martin was healthy, they boasted the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for 12 weeks during the season. 

Steeped in a rich tradition of tenacity and ferocity on the court, this team etched its name into the hearts of fans and the history book of hooping legends.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Back in ‘99, St. John wasn’t just a university; they represented the true essence of New York City. Their men’s basketball team was no exception: with a hustler’s spirit, a chip on their shoulder, and newly sponsored fire engine red Jordan Brand uniforms, they lifted the program into a new era. The Red Storm may have entered the season unranked, but by March, the entire college ecosystem was echoing the vibrations of Queens. 

Head coach Mike Jarvis understood what he was dealing with in his squad: players like Queensbridge native Metta Sandiford-Artest – known back then as Ron Artest –  grew up living on New York City black tops. Toughness and attitude weren’t ever a question. Instead, he capitalized on that intensity and fueled their local pride so that every time his players took the court, they played to represent themselves and the city. With a 28-9 regular season record, they captivated audiences everywhere they went. Artest’s will to win was off the charts, like when he made sure to nail that three against Duke to push the game into OT because he knew he’d sink it. Then there was freshman sensation Erick Barkley, who dazzled crowds with no-look passes and highlight-reel dunks. Bootsy Thornton didn’t just dominate on the defensive end; he could score under any circumstances. The two-time All-Big East selection was good for nearly 15 points a game, but the DMV native truly shined under the spotlight. The No. 2 ranked Duke Blue Devils were on the receiving end of one such performance, where Thorton exploded for a 40-piece. Bolstered by Tyrone Grant’s post presence and Lavor Postell’s sharp shooting from deep, the Storm’s five double-digit scorers could light it up in transition and half-court. 

The Red Storm weren’t afraid to bully their way through the Big East while rocking those baggy yet sleek bright-red uniforms. Any time they stepped on the floor, they weren’t content with just winning; they wanted to entertain, to leave spectators in awe of their skills and dominance. St. John’s destroyed the Maryland Terrapins 76-62 because they weren’t satisfied with just winning; they had to show their dominance over their opponents. Barkley’s 24-piece was evidence enough. Each game was a spectacle, a showcase of the team’s talent. 

The Big East championship game went down to the wire against UConn, and despite the 82-63 loss, that was just the beginning of their postseason run. St. John’s dominated the NCAA tournament through the Elite Eight, winning each game by an average of 25 points.

And even now, decades later, the legacy of the ‘99 St. John’s men’s basketball team lives on. They remain a symbol of hope and inspiration, a reminder that anything is possible with hard work, dedication, and a never-say-die attitude. They weren’t just a team; they were a phenomenon, a shining example of what can be achieved when talent, determination, and heart come together in perfect harmony. Their impact extended far beyond the confines of the basketball court. With the Big East running through Mecca in 98-99, the Red Storm returned to the Garden 25 years later to a standing ovation from the New York faithful. Their legacy is cemented and enshrined in the city’s historic connection with the game. 

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The ‘99 UCLA men’s basketball team had everyone buzzing. Draped in bold powder blue and gold, the coastal Pac-10 squad embodied an unseen swagger in Westwood. Picture this: a lethal Baron Davis and Earl Watson backcourt with Third-Team All-American and Pac-10 All-Freshman Team honors to their name. A supporting cast of bucket-getters and defensive specialists in Jaron Rush, Jérôme Moïso, Dan Gadzuric and a budding freshman in Matt Barnes.  

At the wheel was none other than Steve Lavin, a young coach with a fiery passion for the game and a knack for getting the best out of his players. Lavin wasn’t just a coach; he was a motivator, a strategist and a mastermind of the game. His flashy offensive schemes and innovative tactics kept fans on the edge of their seats and opponents guessing. With Lavin calling the shots, you never knew what kind of magic the Bruins would produce next. 

Then there was star guard Baron Davis, the hometown kid who enacted a spectacle under the lights of Pauley Pavilion. Moïso was an ace on defense, while Rush cleaned the glass with 7.3 boards a game, and Ray Young splashed down spot-ups from beyond the arc. Between their toughness, versatility, and willingness to put their bodies on the line, these players dominated the court every time. Back in March of ‘99, we documented the team’s recapturing of UCLA’s standard traditions. A rebirth was taking place in Westwood spearheaded by a youthful roster with only two upperclassmen to claim.  

Despite falling short of their eventual personal expectations with an opening round loss to Detroit Mercy in the tourney, the UCLA Bruins, soaking up LA’s sunny vibes, brought a lot more than just wins to the table. They echoed the essence of a city that is vibrant and full of energy. Their electrifying performances on the court brought people together from all corners of the city, uniting fans of every background under one common passion. Whether it was students packing into Pauley Pavilion or families gathering around their TVs at home, the Bruins had a way of captivating audiences and instilling pride within the community. The wins and losses didn’t just measure their impact; it was felt in the hearts and minds of everyone touched by their presence. They were LA’s own hometown heroes, inspiring future generations to dream big and reach for the stars. 

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski once said, “Two are better than one if two act as one.” And he is right, especially when talking about the ‘99 Blue Devils’ stars Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon. 

Led by the size and athleticism of Brand and the finesse and flair of Langdon, Duke’s squad established itself as one of the most unstoppable forces in college basketball history, a true embodiment of the Blue Devils’ perennial preeminence. They were rock stars of the college basketball scene. Everyone wanted to be like them, but no one really was. Brand bulldozed his way through defenses, earning accolades and admiration with his sheer dominance on the court. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, earning him the Naismith National Player of the Year award as a sophomore. 

While the brawn of Brand was inside the paint, the artistry of Langdon was outside the arc. The senior guard, nicknamed the “Alaskan Assassin,” was Duke’s lethal scoring weapon. While his size and athleticism helped him find success attacking the paint, some of his best moments came from long-range. At any instant, Langdon would rise over defenders with the flick of his wrist, signaling an automatic three points.

The three-time All-ACC guard logged 17.3 points and knocked down the three ball at an efficient 44.1 percent clip. His best games always came when it mattered most, whether it’d be his 24 points against Missouri State or his 25-point explosion in the national championship game. 

For every scorer—or, in this case, for every two scorers—there must be a floor general who can distribute the ball for things to work. Luckily for Duke, and to everyone else’s misfortune, the Blue Devils had William Avery running the show. 

Avery was a Swiss Army knife kind of player. He consistently splashed jump shots from any place on the floor, threw dimes left and right and even sneaked up on opponents for run-ending steals. Meanwhile, sophomore Shane Battier stifled opponents on the wing as one of the best defenders in the ACC, while his spot-up shooting would deflate opposing arenas with quickness. 

Defense was their backbone, fundamentals were their gospel and team-play was their anthem. Under Coach K, the distinct personalities of the players would gel into a singular unit destined to destroy teams on the hardwood. Combining the collective brilliance of the nation’s top college players and a world-class coaching staff—not to mention the unwavering support from the craziest fans in college basketball—the Blue Devils tore through their campaign with a jaw-dropping 37-2 record. 

Duke’s only regular season losses came against Cincinnati in November when they fell just two points shy against the Bearcats. But the Blue Devils bounced back tremendously, reeling off 32 straight wins up to their matchup against Connecticut in the NCAA tournament final. Though the loss still stings today for the Cameron Crazies, the sheer greatness of that ‘99 team will forever be etched into their memory.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Picture this: bold colors, flashy designs, and a whole lot of swagger. That’s exactly what kind of aura the ‘98 Fresno State Bulldogs exuded that season. Rocking radiant red uniforms with the Bulldogs written on the hem of the shorts and loud blue waistbands, the Bulldogs didn’t just play basketball; they made a statement with their threads. You couldn’t miss them on the court, and trust me, you didn’t want to. 

The man calling the shots for the Bulldogs was none other than Jerry Tarkanian, a coaching icon known for his flashy demeanor and even flashier plays. As he was affectionately known, Tark wasn’t just a coach; he was a showman. His fast-paced, high-flying style of play kept fans on the edge of their seats and opponents on their toes. With Tark at the helm, you never knew what kind of jaw-dropping move or play was coming next. 

Known for their exceptional talent and contributions to the team, Chris Herren, Rafer Alston, and Terrance Roberson helped elevate Fresno State’s dominance in college basketball. Chris Herren, a point guard with lightning-fast reflexes and an uncanny ability to read the game, was the engine that drove the Bulldogs’ offense. His court vision was second to none, and his knack for finding open teammates made him a nightmare for defenses to handle.

On the cover of Issue 22, we dubbed “Skip to My Lou” the best point guard in the world—high expectations for a 20-year-old junior hailing from Queens. But if you knew anything about Rafer, you knew he was about to raise the playing field for NYC point gods across the collegiate scene. Playground prodigy, high school legend. The Bull Dogs’ engine. A player who would go on to define SLAM’s 30 years.

Skip made an immediate impact with his electrifying style of play, averaging 11 points and 7.3 assists per game which helped the team to a 20-win season.  Then there was Terrance Roberson, known as “T-Rob,” a standout player known for his scoring ability. Standing at 6 ‘7, T-Rob helped Fresno State appear in the NCAA tourney by averaging 14.6 a game to put Fresno State on top. Their individual talents weren’t enough to get Fresno State far in the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs weren’t just a two-man show; they had a supporting cast that was every bit as talented and exciting to watch. Chris Herren would dazzle defenders in the pick-and-roll, dishing out 4.8 assists and swiping nearly 2 steals a game on top of 15.6 points per. Tremaine Fowlkes diced up the paint easily while tearing down boards and immediately kick-starting the fast break. Every player on the roster brought something special to the table. Together, they formed a cohesive unit greater than the sum of its parts, a team that was as formidable as it was entertaining. 

The record books may not reflect it, but Fresno State’s 97-98 squad stamped the San Joaquin Valley with an unreplicable season. The crosses, the dimes, and the shots may never be seen again in such a fashion. So it’s about time they got their due shine. Their impact brought attention to the talent and potential of the team, and they laid the groundwork for future success by even making it to the tournament. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Loaded with five future NBA players, the ‘96-97 Arizona Wildcats embodied the best elements of college basketball. Fashionable comebacks, even flashier kicks. A freshman phenom. Four double-digit scorers. And a storybook ending. They ran through three blue bloods to steal the chip. But expectations at the start of the season weren’t so merry. 

The Wildcats were recovering from the loss of four upperclassmen: leading scorer Joseph Blair, rebounding leader Ben Davis and veteran point guard Reggie Geary. But where they lacked experience, they crafted their own trends, spearheaded by freshman Mike Bibby. 

“Mike Bibby brought that swag to our team because when he came in, he got the standard issued team shoe, and right away he was like, ‘Ahh, nah. I ain’t wearin’ these,’’ remembers Terry of his introduction to the brash freshman. “He immediately went to the store on campus and bought a pair of Jordans. Then everybody followed and wanted the hottest shoe out. Mike Bibby spearheaded that shoe movement.”

The man behind the scenes was coaching legend Lute Olson. With his trademark silver hair and Armani suits, Olson had next-level swagger. His offensive tactics and defensive plans were poetry in motion, making the most of his talented roster. The roster contained three future NBA stars: Mike Bibby, Miles Simon, and Michael Dickerson, a.k.a The Big Three. 

Bibby played with a raw confidence beyond his years. Simon brought infectious energy that electrified the crowd. Dickerson was the hustle king, giving his 110% every minute. Together, they were a three-headed monster, dominating with skills, smarts, and chemistry. 

It wasn’t just their popularity that drew fans to the games; it was their electrifying style of play. In a tied contest against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16, Arizona’s Miles Simon drove to the basket, drawing the Kansas defense before kicking the ball out to Michael Dickerson, who buried a clutch three-pointer. This shot sent the Wildcats to the Elite Eight and further cemented their loyal fanbase. 

In the basketball history books, the Wildcats of 1997 are remembered for their historic championship, where they returned from a 10-point deficit to force a thrilling overtime in Indianapolis. We here at SLAM remember that moment a little differently: the on-court debut of the Nike Foamposite. 

Cooked up by the legendary Eric Avar, the polarizing pair of kicks were brought to Bibby and co. to rock in the championship well before Penny Hardaway got to lace them up on the NBA hardwood. Even the folks in Beaverton, OR, recognized the allure surrounding the Wildcats. Despite rocking a slightly brighter shade of blue in contrast to their navy-shaded threads, the Wildcats brought forth a sneaker revolution on the collegiate scene. Team-issued sneaks didn’t have to be the norm. If we’re being honest, Bibby and the Wildcats knocked down the door for the on-foot creativity seen in the college game today. 

Their performance on the court truly immortalized the ‘97 Wildcats. Whether it was a last-second buzzer beater against Kentucky made by Mike Bibby or a miraculous comeback when the Wildcats were trailing by double digits against the Providence Friars in the first half and came back to win the game 96-92 in overtime. But it was March where the Wildcats truly cemented their stake in the cultural fabric of collegiate hoops. Entering the tourney as a No. 4 seed, the Cats stormed past three No. 1 seeds to secure the program’s lone NCAA Championship. With a remarkable 25-9 record and an NCAA championship to their name, they left a permanent mark on the NCAA. 

“You watch television, read the newspapers, no one had us going anywhere,” Simon said. “But what happened in the past with the University of Arizona has nothing to do with this team.” 

Though decades may have passed since their historic championship run, their story continues to inspire and captivate audiences, reminding us of the magic that happens when a group of individuals comes together to achieve the extraordinary.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Think of any great college team. Usually, it’s only two to three guys carrying that IT factor. On rare occasions, the whole starting five possesses unyielding star power. Now try 10. Yeah, ten future NBA players on one single college roster. The 1995-96 Kentucky Wildcats weren’t just stacked; they were nearly insurmountable. 

Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarty, Mark Pope. Six high school All-Americans. Out of 36 contests, they’d only drop two under the direction of Rick Pitino. In the land where hoops are equivalent to religion, the Wildcats returned to Lexington with the program’s sixth NCAA championship in tow. 

And they did it all in denim. Bold. Bizarre. But man, did they turn heads. The white kits favored a more reserved approach, with the royal blue textile incorporated into the piping of the jerseys and shorts. Away contests served as the runway with a pseudo-denim base sparking debate and controversy across the country.  

Enacting a 27-game win streak, the Wildcats roared through the SEC and NCAA tournament, burying their first four opponents by 20-plus points. They were a blend of collective brilliance on both ends of the floor, leading the nation in points, assists and steals per game. Cycling between a 10-man rotation, Pitino could look to the pine at any point for an instant boost. Simply put, the Cats would put up NUMBERS. Long before reaching the 90s and 100s in the scorebook became a norm, the Wildcats dropped 100 points per game on nine occasions. Just ask LSU, who got a whopping 86 put up on em in the first half. 

The term “Untouchable” rumbled throughout the basketball ecosystem. From the first week of the season to the first day of April, the Wildcats simply were that. Untouchable. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

It’s impossible to reference the most impactful college teams without including Allen Iverson and the Georgetown Hoyas. We’ve got a storied history with Bubba Chuck, which started in ‘96 with Issue No. 9 when SLAM Shakespearean Scoop Jackson lobbied for the first of AI’s eventual 15 covers. Led by the infamous John Thompson, Hoya Paranoia was synonymous with the iconic kente cloth-stitched threads and high expectations, entering the season with a Top Five preseason ranking. With AI returning for his sophomore campaign in ‘95, the basketball ecosystem gravitated to Washington D.C. And outside the nation’s capital, everybody wanted to be down with the Hoyas. Replica Nike unis, baggy gray and navy sweat suits. Georgetown was more than a basketball powerhouse; it was a culture—a culture led by Allen Iverson, a simply unstoppable force. 

The 6-foot phenom left every crowd in awe with his signature cross, unmatched rhythm and smooth jumper. Jumpstops were his specialty, buckets were his major while studying at the College of Next Up. Back in ‘96, Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson put it plainly; “I’ve been to three calf shows, nine horse ropings–I even saw Elvis once. But I ain’t never seen anyone do what Iverson does. We doubled him, trapped him and he broke it.” 

Big East Freshman of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year just last season. Nobody could punk, mess or even dream of stopping the Hampton, VA native. 25 points and 3.4 steals per, Iverson’s craftiness was unparalleled. Down low, Othea Harrington continued the program’s well-earned reputation as a big-man factory, dominating the Big East boards alongside Jerome Williams.

In the fast break, freshman sensation Victor Page truly shined. The 6 ‘3 backcourt complement was thrown more lobs than spot-up threes as he and Iverson skied to the rims for constant highlight connections. One-handed cross-court bounce passes, no look dots and emphatic hammers—just another day at the office.

The phrase ‘look good, play good’ might be overused, but it was a decree regarding the Hoyas of ‘96. From the debut of the Terminators back in ‘85 to the inclusion of kente patterns in ‘93, John Thompson’s chess-like approach to visual excellence was singular. While grey and navy may have been the base for the most popular uniform in college basketball, Thompson’s decided to throw one more into the mix—the heralded sleek all-black threads. Decades later, the trio of hues continue to spark the influence of the 95-96 Hoyas. 

Finishing the season with a 29-8 record while refusing to fall out of the Top 14, the Hoyas stamped their ticket to the big dance despite falling to UConn in the Big East Tournament championship. After receiving a No. 2 seed in the East region, Iverson went berserk, exploding for nearly 28 points and two steals per game throughout March as Georgetown marched to the Georgia Dome for the Elite Eight. 

Despite falling to Marcus Camby and Massachusetts, the 95-96 Georgetown Hoyas remain one of the most impactful teams in collegiate history, period. We’d implore you to find a team whose threads have remained relevant for over three decades. The fabric of Georgetown’s prominence may have been initially stitched by Thompson and Patrick Ewing, but the immortalization of the Hoyas was cemented with AI and the ‘96 squad. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The Coney Island kid and SLAM’s golden child. A blossoming national talent hailing from Cincinnati. A 6-5 dimer leading the program in all-time assists. Stephon Marbury, Matt Harpring and Drew Barry formulated one of the greatest squads in Georgia Tech history. But their Sweet 16 appearance and dominance in the ACC pales compared to the lasting imprint left by Starbury and the Yellow Jackets cohort. 

Hailing from Lincoln High School, Marbury was shifting the culture long before he came to dawn the gold and navy. Two-time SLAM All-American. The first SLAM Diarist and a future great who we’d honor as one of the 30 players who have defined our 30 years. To put it into perspective, Marbury had dudes in the barbershop asking for a line cut down the middle of their heads. He had Alexander Memorial Coliseum rocking to a different type of rhythm. His vision was top tier, his style of play was ruthless, mean muggin’ as he trotted back down on defense. 

The Yellow Jackets already had a solid core in place between Harpring, Barry and Michael Maddox, but the arrival of the wiry high school sensation would put Tech over the top with a regular season ACC Championship and a final No. 13 AP ranking.

Led by ACC Coach of the Year Bobby Cremins, the Jackets looked to their sharp-shooting sophomore in Matt Harpring for never-ending consistency. Good for 18.6 points and 8.1 boards a game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, the 6-8 forward would secure his second of three All-ACC honors during the year. Meanwhile, Drew Barry – the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry – formed the second half of Tech’s insurmountable backcourt. 

The Yellow Jackets may not have found ultimate success in March – despite reaching the Sweet 16 – but they found it in cultural relevance. Starbury was born. A modernized swagger imbued the hardwood of Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets weren’t all hype. They were emphatic. 

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World, meet Monterey High’s Aaliyah Chavez.

Hey y’all, it’s Aaliyah Chavez.

I scored my 3,000th point in high school last night. I needed 40 points to get it, and before the game I told myself, Oh I’m gonna keep track after the first 2 points. But then I ended up losing track. At halftime I asked my coach, Is it bad for me to ask how many points I have? and she was like, You actually only need 7 more! Once I hit that three to get me the 3,000th point, I was so hyped and saying LET’S GOOO! I sat out most of the fourth, though, and honestly, I probably could have got 50 if [Coach] didn’t sit me out. It’s all good though. My dad told me if I got 3,000 points he’d get me Wingstop after the game, which is my favorite food. 

My life right now is pretty much just eat, sleep and basketball. I’m in my junior year, which started off a little difficult for me because we were traveling so much for school ball, but it’s getting better. Everyone says junior year is the hardest year and I see why now.

My favorite class is reading because the teacher is pretty chill, and if we need help she’s there to help us, but my favorite subject is math because I’m pretty good at it. I’m taking Algebra 2 right now, but next year is going to be either calculus or pre-calc, which my coach actually teaches. I think I might take it just because she’s gonna be gone the same days I’ll be gone when we have to travel, but then at the same time, I’m like, I don’t know if I want my coach to be my teacher. 

It’s still the morning here in Texas right now, so I gotta go. My mom’s making bacon and egg breakfast burritos. I’m not that into cooking, but my parents can—my mom made chili the other
night, and my dad gets on the grill. I think I’m pretty much going to just chill out at home for the weekend, and then for dinner tonight I think we’re going to go out to Texas Roadhouse. It’s so good.

Catch you later! 

Portraits by Zach Tijerina.

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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.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

Just like the checkered pattern woven into their uniforms, the Tar Heels’ decisive strategy included a stacked squad and five powerhouses putting up double digits: Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McInnis, Donald Wiliams and Donte Calabria. 

The tandem of Stackhouse and Wallace injected the Dean Smith Center with an infectious energy that permeated the nation. Wallace was known for his defensive skill set, but he would also wreak as much havoc on the offensive end. Long before Zion Williamson was shaking the bedrock of Tobacco Road, Rasheed Wallace was dubbed “the most exciting dunker in college basketball” by none other than Dick Vitale. But the 6-10 center truly shined with his display of basketball acumen. In the post, he was constantly surveying gaps, cutting lanes and the position of his defender. He’d sky for a block with picture-perfect timing and repelled guards from the paint with sheer passion and will. 

From across the nation to the ACC and the Dean Smith Center, the ‘95 Tar Heels enacted a slam fest in every arena they found themselves in. Rolling to the rim was an automatic two points. Stackhouse and McInnis—who transitioned their backcourt connection from Oak Hill to Chapel Hill—could find you anywhere, anytime. And in between, they found the bottom of the net. 

Meanwhile, Stackhouse and Wallace marked one of the most entertaining duos in college basketball history, while the squad’s starting five sent nightmares throughout the ACC. Seriously, imagine game-planning for this roster. At some point, you come to the realization that they’re going to get whatever they want. You’ve just got to stay with them. And if we’re being real, the latter wasn’t that likely. 

Their season-long reign would eventually come to an end as the Tar Heels fell to Arkansas in New Orleans. But the legend of these young Tar Heels would only be the beginning of a storied connection stitched together by lobs, dubs and Carolina blue threads. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: ‘95 North Carolina  appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

With future legends Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress, the ‘95 Demon Deacons carried themselves with a sinister swag that separated them from the rest. The birth of the Big Fundamental began in Duncan’s sophomore year—posting 16.8 points and 12.5 boards, the skinny 6-11 sophomore dominated the ACC, where he lulled defenders to sleep on the wing and left opponents shook in the post.

Then there was Childress. We’re talking about the dude who dropped 107 points in three days during the ACC Tournament in his senior season. The highlight that made Childress an integral part of the Deacon culture would come from the ACC tournament against the Tar Heels, who had stars like Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. Childress capped off his 37-point performance with a game-winning jumper that ignited fans from Winston-Salem to Greensboro Coliseum. 

Head coach Dave Odom knew what it took to win within a stacked conference, securing his third ACC Coach of the Year honors in ‘95 with Wake Forest achieving the No. 3 national ranking ahead of the NCAA tournament. Freshman guard Tony Rutland referred to the culture as a “brotherhood, a camaraderie.”

The type of culture that had Odom cracking jokes and Duncan cracking a sly smile at the top of the ladder for the ACC Championship. In the end, it was all business.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The All-American sensation of Jason Kidd. The prolific scoring of Lamond Murray. The 1993-94 California Bears saw a season full of gold headlined by their fifth-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Draped in shimmering yellow-gold threads, this Cal squad was at the epicenter of the Golden State.

Fresh off being named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Jason Kidd dropped 16.7 points per game as a sophomore, dishing out 9.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 steals. The stocky 6-4 Bay Area native breezed past the school’s previous record of most assists in a season with 272.

Pair Kidd with a scintillating scorer like Murray, and it was game over for the Pac-10. Murray scored a team-high 24.3 points in the ‘94 season and hauled down 7.9 rebounds per game. The Pasadena native was one of the best scorers the program had seen, and he would become the Bears’ all-time scoring leader with 1,688 points, ranking him at No. 4. Kidd’s sorcery and Murray’s athleticism forced opponents into a persistent state of fear. Lobs, behind-the-back dimes, no-looks, skips and shovel passes could come from anywhere at any time. With the ball in Kidd’s hands, even if you thought you weren’t open, you were open.

While Murray was known for his quiet and stoic demeanor—word is he’d rock his headphones and Walkman around campus with no music playing—the 6-7 junior forward’s game was anything but silent. If you needed a bucket? Lamond Murray. Looking for a transition highlight? Lamond Murray. Who was getting the play call in the huddle? Again, Lamond Murray.

As for Kidd, he was cemented as one of the best players to come out of the Bay Area, a true hometown hero of the West Coast. The former Naismith Player of the Year in high school introduced the program to their first taste of national prominence. With Kidd constantly drawing nationwide allure, The Golden Bears were forced to move some of their home games to the Oakland Coliseum the year prior as ticket sales demanded a larger venue. Kidd’s showmanship on the hardwood was so enticing that the Golden Bears were hooping in front of sold-out crowds for two straight seasons. Now, Kidd’s illustrious No.5 jersey hangs in the rafters of Haas Pavilion, cementing his legacy in Golden Bears history.

Then there were the likes of Monty Buckley, Ryan Jamison, Alfred Grigsby and K.J. Roberts. The recruiting Class of ‘91, alongside Kidd and Murray, were the giants of the West. Their preparation was different. Summer workouts at Harmon Gym consisted of going against the NBA’s best. Game reps with the likes of Tim Hardaway, Gary Payton, Brian Shaw, Antonio Davis, Mitch Richmond, Steve Nash and Chris Mullin were almost an unfair advantage. But hey, that’s the perks of being in Cali. Constant battles against the League’s best eviscerated any fear that may have arisen throughout the 93-94 season.

Showtime was truly taking place in the Oakland Coliseum. With Kidd as lead orchestrator, the Cal Bears enacted a masterful symphony each night. Fans thrived for fast break opportunities, and the Bears delivered. Baggy mesh threads flying across the hardwood. Nasty no-look dimes leading to rim-rocking dunks. This brand of basketball was just different.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

If we’re talking intimidation, you don’t have to look much further than the ‘93-94 Arkansas Razorbacks. Spearheaded by the 40 Minutes of Hell, the Hogs were captivating from baseline to baseline. Even then-President Bill Clinton wanted to watch the No. 1 squad in action. Bud Walton Arena became a sanctuary from November to March. A win was expected, and the Hogs never disappointed, going undefeated at home on the season.

The Razorbacks easily dismantled opponents with their youthful roster, whose pure tenacity made up for its lack of seniors. At the helm was Nolan Richardson, who imposed the renowned defensive tactic “40 Minutes of Hell.” Throughout the season, the Razorbacks would quickly become a nightmare matchup in the SEC as a persistent full-court press transpired throughout each and every contest. 

While Corliss Williamson was regarded as a “Teddy Bear” by his head coach, the 6’7 245 pound power forward was anything but on the court. He was “Big Nasty”. Defenders were an afterthought. Forget trying to front him in the post. As soon as Williamson touched the ball on the block, it was game over. The 6-foot-7 forward exuded a seamless swagger and tenacity that perfectly paired with the baggy unis he and his squad wore. The Razorbacks played big, and with every bucket and big-time play, they were nothin’ but nasty to opponents.

Yet the legacy of the ‘94 Razorbacks wouldn’t be cemented if not for their improbable success in March. Arkansas already matched up against North Carolina A&T, Georgetown, Tulsa, No. 11 Michigan and No. 9 Arizona. But the final matchup was even tougher; college phenom Grant Hill led the Blue Devils. Duke entered looking for its third championship in four seasons. Adding to the mess, the Blue Devils were riding a hot hand after a 13-point comeback in the semifinals versus Florida.

As the first half ensued, a tight contest emerged. Although the Razorbacks went into the locker room with a slight one-point lead, they would soon find themselves climbing back from a 10-point deficit. With less than a minute until the final buzzer with the score locked at 70 a piece, sophomore Scotty Thurman rose to the occasion. He caught the ball on the right wing and elevated into his jumper. Thurman let the ball fly with a high-arching shot that narrowly cleared the outstretched hand of the Blue Devils’ Antonio Lang. It was fouls and free throws for the remainder of the game.

Photos via Getty Images.

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For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday—we’ll be spotlighting the 30 most influential men’s college teams from SLAM’s past 30 years. Stats, records and chips aren’t the main factor here, and if we’re being honest that’s never been our MO. Each historic team we mention in this list has stitched their own contribution to the game’s cultural fabric. Here at SLAM, that’s the end-all be-all metric. 

Stay tuned as we unveil the 30 most influential men’s college teams in our history. And if you’re feeling nostalgic like we are, make sure to check out our latest retro collegiate collection. Shop here.

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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.

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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.

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Less than 24 hours after suffering a foot injury at a CrawsOver Pro-Am league game in Seattle, Chet Holmgren had flown to Oklahoma City to get it looked at. And as he sat in the x-ray room in front of OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti, a wide range of emotions began to kick in. 

Hearing him describe it, it sounds like somewhere between guilt, pain, disappointment, sadness and distress. Probably a little hint of all of them. 

It was late August 2022, and the start of training camp was just about a month away. For Holmgren, that signaled the highly anticipated debut of his rookie season after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft earlier in the summer. Fans had already gotten a glimpse of his talent at Summer League weeks earlier. But it appeared that his real debut would have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. The prognosis didn’t look promising. 

“I’m doing imaging, I’m sitting on the doctor’s table and I’m talking to Presti, and I’m just falling apart because he just drafted me two months, month and a half prior, and it’s like, you want to kind of validate his belief in you and the organization’s belief in you. And then you get hurt and you feel like you let everybody down, even though I wasn’t wrong for it, I was trying to get better and trying to hoop,” says Holmgren, who was ultimately diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot. “But I just remember sitting there and just falling apart. Not like apologizing, because I knew I had nothing to apologize for, but I was just so hurt by it. And then he was giving me advice, and he’s a big, big process guy. So, he was just reminding me, like, the process is going to win in this. And that’s part of why I took everything so serious and didn’t cheat any corners or anything. Just because I had people reminding me that the process is always going to win in the end.”

SLAM 248 featuring Chet Holmgren is available now. Shop here. 

Nine days later, he’d have surgery. The recovery timeline meant he’d have to miss the entire upcoming season. And for the following eight weeks post-surgery, he’d have to wheel himself around on a scooter. Not like that was ever going to stop him from hitting the hardwood and getting up some shots. 

“I was out there on the court, standing on one leg with the other leg up on a scooter, just shooting as many shots as I could shoot before they made me go sit down—they’d be telling me, like, Go home!,” he recalls. “But when you’re just standing on a scooter, you’re not getting tired, so I was like, I can do this all day.”  

Setbacks help put things into perspective, and this particular one was no different for Chet. Mundane everyday tasks all of a sudden became the most challenging and time-consuming missions ever. But it’s the ability to reflect back on those moments, unpack them and articulate the frame of mind derived from the experience that makes it all worth it for the 21-year-old.  

“I was literally wheeling around on a scooter for the first eight weeks post-surgery. You know, it really makes you realize what you’re taking for granted when just the ease of life is taken away—I couldn’t drive anywhere, it was my right foot, so I’m pretty much relying on other people to get me around. Everything’s harder,” he says. “I gotta hop around, getting in and out of the shower, everything’s more difficult. So, it really makes you appreciate all the small things that you can really do every single day with ease. And I feel like I didn’t take it for granted before, but [I] definitely don’t now.” 

His first game back would be almost a year later at Summer League in Salt Lake City last July. A light 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.

“I just remember I was so amped to get out there and play. And I was just so ready. And I remember the first time I touched the ball, I got so excited [that] I just put up a terrible shot,” says Holmgren, laughing. “It was an awful shot. And nobody looked at me wrong for it—cause I feel like everybody understood—but at the same time it was a terrible shot. I just wanted to make sure I came out aggressive, ’cause I was ready to play. I’d been waiting 13 months to play. I hadn’t played a game in 13 months. There was a lot of emotion around it. I had my family out there watching me and all my teammates were supporting me in that moment, but they’d been supporting me throughout the whole process.”

It wouldn’t take long for him to start turning heads in the regular season. In just his second outing, Holmgren set the franchise record for most blocks in a single game by a rookie with 7. This came as no surprise to anyone who saw him play at Gonzaga, where in his college debut, he matched the program’s single-game blocks record—which, coincidentally, was also 7.  

By the time Chet was one month into the NBA’s regular season, he had also become the first rookie in franchise history to have multiple 30+ point outings in the first month of his career. In fact, he dropped 30+ twice within a four-game window.    

To no one’s surprise, he was named Rookie of the Month in the Western Conference for October/November. And in December, he showed no signs of slowing down, averaging 17.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 13 games on his way to yet another Rookie of the Month nod. 

He ranks top four in the NBA in blocks per game as of late January. 

In retrospect, trusting his foot wasn’t an issue at all upon returning. If anything, it became the least of his worries. 

“The biggest thing that I learned from injuries is, like, where you got injured, you’re working so hard to strengthen it, that part of your body is going to be good. It’s more all the things around it that get deconditioned so much when you’re sitting out and just letting your body heal,” says Holmgren. “So, your foot’s good now, but now your back’s weak, so your back is getting tight, and then now your knee hurts ’cause you haven’t been putting that pressure on it and keeping it as strong. And then you got shin splints ’cause you’ve been sitting out for so long that that needs to recondition. So, it’s like all the little things around it pop up. But if you’re able to manage that and then kind of stay on top of it, over time it’ll go away.”

The impressive early start to his career has him in a tight race with San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year.   

Not only has Chet put up big numbers—tune in to a Thunder game and you would think he’s been part of their rotation for a handful of years based on the way he’s been able to seamlessly fit in. The impeccable chemistry has helped propel the franchise to the top of the Western Conference standings. At a little over the halfway mark of the season in late January (as we head to printers), the Thunder find themselves half a game from the No. 1 spot in the West. 

“I mean, I don’t have expectations, but at the same time, I’m not surprised by anything that I do,” says Holmgren. “I feel like whatever I go out there and do is an accumulation of the work that I’ve put in. I know what I can do. I know what I need to work on. And what I go out there and do are things that I’ve been working on my whole life. So, am I surprised by what I’m doing? No.”  

It’s not often that a team has one player in serious contention for the MVP award while another one is doing the same in the ROY race, but that’s exactly where this OKC franchise finds itself with its duo of Chet and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nor is it often that a team that didn’t even make the playoffs the prior season is now vying for the No. 1 seed in the conference. This is undoubtedly a new era for the franchise, and Chet is poised to help bring back that same aura that he remembers the Thunder having in middle school when Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook were all teammates during their early years in the League. 

“I remember watching their playoff series back in, like, ’11, ’12, ’13 and everybody’s wearing the same color shirt, screaming [in the stands],” says Holmgren. 

“We’re gonna get back to that point.” 

SLAM 238 IS OUT NOW! 

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post Chet Holmgren Reflects on How He Propelled Past Season-Ending Injury to Assemble Historic Rookie Season 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.

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.

Carmelo Anthony officially retired from the NBA in May 2023, after racking up 28,289 points, making six All-NBA teams and winning three Olympic Gold medals. While he spent his last few seasons barnstorming around the League, he’ll be remembered for his tenures with the Nuggets and Knicks, where he headlined some great teams that were eventually dispatched by greater competition. But I think as time goes on, we will remember Melo for more than just basketball.

Melo was in the same 2003 NBA Draft class as LeBron James, which would put most players in danger of being overshadowed. But he shined his own light and carved his own path, which took serious work on and off the court. On the morning of the 2003 Draft, I sat down to breakfast with Carmelo, right there in the lobby of the Westin Hotel in Times Square where the NBA housed the players. His agents wanted us to meet in advance of Melo taking over the SLAM Rookie Diary, which I would help him write each month. We shared an awkward meal together, Melo just weeks removed from winning the NCAA Tournament with Syracuse, and just hours away from the biggest moment of his life. I mostly just tried to stay out of his way that day. 

But we were in constant contact throughout his rookie year—shout out tmail, IYKYK—and it was remarkable to see Melo gain confidence and start to grow into himself. He matured, became a father, had his own line of Jordans, and was starting to dabble in documentary production. At the time, you’ll remember, there was no real blueprint for an athlete looking to diversify their off-court interests. Michael Jordan was still building out Jordan Brand and yet to purchase the Hornets, and Carmelo and LeBron were feeling out similar lines of inquiry regarding what their business futures might look like. 

In the summer of 2008, we reached out to Carmelo because it was time to put him on the cover of SLAM, his fourth cover since the 2003 Draft. Melo was entering his sixth season, having averaged 24.4 ppg over those first five campaigns (all winning seasons), including two All-Star appearances. Still, it was tough for the Nuggets to break through—things were so stacked that the 2007-08 Nuggets won 50 games and still finished eighth in the Western Conference. 

Down to give us time for a cover shoot, Melo wanted to pitch us an idea: He wanted to be on the cover seated in a director’s chair. Nope, I quickly responded. Because if there was one thing the great Dennis Page taught all of us at SLAM, it was how to make a dope magazine cover. It was hard enough to do something compelling in that rectangular shape, and having someone sitting down really limited your options from a design standpoint. But Melo had legitimately thought it out. His life was changing. He felt like he was in control. He wanted to use one story to tell another story, and how better than by using a photo with him in a director’s chair? 

A compromise was reached. We would get a director’s chair and take pictures with Carmelo in it, but for the cover image, we’d use whatever worked best. As it turned out, the director’s chair worked best, turning into one of the more memorable SLAM covers of all time. 

We talked that day about his growth, and Melo noted, “It took me a while to figure out that I had everything in my own hands. It was hard to fathom that I went from a row house project building to a penthouse. It’s still hard to fathom that.”

Melo’s basketball story may have come to a graceful end, but he’s clearly not finished. He guest-edited SLAM’s Social Justice issue in 2020, addressing head-on many of the social issues in America then and now. The last few years, he’s done everything from owning a soccer team to acting on TV and in movies to launching a podcast to being profiled in Ad Week. And it don’t stop. 

People often ask me who my favorite NBA players are, and the truth is, I don’t have favorite players so much as I have favorite people. While Carmelo Anthony will go down as a Hall of Fame basketball player, maybe the better story is how he’s also grown into a Hall of Fame person. 

Photo via Getty Images.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: Carmelo Anthony appeared first on SLAM.