LeBron James: The One
SLAM 106 hits newstands, with a familiar face staring at you…
The truth is, when I went to Cleveland a few weeks ago to talk to LeBron James for the cover story in SLAM 106, I didn’t have much of an idea regarding what I should talk to him about. The thing with LeBron is that nearly everything has been written, at least as far as his past goes. ESPN the Magazine pretty much publicly admitted they had no idea what to with LeBron when they did their cover with him before the season started. The big cover line read: “Is LeBron Mean Enough?” The cover image was LeBron in front of a plain background with a smile on his face, a word bubble coming from his mouth with the words: “I like to share the comedy.”
What does that even mean? Is LeBron mean enough to do what? Win championships? Because that Magic Johnson guy wasn’t exactly known for being mean and he did OK for himself.
Anyway, all that to say I didn’t have much of an angle for the story going in. I did know that I wanted it to be more about LeBron right-now-in-this-moment than most of our past stories have been, and a little heavier on the basketball stuff than we’ve previously been.
From the time I knew I was writing the LeBron story to the time I went out to Cleveland to talk to him, I DVR’d and then watched a ton of Cavs games with a notebook at my side. And the one thing I kept noticing over and over was how big a part LeBron’s patience plays in everything the Cavs do offensively. At the time, the Cavs were really struggling offensively. So that became a big part of the story, as well as a lot about how the Cavs use LeBron. Mike Brown told me he’s calling about 30 percent fewer plays for Bron than they used to call, which seems impossible because he still gets touches nearly every time down.
The other thing that jumped out at me was how the team didn’t seem to be putting much stock into the regular season games. You’d read in the papers about the players joking around after losses, and Mike Brown would get wildly fired up after random games, which seemed like a way to try to keep the team focused. After spending some time in the Cleveland locker room on the road, it became obvious to me that they’re coasting a little bit right now, waiting for the postseason to try and turn it up a notch. And LeBron didn’t exactly discount that theory. (Although Mike Brown nearly had a heart attack when I asked him about it.) That’s all in the story as well.
There was a constant stream of stories at the time I was working on this insisting that LeBron was tired. His numbers were down, sure, but to me that seemed more like a function of the team using Bron differently.
So one night after a Cavs win I asked LeBron if he was tired.
“I’m averaging 28 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists…” he said. “Yeah, I must be exhausted. I’m really killing the team out there.”
Another thing LeBron talked about that I found intriguing was when he said never really felt the Cavs were his team until the Playoffs last year. And when did the Cavs turn things up and surprise most of the NBA? Some timing there, huh? More on that in the story, too.
We had a cover concept for Bron: Recreating the NBA logo, or at least something similar to
it. This is LeBron’s team, and going forward it’s going to be his League. Also, it just seemed like a cool idea for a cover, and one that we’d never done before. We actually went to the NBA to make sure they wouldn’t sue us for doing it, then ran with it. The story goes into a lot more detail about the actual shoot, but it’s safe to say LeBron turned out to be much better at art-directing the shoot than we suspected he’d be.
One thing that always plays a part in anything we do is access — specifically, how much we get (or don’t get) with a particular player. I’ve had five minute with Rasheed for a cover story, I’ve had full days with Steve Nash in Canada. It depends on the player, it depends on his schedule, it depends on how he’s getting along with us at the moment. LeBron’s always been great to us, in large part because we did that feature on him at the beginning of his junior year in high school, when he was still largely unknown. But getting guys to sit down in the middle of the regular season is always tough, and the day LeBron wanted us to come out for the shoot was no different, because it was in the middle of a bunch of Cavs games, the day after a road game, and the Cavs had practice that morning and then LeBron had to do a photo shoot “as a favor to Nike” before coming to see us.
We set up all our photo gear on their practice court (where the Cavs don’t practice, for some reason) and waited for Bron. From where we were I could see the Cavs practicing on the main court there at the Q, and then could see LeBron rushing through the other shoot, and I could see a pack of reporters nipping at his heels as he walked quickly off the floor to put on his game uniform for our shoot.
When he showed up for us, we did the shoot and I talked to him throughout the shoot, then talked to him for a while after the shoot. A few nights later the Cavs played in New Jersey, so I went to that game and after he talked to the general media he allowed me into his little private area to lob questions at him for ten minutes while he got dressed. One week later, I went to a Cavs/Hawks game and Bron gave me another chunk of his time postgame. All told, over three cities I probably got about an hour of interview time with him. Considering one of the bigger magazines once did a cover story with Bron off a 15-minute interview, it was a relative gold mine of time.
While we were doing the photo shoot, word came down that Carmelo was being given a 15-game suspension. This became the off-the-record topic of the afternoon between me, Bron and his LRMR crew. That will all go down in the “Things I Can Never Write About” notebook, on the page right after the night I spent gambling in Vegas with the Olympic Team.
One last thing: LeBron is really frigging good. We’ve all watched him play for a while now, but I’d never really immersed myself in all things Bron. And when I’m working on a story on a guy, that’s what I try to do. So I spent one entire Saturday watching tape, from morning to night. And I kept finding myself going “Oh!” or “Ah!” out loud. (I’m pretty sure my wife thought I was watching a different kind of tape.)
My outbursts weren’t from dunks or wildly physical plays (though there were plenty of those) so much as the little things. More than once I saw LeBron, in the middle of running a wing on a break, shift himself over left or right by a couple of inches. It was a miniscule amount of moment, but once he got to the basket he was zipping in at the perfect angle. He’d noticed this 40 feet earlier and made the adjustment.
I could go on all day, but that wouldn’t be fun for you guys or for me. Just go out and cop the issue. Officially the issue drops Feb. 6, but you’ll be seeing it everywhere soon, maybe even this week. Oh, and this is the SLAM remix issue. After 105 issues, we finally shook things up between the covers. Things look pretty different, sections have changed.
You can even read an entire article written by Sam Dalembert extolling the virtues of virtual servers and CCNA certification. No lie.
And if that’s not what’s up, I don’t know what is.
189 Responses to “LeBron James: The One”
Jan.24 at 4:28 pm
dpak says:
that is hands down the best looking cover you guys have done.
Jan.24 at 4:28 pm
J3K says:
Looks great! Can’t wait to get my copy in the mail (still waiting for my free SLAM headband!)
Jan.24 at 4:28 pm
TheHype says:
I dunno man, I’m still waiting for Rosen’s prediction of Bron’s an “average player at best” to come true…
Jan.24 at 4:30 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Just wait a dozen years, TheHype.
Jan.24 at 4:30 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
I’m really excited to cop this issue, although the whole SLAM remix thing has me a little nervous…
Jan.24 at 4:31 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Trust us.
Jan.24 at 4:40 pm
RudX says:
Best. Cover. Ever.
Congratulations guys!
Jan.24 at 4:43 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I’m still partial to the King of Hearts cover from fall of ‘05, but I’m psyched to see this one… Susan, I assume the FedEx is in the mail?
Jan.24 at 4:44 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Glad you guys are feeling the cover so far. As far as the “remix,” it’s still the same mag, don’t worry. Now it’s just better!
Jan.24 at 4:46 pm
Chris says:
Looks sweet, can’t wait until it drops. But what is this, cover #10 for Bron? If y’all don’t have Nash on your next cover something is wrong with you. Steve is BAAALLLLLIIINGGGG.
Jan.24 at 4:48 pm
TheHype says:
haha, I got nuttin’ but time! what’s Rosen been up to lately anyway, anyone know? it’s still the same mag, don’t worry. Now it’s just better!
..says the new EIC, hehe just playin’.. I can’t wait!
Jan.24 at 4:54 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Looks good. I was trying to think if I’d ever done a cover story with zero minutes of interview time. I’ve definitely done features that way (see: Payton, Gary and Pippen, Scottie), but I’m not sure about a cover.
Jan.24 at 4:57 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
That Sheed cover was the shortest time I ever had, I think. Iverson was about the same.
Jan.24 at 4:59 pm
mutoni says:
hot. i’m enjoying seeing the word “gnarliest” on a SLAM cover.
Jan.24 at 5:00 pm
William says:
Not feeling the cover, the concept is original catchy and nice, but man, what a weird pose.
Jan.24 at 5:11 pm
J says:
greatest dunk ever…shaq off the backboard free throw dunk at the all star game
Jan.24 at 5:19 pm
C-Note says:
This pose reminds me of the poses made by JKidd and CWebb on their split issue a couple years back.
Jan.24 at 5:20 pm
James says:
I like the new look to the cover. Slam is my favorite magazine and I can’t wait to get it in the mail. Getting this issue will be like opening a present Christmas morning.
Jan.24 at 5:22 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Lang, wait—does this mean LeBron is now your main man?
Jan.24 at 5:23 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Nice memory, C-Note. Different concept, obviously, but that’s a pretty good call.
Jan.24 at 5:25 pm
Captain Melo says:
I never subscribe to magazines and I just ordered 20 issues from you guys. Lang, you are the devil.
Jan.24 at 5:26 pm
Joe says:
But did you get to talk to the Big Drizzle during that time???
Jan.24 at 5:27 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Yes. Him and Ahmad Rashad.
Jan.24 at 5:27 pm
Max Airington says:
Nice cover. Looking forward to the inside.
Jan.24 at 5:27 pm
calven says:
this cover is ok, but i really thought that A.I. was going to get tha cover…..(that was tha biggest trade of tha year)
Jan.24 at 5:29 pm
dpak says:
the picture almost looks like it was drawn. looks even better the second time around.
Jan.24 at 5:35 pm
jay says:
lang-great stuff. love the cover and the logo with bron was genius. i am more on the shoe tip ..his shoes are pretty cool imo! hope my boy kob gets anther cover soon. i know he makes his only trip to the garden next week..hint..hint..you doing an interview with him than?? love the nike ad btw!!! fire!
Jan.24 at 5:37 pm
Mikey says:
So whats the best dunk ever?? It best be VC on freddy or im cancelling my SLAM subscription!
Jan.24 at 5:41 pm
clapzilla says:
So Right After Melo Gets His Second Cover, James Gets His 20th? Why Not Just Alternate. James Twice, Then Wade, Then Iverson, Then James Two More Times, Then Wade, Then Iverson, Maybe Nash or Kobe, Then Repeat. Don’t Bother With Melo For Another Three-Wait, Even Better, Four Years. And Have Him Share With Iverson.
Jan.24 at 5:49 pm
itai says:
dope!
Jan.24 at 5:51 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Clap, Nice Work On The Caps! And you’re right, we do a lot of LeBron covers, because he’s a huge story, an amazing player, and his covers sell. Of course, you also forgot Chris Paul, Gilbert Arenas, Amare Stoudemire and Ben Wallace, just to name four guys who’ve been on the cover IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
Jan.24 at 5:52 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
It’s not VC on Freddy, Mikey. You’ll have to get the mag to see what it is.
Jan.24 at 5:53 pm
Winter$ says:
really nice cover, but do you think if Micheal Redd hadn’t gotten injured he would deserve a cover? (I do)
Jan.24 at 5:55 pm
Mike says:
Okay Lang i’ll trust you on this one, but im not happy about it.
Jan.24 at 5:56 pm
H to the izzo says:
I think Clapzilla might have the clap
Jan.24 at 5:56 pm
Dutch Rich says:
Yo Lang, who shot the cover if I may ask.
Jan.24 at 5:57 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
I can’t believe there someone on the site who refers to himself as clapzilla.
Jan.24 at 5:58 pm
Ryan Jones says:
You can only have one main man, Lang.
Jan.24 at 5:58 pm
Valarie says:
It’s nice to have a cover with an action shot instead of some guy standing there and looking surly.
Jan.24 at 5:59 pm
H to the izzo says:
In fairness hemroidzilla probably didn’t have the same ring to it
Jan.24 at 5:59 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Yes you can, Khalid. Yes you can.
Jan.24 at 6:00 pm
Melissa Brennan says:
atiba jefferson shot this cover.
Jan.24 at 6:00 pm
Ryan Jones says:
WOAH! Brennan, what the hell are you doing on here?!??!? Cover looks dope. Nice work, lady.
Jan.24 at 6:02 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Let’s just say Michael Redd’s injury (not to mention the Bucks painful mediocrity) removed himself from cover candidacy for the time being…and that’s just fine with us. As for the dunk, Mike, I feel confident when I say you haven’t seen this one.
Jan.24 at 6:03 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
You just shut Khalidzilla up.
Jan.24 at 6:06 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Whatever happened to the team covers? Did the whole Nets thing turn you guys off?
Jan.24 at 6:10 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Winter$ must be Michael Redd’s agent.
Jan.24 at 6:12 pm
Melissa Brennan says:
thanks ry! you know you miss me. i’m secretly addicted to reading the posts. don’t tell anyone…
Jan.24 at 6:15 pm
caputo says:
This issue is what SLAM is about; Perspectives on basketball that differ from those of the country’s daily newspaper writers. The change is good, great maybe. Looking it over, SLAM has once again put a fresh face to their promise of unparalleled reporting on basketball; a global phenomenon that touches people’s souls just as much as hip-hop, modern dance or MYSPACE. The Lenny Cooke feature is darmm near flawless, the Hype section more fun and the little-known parts of the game brought to light like only B. Osborne and his people could.
Jan.24 at 6:36 pm
Dutch Rich says:
Thanks Melissa,
Could not help myself noticing your exchange with Ryan. You have something to do with the outcome of the artwork?? R
Jan.24 at 6:39 pm
Melissa Brennan says:
i’ve been the creative director here for a couple of years. i’m this month’s contributor too make sure to check it out!
Jan.24 at 6:53 pm
DBLIZZY! says:
Lang, why even mention the off the record stuff if its… OFF THE RECORD! Now I’ll just have to assume that means Lebron and his crew said some grimy shit about Melo. You leave me no choice.
Jan.24 at 7:04 pm
canadian_baller1867 says:
What a great cover. Definately would look great as my wallpaper on my computer…speaking of which, the wallpaper section DEFINATELY needs to be Comeback Section of the Year
Jan.24 at 7:07 pm
jbn74sb says:
Attempts to replicate The Logo aside, it looks from the pose like LeBron needs to watch some of those Magic Fundamentals DVDs. First of all, that’s a carry. Second, his footwork’s all wrong…
Jan.24 at 7:16 pm
J-roc says:
Iverson should be on the june issue and his new uniform
Jan.24 at 7:18 pm
Soulonice says:
Damn, enough with ‘Bron already. We get it, he’s a great player, once in a generation. Stop rubbing our faces in it. What does KG have to get an article, let alone a cover? When was the last time Ticket was in the mag, 2003? And since then there have been how many articles on ‘Bron? Just sayin’….
Jan.24 at 7:48 pm
Reggie Evans says:
What was Leonardo DiCaprio (in baseball cap) saying to a shirtless LeBron that was making him laugh?
Jan.24 at 7:48 pm
FLUXLAND says:
What is up with that cover? Me no likey. The blue and red is not even split evenly in the pic. It’s like 50 / 50 on the the top and 70 / 30 at the bottom. That pose looks like he’s about to do a crossover and then trip on his own feet. And the face… what is up with that look? I’m not even sure what to say about that expression on his face. I’m sure you guys could have came up with a different pic. Thumbs down from me.
Jan.24 at 7:51 pm
DP says:
I hate when u guys put the same people on the cover all the time. But i guess u guys can’t think of any one else in the NBA. maybe u guys shouldn’t even have a cover. just mail the damn magazine with the cover ripped off so I can just read the pages because i don’t won’t to look at the same mag every fffin month. play wit it.
Jan.24 at 8:08 pm
Reggie Evans says:
The on the record, off the record deal in journalism seems like the most unnatural concept. I would hate it if I was a reporter. Isn’t a reporter’s job to reveal the truth? How can they, if they decide to censor parts of it, because their subject tells them it’s “off-the-record”. Everything spoken should technically be on the record. I know that it’s a reality of the job, because you want to balance access to the subject along with being candid with your readers. They’ll never talk to you if you print anything they happen to blurt out. But, it just sucks, that’s all I’m sayin. Because I want to know what they said, without filters! Ah, shite.
Jan.24 at 8:34 pm
rav says:
guys, just wondering when the melo issue will be posted to uk subscribers - still havent got it yet - only got the one before on the 23rd dec!
Jan.24 at 8:50 pm
clapzilla says:
Yeah, Hemroidzilla Just Doesn’t Work. That Was The Thing I Forgot, James Sells. More Power To SLAM! Just Don’t Overdo It Like SI. I Can’t Stand Their LeBron Hype.
Jan.24 at 9:23 pm
Dizzy says:
Give KG a cover before he falls off
Jan.24 at 9:29 pm
Jake Appleman says:
The whole issue looks tremendous. As I sit here at the Knick game, I give thanks that so much good work went into it. Lang, where are your funny remarks for my game notes that I’m currently working on.
Jan.24 at 10:03 pm
Chief says:
So he needed to get a triple double to get a cover?
Jason Kidd has a lot of those, that’s all I’m saying.
And it looks like we can look forward to you guys giving him a cover everyyear.
Jan.24 at 10:21 pm
yo mama says:
YO… BRON IS GOOD N ALL…BUT SOMONE ELSE NEEDS A COVER…ITS LIKE YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM AT LEAST ONE COVER A YEAR
Jan.24 at 10:26 pm
Dizzy says:
KG, J-Kidd, Baron, Utah Jazz
Jan.24 at 10:29 pm
Scribdibbles says:
The cover looks hot, I’ll give you that. But SLAM has been slipping for a long time. Still the best basketball magazine in the world, but not by much.
Jan.24 at 10:32 pm
Daniel says:
What the fuck.Kobe should be on the cover or a Laker.
Jan.24 at 10:33 pm
Drolfe says:
Cover looks hot as hell, greatest dunk of all time is super intriguing, but I’m most looking forward to that Barkley interview. Hell yeah.
Jan.24 at 10:41 pm
Alphabet says:
This cover is right up there with the AI ‘fro cover, this is gonna catch alot of people’s eye.
Jan.24 at 10:58 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
alphabet, you’re smoking more than alphabits if you think this cover touches the AI blowout cover…
Jan.24 at 11:41 pm
Dman says:
The dunk is the 720 AUT ..greatest dunker on earth (right now)….and why the F### is there another lebron cover…i’m tired of seeing his mug on the cover …slam needs to spread the love more … i’m a true ball fan and could care less if i ever see him on the cover again … theres 500 plus players in the league and you guys have the same 3 -4 guys constantly on the cover …wheres the YAO cover …Gilbert cover…even Air up there cover…nuff with these AI , LeBron, Wade covers
Jan.25 at 12:23 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
I love the new look. LeBron is definitely blowing out his ACL this week.
Jan.25 at 12:23 am
Jackson says:
Just a question. Will this ish be longer cuz the last issue was almost as skinny as NBA Inside Stuff or Dime.
Jan.25 at 12:44 am
B Town says:
You know who needs the next cover…the Jazz. Coming out of nowhere like they did? Or if not the whole team, Daron Williams and Boozer.
Jan.25 at 12:46 am
Ben Osborne says:
Dman: Gilbert was the cover three issues ago!
Jackson: This issue is 136 pages–nice and hefty.
Jan.25 at 1:20 am
Phila says:
the cover is ill. cant wait to finally flip through it. next issue should have tmac on the cover. he just dropped 37 on the spurs.
Jan.25 at 1:23 am
Lang Whitaker says:
Phila, T-Mac was on the cover of Kicks about six months ago. Besides, if we shot him right now, he’d probably hurt his back before the issue comes out.
Jan.25 at 1:24 am
Gord says:
This cover looks amazing…and I hate to repeat what everyone else is saying here…but you really do far too many Bron Bron covers…I don’t hate on the guy, but he hasn’t really done anything of significance this year. I realize that he’s putting up ridiculous numbers as usual, but there’s just so many other people who deserve a cover right now. Time to get the cover on your MySpace page!
Jan.25 at 1:49 am
Will Lee says:
Can we have a Phoenix Team cover?
Jan.25 at 2:04 am
paige says:
nice idea with the cover/nba logo and all but it just looks like you guys got lazy…there’s nothing original about it at all - doesn’t actually look much like the logo at all. i sure hope you shook things up more on the inside cause the cover looks awful.
Jan.25 at 2:21 am
namik says:
Why does kinda look like an Inside Stuff(Is that what its called??) cover? Anyway LBJ gets the first of his customary 2 covers per year. I really hope the story is better this time than the last one(I dont read these things, they spoil the mag for me).
Atleast my man Monta gets some love. Looking forward to it either way….hope you havent built it up too much.
Jan.25 at 5:08 am
mak7227 says:
How bout a Jet,J.Howard, Dirk cover.(with Cuban lurking in the background) Jason Richardson’s off the backboard, between the legs dunk is one of the best dunks ever.
Jan.25 at 7:43 am
David says:
The cover looks great, especially since it’s something new. I’m sure the Barkley article will be nice. And it’ll be interesting to see how the whole ‘remix’ thing goes. Every time Slam changes editors I worry that the magazine is going to lose quality. But I do have to say that the mag has continued to improve, year by year, issue by issue.
Jan.25 at 9:59 am
Lang Whitaker says:
For what it’s worth, Bron’s last cover was in the fall of 2005.
Jan.25 at 10:31 am
Norway says:
Very cool cover! I like what I see!
Jan.25 at 10:59 am
Atomic Sushi says:
Nice cover, but Lebron again????!?!?!?!?! When is Yao Ming gonna be in the cover?! He deserves it! The last time he had a cover was with Francis beside him.Now Yao has come to his own! Come on! When he gets back in March, Houston will be killin!!!
Jan.25 at 12:11 pm
Harlem World says:
One things for sure, if you gave Yao a cover and got that Chinese distribution on lock? Y’all gonna make enough to float you for the next 6 issues. But here’s the list you need to roll with for cover consideration (with story hook) to hold down your number 1 spot (at least in freshness, as we all know you got sales on lock): KG: “Real Talk” - What I REALLY think about McHale and my destiny to retire without a ring and be remembered in medicority. Nash: “The Price Of Success” - Inside look of which demonic cult I had to trade my soul into to turn my game around from little used scrub to 3 time league MVP. Z-Bo,Artest&WooJackson: “Three The Hard Way” - Blaxploitation movies are makin a comeback y’all! Magic/Zo: “Magic Medicine” - When you got money, you can defy nature. Larry Brown: “Pimpin Ain’t Easy” - How to rip and run in the new NBA. OK, you get the idea…there are plenty of stories out there to be written…choose one.
Jan.25 at 12:25 pm
CB4mvp says:
Hey, I wonder if you guys are going to send a second cover with Carlos Boozer on it just to Cleveland subscribers…I’m really sure they would way rather that to Lebron.
Jan.25 at 12:40 pm
karan says:
the cover is DOPE
but lebron again>????? fuck… he’s great.. but greatness gets boring if grilled into our faces…
so many other great players are screaming for recognition right now: KG, AI (in that nuggets jersey), b.diddy, gasol (he was world champion, wasnt he? and the best player in the tourney), and the jazz (deron, ak-47, okur, and boozer)… just to name a few..
but lebron again? come on
Jan.25 at 12:50 pm
tim says:
LEBRON AGAAIN ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Ive been a slam reader since the 10 year anniversary issue. The problem is i can’t remember any body since then thats had a cover other than LeBron. He’s had like what…???? Exactely, i lost count. Greatness is good, but to much is boring. Let Bron just do his thing.
Jan.25 at 1:17 pm
Mike says:
You gotta be kidding me if you think that the so called “720″ is the best dunk of all time. I can think of at least 10 other dunks that kill that one.
Jan.25 at 1:36 pm
JayLynch15 says:
I know Lebron is really good but another cover is wrong, plain and simple. Wheres a cover for KG? A maverick? or someone from the Jazz. Sure it’s probably between Bron and Kobe for the best player but other players need covers i.e. Nash or Tyler Hansbrough! ok Hansbrough isn’t a superstar but he’s CRAZY
Jan.25 at 2:14 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Tough crowd.
Jan.25 at 2:32 pm
William says:
Could it really be a sign of OVEREXPOSURE for Lebron ? I never thought that was possible.
Charles Barkley interview should be interesting. I think
Jan.25 at 2:33 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
You guys complain so much. Bron hasn’t been on a cover since the fall of 2005, check your info before you start hating. PS. We ain’t never gonna fall off…..
Jan.25 at 2:47 pm
Chris says:
Bron is just a little overexposed right now. you can’t turn on the tv without seeing him selling something, add that to the fact that the cavs are playing uninspired basketball and people start wondering why out of all the people in the league you gave him a cover. Why not someone from the Mavs or the Suns, why not the gators or the bruins (yeah I know you don’t do college covers), hell even kobe is more deserving of a cover than Bron.
Jan.25 at 3:09 pm
Dutchie says:
Crazy Cover!!, Can’t wait to pick it up..
Jan.25 at 4:24 pm
KMG says:
The only issue of SLAM that i’ve missed since the Starks cover was the 2005 preview issue with LeBron wearing the crown…and that was because I was dead broke. I’ll not be making that mistake again.
Jan.25 at 4:48 pm
Melissa Brennan says:
try our back issue website or ebay when in doubt. www.primediabackissues.com
Jan.25 at 4:52 pm
Brian says:
I would have thought the photo was Bron Bron bowling if you didn’t mention the logo.
Jan.25 at 5:26 pm
some1 says:
why always lebron men,that guy is everywhere isn’t it enough for y’all
Jan.25 at 6:38 pm
Alphabet says:
Keep my name out your mouth Big Country
Jan.25 at 8:01 pm
NZ Baller says:
Karan…how could you possibly think AK47 deserves any props right now?! lol
Jan.25 at 8:11 pm
AP says:
Is that really Big Country?
Jan.25 at 8:24 pm
William says:
perhaps it’s not that the covers are too frequent, but rather, they’re too memorable.
Jan.25 at 10:05 pm
Troy Dallas says:
k there has to be some requirement as to the number of games played to be eligible to be voted as a starter, cuz seriously, Shaq and TMac over Nash and Curry?
Jan.25 at 10:32 pm
TrippleX says:
i think the chris bosh cover was the best. CONGRATS TO MA BOY BOSH FOR ALLSTAR PF STARTER! CHYEA!
Jan.26 at 6:54 am
Larsylad says:
Well I guess all these comments mean the cover IS just as sweet as it looks. And I guess the old ball is the best?
Jan.26 at 10:13 am
ojmayothefuture says:
LeBron again? Where is Gilberts cover? U need to show some respect to my boi manuet bol
Jan.26 at 11:11 am
Ryan Jones says:
“Where is Gilberts cover?” Well, which one do you mean, OJ? The KICKS cover he shared with his fellow three-stripers last summer, or the SLAM cover he had all to himself… three issue ago? Because if you were more specific, I might be able to answer your stupid question.
Jan.26 at 11:28 am
mustard says:
gilbert had his cover only 4 issues ago. william is spot on
Jan.26 at 1:46 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I pointed this out on The Links, but we’ve had 8 of the 10 All-Star starters on a cover in the last year. Nine if you count Shaq and Wade on the cover just over a year ago.
Jan.26 at 1:52 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Lang, that statistic almost makes it sound like we know what we’re doing. That’s crazy talk.
Jan.26 at 4:12 pm
caputo says:
all these copy cat magazines are in trouble, ay Ben?>
Jan.26 at 4:22 pm
caputo says:
just make sure you already fired the guy who put Famous Brown in the magazine.
Jan.26 at 4:45 pm
ty says:
T R U T H
Jan.26 at 5:38 pm
Mo says:
The cover sucs lol im sorry they need to put yao ming and tracy mc. grady on there even though yao iz injure, their having the best season they had in a long time.
Jan.26 at 5:41 pm
Mo says:
CANT WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR THEY NEED TO PUT TWO ROOKIES ON THERE TOGTHER. P.S.
ITS KEVIN DURRANT AND GREG ODEN IN THEIR NBA UNIFORM
Jan.26 at 10:58 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Greg Oden will not be in the 2007 NBA draft.
Jan.26 at 11:12 pm
TrippleX says:
how do u know? we’ll jus have to wait and see.. man trust, as long as oden can go to memphis, ill be fine. i dont want no oden in atlantic division. thatll screw up ma raptors AND knicks. hope boston or philly dont get him. otherwise i cudnt care what yr he declares for draft.
Jan.27 at 3:02 am
ekam says:
IT LOOKS LIKE U DREW THE COVER
Jan.27 at 8:52 am
Ryu says:
I would love to see a college cover some time. I know you are not the biggest NCAA fans, but think about it. What was the last college cover? Iverson/O’Bannon, or Skip? Whatever, that was in another century.
Jan.27 at 9:57 am
Ryan Jones says:
We like college ball, Ryu. It just doesn’t sell on a cover very well.
Jan.27 at 10:55 am
CAPO says:
this cover is proably best ever
Jan.27 at 10:59 am
CAPO says:
yao ming should have a cover as soon as he comes back…a cover all to himself…no double cover issue…cause he was beasting when he left and will continue when he comes back….houston will straight dominate
Jan.27 at 12:01 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Greg Oden will be in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Jan.27 at 12:02 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
(Just trying to generate talk on here.)
Jan.27 at 12:08 pm
Malik B says:
I hope The Remix doesn’t suck like Ish 105. And Ish 104. And Ish 102.
Jan.27 at 12:10 pm
Malik B says:
Ish 103 doesn’t count because Ben Wallace was on the cover and it was relativly big.
Jan.27 at 1:46 pm
snoir says:
Nice cover, can’t wait for my copy to arrive. But LeBron really looks awkward on the pic, bet he was trying to make some room for the ‘n’ in ‘Bron’…I think it would’ve looked better though if he’d rocked the jersey he wore on the cover of SLAM 71. Those Cavs jerseys really look ugly, LeBron must really be great since his jersey is one of the best-selling out there.
Jan.27 at 2:09 pm
Ryu says:
Yup, I thought that’s the reason, and I can’t deny it. But, it still would be great. It would be kind of fresh. Anyway thanks for the answer Ryan, but tell me one more thing. HS dudes, sell more pieces, than college cats?
Jan.27 at 2:58 pm
Gilbert0 says:
I think this is one of the best covers but not better than mj’s or gil’s cover(s).
Jan.27 at 3:33 pm
botan says:
this cover is absolute genius!! congrats, give your staff a pay rise! by the way, i live in the u.k, can i still subscribe. im willing to pay postage. thanks
Jan.27 at 7:18 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Ryu, the really high profile HS kids have that “next big thing appeal” that seems to intrigue people. There aren’t many who qualify, but those who do have the next-level hype and attention (LeBron, mainly, but also Bassy and Oden to name a couple guys in the past few years) have sold OK for us.
Jan.27 at 8:08 pm
nick c says:
great cover but you should get some of earl boykins
Jan.27 at 9:53 pm
Rob says:
yo yall was talking bout yall got 9 of the 10 all star starters on the cover in the past year so give T-Mac a cover hes playing his best ball since that back decided to start hurting
Jan.28 at 12:36 am
george says:
Is it just me or is t-mac way overdue 4 another cover.
Jan.28 at 12:51 am
gansta boy says:
this is the best cover ever!!!! I cant wait to read the article about lebron. he is my favorite player. also cant wait to see inside the cover and how u guys at slam remixed the mag!!!
Jan.28 at 1:26 pm
jr724 says:
It’s funny how everybody is pissed that you gave Lebron a cover after more than a year without him on the front. I do agree though that a year ago you guys seemed to be addicted to LBJ and couldn’t seem to get through a couple issues without him on the cover. But now that we got some new guys that are cover worthy (CB4, Agent Zero, CP etc.) it’s been nice seeing someone other than Bron staring at me. Btw nice idea having LeBron pose as Mr. Logo.
Jan.28 at 3:21 pm
magic07 says:
Wut about a Dwight Howard cover! The guy is turning into the best big man in the game.
Jan.28 at 5:58 pm
joe says:
How can VC over Freddy Weis not be the best dunk EVER!
Jan.28 at 5:59 pm
niQ says:
nice cover.. but why lebron again?.. isnt it time for another ppl to shine?
Jan.28 at 9:30 pm
(-_-) says:
Im intrested by the cover bah not really da interview. Isnt it just askin him about stuff at the time of the interview. like how the cavs are goin? boring!
Jan.28 at 11:11 pm
Agent Zero 4 M.V.P. says:
All of you stop hatin man King James is one of if not the best player in the league and is gonna be a starter in this year’s ASG in Vegas (he got the 2nd most votes ever) and he’s only like 22 so get use to seein him on the cover also the Sir Charles interview should be dope and what about some love for Josh Howard? JO?? and Eddy Curry???
Jan.29 at 12:53 am
Agent Zero 4 M.V.P. says:
Someone else I forgot Booz and Deron Williams
Jan.29 at 1:25 am
Boing Dynasty says:
For real, wheres that Antonio Danials or Jamaal Maglore cover. Haters.
1
Jan.29 at 2:15 am
JcInk says:
I don’t think that it was ever a question whether he was going to be great or not, it was more of a matter of how long it was going to take him to reach greatness,(even though he is still to reach his full potential)and as i read somewhere (i think it was on the last slam with Lb on the cover) he isn’t the next Jordan, he’s the first LeBron. and i think he deserved every cover that he gets.
Jan.29 at 3:42 am
malo says:
bron again!? just seems like there is so much talent out there (not that bron doesnt sit up the top of the talent list somewhere…) but seriously! you came up with a fresh idea for the cover why not put a fresh face on it? spread the word about something that everybody hasnt heard over and over about for the last 3 years! and the “greatest dunk ever”??? ….this better be good!!
Jan.29 at 9:44 am
Ryan Jones says:
Damn, Boing. As always you shine the light of truth on our transgressions. Or something.
Jan.29 at 11:41 am
Hightz says:
Amazing job on the cover, but since you guys show us the cover every month kills the whole surprise and joy of me going to the mail box and and finding one of the NBA elite staring me down….=(
Jan.29 at 1:33 pm
scott says:
We need more Steve Nash.
Jan.29 at 4:20 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
Ryan, that is of course only if Kenny Thomas is busy.
Jan.29 at 4:58 pm
justin says:
QUEEN JAMES is one of the most over rated player in the L the only reason he scores so many points is because his team is shit. like last year mike james was with the raptors and look what he did when he has nobody else on the team avg 20+ a game and james is barly doing that this year so for all you dumb james fans hes garbage
Jan.29 at 7:26 pm
Agent Zero 4 M.V.P. says:
If you got beef with The 2nd Coming of MJ shut up or put up hey heres an idea check the stats the all star votes anything and you will realize he deserves all this love he is one of a kind plus how do you call Z,Gooden,Marshall,Sideshow Bob,Larry Hughes and Snow garbage whats wrong wit u god dayum!!!!
Jan.29 at 9:09 pm
jr says:
lenny cooke! i have to buy four of these Remix!
Jan.29 at 9:16 pm
Jake Appleman says:
LeBron is good at basketball. It’s true, like Lang asserts in his story. You should watch him sometime.
Jan.29 at 10:38 pm
tony says:
thats such a nice cover
Jan.30 at 12:55 am
rodrigo says:
wow how many times does lebron james get on slam each year? like 2 times a year. You could have given it to kobe, nash, nowitizi, or arenas at least but not lebron he doesnt deserve it at this point of the season
Jan.30 at 2:21 am
howard says:
when will Yao Ming get his own solo cover? Oh wait, kids won’t buy it
Jan.30 at 3:10 am
DeMarco says:
Ben Osborne, you’ve done me proud, young man…
Jan.30 at 5:41 am
Agent Zero 4 M.V.P. says:
Hey about that best dunk ever have you ever heard of Henry Bekkering if not you will now watch this……….
Jan.30 at 5:45 am
Agent Zero 4 M.V.P. says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPGxE5ti-UY this is were nate got his idea from.
Jan.30 at 6:57 am
Drolfe says:
Some of the comments here are astoundingly ignorant. Do people comment on this website without reading the magazine? I mean… LeBron is overexposed / We want Gilbert?
Wow.
Jan.30 at 10:15 am
WeS hElL says:
I THYINK THAT HE WOULD GET BANGED ON BY PAUL PIERCE
Jan.30 at 4:39 pm
J-Bird says:
We do need more Nash
Jan.30 at 4:57 pm
YoungHoody15 says:
THA KING!!! dats da best cover I’ve seen from u guys in a minute
Jan.30 at 7:02 pm
Jaime says:
That’s a hot cover, but I’ve seen enough of LeBron and his team is still a mediocre team. We need to see a cover from Nashty, Dirk, or KB24.
Jan.31 at 8:57 am
J-roc says:
T-mac & yao should get the next cover and I am still a slam subscriber since they first came out
Jan.31 at 10:10 am
THECOMMISH says:
I got the free headband and the cover is sweet!!!
Jan.31 at 11:08 am
Mo says:
First Greg Oden and Kevin Durrant N noah will be in the 2007 draft. second im gettin tired of telling ya’ll that they need to put yao ming and t mac on the cover. im gettn tired of fukn lebron james, carmelo n a.i. on tha cover
Jan.31 at 4:52 pm
Shawn Hall says:
It’s a great cover, but I still think Kobe holding the Black Mamba around his wrists is the best cover.
Jan.31 at 7:26 pm
P.Wilds says:
Damn another lebron cover…not haten but i’m sick of seein him onda covers of slam…it loooks nice yada yada yada…but come on hop-off
Feb.1 at 6:00 pm
Z man says:
Sweet idea man you probobly was thinking of that pic for a long time… but still it’s a great idea.
call me when the old school comes back 2 town a’ait??(KG, JKidd, T-Mac…)
Feb.2 at 8:29 am
J-roc says:
Kobe needs a new cover with his team logo
Feb.3 at 11:50 pm
C-money says:
Where do you get the Limited Edition Air Force Ones and great magazine the best
Feb.6 at 7:17 pm
Logan Light says:
The new layout is hot. I loved just flipping through it. I will admit - when I got it in the mail, I literally thought I had just received a present. This thing is nice.
Feb.6 at 9:33 pm
owen says:
wow, the “remix” huh? well, let me tell you, putting Lebron on the cover AGAIN is the least “remixed” thing SLAM has ever done. And also, more about this “remix”, 4 of the last 6 issues have had somebody from the 2003 draft. i cant believe you would even call that a remix.
Feb.8 at 6:28 am
kobe? says:
guys get kobe on the cover again. Iversons afro cover and kobes snake cover had to be the two best…and the three jordan covers that came out at the same time
Feb.9 at 11:54 pm
J-roc says:
Kobe is now playing team ball and iverson is with melo
Feb.10 at 6:28 am
D~(-_-)~K says:
TEEEE-MACCCKKKK
Feb.11 at 12:59 am
Akizzle says:
Khalid Saleem,
Bron was last on the cover in the fall of 2005. True. He was also on the cover twice last year! How many times has Nash, KG, Baron Davis, Rip Billups been on the cover? And when was the last time those guys got a cover? Do you get my point?
Feb.11 at 5:27 pm
Kevin Wilson says:
Any chance this or other SLAM covers will ever be sold as posters? If not, I’ll probably just have to buy another issue and frame it.
Feb.12 at 9:39 pm
me:D says:
how do i shoot lik ljames??
Feb.13 at 1:03 am
Christian Rodriguez says:
CLASSIC ISSUE
Feb.15 at 3:00 pm
tricky_baller says:
hey lebron i,m reading your magazine right now your doing great in basketball and nice cover too by the way
Feb.27 at 3:59 pm
alex says:
how come i did not get a slam headband
Apr.13 at 12:20 pm
» LeBronOlogy - SLAM ONLINE says:
[…] And that was that. To see what I ended up writing about, you can flip back to this post. Or go out and buy SLAM each month. Hey, maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all. var staf_confirmtext = ‘Mail sent’ #stafBlock { position: absolute !important; z-index: 100000; display: none; width: 200px; } #stafForm { background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #cf2652; padding: 5px; margin:0; } #stafForm h2 { margin: 0; } #stafForm input, #stafForm label, #stafForm h2 { font-family: ‘Lucida Grande’, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; font-size: 1em; color: #222222; } #stafForm input { width: 90px; height: 15px; margin-top: 5px; border: 1px solid #ccc; } #stafForm label { float: left; display: block; width: 90px; line-height: 16px; } #stafClose { float: right; margin-right: 5px; } x […]