NIKE.COM/BASKETBALL #216 JULY/AUG 2018 THE FUTURE ISSUE 14. 22. 32. 42. 52. The Outlet Shareef O’Neal Anfernee Simons Ben Simmons 2018 SLAM Boys and Girls HS All-American 16. 24. 34. 46. Teams NBA Legends and DeAndre Ayton Jalen Brunson Emoni Bates Their Sons 56. 30. 36. 48. A’ja Wilson 20. Collin Sexton Luka Doncic Gary Harris and Allen Iverson Jamal Murray THIS PAGE AND AYTON COVER MATTHEW COUGHLIN SIMMONS COVER JONATHAN PUSHNICK DONCIC COVER PABLO GARCIA 4 SLAMONLINE.COM COVER LOGO TREATMENT ILOVEDUST 70+ Countries. 32 Teams. 1 Global Event. Get Ready. 8LI2&%ƅWƼVWXIZIVKPSFEP]SYXLFEWOIXFEPPXSYVREQIRX )PMXIERH]IEVSPHFS]WERHKMVPWXIEQWJVSQEVSYRHXLI[SVPH 8SPIEVRQSVIZMWMX Jr.NBA.com/worldchampionship Coming this August #216 JULY/AUG 2018 THE FUTURE ISSUE 58. 72. Cassius Stanley Carlos Boozer 60. 73. NBA 2K League Cherokee Parks 62. 74. NBA Signature The Four-Point Shoe Athletes Line 65. 78. Kobe’s Signature Kicks Sneaker Line On Court 66. 80. Connecticut Sun Slamadamonth 68. 82. Nico Mannion Frozen Moment 71. The G League 6 SLAMONLINE.COM PABLO GARCIA 2018 VOL.25 NO.4 PUBLISHER Dennis S. Page EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER David Schnur HEAD OF CONTENT/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Figman CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alexis Cook EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Susan Price Thomas SENIOR EDITOR Ryne Nelson SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Arvind Pitchai, Joseph L. Sherman ASSOCIATE EDITORS Franklyn Calle, Max Resetar, Alex Squadron ASSISTANT EDITOR Ian Pierno NEWS EDITOR Marcel Mutoni EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Rajah Allarey, Habeeba Husain CONTRIBUTING EDITORS The Sixth Man Ryan Jones, Abe Schwadron, Tzvi Twersky BASKETBALL EVANGELIST Rick Telander SENIOR WRITERS Russ Bengtson, Michael Bradley, Khalid Salaam, Leo Sepkowitz, ou’ll notice that this issue is energy and resources in covering the high Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams, Nima Zarrabi a little...different. There’s no school basketball scene than ever before CONTRIBUTORS Ben Collins, Jack Jensen, Sam Laird, Y formal HYPE section, no NOYZ, (word to @SLAM_HS—go follow that on Howard Megdal, Lang Whitaker no PUNKS, and it’s absent a lot Instagram and Twitter if for some reason ART of the usual sections that fill your average you’ve been sleeping), and we’re excited DESIGNER Lester Padilla issue of SLAM. to announce that this August the first CONTRIBUTORS Cassy Athena, Jamal Burger, Matthew Coughlin, Instead, with a few exceptions, we set- ever SLAM high school all-star game will Pablo Garcia, Chase Grizzly, Jack Jensen, Charlie Lindsay, tled on a slew of stories and tossed them be going down at the legendary Dyck- Jarod Opperman, Jonathan Pushnick, Ricky Rhodes, Evan Trusewicz, Vuhlandes, Ryan Young, Mark Ward on top of each another, one after the next man Park in New York City. That whole VIDEO after the next. This wasn’t out of laziness weekend is going to be fire, and if all goes SENIOR PRODUCER or lack of inspiration. We decided to format to plan, will set the stage for a recurring Derek King ASSOCIATE VIDEO EDITOR/SHOOTER the issue this way because all of the event that’ll take place for years to come. Christian Quezada stories are (again, with a few exceptions) Can’t wait. ASSOCIATE VIDEO DIRECTOR, HS Bryan LaRussa so connected by a common theme that ADVERTISING putting rigid boundaries between them Peace, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR didn’t feel right. Michael Yaari JUNIOR CONTROLLER SLAM 216 is our second annual Future Jake Vitaliano Issue. (We leaned into the concept a little MVP Spiro Maroulis softer during last year’s version of this is- For all advertising inquiries, email [email protected] sue—SLAM 211—but this year we’re going SLAM MEDIA INC. all out.) Just about every article in here CHAIRMAN Joe Samberg nods to the future of hoops and the direc- Adam Figman VICE CHAIRMAN Peter Robert Casey CEO Dennis S. Page tion that the game and culture are heading COO David Schnur in. There’s a way heavier youth basketball P.S. While I can’t promise we won’t be HEAD OF SLAM STUDIOS Reid Wittman presence than I believe in any issue of using this magazine to try all sorts of fun Consumer Marketing, Enthusiast Media Subscription Company Inc. SLAM ever; all of the NBA features focus stuff in the coming months and years, I SVP, CIRCULATION Tom Slater VP, RETENTION & OPERATIONS FULFILLMENT on up-and-coming superstars as opposed do know that next issue we’ll be returning Donald T. Robinson III to already-established icons; and even to our usual format, with the same mag To carry SLAM in your store: 800.381.1288 the couple of Old School pieces are about sections you’ve come to know and love. SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE guys working to make an impact with the For US: [email protected] or 800.333.6411 International: 386.447.6383 or write to SLAM, P.O. Box next generation (or in one case, the next P.P.S. Oh, almost forgot! The digital ver- 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please include name, address and phone number on any inquiries. wave of NBA execs). sions of our new covers MOVE. So make Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, It’s a theme that aligns well with sure you peep them on our social accounts London, ON N6C 6B2. just about everything going on at SLAM or website after you’re finished reading BACK ISSUES these days. We’ve invested more time, this thing. To order back issues, visit https://www.circsource.com/store/storeBackIssues.html Occasionally our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services we believe would be of inter- est to our readers. If you prefer to be excluded, please email your current address and a note requesting to be excluded from these OFF THE BENCH promotions to SLAM Media Inc. at [email protected]. Write to SLAM: [email protected] You can thank our Creative Director, Alexis Cook, for the fresh new look For general inquiries, email [email protected] we’ve been rocking for the last two years. Before she took over at SLAM, Alexis worked at Guitar World, XXL and Popular Mechanics. When she’s not designing SLAM covers with Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and an Printed in U.S.A. alligator (!), Alexis spends her time traveling the world (Iceland and Portu- Copyright © 2018 by SLAM Media Inc. gal are her latest recommendations) and watching serious TV like The Real All rights reserved. Housewives of New York. Check out more of her work at alexiscook.com. 8 SLAMONLINE.COM be better everyday More reps are just the beginning COMPLETE WORKOUTS | INSTANT ANALYTICS | POST ENTRY PASSING | WORLD CLASS EXPERTISE | PERFECT FOR INDOOR/OUTDOOR & HOME USE Train like the best players, coaches, and trainers in the world with Dr. Dish and become a COMPLETE PLAYER. drdishbasketball.com/slam | (844) 722-1386 JOIN 200,000+ FANS AND FOLLOW US @DRDISHBBALL Trash Talk For real, this might be the best cover ever. separate award than MVP, which is most month for women’s basketball. Huw Hopkins via Facebook *valuable*. But what do I know?—Ed. An example of this is in the National <3—Ed. Championship game in which Arike How can anyone there say they know Ogunbowale hit the winning three and Klay Thompson should be leading his anything about basketball and the NBA how she had done it in the previous game own team, I’m sure he could do it. Put when you leave the good Doctor off the (the Final Four game). I know you guys him on a team like Milwaukee or New cover (of the TOP 100 issue). Dr. J was have a lot on your plate with covering Orleans, and you could have a team otherworldly!! He is, in my estimation, the NBA playoffs and all but I’m sure all go from fringe playoffs to a legitimate the most exciting player to ever lace of your female readers and others alike championship contender. them up! Period!! Your can redress your would really appreciate it if more women Dylan Robinson via Facebook massive oversight by doing a feature were covered in your issues. on the good Doctor forthwith. The Doc Lauren Nelson via email I am 13 years old, and I don’t know what continues to be disrespected, and it has This issue has the first ever Girls SLAM SLAM’s opinion on the MVP this year to STOP!!!! HS All-American team, plus features is but I’m thinking LEBRON JAMES all Maurice Moody via email on an up-and-coming WNBA team and the way. Not James Harden, LEBRON. an up-and-coming WNBA superstar. KING JAMES’ stats are way better. He First off, I love your magazine, it’s Enjoy!!!—Ed. leads Harden in RPG, APG, BPG, FGM, definitely the best basketball mag in and is 3.3 points behind him in PPG. the game and I really look forward to Not to mention that Harden is one of reading it every month. But I would really SEND LETTERS TO: the League’s worst defenders unlike appreciate if you would cover women’s TRASH TALK, C/O SLAM LEBRON. Also, being a big Pacers fan basketball more. You rarely have female 21 W. 46TH STREET, SUITE 504, as myself let’s see if we can’t get Victor athletes in your magazine (maybe one or NEW YORK, NY 10036 Oladipo on the cover of SLAM soon. two at most) and it would be nice to have MESSAGE US ON FACEBOOK Gabriel Jolly via email either more women regularly in your OR EMAIL US AT: I still think they should start a Most issues or a whole magazine on the game [email protected] Outstanding Player award for the *best* of women’s basketball.