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Cover Story: The NBA and Modern Basketball as Told through Its Most Iconic Magazine Covers
A nostalgic romp through modern NBA history as documented by basketball's most iconic and innovative magazine covers. Every magazine cover is the result of a series of intentional decisions. Cover Story shares the behind-the-scenes stories of these deliberate choices, which led to the most iconic basketball-related magazine covers during a period from 1984 to 2003.
Through 100-plus interviews conducted with writers, editors, publishers, photographers, creative directors, and the players themselves, the book explores Michael Jordan’s relationship with Sports Illustrated , Shaquille O’Neal and the hip-hop generation’s impact on newsstands, the birth of SLAM and the inside stories of their most iconic covers, how the 1996 USA women’s basketball team inspired a new era of women’s sports magazines, the competition among publishers to put high school phenom LeBron James on the magazine cover first, and much more. Offering an immersive look at some of the most impactful moments in a golden era for modern basketball, this engaging read will appeal to basketball fans, pop culture enthusiasts, and those who want to take a deep dive into understanding how the individual components of a classic magazine cover come together.
Features four full-color inserts showcasing a collection of notable magazine covers!
Through 100-plus interviews conducted with writers, editors, publishers, photographers, creative directors, and the players themselves, the book explores Michael Jordan’s relationship with Sports Illustrated , Shaquille O’Neal and the hip-hop generation’s impact on newsstands, the birth of SLAM and the inside stories of their most iconic covers, how the 1996 USA women’s basketball team inspired a new era of women’s sports magazines, the competition among publishers to put high school phenom LeBron James on the magazine cover first, and much more. Offering an immersive look at some of the most impactful moments in a golden era for modern basketball, this engaging read will appeal to basketball fans, pop culture enthusiasts, and those who want to take a deep dive into understanding how the individual components of a classic magazine cover come together.
Features four full-color inserts showcasing a collection of notable magazine covers!
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Alex Wong
50 books13 followersAlex Wong is the head copywriter for an advertising media agency specializing in custom websites and internet marketing.
He's trained with some of the top copywriters and internet marketers around and has learned the best methods, tricks, and strategies to persuade customers. He loves bringing people’s visions to life with the power of words.
A few other interesting things you might find interesting...
· He's the first person in his family to graduate from university (with a degree in psychology).
· Before becoming a copywriter, he's worked as a waiter, customer service agent, telemarketer, animator, tutor and English teacher. Surprisingly, all of these jobs have helped him to become a better copywriter.
· If he could meet one anyone it would be Bruce Lee. You couldn’t ask for a better role model
He's trained with some of the top copywriters and internet marketers around and has learned the best methods, tricks, and strategies to persuade customers. He loves bringing people’s visions to life with the power of words.
A few other interesting things you might find interesting...
· He's the first person in his family to graduate from university (with a degree in psychology).
· Before becoming a copywriter, he's worked as a waiter, customer service agent, telemarketer, animator, tutor and English teacher. Surprisingly, all of these jobs have helped him to become a better copywriter.
· If he could meet one anyone it would be Bruce Lee. You couldn’t ask for a better role model
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 21, 2022
Good not great book. Interesting lens to tell the history of the game, but left a bit to be desired.
January 25, 2024
While not my typical read, I really enjoyed this book. Looking back at NBA history through the lense of magazine covers was a really interesting premise.
I will say that I still think this was more a book about the history of basketball magazine publishing than a book about basketball itself but I didn't mind that.
I also wish the magazine covers had been put throughout the book in each chapter rather than all at the end.
I will say that I still think this was more a book about the history of basketball magazine publishing than a book about basketball itself but I didn't mind that.
I also wish the magazine covers had been put throughout the book in each chapter rather than all at the end.
November 7, 2021
Started and finished this book in 24 hours. One of my favorite reads in a long time and it ties together the medium of sports magazines with the storytelling of the growth of the game of basketball wonderfully. I would recommend the physical copy for the photo inserts in the middle, which provide the imagery and art woven into these larger than life stories.
March 7, 2022
A good idea that wasn’t fully fleshed out and executed as well as it could have been. Would have been fun to have more in-depth looks at particularly consequential covers.
Also dinging it for lazy writing like Dikembe Mutombo’s “home country of Africa.”
Also dinging it for lazy writing like Dikembe Mutombo’s “home country of Africa.”
July 28, 2022
It's a very enlightening and entertaining look at some basketball history. It taught me about an era I missed because I was too young at the time and makes me nostalgic for when I would read print magazines.
March 2, 2022
Great fun read. Anyone interested in basketball hip hop and culture should give it a read
May 16, 2022
An informative look at how magazines and basketball culture merged together from 1984-2004.
January 5, 2022
This was a quick read with some interesting stories for someone like me who could picture some of these magazine covers even before flipping to the middle to see them. I’d have liked to see even more images; there are plenty that are secondary to the main story in a chapter that still would be nice to see without hopping online.
I may be a little too sensitive to this kind of thing, but there were a few bits that struck me as lazy or rushed. For instance, a story about Dikembe Mutombo mentioned John Thompson leaving a “one-way airline ticket back to his home country of Africa” at his locker.
Overall a nice look back that lined up perfectly with my fanhood.
I may be a little too sensitive to this kind of thing, but there were a few bits that struck me as lazy or rushed. For instance, a story about Dikembe Mutombo mentioned John Thompson leaving a “one-way airline ticket back to his home country of Africa” at his locker.
Overall a nice look back that lined up perfectly with my fanhood.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews