Packing& taking a stroll down memory lane with my first ever copy of SLAM Mag. I’ve read this issue so many times I can name half the editorials from memory: Scoop’s letter to KG, Amare still young and still on the Suns, this kid from Marquette named Dwayne who was easy on the eyes and hard on the hardwood, and best of all, Hook Mitchell. What an issue!
I literally grew up enthralled and obsessed with SLAM. It was my introduction to And1, to Royal Elastics (long before my good friend Eddie took the design helm), to the existence of swear words in magazines and to Atiba Jefferson’s brilliant eye. I’ve joked with the guys about the impact the magazine has made on my life, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to really articulate it. I’ve kept every single copy since I started subscribing the summer of ‘03. They’ve moved with me from Cupertino to San Jose to LA, and now back. My folks must think I’m an absolute idiot for hanging onto outdated issues that I rarely glance at anymore, but they just don’t get it… This magazine changed my life. It drove my passion for basketball beyond the sports arena into lifestyle arguably set the stage for where I am today. Thank you to my favorite editors Scoop, Russ, Lang and Ben for some incredible memories. You guys hold a really nerdy, special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. One day, these will all be proudly displayed in an enormous, well curated home library. For now, they return back to my parents garage.