Sports Illustrated Covers
From Hoopedia
Basketball players, coaches, and personnel from all different levels of play have been featured on the cover of the iconic sports magazine, Sports Illustrated.
To see all of Sports Illustrated's covers, go to their website: Sports Illustrated covers.
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Famous Firsts
 Ken Sears of Santa Clara University was the first basketball player to be featured on a Sports Illustated cover, December 20, 1954. |
 Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics was the first pro basketball player to be featured on a Sports Illustated cover, January 9, 1956. |
 Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors became the first African American basketball player to be featured on SI's cover. He shared it with his coach, Frank McGuire, who was the first coach to make the cover. October 30, 1961. |
 Jerry Lucas, Ohio State University, was the first basketball player to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, January 8, 1962. |
 Rick Mount of Lebanon, Indiana, was the first high school basketball player to make the cover of Sports Illustrated, February 16, 1966. |
 1968 Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, was the first pro basketball player (he was a player-coach) to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, December 23, 1968. |
 1972 John Wooden, UCLA, was the first college coach to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, December 25, 1972. |
 Cheryl Miller was the first woman basketball player on the Sports Illustrated cover, which she shared with Bruce Dalrymple and Mark Price on November 20, 1985. |
 Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins at North Carolina, November 28, 1983. Jordan's first appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He has appeared on 48 more covers since. |
 Michael Jordan and Team USA are the first Olympic basketball players to appear on the SI cover, July 23, 1984. |
Professional Covers
 Lakers stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and George Mikan - November 11, 1996 |
 San Antonio Spurs, 2007 |
 Larry Bird, 1987 |
 Larry Bird and Ron Artest |
 Dave Cowens and Julius Erving, 1976 |
 Dirk Nowitzki, 2007 |
 Magic Johnson, 1980 |
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 Julius Erving, 1976 |
 Oscar Robertson, 1971 |
 Elgin Baylor, 1966 |
 LeBron James |
 LeBron James |
 LeBron James |
 Yao Ming, 2002 |
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 Dwyane Wade |
 Steve Nash, 2005 |
 Dwyane Wade |
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 Ben Wallace |
 Shaquille O'Neal |
 Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant |
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 Ron Artest graced the November 29, 2004, cover of Sports Illustrated after the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl in Auburn Hills. |
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 Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, 2007 |
 Magic Johnson on an issue from June 4, 1984. |
 Former Detroit Pistons player Fennis Dembo. |
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 Phoenix Suns star Alvan Adams. |
College Covers
 2005 March Madness Issue |
 Len Bias, 1986 |
 Elvin Hayes and Lew Alcindor, 1968 |
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 Kentucky Wildcats, 1989 |
 Jameer Nelson, 2004 |
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 North Carolina Tar Heels, 2005 |
 Duke Blue Devils, 2005 |
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 Roy Hibbert of the Georgetown Hoyas |
 Georgetown Hoyas win 1984 championship. |
 Dee Brown with University of Illinois, 2005 |
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 The Florida Gators |
 The Arizona Wildcats |
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 Washington Huskies, 2005 |
 A UCLA challenge |
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 1974 College Preview |
 Jason Kidd of California vs. Bobby Hurley of Duke |
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 Felipe Lopez - the cover appeared before Lopez had even played a game with St. John's. |
 UCLA Bruins star Sidney Wicks, 1970 |
 Bill Walton, UCLA Bruins, 1973 |
 Bobby Knight, 2000 |
 Storied Yale mascot, Handsome Dan |
High School Covers
 Tom McMillen, 1970 |
 Sebastian Telfair, 2004 |
Other Basketball Related Covers
 The Women's Olympic Team. |
Bobby Knight's firing. |
 The "Dream Team," 1991 |
 Booger Smith, streetball, 1997 |
