All eyes are on Golden State, where championship or bust is the motto this season—because with KEVIN DURANT and STEPHEN CURRY on the same roster, the 2016-17 Warriors are one of the most loaded teams in the history of the NBA. Let them be great.
Media Day is an odd way to celebrate the start of the NBA season. Instead of partaking in on-court action, players are whisked through a cycle of media responsibilities and peppered with questions that range from bizarre to silly to—on rare occasion—thought-provoking. Since no basketball has been played in months, guys are often asked to weigh in on hot topics in the national conversation—this year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest during the national anthem is discussed with nearly every player—or how they spent their summers, or what they hope to accomplish over the course of the next six months.
The process itself is jarring. Cameras flash everywhere as players go through a gauntlet of TV interviews, press conferences, photo shoots, radio hits, podcast spots, Snapchats, tweets and flicks for the ’gram. There are strong “first day of school” vibes.
Out in Oakland, the calendar reads late September but it feels like mid-July as the temperature creeps into the mid-’90s. Though players aren’t scheduled to show up for another few hours, the Warriors’ training facility is already starting to fill up with camera crews, media and team staff members waiting to get a glimpse of two of the game’s biggest stars side-by-side as teammates for the first time.
By our estimation, it is the highest-attended Media Day across the League (perhaps in history even), and for good reason. Not since LeBron joined the Heat in the summer of 2010 has a basketball team captivated the country to this degree. The team, which has been cast as the NBA’s new villain, will be the League’s most covered—maybe the most covered in all of sports—and Warriors PR guru Raymond Ridder is going through an exhausting list of beat reporters and national writers who will be covering the squad on a day-to-day basis.
This story is from the December 2016 edition of Slam.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2016 edition of Slam.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The SUMMER THAT WASN'T
Playground entry fences chain locked. Rims removed. Leagues canceled. Summer basketball just stopped in 2020. And as its effects extended beyond the blacktop, we were reminded why it's so important.
METAMORPHOSIS
The sport of basketball speaks to so many people in so many ways. Dan Peterson, the founder of Project Backboard, has teamed up with artists to use the beauty of the sport to turn local courts into works of art that are accessible to all.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S Fire
For former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, the last three years have had their ups and downs. Now that he and the Phoenix Suns are back on the way up, DA wants everyone to know that's where they're planning to stay.
Now What?
As North Carolina rapper J. Cole transitioned from up-and-comer to full-blown vet, he came to a realization: staying sharp and fighting off complacency ain't easy. Inspired by his love for basketball and his desire to remain on top of the game, the 36-year-old has been treating music like a competitive sport while he readies his next project: The Off-Season.
ONE STEP AT A Time
NBA and G League vet Jeremy Lin and Loyola Marymount's Anthony Yu speak candidly about the ups and downs of being Asian American in the basketball world.
THE GARDEN Blooms
The Knicks are back. Deadass, they're back. A return to the tough, gritty, resilient style that made the teams of the past so dominant has allowed Saba Julius Randle and RJ Barrett and the Knicks an opportunity to compete for homecourt advantage in the 2021 playoffs. Facts.
CITIZEN OF THE World
Congolese native Yannick Nzosa played for professional teams in Italy and Spain before he turned 17. Now that his name is moving up the 2022 pre-draft boards, the former soccer player has one thing front and center in his mind—succeeding for his family back home.
STRONG Island
Mental fortitude and physical toughness are what's helped Long Island's Arella Guirantes make it all the way to the W.
KICK IN THE Door
The WNBA, now in its 25th season, is the longest-running women's sports league ever. SLAM sat down with four of the most influential players of all time Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sue Bird to discuss their part in making the League the force it is today.
Can't YOU SEE
It ain't hard to tell that supernatural vision has established Nuggets star Nikola Jokic as a clear candidate for the 2021 MVP Award.
