To download cover: http://bit.ly/2e2ea2f
ON THE COVER: Carmelo Anthony has found his voice and become a leader among athletes taking a stand against racial injustice. Carmelo sits down with Howard Bryant to discuss his social activism. By Howard Bryant, in collaboration with TrueHoop http://es.pn/2e4gWGG
DON’T MISS: Quarterback Sam Bradford has always been full of promise but has consistently been derailed by bad luck or lousy circumstances. His trade to the Vikings right before the season seemed at the time like another awkward fit, but he and offensive coordinator Norv Turner have made it work. Bradford has been nearly perfect, and the Vikings are undefeated. Has he finally found a good fit? By Tim Keown
Issue highlights and features:
The Trouble With Draymond Green
Draymond Green is one of the best players in the NBA, an unprecedentedly versatile player who fits perfectly into what modern NBA offenses and defenses look like. But he can also be tough for teammates and management to deal with. The Warriors know all too well they can’t win without Draymond Green. Problem is, they might not be able to win with him either. This is the behind-the-scenes tale of Draymond Green’s 2015-2016 season—and how the Warriors will use him going forward. By Ethan Sherwood Strauss
Everything You (N)Ever Wanted to Know About Stephen Curry’s Mouthguard
The return of the NBA season brings with it one of the most famous, most disgusting items in sports: Stephen Curry’s mouthguard. We tell you everything you ever—or never—wanted to know about his mouthguard, from its origin to how much a used one cost at auction. By Mag staff
Mad Money
Most NBA fans don’t know who Tyler Johnson is. Some NBA players have no idea who Tyler Johnson is. Yet he signed a $50M deal this offseason to stay with the Miami Heat, the first offseason transaction to truly test the barometric pressure of the upcoming CBA negotiations. This is the story of how Tyler Johnson became the NBA’s unlikeliest $50M man and how Chris Paul, the president of the NBA Players Association, and LeBron James, its VP, will protect (or perhaps sell out) players like him in what will almost assuredly be the most contentious CBA negotiations in NBA history. By Pablo S. Torre
The Sleepwalking Dead: Games Your Team Will Lose
It’s no secret that the 82-game NBA season is long and grueling. We’ve figured out which games your team will most likely lose based on fatigue factors like travel and playing multiple games in a short span. By Baxter Holmes
NBA Team Previews
In coordination with TrueHoop, we preview all 30 NBA teams, using projections from our ESPN Forecast team to reveal where teams rank on the pretender/contender scale and how progressive the front offices are.
Twitter Bio Match Game!
The NBA’s finest bios, 160 characters at a time. By Mag staff
Additional issue highlights and features:
Ultimate Standings
The Ultimate Standings is our ranking of all 122 franchises in the four major pro sports leagues based on what fans told us about how each team is doing. Using categories like players, coaching, affordability and title track—all weighted based on what fans say is most important to them—this year’s top team is … the Tampa Bay Lightning! We’ll examine what the Lightning do right … and what other teams (cough, cough, 49ers, team No. 122) do wrong. By Peter Keating
Voices: A poem by former basketball player and acclaimed poet Nikky Finney. *Presented in collaboration with espnW
College football: How coach Chris Petersen turned Washington around. By Brock Huard http://es.pn/2ehs9n9
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