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The King James Version: The cover photo will get all the
attention (trust us), but don't let that distract you from the
exclusive interview with LeBron James. On the eve of his third NBA
season, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar sat down with Slam to
discuss leaving his agent, his unlikely new management team, the
Cavs' new-look roster and his own sky-high expectations. Among the
highlights. LeBron on trying to make the playoffs: "I can't afford
not to be in the postseason again. I can't. I just won't do it."
LeBron on his new teammates: "On paper, it looks great. I'm very
excited about the guys we have. But we have to show it on the
court."
LeBron on respect: "I take pride in knowing that any time I go on
the court, I have respect. That's one of my goals, and I live up to
my goals."
LeBron on confidence: "When I step on the court, I always want to
be the best. It doesn't matter who's on the court. If Jesus came on
the court, I still wanna be better than him. That's just my mind
frame."
LeBron on taking over his own career management: "I wanted to be
able to make my own decisions. Why should I have somebody else sit
in a meeting about me? I wanna be at those meetings."
2005-06 NBA preview: The magazine's season preview package
includes conference profiles (we like the Spurs and the Pacers),
annual rookie and MVP predictions, and features on four players
whose offseason moves could make the difference for their new teams:
Quentin Richardson of the Knicks, Sarunas Jasikevicius of the
Pacers, Stromile Swift of the Rockets and Shareef Abdur-Rahim of the
Kings. Finally, there's exclusive inside access to Chicago's Hoops
The Gym, home of the most heated preseason runs on the planet. If
you've ever wondered where NBA all-stars get their games back into
shape, wonder no more.
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 College features: Boasting depth, balance and all-American
talent, the Villanova Wildcats are the subject of a full-length
feature in the new issue. Two decades removed from the most
memorable season in school history, the 2005-06 Wildcats are poised
for another championship run.
The magazine also brings you profiles of Dee Brown and James
Augustine of Illinois, Monique Currie of Duke, Patrick Sparks of
Kentucky, and Whitney Boddie of Auburn. Plus, LSU star big man Glen
Davis offers a compelling first-person take on his experience
helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina in Baton Rouge.
High school hoops: Monthly high school coverage kicks off
with the remarkable story of Junior Cadougan, the 15-year-old
Canadian prep phenom who dodged bullets in his native Toronto before
relocating to suburban Atlanta. You are also introduced to Vernon
Macklin of Virginia, Brandon Jennings of Los Angeles, Jonathan
Scheyer of Illinois, Shamari Spears of New Jersey (by way of North
Carolina), Dallas Lauderdale of Ohio and Brooklyn Pope of Texas. All
that plus the latest "Basketball Diary," from Thaddeus Young of
Memphis.
Slam Old School: In its latest "Old School" feature, the
magazine catches up with former Cavs and Timberwolves all-star
Terrell Brandon. Still at the top of his game when injuries ended
his career, Brandon wasn't ready to retire. But that doesn't mean he
wasn't ready for life after basketball.
Etc.: Also this month -- up close with three NBA players at
very different points in their careers: Chris Webber looks forward
to his first full season in Philadelphia, out to reconfirm his place
among the game's elite; former NCAA champion Charlie Bell returns
from international exile in the hopes of finally making a permanent
NBA home in Milwaukee; and rookie Charlie Villanueva is out to prove
that Toronto used its first-round pick wisely. There's also a Q&A
with actor and hoops fanatic James Lafferty; Dahntay Jones of
Memphis in a charitable Slamadamonth; coverage of the NBA Players
Hurricane Relief Game; and the latest "NBA Rookie Diary," from
Golden State's Ike Diogu.
The new issue of Slam is on sale Friday. For more information,
contact Tyler Moore at
slampr@harris-pub.com.
[Slam
news release] |
