THE FINAL FOURS

Basketball Preview 2022–23 MEN UNC, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky

WOMEN South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Iowa

ON
A
NOVEMBER 2022
VOLUME 133 | NO. 10
SI.COM | @SINOW
Photograph by
JEFFERY A. SALTER

Is the
NBA Ready for
ZION
WILLIAMSON
2.0?
BY HOWARD BECK
 JGNRU[QWMPQEMQWVQH[QWTYQTUVEQNFƃWU[ORVQOU
,WUVQPGFQUGUVCTVUYQTMKPIHCUVHQTRQYGTHWNPKIJVVKOGTGNKGH
 NOVEMBER 2022
VOLUME 133 NO. 10

RE AD HIS LIP . . .
One look at
Timme’s facial
hair lets you
know you’re
dealing with the
most interesting
man in college
basketball.
J A M E S S N O O K / U S A T O D AY S P O R T S

DEPARTMENTS LEADING OFF P. 4 SCORECARD P. 1 4 FACES IN THE CROWD P. 2 4 POINT AFTER P. 1 1 2

NOVEMBER 2022 1
© 2022 Tyson Foods, Inc.
 LINEUP

GREEN PART Y
The Celtics
won Game 3
of the 2022
Finals at home
(pictured) but
lost their next
two in Boston,
allowing the
Warriors to
celebrate at
the Garden.

Preview
NBA COLLEGE

26 36 46 52 66 80

ZION WILLIAMSON BOSTON CELTICS CHALLENGE GUYS SCOUTING REPORTS DREW TIMME STANFORD
A lost season After losing The real heat See what Gonzaga’s The Cardinal
left him the NBA Finals in the NBA is opposing mustachioed are leaning
wondering if at home, the on the coaches scouts have to big man will heavily on their
he’d play again. defending East who have to say about all spread joy and “happiness
Now he’s ready champs have decide whether 30 teams and chase a title coach”
to show what a chip on their to appeal which players BY GREG BISHOP BY BEN PICKMAN
he’s made of shoulder iffy calls have the most plus: plus:
BY HOWARD BECK BY CHRIS MANNIX BY CHRIS MANNIX to prove MEN’S TOP 25 WOMEN’S TOP 25

NFL RECEIVERS JOE MADDON JEFF LUHNOW

FEATURES

90 How the best pass 98 The ex-Angels skipper 104 The exiled Astros
catchers get open explains his own firing GM has a new sport
BY ALBERT BREER AND CONOR ORR BY JOE MADDON AND TOM VERDUCCI BY STEPHANIE APSTEIN

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (ISSN 0038-822X) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE ARENA MEDIA BRANDS, LLC. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 2OO VESEY STREET, 24TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10281-1008. OWNED BY ABG-SI LLC. PRINCIPAL
E R I C K W. R A S C O

OFFICE: 1411 BROADWAY, 21ST FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW YORK, NY AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ALL UA A TO CFS. (SEE DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL
AND MILITARY FACILITIES: SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO SPORTS ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 37576, BOONE, IA 50037-0508. U.S. SUBSCRIBERS: IF THE POSTAL SERVICE ALERTS US THAT YOUR MAGAZINE IS
UNDELIVERABLE, WE HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION UNLESS WE RECEIVE A CORRECTED ADDRESS WITHIN T WO YEARS. CANADA POST PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40624074. YOUR BANK MAY PROVIDE UPDATES
TO THE CARD INFORMATION WE HAVE ON FILE. YOU MAY OPT OUT OF THIS SERVICE AT ANY TIME. MAILING LIST: WE MAKE A PORTION OF OUR MAILING LIST AVAIL ABLE TO REPUTABLE FIRMS. IF YOU WOULD PREFER THAT WE
NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, PLEASE CALL OR WRITE US. © 2022 ABG-SI LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED
TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: FOR 24/7 SERVICE, PLEASE VISIT SI.COM/MY ACCOUNT. YOU CAN ALSO CALL 877-747-1045 OR WRITE SI AT P.O. BOX 37576, BOONE, IA 50037-0508.

NOVEMBER 2022 3
 LEADING OFF

SEPT. 17, 2022

ÁLVAREZ BY
UNANIMOUS
DECISION
Their final brawl wasn’t a classic,
but in the end Álvarez convincingly
defended his undisputed super
middleweight title. The 40-year-old
Golovkin, meanwhile, suffered only his
second career loss—both to Álvarez.
“Thank you so much, my friend,”
Álvarez said after the pair’s post-fight
embrace. “Thank you, Golovkin.”
Photograph by
ERICK W. RASCO
 RING
TRILOGY
FIVE YEARS AFTER THEIR FIRST
FIGHT—WHICH FEATURED ONE OF THE MOST
CONTROVERSIAL OUTCOMES IN RECENT HISTORY—
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS CANELO ÁLVAREZ
AND GENNADY GOLOVKIN CLOSED OUT ONE OF
BOXING’S EPIC RIVALRIES WHEN ÁLVAREZ SCORED
A RESOUNDING UNANIMOUS DECISION IN LAS VEGAS.
THIS BEING BOXING, IT’S POSSIBLE THEY’LL
FIGHT AGAIN SOME DAY. BUT ASSUMING THAT
DOESN’T HAPPEN, THEIR THREE-BOUT PASSION
PLAY HAS ALREADY GIVEN FANS EVERYTHING
THEY LOVE ABOUT THE SPORT: SOARING DRAMA,
CONTROVERSIAL ENDINGS, HEARTWARMING
DISPLAYS OF SPORTSMANSHIP, UNREPENTANT
TRASH-TALKING AND, ABOVE ALL, MOMENTS OF
PURE PUGILISTIC ARTISTRY
 LEADING OFF FOLLOW @SIFULLFRAME

SEPT. 15, 2018

ÁLVAREZ
BY MAJORITY
DECISION
After a year of public sniping
at each other, the fighters
gave fans a classic slugfest
with another razor-thin
margin. Álvarez took two
judges’ cards and left with
the unified middlweight
championship—and bragging
rights in the trash-talk wars.
Photographs by
ERICK W. RASCO

6 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

 LEADING OFF FOLLOW @SIFULLFRAME

SEPT. 16, 2017

SPLIT DRAW
The rivalry’s first chapter was a boxing classic, both
for the fighters’ performance and its controversial
ending. Most observers thought Golovkin jabbed his
way to a narrow win, but the three judges couldn’t
agree: One scored for Álvarez, one for Golovkin, and one
scored a draw. An unsatisfying result at the time—but it
guaranteed a rematch and created an enduring rivalry.
Photograph by
ROBERT BECK
 SCORECARD
NEWSMAKERS p. 18 GAMEPLAN p. 20 FULL FRAME p. 22 FACES IN THE CROWD p. 24

14 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

MIND CONTROL
T H E D E G R E E T O W HI C H S TA R S E X E R T T H E IR IN F L U E N C E
O V E R F R A N C HI S E S R A I S E S A S IM P L E Q U E S T I O N :
W H Y W OUL D A N Y ONE E V E R WA N T T O RUN A N NB A T E A M ?

B Y MICH A EL ROSENBERG
IL L US T R AT ION B Y A NDRE W DE GR A F F

N THE summer of 2019, But Brooklyn’s asking price was

I Sean Marks told a joke so steep that any team acquiring
that seems funny only Durant could not possibly contend
three years later—and even then, for a title—which meant that
it is not funny to him. Speaking he would probably just demand
to New York radio station WFAN another trade.
after acquiring Kevin Durant and Eventually, Durant agreed to stay
Kyrie Irving, the Nets’ general in Brooklyn. Marks’s statement on
manager said that Durant had been Twitter about it was hilariously and
drawn to the team’s culture when appropriately cosigned by Durant’s
he was with the Warriors. Durant, media company, The Boardroom.
Marks said, told him: “I love the If this saga somehow ends with the
system. I love how you guys play. I Nets winning a championship (still
see how hard you guys play. . . . You possible!), maybe Durant will let
were never out of games. We could Marks serve him champagne.
never take you guys lightly.” This summer, a lot of words were
Meanwhile, Irving proceeded to devoted to whether Durant’s trade
spend the next three years relieving request was justified. But debating
himself on the team’s culture, at whether he is right or wrong is
which point Marks decided he’d had like debating whether a grapefruit
enough. The Nets would reclaim should have a rind. It doesn’t matter.
their identity, he said. Durant Durant is one of the best players in
responded by saying, “Great! But NBA history. His personality and
first, trade me.” The Nets mumbled insecurities are part of the package.
they would try, and maybe they did. If you want to eat the grapefruit,

NOVEMBER 2022 15
 SCORECARD

CLIP SERVICE
Leonard (right) wanted to be a
Clipper only if the team did his their careers, they envision The modern-day GM is part
bidding and got George as well. themselves identifying talent in scout, part concierge. They must
the draft, swinging smart trades deal with players who think they’re
and recognizing underappreciated not playing enough—or, these days,
you have to peel it; and if you want value in free agency. By the time who think they’re playing too much.
Kevin Durant on your team—as they settle into the role, the savvy They must settle disputes among
JUAN OCAMPO/NBAE/GE T T Y IMAGES

every team does and should—you ones realize that stuff is just a teammates and satisfy agents who
have to build trust with him. small fraction of the job. If they push for trades. They have to decide
The difference between being don’t realize it, they risk having which players are so unhappy that
the general manager of an NBA conversations like this: they need to go, and which ones
franchise and owning a fantasy “I am telling you to—” are only sort of unhappy and can
team is you actually control your “No.” stick around. They have to manage
fantasy team. When GMs begin “Oh, O.K. then.” crises when players say something

16 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

offensive and support the causes shedding almost their entire roster Marks’s failure came after the
that their players champion. so that James and Chris Bosh could initial Durant-Irving signings. He
When a star says he wants to join Dwyane Wade. San Antonio did not manage the egos—cajoling
play with a buddy, the GM has to ended Miami’s reign, but eventually and inspiring and standing up to
decide whether to agree, disagree, Spurs culture fought Kawhi Leonard, them when necessary, but only
acquiesce and sign the buddy, and Leonard won by knockout. when necessary. Pat Riley, as the
or persuade the star to change The Raptors traded a loyal, Heat’s president, famously stood by
his mind. This comes up with beloved All-Star, DeMar DeRozan, coach Erik Spoelstra in James’s early
almost every team in the league. for Leonard, and they won the tumultuous days in Miami. Marks?
Durant wanted both Irving and championship. The Lakers are often He parted ways with Atkinson
DeAndre Jordan, and he got them. mocked for turning their team over in March 2020. The problem, as
Three years ago, Kawhi Leonard to James and his agent, Rich Paul, Irving later explained: “We don’t
wouldn’t sign with the Clippers but whatever the Lakers did, it need somebody to come in and
unless they traded for Paul George, brought them a title in 2020. put their coaching philosophy on
and so they did. (Leonard and The Warriors and Bucks are everything that we’re doing.” In
George were not really buddies, but different in a sense: They drafted other words, coaching.
Leonard admired George’s game.) future MVPs and built champions Marks could not possibly have
The Lakers have done one deal around them. But their success envisioned COVID-19 and the
after another with clients of reinforces the point that teams vaccine controversy that kept
Klutch Sports, which happens to need stars—and stars are quite Irving off the court. But when the
represent LeBron James. conscious of that. point guard decided not to get
The GM must do all this without It is easy to mock Marks’s vaccinated, meaning he could not
completely turning his franchise decisions now. But every GM in his play home games, it was Marks’s
over to his stars. If an NBA team position three years ago would have job to deal with it. Instead, the
were a car, the GM would have his signed Durant and Irving. We can GM alternated between taking a
hard line with Irving and pleasing
him, and ultimately he did neither.
He sacrificed the remains of his
If a n NB A t e a m w ere a c a r , t he gener a l Nets culture for James Harden,
m a n a ger w oul d h av e his h a nds on t he s t eering perhaps the most catered-to
star of this era—and when that
w heel , bu t his s ta rs w oul d h av e t heir f ee t on blew up, he dealt Harden for
t he ped a l s . T he GM c a n choose a dire c t ion, bu t Ben Simmons, another talented-
t he s ta rs de cide w he t her t he y wa n t t o mo v e . but-unreliable star.
Sometimes, it seems like all
the factors that used to lead to
championships don’t matter
hands on the steering wheel, but say that he should have signed only anymore: toughness, leadership,
his stars would have their feet on Durant, but that wasn’t an option. selflessness, astute team-building.
the pedals. The GM can choose We can say that Marks should have But all those qualities matter just
a direction, but the stars decide passed on Jordan, but at the time, as much as they did 30 years ago.
whether they want to move. how could he say no to Durant? Teams just have to find different
Franchises surrender themselves Durant was right about the Nets ways to instill them.
to their best players for the same before he showed up: They did If you want to win an NBA
reason that coaches complain to the play hard and they were rarely out championship, you need to acquire
refs: It can work. Not always. Not of games. Marks and then coach stars, and you need to make sure
even most of the time. But look at Kenny Atkinson built something those stars believe in your vision.
the last decade-plus of champions, pretty cool: a selfless, hard-nosed
and what do you see? playoff team. But that team had no This message has been
The Heat won two titles after chance of winning a championship. cosigned by Kevin Durant.

NOVEMBER 2022 17
 SCORECARD

NEWSMAKERS

NEW TRACK
W I T H A PA I R O F D R I V E R S I N T H E N AS C A R
P L AY O F F S , A N U P S TA R T O U T F I T I S G E T T I N G
R E S U LT S — W H I L E AT T E M P T I N G T O R E D E F I N E
T H E C O N C E P T O F W H AT I T M E A N S T O B E A
STOCK CAR RACING TEAM

B Y M A DEL INE C OL EM A N

VERY NASCAR Cup Series champion since They quickly got the house in order, leasing a charter
E 2004, with the exception of one, has come from from Spire Motorsports, forming a partnership with
one of four teams: Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Richard Childress Racing for engine parts and aligning
Penske, Hendrick Motorsports or Stewart-Haas Racing. with a manufacturer, Chevrolet. They met with a brand
“In racing, money wins, and money has always won,” team and came up with a name: Trackhouse. They
says longtime driver Justin Marks. “And I think if you’re didn’t want racing or motor sports in the name to avoid
trying to tell a story that resonates with millions and pigeonholing themselves. They got Pitbull (yes, that
millions of people around the world, the story can’t be, Pitbull) to come on as a part-owner.
‘This rich guy’s beating that rich guy.’ ” The name Trackhouse worked on two levels. Says
Marks, 41, noticed that those four core teams had Norris, “Track can mean everything from dropping
another thing in common: the way they were named. the needle on the record to . . . a track in motor sports.
“They were all sort of the namesakes of very successful Then, house means home. A house can be a restaurant, a
owners,” he says. “As a result of that, there just weren’t bar, an entertainment venue; [it] can be a race team.”
really any fans of teams. Fans follow drivers, they follow They wanted to own a color, opting for a bold, electric
the sponsors, or the car maker or something like that.” blue. For the logo, they combined the T and H with a
So in 2019 Marks got the idea to start a true team, recognizable slash, something Norris says “is to us like a
one that fans would be loyal to. He enlisted Ty Norris, Nike swoosh. That slash can end up anywhere.”
who helped build Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the 1990s. Marks and Norris of course knew that style could
S T E P H E N S P I L L M A N /A P/ S H U T T E R S T O C K

When NASCAR committed to its Next Gen car, which is get them only so far. They needed drivers. At dinner
designed to be less expensive and level the playing field, one night, they were discussing options. “We need to
the barriers to entry were gone. They moved forward be different, bold; we need to take that underdog role,”
with their team, one that Marks says “represents what says Norris. One name that came up was Daniel Suárez
we believe the future of motor sports teams can be, and (above, left), a 30-year-old who was born in Mexico and
that’s truly a sports entertainment brand. An entity learned English through cartoons. He won the Xfinity
that tells compelling stories and unites a fan base and Series title in 2016 but struggled after making the
inspires people.” jump to the Cup Series, bouncing around three teams

18 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

 GEAR

A Foot Feat
L EBRON JAMES is joining Michael Jordan as
the only athletes in history with 20 signature
sneakers. In 2003, Nike signed an 18-year-old
James to the largest shoe contract at the time,
worth $90 million, before he had played in an
NBA game. James has since inked a lifetime
deal reportedly worth $1 billion and received his
own building at Nike headquarters.
James isn’t slowing down. The tag inside the
tongue of the LeBron XX reads, “Built to the
Exact Specifications of the Next Generation.”
Says Jason Petrie, the lead designer of the
LeBron line since the LeBron VII, “We took that
line seriously as we designed the shoe. We saw
the XX as a chance to celebrate the next
20 years for LeBron.” With that, here are a few
of the King’s greatest hits. —Jarrel Harris

in four years. They texted him and later met in

person. Suárez had other opportunities; on paper,
it seemed like a no-brainer for him to go to a bigger
team. Trackhouse, though, intended to build the
team around him, creating a support system that
Suárez longed for. “Once I got to Cup, I never felt L EBRON XV
like the organization or the team were listening James donated the
to me,” Suárez says. “Sometimes, it’s way better to “Equality” colorway
be a big dog in a small place than a small dog in a to the Smithsonian
big place.” He raced full time for Trackhouse in ’21, National Museum of
finishing a season-best fourth on the dirt at Bristol. African American
During the season Trackhouse bought the History & Culture.
racing assets of Chip Ganassi Racing, which
allowed them to add a second car. It chose as its
driver Ross Chastain, 29, an eighth-generation
watermelon farmer from Florida who had also
been racing for underfunded teams.
Chastain (above, right) got Trackhouse its first
win at Austin in March. Suárez got his first career coveted sneaker,
win at Sonoma in June. When the 16-car playoff and the first one he NIKE AIR ZOOM
J O H N W. M C D O N O U G H (J A M E S )

field was set, 12 cars from the core four teams released after taking GENERATION
were in—but so were both Trackhouse drivers. his talents from The sneaker that
“We’re new, but this isn’t just a flash-in-the-pan Cleveland to Miami started off LeBron’s
moment for Trackhouse,” Chastain says. “I truly in 2010 to become line took inspiration
believe we’ll be here now for the long haul. I don’t (for a time) the NBA’s from his infamous
view myself as an underdog anymore.” biggest villain. Hummer H2.

NOVEMBER 2022 19
 GAMEPLAN: THE SMART FAN’S GUIDE TO RIGHT NOW

FALL GUYS
A F A M I L I A R S U B J E C T—T H E H E R O E S A N D G O A T S O F T H E
W O R L D S E R I E S — G E T S A N E N T E R TA I N I N G , F R E S H S P I N

THE GRANDEST STAGE By Tyler Kepner umpire Bill Jackowski, who simply asked for it.
READ On Oct. 13, 1960, Pirates second baseman Few people—especially of his generation—love
Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off homer to win baseball like Kepner, who has been with the Times for
Game 7 of the World Series. The play has more than 20 years. In The Grandest Stage he describes
been written about ad nauseam but never quite like it is playing a dice game he invented as a kid in the 1980s
in The Grandest Stage, the new book from Tyler Kepner. that re-created World Series matchups. That joie de ball
The New York Times baseball writer dedicates a lengthy exists to this day (Kepner remains a fan of simulating
section of the book to explaining how the bigger story old games), and it is evident throughout the work. Yes,
in Game 7 was actually the three-run shot hit an inning technically it’s a history book but one that succeeds
earlier by teammate Hal Smith, which—in terms of in entertaining as well as educating. There are seven
increasing a team’s chances to win—is, Kepner shows, chapters (a nod to the seven-game Series) highlighting
MLB PHOTOS/GE T T Y IMAGES

the biggest play in World Series history. lesser-known moments as well as the familiar ones.
For good measure, Kepner later delves into another Kepner talked to scores of players (Dennis Eckersley’s
story related to Maz: the strange phenomenon in the take on the walk-off homer he gave up to Kirk Gibson
1960s of umpires’ taking players’ hats. Mazeroski in ’88—after walking a .196 hitter—is insightful and
memorably windmilled his helmet as he rounded the unprintable), producing a work that is, like its fall
bases (above) but gave the memento away to home plate subject, a classic. —Mark Bechtel

20 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

 SCORECARD

WORTH THE WAIT

PHO T OGR APH B Y ERICK W. R A SC O

S GAME 3 of the 2018 World Series wore capture: a tableau of the final play. “It was important
A on—and on, and on—fans at Dodger Stadium to get the full scoreboard with the clock, players and
began hitting the exits. That was good news the fans in the foreground,” he says. So we know
for Erick W. Rasco. The photographer was shooting itwas precisely half past midnight—seven hours and
from the stands, roaming from vantage point to vantage 20 minutes after the first pitch—when Max Muncy
point, and the increasing number of empty seats allowed ended the game with a walk-off bomb, giving L.A.
him to gradually work himself down closer to the field. a 3–2 win, its only victory in the five-game series.
By the time the 18th inning rolled around, Rasco was To Rasco, though, it was 3:30. His body was still on
behind the plate, within arm’s length of Red Sox fan East Coast time after flying in to Los Angeles from
Conan O’Brien. With the game already in the record Boston earlier that day and then spending eight hours
books as the longest in Series history, at the park, constantly on the move. Says Rasco,
Rasco knew the shot he wanted to “It was a whirlwind.”

To receive the Full Frame newsletter in your inbox

every other week, become a digital subscriber.
GO TO SI.COM ⁄ SUBSCRIBE | FOLLOW @SIFULLFRAME
© 2022 Seiko Watch of America. SRQ037
 FACES IN THE CROWD
Photograph by TAYLOR BALLANTYNE

have competed at the collegiate In July, Jaloni started all seven

JALONI level—brothers Desmond and Devan games for Team USA at the FIBA
CAMBRIDGE will both play for Arizona State this
season—and her childhood coach was
U17 World Cup in Debrecen,
Hungary, scoring a team-high
Birthplace: Nashville her father, Desmond Cambridge Sr., 16 points with nine assists and
who played at Alabama A&M. six rebounds in the gold-medal
Date of Birth: Nov. 19, 2005
Last season the 5' 0" Jaloni win against Spain. After the
Sport: Basketball averaged 17.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, victory, Jaloni stayed up talking to
3.1 assists and 3.8 steals a game teammates and players from the
School: Ensworth School
and led the Ensworth School to the Australian team until 5 a.m.
Position: Guard Division II-AA state championship, “It’s amazing to get the
taking tournament MVP honors. opportunity to put on that USA
THE NO. 2 GIRLS recruit in She missed the Tigers’ postseason uniform and play with the top-
the 2024 class, Jaloni Cambridge run as a freshman with an elbow ranked players in the country,” Jaloni
has never known a life without injury, which made winning this says. “You are there for basketball,
basketball. The junior guard was title with her sister Kennedy, now but you experience good friendship.
on the court as soon as she could a freshman guard at Kentucky, all Our bonds were more than just
walk. Four of her five older siblings the sweeter. basketball.” —Emily Schumacher

24 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

 SCORECARD

UPDATE

RAISING
THE BAR
TAMARA WALCOTT
went into the American
Pro powerlifting
competition in July in
Manassas, Va., a bit
distracted and full of
doubt. She was dealing
with a nagging knee
injury and couldn’t squat
four weeks before the
event. Walcott may
have walked into the edition of FACES IN THE of two began lifting just continuing to be my
event without much CROWD, Walcott had not to “get strong” and true, authentic self,” she
confidence, but she left only set her first world- lost 130 pounds in the says. “Now, I truly have
with a world record: She record deadlift at 636 process. Soon, she found a platform where I
deadlifted 639 pounds, pounds, but also had herself on Good Morning can show people that
breaking her own mark. undergone a personal America and The Ellen anything you put your
When she appeared transformation. The DeGeneres Show. mind to, it’s never too
in the December 2021 38-year-old mother “I’ve gotten a jolt of late.” —Dan Falkenheim

GREGG JOCHIMSEN Sport: Kubb Hometown: Eau Claire, Wis.

Jochimsen, a social studies teacher at Chippewa Falls Middle School, became the first U.S.
player to win the Kubb World Championship, taking the team and individual titles in Gotland,
C O U R T E S Y O F N I A R I C E ( U P D AT E ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F G R E G G J O C H I M S E N

Sweden. Jochimsen has played kubb—a lawn game where a player attempts to toss a baton
and knock over his opponent’s five wooden blocks—since 2010 and is a five-time U.S. champ.
(J O C H I M S E N ) ; K E L L E Y C O X / K L C F O T O S ( B E R R I D G E )

CHARLIE BERRIDGE Sport: Golf Hometown: Scarsdale, N.Y.

Berridge, a sophomore at Cal, won the New York State Men’s Amateur NOMINATE NOW
Championship, shooting a tournament-record 14-under-par 270 at
To submit a candidate
Onondaga Golf and Country Club. A 2019 high school state champion, for Faces in the Crowd,
email faces@si.com.
Berridge was named Cal’s Most Improved Player for ’21–22.
For more on outstanding
amateur athletes, follow
@Faces_SI on Twitter.
 All Eyes on

All around the NBA, there are teams and players with unfinished
business to take care of in the new season. At the top of the list:
ZION WILLIAMSON, who wondered if he’d ever play again
after a broken foot erased all of last year. The Pelicans’ 22-year-old
phenom put in the work, physically and mentally—and now

HE’S READY TO SHOW THE WORLD

WHAT HE’S MADE OF
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
28

It’s 6:14 a.m. on

a late-summer
day, and the
track at Florida
Atlantic University
is shrouded in
darkness,
save for the faint beams of light bouncing from players have no idea what they just missed. The only real witnesses are
the waistbands of three joggers, dutifully log- Williamson’s personal trainer, a few family members and a reporter.
ging their steps before the world awakens. They “I personally haven’t seen a guy with his size at the NBA level with
move at a casual pace, thoroughly oblivious to that type of speed,” says the trainer, Jasper Bibbs, as the group strolls
the athletic marvel in their midst. back to the FAU gym to finish the morning workout. “There’s some
“I can clock 60,” boasts a voice in the dark- guards that don’t hit those times,” adds Bibbs, who previously spent
ness, and then he’s gone—a hulking silhouette five years with the Jazz. Even more encouraging? That Williamson
slicing through the predawn shadows. hit that time after he’d already run a mile and a half as a warmup.
“They ain’t ready for you!” barks another voice. Had there been a little daylight, here’s what everyone else on that track
“They ain’t ready for you!” would have seen: a swift, sculpted 6' 6" tower of muscle, streaking down
Less than 60 seconds later, Zion Williamson is the straightaways like a supersized Usain Bolt. This Zion Williamson is
back where he started, darting across an invisible noticeably more contoured than the Zion Williamson who last appeared
finish line, having easily beaten his goal for his on an NBA court on May 4, 2021. Still brawny and stout, yes, but
last quarter-mile dash of the morning. “That’s seemingly much closer to his college weight of 285 pounds than the
elite!” enthuses a third voice—his stepfather and estimated 300-plus he carried through the ’20–21 season.
coach, Lee Anderson. It’s been three years since Williamson seized the NBA spotlight,
It’s an important marker for the young Pelicans a uniquely bound blend of power and grace, a can’t-miss superstar,
star as he makes his way back from a broken right a No. 1 pick with the charisma to match his talent. On the court,
foot and a lost season. It’s a remarkable feat for he dazzles, with the kind of devastating efficiency—25.7 points on
anyone, period. But the South Florida sun won’t 60% shooting—that would rank him among the all-time greats.
rise for another 49 minutes on this September Except, he has played just 85 games over three seasons due to injuries.
morning, and the joggers and late-arriving soccer We haven’t seen Zion soar for 17 months, leaving the world to
Zion Williamson
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
29

wonder: Is he still the prince that was promised? Or just a phantom detached from his teammates. The physical recovery
passing through the twilight? What will he be when he at last takes was hard enough. The negativity was suffocating.
the court again on Oct. 19, in Brooklyn? “I was in dark places at times,” Williamson
“They’re going to see that I’ve matured off the court and on the says, “because I couldn’t play basketball. I could
court,” Williamson, now 22, says, following a late breakfast at a only do limited rehab things. And then just see-
6,000-square-foot waterfront rental in Fort Lauderdale. “And they’re ing how the world reacted? It took a lot. It did
also gonna see that my game has evolved. I’m gonna show the world a lot on my spirit.”
things that I’ve had in my arsenal that I didn’t show before.” Outwardly, he’s in the best shape of his career,
What we’ll soon witness, he says, is a Zion transformed, mentally though he greets questions about weight, body
and physically, after the most torturous year of his life: a fractured fat and other metrics with just a sprawling smile.
right foot, followed by a surgery, a setback and a perpetual cascade He’s pleased, yes. But Team Zion isn’t ready to
of criticism and scorn from fans and pundits. disclose specifics on this day, not with another
Zion is out of shape, they said (albeit in much harsher terms). Zion three weeks of work before reporting to train-
isn’t committed to the game. Zion isn’t committed to New Orleans. Zion is ing camp. “I’m not done yet,” Williamson says.
Not done, he means, with the two-a-day work-
outs that began here Aug. 3, nor with a disci-
plined new diet, as prescribed by his personal
chef, Jhonas Lewis (known simply as Chef J.D.).
Williamson gulps water from a two-gallon ther-
mos throughout the day, having eschewed all
other beverages.
Soon enough, Williamson will seek to reclaim
his role as one of the game’s premier showmen—a
high-flying, rim-wrecking nuclear reactor. Except
he’s now returning to a Pelicans team that made
the playoffs without him, with a new coach, an
overhauled roster, a star wing in Brandon Ingram
and a star playmaker in CJ McCollum. So much
has changed in the 17 months that Zion was
away. But then, he says, so has he.
“I’ve grown,” Williamson says. “I learned a
lot about myself, learned more about the game.”
So while the rest of us might view this season
as a Revenge Tour or a Remember Me campaign,
Zion Williamson himself sees it more as a gauge:
of just how far he’s come, of how well he’s recov-
ered, rebuilt and evolved in the 533 days between
his last game and his next one.

T HIS EMOTIONAL nadir, as the doubts

and denigration grew increasingly
toxic, Williamson retreated to the
Pacific Northwest—and unwittingly stoked the
very fire he was trying to escape. It was January,
and Williamson had decided to continue his
rehab at Nike’s bucolic campus just outside

SUNSHINE S TAT EMEN T

After recouping in Oregon, Williamson
showed off his new frame in Florida.
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
30

Portland, in Beaverton, Ore. He would spend

two months there.
He did so with the blessing of Pelicans offi-
cials—indeed, it was executive vice president
David Griffin who first suggested a change
of scenery—but the news only triggered more
back lash, fueling public perceptions of a
divide between Williamson and the franchise,

MAN, I HOPE MY FOOT HEALS RIGHT, BECAUSE IF IT DOESN’T,

WHO KNOWS, I MAY NOT GET TO PLAY BASKETBALL AGAIN.”
Williamson and New Orleans, Williamson and

“I FELT HELPLESS,” WILLIAMSON SAYS. “I’M WORRIED ABOUT,

his teammates.
The truth was far more troubling. The setback
Williamson suffered in early December—tests
showed regression in the healing of his broken
foot—had crushed his spirit. “I was rehabbing,”
he says, “and in my mind I’m thinking, Man,
in two weeks I’m about to play again. And then
I didn’t.” And the criticism had turned nastier,
falling on the shoulders of his mom, his stepdad
and his brother, Noah, who was just 8 at the time.
“To see it affecting my family, it weighed on
me,” Williamson says. “An 8-year-old having
to deal with stuff like that, being asked ques-
tions that he don’t fully understand yet, that’s
a lot. It bothers me that people would even do
that to him.”
Williamson later adds: “I felt helpless. I
couldn’t do nothing about it. While [pundits]
are telling me I don’t care about my teammates,
or I’m a bad teammate, or I don’t want to be
somewhere, the whole time I’m worried about
my foot. I’m worried about, Man, I hope my foot
heals right, because if it doesn’t, who knows, I may
not get to play basketball again.”
The toll grew so heavy that Williamson could
hardly mask the strain. After a home game one
night, as he walked out of the Smoothie King
Center, he ran into Pelicans assistant coach
Teresa Weatherspoon, a close friend and confidant.
“Hey, are you O.K.?” she asked.
“No,” Williamson replied, “I’m not.”
“And when he said no, he just fell into my
arms,” Weatherspoon says.
A long conversation followed—part counseling
J E S S E D . G A R R A B R A N T/ N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S

session, part pep talk, unconditional support

mixed with moments of tough love. And many
tears shed along the way.
“At that most vulnerable moment, it was
important for me to let him know that he’s a
great young man and he’s worthy of those things
that you work for,” says Weatherspoon, the for-
mer WNBA star and Hall of Famer. “I could
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
31

BIG E A S Y
Before missing
last season,
Williamson
made things
look simple in
New Orleans,
averaging
27.0 points and
7.2 boards per
game in 2020–21.
 Zion Williamson
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
32

EVEN SO MUCH ABOUT SHOWING THE WORLD WHO I AM.

IT’S MORE SO JUST PROVING MYSELF RIGHT.”
see a young man fighting to find his way, had

“AFTER THIS JOURNEY,” WILLIAMSON SAYS, “IT’S NOT

lost all sense of direction. And I just wanted to
reach out at that moment and to let him know:
I didn’t care about basketball; I cared about
what he was feeling, what he was thinking, how
difficult were things for him at that moment.”
She adds, “I didn’t want him to feel alone. And
when I tell you there were some dark days for
that young man, there was some dark days. . . . It
was much bigger than basketball at that point.
You didn’t want to lose a young man.”
It was just one of many such discussions along
the way, as Williamson worked to repair both
his body and his psyche, one day at a time. He
leaned hard on the 56-year-old Weatherspoon
(“she’s like my big sister”) and assistant coach
Corey Brewer (“my people for life”), as well as
his family and his faith.
Of Weatherspoon, Williamson says, “She
saved me from so many kind of like mental
breakdowns. When you see somebody cry for
you because of what you’re going through—she
cried for me. She didn’t have to do that. . . . And
just seeing that made me realize, Wow, I really
have somebody special in my corner.”
With the emotional support came a consis-
tent theme: Your success, your health and your
happiness are up to you. All those worries about
Williamson’s fitness, his maturity, his commit-
ment? It’s clear the Pelicans had them, too.
As Weatherspoon frequently tells him: “The
things that you desire in this game, or in life
period, it’s what you put into it. . . . But you have
to put in. You have to make deposits. You can’t HEALTHIER, MORE SERENE Zion returned to New Orleans
take something out if you haven’t deposited; you in early March, in time to cheer on the Pelicans’ late-season
haven’t invested in it.” renaissance, sparked by the midseason trade for McCollum.
By early January, Williamson and his fam- The Pels won 13 of their final 25 regular-season games, ousted the
ily would be in Portland, with Bibbs presiding Spurs and Clippers in the play-in tournament and briefly rattled the
over the rehabilitation program laid out by the Suns in the first round before falling in six games. The Smoothie King
Pelicans’ medical staff. He chose the Nike cam- Center—moribund or empty for much of Williamson’s career due to
pus after a conversation with Griffin, who he the coronavirus pandemic—was rocking.
says told him, “ ‘Z, I think you just need a break, “That was special,” Williamson says, lighting up at the recollection.
away from this. You need to go somewhere and “I remember sitting on the bench. Even though I was sitting still, I
just get your mental [straight].’ ” felt like my blood was racing, like I was playing out there. I haven’t
Griffin confirms the exchange: “The most felt that thrill, a crowd being like that, since my rookie year. And
important part of a player’s rehab from a surgery man, it was something. It was something to witness.”
is their mental well-being. We wanted to reset Then he laughed, recalling all the rumors about his wanderlust.
the deck and put him in a better position to “People really out here think that I could witness something like that
succeed. . . . He was struggling a little bit with and then tell myself I don’t want to be [there]?”
watching people play ball, and he couldn’t do McCollum’s arrival in February—via a trade with Portland that also
it. It hurt him to not be with his teammates.” included Larry Nance Jr. and cost the Pelicans only role players and
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
33

draft picks—had spurred another minor controversy, when former load and more shooters on the roster than he’s
Pelicans guard and ESPN analyst JJ Redick revealed Williamson had since arriving in New Orleans.
had not reached out to his new teammate. “Detached,” Redick “The best version that he can give us,”
called him, echoing concerns that had been filtering through the McCollum says of Williamson, “will be the best
organization for some time. But McCollum and Williamson would version of our team.”
later connect, sharing several dinners and some extended conversa-
tions about work habits, nutrition, hydration, sleep, “just being a HAT’S UP WITH Zion?!” a young girl
professional,” McCollum says. “I think he appreciated my candor.” asks, a touch of concern in her voice,
In their brief time as teammates, McCollum says he’s seen a Zion as if speaking for millions of fans who
who is “very active, very engaged, very involved, very cognizant of are wondering where he’s been, how he’s doing
what’s going on.” and what he’ll look like when he reemerges.
“But he also understands that the onus is on him now,” McCollum “He’s training underwater!” a young boy
says, “to do things the right way, to continue to eat the right way, to responds excitedly. “Yeah, he’s coming for every-
do the work the right way. . . . I think he’s at that stage now where body next year.”
he’s taking responsibility for his actions.” All of which echoes what Well, not exactly, but you can’t blame the
Weatherspoon herself conveyed to Williamson: “The change has to Jordan Brand marketing team for having fun
come, and the change has to come from him. And he knew that.” with the mystery of it all in a recent series of
There are basic basketball challenges to sort out now with ads for the Zion 2 shoe. Williamson has rarely
Williamson joining McCollum and Ingram—about roles and play- been seen or heard in the last 17 months, out-
making and pecking orders, about touches and usage rate—but side of a July 6 press conference to announce a
chemistry comes only through time, and the Pelicans seem confident contract extension worth at least $193 million
about the road ahead and their potential to make noise in the West. (a deal that, sources confirm, includes weight
Williamson says he’s thrilled to have two elite scorers to share the and body-fat requirements).
The what/where/when/how of Williamson’s
recovery are topics he prefers to keep private,
which also partially explains his two-month stays
SL IMMER C H A NC E S in Portland and Fort Lauderdale. “I don’t like
A Zion who is lighter than when he last played in
2021 should put the West powers on notice.
NOAH GR AHAM/NBAE/GE T T Y IMAGES
 Zion Williamson
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
34

people to know my next move,” he says. Nor does makes the story better.” It first struck Williamson as “corny,” but he
he want to reveal anything about his training, his came to embrace it. “I really feel that,” he says. “Like, if I can really
diet, his weight, his sprint times or the skills he’s come back from this right . . . this could be something crazy.”
been quietly honing all these months off the radar.
“I’m one of those people that I like to show you T’S 5:20 A.M. on that early-September morning when two black
more than I tell you,” Williamson says. “Because SUVs pull up to the back door of the FAU Arena, delivering
I feel like when I tell, it doesn’t even feel humble Williamson, Bibbs and Anderson, along with Zion’s mom,
at all. So,”—and here he claps for emphasis—“I Sharonda Sampson, Noah, and a small group of friends and assis-
have to show the world.” tants, including on this day his barber (for a Sports Illustrated
And though he won’t divulge his weight, photo shoot).
Williamson jokes that he wouldn’t mind that
number leaking—as a counterpoint to the whis-
pers of him once weighing 330 pounds. “When
I step on the scale when we start
training camp, I wonder if there’s
gonna be any rumors about that!” he
says, laughing.
The more Williamson reflects, the
more amped he sounds, and soon he
is naming everyone who made this
journey w ith him, as if he were
onstage at the Oscars. He thanks
Anderson and Bibbs for their train- KAWHI LEONARD
ing, and Chef J.D. for his diet (“the SF › Clippers
main keys to why I look the way I
look now, why I feel as great as I do”); Leonard’s career is
thanks his friends Axel Nyembwe, increasingly becoming
Phil Holmes and Kailik Faulk for defined by when he
supporting him through his work- doesn’t play. From 2017
outs (and sometimes participating in to ’22, he competed in his
them). “Everybody’s played some kind team’s entire postseason
of part,” he says. “But what this jour- only twice—his ’19 title
ney was about that I’m on currently, run with the Raptors
down in Fort Lauderdale, this was to and his ’20 Bubble
test my love for the game.” exit with the Clippers.
There is nothing about Zion that He missed all of last
seems detached or disengaged on season following ACL
this day. He smiles often, laughs fre- surgery. When healthy,
quently and speaks candidly, alter- though, he remains
nating between moments of somber in contention for the
ref lection and bursts of unbridled best-player-alive
enthusiasm, always finishing on a conversation. L.A.
— By Rohan Nadkarni —

positive note: “It was a long, tedious needs him for any
process,” he’ll say, before quickly add- serious hopes at
ing, “but it’s nothing but excitement winning a title.
and just pure joy and love for the
game I get to return to.”
It ca lls to mind a quote from
Stan Williams, the Pelicans’ strength
coach, who often told Williamson
during his recovery, “Look, it only
PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
35

by basketball drills with Anderson. The timing is deliberate, designed “If you would have asked me two years ago,
to get them out by 7:45, before the women’s volleyball team takes I definitely would have said, ‘Yeah, I need to
over the gym—and to hopefully avoid detection by curious onlookers. remind people. I need to show the world who
The morning workout is often followed by a 30-minute spin session Zion is,’ ” he says. “But now, after this journey,
at Hotworx, a combo fitness center/sauna, with the room’s thermostat it’s not even so much about showing the world
cranked to 130 degrees, to burn extra calories. Then comes a breakfast who I am. It’s more so just proving myself right.”
from Chef J.D., an afternoon nap, an early dinner and, finally, another Six years ago, a 16-year-old Zion Williamson
round of training and drills in the evening, at Nova Southeastern. tweeted a six-word vow—“I’m going to shock the
Williamson’s day concludes after 9 p.m., the skies dark again. world”—a sentiment that suddenly seems apt for
22-year-old Zion Williamson, in a way he never
could have envisioned. The path has been more
twisted, more painful, than he ever could have
known. But then, it just makes the story better.

Dame Time slowed The last time Denver also gets Simmons sat out Wiseman, who
down in 2021–22, Murray played in back Porter, who the first half of missed his entire
when Lillard was the postseason, the missed most of last last season with sophomore season
sidelined after Nuggets made the season following the Sixers, then with a knee injury,
29 games with an conference finals. back surgery. MPJ is was shipped at the could be lethal for
abdominal injury. The That should be the a bucket and a half, trade deadline to the reigning champs
six-time All-Star, who goal for Denver with brûléeing opponents Brooklyn, where he as an athletic big
signed an extension its star guard back with his silky jump has yet to suit up. with good size and
with the Blazers this in the fold following shot. While his This offseason he had shooting touch. The
offseason, should be an ACL injury that struggles on D make back surgery. Still, the question is: Will the
doubly motivated to cost him all of last him a fascinating All-NBA talent can be 21-year-old have
prove last year’s poor year. His partnership wild card come the a difference-maker. enough time to work
shooting numbers with Nikola Jokić is postseason, his Whether he can block through growing
were a fluke and get the key to Denver’s ignitability reduces out the noise and pains on a team
his team back to breaking through in the burden on focus on the floor is that’s championship
the playoffs. the West. Denver’s other stars. anybody’s guess. or bust?
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
36

Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Marcus Smart,

Robert Williams III and Jaylen Brown

The Finals loss on the parquet floor still stings. The trade rumors may linger.
And a controversy that forced a coaching change hangs over the franchise. But, after
a long offseason, THE CELTICS, with a stacked roster and loads of
motivation, are focused on moving forward and bringing another title to Boston
 BY
CHRIS
MANNIX
PHOTOGRAPH BY
JEFFERY A.
SALTER

Light
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
38

In the GR O W ING PA INS

Tatum’s All-NBA season
ended on a sour note on
his home floor.

underbelly him more: Golden State’s celebrating on Boston’s

home floor. “That,” says Tatum, who shot only 36.7%

of TD from the field during the Finals, “I’ll never forget.”

The NBA season is a six-month slog, eight if, like
Boston, you make a deep playoff run. Tatum’s felt lon-
ger. Since 2020, when Tatum logged 41 minutes per

Garden, game during the Celtics’ 17-game postseason in the

NBA bubble, his breaks have been brief. The bubble
quickly transitioned to the COVID-19-squeezed,
72-game ’20–21 season (35.8 minutes per game for
Tatum in that one), which gave way to a weeks-long
beneath the black upholstered seats and a long trip to Tokyo for the Olympics that then dropped him right into
outlet pass from the famed parquet f loor, the ’21–22. The mental drain of last season is well chronicled: the
home and road locker rooms lie parallel to each 18–21 start, the players-only meetings, the daily public tongue-
other, separated by only a narrow hallway and lashings from Udoka, the first-year coach brought in to shake things
a white paint-splashed concrete wall. A very up after Brad Stevens took over as team president. Tatum, rarely
un-soundproof wall, it turns out, one that the rattled, recalled an early-January team bus ride after Boston blew
Celtics—had they been able to foresee the out- a 20-point lead in New York . . . which came after the Celtics lost
come of the 2022 Finals—would have bolted on a missed layup to San Antonio . . . which came on the heels of
acoustic panels to years ago. Inside Boston’s a three-game post-Christmas losing streak; he wondered whether
locker room, minutes after they dropped a they would ever figure it out.
series-clinching Game 6 to Golden State, tears There was the physical toll, too, which was less visible. A mid-
flowed. Blank faces stared down at crumpled February left wrist injury—later diagnosed as a nondisplaced frac-
stat sheets. Ime Udoka was the first to break ture—caused Tatum considerable pain. He downplayed the injury,
the silence. “And I don’t think he wanted to,” slipping on a soft cast behind closed doors, taking it off when the
says center Al Horford. Outside, the roar from cameras were rolling and protecting the wrist with tape an inch thick
dozens of champagne-soaked Warriors players during games while consciously avoiding using it to break his falls.
and personnel was unavoidable. The pulsing He played 76 games. His minutes (35.9) were a career high. In the
from the hip-hop music vibrated through the playoffs, they jumped to 41.0. Drew Hanlen, Tatum’s longtime trainer,
f loors. “Trust me,” says Horford, “we could communicates with him daily. When the Finals ended, Hanlen says
hear everything.” he didn’t hear from his client for nearly two weeks. “I was exhausted,”
Even now, Jayson Tatum w inces at the says Tatum. “Didn’t feel like talking to anybody. Didn’t feel like being
memory. Leaning back in his locker that night, bothered. It’s hard to explain if you have never been in that situation.
everything he accomplished—All-Star starter, But losing a championship was f---ing miserable.”
All-NBA First Team, the seventh-highest scor- Success is defined by championships, nowhere more so than in
ing average (26.9 ppg) in Celtics history—felt Boston, where the 17 banners dangling from the rafters create a literal
meaningless. Showered, changed and fresh bar for it. Yet it’s hard to argue that a season that began so under-
from rehashing the Finals with a few dozen whelmingly, that ended so impressively (34–12 after Jan. 1, the NBA’s
GREG NELSON

reporters, Tatum could still hear the celebration third-best finish), that culminated with the franchise’s first Finals
as he walked to his car. “Definitely not a good appearance in 12 years, wasn’t one. Or that the Celtics, stocked with
feeling,” he says. What he saw earlier bothered 20-something stars, weren’t well positioned for more.
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
40

L
But are they? Boston’s offseason was any- ET’S TALK ABOUT the photos of Tatum and Kevin Durant,
thing but smooth sailing. Days before train- Olympic teammates turned summer workout partners that went
ing camp, it emerged that Udoka had been viral after a Celtics photographer posted them to Instagram.
involved in a relationship with a female staff Innocent, if you ask Tatum, who befriended the NBA star as a high
member, in violation of team policies, leading school prospect. A year after winning gold in Tokyo, Tatum and
the team to suspend him for the season. That Durant met up for a few days in Los Angeles this offseason. The
meant it would fall to Joe Mazzulla, a 34-year- relationship, says Hanlen, was symbiotic. Tatum studied Durant’s
old assistant who has been with the team for ball protection (the 100 turnovers Tatum committed in last season’s
three years, to navigate the team through not playoffs were an NBA record), how KD uses his hips and shoulders
only the coaching upheaval, but also the other to shield it from defenders and is able to protect it as he finishes.
issues that had become talking points over the Durant scrutinized Tatum’s hesitation dribble and side-step jumpers.
summer, namely whether Tatum, after a three- In the gym with other NBA players, including Bulls guards
figure turnover postseason, had another level. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, Tatum was intense. Post-Finals,
Whether Marcus Smart, his Defensive Player of says Hanlen, Tatum developed a surliness. “He has become obsessed
the Year hardware still shining, was the right with winning,” says Hanlen. In one-on-one games. “Didn’t lose one all
fit as a lead guard. Whether Jaylen Brown summer,” says Hanlen. In five-on-five. During one session, Tatum’s
was a championship-level costar—or whether team fell behind 0–2 in a best of seven. Before the start of the third
Boston needed to get aggressive in pursuit of a game, Tatum barked at his teammates that they wouldn’t lose another.
suddenly available former MVP. They didn’t. To increase his burst on drives—Tatum was fouled on
only 9.8% of his drives last season, a number he’d like to tick up—he
adjusted his posture, dropping his body lower when he faced up. He
shot hundreds of floaters. He explored ways to better fight fatigue,
tweaking his diet and increasing his conditioning drills. He quizzed
ON T HE BL OC K
Brown (right) averaged Durant, who is no stranger to a heavy workload, on his habits. “I’m
23.5 ppg in the Finals, then
showed up in trade talks.

J O H N W. M C D O N O U G H
Stephanie Gilmore
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
42

still young enough where I feel like I can learn

“I WAS EXHAUSTED,” SAYS TATUM. “IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN

from a lot of guys,” says the 24-year-old Tatum.
“And he’s one of the best to ever do it.”

LOSING A CHAMPIONSHIP WAS F---ING MISERABLE.”

The issue: At the time the pictures swept

IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THAT SITUATION. BUT

through social media, Durant had requested
a trade. The Nets had engaged several teams—
including Boston—in trade talks. Brown, accord-
ing to The Athletic, had been discussed in a
swap. Talking heads, starved for summer sports
story lines, jumped on the Brown-for-Durant
debate. In July, Tatum attended the premiere of
NYC Point Gods, a Durant-produced documen-
tary, where he awkwardly answered questions
about a Celtics shakeup. “I try not to believe
everything I see on TV because I’ve seen things
about me that just flat-out weren’t true,” Tatum
says. “There are so many different rumors and
S TA R S A L IGN
stories that you hear. You never exactly know
Tatum, who played with Durant
what’s true, who’s leaking or what’s the agenda.” in Tokyo in 2021 (above), saw
In an interview before the season, Brown their workout photos go viral.
declined to address the trade rumors. His lone
public response: a three-letter tweet (“smh”)
after news of the Celtics-Nets talks became pub- Los Angeles to meet with Brown. Their mes-
lic. (Brown no-commented that question, too.) sage: We want you here. And they came away
But he has been in this position before. In 2018, with the feeling that Brown wasn’t going to
when Boston was rumored to be in the mix for be fixated on whatever talks had occurred.
Kawhi Leonard. In ’19, when the Celtics pursued In other words, he wanted to be there, too.
Anthony Davis. Regardless of the success of

I
the Tatum-Brown pairing—three conference N MID-SEPTEMBER, DURING a break in
finals in five seasons together, with one trip a photo shoot at Boston’s practice facility,
to the Finals—there are routinely stories about Brown, Horford and Robert Williams III
breaking them up. huddled. It had been three months since the
Tatum admits that he wondered how Brown season ended, and, save for a few scattered
would react to the latest round of rumors. “It’s workouts, this was the first time the core of
never easy,” says Tatum. The friendship, which the team had been back together. Quickly,
began when the two were teenagers, room- the discussion shifted to next season. “Just about hitting the ground
mates at an Under Armour camp, has grown running,” says Williams. “Not having the same start that we had last
stronger. In 2017, when Boston was debating year. And letting people know that what we did, it wasn’t a fluke.”
between Tatum and Josh Jackson in the draft, The loss of Udoka will sting. Mazzulla is considered a rising star
it was Brown, in a late-night phone call to then in the coaching ranks, but his head coaching experience totals two
GM Danny Ainge, who gave Tatum a push. seasons at Division II Fairmont State. Steering an NBA title contender
Ask those in and around the Celtics about the is a sizable challenge.
BRENDAN MOR AN/SPORT SFILE/GE T T Y IMAGES

relationship between the two, and the answers Still, on paper, Boston is loaded. Smart and Williams (who will
are similar. Great. Ask privately whether there miss the start of the season after knee surgery) anchor the NBA’s
is any friction, and the answers are the same. best defense. Tatum spearheads an offense that had the second-
“Jayson brags about how good Jaylen is,” says highest scoring margin (plus-7.3) last season. There is room for
Hanlen. “How there aren’t many players he organic growth, with sharpshooting power forward Grant Williams
would trade straight up for him. Any narrative and backup point guard Payton Pritchard, in addition to their stars
that they didn’t like each other, that they can’t just approaching their primes. “We’re building this thing around
win together is totally made up.” the strengths of Jaylen and Jayson and anybody that accentuates
In August, Stevens and Udoka traveled to those guys,” says Stevens. “We’re always on the lookout for the
 Boost Testosterone
Drive & Peak Performance
EXPIRES 02/28/23 M

SAVE $3.00

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.
$3 COUPON redeemable at all Drug, Grocery and Health Food stores Nationwide This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

To adver tise in the Marketplace, please contact Anthony Smy th 914.409.4202 or anthony@smy thps.com NOVEMBER 2022
PUBLISHING
S E R V I C E S
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
44

G A R DEN S TAT EMEN T

The Celtics are out to prove
their first Finals appearance
in 12 years was no fluke. brushes off compliments about Boston’s season. “It’s hard to call it a
good year,” says Tatum, “when you f---ing lose a championship.” Horford
calls last season “a step in the right direction.” Brown, asked how long
it took him to move past the Finals defeat, says, “I’m still not past it.”
kind of guys that can do that.” The offseason To get past it, sacrifice must be embraced, says Tatum. Boston,
addition of point guard Malcolm Brogdon, even after the potential season-ending injury to newly signed veteran
who was acquired from Indiana, beefs up the forward Danilo Gallinari, can claim one of the NBA’s deepest rosters.
bench. Brogdon has started the past four sea- “Once we started sacrificing and being more of a team last year,”
sons, but Stevens emphasized that Smart’s spot says Tatum, “that’s when we became the best team in the league.”
is secure. This summer Smart studied film of But coming off the Finals, the Celtics won’t surprise anybody. Which,
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, noting the adjust- unsurprisingly, suits them fine. In Atlanta, Horford spent time with
ments Holiday made after being paired with Brogdon over the summer. “Anytime we’re talking, it’s nothing to
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, do with offense or defense,” says Horford. “It’s literally, ‘What can
and the impact Holiday was able to make on both I do?’ or, ‘How can I help our team to put us in position to win?’ ”
ends of the floor. “His whole thing was, ‘How A pair of championships at Florida taught Horford about approach-
do I help them in whatever way they needed?’ ” ing being the hunted, too. After Florida won in 2006, Gators coach
says Smart. And Brogdon? “I was ecstatic we got Billy Donovan’s message was simple: They are coming for you. You come
him,” says Smart, who has a long relationship for them. “And we were so driven that year,” says Horford. “That’s how
with him. “It’s putting me with someone I know this team has to be. We had an edge to us last year. We need to keep it.”
for a fact is going to make me better. He is going All the offseason questions have appeared to sharpen it. “Hell
J E F F E R Y A . S A LT E R

to push me. And I am going to push him.” yeah, we have got a chip on our shoulders,” says Robert Williams III.
The rest of the returning Celtics don’t have to “It’s not even about proving it to other people. It’s about staying true
look far for motivation. Few things light a fire to ourselves. It’s about showing your teammates, ‘We’re still here.
under a player like losing in the Finals. So Tatum And we’ve got this.’ ”
INSTANT
Sure, NBA players receive scrutiny, but if you want to
the bench to the coaches tasked with deciding whether
They are the CHALLENGE GUYS—and when
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
47
 Challenge Guys
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
48

The coach’s challenge landed in the NBA rule book on a trial basis
in 2019, and then permanently a year later. Inspired by the success of
the NFL’s version, NBA coaches had pushed for it and, after five years
of experimentation in the G League, won the right to use it. While it’s
the head coach who signals for a review—that familiar finger twirl that
triggers a neon-green light at the scorer’s table that leads to a trio of
referees huddling around a monitor—each has someone they lean on.
They are, simply, the challenge guys, anonymous assistants, unless your
gaze happens upon a backbencher with his head buried in his laptop.
They are the people you (unwittingly) cheer when a missed call gets
overturned, the ones you (unknowingly) curse when a team refuses to
challenge one. When an entire bench swivels on a close play, they are
the midlevel staffers in polo shirts everyone is staring at. “Think of
them like the long snapper,” says Raptors coach Nick Nurse. “Nobody
knows who they are until they hike it over the quarterback’s head.”
F R OM HI S S E AT behind the team bench,
Ryan Lumpkin, a 26-year-old player development HALLENGE COACHES AREN’T selected as much as drafted.
coach for the Wizards, could feel the eyeballs Shortly after the NBA approved the challenge, Reynolds,
bearing down on him. It was last October, in the then Boston’s video coordinator, received a text from then
season opener, and Washington star Bradley Beal Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “You have to become an expert in the
was whistled for a foul following a collision with rules,” the message read. Dylan Murphy, a sports radio intern turned
Toronto’s OG Anunoby. Lumpkin could feel his G League assistant, hooked on to Steve Clifford’s Magic staff in 2018.
heart rate spiking. “My Apple Watch,” he says, He was thrust into the role and immediately devoured the rule book.
“was telling me something was up.” “There are so many random details,” says Murphy, who is still with
Matt Reynolds knows the feeling. In the second Orlando. “I had to memorize it.”
quarter of Game 3 of Boston’s conference semifi- Jordan Sears, the Mavericks’ video coordinator, says he was “kind
nals series against Milwaukee, Reynolds, a Celtics of roped into it”—in part, he says, because of his calm demeanor. “I
assistant, watched as a referee signaled a block on knew it would be a stressful job,” says Sears. “But I didn’t realize
Marcus Smart—a call that, if it had gone the other how much of a hot seat it is.”
way, would have meant the third foul on Bucks For the challenge guy, the job begins before the whistle. “You’re
star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Charles Klask, always logging things,” says Klask. “Do we have timeouts? What are
a Nuggets assistant, winces when he recalls a the players’ foul situations? Would the challenge lead to our possession
regular-season game against the 76ers, when or a jump ball? Could it take away points from the board?” After the
JaMychal Green rushed toward him, finger whistle blows, every moment is precious. “Usually you have about
twirling—the universal sign to call for a coach’s 10 seconds,” says Reynolds. “Twenty, max.” From a laptop, coaches
challenge—because a reversal would mean a have access to multiple feeds. There is the arena house video, called
fourth foul for Joel Embiid. “Some of these are the coach’s camera, which each team can view. There are home and
game-changing moments,” says Klask. “All you’re visiting TV broadcasts. “Sometimes there is a lag of three to five
thinking is, I better get this right.” seconds,” says Klask. “And it’s the longest three to five seconds of
PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
49

your life.” Team broadcasts, which will quickly cut to replays of a “Thumbs up, challenge it. Thumbs down, don’t.
close call, often from multiple angles, can be useful. “In theory,” He doesn’t really want anything else.” Adds
says Reynolds, “you have access to slow-motion replay”—but it’s at Murphy, “It doesn’t help if everyone turns around
the whim of a director. For some challenge guys, an iPad, on which and you’re like, ‘I don’t know, maybe?’ ”
a pinch of the fingers allows them to zoom in, is an asset. But most Certain calls are easy. Coaches had a 74.7%
prefer the larger screens—and ability to cram in multiple views in success rate on out-of-bounds challenges last
different windows—afforded by laptops. season. For goaltending, it was 78.6%. Most calls,
There’s gamesmanship with challenges. Several coaches say game though, are more difficult: Fouls were overturned
operations staff are instructed to get replays of questionable calls just 43.9% of the time. The block/charge ranks
against the home team up on the jumbotron
quickly. Conversely, when an iffy call goes against
the road team, game ops are asked not to show
a replay at all.
Teams have one challenge per game and, unlike
in the NFL, if a call is overturned, a team doesn’t
get the challenge back. “Our philosophy is to use it
in high-leverage situations,” says Nathan Bubes, a
Timberwolves assistant. Foul trouble, for example.
Last spring, in Game 5 of Minnesota’s first-round
series against Memphis, Karl-Anthony Towns
was called for a charge after barreling into
Jaren Jackson Jr. in the third quarter. Generally,
T-Wolves coach Chris Finch prefers to hold on
to his challenge until the fourth quarter. But the
whistle was the fourth foul on Towns. Minnesota
reviewed it, won and instead Jackson picked up
his fourth foul and headed to the bench.
Golden State, similarly, likes to have its chal-
lenge available in the final minutes. Sometimes,
says Warriors assistant Jama Mahlalela, there are
“situational choices.” In Game 3 of the conference
finals against Dallas, Andrew Wiggins was called
for a charge after an acrobatic dunk on Luka Dončić
midway through the fourth. “It didn’t quite fit our
parameters for when to challenge,” says Mahlalela.
But the moment—the dunk energized the team
and gave the Warriors a 10-point lead—called for
it. “I really didn’t know if we’d win it or not,” says
Mahlalela. “But everything in that moment felt
like we should try.” The challenge was successful;
Golden State would win the game by nine.
Head coaches tell challenge guys: Be decisive.
“Steve [Kerr] wants me to be clear,” says Mahlalela.

CHALLENGE COACHES AREN’T SELECTED AS MUCH AS DRAFTED. ONE DAY,

REYNOLDS, THEN BOSTON’S VIDEO COORDINATOR, RECEIVED A TEXT FROM
BRAD STEVENS: “YOU HAVE TO BECOME AN EXPERT IN THE RULES.”
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
50

atop coaches’ list of head scratchers. “Because take more than 18 minutes of real time. The league has also cracked
it’s hard for the referees, too,” says Mahlalela. down on some of the tricks teams have used to buy time—a lengthy
“Draymond [Green] is the king of it. He’s always shoe tie was a favorite—by slapping delay-of-game warnings and even
looking for [the charge]. And I’m always check- technical fouls on offenders. “Overall we feel like it’s really been a stra-
ing to see if he got all the way over.” Calls involv- tegic part of the game that our coaches are truly using,” says Spruell.
ing verticality—whether a defensive player jumps “Each team I’m sure has its own view of how effective it’s been. But
straight up during a collision (which is legal) or we feel like everything’s going in the right direction.”
is moving forward (which is not)—is another. Challenge guys, for the most part, agree. Sure, it’s stressful.
“Refs can nitpick that one,” says Sears. Shooting Unsuccessful challenges can bring heat (“If I haven’t won in a couple
fouls, particularly on drives to the basket, can of games, I might hear about it,” says Murphy), while uncalled ones
be complicated. “There are usually a lot of bod- can result in angry players. Several challenge guys commiserate on a
ies in the way,” says Murphy. “You don’t know group text, a form of digital therapy. But there’s pride in the position.
if another defender had a hand on the hip or if “Knowing I can impact the game, that’s a cool thing,” says Lumpkin.
someone else bumped him first.” And, as with anything else, an eagerness to get better. Some chal-
In tricky situations, a player becomes a lenge guys have taken to scouting the referee crew chief, noting which
resource. Though not always a reliable one. are more reluctant to overturn their calls.
“We tell our guys, just be honest,” says Bubes.
In the NBA, though, nobody thinks they ever
foul. “Pathological liar are not words I’d use,”
says Sears, laughing. “But every player thinks
they are right.” Challenge guys will track who
usually is. “You keep a mental checklist of who
has burned you,” says Reynolds. “And who you
might owe.” Celtics big man Robert Williams III,
says Reynolds, is “very honest.” In Denver, Klask
says if Nikola Jokić tells the bench he didn’t
commit the foul, “we’re going to go with that.”
Crossing star players occasionally is part of the
job. Sears remembers—vividly—a regular-season
game against Atlanta, where Dončić pleaded
with Mavs coach Jason Kidd to challenge his
fifth foul. When Kidd didn’t, Dončić glared at
Sears as he headed to the bench. “It’s definitely
nerve-racking, when a guy like that gets mad,”
says Sears. “But it comes with the territory.”

HREE YEARS IN, the NBA has deemed

its challenge system a success. The
numbers have been stable. In the rule’s
first season, 2019–20, 633 calls were challenged,
with 281 successful, an overturn rate of 44.4%.
Last season, 719 calls were challenged, 346
successfully, a 48.1% overturn rate.
To address flow issues at the end of games, the
league tweaked the rules last season, taking away
referees’ power to review out-of-bounds plays in
the final two minutes and overtime, making them
reviewable only by a coach’s challenge. That, says
NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell,
reduced by 60% “outlier games,” which the league
defines as those in which the last two minutes
 PREVIEW 2022–23

Where challenge guys mostly agree: Don’t give STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
(required by Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code)
us any more of them. A common gripe among
1. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.
head coaches is they get only one per game. “If 2. (ISSN: 511-820).
3. Filing date: 10/01/2022.
they get the first one right,” says Spruell, “they 4. Issue frequency: Monthly.
want the ability to use it again.” That has sparked 5. Number of issues published annually: 12.
6. The annual subscription price is $65.
debate inside league offices. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 200 Vesey St.,
24th floor, New York, NY 10281.
“When I heard that,” says Murphy, “I was like, 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of
publisher: 200 Vesey St., 24th floor, New York, NY 10281.
‘I’m good.’ One is plenty.” Luckily for Murphy, 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor, and
managing editor. Publisher, Melissa McCarthy, 200 Vesey St., 24th floor,
Spruell says the league needs a few more years New York, NY 10281; Editor, Ryan Hunt (Co-Editor in Chief), 200 Vesey
St., 24th floor, New York, NY 10281; Managing Editor, Stephen Cannella
of data before it would consider that change. (Co-Editor in Chief), 200 Vesey St., 24th floor, New York, NY 10281.
And while being the challenge guy is a notable 10. Owner: ABG-SI, LLC.; 1411 Broadway, 21st floor, New York, NY 10018.
11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or
position, it’s one many will be thrilled to be holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other
securities: NONE.
promoted out of. “I can’t wait for the day I’m 12. Tax status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months.
13. Publisher title: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.
no longer doing this job,” says Sears, smiling. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2022.
15. The extent and nature of circulation: A. Total number of copies printed
“And I’m going to look back and put just as much (net press run). Average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months: 1,356,070. Actual number of copies of single issue published
pressure on the person behind me.” nearest to filing date: 1,153,589. B. Paid circulation. 1. Mailed outside-
county paid subscriptions. Average number of copies each issue during
preceding 12 months: 837,147. Actual number of copies of single issue
published nearest to filing date: 716,825. 2. Mailed in-county paid
subscriptions. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12
months: 0. Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to
filing date: 0. 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and
counter sales. Average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months: 11,857. Actual number of copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date: 8,749. 4. Paid distribution through other classes
mailed through the USPS. Average number of copies each issue during
preceding 12 months: 0. Actual number of copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date: 0. C. Total paid distribution. Average number of
copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 849,004. Actual number
of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 725,574. D. Free
or nominal rate distribution (by mail and outside mail). 1. Free or nominal
outside-county. Average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months: 430,874. Actual number of copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date: 368,944. 2. Free or nominal rate in-county copies.
Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0.
Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:
0. 3. Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS.
Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0.
Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:
0. 4. Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail. Average number
of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 3,795. Actual number of
copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 3,608. E. Total free
or nominal rate distribution. Average number of copies each issue during
preceding 12 months: 434,669. Actual number of copies of single issue
published nearest to filing date: 372,552. F. Total free distribution (sum
of 15c and 15e). Average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months: 1,283,673. Actual number of copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date: 1,098,126. G. Copies not distributed. Average
number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 72,397. Actual
number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 55,463.
H. Total (sum of 15f and 15g). Average number of copies each issue during
preceding 12 months: 1,356,070. Actual number of copies of single issue
published nearest to filing date: 1,153,589. I. Percent paid. Average percent
of copies paid for preceding 12 months: 66.14%. Actual percent of copies
paid for preceding 12 months: 66.07%.
16. Electronic copy circulation: A. Paid electronic copies. Average number
of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0. Actual number of
copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 0. B. Total paid print
copies (Line 15c) + paid electronic copies (Line 16a). Average number of
copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 849,004. Actual number
of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 725,574. C. Total
print distribution (Line 15f) + paid electronic copies (Line 16a). Average
number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1,283,673.
Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:
1,098,126. D. Percent paid (both print and electronic copies) (16b divided
by 16c x 100). Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12
months: 66.14%. Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest
to filing date: 66.07%. I certify that 50% of all distributed copies (electronic
and print) are paid above nominal price: YES. Report circulation on PS
Form 3526-X worksheet.
17. Publication of statement of ownership will be printed in the November
2022 issue of the publication.
18. Signature and title of editor, publisher, business manager or owner:
Stephen Cannella.

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I
understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on
this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may
be subject to criminal sanction and civil actions.
 EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE

1 Celtics 6 Cavaliers 11 Knicks 1 Warriors 6 Mavericks 11 Kings

2 Bucks 7 Raptors 12 Wizards 2 Suns 7 Pelicans 12 Rockets
3 Nets 8 Hawks 13 Pistons 3 Clippers 8 Timberwolves 13 Spurs
4 76ers 9 Bulls 14 Pacers 4 Nuggets 9 Lakers 14 Thunder
5 Heat 10 Hornets 15 Magic 5 Grizzlies 10 Trail Blazers 15 Jazz

BUCKS over CELTICS WARRIORS over CLIPPERS

NBA FINALS
WARRIORS over BUCKS
Enemy Lines reported by
HOWARD BECK and CHRIS MANNIX
Profiles by
ROHAN NADKARNI
ODDS COURTESY OF
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SPORTSBOOK.
FOR MORE, VISIT SISPORTSBOOK.COM.
REPORTS
PHOTOGRAPH BY
JOHN W.
M C DONOUGH

This season, following the

rebirth of an NBA dynasty,
challengers to the throne
have their work cut out for
them. But hope abounds.
Some contenders, like the
Suns, are ready to avenge
bitter playoff exits. Others,
like the Clippers, are finally
healthy and whole. Still,
in the end, could it be the
past two champions who
decide it all?

SHOO T ING S TA R
Devin Booker is coming off
his first All-NBA Team campaign
after leading the Suns to
64 wins last season.
 PREVIEW 2022–23

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC
Brooklyn he is a perfect complement to the scor-
ing talents they have.
The Sixers will be as good or as bad as
the players they put around Joel Embiid and
An opposing scout sizes up the division James Harden. . . . Their rotation guys mostly are
who they are, but the x-factor is Tyrese Maxey. If
he takes the same jump he made last year, he’s
I EXPECT THE Celtics to duplicate After reaching a potential All-Star. But it will be hard for him
what they did last year. The ability to the Finals, to take that jump, because now he’s a target. . . .
— ENEMY LINES —

defend has such a strong correlation Boston still P.J. Tucker is a great pickup from Miami. He adds
to getting into the Finals. . . . Their toughness. . . . Harden is 33. I think he can still
has room for
young pieces have not tapped out on play at an All-Star level, but how many nights a
improvement,
their talent. Jayson Tatum is still get- year can he do that?
ting better. So are Jaylen Brown and while the Nets Other teams are led by stars, but I don’t look
Grant Williams. . . . Robert Williams III have the most at a single player on the Raptors roster and
turned their season around last year. boom-bust say, “That’s the guy.” I’m surprised by what

D AV I D E . K L U T H O ( H A R D E N ) ; N AT H A N I E L S . B U T L E R / N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( N A S H )
His rim protection and lob threat were potential in they’ve been able to accomplish, but I’m also
what they were missing. . . . Teams didn’t the league. impressed. . . . Scottie Barnes could eventually
game-plan for Boston last year because it wasn’t become a much better version of Marcus Smart,
seen as a contender until March. Now the Celtics with his ability to guard multiple positions and get
will get everybody’s best early on. That will be a stops, if he continues to grow at the offensive end. . . . Pascal Siakam
big adjustment for a young team. is a guy I respect. How much better does he get? I think that’s going
The Nets are probably the hardest team to pre- to be the real key for Toronto.
dict in the NBA. We haven’t had a chance to see Two years ago the Knicks did a very good job of getting their grit
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons back. Last season they kind of lost some of it. . . . Adding Jalen Brunson
play together. And how does Steve Nash coach does return grit to that team, but at a pretty high price [four years,
this team after Durant’s reported “him or me” $104 million]. Brunson was a great fit in Dallas alongside Luka Dončić.
demand this summer? Brooklyn could make You never really know how it will go when you ask somebody to take
the Finals or be a complete bomb. . . . I think on a bigger role like the Knicks are doing with Brunson, but does he
Simmons is still an All-NBA–caliber player. If make them better than they were last year? Yes. . . . I like RJ Barrett.
he was on the open market, would somebody Whether he turns into an All-Star, I don’t know. He’s a guy that does
give him a max deal? I think they would. In a lot of things well but maybe not one thing elite.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

James Harden G 76ERS to opt out and earn a new And GM Daryl Morey
deal next year, which has brought in shooters,
should give him extra including ex-teammates
IN THE Sixers’ second- out with injury. Now the motivation to shine in Danuel House Jr. and
round playoff loss to former MVP, acquired at Philadelphia after messy P.J. Tucker, to help
the Heat last season, the trade deadline last breakups in Brooklyn space the floor. The
James Harden looked year, is playing under a and Houston. conditions are ripe for
old and ineffective, new contract that includes The good news is Harden to right his ship
particularly in the games a $14.4 million pay cut— Harden remains a deadly and, in the process, help
where Joel Embiid was though, he has a chance pick-and-roll threat. Philly contend.
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
55

THE RUNDOWN
BOSTON CELTICS
TITLE ODDS +500 › OVER/UNDER 55.5

IN: MALCOLM BROGDON (T)

OUT: AARON NESMITH (T), DANIEL THEIS (T)

BROOKLYN NETS
TITLE ODDS +750 › OVER/UNDER 51.5

IN: T.J. WARREN (FA), ROYCE O’NEALE (T)

OUT: BRUCE BROWN (FA), ANDRE DRUMMOND (FA)

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
TITLE ODDS +1400 › OVER/UNDER 50.5

IN: DE’ANTHONY MELTON (T), P.J. TUCKER (FA)

OUT: DANNY GREEN (T), D E ANDRE JORDAN (FA)

TORONTO RAPTORS
TITLE ODDS +4000 › OVER/UNDER 45.5

IN: OTTO PORTER JR. (FA), D.J. WILSON (FA)

OUT: YUTA WATANABE (FA), SVI MYKHAILIUK (W)

NEW YORK KNICKS

TITLE ODDS +10000 › OVER/UNDER 38.5

IN: JALEN BRUNSON (FA), ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN (FA)

OUT: ALEC BURKS (T), KEMBA WALKER (T), TAJ GIBSON (FA)

BOLD PREDICTION: Knicks collapse, miss playoffs. (O.K., maybe not bold.)

AWARDS WATCH
COACH OF The Atlantic has given us three of the last
THE YEAR five COY winners, and Boston’s Ime Udoka
had been the odds-on favorite. With him
STEVE out of the running, consider Steve Nash:
NASH Yes, Brooklyn’s season could blow up any
Nets time, but the talent is there for a huge year.
ODDS: +2000

GOOD BETS Chris Finch, MIN (+1000);

Jason Kidd, DAL (+1200); Monty Williams,
PHX (+1200); J.B. Bickerstaff, CLE (+1400)
LONG SHOT Dwane Casey, DET (+2800)
 PREVIEW 2022–23

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL
and Jarrett Allen, to counter that. . . . Cleveland
is still a notch below the Celtics and the Bucks.
The Bulls are interesting, but they don’t have
great depth. When Alex Caruso was out last
An opposing scout sizes up the division season, they were not very good. . . . The key is
Lonzo Ball’s recovery from his knee injury. He
makes everybody better. . . . DeMar DeRozan
FOR THE Bucks, it’s all about April and The Bucks’ ended up carrying their team. I question whether,
having people healthy for the playoffs. championship at 33, he can do that again. . . . Another question:
— ENEMY LINES —

If Khris Middleton had been healthy Will Zach LaVine play the same now that he’s
window may
last year, I think they would have won it gotten his max extension? . . . Nikola Vučević is
be closing,
all. . . . Their window is pretty slim right trending down. He needs to hit 37% of his threes
now, unless they find someone in the and the Cavs to be effective, because as a center he doesn’t
25-year-old range who can play. . . . Do are coming on impact games defensively. . . . Even if they have
they have enough wings to take on strong after a good year, they’re still fifth in the East.
Boston? You’re putting a lot of pres- their deal The Pistons have accumulated a lot of pieces.
sure on Wes Matthews at 36 to guard for Donovan I’m not sure how well they all go together.

D AV I D E . K L U T H O ( A N T E T O K O U N M P O ) ; G R E G O R Y S H A M U S / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( I V E Y )
Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum. . . . The Mitchell. They have a lot of guards who need the ball—
biggest thing that could get them over the Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks,
hump, that would make them unguardable, is if Kemba Walker. . . . I think Cade can lead them
Giannis Antetokounmpo can make threes. . . . It back to relevance. But it’s important that he has better people around
seems like a make-or-break type year before they him. He’s not the type of scorer who can go get you 30. He’s more of a
have to make significant changes. triple-double type player. . . . Size is an issue. I really like Isaiah Stewart,
Are Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland a but he’s a 6' 8 ½" center. . . . One guy to watch is Isaiah Livers. He can
good fit on the Cavaliers? It’s a legitimate con- shoot, and he is tall [6' 7"] for a wing. . . . They’ll play hard. Maybe
cern, just like it would have been if Collin Sexton next year they’re where Cleveland was last year.
had come back. Except there’s an innate hierar- The Pacers are young; they’re not very deep, and I don’t know
chy, because Mitchell has proved that he is bet- whether they’re very good. . . . Tyrese Haliburton can be an important
ter. . . . Mitchell and Garland are both high-usage piece on a building team. But he’s not Jayson Tatum; he’s not that
players. Pace and extra possessions would help caliber. . . . Bennedict Mathurin will be good for them. He’ll probably
this team. . . . It’s a smallish backcourt. But they lead all rookies in scoring. . . . Will Myles Turner and Buddy Hield even
have two pretty good young bigs, Evan Mobley be there after the trade deadline, if the Pacers are all in for the tank?

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Giannis Antetokounmpo F BUCKS Greek Freak to bring them much-needed creativity

back to the mountaintop. on the wing. The concerns
For a contender, the are Ingles’s age (35) and
PERHAPS THE biggest All-Star Khris Middleton, Bucks had a relatively health (he’s coming off
what-if team from last thanks to a heroic effort quiet offseason. Their a torn ACL). Still, even
year’s playoffs, the Bucks from two-time MVP major addition was former with a creaky supporting
pushed the Celtics to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jazz man Joe Ingles, cast, Milwaukee no doubt
seven games despite This season it’s clear a cagey defender and deserves to be feared
playing the entire series the 2020–21 champs knowledgeable vet because of a motivated
without three-time will rely heavily on the who could add some Antetokounmpo alone.
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
57

THE RUNDOWN
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
TITLE ODDS +650 › OVER/UNDER 53.5

IN: JOE INGLES (FA), M AR J ON BEAUCHAMP (D)

OUT: NONE

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
TITLE ODDS +3300 › OVER/UNDER 46.5

IN: DONOVAN MITCHELL (T), RAUL NETO (FA)

OUT: COLLIN SEXTON (T), LAURI MARKKANEN (T)

CHICAGO BULLS
TITLE ODDS +6000 › OVER/UNDER 44.5

IN: ANDRE DRUMMOND (FA), GORAN DRAGIĆ (FA)

OUT: TROY BROWN JR. (FA)

DETROIT PISTONS
TITLE ODDS +50000 › OVER/UNDER 28.5

IN: ALEC BURKS (T), KEMBA WALKER (T), JADEN IVEY (D)
OUT: JERAMI GRANT (T), LUKA GARZA (FA)

INDIANA PACERS
TITLE ODDS +30000 › OVER/UNDER 23.5

IN: BENNEDICT MATHURIN (D), DANIEL THEIS (T)

OUT: MALCOLM BROGDON (T), T.J. WARREN (FA)

The Cavs win their first playoff series in five years.

AWARDS WATCH
ROOKIE OF The rookie race opened up when OKC’s
THE YEAR Chet Holmgren was lost for the year.
Though not the favorite, Jaden Ivey will
JADEN
have his opportunities, alongside 2022
IVEY
ROY finalist Cade Cunningham, on a team
G PISTONS that’s going all in on youth.
ODDS: +500

GOOD BETS PF Paolo Banchero, ORL

(+200); PF Keegan Murray, SAC (+500);
PF Jabari Smith Jr., HOU (+600)
LONG SHOT PF Tari Eason, HOU (+9000)
 PREVIEW 2022–23

EASTERN CONFERENCE

SOUTHEAST
Why did the Hornets fire their coach? They
won 43 games! With that roster, James Borrego
did a good job. You’re gonna extract more blood
out of a stone with Steve Clifford? . . . He’s a star
An opposing scout sizes up the division offensively, but LaMelo Ball has got to play a
little more under control. His defense is hor-
rendous. . . . Miles Bridges was key to whatever
THE Heat HAVEN’T done very much to Except for success they had last year. Without him [Bridges’s
improve their team. They have good Miami and future is uncertain following domestic violence
— ENEMY LINES —

talent and an excellent coach, but they Atlanta, the charges], they’ll take a step back. . . . Terry Rozier
don’t have enough firepower to make the is a very good player. But all the other guys are
teams in this
Finals. . . . Kyle Lowry was not in good either marginal or complementary.
division offer
shape last year. They gave him all that I like the Monte Morris acquisition by the
money [$90 million over three years] little in the Wizards . He never turns it over, makes open
and let him get away with it. . . . Without way of star threes and he’s a pass-first point guard. . . . If
P.J. Tucker, who is their power forward? power—just Kristaps Porziņg‘is is not healthy, their talent
Is it Caleb Martin? They don’t really various levels is very ordinary. . . . Bradley Beal’s supermax
have one on the roster. . . . No doubt they extension was obviously a bad deal. He didn’t

G R E G N E L S O N ( Y O U N G ) ; I S S A C B A L D I Z O N / N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( A D E B AY O )
of mediocrity.
overvalued Duncan Robinson at $18 million a play that well last year, and he was hurt. Is he
year. He’s one-dimensional. Max Strus is bet- your No. 1 guy on a championship team? No. He’s
ter. . . . If Victor Oladipo can regain his old pro- a very good player. But if Beal wanted out, wouldn’t he have gotten
ductivity, he could make a difference. out? I guess he’s happy losing and being the guy. . . . Deni Avdija’s
The Hawks’ trade for Dejounte Murray is defense is pretty good. He’s a glue kind of guy, though, not a lot of
obviously key. Their perimeter defense was upside there.
terrible. Now you have a guy who can guard. The Magic are the worst team in the NBA over the last five years.
Taking Trae Young off the ball and helping They don’t have enough talent. They don’t have anything close to
him defensively is big. . . . Now they have some stars. . . . I found Paolo Banchero a little underwhelming this sum-
defensive guys—Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, mer. He’s not a great shooter. He’s a good passer, big body, not that
Moe Harkless and Murray. They need a criti- athletic. A little trouble getting separation. But he could be their best
cal mass of defenders, because Trae is really player, which says it all. . . . Who’s the point guard? Is it Markelle Fultz,
bad. . . . Will they contend? No, but they’re gonna Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs? Suggs was terrible last season, but he had
be a tough out. an injury. . . . Maybe in a few years they are a playoff team.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Trae Young PG HAWKS 15.4 points in the five- adding ballhandling and
game loss—a far cry from defense will ease the
his 28.8 playoff average burden on its high-usage
THE HAWKS never build off its run to the 2021 the year before. offensive wizard. To
seemed to get off the conference finals. Atlanta Atlanta’s front office thrive this year, Young
ground last season, with eventually stumbled into made a big swing this will have to prove he can
injuries to John Collins, the first round via the summer, trading multiple both coexist with another
De’Andre Hunter and play-in, but Trae Young first-round picks for backcourt star and that
Onyeka Okongwu making was stifled by the Heat All-Star Dejounte Murray. he can repeat his previous
it hard for the team to defense, averaging The team is hoping that postseason success.
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
59

THE RUNDOWN
MIAMI HEAT
TITLE ODDS +1400 › OVER/UNDER 49.5

IN: NIKOLA JOVIĆ (D)

OUT: P.J. TUCKER (FA), MARKIEFF MORRIS (FA)

ATLANTA HAWKS
TITLE ODDS +4500 › OVER/UNDER 45.5

IN: DEJOUNTE MURRAY (T), JUSTIN HOLIDAY (T)

OUT: DANILO GALLINARI (T), KEVIN HUERTER (T)

CHARLOTTE HORNETS
TITLE ODDS +15000 › OVER/UNDER 37.5

IN:MARK WILLIAMS (D), BRYCE M C GOWENS (D)

OUT: NONE

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
TITLE ODDS +30000 › OVER/UNDER 35.5

IN: WILL BARTON (T), MONTE MORRIS (T)

OUT: KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE (T), ISH SMITH (T)

ORLANDO MAGIC
TITLE ODDS +50000 › OVER/UNDER 26.5

IN: PAOLO BANCHERO (D), CALEB HOUSTAN (D)

OUT: ROBIN LOPEZ (FA)

BOLD PREDICTION: Miami goes from top seed to not having home court.

AWARDS WATCH
DEFENSIVE After Boston’s Marcus Smart struck a
POY blow for the little guys last year by
becoming the first point guard to win the
BAM award since 1996, the focus will be back on
ADEBAYO the big men—including Miami’s rangy rim
C HEAT protector, Bam Adebayo.
ODDS: +700

GOOD BETS C Rudy Gobert, MIN (+400);

C Robert Williams III, BOS (+650);
PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (+800)
LONG SHOT SF Kawhi Leonard, LAC (+2200)
 PREVIEW 2022–23

WESTERN CONFERENCE

NORTHWEST
two out of every four games, they get a good
DLo. . . . Anthony Edwards looks like a star.
But they have to get him to value possessions
more. Dude, there are four minutes left; you’re
An opposing scout sizes up the division down five with 16 on the clock. Why’d you just
dribble into a step back?
I’m less enthusiastic about the Blazers add-
THE Nuggets START with Nikola Jokić, The Utah- ing Jerami Grant than most. I just don’t think
who is still the best passing big, or best Minnesota he’s very good. Portland probably felt the move
— ENEMY LINES —

passer period, maybe, in the league. He trade will would help entice Damian Lillard to stay. . . . I
finds everybody. . . . If Jamal Murray guess it’s saying Anfernee Simons and Lillard are
shift the
is healthy, he projects as an All-Star. both big-time scorers and ballhandlers. Maybe
Their two-man game is really hard to
balance of Portland is a little bit better this year, but prob-
guard. . . . Bones Hyland showed some power, even ably it’s about the same.
flashes as a rookie, but he had a habit if the new I would be excited about Josh Giddey if I
of playing selfishly. He’s going to get lineup poses were the Thunder. He was a pretty damn good
more time with Monte Morris gone, a dilemma for passer as a rookie. . . . Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
but he’s going to have to change his the T-Wolves. knows how to score. But on defense, you can
game. . . . Michael Porter Jr. is a very good scorer go at him. To me, Shai and [new Cavs guard]
and an awful defender. He’ll fire off dumb shots Donovan Mitchell are two guys who could
and make them—he’s that good. If he can stay defend but didn’t give the effort last year. But again, if the organi-
healthy, the Nuggets are as good as any team zational mandate is to lose every game, how can Shai be expected
in the conference. to kill himself? . . . Lu Dort is a very good complementary player.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert will be Defensively he can turn it into a football game and beat the s--- out
fine together for the Timberwolves. The question of guys and not have anything get called.
is, are you willing to put $42 million in Gobert Danny Ainge wants his teams to be either really good or really
[who was acquired from the Jazz] on the bench bad. This Jazz team looks really bad. They will bring in a bunch of
in the last six minutes of close games? There will young guys, and if one of them hits, great. If not, move on. . . . I’m
be nights when that should happen, and Gobert not a Collin Sexton guy. He and Jordan Clarkson are similar, not in
will not be happy. But I think Chris Finch will how they play, but in their role as scorers. Still, Utah took the right
do what he has to do. . . . D’Angelo Russell is offer for Mitchell. I’d rather pay Sexton $72 million for four years
a wild card. He’s in a contract year, so maybe than RJ Barrett $120 million for four years.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Rudy Gobert C TIMBERWOLVES In Utah, Gobert was in scoring talent than the
a tough spot. His rim- Jazz did, but Gobert will
protecting skills mattered face new pressure, too.
RUDY GOBERT is a by his teammates? Gobert less because he was Minnesota gave up so
Rorschach test for NBA will have a fresh chance often drawn outside by much in the hope that he
fans. Do they see a center to quiet his doubters his team’s poor perimeter will lift the team to the
whose impact wanes in after Utah sent him to defense, and his offensive next level. The playoffs
the postseason? Or a Minnesota in July for a influence never matched are when Gobert will either
generational defensive package that included five his salary. The T-Wolves answer his critics or prove
talent who has been failed first-round picks. may have even more them right.
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
61

THE RUNDOWN
DENVER NUGGETS
TITLE ODDS +1800 › OVER/UNDER 50.5

IN: KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE (T), BRUCE BROWN (FA)

OUT: WILL BARTON (T), MONTE MORRIS (T), AUSTIN RIVERS (FA)

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
TITLE ODDS +3300 › OVER/UNDER 47.5

IN: RUDY GOBERT (T), BRYN FORBES (FA), LUKA GARZA (FA)
OUT: PATRICK BEVERLEY (T), MALIK BEASLEY (T)

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

TITLE ODDS +8000 › OVER/UNDER 39.5

IN: JERAMI GRANT (T), SHAEDON SHARPE (D)

OUT: CJ ELLEBY (FA)

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

TITLE ODDS +15000 › OVER/UNDER 23.5

IN: OUSMANE DIENG (D), JALEN WILLIAMS (D)

OUT: ISAIAH ROBY (W)

UTAH JAZZ
TITLE ODDS +50000 › OVER/UNDER 25.5

IN: COLLIN SEXTON (T), LAURI MARKKANEN (T)

OUT: DONOVAN MITCHELL (T), RUDY GOBERT (T)

BOLD PREDICTION: Tanking Jazz edge Thunder for top lottery spot.

AWARDS WATCH
MOST In his first time on the postseason stage,
IMPROVED Anthony Edwards nearly led Minnesota
past No. 2 Memphis, averaging 25.2 ppg.
ANTHONY Now with even more talent around him,
EDWARDS Edwards is looking at a third-year jump
SG TIMBERWOLVES that could put him into the league’s elite.
ODDS: +1100

GOOD BETS PG Tyrese Haliburton, IND

(+1100); PG Jalen Brunson, NYK (+1800);
SF RJ Barrett, NYK (+2000)
LONG SHOT PG Ben Simmons, BKN (+4000)
 PREVIEW 2022–23

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SOUTHWEST
An opposing scout sizes up the division

I THINK THE Grizzlies take a little bit of Several of

a step back. They rely a lot on offensive these teams
— ENEMY LINES —

rebounding and transition. If the West have exciting

as a whole is better, it becomes harder
young
to win that way. . . . Jaren Jackson Jr.
stars, while
is a good, not great, player. On defense
he fouls a ton. . . . Dillon Brooks is others are
too much of a wild card. It looks like positioning
they made an agreement with him themselves
that was like, “We’ll let you take any to draft one
of the crazy shots you want, as long next summer.
as you guard.” . . . Defensively, Ja Morant is
absolute horses---. I mean atrocious. He’s as
bad as any big-time NBA player you will find.
But offensively, he gets where he wants, and
that’s big. His three-point shooting was better
last year, and if it continues to improve he will
be an MVP candidate. His attitude and energy
are something that they all feed off.
Who is the Mavericks’ second-best player?
Last year it was Jalen Brunson. Now who is it?
Christian Wood? I think he’s an empty-numbers
guy. Is it Spencer Dinwiddie? I don’t know if
you can bet on him. . . . They need Josh Green
to make a jump. And for a little while last year

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Ja Morant PG GRIZZLIES and based on the tweet he

made at Draymond Green
after the teams’ Christmas
THOUGH THE Grizzlies second round. (Morant matchup was announced—
thrived without Ja Morant missed the last three “we got what we wanted
during the season, their contests with a knee dray”—it’s clear Morant
luck ran out in the playoffs, injury.) The reigning Most feels the series should
when Memphis was Improved Player averaged have ended differently.
eliminated by the Warriors 38.3 points per game in Memphis is undoubtedly
in six games in the his first conference semis, exciting, but this year could
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
63

THE RUNDOWN
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
TITLE ODDS +2000 › OVER/UNDER 48.5

IN: DANNY GREEN (T), JAKE L A RAVIA (D), DAVID RODDY (D)
OUT: KYLE ANDERSON (FA), D E ’ANTHONY MELTON (T)

DALLAS MAVERICKS
TITLE ODDS +2000 › OVER/UNDER 48.5

IN: CHRISTIAN WOOD (T), J AVALE M C GEE (FA)

OUT: JALEN BRUNSON (FA), TREY BURKE (T)

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

TITLE ODDS +4000 › OVER/UNDER 43.5

IN: DYSON DANIELS (D), E.J. LIDDELL (D)

OUT: NONE

HOUSTON ROCKETS
TITLE ODDS +50000 › OVER/UNDER 23.5

IN: JABARI SMITH JR. (D), TREY BURKE (T), TARI EASON (D)
OUT: CHRISTIAN WOOD (T), JOHN WALL (W)

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

TITLE ODDS +40000 › OVER/UNDER 22.5

IN: JEREMY SOCHAN (D), ISAIAH ROBY (FA)

OUT: DEJOUNTE MURRAY (T), LONNIE WALKER IV (FA)

BOLD PREDICTION: Zion leads the Pels to first winning record since 2018.

AWARDS WATCH
MVP Bad news for Nikola Jokić: MVP voters
don’t like threepeats. (It hasn’t happened
LUKA since Larry Bird in the mid-1980s.) That
DONČIĆ opens the door for the current holder of
PG MAVERICKS the best-player-to-never-win-MVP title,
the Mavs’ Luka Dončić.
ODDS: +450

GOOD BETS C Joel Embiid, PHI (+500);

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (+550);
SF Kevin Durant, BKN (+900)
LONG SHOT PF Zion Williamson, NOP (+4000)
 PREVIEW 2022–23

WESTERN CONFERENCE

PACIFIC
they have to manage Chris Paul’s minutes this
year at age 37.
If the Clippers have everybody back in top
form, they are the best team in the conference.
An opposing scout sizes up the division Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can make shots
from all different areas and have great size.
George has really improved as a playmaker.
AGE IS REALLY the only question Steph and Kawhi can defend anyone. . . . Let’s see how
with the Warriors. They have all the the defending healthy John Wall is. If he is what he was in
— ENEMY LINES —

pieces to be great again. [34-year-old] champions Houston two years ago, his pickup doesn’t help
Steph Curry’s game will age well. He’ll much. But if he is athletic enough to get in the
should come
be an All-Star for years. . . . When paint and to defend, he can be good for them.
back strong,
Klay Thompson came back from his I really don’t know how the Lakers can make
injuries last year, he wasn’t close to the but this group Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley work
defender he used to be. I don’t know of teams in the backcourt. There’s legitimate hatred
how far back he will get this year, but is rich with there. That’ll be a challenge for rookie coach
he’s still pretty athletic and a pretty potential Darvin Ham. . . . Offensively LeBron James con-
damn good shooter. . . . It will be inter- contenders. tinues to be really strong, but [at age 37] he can’t

J A M I E S C H W A B E R O W ( P A U L ) ; M I K E R A S AY/ N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( P O O L E )
esting to see how much their young guys help play high minutes at both ends anymore. He
them. Moses Moody can shoot it, and he guards. can still be a top player, but I don’t think he
Jonathan Kuminga can play, though he looks like can win the way he would prefer, with the ball in his hands every
he thinks he’s at a level that he’s not quite at yet. play. . . . Anthony Davis had a bunch of bad misses last year. To me
The Suns will be fine in the regular season, that says he wasn’t practicing a whole lot. And he looked heavy. That’s
but was last year’s playoffs implosion a warning tough, if you’re injury prone and heavy.
sign? . . . They didn’t want to pay Deandre Ayton, For the Kings , De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis both have
but he’s very effective and can get better. They talent, but neither has been able to maximize it. You saw some signs
may not like his attitude. He may not like being of chemistry late last season, after they picked up Sabonis from
there. But he’s a great finisher and scorer around Indiana. How those two mesh will determine how good Sacramento
the rim. I think they should give him more will be. . . . I like the Kings’ top pick, Keegan Murray. At 6' 8" he’s
touches in the regular season. . . . Their bench got good size, good shotmaking and good decision-making. He looks
disappeared in the playoffs, and Phoenix didn’t like he’ll be a solid, versatile player. They can slide him to the four.
do much to address that. It matters because They could even play him as a small five for a few minutes.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Chris Paul PG SUNS games against Dallas, running out of chances

Paul’s play took a to show that he can
precipitous dip that come through in the
IN A career filled with 123–90 at home in Game 7 coincided with his postseason. Because
playoff disappointments, of the second round. The 37th birthday. This loss Phoenix is running it
Chris Paul suffered loss was so complete it also unfortunately echoed back this year with
arguably his most sparked rumors: Was the 2021 Finals, when largely the same roster,
bewildering in May, when Paul sick? Did he have an the Suns blew a 2–0 lead the pressure will fall on
the Mavericks trounced undisclosed injury? against the Bucks. the Point God to rewrite
his top-seeded Suns After the first two At his age Paul is his own narrative.
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
65

THE RUNDOWN
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
TITLE ODDS +600 › OVER/UNDER 52.5

IN: DONTE D I VINCENZO (FA), J A MYCHAL GREEN (FA)

OUT: OTTO PORTER JR. (FA), DAMION LEE (FA), GARY PAYTON II (FA)

PHOENIX SUNS
TITLE ODDS +800 › OVER/UNDER 53.5

IN: DUANE WASHINGTON JR. (FA), DAMION LEE (FA)

OUT: J AVALE M C GEE (FA), AARON HOLIDAY (FA)

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

TITLE ODDS +700 › OVER/UNDER 52.5

IN: JOHN WALL (FA)

OUT: ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN (FA)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

TITLE ODDS +1400 › OVER/UNDER 45.5

IN: PATRICK BEVERLEY (T), LONNIE WALKER IV (FA)

OUT: MALIK MONK (FA), TALEN HORTON-TUCKER (T)

SACRAMENTO KINGS
TITLE ODDS +40000 › OVER/UNDER 33.5

IN: MALIK MONK (FA), KEEGAN MURRAY (D)

OUT: MAURICE HARKLESS (T), DAMIAN JONES (FA)

LeBron’s playoff drought hits two years with play-in L.

AWARDS WATCH
SIXTH MAN After starting in the Dubs’ first-round
OF THE YEAR win over the Nuggets, Jordan Poole was
moved to the bench. Was he fazed? Nope.
JORDAN He scored 31 points in Game 1 against the
POOLE Grizzlies and then anchored the second
sg WARRIORS unit for the rest of Golden State’s title run.
ODDS: +450

GOOD BETS SG Tyler Herro, MIA (+500);

PG Malcolm Brogdon, BOS (+850);
SG Anfernee Simons, POR (+1400)
LONG SHOT PF Kevin Love, CLE (+2500)
 he plucked and held high. Timme began cheering. Timme led a chant.
Timme recoiled in mock horror as Watson placed the still-crawling
crustacean onto his neck.
This is Timme, elite and authentic, hilarious and self-deprecating,
normal and, well, not normal. Teammates describe similar daily inter-
actions, always strange, as the Full Drew Experience (FDE), and they
begin such descriptions with head shakes and giggles that make his
LAST SPRING, at a biology class on the Spokane mom, Megan, cringe. “I’m worried it could resonate like an episode
River, Gonzaga basketballers Drew Timme and of Jackass,” she says. “I mean, just totally ridiculous.”
BRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON SPORT SWIRE/GE T T Y IMAGES

Anton Watson encountered a tall-person prob- The FDE starts with that ’stache, much to mom’s chagrin. It’s more
lem: They could not find lab-issued boots large than a ’stache; it’s a mission statement. The first time Timme told
enough for their gargantuan feet. Timme, Watson he planned to trim his beard into a handlebar, Watson slapped
because he is Timme, crammed his size-18 palm to forehead. But the internet went bananas, forcing Drew to just
human snowshoes halfway into the biggest pair go with it. Watson shrugs. “People like it,” he says. Another shrug.
available, then skipped down to the banks, which “I guess,” he spits out.
were lined with trees and rock formations, dark- Because he is Timme, there’s an art to shaping the ’stache. It begins
blue water sparkling in the sun. with a single simple rule: no soul patch. (He’s not a monster!) He’ll
The man and his majestic mustache then grow out a full beard, tire of it, then follow his instincts—but not
waded into the water to hunt for insects and before announcing to friends that “stache szn” has commenced. Some
frogs. Suddenly, Watson spied a crawfish, which days, he feels like a copstache; others, a goatee; others, the famous
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
69

CONVERSATIONS WITH OPPOSING COACHES... DURING WARMUPS.

CELEBRATIONS. IT’S FUN. SELF-AWARE. IT HAS TIMME SPARKING
THE FULL DREW EXPERIENCE IS HEADBANDS. IT’S WWE-STYLE
creates personalized routines for his pregame
introduction, an amalgam of fist bumps, head-
butts, chest bumps, thumb wars and handshakes
that can include everyone from a ball boy to Zags
coach Mark Few.
The FDE is headbands. WWE-style celebrations
after baskets. It’s fun. Self-aware. It’s an inquisi-
tiveness that sees Timme sparking conversations
with opposing coaches . . . during warmups. He
loves Dos Equis—because, of course he does. He
is the most interesting man in college basketball.
Why does any of this matter? Because Timme
is also Gonzaga basketball, from where it started,
to how it’s going, to the one thing he’s trying
to shape above all else: the only thing the Zags
have never won.

S DRE W TIMME ambles toward an

interview in early September, his pres-
ence is announced from 100 yards away.
Timme laughs. Timme shouts. Timme cackles.
Because he is Timme, an entrance must be made.
At his essence, this is Timme: pure, unadulter-
ated, injectable joy bottled into a lumpy, tower-
ing body. The ’stache is his spigot, spreading
unbridled enthusiasm throughout his world and
far beyond. He describes the FDE like this: I love
what I do. And the way I play, it’s an extension of
me. It’s who I am.
This matters because he is Timme, a distinct
headliner for college basketball’s most unlikely
Drew Manchu. “Always want to give it a little power. Gonzaga is a small school in a remote
more pop,” Timme says. location. But that hasn’t stopped expectations
Speaking of: The proclamations, methodol- from ballooning beyond what’s reasonable.
ogy and designs that border on artwork are Winning is both demanded and taken for granted
part of a loose plan that’s genius (and haphazard) (and charming). in Spokane. It has looked so easy, especially in
Timme is the rare college basketball star with modest NBA prospects, Timme’s first three seasons, when the Zags went
and he somehow managed to turn facial hair into a brand and an 90–7. Or in 2020–21, when they nearly completed
ethos. It explains him as well as anything explains anyone. “Just pure an undefeated year, their lone defeat coming to
energy,” teammate Rasir Bolton says. Baylor in the national title game. Timme is a
It has also made Timme—auburn-haired, strapping, dripping sweat— two-time All-American, the reigning West Coast
a meme and the subject of (mostly) light-hearted mockery. Comparisons Conference Player of the Year and one of the
abound. Relief pitcher near the end. Middle-aged plumber. Hockey country’s most productive big men. But what
goon. Mall cop. Jackie Moon, the singer/player/team owner played might seem easy most definitely is not. “People
by Will Ferrell in Semi-Pro. don’t realize how hard it really is,” he says.
Timme is, as Dollar Shave Club declared in one endorsement, sports’ Inside the crucible of demand and intensity
most celebrated “chin-fluencer.” that is Gonzaga basketball, even small booster
Because this is Timme, no one considers his perch at the rare shots of Timme-brand joy stretch far beyond
intersection of ’stache and sports all that unusual. Not for a forward his wingspan. They strengthen team dynamics,
who spent this summer watching—sorry, Mom!—every Jackass movie, ward off negativity and make an enterprise that’s
giggling at the nut shots and studying the acting. Not for a dude who basically big business feel less heavy.
 Drew Timme
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
70

Even then, the FDE wasn’t always this way. rubbery cafeteria spaghetti, cramped dorm rooms and no sports silos.
Growing up in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Not to mention Few, the coach who never left and never planned to,
a 6' 10" high schooler who couldn’t yet grow the teacher with more seasons coaching at Gonzaga (23) than candles
a mustache. He cared too much and tried too on Timme’s last birthday cake (22).
hard. “Serious and scared,” Timme says of “He always finds his value, his niche,” Megan says. “That’s what
his younger self. When told he wasn’t good we always taught him. This is your job: being a good human being.”
enough or tough enough by a youth coach, Her son—a human being currently in good standing everywhere
Timme responded by maximizing his gifts. except on campus at rival BYU—didn’t lack for scholarship offers.
The connection he made—that sports should, Michigan State. Texas. Arizona. Texas A&M. Drew made a pivotal
ultimately, be fun—only made him a better choice in 2019. He picked Gonzaga, the perfect incubator for a brand
player. He vowed to never lose that vibe again. he didn’t know existed yet. He chose joy, because he is Timme.
Matt and Megan Timme raised
three children—each tall, each an
athlete, each so competitive they still
vociferously claim the coveted title of
Timme tic-tac-toe champion. In this BIG MEN ON CAMPUS:
forest of a family, Matt played hoops
at SMU, where he studied psychol-
NOW MORE THAN EVER
ogy, and later competed in Europe.
Megan, a college tennis player at
Stephen F. Austin, became an educa- HAS ANYONE athletes. Big men
tor in Richardson, where she’s now noticed that this year’s may not be the hot
on the school district’s board of trust- short list of college commodities they once
ees. Son Walker, the middle child, is a stars skews large? were in the NBA—a
freshman forward at McNeese State. That’s because of mere four college
Daughter Kendall, the youngest, is a two factors: One is centers were selected
high school volleyball prospect. the NBA’s continuing in June. But they have
They all know Drew as the world evolution away from learned that by staying
came to understand him: “Just so traditional, back-to- in school and cashing
goofy and dumb,” Megan says, as a the-basket centers. in on NIL opportunities,
compliment. But they also knew the The other is the new they can still be paid
Drew that actively made the FDE NIL rules that have like stars.
possible. That Drew showed up at funneled money Take, for example,
practices for Drive Nation—the AAU into the pockets of Timme, Kentucky’s
program started by former NBA enterprising college Oscar Tshiebwe,
All-Star Jermaine O’Neal—in Uggs and
cut-off T-shirts before turning laughter
into awe. Timme sought extra time
with O’Neal, peppering him with ques-
tions about footwork and positioning.
Eventually, Gonzaga assistant
Brian Michaelson called to invite
Timme for an official visit. And, Timme
— By Jeremy Woo —

being Timme, he fell in love, though

not for the obvious reason. It wasn’t just
that he was enamored with basketball,
all the banners hanging in the practice
facility Few built. Hoops mattered, of
course—but not as much as how nor-
mal everything felt on campus. “I want
that,” he told his parents, meaning:
PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
71

IMME GOT HIS slice of normal. Gonzaga, in return, got Most programs deploy culture as a buzz-
normal’s antithesis. It didn’t take long for Few to bestow word—like junk food, it’s empty calories. Not
his Jackass-loving forward with a new moniker, as Timme the Zags. Few certainly didn’t design the spirit
became Gonzaga’s “union rep.” This owed to Timme’s myriad (but of Gonzaga basketball with Timme in mind. But
friendly) complaints to management. Like whenever practice ran a he did fashion a hoops laboratory that celebrated
little long. Or when Mount Few threatened to erupt. individuality, welcoming all types, from all over
Timme’s parents had worried his personality might be naturally the world. If that meant the 59-year-old coach
dulled in college. They were wrong. “Drew’s gonna be Drew, right?” chest-bumping the mustachioed baller during
Matt says. And that, in fact, was exactly what Gonzaga wanted. Not intros, so be it. “He’s got a low center of gravity,”
subdued Drew. Not clean-shaven Drew. Only the FDE would do, which Timme explains with a smirk.
spoke to the culture that Few had nurtured for more than two decades. His evolution started immediately.
Year 1: Surprisingly productive freshman
season. Spent backing up the conference player
of the year, Filip Petrusev, along with spot starts
whenever Killian Tillie missed time. Too much
The NBA’s increasingly perimeter-oriented offenses have fun off the court. Not enough fun on it, as the
led to traditional centers staying in school longer,
postseason was canceled with the No. 2 Zags
potentially adding a throwback element to the game
sitting at 31–2. Blame COVID-19.
Year 2: Unexpected star turn. Petrusev, a
native of Serbia, decided to stay and play in his
North Carolina’s Hakeem Olajuwon homeland. Forward Corey Kispert and shoot-
Armando Bacot and in the early 1980s. ing guard Joel Ayayi returned, while future
Indiana’s Trayce Those sorts of NBA lottery pick Jalen Suggs arrived. Timme
Jackson-Davis. continuing story grabbed onto a larger role. He set screens. He
These seniors all lines have all but slid into space. He galloped—as much as some-
considered turning disappeared in the one who’s built like him can gallop—down the
pro but then age of one-and- floor in transition. After averaging 19.0 points
returned to anchor dones and instant and 7.0 rebounds per game, Timme did not
iconic programs, transfers, with jump to the NBA, a decision he explains in five
incentivized by prospects moving as words. “I just like kicking ass.”
endorsement money soon as the audience Year 3: The takeover. Suggs left. But in
that can rival or even gets to know them. came Chet Holmgren, a 7' 1" center known as
surpass what they While not every big The Unicorn. Consider Holmgren—a serious
would make on a two- man will linger—star player ticketed for stardom from an early age—
way NBA contract center Kofi Cockburn and Timme the world’s tallest yin and yang.
or G League deal. left Illinois, went Gonzaga became less perimeter-oriented, while
The Athletic reported undrafted and signed Timme waded deeper into the post.
in August that an Exhibit 10 deal Travis Knight, the school’s strength and con-
Tshiebwe—last year’s with Utah, hoping to ditioning coach, came to believe everyone could
unanimous National catch on with that follow Timme toward the rarest of places: hap-
Player of the Year— organization—the piness. The kindergarten mentality his coaches
has already earned prospect of schools described wasn’t an insult. Yes, dealing with
close to $2.75 million building around children that young is frustrating. But strip
from NIL. blue-chip centers away busy schedules and endless workweeks
Decades ago for multiple years, and so much self-induced stress: Most adults
NCAA basketball rather than flashier would love nothing more than to return to that
was characterized by perimeter recruits, state. Because he is Timme, he lives there, popu-
rivalries that played has to hold some lation 1½. Just a man and his mustache, shaping
out across seasons— appeal for college and smiling through another season.
think of Patrick Ewing, coaches, and for fans Which leads to the intersection of his joy and
Ralph Sampson and of the game. competitive nature: moves shaped by sweat
 Drew Timme
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
72

equity, deployed with an enthusiasm normally Nembhard, who was selected by the Pacers. Timme’s beard is fully
reserved for train sets and Santa Claus. Those grown, just itching for its first shaping of another season. “Gonzaga
moves . . . they have moves. Jab steps and long makes me happy,” he says.
strides; spins and pivots and pump-fakes and He did take a long, atypically serious look at professional basket-
f lying elbows; baby hooks and skyhooks and ball. But in the way only he could, because he is Timme. He started
jump hooks; up-and-unders and crossovers with an easy baseline, deciding to participate in the combine and
and fadeaways. team workouts. He wanted to gauge the possibilities, and he couldn’t
Proof came in last year’s NCAA tournament, do that if he didn’t play. But he promised himself he wouldn’t lose
in a second-round clash with ninth-seeded the joy that now defined him.
Memphis. After the Tigers shot to a 10-point He also left Bolton, a combo guard, and wing Julian Strawther—
lead at halftime, Few calmly addressed his both NBA-caliber players—to make their own decisions on returning.
team, insisting they would come back. He then He didn’t want to be the kind of influence he himself was avoiding.
ceded the floor to the FDE—and Timme’s words Perhaps the most nervous person in greater Spokane was his buddy
were neither calm nor G-rated. As he dropped Watson, who knew, like everyone, that Holmgren and Nembhard
f-bombs, telling teammates they “weren’t going would jump—and who wondered, like everyone, whether the other
out like this,” the mood changed. And, when the three would, too.
game resumed, Timme unveiled his full arsenal, Timme made a loose list of pros and cons. Timme played. Timme
prompting Watson to say he witnessed “the most weighed. Timme vacillated. A solid combine appearance pushed him
unstoppable force I’ve ever seen.” toward declaring, though most mock drafts had him as a second-
In only four minutes, Timme scored 11 straight rounder. Everything else—normalcy, Few, Watson, biology, the
points. As Adam Morrison—Zags legend, color chance to win an elusive title—made him reconsider.
analyst and precursor for mustache-tinged star- On the morning of the deadline, Timme still wasn’t sure. He
dom—watched, he became mesmerized. “Some had just returned from a workout with the Warriors, which he had
of those moves I hadn’t even seen,” he says. prepared for by watching WWE highlights. Because he is Timme
Gonzaga won, advancing to the Sweet 16. and he finds professional wrestling relaxing, it had gone well.
Timme retreated to his hotel room to play He settled in front of his Xbox at the family’s home in Texas and
Super Smash Bros. But the Bulldogs
lost to Arkansas five days later and,
once again, the program’s swollen
expectations made a wildly success-
ful season seem like something less.
So 28–4 was a failure? Really?
Timme did not play video games
t hat night. Nor did he consider
whet her he might leave school.
Instead, he went out with his fam-
ily, enjoying rum-and-Cokes before
turning to his favorite beer. He let
the central question linger. Would
he take not just his talents but his
distinct joy to the NBA?

IX MONTHS LATER, there’s

— By Jeremy Woo —

Timme, on the Zags’ practice

court, spinning and twisting
and scoring like he never wanted to
leave. Twenty-six banners of NBA
players from Gonzaga hang from a
wall nearby, soon to be joined by two
more: Holmgren, the top pick of the
Thunder, and point guard Andrew
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
73

cued up FIFA 22, pushing buttons and continuing to assess. The Two powers. All without leaving college!
NBA meant immediate salary and a quicker path to the pros, the Morrison, asked how much money he might
start of his next life. Gonzaga meant completing his degree in sports have made off his mustache in his era, if it had
management and remaining part of the family, plus another run that been allowed, just laughs. “Too wispy,” he says
would only (in theory) make him a better prospect. But he would before pivoting back to Timme. “But it’s part
need to prove that, too, by improving in the ways professional teams of his brand, part of what makes him just a
desired: switching off ball screens, draining threes, stretching the happy kid.”
floor. His NBA teammates wouldn’t experience the full FDE, because Speaking of: Timme the brand had already
after practices most would return home to their families. par tnered w it h a loca l casino, Nor t hern
Leaving, he decided, constituted a bigger gamble—and that Quest Resort; Boost Mobile; and, naturally,
stemmed, in large part, from how the college basketball landscape Dollar Shave Club. As decision day reached its
had changed around him. His classmates at Gonzaga aren’t starstruck. final hour, Timme hung out with his parents.
But because of new NIL rules, he also was no longer like them. Really, he already knew. “Oh, my God,” Megan
He could endorse products, bank millions and still laugh his way says. “So annoying. I’m a bundle of nerves, and
through marketing classes. he’s in there playing video games.”
O’Neal, a member of the prep-to-pros generation, was 17 when Because he is Timme, he announced his choice
Portland drafted him 17th in 1996, and 18 when he played his first with a two-word tweet, sent with 46 minutes
pro game. He knew, better than Timme ever would, how joyless to spare. “I’m back.” Bolton was so excited, he
professional basketball could be at times. He started only 18 times in called his mom. He would return, too, along with
his first four seasons, and, while he survived that period and thrived Strawther, while Gonzaga added high-profile
afterward, he wasn’t sure that Timme needed to endure the same. transfers in Malachi Smith (from Chattanooga)
Not if he no longer had to. and Efton Reid (LSU), reconfiguring and repo-
“I definitely would have gone [if not for rule changes],” Timme sitioning for another run.
says. “Honestly, it’s great for college basketball.” He cites a Nov. 20 As he went back to his Xbox, Timme knew
clash scheduled with Kentucky at nearby Spokane Arena, against one thing with absolute certainty. It was time,
fellow All-American big Oscar Tshiebwe. Two stars. Two pitchmen. once more, for ’stache szn.

Inexperienced head coaches will take over for

FOLLOW THE LEADERS multiple-championship winners at Duke and Villanova in the most
prominent of the many changes on the bench this season

WHEN REPLACING are taking the second handing things off of the man who built Scheyer has also
a successful coach, option, replacing to his designated Duke basketball will bolstered the roster
one approach is to legends with men who successor: top loom large. with graduate
bring in a known have the combined assistant, ace Scheyer is transfers and,
quantity—think of experience of one recruiter and former set up to start showing he is in step
Bill Self following year as head coach. Blue Devils star strong. Freshmen with the modern
Roy Williams at Mike Krzyzewski Jon Scheyer. But Dariq Whitehead, game, he has brought
Kansas. Another is led Duke for one even though the Dereck Lively II in former Nike exec
to tap a longtime last Final Four transfer of power and Tyrese Proctor Rachel Baker in a
assistant—like run last season, was orderly—and all have one-and- new role focused
North Carolina did capping a career that Coach K claims he done talent, and on creating NIL
when Hubert Davis spanned 47 seasons doesn’t plan to attend they will likely partnerships and
CHRIS K E ANE

followed Williams in and brought five games at Cameron anchor the rotation supporting players
Chapel Hill. This year NCAA titles to Indoor Stadium this alongside junior off the court. He
two top programs Durham, before season—the shadow guard Jeremy Roach. is also casting a
 Drew Timme
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
74

N JULY, PISTONS center Kelly Olynyk Time?” Drew ponders. But while dif-
arrives late for his favorite annual tradition. ferent—in vibe, headband and facial F OR C E AT F OUR
It’s perfect and perfectly Gonzaga. In every hair—from the Zags stars who came Last season Timme
non-pandemic year since 2015, during the NBA’s before, he’s also just like them. He took home the
summer league, the Zags-to-pros generation calls Robert Sacre, the jovial former Karl Malone Award
as the top power
has gathered with university support staff at Lakers 7-footer, “my spirit animal.” forward in
places like Bavette’s to eat steak, drink wine To consider Timme one of the Zags’ college basketball.
and do impressions of Mount Few. At first, they biggest personalities, rather than one
needed only a single table. But now, having of the program’s best-ever players,
outgrown the dining room, they settle into a is to miss the ’stache shape for the individual hairs. While Olynyk
private space in back. doesn’t disagree with evaluators’ assessments of where Timme needs
Five weeks after “I’m back,” Timme is notable to improve, he also describes him as “an unbelievable basketball
for his absence, which is welcomed by those in player” and “one of the most skilled I’ve ever seen.”
attendance, because of what it means. Olynyk “I always worry,” Megan Timme says. “But I will say this: He [has]
and Holmgren, who will soon see his rookie always found his way. It may not have been the way I wanted him
year postponed by a foot injury, share stories. to get through it. Or the way I thought he’d get there. And yet, he
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura passes around figures it out. He always finds his joy.”
bottles of his new wine, Black Samurai. For now, that’s in Spokane, where Drew Timme refuses to define
Next year will be an even larger event. “I’m success by national titles, endorsement income or mustache-awareness
already making plans for a bigger room,” senior raised. It’s all part of the same experience, which, for his mother, is
associate AD Jared Hertz says. One that can counterintuitive, but in the best possible way. Her son loves college
accommodate a personality the size of the FDE. basketball as much as anyone loves anything. Had the sport not
Timme is part of this tradition, this progres- changed its rules, however, to reflect what it really is—a billion-dollar
sion, that makes Gonzaga unlike any other business—he would have left.
power in college hoops. Holmgren suggests Timme long ago cemented his place in Gonzaga basketball lore.
that Netflix give Timme his own show. “Timme He wasn’t what anyone expected. He was better. He was more. He

G FIUME/GE T T Y IMAGES
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
75

was extra—all flash and ’stache and Riverdance-

intro routines.
Forget all that for a moment, though. Lobbed
impossible-but-related questions—How many
players should be on Gonzaga’s Mt. Rushmore?
Where would Timme fit?—Michaelson, the
Zags’ assistant, waff les brief ly, considering
the options. Then he begins to think out loud.
Timme has to be in the discussion. . . . He has been
unbelievably consistent. . . . NCAA tournament
wins. . . . Points amassed. . . . He’s gonna be a three-
time All-American. . . . You start to add up what
he’s done, and you’re talking about a very select
group of guys. . . . Not even just at Gonzaga. . . . A
very small group of guys in college basketball.
Top 15? Top 10? Top five? “I don’t care what
criteria you use,” Michaelson says. “Drew goes
on the smallest of small lists.”
Drew Timme, because he is Timme, can see
it: The 2022–23 season unfolds. The Zags don’t
lose. They win the title that no one can stop
asking them about. “Then we throw a rager at
McCarthy,” Timme says, referencing the arena
he calls home, for now. His eyes twinkle at the
thought of so many Dos Equis kegs, along with
the ’stache he would shape for the celebration.

Duke and Villanova program that has

aren’t the only top been something of an
programs with afterthought since
leadership changes. Rick Pitino’s 2017
Todd Golden, 37, exit and Chris Mack’s
takes over at unimpressive two
Florida after a seasons. Payne, a
R O B E R T J O H N S O N / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( T I M M E ) ; W E S L E Y H I LT/ G E T T Y I M A G E S ( P AY N E )

successful stint former Cardinals

at San Francisco; star in the 1980s
Kevin Willard left and longtime
Seton Hall to replace Kentucky assistant
Mark Turgeon at who was critical
Maryland, leaving to John Calipari’s
his old job open for staff before
Shaheen Holloway, spending the past
who is fresh off two years with the
an electric NCAA Knicks, is known as
tournament run a strong recruiter
at St. Peter’s. and communicator.
Louisville turns to There is also
Kenny Payne, who intrigue beyond
looks to revive a the bluebloods.
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
76

Men’s
Top
BY KEVIN SWEENEY
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS KEANE
 The Tar Heels may have
stormed to the title game
last spring as an 8 seed, but
they won’t be taking anyone
by surprise this time around
as they enter the season at
the top of the rankings

NORTH CAROLINA: The nucleus of the

Heels team that made the 2022 title game
is back. Northwestern transfer Pete Nance
(14.6 ppg) joins Armando Bacot in the frontcourt
to give UNC the nation’s best starting lineup.

GONZAGA: The Bulldogs have finished

first or second nationally in KenPom’s
rankings in four straight seasons but
have no title to show for it. In addition to three
returning starters, coach Mark Few has another
experienced player to lean on: point guard
Malachi Smith, last season’s mid-major player
of the year at Chattanooga.

HOUSTON: Any Kelvin Sampson team

will defend and rebound, but what makes
this group special is its guard play,
thanks to Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser, who
missed most of last season with a toe injury. The
Cougars added forwards Jarace Walker and
Terrance Arceneaux; both were in the top 70 of
the SI99 recruit rankings.

KENTUCKY: The Wildcats are the first

team to bring back the men’s National
Player of the Year since 2009 when
Tyler Hansbrough returned to North Carolina.
The end result for the Heels that year? A national
title. Can Oscar Tshiebwe and the Wildcats rep-
licate that in ’23?

DUKE: The Blue Devils will start the

post–Coach K era with a stocked cup-
board thanks to the nation’s top recruit-
ing class, complemented by veteran point guard
Jeremy Roach and transfer Jacob Grandison
(Illinois). Jon Scheyer’s first team will be strong
on defense with freshman Dereck Lively II pro-
tecting the rim.
 BAYLOR: Expect impressive guard work KANSAS: The defending champs lost a lot of firepower—four
in Waco as smooth playmaking freshman of their top five scorers—but junior forward Jalen Wilson,
Keyonte George joins proven commodi- who had four double doubles during the Jayhawks’ NCAA
ties Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer in the backcourt. tournament run, should be among the Big 12’s top players. Plus,
The Bears are coming off three straight top-five Bill Self’s incoming freshman class is his best in years.
AP finishes and shouldn’t have much of a drop-
off this year. UCLA: Mick Cronin has an experienced core (all-conference
seniors Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell) and a five-
ARK ANSAS: After consecutive Elite star prospect up front (6' 10" freshman center Adem Bona).
Eight appearances, Eric Musselman may
have his most talented roster yet. Highly TENNESSEE: Rick Barnes has revived the Vols in his seven
touted freshman Nick Smith Jr., a combo guard seasons in Knoxville but has yet to advance past the Sweet 16.
with electric hops, could be the best NBA pros- Tennessee should excel on D as it did last year, while sharp-
pect in college hoops this season. shooting guard Santiago Vescovi is perhaps the sport’s most under-
appreciated star.
CREIGHTON: The Bluejays punched
S TA C Y R E V E R E / G E T T Y I M A G E S

above their weight in 2021–22, winning TE X AS: There’s no doubt the Longhorns have talent
23 games with five new starters. Now after adding top transfer Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State) at
that talented young core will have that year of point guard and freshman forward Dillon Mitchell.
experience to grow on. Remember the name But the team needs to mesh better than last year’s group, which
Arthur Kaluma: the rangy 6' 7" sophomore for- never reached its ceiling, crashing out of the NCAA tournament in
ward could be this season’s breakout star. the second round.
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
79

VILLANOVA: Kyle Neptune has the unenviable INDIANA: Experience is on the

task of following Jay Wright as the Wildcats’ Hoosiers’ side. They have four
coach. Before he retired, though, Wright landed senior starters, including big man
top recruit Cam Whitmore, and he’ll leave his former Trayce Jackson-Davis (18.3 ppg) and point guard
assistant three impact players from last year’s Final Four Xavier Johnson, whose play last year was a
squad: Caleb Daniels, Brandon Slater and Eric Dixon. barometer for Indiana’s success.

SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs may end up A L A B A M A : Gua rd Ma rk Sea rs

being the best defensive team in the country (19.6 ppg at Ohio) and freshman for-
thanks to Nathan Mensah, a shot-blocking ward Brandon Miller give the Tide
wizard. They’ll have just enough offensive firepower to upside, but getting point guard Jahvon Quinerly
entertain legitimate Final Four aspirations. healthy, after a torn ACL ended his season ended
in Bama’s first-round NCAA loss to Notre Dame,
ILLINOIS: After two years of pounding the will be crucial.
ball inside to 7-footer Kofi Cockburn, the Illini
will have a more versatile attack. Cockburn TCU: Much of the squad that nearly
is gone, and in are positionless pieces such as transfers upset Arizona in the NCAA tour-
Matthew Mayer (Baylor) and Terrence Shannon Jr. nament returns. The Horned Frogs
(Texas Tech), and freshman Ty Rodgers. Freshman point will again be one of the nation’s most physical
guard Skyy Clark must bring the group together. teams, though they need to limit turnovers bet-
ter than they did last year.
ARIZONA: Tommy Lloyd went 33–4 in his first
season as a head coach but lost three key cogs
to the NBA. Forward Azuolas Tubelis and
guard Kerr Kriisa give Lloyd something to build around
in Year 2. B
G FIUME/GE T T Y IMAGES
Nothing but
 LL
T BA
KE

S
BA

PR
EV
IE
W

After losing in the

national semifinals last
season, Stanford
has hit the drawing
board—enlisting
what players call a
“HAPPINESS
PROFESSOR”
and absorbing feedback
from former NBA
stars like Pau Gasol—
as it aims to return
to the Final Four

BY
BEN PICKMAN
PHOTOGRAPH BY
DAVID E. KLUTHO
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
82

R IGH T C OUR T
VanDerveer
(below) and Brink
(right) say one
professor’s sessions
have helped
Stanford deal with
the stresses of
playing collegiate
basketball.

STANFORD FORWARD Cameron Brink looked mix for the Pac-12 title, a win that All-American Haley Jones says
on from the bench, having fouled out of her was a “make-or-break moment” for the group.
team’s February matchup against Oregon late Brink and Jerome’s message was no coincidence. Every Tuesday,
in the fourth quarter. As she sat and watched usually before the start of practice, coach Tara VanDerveer invited
the waning seconds of the contest, with then Frederic Luskin to speak with the team. Luskin is an educator, author
No. 2 Stanford clinging to a three-point lead, and director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, which researches the
something clicked in her mind. effectiveness of “forgiveness therapy.” With players gathered around
With 6.5 seconds to play, Agnes Emma-Nnopu him, Luskin would begin his 10-minute meditations with a guided
went to the free throw line. The then sophomore visualization or breathing exercise, before raising that day’s central
guard would take only nine shots from the stripe theme, usually pertaining to the qualities of grit or the power of love.
all season and make just five of them. On this He would conclude with another interactive component, like asking
night, she missed the first. In between the pair, those in attendance to imagine what a successful practice would look
Brink and then teammate guard Alyssa Jerome like or think of someone on the team you were affectionate toward
called out from the sideline, “You’re loved, Agnes. and feel the warmth in your heart.
We love you!” Among the basketball situations he discussed most were high-
K I R B Y L E E / U S A T O D AY S P O R T S

“Just letting her know we’re behind you,” pressure, late-game moments at the free throw line. “If you’re taking
Brink says now. “It kinda just felt second nature.” a free throw and you’re anxious about the outcome, remind yourself
Emma-Nnopu took a deep breath and sank that you’re loved,” he often told them.
her second attempt, stretching Stanford’s lead “Like a cool, full circle moment,” Brink, now a junior, says of
to four. A few ticks later, the Cardinal basked in Emma-Nnopu’s free throw.
the elation of the victory that kept them in the Throughout last season, the Cardinal “soaked up every minute we
 Stanford Cardinal
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
83

could get” with Luskin, says Brink, who playfully calls him “Stanford’s Lexie and Lacie Hull and Anna Wilson, as well
happiness professor.” VanDerveer believes he has been helpful to as reserves Jordan Hamilton, Jenna Brown and
the program. This season, time will be invaluable for the Cardinal. Jana Van Gytenbeek (the latter two via the trans-
Returning players are especially cognizant of making the most of fer portal). Nevertheless, entering this season,
every second and every game. expectations remain high. “As a team, we have
Over the course of one subpar outing against UConn in the national the same goals every year,” Jones says. “It’s an
semifinals this past April, Jones, a rising senior, went from a player undefeated regular season. Win the Pac-12 regu-
who had never lost an NCAA tournament contest—March Madness lar season. Win the Pac-12 title. Win the regional.
Win the natty.” Sure, those are lofty aspirations,
but they are also not unreasonable considering
the school’s talented roster and recent history.
It’s impossible to exactly quantify how much
Luskin helps Jones, Brink or any one team-
mate on any given possession. VanDerveer is
a traditionally intense coach but says she has
recognized in recent years the importance of
finding new ways to reach her players. Luskin
helps keep the team centered, says the coach,
and fosters feelings of togetherness, which can
pay dividends on the hardwood. Stanford’s
returners have had time to apply Luskin’s teach-
ings to an adverse situation, like their abrupt
tournament exit against the Huskies and sig-
nificant roster turnover, and think about their
response. “We do everything with joy because
we all love what we’re doing and we love each
other,” Jones says.
The Cardinal are hoping the most euphoric
of celebrations awaits.

AST APRIL, a few hours before Stanford

took the Target Center f loor for its
Final Four matchup against UConn,
Cardinal players were greeted with a pleasant
surprise. With the group gathered in a hotel
conference room to watch film, Luskin popped
up on their projector screen. Players initially
complimented Luskin on his haircut, and then
he gave the Cardinal a parting message: Not for
a second believe that you have failed even if you
lose the next game. Acknowledge success and try
and extend it, rather than being afraid of failure.
Try as they might, though, Stanford struggled
was canceled during her freshman season, and Stanford won the to crack the Huskies’ defense. The Cardinal
tourney during Jones’s sophomore campaign—to one who likely has scored only nine first-quarter points and eventu-
one collegiate run left. Weeks before that, the team and university ally totaled just 58, their second-lowest output
had been reminded of life’s fragility when Stanford soccer goalie since Nov. 26. Brink, having watched the contest
Katie Meyer died by suicide. Luskin was among the people who again three times, citing the team’s shooting
D AV I D E . K L U T H O

helped the players process initial feelings of grief. woes—Stanford finished 34.8% from the field
VanDerveer sees this year’s team “as a totally different puzzle and 17.4% from three-point range.
to put together,” due in part to the departures of starting guards “I think we kinda just picked the wrong day
 PREVIEW 2022–23
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
84

to play so poorly,” VanDerveer says. “We were her always looking to include teammates as
out of sync. We did not have our A game.” much as possible in drills and organizing
In the locker room afterward, the focus of the games at school. She has been the same

TEACHINGS. “WE DO EVERYTHING WITH JOY BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE

Cardinal was on their five seniors. The veterans way at Stanford.
had been instrumental in Stanford’s title run the Jones seldom raises her voice. Her family

WHAT WE’RE DOING AND WE LOVE EACH OTHER,” JONES SAYS.

year before, creating a fun-loving and mentally instilled in her a motto: Calm is strength. And

STANFORD’S RETURNERS HAVE HAD TIME TO APPLY LUSKIN’S

tough atmosphere while the team spent nearly
100 nights on the road (Santa Clara County’s
COVID-19 restrictions forced the team into a
nomadic lifestyle). Throughout the 2021–22
season, the quintet anchored a group that bonded
through shared time on the court and by seek-
ing out local coffee shops, performing TikTok
dances and creating their own Wordle games
on a whiteboard in the locker room—thinking
of a five-letter word and then others guessing
different combinations.
“We genuinely enjoy each other’s company;
we’re kind of friends first, teammates second,”
Jones said last winter.
Players went around to one another’s lockers
and exchanged lengthy embraces. Brink esti-
mates there were 10 minutes of silence before
some of the seniors spoke to the team or coaches
shared their wrap-up comments.
“That was a time where it could have been
like, ‘Wow, eff everything Fred said. None of that
meant anything to me. It was all a show,’ ” Jones
says. “In the locker room, it was full of sadness,
but I think it was sadness that was more than a
basketball season ending. It was a sadness that
was more so centered around that group of girls.
That was an end of an era.”

TANFORD’S SENIOR CLASS already

has a nickname. They call themselves
“The Funky Four.” Guard Hannah Jump
and forwards Fran Belibi and Ashten Prechtel through three collegiate seasons, VanDerveer
are the first three in the group, followed by Jones, says Jones has “never really” shown frustration.
the lone returning captain from last season. The 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding
Despite her parents being former co-head Player brushes off any notions of feeling pres-
coaches for the Santa Cruz High girls basket- sure entering her senior campaign. “I think it’s more excitement [than
ball program, Jones was a multisport athlete. nerves],” Jones says. Part of that anticipation comes from moving to
Throughout her youth, in addition to play- a new role—previously more of a wing and forward, Jones will be
ing hoops, she dabbled in soccer, volleyball, tasked as Stanford’s lead ballhandler.
gymnastics, golf and swimming. That’s part To prepare, Jones spent the offseason working on her dribbling
of why Haley and her parents see basketball and perimeter shooting. She trained with skills coach Packie Turner,
as something she does—and loves—but not who has helped other high-profile court creators like Stephen Curry
exclusively who she is. and Sabrina Ionescu. VanDerveer tosses out other guards, like Aces
Her father, Patrick, says Haley was an invit- star Chelsea Gray and former U.S. Olympian Teresa Edwards, as pos-
ing presence, no matter the activity. He recalls sible models for Jones’s game. “She’s kinda the Magic Johnson–type
 Stanford Cardinal
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
85

point guard,” VanDerveer says. “A big, strong, physical player that in the Final Four, past conversations about not
can go to the basket.” blaming oneself, or teammates, in the wake of
Jones continues to foster individual relationships with each of her struggles rang clear.
teammates, seeking to understand everyone’s styles and how they like “His teachings are so simple, yet so profound,”
to receive feedback. “When you’re playing with people that you love, she says.
you’re gonna want to work that much harder for them,” she says—her Brink is trying to apply those messages to
comments echoing sentiments how she treats the team’s freshmen, especially
voiced by Luskin. She also hopes 6' 7" center Lauren Betts, who was rated as
to build a level of trust with her ESPN HoopGurlz’s No. 1 recruit. When Betts
peers so that “if I need to yell at performs well in sessions, Brink looks her in
them, they’ll be able to take it and the eyes and says, “You’re f------ killing it. Keep
know, She wants what’s best for doing that. You’re great.” Brink also invested
me, she loves me and this is for the in her own growth. She emphasized her men-
betterment of the team.” tal development—she says she still sometimes
gets anxious before games and second-guesses
ROUND A HALF decade herself, so she tries to focus on what she is good
ago, VanDerveer sat in at to balance her nerves. “I’m good at bringing
on a guest-speaker ses- energy, at recognizing how I feel when I’m in
sion with the university’s athlet- f low.” She spent time with various strength
ics department. The speaker trainers and skills coaches to diversify her
was Luskin, who taught a course game and also worked out with six-time NBA
on campus called The Art and All-Star Pau Gasol, who helped her with her
Science of Happiness. His lecture footwork and post moves. “It was the biggest
to the staff focused on the inter- compliment, because he’d tell me a lot, ‘You’re
section of emotions and sports, a bit like me,’ ” she says. “ ‘You’re not going to
and how stress and negativity win by just bully ball. You’re going to win by
adversely impact performance. outsmarting people.’ ”
“The normal sport psychology Players like Brink and Betts will help keep
talk,” he says, “but with a decided Stanford at the top of the national conversa-
push toward happiness and what tion beyond this year, but the focus now is on
makes people happy.” The key: the short term and creating a shared purpose.
“relationships and purpose.” Luskin will continue to engage in weekly
VanDerveer was inspired, and meetings with the team and coaches. He plans
soon afterward invited Luskin to on occasionally referencing Phil Jackson’s
speak to her team. 11 principles of mindful leadership. Many are
H A L E Y ’ SMOMEN T
Initially, Luskin’s sessions similar to things Luskin has offered in the past,
Jones has been
referred to as the with the Cardinal were more but he believes connecting his work with the
Magic Johnson of sporadic, but they have become Hall of Fame coach will give “an intellectual
women’s basketball more regular due to his limited basketball anchor.”
by VanDerveer. travel amid the COVID-19 pan- Stanford has one of the countr y’s most
demic. VanDerveer and Luskin daunting schedules, with nonconference home
are aligned on their beliefs, and matchups against South Carolina and Tennessee.
the coach says hearing the same Brink’s theory is VanDerveer made the schedule
message from another voice can be beneficial. “I think he really grew difficult “to make us band together.” A national
on everyone,” VanDerveer says. “I felt he motivated [the team].” title would no doubt be satisfying, but Brink
Luskin’s teachings have been especially resonant with Brink, who makes clear the team shouldn’t be defined by it.
A BBIE PA RR /GE T T Y IM A GE S

has “I love you” in American Sign Language tattooed on her right “You’re so much more than just what you do
rib cage. She cites his Zoom meetings as being helpful in reframing on the day-to-day,” she says. “Everyone else
the feelings of homesickness and isolation she felt as a freshman. around you is human. And the more you create
Last season, she drew on his messages about thankfulness for others this environment of love and acceptance and
and about avoiding labeling people. When Stanford lost to UConn tolerance, the better everyone will thrive.”
Women’s
Top

BYWILTON
JACKSON
AND BEN
PICKMAN
 SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
87

LOUISVILLE: The Cardinals lost three

starters from last year’s team, but coach
Jeff Walz still has brilliant junior guard
Hailey Van Lith and has added two exceptional
transfer guards in Morgan Jones (Florida State)
South Carolina and its returning star are and Chrislyn Carr (Syracuse), in addition to
bringing in a solid recruiting class.
the early favorites to repeat as national
champions, but a handful of programs IOWA STATE: Continuity could be the
key as senior wing Ashley Joens gives
look capable of mounting a challenge after
the Cyclones a strong All-American can-
offseason boosts to their lineups didate. Plus, junior guards Emily Ryan and
Lexi Donarski could prove to be the Big 12’s
best backcourt.

TENNESSEE: Though Rae Burrell is

now on the WNBA’s Sparks roster, the
SOUTH CAROLINA: Aliyah Boston, last season’s National Player Lady Vols are still loaded thanks to
of the Year, returns for her senior season, which means that freshman wing Justine Pissott, key veteran

the team to beat.

NC S TAT E: Wes Moore’s

program is coming off its
first Elite Eight appearance
Haley Jones leads a roster stocked with talent. since 1998. The Wolfpack bring back
three vets—junior guard Diamond
TE X A S: The Longhorns, who reached the Johnson, senior wing Jakia Brown-
Elite Eight last year, have not been to a Turner and senior center Camille
Final Four since 2003, but the addition of back- Hobby—who will keep this team in
to-back WCC Player of the Year Shaylee Gonzales from the ACC fray.
BYU could help them take that next step.
VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies,
IOWA: Caitlin Clark looking to bounce back from
an opening-round tournament
departure, add two-time All-American
guard Ashley Owusu from Maryland
BEN SOLOMON/NCA A PHOTOS/GE T T Y IMAGES (BOSTON); JOSEPH CRESS/

be getting defensive stops. and grad student forward Taylor

Soule, who averaged 16.0 points for
Boston College last year, to a team led
I O WA C I T Y P R E S S - C I T I Z E N / U S A T O D AY N E T W O R K ( C L A R K )

by senior center Elizabeth Kitley, the

reigning ACC Player of the Year.

NORTH CAROLINA: The

Tar Heels gave the even-
NOTRE DAME: tual-champion
Gamecocks all they could handle in
strong behind guards Olivia Miles (who last year the Sweet 16 last year and return four
became the first freshman to post a triple double in the starters, including junior guard
history of the men’s or women’s tourney), Sonia Citron Deja Kelly, who was fourth in the ACC
and Dara Mabrey. in scoring last season with 16.5 ppg.
 Women’s Top 25
SI.COM
NOVEMBER 2022
88

INDIANA: The Hoosiers followed up MARYLAND: The Terrapins lost five players to the transfer
their best season in program history portal but restocked by pulling five out of it, including
in 2020–21 with another superb one grad student forward Brinae Alexander, who was all-SEC
last year (24–9). Indiana will now compete for the last year at Vanderbilt.
Big Ten title behind grad student guard Grace Berger
and senior forward Mackenzie Holmes. ARIZONA: Coach Adia Barnes continues to be one of the
sport’s preeminent recruiters and tacticians. While the
OKLAHOMA: In Jennie Baranczyk’s Wildcats lost in the second round of last year’s NCAA
second season as coach, the Sooners tournament, a roster rich with budding talent should have them
return all key players from last year’s ready to take another shot.
25–9 squad. Sharpshooting guard Aubrey Joens—
the sister of Iowa State star Ashley—joins what BAYLOR: After losing two first-round picks in the WNBA
should be a high-powered offense. draft, the Bears won’t dominate the Big 12 as they did
last season. But coach Nicki Collen enters Year 2 with
OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes have two five returners plus some high-profile transfers and a top-notch
key scorers back in senior guards recruiting class led by guard Bella Fontleroy.
Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell,
but they will need production from the paint if OREGON: One of the Ducks’ frontcourt stars from last
they want to build off their finish as Big Ten year, Nyara Sabally, turned pro, but 6' 7" senior forward
co-champions. Sedona Prince is back and will serve as anchor. A great
recruiting class features two McDonald’s All-Americans in guard
LSU: Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey Chance Gray and forward Grace VanSlooten.
led the Tigers to 26 wins in her first
season with the program. This year’s CREIGHTON: The Bluejays, after a thrilling run to their
retooled roster will feature Alexis Morris and first Elite Eight, bring back eight players, including
Lauren Jensen, who shot 43.7% from three last year. While

PRINCETON: The high of upsetting Kentucky in last

year’s tournament didn’t keep the Tigers from losing
Ivy League Player of the Year Abby Meyers to Maryland.

GEORGIA: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson arrives as

coach from UCF, where her team won a school-record
26 games last year. She brought a trio of players with
A B I G A I L D O L L I N S / S TAT E S M A N J O U R N A L / U S A T O D AY N E T W O R K

UCLA: After making the WNIT semis last March, the

Bruins enter this season with perhaps the country’s
best freshman class, highlighted by Premier Basketball’s

BELMONT: The Bruins have pulled first-round NCAA

tournament upsets in back-to-back years and will look
to take another step forward. Two key players, junior
Ì Rocky Bleier Ì Ì Terry Bradshaw Ì Ì Greg Gadson Ì

Ì Alejandro Villanueva Ì Ì Joe Cardona Ì

 THE
GREAT
 PASS-CATCHING CONNOISSEURS ACROSS THE NFL HAVE COME TO
RECOGNIZE FOUR STAR RECEIVERS FOR THEIR UNIQUE ABILITY TO
LEAVE DEFENSIVE BACKS IN THE DUST. THIS IS HOW DAVANTE ADAMS,
JA’MARR CHASE, COOPER KUPP AND JUSTIN JEFFERSON DO IT
BY
CONOR ORR
AND
ALBERT
BREER
ILLUSTRATION BY
THE SPORTING PRESS

OPEN
 RECEIVER SECRETS

yards and TD catches) and is an elite athlete in many

ways, but clocked in at a methodical 4.62 seconds in
the 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL combine—slower
than, among others, five tight ends and two defen-
sive linemen that year. Three years before that,
Davante Adams, now of the Raiders, ran a forgettable
Have you ever watched 4.56 in the 40 and started his NFL career similarly
slow before a third-year breakout in Green Bay. The
a game and wondered fourth member of the route-running Mount Rushmore,
Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, sizes up a little better
why a defense can’t (6' 1", 4.43 40 time at the NFL combine), but his mea-
surables are less than mind-blowing.
prevent the ball It raises the question: How are these men simply
unguardable?
from going to the one Beyond physical gifts, the receiver position requires
receiver everyone a kind of instantaneous brain response system more
fitting for an astronaut or a poisonous-snake wran-
knows is getting it? gler. Not to mention, a great receiver must be per-
petually starving for his quarterback’s approval,
willing to rip a ball out of a defensive back’s hands
Is it reassuring to know that many coaches have for a meager gain.
wondered the same thing? But they also must be eternally calm and quietly
At this point, you surely know about the rule calculating when it comes to running routes. They
changes that have encouraged more passing and led must possess a transcendent understanding of the
to historic offensive output. You also have heard all human psyche. They must be experts in close-quarter
about the forward-thinking passing concepts that are deception. They must harness and foster a flair for the
slowly (sometimes begrudgingly) absorbed from the dramatic. Like a good storyteller, they must choose
lower levels of football, allowing rookie receivers to when and why to reveal the secrets they’ve been keep-
adjust to professional football faster than ever. ing. They must lie. And they must be convincing.
But what you might not have picked up on is pre- Receivers are “in the business of always sell-
cisely why the NFL’s best pass catchers—and specifi- ing something that we’re not doing or, at the very

T H I S P A G E : J O H N W. M C D O N O U G H ; P R E V I O U S S P R E A D , F R O M L E F T T O R I G H T: R O N A L D M A R T I N E Z / G E T T Y I M A G E S ;
cally, a certain quartet of them almost universally least, not giving any information away,” says

I A N J O H N S O N / I C O N S P O R T S W I R E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ' G A R Y A . VA S Q U E Z / U S A T O D AY S P O R T S ; D AV I D E . K L U T H O
recognized by coaches and players as being a cut Brian Hartline, a longtime NFL receiver and current
above the rest—get open on seemingly every play. wide receivers coach at Ohio State, of the position’s
In the aughts, the position’s stars were outsized battles with opposing defensive backs. “Any infor-
behemoths with track-star speed—think Randy Moss mation we do give away, we want [the opponent] to
and Calvin Johnson. And today’s game still features have. That’s the art of running routes. They only do
some outliers in terms of physical traits. Miami’s what we tell them to do, based on the information
Tyreek Hill, for instance, is considered nothing special that we give them.”
when it comes to the nuances of pure route running. When it comes to Adams, Chase, Jefferson and
His world-class speed and quickness allow him to Kupp, the broad reasons they’re constantly getting
either blow by opposing defensive backs or force them open is because they’re more deceiving. They are
to play him with so much cushion that he feasts on better storytellers. They are increasingly in tune with
quick throws. the psychology of defensive backs. Studying them,
But consider the four receivers hailed, by a cross sec- as almost any coach or competitive player at the col-
tion of coaches who spoke to Sports Illustrated, legiate level does now, reveals why today’s NFL looks
for their ability to get open under any circumstances. and feels the way it does.
There’s the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, the NFL’s reigning Through interviews with NFL coaches and posi-
Offensive Rookie of the Year, listed at six feet even, far tional experts, we can better understand why four
from the domineering stature of the last generation’s men, who measure up similarly to so many colleagues
SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED power-forward-on-the-gridiron trope. Cooper Kupp across the league, can make their current dominance
SI.COM
of the Rams captured pass-catching’s triple crown look so effortless. In other words, we can reveal—at
NOVEMBER 2022
92 last season (leading the NFL in receptions, receiving least some of—the secrets to their success.
COOPER
receivers coach who 90-degree spin in the
is regarded as one air, Super Bowl–winning

KUPP
of the league’s top touchdown secured.
instructors at the However, it is Kupp’s
position. “He blocks effectiveness in the
Los Angeles Rams safeties, he pulls entirety of the team’s
around through a hole offense that sets
and blocks the most him apart. Contrast
dangerous linebacker. his final catch of last
He’s cutting off season with his first
THIS IS THE quandary going to try to block me, defensive ends. He’s catch of the 2021
facing any defender in which case I need to doing all those things season, against the
lined up across from get away from him? that set up bootleg runs Bears. It started
Cooper Kupp in a play’s “He does all of and naked [play-action] off as a blocking
first split second: Is he the other things passes where it then assignment. Facing
going to run a route, in besides play wideout,” looks like he’s going Khalil Mack, one of
which case I want to says Zach Azzanni, to block an end, [but the most feared pass
stick with him? Or is he the Broncos’ wide instead] just shaves the rushers in football,
end and comes back Kupp threw his right
out to get the ball and shoulder into Mack’s
run for 15 yards. chest, holding him at
“They play off each the line long enough
other. Half the catches for quarterback
he has are off the Matthew Stafford to
run game.” complete an elongated
Kupp is much more fake handoff.
than simply a player This small gesture
taking advantage of the opens up a limitless
fact that he’s a two- number of possibilities
way threat. There are for Rams coach
receivers coaches who Sean McVay, who
will describe Kupp’s can use Kupp as
route-running ability both a decoy and a
the way instructors weapon, sometimes
at a prima ballerina simultaneously. If, on
school might talk about every snap, the defense
Anna Pavlova. In that cannot tell whether
sense, he is an absolute Kupp is blocking or
perfectionist. He has running a route, its
his first step off the default position is
line of scrimmage one of hesitancy
analyzed by a team of and confusion.
researchers to ensure From there, almost
its effectiveness. like a boxer whose
Just watch him in opponent is forced to
Super Bowl LVI, keep their gloves away
squaring off against from their face for the
Cincinnati cornerback first minute of every
Eli Apple with the round, Kupp’s precise
game on the line. A movements carry an
SPORTS
hard step inside, an additional potency, ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM
arcing step outside turning an inch of open
NOVEMBER 2022
and a backward, space into a mile. 93
 RECEIVER SECRETS

DAVANTE
options on how to expose those gaps to his brain,
where they’re available for immediate recall. For each

ADAMS
coverage style the man across from him might be
playing (press coverage, a two-yard cushion, a five-
yard squat) Adams says he has “three ideas of what
Las Vegas Raiders I’m going to do” based on his opponent’s technique.
In one example, Adams says he wants to get outside
of the defensive back, meaning toward the sideline as

ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GE T T Y IMAGES

opposed to the middle of the field. To do that, Adams
may display all the characteristics and body language
“THE SAYING IN our room is, the best problem solv- of a receiver wanting to gain inside leverage.
ers are the best route runners.” A receiver can stand before his defender for only
This is Brian Hartline’s way of introducing a video a matter of seconds before the ball is snapped. In
segment on Davante Adams, the one he was adamant Adams’s mind, that’s more than enough time to put
his young players take in. It’s an interview with the on a miniature one-man show of mental subterfuge.
Raiders receiver from The Pivot Podcast commenting The repercussions can resonate throughout the rest
on how he approaches the line of scrimmage on every of the game.
snap. Every coordinator will admit that their defense “At the end of the day, it’s about the presentation,”
has weak spots, and Adams has downloaded all the Adams says in the clip. “If you’re in front of me and

SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM

NOVEMBER 2022
94
 I make you feel like I really want to get inside, and I
show you everything that looks like I’m getting inside,
you’ve gotta respect that. And if you don’t, I’m gonna
go inside.”
As a result, the available data to the opposing
coaches and players trying to get a read on him is
scrambled constantly, in real time.
That goes a long way in explaining how Adams
has made f ive straight Pro Bowls and eclipsed
IAN JOHNSON/ICON SPORT SWIRE/GE T T Y IMAGES

1,300 yards receiving in three of his last four sea-

sons. It also explains why a lot of teaching tape in
the league begins and ends with Adams, the best
problem solver in the NFL.
“I’ve watched every single target Davante has had
in his career,” says Zach Azzanni. “He has this innate
ability to understand leverage. Davante goes to the
line of scrimmage, and however that corner or nickel
is playing him . . . he already has it figured out based
on the leverage. Some guys don’t have that feel.”

JA’MARR
CHASE
Cincinnati Bengals

DURING THE to the sky, where a

first quarter of ball that appeared
Super Bowl LVI, just slightly out of his
Ja’Marr Chase, reach was already in
lined up wide and the air. He fell to one
to the right, broke knee, nesting it on
into a sprint toward his forearm.
Jalen Ramsey, the Afterward, backed
best cornerback in against a cacophony
football. Something of cheers from a
in Chase’s gait or stunned crowd,
his eyes caused color commentator
Ramsey to break Cris Collinsworth
down, expecting said, “He is one of
Chase to stop and the great finishers
cut to one side or the of catches I think
other. Instead, Chase I've ever seen.” This
threw his body into would be like calling
SPORTS
another gear, buzzing Louis Armstrong “one ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM
past Ramsey and of the finest carriers
NOVEMBER 2022
immediately looking of brass I’ve ever 95
 heard”; so much of never drawn your
that play happened eye is opening
before he touched up a sizable lead
the ball. with measured
When talking to steps. He looks no
coaches in the wide faster than anyone
receiver world, else, and yet there
Chase is foremost he is, overtaking
praised for his body the pack down the
control. His steps home stretch.
are considered And of course, the
deliberate and, as idea that he can not
one coach puts it, only make the fast
“powerful.” And that part of a route look a
restrained running little slower but also
style creates a carry out the slow
natural level of part of the route,
deception against the top end, with
opponents trying to incredible quickness,
figure out not just is a nightmare for
where he’s going, defensive backs.
but also how fast Cincinnati coach
he’ll get there. Zac Taylor says
“You look and Chase’s raw skills
you’re like, ‘O.K., are coupled with
I’m looking at a 4.5 an obsessive work
[40 time],’ ” says ethic. While the
Brent Callaway, a idea of staying
speed and strength after practice
coach for Exos who and working long
worked with Chase hours with your
before the 2021 position coach has
draft. “Then you look transcended cliché
down at the clock in the NFL, Chase’s
and you’re like, ‘My drive to understand
gosh, that’s high- what makes him
4.3.’ That’s not what effective is yielding
it looks like. So you serious production.
realize that there’s “I’ve been around
a level of effortless Cooper Kupp,
that I’m sure people and Cooper was
saw with Jerry Rice. extremely similar,”
Like, ‘Oh, he’s not says Taylor, a former
a fast guy.’ But you Rams assistant who
never saw anybody overlapped with
catch him. It’s Kupp in L.A. “We’re
almost like he lulls just fortunate we
you to sleep.” have Ja’Marr. When
Watching Chase your best players
is a bit like watching are your hardest
D AV I D E . K L U T H O

SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED a 400-meter dash. workers, that really
SI.COM
At the final turn a sets the tone for
NOVEMBER 2022
96 runner who had the team.”
 RECEIVER SECRETS

JUSTIN
JEFFERSON
Minnesota Vikings

THE WIDE ARRAY of routes you’ll find in a typical NFL

offense can, in some coaches’ minds, be broken into
two distinct categories: routes on which you run away
and routes on which you break down. For example,
on a post route, where a receiver runs straight and
then makes an angular break toward the middle of
the field, he’s trying to pull away from a defender. On
a curl route, where a receiver sprints straight ahead
before hooking back toward the quarterback, his body
is breaking down from top speed.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, an 11-year NFL veteran and
now one of the most sought-after position-specific
experts in the personal training space, says that
Justin Jefferson is the master of the runaway route.
It all starts with three short steps.
As Houshmandzadeh explains: Imagine you’re
on the left side of the formation running a dig route,
which starts out with the receiver selling a deep,
vertical route before snapping back with a 90-degree
cut to the middle. You want to cut to the right, so you
step with your left foot, then step wide with your right
foot and push off toward the left, feigning a move to
the outside, then step with your left foot, pushing off
back to the inside to make the cut.
The move is called a rocker step. “When you do that,
it puts the defensive back on his heels and he gets
into a kind of guessing situation, wondering which
direction you’re going to break,” Houshmandzadeh
says. He mentions two receivers who can pull it off
at top speed: Cooper Kupp and Jefferson. “Especially
Jefferson,” Houshmandzadeh says. “Just go watch
him. He doesn’t lose speed when he makes that move.”
Jefferson has plenty of other elite traits that set
him apart, as well as a hunger to snatch the ball away
from cornerbacks. Those contested catches, which
can look like street fights, give him a combination of
finesse and tenacity that has earned Jefferson, in just
his third season, comparisons to a young A.J. Green.
“He puts it all together in a way where there’s
nothing from the standpoint of the route tree or con- SPORTS
cepts that you feel like he couldn’t be a top-end player ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM
with,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says. “It’s just NOVEMBER 2022
the versatility of what he does.” 97
F
A PHOTOGRAPH BY
ERICK W. R ASCO

L
L
E A
N
N
BYJOE
MADDON
AND TOM
VERDUCCI

G
E
L
 JOE MADDON

haircut was a good way to loosen his team in the heat The firing was not about Maddon losing the club-
of the pennant race. Earlier that month, Rays center house; Minasian later said he did not consult with
fielder B. J. Upton had sported a mohawk. The sight any players or coaches about the change. It was not
of their manager also rocking the ’do raised the sil- about effort; Minasian said at his news conference
liness factor. Soon other players—and it seemed half later that day “the effort has been great.” He did
the Rays’ fans—had mohawks. not give Maddon any specific reasons for why he
The night of the Maddon Mohawk, the Rays won was firing him. He kept telling him, “I’ve got to do
2–1. They won the next night, 10–3. And they won something.” Nor did Minasian provide specificity at
six of their next eight games to pull away from the his news conference.
Red Sox and win the division by two games. Why, then, was Maddon fired? Before the losing
In 2022, though, Maddon never made it to the ball- streak, only the Yankees and Astros had won more
park with his mohawk. Angels GM Perry Minasian games than the Angels in the American League. The
arrived at Maddon’s front door and rang the bell. team was improving under Maddon in his third year,
Maddon answered and invited him in. Minasian did just as it had in his second year, just as his teams did
not immediately notice the mohawk. If he did, he said in his previous managing jobs with the Rays and
nothing about it. He appeared uncomfortable. Cubs. How could a World Series–winning manager
Maddon thought he had a good idea of why with 19 years and 2,599 games of experience lose his
Minasian was there. Over the previous few days job over a 12-game sample?
Minasian had told Maddon he was considering fir-
ing some coaches. “You can’t do that,” Maddon had
told him. “They’re very good at what they do. No,
that’s not the answer.”
Maddon took Minasian’s appearance on his door-
step as a bad sign for his coaches. They sat down
WAR OF IDEAS
in the living room. Minasian made a quick com-
ment about Maddon getting “a haircut.” The words Maddon sparred with Minasian (bottom left,
lacked the lilt of humor. Quickly it was apparent with Maddon and Moreno) over bullpen usage
and playing time for stars like Trout (right).
why. Minasian said he was “making a change” and
removing him as manager. “I’ve got to do something,
Joe,” Minasian told him.
Says Maddon, “I did not overreact at all. I just said,
‘O.K.’ Quite frankly, I was happy he chose me and not
the coaches. No one on that staff deserved to be fired.
“What was needed at that juncture was sup-
port . . . and not another version of the blame
game. We all needed support from the bosses. That
includes ownership. It would have been very easy for
Arte Moreno to get on an airplane, walk through the
clubhouse, talk to us, see what was going on, and I
believe he would have come to a different conclusion.”
Maddon and Moreno, the Angels’ owner, had known
one another for two decades. During spring training
Joe and Jaye had hosted a party at their Arizona home
for the entire staff and their spouses. Moreno and
his wife, Carole, attended. Moreno did not speak to
FROM TOP: TIM HEITMAN/GE T T Y IMAGES;

Maddon after the firing.

Maddon’s firing had not been Moreno’s idea, any-
K I R B Y L E E / U S A T O D AY S P O R T S

way. It was Minasian’s. The GM spoke with Moreno

just that morning and told the owner what he had in
SPORTS
mind. “If this is what you decide is needed to right
ILLUSTRATED the ship, go ahead,” Moreno told him, according to
SI.COM

NOVEMBER 2022
a team source familiar with the conversation. “It’s
10 0 totally your call.”
 The answer is that the firing had been in the works (Attendance has declined slowly but steadily since the
long before those dozen games, even if both men could all-time per-game high in 2007.) Meanwhile, baseball
not or did not want to see it that way. The losing streak managers ceased being celebrities. It happened in
simply provided an exit ramp for a relationship that part because the replay challenge system reduced
was going nowhere—not because of any personal colorful arguments with umpires, but mostly because
animosity but because of philosophical differences. managers operated with less power and job security
than general managers. To survive, they adopted the

W HAT HAPPENED BETWEEN Minasian and

Maddon tells a familiar story of what has hap-
pened to the role of the manager—and baseball itself.
bland corporate-speak of their bosses.
The shift happened over the arc of Maddon’s career
in the major leagues. He was trying to hold on to
The power shift from the dugout to the front office the soul of baseball as he knew it, relying on trust,
over more than a quarter of a century has changed how relationships and his coaches. Minasian was part of
the game is played, and its value system. Knowledge a generation of power brokers who dove even deeper
over wisdom. Technology over teaching. Data over into data and process. Depending on how you were
art. Efficiency over entertainment. raised in the game, a 68-year-old man in a mohawk
As front offices seized control, games grew lon- was either a colorful master motivator or an unfunny
ger, with less action, and there were more pitching gimmick that had no bearing on the win probability
changes, more fungibility of personnel and fewer fans. of the game that night.
If there was a physical space where this dynamic
played out it was the coaches’ room at Angel Stadium.
Minasian and his top assistant, Alex Tamin, main-
tained lockers in the same room as the coaches, using
the room as they changed between front-office attire
and workout or game-day attire.
In the game in which Maddon was raised, GMs
stayed out of the clubhouse unless they had specific
business to attend there. The clubhouse and its
immediate environs belonged to uniformed person-
nel. But Minasian and Tamin found it perfectly normal
to share space with coaches on an everyday basis
because it had become perfectly normal for executives
to dictate game strategy as much as coaches. What
Maddon regarded as interference Minasian regarded
as standard operating procedure.
Maddon was also put off by some of the copycat pro-
cesses implemented by Minasian. A certain intramural
competition exists among baseball front offices, a kind
of Silicon Valley cutting-edge war as to who can hire
the smartest experts and install the latest technology,
whether it’s $15,000 whole-body-vibration “power
plates” for training or $24,000 air and surface purifiers
that convert ambient oxygen and humidity into dry
hydrogen peroxide to reduce the presence of microbes.
JOHN CORDES/ICON SPORT SWIRE/GE T T Y IMAGES

Last season the Giants plowed new ground by employ-

ing 13 coaches—one for every two players—including
three hitting coaches and three pitching coaches. That
number does not include their “breathing coach.”
The Giants, Dodgers and Braves especially served
as references for Minasian and his front office staff. In
2022 the GM instituted daily meetings with players,
primarily the hitters, rather than just the traditional
first-game-of-a-series meeting. “I just think it’s way
too over the top,” Maddon says. “[Minasian] kept
 JOE MADDON

reminding me, ‘The Braves did it. The Braves did it.’ Ohtani hit a grand slam. The dugout was lively.
Fine. A lot of things were related to ‘We did it this way Suddenly, head athletic trainer Mike Frostad walked
with the Braves,’ or ‘This is how the Giants did it.’ We up to Maddon at his usual perch on the top step of
were all over trying to do things like somebody else.” the dugout and said, “Perry just called down. He
After last season, Minasian replaced Maddon’s bench said get Trout out of the game.”
coach, Mike Gallego, with Ray Montgomery, a 52-year- Earlier in the day Trout had complained about a
old former player making the rare jump from the front bit of soreness in his groin. But later he told Maddon
office to the field. Montgomery, who had been the that the soreness dissipated, and he was fine.
director of player personnel, was working in uniform To Maddon, Minasian broke a sacred code. The
for the first time after spending most of his career in
scouting. Montgomery helped run those daily meetings.
Moreover, what Maddon calls a pregame “chore-
ography” took root, spearheaded by Minasian and “IF YOU’RE A BASEBALL FAN,
Tamin. Those two, not Maddon and his coaches, would
decide which relief pitchers were not available for
YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT IS
the game that night. It was based on a proprietary
algorithm developed by Tamin that kept track of a
pitcher’s work in rolling 30-day increments. In recent
years it had become common for front offices to usurp
control of the bullpen from managers. So-and-so “is
down tonight” entered baseball parlance, and it came
from upstairs. “In that losing stretch that led to my
demise, a lot of relievers were made unavailable,”
Maddon says. “I couldn’t use them.
“Tam had the 30-day matrix built on how to use
relief pitchers, how often and how much rest they
needed. Honestly, that’s insulting.”
Maddon read body language, mechanics, clues in
how his players answered his questions . . . all the
insights gleaned from 42 seasons in professional
baseball. The modern front office, however, has too
much access to data to rely on the instincts of a veteran
manager. Minasian and Tamin were not revolution-
aries. They were deploying methodologies that had
become mainstream. Says Maddon, “If you’ve grown
up in an era of understanding the game and how
important it is beyond the numbers to connect with
people and establish patience and relationships with GM had called the dugout during a game to dictate
your players in order to have success, it’s hard to get strategy to the manager—a proven, veteran manager
on the same page with front offices today. at that. To Minasian, he simply was deploying the
“Other managers that I’ve spoken with, guys with power given to this generation of executives. Nothing
experience, feel the same way, and they are encouraging was sacred. Nothing was out of bounds.
me to speak up. This is not an attempt by me to ‘get The next day Maddon blew up at Minasian in
even’ or anything like that. I’m not trying to protect Maddon’s office. “Listen, don’t you ever f------ call
myself. It’s exposure. If you’re a baseball fan, if you love down to the dugout again!” Maddon said.
the game and care about the game, you should know Twenty-six days later, he was gone. When Minasian
what is behind how the game is being played today.” fired him, Maddon offered him advice. He suggested
that Minasian not bring Tamin on road trips. He did

SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED
T HE DIVIDE BETWEEN old and new, manager and
front office, data and art, Maddon and Minasian,
reached a boiling point on May 9. The Angels had
not tell Minasian to leave the coaches’ room to the
coaches. “I was going to text him the next day to bring
it up, but I chose not to,” Maddon says. “It was over.”
SI.COM
just scored five runs in the seventh inning against Coaches and coaching are at the heart of Maddon’s
NOVEMBER 2022
10 2 the Rays to turn a 6–3 lead into an 11–3 blowout. baseball belief system. To him they are to baseball what
 teachers are to education. Underpaid and underappre- The Angels’ inverted triangle lacked seamless
ciated but indispensable. Keepers of the flame. “Who philosophy and stability. Deep down, Minasian and
is teaching the next generation of coaches, and what Maddon knew this. Twelve straight losses forced
are they teaching?” Maddon asks. “Is the game being Minasian to confront that reality. He replaced Maddon
taught or is it more reliant on studying feedback from with Angels third-base coach Phil Nevin, another
technology? The players want to hear more and more first-time MLB manager.
about exit velocity and spin rates from coaches, as “The only reason you fire the manager,” Maddon
opposed to mechanical information that only a well- says, “is there is a total disconnect between the man-
trained pitching coach or hitting coach could pass along. ager and players, or there is a philosophical disconnect

IF YOU LOVE THE GAME AND CARE ABOUT THE GAME,

BEHIND HOW THE GAME IS BEING PLAYED TODAY.”

CHANGING TIMES
Maddon hasn’t lost his
love for the dugout and between the manager and either the GM or the owner
wants another job, but I plead guilty to having philosophical differences
he doubts he’s still a fit
with Perry. You don’t take it personally. It’s business.”
for baseball’s data-
driven culture.
Maddon wants to manage again. But baseball has
changed since he was a rookie manager with the
2006 Devil Rays. If Maddon has a place in the game
again, it will be for someone else who also honors the
“Who is mentoring these soul of the game, who believes data enhances and
groups? How is the game complements art and instinct, not depreciates them.
being passed on with the “Right now as a manager, you need to understand
eradication of minor league you are going to be controlled,” Maddon says. “You’re
teams? There is a lot of tear- really going to be required or asked to do exactly what
ing of the fabric right now.” the front office wants you to do. The trick then would
At the top of today’s major be to somehow be able to build relationships—but even
league organizational chart then, your ability to freely think, work and suggest
is a triangle. The owner, lead with these players can
baseball operations person (traditionally the GM, be constricted. It’s just
though title inflation has wrought fancier designa- the way of the world
tions) and manager form the corners. But the triangle right now.”
is inverted. The manager is at the bottom. The owner
and general manager hold power over the manager,
even as it relates to game strategy and coaching. The
triangle works best only when all three positions buy Excerpted from
in completely to the structure and philosophy. THE BOOK OF
General managers increasingly prefer to hire JOE: Trying Not
to Suck at
managerial blank slates: candidates with little or
Baseball & Life
no experience and thus no established philosophies
by Joe Maddon
or norms to clash with how they want the job done. and Tom Verducci.
In 32 managerial changes from the 2017–18 offsea- Copyright © 2022 by Joe Maddon and
E R I C K W. R A S C O

son through Maddon’s firing by the Angels, general Tom Verducci. Reprinted by permission of
managers picked a first-time manager on 19 occa- Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
sions—almost 60% of the time. All rights reserved.
 in
NEARLY ALL INVOLVED IN THE ASTROS’ CHEATING SCANDAL HAVE
APOLOGIZED AND BEEN WELCOMED BACK BY MLB. BUT NOT JE F F L UHNO W.
NOW RUNNING LOWER-LEVEL SOCCER TEAMS IN SPAIN AND MEXICO, THE
FORMER GM—A POLARIZING FIGURE AT THE CENTER OF BASEBALL’S CULTURE
WARS—SAYS HE DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE TO ANYONE
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY
THOMAS LOVELOCK
 JEFF LUHNOW

As the best team in the American League races to

a double-digit division lead, its architect sits in the
owner’s box of a half-full second-division Spanish
soccer stadium on the outskirts of Madrid. It is the first
match of his first season running CD Leganés.
The owner of the opposing team, Deportivo Alavés,
sits to his left, the mayor of Leganés to his right.
The game is televised, but the broadcasters are calling it
from a studio in Barcelona, 400 miles away.

Jeff Luhnow’s Astros played in front of packed houses

of 41,000 and drew close to a million people to celebrate
their 2017 World Series title; on this night, Leganés plays
before some 7,000 scattered faithful. In January, Blue Crow
Sports Group, which Luhnow started, bought Cancún FC, a
soccer team in the Mexican second division, for a reported
$6.76 million; in June, it added Leganés for a reported
$39 million. Luhnow is a hands-on owner, obsessing over
everything from roster construction to player development
to logo design, hoping to bring the kind of change to his
second sport that he brought to his first.
To most, Luhnow appears to have taken a hard fall, even
if he doesn’t see it that way. At 55, he says he may return to
baseball one day, “but right now I’m pretty busy.” He says he
B O B L E V E Y/ G E T T Y I M A G E S ( L U H N O W A N D H I N C H ) ; T I M B R A D B U R Y/ G E T T Y I M A G E S ( C E L E B R AT I O N )

has received “more than one” request to run an MLB team

(he declines to be more specific) but turned them down.
Thirty-two months after being fired amid the Astros’
cheating scandal, Luhnow is the last man in exile. Manager
A.J. Hinch—who has admitted that he knew what his players
were doing—was introduced as the Tigers’ skipper some
72 hours after his suspension expired in October 2020.
Bench coach Alex Cora—who helped direct the scheme—was
rehired on a similar time line to manage the Red Sox. DH
Carlos Beltrán—the only player named in the commissioner’s
report—now broadcasts games for the Yankees, one of the
teams most incensed by the whole thing. But since Luhnow
became eligible to return to MLB, seven clubs have fired
their top baseball official, and none have hired the man
who dragged the Astros from disaster to dynasty.
There are reasons for this. The others apologized.
SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED Luhnow still says he didn’t do anything wrong. The others
SI.COM
are baseball lifers. Luhnow is a businessman. He remains
NOVEMBER 2022
10 6 a divisive figure, brimming with contradictions.
 From the perspective of Luhnow’s detractors, he
was a cutthroat, cold-blooded McKinsey analyst who
smugly sucked the soul out of the game. He got caught
cheating, he was too arrogant to admit it, and he took
his ball and traded it for another ball.
From Luhnow’s perspective, he was an outsider
who understood how to run a baseball team better
than most of the people running baseball teams. He
won’t apologize because he has nothing to apologize
for, and he is now working in soccer because he never
really envisioned a career in baseball anyway.
Either one—or both—could explain how Luhnow got
here, to Madrid, a continent away from the scandal.
His eyes dart from the play on the field to the play his
BLAST OFF sponsors are getting on the ribbon boards. Luhnow
Luhnow (above, right) and Hinch led has rarely discussed what happened in Houston, but
Houston to the 2017 World Series. The team as he watches one of his new
has appeared in the ALCS every year since. teams, he is ready to share
his views on his old one.

O N JAN. 13, 2020, Jeff

and Gina Luhnow flew
to Los Cabos, Mexico, to cel-
ebrate her 49th birthday. As
the plane was landing, MLB
commissioner Rob Manfred
released a repor t of his
investigation into a multi-
year, multipronged cheating
scheme by the Astros. While
the Luhnows waited at bag-
gage claim, Jeff ’s phone
rang. Twenty-nine seconds
later—he remembers pre-
cisely—he was unemployed.
MLB found that during
Houston’s 2017 World Series
season, and part of ’18,
the Astros used an illegal
monitor near the dugout to
decipher opposing catch-
ers’ signs. Then a player
would signal to Houston’s
batter what was coming
by banging on a trash can.
Si mu lt a neously, v ideo-
room staffers ran a pro-
gram called Codebreaker
that decrypted signs, then
SPORTS
passed their intel to the ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM
dugout so runners on sec-
NOVEMBER 2022
ond could signal batters. 10 7
 JEFF LUHNOW

Manfred wrote that he found no evidence Luhnow

was aware of the trash-can plot or had ordered
Codebreaker—but that he “failed to take any ade-
L UHNOW WAS RUTHLESS in his pursuit of any
advantage for the Astros, but he says he “figured we
all know the rules and we’re all gonna follow the rules.”
quate steps” to ensure his club followed the rules. Never mind that in September 2017, after a Red Sox
(The league accused Luhnow of erasing data from trainer was caught in the dugout using an Apple Watch
his phone before handing it over; Luhnow says he to relay decoded signs, Manfred issued a memo to all
deleted only photos of his wife giving birth.) Manfred 30 teams reminding them of the rules about electron-
suspended him for the 2020 season. ics and sign-stealing, adding that GMs and managers
Luhnow has maintained that he did not know any- would be held accountable for violations. Or that in ’18,
one was cheating and that he would have stopped Luhnow’s Astros accused at least two other teams of
them if he had. In 2020, he sued the Astros for breach stealing signs illegally. Or that ballplayers, in general,
of contract in firing him for cause. The lawsuit also have been cheating since Frank Corridon first spat on
alleged that a video-room staffer had texted col- his fingers at the turn of the century.
leagues, “Don’t tell Jeff,” about the scheme. (Luhnow Luhnow says he regrets not having a compli-
declined to share the text.) The suit was dismissed ance department in Houston, so he has added one
the next year at the request of both Luhnow and the at Leganés and Cancún. Would reminders from a
Astros, suggesting a settlement had been reached. compliance department have stopped the Astros from
Both sides declined to comment on the matter. cheating? Baseball history says no. Luhnow says yes.
Luhnow seems to see the sign-stealing scandal This kind of argument—preposterous to those inside
as a black swan event: shocking, earth-shaking the game, logical to Luhnow—has defined his career.

“HOW MUCH IT ACTUALLY IMPACTED THE RESULTS,

I HAVE NO IDEA,” LUHNOW SAYS OF THE ASTROS’
CHEATING. “UNFORTUNATELY, IT PUTS SOME DOUBT.”

and impossible to have foreseen because he wasn’t

involved in it.
Does he believe the scandal tarnishes the 2017 title?
“I think that the Astros built a powerhouse,” he says.
“And it’s unfortunate for our fans that going through
’17 and winning that World Series and then two years
later having to have people question that—it’s unfor-
tunate, and I wish that had never happened.
“And I will never be one to say that the rule-breaking
helped or didn’t help on the field because I don’t know.
I don’t think there’s anybody that really knows the
true answer to that. It wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have
happened. When you break the rules, you break the
rules, and you have to suffer the consequences of that.
It’s the wrong thing to do. But how much it actually
impacted the results, I have no idea. Could it have? . . . HEADY DAYS
In some people’s minds, it absolutely did, and you’re Last year Leganés (right, in white, against
never going to convince them otherwise. So unfor- Eibar) finished near .500 in Spain’s second
tunately, it puts some doubt. . . . It’s unfortunate for division. Luhnow (above) sees potential.

SPORTS
our fans, more than anybody else, that they have to
ILLUSTRATED [face] that question.”
SI.COM

NOVEMBER 2022
But does it tarnish the title?
10 8 “I think it tarnishes it for a lot of people, yeah.”
 the GM’s job in 2011, Crane famously
handed him a blank piece of paper:
There would be no parameters. Luhnow
took the 30th-ranked baseball team
and the 30th-ranked farm system, and
he began an unpopular tear-down-and-
rebuild process. As Houston tanked to
an astounding 310 losses in Luhnow’s
first three seasons, his peers in the
industry mocked him. Fans revolted.
At times the listless club earned a
0.0 Nielsen rating.
“If you are a person that wants to
innovate and create positive change,
you’re gonna get resistance,” Luhnow
says of those early Astros years. “If the
idea that you’re trying to work on was
obvious and accepted by everybody, it
would already be in place.”
A long the way, the team stock-
piled young talent and revolutionized
player development, pioneering the
use of high-speed video to improve
prospects. In 2017 the Astros won the
first World Series in team history. They
have played in every AL Championship
Series since then and the World Series
twice more. When The Athletic ulti-
mately reported in November ’19 that
Houston had illegally stolen signs,
He was an engineer turned management consultant Luhnow says he was blindsided.
turned entrepreneur with no baseball experience— His wife, at least, believes him. Gina deploys a hand-
until an old McKinsey colleague mentioned that his ful of supporting anecdotes: the time he spotted an
father-in-law, Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt, was looking iPad in the Astros’ dugout on TV and immediately
to add a Moneyball mindset to his club. got word to the clubhouse to have it removed; the
Luhnow arrived in St. Louis in 2003 as a vice presi- time he read about Boston’s Apple Watch infraction
dent and immediately made enemies. Sometimes the and called Hinch to confirm their team wasn’t doing
pushback he faced bordered on absurd. His detractors anything similar; or the time Gina asked her husband
called him “the accountant” and “Harry Potter.” Some why he was sure that nothing illicit was going on and
longtime Cardinals employees pointedly ignored him Jeff confidently replied, “We’re too good. We don’t
in the hallways. On the day one person was fired, upper have to cheat.”
management moved Luhnow to a different office for Half a dozen people who have worked closely with
fear the spurned man would come looking for him. Luhnow agree with his assessment of his own manage-
But when Luhnow respected someone, he gave that ment style. Hiring people and trusting them is a good
person autonomy. “My way of doing things is to hire way to run an organization when everyone performs
very good people and let them do their jobs,” he says. well. It is also a convenient way to create plausible deni-
Luhnow valued both human input and data. Along ability for the leader when they get caught cheating.
with analyst Sig Mejdal, he created a model called
STOUT: half stats, half scouts. The Cardinals engi-
neered MLB’s most successful draft of this century, in
2009, when St. Louis nabbed five players who would
L UHNOW R AN THE Astros like a corporation.
Many employees wore ties. People gently—or not
so gently—ribbed one another for taking vacation.
star for the ’13 NL champs, including Matt Carpenter. The baseball operations department prided itself on
When Astros owner Jim Crane offered Luhnow being more effective than other teams’, with fewer
 JEFF LUHNOW

resources. If someone wanted to spend a few days at “The unapologetic I didn’t do anything wrong part
a minor league affiliate, they had to justify the cost. is why he’s polarizing,” says one of the people who
In 2017 and ’18, Luhnow brought in his old cowork- worked with him. As the boss, he adds, you have to take
ers at McKinsey, prompting a backlash from baseball the heat. “Aren’t you responsible for it all anyway?”
people. “[It was] like, ‘What the hell are these people
doing?’ ” says one former Astros employee. “ ‘Standing
in the hallway, and every time I walk by they write
in their f---ing notebook?’ ”
L UHNOW HAD CLIMBED out of his gray rental
Ford sedan in the stadium parking lot 90 minutes
before kickoff, and within seconds a grade schooler
When you’re brought in to create change, Luhnow was asking for a photo. Luhnow obliged. Before he ran
liked to say, roughly a third of the people in place when off, though, the boy begged the owner to sign a striker.
you arrive will flourish. A third must be removed imme- Luhnow laughed. With two weeks left in the two-
diately. And the last third will be weeded out over month transfer window, this is all he hears, every time
time. Indeed, of the 26 people in the Astros’ baseball he picks up his phone or reads a newspaper or walks
ops department who were in place for Luhnow’s first through the stadium. Luhnow was born and raised in
year, 18 were gone by his last: a turnover rate of 69%. Mexico City, and he speaks Spanish at a native level,
This all might sound like an uncomfortable work-
place environment, and sometimes it was. But most
of the people who stuck around came to believe in
the strategy. Luhnow earned his reputation as a cold-
hearted consultant, but he is personable and quick
to poke fun at himself. Even the former employees
who offer critiques all mention how much they liked
working for Luhnow. Yet he is so unpopular in big-
ger baseball circles that people who rave about him
privately are reluctant to do so publicly.
Luhnow recognizes he is radioactive. At one point
he offers a list of references—people who know him
well—but acknowledges they might not be comfort-
able speaking publicly on his behalf.
“Don’t put my name on it, but he’s one of the smart-
est people I’ve ever been around,” says one person.
Adds another: “It’s sad to me that he’s a public
enemy and a villain when I know him to be just a
complicated person that’s made some mistakes and
also done some great things.” FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Even Luhnow’s supporters agree that he brought Luhnow, who helped develop stars like
some of the scandal fallout upon himself. He drew ire Alex Bregman (right) in Houston, hopes to
from his peers in other organizations by smugly flout- work the same magic in Leganés.
ing convention. He slashed departments, creating a
slew of disgruntled former employees. He antagonized
journalists who questioned him, while playing nice but just in case, fans have begun posting the definition
with anyone who wrote glowingly about him. As the of fichaje, or signing, underneath each of his tweets.
Astros began to win, staffers gleefully reviewed the If Luhnow misses baseball, he doesn’t show it. He
lists of people who hadn’t believed in them. “F--- those was never really romantic about the national pastime.
guys,” they cried, not particularly quietly. He saw the right set of circumstances for him to create
“I think we were the most disliked organization change. Now he sees that in soccer.
before [the sign-stealing] came out,” says one person “That’s part of the challenge that excites me,” he
who worked for the team. says. “Being in an industry where there’s a lot of
Luhnow believes that was the cost of trying to skepticism around the use of technologies, analytics
shake up such a tradition-bound industry. “That’s and data, trying to do what we did in baseball, which
SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED unfortunately the curse of being an innovator,” he is demonstrate through wins that this stuff works.”
SI.COM
says. His adamance that he knew nothing of the sign- In some ways, he faces a more formidable challenge
NOVEMBER 2022
110 stealing only brought more scorn. than the one he took on in Houston. Leganés is not as
 barren as the Astros were, but Luhnow cannot tear football, could have been basketball. I love baseball—it’s
the club all the way down without risking relegation, always been one of my favorite sports. But I’m a sports
which would cost him most of his financial invest- fan; I’m a technology person; I’m a business person.”
ment. Besides, there is no draft here to hoard top picks Luhnow has designs on something of a global
in. He has to find a new way to win, in a new sport empire. In 2021 he and a group of partners formed
that he admits he doesn’t fully understand. SportsTek Acquisitions Corporation and took it public.
On this night, Alavés scores first. When Leganés Luhnow is also the CEO of Blue Crow Sports Group,
answers, in the 68th minute, Luhnow allows himself which owns majority shares in the two soccer teams,
to jab the mayor in the ribs, in celebration. Six minutes and in Blue Crow Analytics, which works with teams
later, Alavés retakes the lead. But then, with seconds and players across sports.
left, a Leganés forward is fouled and earns a free kick As for the soccer clubs, he chose those carefully:
just across midfield. He sails the ball toward the left side Cancún, a resort destination, offers many poten-
of the goal, where one teammate heads it back across tial paying customers, and of the 39 soccer cities in
the middle to another streaking forward who deposits North America, 33 have multiple daily direct flights
it with a right-foot touch. Luhnow is poking the mayor there. As for Leganés, he liked its century of history, its
proximity to Madrid and its stable financial situation.
Luhnow says most of his investors told him they
were giving him money not because they were look-
ing to invest in soccer but because they were looking
to invest in him. He expects both teams to rise to
the first division—Leganés was there as recently as
2020—though he declines to share a time line.
Most people who did not want their names in this
story also say that they think Luhnow will succeed.
One former coworker says, “Ten years from now, when
we’re all playing FIFA 33, [his is] the team we’ll all
want to be.”

L UHNOW KNOWS THERE is no way to prove he

didn’t know. But if the lingering suspicion bothers
him, he does not say so. He says he is not concerned
about his legacy—but anyway, he thinks people see the
Astros mostly as winners: “Anything negative with the
organization, it’s not the predominant part [of the con-
versation],” he says. Pressed on this—watch the Astros
again when he realizes that no one else seems as happy play at Yankee Stadium and it sure seems predomi-
as he is. The goal has been disallowed. Leganés loses. nant—he shrugs. “I just don’t see it that way,” he says.
“Why’d they call it off?” Luhnow asks Alfredo Garzón, Gina wanted him to stay in U.S. sports, to win
the lawyer who brokered the sale of the team, as he again there. But Jeff says, “I’m not looking to prove
walks back to his office. anything to anybody.”
“It was offside,” Garzón explains. Still, within 24 hours of his firing, Luhnow was
Luhnow says he does not mind not being an expert glaring at his laptop screen, typing furiously. Over the
in soccer, because even after 16 years in major league next two or three months—as internet sleuths combed
ballparks, he never considered himself an expert in through video for signs of cheating; as fans bought
baseball. His expertise, he says, lies in identifying Houston Asterisks gear; as Luhnow’s former players
talent and helping craft a strategy. He declines to took retaliatory fastballs to the ribs—“he just sat and
be any more specific about his plans for Leganés. wrote all day long,” Gina says. “That’s all he did.”
“You can’t disclose what those are,” he adds, smiling, “I was kind of like, ‘People don’t really know
“because then your competition might copy them.” this. . . . All they write about is this,’ ” Luhnow says.
Even before the Astros fired him, Luhnow says, he He says when he finished, he had a 750-page manu-
E R I C K W. R A S C O

was exploring changing fields; he felt he had learned script of a memoir. He might try to publish it one day,
all he could in the sport. “It was very opportunistic he says, but he’s in no rush. In the meantime, everyone
that I ended up in baseball,” he says. “It could have been else can think what they want.
 POINT AFTER

CLASS EXIT
Perhaps unsurprisingly,
Roger Federer’s retirement
announcement was a somewhat
subdued affair: an elegant
four-page letter dropped on
Instagram in mid-September.
(Well, as subdued as a post with
more than three million likes
can be.) Federer, 41, leaves with
an airtight case as the GOAT of
men’s tennis—20 Grand Slam
titles, 310 weeks ranked world
No. 1 and perhaps the purest,
most varied shotmaking the game
has ever seen. Even more distinct
are the grace and humility he
displayed on and off the court.
Wimbledon still quaintly refers
to its men’s bracket as the
“gentlemen’s” draw, but when
Federer played there the term
rang true. Fitting, then, that he
won more men’s singles titles
there (eight) than anyone else.
BOB MARTIN

112 SP OR T S ILL US TR ATED | SI.COM

 THERE’S NO
PLACE LIKE
UNKNOWN

NEVER LOSE YOUR EDGE

LEXUS.COM/RX

Intuitive tech, courageous performance and

heart-pounding design–oh my! Never lose
your edge in the boldest reimagining of a
celebrated classic. Welcome to a new world
of possibilities with the all-new Lexus RX.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements © & TM Turner Entertainment Co. (s22)
©2022 Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.