In the summer of 2018, a silent time bomb detonated in the SLAM kingdom. Maya Moore claimed a historic spot on a three-part cover series that completed the issue 217 set. Significantly, she was only the second female to do so. The first was when we asked the NBA if they were ready for Chamique Holdsclaw back in ’98. (They weren’t–neither were our readers, apparently). But where our efforts to challenge the status quo with Chamique had kicked a crack in the glass ceiling–Maya smashed the whole thing clean off.
Seeing Moore grace the front page of SLAM 217 had me scrambling, the problem was, I couldn’t find her cover anywhere. Sold out on SLAM Goods, not a sniff of it on eBay. It was looking as though anyone lucky enough to grab that coveted first retail run was holding onto it tight… and with good reason.
To say that Maya Moore is one of the greatest female players ever witnessed shouldn’t be a statement that’s thought little of. She has been a champion at every level possible. From High School to College to the WNBA, even on the Olympic stage–titles were secured. Not only that, but the list of accolades that accompanied these championships and medals is almost unimaginable. She’s an undisputed Hall of Famer, and if you’re taking her as your basketball GOAT, I’d be reluctant to argue.
There was something more to Maya Moore’s game than hardware, though. Less tangible than trophies, but with more impact, somehow. A trait not so easy to describe. While she was fierce on the boards and had hands so quick that steals felt like camera tricks, her style of play and scoring ability possessed a majestic quality. A magic. The ‘poetry in motion’ type of magic. The type that gives you goosebumps and watery eyes when replayed in slow-mo. The kind that reminds us of the beauty of the game that we once fell in love with.
As MJ is one of a handful to have had this effect on us previously, it was fitting that Maya would be picked up by Jordan Brand before she even stepped foot on a WNBA court – and when she walked away from it in 2018, she did so in a pair of signature Jordan 10s, and as an icon of the Jordan Family.
Stepping away from the game in her prime was far from insignificant, and wasn’t without purpose. Aside from basketball, Moore had been fighting for social justice long before cries for freedom were allowed to be printed on team uniforms. She was a voice for a suffering community during a time when disciplinary action was taken towards players who refused to be silent in their political views. It was her specific commitment to reform in the criminal justice system that saw her forego the 2019 and 2020 WNBA seasons, and ultimately retire in early 2023. If recent history has taught us anything, it’s that some things are bigger than basketball.
In some ways, Maya Moore’s presence on issue 217 was bigger than SLAM. It burst open the floodgates, with a flurry of female hoopers subsequently hitting the cover, and catapulted our coverage of Women’s Basketball into a new era. Some of the dopest covers we’ve dropped since have featured the likes of Candace Parker, Sabrina Ionescu, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. We’ve also seen three rounds of WSLAM specials. Each drop points us back to Maya Moore’s Mona Lisa smile, quietly confident, affecting change without breaking character.
As a SLAM enthusiast with a deep admiration of Moore’s journey both on and off the court, it was paramount that I added her cover to my collection somehow. It would appease the innate notion we have as humans to somehow align ourselves with those whom we respect – like signed autobiographies, game-worn jerseys and signature shoes – this would demonstrate my allegiance to her cause. Eventually, I went in-house, with a member of the SLAM fam (shout out to Peter Walsh) hooking me up with a personal copy. For me, this could never just exist as another spine on a shelf. It had to be framed and placed in a prime position. It’s to be observed, discussed and remembered… and when the inevitable Maya Moore life-story movie is released someday in the future, I’ll proudly point to Maya on SLAM 217 and will let it be known, just like any true SLAM-head should, that I’ve been down since day one.
Photos via Getty Images.
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