In the summer of 2018, a silent time bomb exploded in the SLAM realm. Maya Moore made history in a three-part cover series that completed 217 issues. Remarkably, she was only the second woman to do so. The first was when we asked the NBA if they were ready for Shamik Holdsclaw back in ’98. (They weren’t, and neither were our readers, apparently.) But when our efforts to challenge the status quo with Shamik hit a glass ceiling, Maya smashed it all.
Seeing Moore Grace on the front page of SLAM 217, I was debating, problem was I couldn’t find her cover anywhere. Sold on SLAM Goods, not eBay it smells like. Anyone lucky enough to snag that coveted first retail run seemed to be holding on to it… and with good reason.
To say that Maya Moore is one of the greatest female players to ever witness should not be an understatement. He was a champion at every possible level. From high school to college to the WNBA, even on the Olympic stage, titles were secured. Not only that, but the list of awards accompanying these championships and medals is almost unimaginable. He’s an undisputed Hall of Famer, and if you’re going to take him as your basketball OTHER, I’d be reluctant to argue.
However, there was more to Maya Moore’s game than hardware. Less tangible than trophies, but somehow more impactful. A feature that is not so easy to describe. Although he was ferocious on the boards and had hands so quick that steals looked like camera tricks, there was a great quality to his style of play and scoring ability. A magic. “Poetry in Motion” kind of magic. The kind that gives you goosebumps and watery eyes when replayed in slow motion. The kind that reminds us of the beauty of the game we once fell in love with.
With MJ being one of a handful to have made such an impact on us in the past, it was only fitting that Maia was picked up by Jordan Brand before she even set foot on a WNBA court, and when she walked away from it in 2018, she did. so a pair of signature Jordan 10s, and as an icon of the Jordan family.
Leaving the game in its heyday was far from trivial, and it wasn’t without purpose. Outside of basketball, Moore fought for social justice long before the slogans for freedom were emblazoned on team uniforms. He was a voice for the suffering community at a time when disciplinary action was being taken against players who refused to remain silent on their political views. It was her particular commitment to reforming the criminal justice system that led her to sit out 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 in Issue 217 was bigger than SLAM. It opened the floodgates, with female spinners later hitting the cover, and ushered our coverage of women’s basketball into a new era. Some of the most iconic covers we’ve dropped since then have featured the likes of Candace Parker, Sabrina Ionescu, Paige Bukers, and Angel Reese. We’ve also seen three rounds of WSLAM specials. Each drop shows us Maya Moore’s Mona Lisa smile, quietly confident, affecting change without breaking character.
As a SLAM enthusiast who deeply admires Moore’s journey both on and off the court, it was important that I somehow add his shirt to my collection. It would assuage the innate idea we have as humans to somehow align with those we respect, such as signed autographs, game-worn jerseys and signature shoes, this would show my commitment to his cause. Eventually I went into the house with a member of the SLAM family (shout out to Peter Walsh) hooking me up with a personal example. For me, this can never exist as just another spine on the shelf. It had to be framed and placed in a prime position. It should be observed, discussed and remembered… and when the inevitable Maya Moore biopic is released one day in the future, I will proudly point to Maya at SLAM 217 and report it like any true SLAM-head. I must have been down since day one.
Photos via Getty Images.
