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Slam (magazine)
Slam (magazine)
from Wikipedia

Slam
The first issue of Slam, featuring cover athlete Larry Johnson.
CategoriesSports
FrequencyBimonthly (6 per year)
Total circulation
(2024)
70,000
FounderDennis Page
Founded1994
CompanySlam Media Inc.
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.slamonline.com
ISSN1072-625X

Slam (stylized in all caps) is an American basketball magazine in circulation since 1994.

History

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Founding and early years

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Slam was launched in 1994[1] as a basketball magazine that combined the sport with hip hop culture at a time when the genre was becoming increasingly popular. Launching as a quarterly with an initial circulation of 125,000, it was founded by publisher Dennis Page at Harris Publications, and he hired Cory Johnson to be the first Editor in Chief.[2]

Its first issue had a cover story on Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets (written by future Fortune editor Andrew Serwer) and a feature on then-Cal freshman Jason Kidd. Many of the magazine's lasting features, such as In Your Face, Slam-a-da-month, and Last Shot all began with that first issue.

From 1996 to 1997, Slam's total annual-unit sales rose 25 percent, with advertising revenue increasing by more than a third; by 1998, the magazine was published eight times per year.[3]

Ownership

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Slam's ownership has changed several times. Petersen Publishing bought Slam in 1998. The next year, Petersen was acquired by British publisher EMAP. In 2001, EMAP sold its U.S. division to Primedia (now Rent Group). When Primedia left the magazine business in 2007, Source Interlink acquired a majority of the company, including Slam, in August 2017. Slam was then acquired by an investment group led by Dennis Page (Founder and Publisher) and David Schnur (Executive Publisher). The new holding company is Slam Media Inc. based in New York City.

Advertising content

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The magazine carries advertising for basketball-related products, street-wear clothing and hip hop music, and has been credited with helping to market hip-hop culture and basketball as one.

As of November 1997, the Philadelphia Daily News reported, roughly a third of Slam's ads were for sneakers.[4]

Covers

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Slam has published over 200 issues in its history, and has featured the biggest names in basketball on its cover, in articles, and on its famous SLAMups posters.

The first woman to appear on the Slam cover was Chamique Holdsclaw in October 1998, followed by Maya Moore for the September/October 2018 issue, and then several more WNBA stars.

LeBron James has appeared on a record 27 covers.[5] "A Basketball On Fire" was the first Slam magazine cover without a player, in February 2012, addressing the 2011 NBA lockout.

In 2006, readers voted the cover for issue 32, featuring Allen Iverson in March 1999, as SLAM's best cover from its first hundred issues.[6] Then-editor in chief Tony Gervino commented that the cover "defined" SLAM's hip-hop identity and added that, while covers featuring Michael Jordan sold the best, "Iverson was the heart of the magazine."[7]

Distribution and circulation

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Known for its success in the newsstand marketplace, Slam's circulation had risen to 192,889 by late 1997, and then up to 201,179 in early 2000.[8] Circulation then elevated to 227,000 by 2002[9] and 235,000 in 2003 (at which point it was printed nine times per year).[10] The magazine was printed on a monthly basis as of November 2006.[11]

The magazine is now available to international (non-U.S.) NBA fans, with special editions printed in some territories (see below), and the addition of Slam to digital stores, such as iTunes (the remoteness/distance from the U.S. of the subscriber has become a recurring theme in the letters section).[12]

Magazine features and editorial style

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In 2004, Washington Post columnist Mike Wise observed that "counterculture heroes have emerged from SLAM magazine's pages."[13] During the mid-to-late 1990s into the 2000s, SLAM was often regarded by advertising executives and media members as avant-garde for its approaches at the time of publishing player-written pieces and an extensive letters-to-the-editor section which spanned several pages, each of which provided ample voice to the NBPA and common fans. For example, in reference to Craig Hodges, author Dave Zirin reflected in the title's 100th issue that if SLAM had existed in years prior, "a player of politics and protest could've outrun purgatory. This is why SLAM is the most important print magazine of my lifetime."[14]

  • "Trash Talk": readers give their love to Slam or share some beef they had with the last magazine, and selected letters are put in this section.
  • "SLAMADAMONTH": a short article describing a slam dunk accompanied by a photograph of the play. This feature usually features a dunk performed by an NBA player, but has featured college players in the past. The first SLAMADAMONTH (Spring 1994 issue) featured Chris Webber dunking on Charles Barkley.
  • "NOYZ": a series of one-line jokes commenting on recent basketball events, written anonymously. The first NOYZ column appeared in the March 1995 issue.
  • "In Your Face":
  • "Last Shot": a former back-page column documenting a game-winning shot during a game. This feature was discontinued after the January 2000 issue.
  • "SLAM Magazine's top 75 NBA players of all time"—released in 2003.
  • "SLAM Magazine Old School"—Released in 2005.
  • "What's My Name?": SLAM fans make nicknames for NBA players and if they win they get a prize from the slam vault.
  • "The SLAM high school diary": In 1994, SLAM began a tradition of choosing a highly talented high school basketball player to keep a monthly diary recording their accomplishments as they moved toward playing college or professional basketball. Only LeBron James and Sebastian Telfair were not in their final ("senior") year of high school when they wrote the diary.
  • Trash Talk: Readers' letters to the editor are posted here, with occasional comments by the editor.
  • Rookie Diary – The Rookie Diary is held by a new NBA rookie yearly, as they speak about their first experiences in the league

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
SLAM is an American dedicated to , founded in 1994 by publisher Dennis Page and launched with a focus on celebrating the sport through a casual, hip-hop-influenced lens that covers high school, college, and professional levels while emphasizing the game's cultural experience over mere star profiles. From its inception, SLAM differentiated itself in the sports media landscape by drawing inspiration from music publications like and Vibe, incorporating elements such as sneaker culture, athletic apparel features, and personality-driven storytelling to appeal to a younger, urban audience. The inaugural issue, produced on a $100,000 budget, featured NBA star Larry Johnson on the cover and set a blueprint for the magazine's irreverent tone and visual style, which has remained largely consistent over three decades. By 2004, SLAM reached a milestone with its over 230-page 10th anniversary edition, establishing itself as the best-selling sports magazine on U.S. newsstands and pioneering segments like fashion shoots and the annual KICKS supplement, which evolved into a standalone sneaker-focused publication in 1998. In 2017, SLAM was acquired by JDS Sports, with Page retaining partial ownership, marking a shift toward digital expansion that grew its presence to over 1 million organic followers across platforms like , , and . The magazine's enduring impact on journalism includes shaping how players are covered through authentic, culture-blending narratives and influencing broader sneaker and trends within the sport. In recognition of its 30-year legacy, SLAM was honored in the Hall of Fame's 2024 Enshrinement Yearbook, underscoring its role in transforming sports media from an NBA "outcast" into a respected cultural authority.

History

Founding and early years

Slam magazine was founded in 1994 by publisher Dennis Page at Harris Publications as a quarterly publication aimed at blending NBA coverage with hip-hop culture, drawing inspiration from magazines like The Source to capture basketball's street-level energy and cultural intersections. The magazine's debut issue, released in spring 1994 with Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets on the cover, emphasized irreverent, fan-oriented storytelling through features on streetball legends like Joe Hammond, emerging NBA talents such as Jason Kidd and Charles Barkley, and early explorations of player fashion and sneakers, setting a tone that portrayed athletes as rock stars in a hip-hop-infused aesthetic. Under Page's leadership as founder and publisher, the initial editorial team included Cory Johnson as the first , who shaped the casual, experiential voice covering playground hoops, high school prospects, and pro scenes, alongside basketball writer Vincent Mallozzi and contributors like Bonz Malone, who helped establish the magazine's playful yet insightful style. The second issue in October 1994 spotlighted star , highlighting rising players amid the league's growing global appeal, while incorporating cultural crossovers like hip-hop playlists and sneaker spotlights to appeal to a youthful, urban audience. The magazine's early growth was propelled by the explosive popularity of during the era and the parallel mainstream rise of hip-hop in the mid-1990s, leading to an expansion from two issues in 1994 to six bimonthly releases in 1995 and 1996. By 1997, Slam had increased to eight issues per year, reflecting strong newsstand performance and its unique positioning as a cultural bridge between sports and music, with vibrant and bold layouts that differentiated it from traditional outlets like .

Ownership changes

Slam magazine underwent its first major corporate acquisition in 1998 when Petersen Publishing purchased it from Harris Publications, a move that provided the title with enhanced distribution capabilities through Petersen's established network of sports and automotive publications. The following year, in 1999, British media conglomerate EMAP plc acquired Petersen Publishing for $1.2 billion, thereby integrating Slam into EMAP's expansive portfolio of over 140 U.S. titles, many of which targeted and audiences. This ownership shift positioned Slam alongside EMAP's consumer magazines focused on music, , and pop , fostering synergies in youth-oriented content distribution. In 2001, EMAP sold its U.S. operations, including Slam, to Primedia Inc. for $515 million, as part of a broader divestiture amid struggles with the acquired Petersen assets. Under Primedia, Slam expanded its offerings with special editions such as annual high school basketball previews and began exploring international licensing deals to reach global NBA fans. From 2007 to 2017, ownership transitioned to Source Interlink, which acquired Slam as part of Primedia's enthusiast media division sale for an undisclosed amount. This period was marked by financial pressures, particularly during the 2008 recession, when Source Interlink faced credit rating downgrades and advertising declines that prompted cost-cutting measures across its magazine portfolio, including adjustments to Slam's publication frequency from ten issues annually to eight. In 2017, JDS Sports, an investment firm led by Joseph D. Samberg, acquired Slam from Source Interlink, allowing founder Dennis Page to regain partial ownership and assume a key stakeholder role with significant creative oversight. In 2021, Les Green was appointed CEO, succeeding Page in that role; Green was later succeeded by Adam Figman in 2024. As of 2025, Slam operates as a subsidiary of JDS Sports under the entity Slam Media Inc., with Dennis Page as executive publisher and Adam Figman as CEO to guide its multimedia evolution.

Key milestones and recent developments

In the late 1990s, SLAM expanded its digital presence with the launch of SLAMonline, which by the 2000s had evolved into a key platform for daily NBA news, blogs, and interactive content, complementing the print edition's cultural focus. During the early 2000s, SLAM reached its circulation peak of nearly 250,000 copies per issue, aligning with the NBA's global popularity surge driven by stars like Kobe Bryant and the league's international marketing efforts. In 2024, SLAM was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame through the Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award, honoring its 30 years of shaping basketball media and presented to founder Dennis Page for pioneering the fusion of hoops and hip-hop culture. Following industry-wide print challenges after 2020, SLAM shifted to a bimonthly schedule of six issues per year, prioritizing a hybrid model that integrates physical magazines with robust digital offerings like podcasts and to sustain reader engagement. As of 2025, SLAM continues operations under parent company JDS Sports, which acquired it in 2017, with recent expansions including the 2024 acquisition of apparel brand 19nine for new merchandise lines and ongoing event partnerships such as the annual SLAM Summer Classic, all from its headquarters.

Editorial content and style

Core features and columns

Slam magazine's editorial style is characterized by an irreverent, street-smart tone that eschews the formality of traditional in favor of a casual, conversational voice infused with hip-hop and cultural references. This approach draws inspiration from hip-hop publications like The Source, blending player interviews, banter, and commentary to create an authentic, youth-oriented narrative that resonates with basketball's urban roots. The magazine prioritizes long-form profiles that uncover under-the-radar stories, emphasizing personal journeys and cultural intersections over straightforward game recaps. At its core, Slam's content revolves around comprehensive coverage of professional NBA players, streetball culture, high school prospects, and lifestyle elements such as fashion and music, positioning basketball as a multifaceted cultural phenomenon. Features often explore how these elements intertwine, such as profiles on players' sneaker endorsements or the influence of hip-hop artists on game-day aesthetics, fostering a holistic view of the sport beyond the court. This pillar-driven structure has allowed Slam to chronicle basketball's evolution from grassroots scenes to global stardom, highlighting emerging talents and off-court narratives alike. Signature columns form the backbone of Slam's recurring editorial elements, delivering consistent, engaging text-based storytelling. "SLAMADAMONTH" spotlights a single, standout from the month, pairing a vivid description with player context to celebrate athletic highlights in a format. "" curates reader letters, sharing praise, critiques, and witty banter to build community interaction and reflect fan passion. Meanwhile, "Rookie Diary" offers first-person installments from a selected NBA newcomer each season, providing intimate insights into their adjustment to professional life through journal-style entries. Over time, Slam has evolved its features to deepen coverage of youth basketball, notably introducing the "SLAM All-Americans" in the early 2000s to spotlight elite prospects and influence recruiting discussions. This annual list, starting with editions like the 2000 All-Americans, expanded the magazine's focus on high school talent pipelines, often featuring detailed profiles that trace paths to the pros. These columns and features have digital counterparts online, extending their reach while maintaining the print-centric narrative core.

Visual elements and covers

SLAM magazine's covers have long embodied a philosophy of blending basketball with hip-hop culture, emphasizing dynamic portraits and bold typography to capture the energy of the sport and its surrounding lifestyle. From its inception, the magazine aimed to differentiate itself from traditional sports publications like Sports Illustrated by adopting a casual, street-level voice that resonated with urban youth, using licensed NBA photos initially and evolving toward original, high-impact imagery that highlights players' personalities and cultural relevance. This approach is evident in the debut issue from spring 1994, featuring Larry Johnson in a straightforward yet commanding pose with the tagline "LIVIN' LARGE!", setting the tone for covers as aspirational "Holy Grails" for athletes. Notable covers exemplify this style, such as the March 1998 issue spotlighting a young mid-motion with a basketball, marking his first appearance and foreshadowing his rise as a cultural icon through raw, action-driven photography. Similarly, the June 2000 dual cover with and celebrated the Lakers' dynasty with vibrant, team-oriented compositions that integrated urban flair. has graced numerous covers since his high school debut in Issue 62 (August 2002), often in thematic shoots that tie into his career milestones, such as the 2005 "Here Comes the Reign" edition capturing his MVP moment. Photographers like Jonathan Mannion contributed significantly to this era, bringing hip-hop portraiture techniques to basketball imagery in the 2010s, including streetwear-infused sessions that positioned players against gritty, cultural backdrops. Internally, SLAM's visuals extend this aesthetic with high-fashion photography that merges athletic action with and hip-hop motifs, such as full-page sneaker spreads and photo essays depicting playground hoops in urban settings. Custom illustrations and graffiti-inspired layouts further integrate cultural elements, like bold typographic overlays and textured graphics that echo the magazine's in 1990s hip-hop visuals. The design has evolved notably over time, shifting from the distorted, grunge-era of the —using fonts like Impact and FF Blur to evoke a raw, hip-hop edge—to cleaner, minimalist in the with modern sans-serifs like Gotham and for a more refined, player-focused presentation. Under early creative direction from Don Morris, the layouts prioritized personality-driven spreads with ad-heavy glossiness, while later iterations emphasized empowered, streamlined visuals that prioritize photographic impact over clutter. This progression reflects broader trends in media, maintaining SLAM's signature fusion of sport and style.

Business operations

Advertising and sponsorships

In its early years during the 1990s, SLAM magazine heavily featured advertising from sneaker such as Nike, Converse, and , often through full-page spreads that integrated culture with emerging trends. These ads, including Converse's "Grandmama" campaigns starring Larry Johnson and FILA's promotions with , emphasized performance enhancements and lifestyle appeal, while hip-hop labels contributed to the magazine's fusion of music and hoops aesthetics. By the late 1990s, such advertisements filled a significant portion of issues, influencing how marketed to young, urban audiences. SLAM's sponsorships evolved in the and to include deeper partnerships with the NBA, such as custom issues and event tie-ins. For instance, collaborations with produced special edition magazines featuring players like on covers, blending gaming and basketball narratives. Team-specific activations, like the Detroit Pistons' "SLAM Night" honoring Cade Cunningham's cover, highlighted co-branded promotions that extended magazine content to arena experiences. brands participated through editorials and product drops, as seen in SLAM's ØNE 'N DØNE initiative, which partnered with creators for limited-edition items inspired by hoops culture. Branded content models, particularly in SLAM Kicks, integrated sponsored shoe reviews and features to drive revenue via affiliate and merchandise ties. The "Kicks on Court" column showcased new releases, player exclusives, and pricing, often aligning with brand launches to promote purchases. This approach extended to books like SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers that Changed the Game, which cataloged influential models and supported affiliate sales through detailed breakdowns. Post-2010, SLAM faced a decline in print advertising revenue amid broader industry shifts, prompting adaptations to hybrid models that emphasized digital and experiential revenue. By 2025, the focus shifted to event sponsorships, including a partnership with at NBA All-Star Weekend for interactive cover creations, enhancing brand engagement beyond traditional ads.

Distribution, circulation, and digital expansion

Slam magazine's print distribution began with a U.S.-centric model under Harris Publications, emphasizing newsstand sales and subscriptions for its quarterly issues starting in 1994. As the publication grew, it shifted to bimonthly frequency and expanded its reach through third-party fulfillment services following its acquisition by in the late . By the early , circulation had risen to approximately 201,000 copies per issue, reflecting strong demand amid the NBA's popularity surge.) However, like many print titles, it experienced a decline, reaching about 100,000 monthly copies by 2019, with ongoing global availability via retailers such as . International efforts intensified in later years, including a dedicated Canadian edition launched in 2022 in partnership with the NBA and . The magazine's digital expansion complemented its print operations, with SLAMonline.com emerging in the 2000s as a key platform for daily content beyond the bimonthly issues. By 2019, the site attracted 1.5 million unique monthly visitors, underscoring a shift toward online engagement. In 2012, Slam released a digital app on , enabling access to electronic versions of issues and supplementary features. Further multimedia growth included podcasts such as "Respect the Game," launched to discuss NBA topics and hosted by Slam staff, alongside video content distributed via . High school-focused verticals like SLAM HS integrated into these efforts, producing highlights and interviews that extended the brand's reach across platforms.

Legacy and impact

Cultural influence on media

SLAM magazine pioneered the fusion of hip-hop and basketball in sports journalism, emerging in the 1990s as the first major publication to view the NBA through a hip-hop lens, incorporating rap lyrics, music references, and cultural elements alongside athlete profiles. This approach reflected the era's stylistic shifts in the league, such as baggier uniforms and tattoos inspired by artists like Wu-Tang Clan and The Notorious B.I.G., and extended to collaborations with hip-hop photographers like Jonathan Mannion for covers that blurred lines between sports and music. By featuring basketball stars in contexts reminiscent of rap magazine aesthetics, such as The Source and XXL, SLAM set a precedent for outlets that later blended urban culture with sports coverage. The magazine significantly advanced diversity in basketball media by amplifying Black creators and urban narratives, challenging the polished, mainstream style of outlets like ESPN. It empowered a new generation of Black journalists and photographers through its irreverent, Rolling Stone-inspired voice, while highlighting streetball scenes that represented grassroots Black basketball culture often overlooked by traditional press. Covers and features, such as those on women's stars like in 1998 or human-interest stories on figures like Ben Wilson, broadened representation and humanized players from diverse backgrounds, inspiring inclusive platforms focused on Black perspectives. SLAM's emphasis on long-form, personality-driven storytelling prioritized player agency and cultural context over game recaps, reshaping industry norms toward more narrative-focused journalism. This style, which treated athletes as cultural icons rather than mere performers, contributed to the 2010s surge in athlete-led podcasts and social media narratives by demonstrating how personal stories could engage fans beyond statistics. Its innovative features, like the KICKS section launched in 1998, further embedded sneaker and fashion culture into sports reporting, influencing broader media trends. In 2024, SLAM received the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Transformative Media Award, recognizing its role in making media more accessible and culturally resonant for generations of fans. Founder Dennis Page noted the publication's organic connection to hip-hop and street culture as key to its enduring impact, with over 300 million copies sold and an exhibit now at the Hall of Fame underscoring its legacy.

Broader expansions and contributions

Beyond its core publishing operations, SLAM has diversified into apparel and merchandise to capitalize on basketball's cultural intersection with . The SLAM Kicks line, an offshoot dedicated to sneaker culture, launched in 1998 with its inaugural issue featuring on the cover, marking an early expansion into specialized content that evolved into broader merchandise offerings in the . In March 2024, SLAM's parent company JDS Sports acquired 19nine, a college basketball apparel brand specializing in retro jerseys and throwback designs, integrating it with SLAM's merchandise team to expand into custom jerseys, , and fan-focused apparel lines. SLAM ventured into media production in 2020 through the formation of RTG Features, a joint initiative with Five-Star Basketball under JDS Sports, aimed at creating basketball documentaries and storytelling content. The banner's debut project was A Kid from , a feature-length documentary chronicling the life and career of NBA star , which premiered in theaters in March 2020 and highlighted themes of resilience and community in urban basketball. In the events space, SLAM has organized the annual SLAM Summer Classic tournament since 2018, bringing top high school prospects to iconic venues like for competitive games and showcases that promote emerging talent. The event, now in its seventh volume as of August 2025, fosters community engagement by featuring boys' and girls' rosters alongside 2v2 exhibitions, drawing national attention to youth basketball. Complementing this, SLAM supports youth programs through JDS Sports' initiatives, including the 2025 "Every Court Has A Story" contest in partnership with Project Backboard and Local Hoops, which renovates urban basketball courts to enhance access in underserved areas. Philanthropically, SLAM contributes via JDS Sports' Play with Purpose , which has granted over $4.3 million to more than 30 sports non-profits by 2025, with a focus on underserved communities through refurbishments across 15 states and 10 countries. These efforts include targeted support for organizations like Hoopbus, which uses mobile courts to connect youth in low-access urban environments, aligning SLAM's brand with broader social impact in development.

References

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