The Best NBA Covers of All Time

From Bleacher Report’s ‘The Best NBA Covers of All Time,’ these are the 10 most creative and iconic magazine covers featuring NBA players

httpv://youtu.be/https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FsGfrfjiIXw

The best NBA covers of all time: A definitive list

In no particular order, here are the best NBA covers of all time:

--Michael Jordan on the cover of Sports Illustrated (March 29, 1992)
-Shaquille O’Neal on the cover of Sports Illustrated (March 12, 1993)
--Larry Johnson on the cover of Slam Magazine (April 1993)
--Charles Barkley on the cover of Sports Illustrated (November 21, 1994)
--Dennis Rodman on the cover of Slam Magazine (January 1995)
--Hakeem Olajuwon on the cover of Sports Illustrated (February 6, 1995)
--Michael Jordan on the cover of Time Magazine (March 3, 1997)
--Allen Iverson on the cover of Slam Magazine (November 1998)
--Vince Carter on the cover of Sporting News (February 15, 1999)
– Kobe Bryant on the cover of SLAM Magazine (March 1999)

The best NBA covers of the 2010s

It’s hard to believe that the 2010s are already coming to a close. The past decade has flown by, and it’s been an eventful one for the NBA. We’ve seen some amazing athletes grace the cover of NBA2K, and we’ve seen some covers that were, well, less than amazing.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the best NBA covers of the past decade. We’ll start with the cover of NBA2K11, which featured none other than Kobe Bryant Kobe was coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, and he looked like a man on a mission on the cover of NBA2K11. He would go on to win MVP honors that season, and he helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to an appearance in the NBA Finals

The next cover we’re going to take a look at is Lebron James on the cover of NBA2K14. This was LeBron’s first year back with the Cleveland Cavaliers after spending four seasons with the Miami Heat and he was ready to make an impact. He delivered on that promise, leading the Cavaliers to their first ever NBA title For his efforts, LeBron was named Finals MVP and he became just the third player in history to be named MVP of both the regular season and the playoffs in the same year.

Another great cover from the 2010s is Stephen Curry on the cover of NBA2K16. This was right around the time when Curry was becoming one of the best players in Basketball窶馬ot just one of 窶・the。 窶廾urrey窶 had just come off consecutive MVP seasons, and he was fresh off leading Team USA to gold at The FIBA World Cup He would go on to win another MVP Award that season, as well as lead The Golden State Warriors to their second straight NBA title 窶・earning Finals MVP honors along they way窶・before being named Sports Illustrated窶冱 Sportsperson Of The Year for 2015窶馬ot bad for a decade窶冱 work!

The best NBA covers of the 2000s

In the World of Sports there are a select few athletes who manage to transcend the game and become true cultural icons. In the NBA, these players are often featured on the cover of the league’s annual video game release.

For diehard fans of the virtual hardwood, the cover of the NBA video game is an important thing. It’s a way to see which players are being really hyped up for the upcoming season and it also serves as a bit of nostalgia, reminding us of players and teams that have come before.

The 2000s were a golden era for NBA covers, featuring some of the greatest players to ever grace the court. From Shaquille O’Neal to Lebron James here are some of the best NBA video game covers of all time.

The best NBA covers of the 1990s

In the 1990s, some of the best NBA covers featured young up-and-comers like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson These stars would go on to have some of the most successful careers in NBA history Other great covers from the 1990s include Michael Jordan’s farewell cover from 1998 and a special edition cover featuring the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat.

The best NBA covers of the 1980s

In the 1980s, some of the best NBA covers featured players who would go on to be legends. Others shone brightly for a moment before fading into obscurity. But all of them helped make the decade one of the most memorable in NBA history

Here are some of the best NBA covers of the 1980s:
--Michael Jordan on the cover of Time magazine in February 1981
--Larry Bird on the cover of Sports Illustrated in April 1985
--Magic Johnson on the cover of Sports Illustrated in February 1987
--Isiah Thomas on the cover of SI in February 1988

The best NBA covers of the 1970s

During the 1970s, some of the most iconic covers in NBA history were produced. From Dr. J to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the decade was filled with amazing players who graced the cover of NBA magazines. Here are some of the best NBA covers of the 1970s.

-Dr. J on the cover of Sports Illustrated ( 1974)
--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the cover of Sports Illustrated (1975)
--George Gervin on the cover of SLAM Magazine (1977)

The best NBA covers of the 1960s

The 1960s was a decade of change in the National Basketball Association The league nearly doubled in size, going from nine to fourteen teams. This growth spurred an increase in the popularity of the game and created a need for more media coverage. Fortunately, there were some great basketball magazines around to meet this demand, and they produced some really iconic covers.

Here are some of the best NBA covers of the 1960s:

--Sports Illustrated March 11, 1968: A young Wilt Chamberlain dominates on the cover of Sports Illustrated This iconic image perfectly captures Chamberlain’s athleticism and power.

-Basketball Digest, May 1968: Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar grace the cover of Basketball Digest. This is a classic image of two of the greatest players in NBA history

-Ebony, December 1968: This cover features Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) with his then- record 38 points per game average. Ebony was one of the first magazines to really showcase African American athletes and this cover is a great example of that.

These are just a few of the best NBA covers of the 1960s. There are many more out there, so be sure to check them out!

The best NBA covers of the 1950s

In the 1950s, the NBA was in its infancy. The game was just starting to catch on with fans, and teams were starting to emerge as regional rivals. Players were becoming household names, but the game was still very much a niche sport.

The covers of NBA magazines during this decade reflect this. They feature mostly players, with very little team branding. The focus is on the individual stars of the game, with the hope of attracting new fans to the sport.

Some of the best NBA covers of the 1950s include:

-1957: Elgin Baylor of the Minneapolis Lakers on the cover of Life magazine
-1959: Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks on the cover of Time magazine
-1960: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics on the cover of Sports Illustrated

The best NBA covers of the 1940s

The cover of the first issue of NBA basketball was graced by the image of Joe Fulks of the Philadelphia Warriors He was also on the cover of the second issue, making him the first player to be featured twice.

Fulks was one of the league’s first superstars and was known for his high-scoring exploits. He once scored 49 points in a single game, which was a record at the time.

The 1940s were a decade dominated by World War II, but that didn’t stop the NBA from continuing to churn out Great players and moments. Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain all made their debuts in the 1940s, and some of the best covers in NBA history come from this decade.

The best NBA covers of the 1930s

In the 1930s, many NBA covers featured players in action, such as this one of the Celtics’ Bob Cousy driving to the hoop. Players were often shown in tight close-ups, like this cover of the Hawks’ Pete Maravich which ran in 1971.