SLAM Magazine Recreates 1996 Draft Cover With 2014 Class

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses for a photo with draft prospects in attendance before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a lot of hype surround the 2014 NBA Draft Class, so much so that many believe that it could be one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. A lot of that has to do with how the top three shook out. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are expected to develop into perennial all-stars sometime in the near future, and Joel Embiid, health provided, has the tools to be a complete big — an art that is lost in the NBA today.

It doesn’t just end there, though. Players like Elfrid Payton, Zach LaVine, Noah Vonleh, and Aaron Gordon haven’t come close to scratching their surface yet and the sky seems to be the limit for each one of them. Then there are more polished players, such as Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Doug McDermott, T.J. Warren, and Nik Stauskas, all of whom have specific skills that should translate to the NBA right off the bat, whether that is on the defensive end or offensive end.

Even if only a few of them, be it Wiggins, Parker, Gordon and Randle, live up to the hype, it will still likely be considered one of the most stacked drafts of all time. So, for that reason, SLAM has recreated their famous 1996 rookies cover for their latest issue because, after all, that draft brought Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Stephon Marbury, Marcus Camby and many others into our lives.

As a reminder, here is a look at the classic cover from 18 years ago:

And here’s a look at the 2014 version, ready to be picked up and bought by your own sticky mitts.

Same headline. Same poses. Perfectly executed.

Well done, SLAM.