NBA Hopeful Michael Beasley is Gearing Up For Draft Day
In Latest ESPN The Magazine Cover Story

Plus: The Vikings Jared Allen on the Fast Life in the NFL
And: The Sports Guy’s Three Fixes For Tennis

Kansas State’s freshman Kevin Beasley banked one of the most spectacular seasons in NCAA history (26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg). In the new issue of ESPN The Magazine, “You Only Get What You Put In,” writer Chris Palmer catches up with Beasley at home in Maryland. With the June 26th NBA Draft right around the corner, Beasley is putting in extra workouts to prove that he is not just another Derrick Coleman waiting to happen

"There is nobody who's going to play harder. I don't want to be the next anybody. I want to be the best there ever was, plain and simple. No disrespect to MJ." – Michael Beasley

“I like to have fun, but I know when to turn it off.” – Michael Beasley

“Losing makes me stronger, but winning makes me invincible.” – Michael Beasley

In addition, The Magazine’s NBA Preview issue provides fans with a mock draft and hits the road with Western Kentucky’s Courtney Lee for four days of his dizzying predraft workout tour.

In “The Fight Has Just Begun” writer Jeffri Chadiah takes a look at the fast life in the NFL.  Jared Allen, Vikings defensive end and the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, has transformed from hard-partying upstart to sober Pro Bowler. Sober for 20 months, Allen is adjusting to new teammates and a new city – but is getting ready to adjust to the hardest part – working in an environment in which the pressure to drink is relentless.

And Bill Simmons’ “The Sports Guy” explores three “fixes” for increasing global interest in tennis: 

• Fix No. 1 – “Allow cheering, booing, hooting, chanting – anything short of hooliganism – during matches.”
• Fix No. 2 – “You can’t have four “majors” when absolutely nobody cares about one of them.”
• Fix No. 3 – “Change the set format – make women play best-of-five, men best-of-seven – but tighten them (from first to seven points to first to nine).”

Other features in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine include:

IT’S A LONG ROAD FROM GREAT TO GRATEFUL.  When Alexandre Daigle was taken No. 1 by the Senators in 1993, he couldn’t have known how bad his NHL career would be.  Fifteen years later, with the 2008 draft in Ottawa, he makes a strong case for second chances. Lindsay Berra reports. 

SAME SCOTT, NEW SPEED.  When The Magazine heard failed F1 driver Scott Speed was taking a stab at NASCAR, we resurrected a story about him that never ran – and let Speed update it himself.  Tim Struby reports. 

SHEILA GET YOUR … GUN, BLADES, GOGGLES, HORSE, SPIKES.  Sheila Taormina is the first female athlete in Olympic history to qualify for three different sports – fencing, pentathlon (shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian and running) and swimming. Might she be the greatest athlete in the world?  Carrie Sheinberg reports. 

OVER TIME WITH: SPORTS AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.  Speedo’s LZR Racer suit has the swimming world in a tizzy.  But as The Magazine’s time line of equipment innovations shows, the sport may have no choice but to catch up.  The Magazine staff reports.

THE BIRTH OF SLICK.  Long before WWE and MMA, oiled-up Turks in leather pants started wrestling each other for fame and glory. Even stranger, 646 years later they’re still at it. Richard Morgan reports. 

Go to ESPNthemag.com for exclusive footage of the Beasley cover shoot, a few minutes with Scott Speed and a look at Turkish wrestling.

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