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KOHJIRO KINNOSEPTEMBER
2019
VOLUME 31
NUMBER 8
16
PRIME TIME Long heralded as a star-
in-the-making, Knicks first-round draft
pick R.J. Barrett is ready for the NBA.
20
MY PATH TO THE PROS Top U.S. player
Sloane Stephens has always shared
her love of tennis with her family.
22
BACK TO SCHOOL
Whether you're setting a high score ona test or on the court, do it style.
62
SPLIT SEASON
The Rays floated the idea of playinghalf their home games in Montreal. We
imagined their midseason arrival in Quebec.
32
SCOUTING REPORTS
Andrew Luck. Patrick Mahomes.
J.J. Watt. It’s a league of playmakers, and
we’ve identified the ones that will make
or break all 32 teams.52
THE CLEVELAND SHOW
For two decades they have
given their fans in the Dawg Pound little
reason to woof. But shrewd drafting and
offseason wheeling and dealing have
made the Browns the NFL’s hottest team.56
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Coaches are turning to more
versatile players and unpredictable
schemes in an attempt to stop offenses
that are dominating the game like
never before.
STILL KICKING
It’s been a couple of
decades since these future Hall of
Famers entered the NFL. And they’re
not done yet!FAVORITES
2 Freeze Frame
7 Sports Cards
12 September
Birthdays
13 Future Stars
15 LOL
26 Posters
72 What’s the Call?
73 Games
74 Art Gallery
76 Comic Cards
78 Buzz Beamer64
NOTHING BUT NETS
The brightest lights in basketball's
biggest city belong to Brooklyn, which
reinvented its image. All that shine,
however, does not come without risk.RUNNING BACK
After a postseason in which their
star rusher barely played, the Rams
hope a bounce-back year from Todd
Gurley can get them over the top.COVER
Kohjiro KinnoFROM THE PAGES OF
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
66
UNFLAPPABLE. UNAPOLOGETIC.
UNEQUALED.
After winning the most competitive
World Cup yet, with the spotlight at
its brightest (and pinkest), the ’19ers
have a claim to being the best women’s
soccer team ever.