Friday's news of mass layoffs at Sports Illustrated must have refreshed the memories of many Texas Tech sports fans who keep at least one SI magazine cover as a memento.
One of the iconic photos in Texas Tech sports history is Durvin Ham's backboard-smashing dunk on the March 25, 1996 cover of SI. This shot was taken a few days ago during the Red Raiders' win over North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Richmond, Virginia.
The headline on the cover read, “Shocking! The Sweet 16 is packed with powerhouses, including groundbreaking Texas Tech.''
“I just signed a magazine last week in Washington, D.C.,” Hamm said in 2019. “So there's still someone out there with that cover. I love it, it's awesome. It was a great moment in basketball history, and I had a big smile on my face.” Every time I see it, it lights up. I thank God for that moment every day. ”
Photos show Hamm back on the ground, his biceps flexed behind his head, glass shards flying around him. The play occurred with 12:06 left in the first half. As stated in the Baltimore Sun the next day, “Shards of glass were sent flying all the way to the other free-throw line, forcing both teams into the locker rooms during a 26-minute delay. In a way, it was back. There was only one team.” ”
Ham's hard hit tied the game at 16 points, and the Red Raiders won 92-73. Their run ended with a loss to Georgetown in the Sweet 16.
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Ham, 50, has been the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers since June 2022.
Alas, most of the Red Raiders' history covered by SI, between current players and coaches, begins and ends with Ham's slam. Former Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II featured on the cover of his SI several times during his subsequent career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Several Red Raiders appear in the background on covers centered around Texas Tech's opponents, including a special digital cover of Virginia's celebration after the Cavaliers defeated the Red Raiders in the championship game of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. has been done.
Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford is the focus of a cover shot with several Red Raiders defenders in the background after Oklahoma beat Texas Tech 65-21 in a November 2008 football showdown. . The headline reads, “Oklahoma stomps on Texas Tech: BCS madness continues.”
Patrick Mahomes' bright future
The former Texas Tech quarterback was featured on the cover of SI magazine's Nov. 26, 2018 double issue, which features the sports world's “stars of tomorrow.” Mahomes, pictured in this photo by David E. Cruso, is in his second year with the Kansas City Chiefs, his first full-time starter since being drafted in the first round in 2017.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV
Mahomes was photographed on the cover of SI's special championship issue, published on February 6, 2020, after the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl since the 1969 season. Rob Tringali's shot shows Mahomes screaming in celebration, and the headline reads “Kingdom Comeback”: 50 years later, the Chiefs rule again. ”
Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs do it again
The Chiefs ended the 2022 season by winning Super Bowl LII, and SI announced another championship edition in February 2023. The headline was “Kansas City Kings,” with a quote from Mahomes. “I'm not going to call it a dynasty yet. It's not over yet.'' A smiling Mahomes holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy (photo by Kojiro Konno).
