Lineup

DEPARTMENTS

4 SI.COM

6 LEADING OFF

12 INBOX

14 SCORECARD

26 FACES IN THE CROWD

112 POINT AFTER

PAST BLAST: A look back at the launch of SI.com

THE NAME GAME

60 Generation Shaq

He inspired awe, fear, laughs—and in the 1990s, plenty of proud new parents

By Alex Prewitt

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

w a t n

2017

PRO BASKETBALL

32 Allen Iverson

With his return to the court, A.I. hopes to remind people why he influenced a generation

By Lee Jenkins

PRO FOOTBALL

40 Vince Young

At 34, the QB decided to play again—and quickly learned how hard that is

By Greg Bishop

RETIREES

48 The After-Party

A gathering in Florida gives a glimpse into the life of the athlete after hanging up the uniform

By L. Jon Wertheim

NHL

54 Eric Lindros

Ten years after concussions ended his career, the former Philly phenom is doing better

By Michael Rosenberg

SCANDAL

66 Victor Conte

How the former PED peddler is still hustling—and trying to reclaim his name

By Tim Layden

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

72 Players of the Year

A look back at some of the nation's top players over the past three decades

By Jeremy Fuchs

GOLF

74 Justin Leonard

He was at the top of the golf world, but it took a move to Aspen for him to reach his peak

By John Garrity

CHESS

78 Garry Kasparov

The former world champ is a fierce critic of his native Russia and an advocate for freedom

By Jack Dickey

NBA

84 Tom Meschery

A famously intense player turned teacher and poet has rediscovered his love of the game

By Jack McCallum

VIDEO GAMES

90 NBA Jam

An oral history of the iconic, coin-gobbling basketball game

By Dan Greene & Alexander Abnos

NFL

98 Clinton Portis

Financial ruin turned life after the NFL serious for the formerly fun-loving running back

By Brian Burnsed

MEAT, PRAY, LOVE

104 Ode to the Hot Dog

Frankly, in sports, as in life, the important things all tie back to the power of the cased meat

By Steve Rushin

SI HAS TWO COVERS THIS WEEK Robert Beck (Iverson); Greg Nelson (Young)