Category: Sports

When Breanna Stewart first appeared on the cover of SLAM 229, we wrote that the portrait of a winner can be illustrated through longevity. That was published back in 2020, and since then Stewie has continued to ascend towards greatness. Now in her sixth season with the Seattle Storm, she’s nearly matching her career-high of 21 points per game. This past weekend, she made her fourth WNBA All-Star appearance as the leader of her own squad, Team Stewie, with her daughter, Ruby, in the crowd to watch her continue making her stamp on the game. 

And she did so with her first signature PUMA sneaker on her feet. The Stewie 1 “Quiet Fire” was unveiled for the first time this past Friday. 

Just when you thought there wasn’t another level of greatness Stewie couldn’t reach (our coverline for SLAM 229 was, after all, Breanna Stewart Can’t Stop Winning), she continues to prove time and time again that greatness can’t be contained. At this point in her career, she’s emerged into a legend, and the arrival of her first-ever signature sneaker, the Stewie 1, is the perfect canvas to capture all of her glory. 

“Knowing that that was going to be the first one, I wanted to make sure it was something that, you know, popped,” Stewart told WSLAM just a few days before the unveiling. “And [that] when you see it, you couldn’t unsee it.”

The Stewie 1 reflects Stewart’s journey and the relentless competitor that she is. The bright and bold green and black colorway is a nod to the Seattle Storm, and there’s a flame molding that morphs in ripples of water to represent the essence of her elite game, as well as her humble personality. The Molded Heel Counter, which provides stability, features a neon green scar on the heel to represent Stewie’s two Achilles surgeries, and there’s even a North Star-inspired upper that pays homage to her high school team, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, and their mascot. 

“It’s just a way of me never forgetting where I came from,” Stewart says over the phone. 

The Stewie 1 is also equipped with multi-zoned monomesh layers for even more targeted support, along with NITRO Foam technology that gives cushioning while remaining lightweight. It was important that the Stewie 1 not only fit Stewart’s own needs as an athlete, but she wanted to create a product with PUMA that really anyone can rock. 

“No matter if you’re a guard, or a post or a style you like to play, it’s something that’s definitely for everyone. It’s a [sneaker that can] make you feel like your foot [is] fully secure, and that you’re able to kind of just not think and just play. Yeah, and the design process behind that was just really wanting to have a [sneaker] where it’s the best and just doing my best to create that understanding that, you know, I have specific needs, especially with coming off of two Achilles injuries and wanting to have that support, especially in my heel and on the scar. But you want to have something that’s comfortable and looks good, too.” 

For Stewart, making history with PUMA is just the start. Stewart is looking ahead at the next generation of young girls, as well as championing women around the game and beyond. 

“When I look back to when I was little, there was no product to wear that was a women’s basketball [sneaker]. So, you weren’t able to get a player’s [signature sneaker] and then, like, go and [try] to play like that. And now to be able to create that connection where young players can watch me play or see me play, and then also get the product and try and emulate what I do on the court and use that as motivation—I think that’s something that’s definitely going to continue to help gain interest in our sport [ and] continue to gain a following. Because the Stewie 1, you’re going to see it on the court, off the court, you’re gonna see it in a lot of different places. And for me, that’s what’s so exciting. 

“This is the first women’s basketball signature shoe in over a decade. And it’s crazy. I feel like every time I say that I’m like, I can’t believe it when you look at the amazing players in the WNBA. I hope that this just puts pressure on brands and other companies to continue to believe in women, uplift women, especially women’s basketball, and know that with everything going on, there’s no better time to invest in women and get behind us and help get us to where we need to go and help push our sport in the right direction.” 

The Stewie 1 will be available this fall.

Following an up and down start to his NBA career, Golden State Warriors center James Wisemen set the hardwood on fire with an electrifying Alley-Oop, his first bucket since March.

Wiseman missed all of 2021-22 as he recovered from knee surgery that cut his rookie season short. The Warriors had remained optimistic that Wiseman would be able to get onto the floor for Summer League 2022, which has happened and paid dividends in this game against the Spurs.

Wiseman looked like the player Golden State has been looking for since he was drafted back in 2020, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds, and two blocks in 20 minutes. He played four-minute spurts to start each quarter but will look to ramp up his time as the summer league progresses.

“It felt good,” Wiseman said via ESPN. “There are a lot of things for me to work on; I mean, my timing was pretty off. But this was my first game. I had fun out there.”

Wiseman’s feel for the game has not left him, but considering the amount of time he has missed, being out on the floor and playing the way he did was a massive success for both him and the Warriors.

“It was physical. That’s a huge adjustment,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been out, so I’ve been doing a lot of individual workouts. So for me to just get that pushing, that physical contact, I’m proud to be out there.”

Johnathan Kumninga led the way for the Warriors with 28 points, while Mac McClung added 22 points in their 86-85 win over the Spurs in their second Summer League game.

Golden State’s next game will be against the Boston Celtics, with tipoff slated for 8:30 p.m. EST.

The Indiana Pacers are on the verge of acquiring 23-year-old center Deandre Ayton, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

In an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” Windhorst said the Pacers are “very close” to either offering Ayton a contract or executing a sign-and-trade and could sign Ayton as soon as Monday. 

The Pacers had to officially trade two-way point guard Malcolm Brogdon to Boston to create enough cap space for Ayton. Windhorst says that since the Brogdon trade is “on the verge” of being approved, the Pacers now can offer Ayton a max contract or negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Suns.

Pacers center Myles Turner, who’s been at the center of trade talks throughout multiple offseasons, would likely be a trade piece if Indiana were to pull off a sign-and-trade for Ayton. On June 28, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said that the team was not actively shopping Turner, but Windhorst’s reporting suggests otherwise.

Windhorst appeared on “Get Up” last Thursday to say that the Pacers were looking into sign-and-trades “potentially involving” Turner. 

Ayton posts career averages of 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 59.9 percent shooting from the field. In his last two seasons with Phoenix, the former Arizona Wildcat helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021 and set a franchise record for wins in 2022. Since Ayton is a restricted free agent, the Suns can match any offer the Pacers send Ayton’s way if they wish to retain the former No. 1 overall pick.

Malcolm Brogdon is headed to Boston after the 2022 NBA Finals runner-ups traded for him during the early days of July. He will get to rock the shamrock until at least 2025 after he signed an extension that’ll start during the 2023-24 season.

According to Brogdon’s agent, Celtics president Brad Stevens told the 2017 ROY to “embrace” the 6th man role he will have to take as the first point guard off the bench behind the reigning DPOY and incumbent starter, Marcus Smarter.

“I really want to get back to winning on a high level,” Brogdon said per the Woj Pod. “I want to win a championship. So whatever I can sacrifice to get back to that championship level, I’m willing to do it.”

Brogdon will be playing off the bench for the first time in his career. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and a career-low 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Malika Beasley went through some difficult times during the last couple of years. For the felony that he plead guilty to, the 25-year-old shooting guard served jail time last year.

The new Jazz player wants to leave it all behind and have a second chance in the NBA and his life. “I was just tired of making the same mistakes that I’ve made before,” he said, per Ben Anderson.

“I don’t want to go through that anymore. I believe in second chances, I believe everything happens for a reason. So I feel like I can just do better in the world.”

This past season Beasley averaged 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25 minutes per game for the Timberwolves.

The Nets are likely to lose their two superstars as both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving want to leave the team. While many believe that Kyrie will end up with the Lakers, KD’s future remains uncertain.

It is thought that he could get traded later in the year or even remain with the team as he has four years left on his contract and the Nets are not under pressure to trade him.

Could that be the case? One move by the team could give a hint. When promoting season ticket memberships, Brooklyn used Durant’s photo, but not that of Irving.

Warriors center James Wiseman played his first game since April 2021 when he suffered a knee injury. The former number two draft pick returned to action in a Summer League game against the Spurs.

He had 11 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in 19 minutes of play as Golden State defeated San Antonio 86-85 in Las Vegas. “I feel great just to run out there and be out there with my teammates,” Wiseman told Chris Haynes after the game.

“Just grateful I’m out here. I haven’t played in a whole year and a half, so it’s kind of difficult for me out there, but I’m gonna get back to it.”

The player admitted that he did not have the game he wanted to have as he made mistakes. It was more about getting back into the game rhythm.

“The crowd is everything. They got me a lot of energy,” Wiseman said. “But me just coming out here, just taking my time because I haven’t played in such a long time. Getting the reps in on defense and offense. I made a lot of mistakes tonight. I didn’t have the game I wanted to have.”

Wiseman was also asked what were the positives for him in this game. “My movements,” he said. “I was really sharp out there. I was really good with my movements. I was running the floor. My knee felt great. I can’t ask for nothing better.”