LeBron James is Hungry & Focused and on the Cover of ESPN The Magazine

Plus – The Braves’ Jordan Schafer on His Suspension from Baseball

Athletes often talk about being hungry, but what does that mean? Is it the kind of ache that Michael Jordan felt after losing in the playoffs to the Pistons year-after-year; is it what Isaiah endured when his Pistons kept falling to the Celtics; or is it what Magic and Bird went through each time they lost to one another? Stomach churning losses make ravenous competitors even hungrier. So, who is the hungriest in the 2009 post season? In Close Enough to Taste It, in the new issue of ESPN The Magazine, on newsstands now, writer Chris Broussard talks to some of this season’s hungriest players including Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and The Mag’s cover athlete LeBron James; on their drive towards the 2009 Championship.

Quotes from the Article:
LeBron James: “The playoffs are all about having hunger to the point where you’re never satisfied.”
LeBron James: “It reminds me of the days when I was back in high school. Every time we went out on the court we knew we were going to win. So yeah, this is the hungriest I’ve been. I see the potential in our team.”
Kobe Bryant: “I’m always starving. I’m going to scrape the plate, whether it’s now or five years ago.”
Tim Duncan: “You don’t want to see somebody else holding the trophy because you know what it feels like. It makes your want it that much more.”

Check out exclusive video from the LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers photo shoot.

In Making a New Name for Himself, writer Ryan McGee goes one-on-one with the Atlanta Braves 22-year-old center fielder Jordan Schafer. After an anonymous call to the Mitchell Report hotline got him suspended last year (he did not test positive for steroids, but he was connected to human growth hormone by anecdotal association), Schafer has focused on changing his image and attitude. The results have taken him from the middle rigs of the minors to the starting position on the Braves.

Schafer on his suspension:
“I’ve spent my entire life working towards one goal. You picture it in your mind constantly when you’re a kid, and that’s not exactly how it’s supposed to go down, you know? Suspended and back at your parents’ house while everyone else is playing. It gives you a lot of time to reflect on who you are and what you’ve done.”
“As hard as the whole suspension experience has been, as hard as it still is, I needed to be humbled. I needed to be torn down. I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on anyone. But for me, it was what needed to happen. I don’t talk about the suspension because I want it to go away, just like I want my old self to go away.”

COLUMNISTS: In the pros, death is just one more tough loss to get over. In Flem File, Dave Fleming discusses death and grieving in sports and in his own life. And in Life of Reilly, Rick Reilly takes on ChaCha, the mobile answering service that responds to any query with a real answer, from a real person, in 3 minutes. How did he do? A 70 percent quality control rating…not bad.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. Filipino voters didn’t have enough faith to elect Manny Pacquiao. But they have no problem believing he’ll topple Ricky Hatton. Tim Keown reports.

AUDIBLE: KELLY SLATER. The legendary wave-rider has a plan to change the face of surfing (again). And it has nothing to do with winning a 10th world title. As told to Alyssa Roenigk.

THE FINAL FURLONG. When a 1,200-pound racehorse breaks down, who hurts more – the animal or the person who has to kill it. Seth Wickersham reports.

QUALITY TIME. The secret to the Stanley Cup playoffs? Making every minute count. E.J. Hradek reports.

GAME ON. Major League Gaming is turning video game-playing into a full-on spectator sport. Laugh now, watch heated Halo battles later. Neil Janowitz reports.

*** ESPN THE MAGAZINE COVERS AVAILABLE AT ESPNMEDIAZONE.COM ***

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