Long before the connection between basketball and hip-hop had become a given, a hip-hop magazine for basketball was born. It was 1994 and the foundations that both art forms stand on today had been undergoing heavy construction thanks to the work of icons like Michael Jordan, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.

SLAM stood out because it represented the love of the game with an authenticity that other mainstream outlets couldn’t sniff. Stories were told about ballplayers—but not just about them playing ball. The cover quickly became prime real estate when players like MJ, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant repeatedly agreed to pose for now-legendary photos. The game and culture evolved and grew, but the SLAM cover remained the Holy Grail.

As media transformed and digitized during the ’00s and ’10s, SLAM changed with it. Far from just a print mag, the brand produced websites, newsletters, podcasts, video content and social media verticals that cover everything that matters in the world of basketball. To name just a few: WSLAM is the home for all things women’s hoops; SLAM Kicks is the only place to know which basketball sneakers are hot; LeagueFits turned the tunnel into a runway; and SLAM High School is where you learn who’s got next.