Kentucky Basketball's Sports Illustrated Covers From KAT to Goose
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With Sports Illustrated in the news for laying off over 100 employees, KSR will focus on happier moments at the once-respected magazine instead. There was a time when we ran to the mailbox for the newest issue of Sports Illustrated or, if you’re of a particular generation, Sports Illustrated For Kids. On special occasions, SI threw a Kentucky Wildcat on its cover to promote March Madness or commemorate a national championship. There is one cover Kentucky wishes SI hadn’t used, too.
Some of my personal favorites are “The Goose Was Golden” (Jack Givens) and “Blue Heaven” (Antoine Walker) because both were framed in my grandparents’ living room. “The Great Wall” (John Wall) is another classic. “A Man Possessed” (Rick Pitino) and “Return To Glory” (1996 commemorative issue) are two more I vividly remember from those trips to the mailbox in the 1990s.
Let’s take a trip to memory lane’s mailbox with 20 of our favorite Kentucky Basketball Sports Illustrated covers and the one shameful edition, all from SICovers.com.
Karl-Anthony Towns – April 2015
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/from-the-brink-to-the-brink-kentucky-closes-in-on-april-06-2015-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson – March 2015
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/who-can-catch-the-cats-arizona-wildcats-their-key-roar-on-march-16-2015-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Alex Poythress – November 2014
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/2014-15-college-basketball-preview-issue-november-10-2014-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Aaron Harrison – April 2014
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/twos-shining-moment-in-an-anything-can-happen-march-theres-april-07-2014-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Julius Randle – November 2013
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/3-2013-14-college-basketball-preview-issue-november-18-2013-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Anthony Davis – April 2012
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/ncaa-basketball-tournament-final-four-championship-april-09-2012-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – March 2012
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-michael-kidd-gilchrist-2012-ncaa-april-02-2012-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Anthony Davis – March 2012
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-anthony-davis-2012-march-madness-march-19-2012-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
DeMarcus Cousins – March 2010
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-demarcus-cousins-2010-march-madness-march-22-2010-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
John Wall – January 2010
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-john-wall-january-11-2010-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Patrick Patterson – November 2009
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-patrick-patterson-november-23-2009-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Cliff Hawkins – March 2003
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-comes-on-strong-march-10-2003-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Tubby Smith – April 1998
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-coach-tubby-smith-1998-ncaa-april-08-1998-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Wayne Turner – April 1998
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-wayne-turner-1998-ncaa-national-april-06-1998-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Nazr Mohammed – March 1998
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-nazr-mohammed-1998-ncaa-south-march-30-1998-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Jeff Sheppard and Tony Delk – April 1996
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-tony-delk-1996-ncaa-national-april-17-1996-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Antoine Walker – April 1996
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-antoine-walker-1996-ncaa-national-april-08-1996-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Rick Pitino – February 1996
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-coach-rick-pitino-february-26-1996-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Kentucky’s Shame – May 1989
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/kentuckys-shame-wildcats-basketball-scandal-may-29-1989-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Sam Bowie – December 1983
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/university-of-kentucky-sam-bowie-december-05-1983-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
Jack Givens – April 1978
![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/university-of-kentucky-jack-givens-1978-ncaa-national-april-03-1978-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg)
SI’s website does not have every Kentucky-themed cover as some were region-specific issues or pre-date the collection in the SI store. Over at Jon Scott’s Big Blue History, he recalls some others:
- Ralph Beard (February 1949)
- Cotton Nash (December 1962)
- Adolph Rupp (March 1966)
- Pat Riley (March 1966)
- Mike Casey (December 1968)
- Dan Issel (March 1970)
- Mike Flynn (March 1975)
- Wayne Turner (March 1998, Regional)
- Heshimu Evans (March 1999, Regional)
- Dan Issel, Adolph Rupp, Jamal Mashburn, Pat Riley (October 2007, Commemorative)
- Terrence Jones (November 2011, Regional)
- Terrence Jones, Anthony Davis, Doron Lamb (April 2012, Commemorative)
Friend of KSR Pat Ingram submitted a photo of her copy of “The Baron Of Basketball” from March 1966:
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