The Bodies We Want
Photos from: ESPN
It's okay to stare. That's what The Body Issue is here for. Each year, we stop to admire the vast potential of the human form. To apologetically stand in awe of the athletes who've pushed their physiques to profound frontiers. To imagine how it would feel to inhabit those bodies, to leap and punch and throw like a god. To ... well, gawk. So go ahead; join us.
Basketball player John Wall
(Guard, Washington Wizards)
Johnathan Hildred Wall, Jr. (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Wall was chosen first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards, after playing one year at the University of Kentucky. Wall is known for his speed and explosive athleticism.
Football player Colin Kaepernick
(San Francisco 49ers, Quarterback)
Colin Rand Kaepernick (born November 3, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Nevada (Reno) Wolf Pack. At Nevada, Kaepernick twice was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and he was the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl. In the 2011 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers selected Kaepernick in the second round with the 36th overall pick.
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Kaepernick began his pro career as the 49ers' backup to starter Alex Smith. In the middle of the 2012 season, Kaepernick filled in for an injured Smith and became the full-time starter as the 49ers advanced to the NFL playoffs for the second straight season. He set an NFL record for most rushing yards (181) by a quarterback in a game (playoffs or regular season) in his first playoff game. After beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship 28-24, he led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl since 1994
Golfer Gary Player
(PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award winner)
Gary Player DMS; OIG (born 1 November 1935) is a professional golfer from South Africa, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. Over his career, Player accumulated an impressive nine major championships on the regular tour and six Champions Tour major championship victories, as well as three Senior British Open Championships on the European Senior Tour. At the age 29, Player won the 1965 U.S. Open and became the only non-American to win all four majors, known as the career Grand Slam. Player became only the third golfer in history to win the Grand Slam, following Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Since then, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won the Grand Slam. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Born in Johannesburg, Player has logged more than 25 million kilometres (15 million miles) in travel, which is more than any other athlete. Nicknamed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, Player is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 325 design projects on 5 continents throughout the world. He has also authored or co-written 36 golf books.
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His business interests are represented by Black Knight International, which includes Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, The Player Foundation, Gary Player Academies, and Black Knight Enterprises, aspects of which include licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia.
The Gary Player Stud Farm has received worldwide acclaim for breeding top thoroughbred race horses, including 1994 Epsom Derby entry Broadway Flyer.
He operates The Player Foundation, which has a primary objective of promoting underprivileged education around the world. In 1983, The Player Foundation established the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has educational facilities for more than 500 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. In 2013 it celebrated its 30th Anniversary with charity golf events in London, Palm Beach, Shanghai and Cape Town, bringing its total of funds raised to over US $50 million.
In 2013 the Gary Player Invitational charity series of events will be staged in Augusta, Georgia after the Masters; in London after The Open Championship; in Shanghai prior to the HSBC Championship and in George, South Africa just before the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club
Rock Climber Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma (born April 23, 1981 in Santa Cruz, California) is an American rock climber. In 2007, NPR wrote that Sharma had been described as the world's best rock climber.
Baseball player Giancarlo Stanton
(Outfielder, Miami Marlins)
Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton (born November 8, 1989) is an American outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Prior to the 2012 season, he was known as "Mike" Stanton. He decided to go by Giancarlo when the Marlins were looking to increase their popularity to the Hispanic community in Miami.
Basketball player Kenneth Faried
(Forward, Denver Nuggets)
Kenneth Bernard Faried Lewis (born November 19, 1989), nicknamed the "Manimal", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a center at Morehead State University, where he was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year twice and an All-American in 2011.
Hockey player Joffrey Lupul
(Left winger, Toronto Maple Leaps)
Joffrey Douglas Sheldon Lupul (born September 23, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). A right hand-shooting natural right winger earlier in his career, Lupul has made the transition to become a left winger since joining Toronto.
Lupul wore jersey #15 throughout his early years in Medicine Hat, Cincinnati, Anaheim, Edmonton and Philadelphia. When he returned to Anaheim in 2009, #15 was in use so he wore #14 initially and then switched to #19, a number he continues to wear in Toronto.
Football player Vernon Davis
(Tight end, San Francisco 49ers)
Vernon Leonard Davis (born January 31, 1984) is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round (6th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Upon entering the league, Davis signed to a five-year, $23 million deal that made him the highest paid tight end at the time. After three mediocre, injury-riddled seasons Davis finally broke out in 2009, co-leading the NFL in touchdown receptions. In the 2011–12 NFL playoffs, Davis caught the game winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith against the New Orleans Saints, now referred to as "The Grab," or "The Catch III," in regards to "The Catch" by Dwight Clark in 1982 and "The Catch II" by Terrell Owens in 1999. Davis is considered one of the top tight ends in the NFL.
Tennis player John Isner
(No. 21 in ATP rankings)
John Robert Isner (born April 26, 1985) is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high singles ranking of World No. 9 on March 19, 2012, and is currently the highest-ranked male American tennis player. At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, he played the longest professional tennis match in history, defeating Nicolas Mahut in a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes of play over the course of three days. He also played in the 10th-longest match—a 5 hour 41 minute match in the second round of the 2012 French Open.
Baseball player Matt Harvey
(Pitcher, New York Mets)
Matthew Edward Harvey (born March 27, 1989) is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the New York Mets. He was drafted by the Mets with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Harvey made his major league debut on July 26, 2012 for the Mets against the Arizona Diamondbacks recording a win and setting a franchise pitching debut record of 11 strikeouts. He previously played at Fitch Senior High School in Groton, Connecticut and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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