Fans and subscribers to ESPN The Magaine are waiting anxiously for Wednesday to roll around, so they can peruse the 2012 Body Issue. In a preview of the cover which was released ahead of Wednesday shelf date, New York Knicks' 7-foot-1, 240-pound superstar center Tyson Chandler left nothing for the imagination, hold onto a basketball which was strategically placed. Chandler is one of 27 world-class athletes posing nude for the Magazine’s fourth annual “Body Issue.” Others athletes letting it all hang out include New York Ranger Brad Richards, Bronx fencer Tim Morehouse, the WNBA’s Candace Parker, tennis player Daniela Hantuchova and track star Carmelita Jeter.
Chandler, 29, said baring it all for the camera — with one well-placed basketball — was a “different experience.” “It was definitely something I haven’t done before,” Chandler said. The father of two laughed when thinking of what his teammates might say when the issue hits stands. “I don’t even know if any of them know that I did it, but I’m sure I’ll get teased when it comes out,” he said.
The modest hoops player said his wife, Kimberly, didn’t like the idea of sharing him with hordes of other women. But after some discussion, the artistry involved appealed to Chandler, an avid painter and photographer. “I have the ability to do some extraordinary things in the court. I’m not one of those stand-in-the-mirror type of people,” he said. “I love different aspects of art, and I can appreciate when a photo can be done correctly.”
Grab a tall cup of latte and your reading glasses, there is definitely much to behold.
