Although ESPN‘s annual Body Issue set to hit newsstands on July 8, we’ve finally got a sneak peek at the premiere athletes who are taking over the pages this year.
At the forefront is Miami Heat’s shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who has turned down the magazine for the past seven years before finally agreeing to pose for this year’s issue. He cites his insecurities as the reason, and remembers being too embarrassed to swim without a shirt as a child because of his outie belly button.
“It was uncharted water for me. It was one of those moments where it’s good to overcome a fear of something. It’s bigger than me showing my body off. That’s not as important to me as telling a story of overcoming a fear. It hopefully gives someone confidence to really be their authentic self,” Wade told ESPN.
The publication breaks other barriers as Team USA duathlon Chris Mosier will be the first transgendered athlete to pose.
Von Miller, the Super Bowl MVP will also be gracing the pages. Below is a list of all the players featured in the 2016 Body Issue and the sport they play.
Nathan Adrian, Olympics/swimming
Jake Arrieta, MLB
Antonio Brown, NFL
Emma Coburn, Olympics/steeplechase
Courtney Conlogue, surfing
Elena Delle Donne, WNBA
Ryan Dungey, motocross
Adeline Gray, Olympics/wrestling
Greg Louganis, Olympics/diving
Conor McGregor, MMA
Von Miller, NFL
Chris Mosier, duathlon
Nzingha Prescod, Olympics/fencing
Christen Press, soccer
April Ross, Olympics/beach volleyball
Allysa Seely, paratriathlete
Claressa Shields, Olympics/boxing
Dwyane Wade, NBA
Vince Wilfork, NFL
Check out more photos from the shoots here.
SOURCE: ESPN | IMAGE CREDIT: Twitter, Getty
MORE:
The Internet’s Best Reactions To The Cavaliers Winning The 2016 NBA Finals
Rihanna Sent Lebron Some Serious Instagram Love After He Won The NBA Championship
<p>Facebook Live Is Loading....</p>