Sports Illustrated Dec 28, 1992 - Jan 4, 1993 VF/NM

Sports Illustrated December 28, 1992 – January 4, 1993 issue was a special double-length Year-End Review edition.

Rather than focusing on a single current event, this issue, titled "Images of '92," served as a visual diary of the most significant moments in sports from the previous year.

The Cover: Carl Lewis

The cover features an iconic action shot of track and field legend Carl Lewis from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

• The Achievement: Despite missing out on the 100m and 200m sprints, Lewis won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the long jump and anchored the world-record-setting 4x100m relay team.
• Symbolism: He was chosen for the cover to represent the peak of athletic excellence during a year dominated by the "Dream Team" and Olympic glory.

Key Content & Features: "A Diary of '92"

The issue was structured as a retrospective, using high-impact photography to tell the stories of the year:

• The Shot Heard 'Round the World: A major spread dedicated to the Duke vs. Kentucky NCAA regional final. It featured "The Shot" by Christian Laettner, widely considered one of the greatest college basketball games ever played.
• The Summer of the Dream Team: Extensive coverage and "behind-the-scenes" photos of the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team's global takeover in Barcelona.
• The Toronto Breakthrough: A look back at the Toronto Blue Jays' World Series victory, emphasizing their status as the first champion from outside the United States.
• Arriba Roberto: A special tribute to Roberto Clemente, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his tragic death while on a mercy mission.
• Retirements: The issue reflected on the end of an era for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, both of whom had officially stepped away from the NBA earlier that year (as covered in the Dec 14 issue).

The "Year-End" Transition

Because this was a double issue, it spanned the transition from 1992 to 1993. It sat on newsstands as the sports world moved from the nostalgia of the 1992 season into the heat of the NFL Playoffs (leading into the Steve Young "Young and the Restless" issue in mid-January).