Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson, a.k.a. Tippy Toe Joe. Photo by Art Streiber for ESPN The Magazine.

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The thief-in-the-night concept for Art Streiber‘s recent ESPN The Magazine photo shoot with Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson derived from the nickname Johnson earned for his sly moves on the court: Tippy Toe Joe. “The moniker is so perfect that we decided to bring it life in the first of a series of homages to those nickname-inspired posters made famous by John and Tock Costacos in the late ’80s,” explain the editors.

They sent Art a rough sketch of Tippy Toe Joe stealing a basketball from a posh gallery, à la Ocean’s Eleven. Then set designer Rob Strauss developed the idea, and Art brought it to life.

“Art was completely enthusiastic about the idea,” says the magazine’s director of photography, Karen Frank, in a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot at espn.go.com. “I chose Art not only because he’s a great photographer but he also loves a challenge and he’s a great collaborator.” Click on the screenshot below to read and see more.

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Click to read about the shoot at espn.go.com.

Tippy Toe Joe on set with (from left) ESPN The Magazine contributor Stacey Pressman; Karen Frank, the magazine’s director of photography; and Stockland Martel photo agent Khadijat Oseni. Photo courtesy Inna Khavison.

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The cover of Sports Illustrated features a photo illustration based on the below photo by Walter Iooss.

Michael Jordan competing in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago. Photo by Walter Iooss.

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Inside the issue, there’s a gallery of the 50 covers, including these three by Walter…

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The December 28, 1987–January 4, 1988 issue. Photo by Walter Iooss.

The June 23, 1997, issue. Photo by Walter Iooss.

The May 11, 1998, issue. Photo by Walter Iooss.

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A selection of collaged pages from Walter’s journals were also featured by Sports Illustrated, both in the magazine and in the iPad edition…

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Below, a screenshot of Walter’s Instagram post wishing Jordan a happy 50th.

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See more on Instagram: @walteriooss.

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Click screenshot to see a behind-the-scenes video of Walter’s shoot at si.com.

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Walter Iooss had just 15 minutes to shoot the cover story of the new issue of Sports Illustrated, the highly anticipated “Sportsman of the Year” feature. And in that brief span of time, he had to not only get a cover shot and inside images of NBA superstar LeBron James of the Miami Heat—he also had to completely rethink his concept on the spot.

The photo session was set up at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, home of the Heat. Walter, who had spent days thinking about the shoot, had a great idea in mind for the cover and had it all ready to go for when LeBron arrived. But alas, it was not meant to be.

“We had a throne there that we wanted to pose him in, but Sports Illustrated must have never had said anything to him about it,” explained Walter last week by phone, on his way to the “Sportsman of the Year” party in New York City. “Because he arrived with a couple of people, and they saw the throne and said no. So the setup that we spent four hours and a lot of money to put together was useless. And five minutes before the shoot, we had to come up with something else.”

Walter has photographed the 27-year-old MVP many times before, starting when James was 18 years old. Despite the sudden change of plans on this shoot, the two knew how to make it work. “He knows how to pose,” says Walter. “He’s a pro.”

See a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot at si.com. Read Les Jenkins’ “Sportsman” feature on James here.

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LeBron James, Sports Illustrated’s 2012 “Sportsman of the Year.” Photos by Walter Iooss.

From the archives: LeBron James in Akron, Ohio, in 2005. Photo by Walter Iooss.

Walter Iooss photographed LeBron for the October 27, 2003, cover of Sports Illustrated.

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Chicago, 1988: Before dunking the ball, Michael Jordan signaled to Walter Iooss, who captured this dramatic photo.

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As part of its “100 Greatest Greatest Sports Photos” package, Sports Illustrated interviewed Walter Iooss about capturing his iconic 1988 shot of Michael Jordan dunking the ball from the foul line (above). As Walter explains it, the exhilarating photo was a sort of collaboration between him and the basketball great. Click here or on the screenshot below to watch the interview.

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Click on the screenshot to watch a brief Sports Illustrated video interview with Walter Iooss.

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And for another perspective on Walter’s passion for sports photography, go here to listen to a short clip of venerable photo editor Karen Mullarkey talking about how Walter was so young when he started shooting sporting events—just 15 or 16 years old—that he had to rely on his dad to drive him to the games, and then he had to talk his way past people dubious about his being a kid…

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