ESPN Defends Busty Candace Parker Piece

ESPN: The Magazine’s latest cover story—which features a shot of very pregnant basketball player Candace Parker, and begins with a lengthy discussion about her breasts—has ruffled some feathers, but editor Gary Belsky is proud of it. In a friendly chat with WNBA.com, Belsky says he was OK having a pregnant woman on the cover because “Candace is a great athlete and a knockout.”

“Men like to look at good-looking athletes,” Belsky says, though he stresses that’s not the sole reason she’s on the cover. As for that first paragraph, touting Parker’s “flawless skin, endless legs and a C cup she is proud of but never flaunts,” Belsky approves because both the writer and Parker are women. Besides, “I understand that some young men are interested in things like that.” (More ESPN stories.)