It's been a constant in my life for a lonnnng time. Still remember a Chuck Person feature they did back in the mid-90s.
I remember the picture looking way newer than that though.
Same here even after I stopped getting SI I buy the NBA preview every year. Most of it can be found online but I still love to hold a copy in my hand and read their reviews of teams. I still remember the seasons they kept picking the Kings to be champs.