Si.com

SI writer Chris Ballard witnessed Barry Bonds slam the home run that tied Hank Aaron's alltime record of 755.

AFTER THE game, at a press conference, Bonds gave the equivalent of an Oscar speech, thanking everyone from his family to "all athletes everywhere." He looked relieved and, in an emotion we are not accustomed to from this surly man, almost ecstatic. With family in tow, he left the conference near midnight and took an elevator down to the parking garage in the basement of Petco Park, where he hugged friends and family and received congratulations from a few Padres players. You could see how, already, Bonds had changed. It was there, in the way he accepted their accolades, with shoulders back and a presidential smile, one arm extended to grab a shoulder: The new home run king had already accepted his crown. Whether others would recognize his claim to the throne, whether we would validate it—that remained to be seen.

> Check out the latest classic SI story at SI.com/classic, and for your favorite stories and covers, go to SI.com/vault.

Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY SIMON BRUTY

For reprints of SI covers, visit SIcovers.com.

SI Extra
To sign up for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's free subscriber-only e-mail newsletter, go to sicustomerservice.com/siextra.

Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling