The Lead

Last week, The Athletic's Tim Cato and Sam Amick published a report about tension and dysfunction within the Dallas Mavericks caused by research and analytics expert (and former professional gambler) Haralabos Voulgaris. The report claimed that Haralabos was acting as a 'shadow GM' for the team's owner, Mark Cuban, who responded by saying that claims of internal turmoil were "total bullshit." But...

The first week of Euro 2020 is in the books -- and what an opening week it has been. The Athletic's Adam Crawford joins us to break down some of the biggest and most fascinating storylines so far, including France's strong performance in their opening game against Germany, Cristiano Ronaldo's knack for making headlines both on and off the field, and his early picks for tournament champion and brea...

NBA fans woke up to some stunning news on Wednesday, when it was announced that Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, who has been absolutely electric during this year's NBA Playoffs, has been put on the league's Covid protocol and is out indefinitely. And from there, more and more big news stories just kept breaking. The Athletic's Sam Amick joins us to make sense of the day that the NBA was turned upsi...

Three years ago, the Montreal Canadiens were sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings and ripe for a rebuild. Instead of blowing up the team, GM Marc Bergevin looked West, to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, for a different approach to constructing his roster. Now, as the Habs and Knights face off in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, the Athletic's Arpon Basu tells us how Bergevin managed to rebuil...

Recently across Major League Baseball, the issue of pitchers using sticky substances to generate more spin — and therefore gain an advantage — has exploded into a controversy, with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole among those under scrutiny. Today, The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli on how big this problem has become, how MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred are trying to put a stop to it, and why the league ultimat...

As NFL teams move closer to the start of the 2021 season, many have run into a challenging dilemma -- how to handle players who are hesitant or flat out unwilling to get a Covid vaccine. This has led to some frustration on the part of coaches, executives, agents, and others working behind the scenes, who are trying to find ways to persuade players to get their shots. The Athletic's Lindsay Jones r...

There's been a lot of talk in recent years about the 'psychedelic revolution' coming in mental health, thanks to studies that have shown that drugs like MDMA (ecstasy or molly) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms), together with therapy, can have positive effects for people suffering from PTSD, depression, and other mental illnesses. But what many people might not realize is that athletes -- who often...

Hopes are high in Nashville after the trade that brought superstar wide receiver Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tennessee Titans this week. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode to look at the gamble that the Titans (and their risk-taking GM, Jon Robinson) are taking by bringing in the 32-year-old, how his new teammates have responded, and why an offense featuring Jones, D...

Soccer fans were treated to an unforgettable spectacle on Sunday night when the U.S. Men's National Team squared off against Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Nation's League. It was the first big test for what many are calling the 'Golden Generation' of U.S. men's soccer -- a collection of young players who are playing for some of the very best clubs in the world. The Athletic's Paul Tenorio jo...

The Utah Jazz finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, but it seems like many people still aren’t taking them seriously as bona fide title contenders. Today, The Athletic’s Tony Jones joins us to break down the challenges that the Jazz have faced this season — from an injury controversy with Donovan Mitchell to a terrifying incident on an airplane — and whether this team is sti...

Three years ago, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was one of the most prized prospects in all of baseball. His plate discipline, raw power, and notable lineage led everyone to believe he was destined for stardom at the major league level. Now after facing some adversity during his first two seasons as a pro, Guerrero is living up to the billing. The 22-year-old first baseman is leading the American League is...

We’re a few weeks into the WNBA’s 25th season, and already it’s been filled with signature moments from star players, including Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty recording just the ninth triple-double in league history. Today, The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings on some of the most notable early-season story lines, including one contender (the Chicago Sky) that has struggled early with Candace P...

On Wednesday, the college basketball world received some surprising news with reports that Mike Krzyzewski is planning to retire at the end of next season after four decades as the head coach of Duke men’s basketball. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brendan Marks to look at the factors behind Coach K’s decision, and what to expect during the legendary coach's farewell season.  Read Sham...

On Tuesday night, the Brooklyn Nets — led by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and a huge game from James Harden — knocked out the Boston Celtics for the team’s first playoff series win in seven years. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer to look at one key component of Brooklyn's success — the mind of Harden — and why that basketball brain could be the driving force for a Nets title run....

During this year's NHL playoffs, a lot of people had been rooting for veteran Toronto Maple Leafs forward (and noted nice guy) Joe Thornton. At age 41, the former #1 overall pick had been striving to win the first Stanley Cup of his long and storied career before the Leafs were eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. But what many people don’t know is that, for years, Thornton m...

One of the most fascinating matchups in the first round of the NBA Playoffs has been the Dallas Mavericks against the Los Angeles Clippers -- a rematch of last year's battle in the NBA bubble. Today, we're rebroadcasting an episode that originally aired back in late March. The Athletic's Tim Cato joined us to talk about the Mavericks' roller coaster of a season, why they've experienced such highs...

Manchester City will be the favorites when they take on Chelsea in the Champions League Final on Saturday in Portugal. And while City's march to the final now feels almost inevitable, especially on the heels of yet another Premier League title, it's easy forget that this team was floundering in the middle of the pack just six months ago. The Athletic's Sam Lee joins us today to explain how the tea...

The Jacksonville Jaguars are at the start of a brand new chapter, with a new head coach in Urban Meyer and a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. But right now, a lot of the talk in Jacksonville is centered around a former quarterback-turned-tight end: Tim Tebow. Today, The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins us to discuss why the Jags are trying to bring back Tebow now — at age 33 — and what...

The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year, and that's thanks in part to their 36 year-old goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury. The 3-time Stanley Cup Champion has been red-hot for the Knights so far this post-season after putting up the best numbers of his career during the regular season, despite questions about his age and longevity coming into the year. The At...

The Phoenix Suns had the second best record in the NBA's Western Conference and a huge reason why was the play of their 36-year-old point guard, Chris Paul. The Suns acquired the surefire Hall of Famer this offseason and he has repaid them handsomely with MVP-caliber play this season. The Athletic's Sam Amick recently spoke with CP3 about why Phoenix was the perfect place for him to call home this...

Last week, when Yermin Mercedes of the White Sox homered on a 3-0 pitch in a blowout win over the Twins, it put the team — and manager Tony La Russa — at the center of the latest heated debate over baseball’s unwritten rules. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s James Fegan to look at all the fallout from last week’s incident, and whether it’s only a matter of time until there’s more conflic...

Over the second half of the NBA season, not many teams have been as hot as the Atlanta Hawks, who posted a 27-11 record under interim coach Nate McMillan after going 14-20 (with a ton of late-game collapses) under previous head coach Lloyd Pierce. Today, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner on all the ups and downs of the Hawks season, and just how dangerous Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collin...

When the San Francisco 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick at the 2021 NFL Draft, it made headlines across the country. But nowhere did it generate more excitement than in his hometown of Marshall, Minnesota. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes recently traveled from the Twin Cities to the rural town that gave birth to one of college football's biggest st...

Major League Baseball's current home run leader is also... one of its best starting pitchers? It might seem too strange to be believed, but Shohei Ohtani is changing everything we thought we knew about what's possible in professional baseball. Today, we're joined by The Athletic's Jayson Stark who tells us about some of the Angels superstar's most impressive achievements and whether or not he can...

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers got LeBron James back on the court over the weekend, but they’re in a position that very people would have expected heading into this season, having to scrap their way into the playoffs — and into a play-in tournament matchup against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Today, The Athletic’s Bill Oram on all the adversity that LeBron James,...