On Memorial Day the world lost one of the gems of the sports world –– the one and only Bill Walton. He was a two-time NBA champion and won two NCAA titles as a young man at UCLA. But his reputation as the most cheerful, colorful, and contemplative personality in sports, especially in his many decades as a broadcaster, has extended his legacy beyond the generations who first watched him on the court. In tribute to Walton, today we revisit our January 2021 conversation with the man himself, and re...
May 29, 2024•24 min
Over the previous six seasons, Shohei Ohtani’s prowess as a hitter and a pitcher made him the most talked about player in baseball. But when the Dodgers signed him to a record-setting $700 million contract in December, they knew an elbow injury would prevent him from pitching in 2024. Now, after 53 games this season, we’re seeing Ohtani reach new heights at the plate. Which begs the question: Do he and the Dodgers really want to mess with that? Today, our Bradford Doolittle explains why, like Ba...
May 28, 2024•28 min
On April 6th, 2023, a startling scene played out on a baseball field in Fort Myers, Florida. Shortly after the start of the annual rivalry game against nearby Estero High School, nearly the entire roster for Fort Myers High School, along with the coaching staff, walked off the field, leaving two teammates of color behind. According to witnesses on the scene, chaos ensued, as parents on both sides of the divide began trading insults. That incident was the latest manifestation of racial tensions t...
May 24, 2024•36 min
We know that the roots of NASCAR can be traced back to the American South in states like North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. But what you might not realize is that particular motorsport was conceived through the hills of those very same states by bootleggers running moonshine while racing for bragging rights. So when a sinkhole was recently discovered under the famous North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, there was no surprise to find more than just mud and dirt down there. ...
May 23, 2024•29 min
For the first time in 20 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves will make their way into the Western Conference Finals, and they couldn't have made it there without their star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. He has become a leader for this Timberwolves team at only 22 years old and has forged great relationships with teammates like Karl-Anthony Towns. So today, our Ramona Shelburne takes us into the mind of the ANT-man and breaks down his progress from starting at the top of a COVID season rookie cla...
May 22, 2024•30 min
Basketball has grown into a worldwide sport over the past several decades. Just look at the past six NBA MVPs: Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece, Nikola Jokic from Serbia, and Joel Embiid from Cameroon. Waiting in the wings are Slovenia’s Luka Doncic and Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But this worldwide explosion of talent did not happen overnight. Like any other explosion, it starts with a single spark. In Europe that spark was named Radivoj Korac. Korac played for the Yugoslavian national b...
May 21, 2024•30 min
The NBA’s conference finals are set after two game sevens on Sunday. In the east the Boston Celtics will take on the Indiana Pacers, while out west, we’ve got the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a star-studded affair, and frankly a window into the next chapter in the NBA. And the most important question is, who’s going on to the finals? So today ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps says goodnight to the Knicks, and explains how the Pacers, Celtics, Mavs, and TWolves got to the ...
May 20, 2024•37 min
After a 30 point win over the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the New York Knicks are knocking on the door to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the year 2000. But we’ve already seen locale shift the momentum in this series, and with Game Six set to tip off tonight in Indianapolis, it could be a tall order for Tom Thibodeau and company to put the Pacers down in six games. So today, ESPN senior writer Chris Herring explains how the Knicks got to this poin...
May 17, 2024•29 min
The Nuggets and Timberwolves Western Conference Semifinals is truly a tale of two series. Just about a week ago, it looked like young phenom Anthony Edwards was going to lead the Timberwolves past the defending champion Nuggets to the promised land after starting the postseason with six-straight wins. But then, the inevitable happened. And it came in the form of 6-foot-11 three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic reminding everyone in the league who the defending champions are. With all these ups and downs w...
May 16, 2024•30 min
The latest move for Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball tournament and scouting service, is an expected multi-year memorabilia deal with Fanatics. While on the surface, the deal means Fanatics would produce and distribute trading cards and collectibles for Perfect Game athletes, it also raises agents’ concerns about amateur players’ rights, especially if they end up playing professionally. Brittany Ghiroli’s reporting on the impending deal for The Athletic revealed that young baseba...
May 15, 2024•27 min
The 2024 WNBA season begins tonight, and you’ve probably heard that women’s basketball is having a moment. But with ratings and excitement skyrocketing around the college game, and an incoming rookie class stepping into the W, bringing along more social media followers than ever, the question is: has that moment turned into an era? Hall of Famer and ESPN basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo is here to tell us how the game is evolving right before our eyes, and what Caitlin Clark and the rest of this ...
May 14, 2024•28 min
Formula 1 races seem to have everything – the pomp of an A-list party, exotic locations, excited fans, and global superstars on the grid. So what’s missing from this scene? Women behind the wheel. Formula 1 hasn’t had a female driver qualify for a race in almost 50 years and as women’s sports continues to make great strides, the world of elite racing seems to be falling behind. Today, ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk brings the story of two drivers working together to break barriers in the world of motorsp...
May 13, 2024•30 min
Last month, news broke about Caitlin Clark’s $28 million shoe deal with Nike. It’s undoubtedly a great business decision for both Nike and Clark as she transitions into becoming the most hyped WNBA rookie of all time, but the announcement begets a conversation about equity in the WNBA. In a league that is nearly 64% Black, the most marketed, endorsed, and featured players are mostly white. ESPN’s Sean Hurd wrote about this for Andscape and ESPN’s Katie Barnes has extensively covered women’s bask...
May 10, 2024•38 min
The Atlanta Falcons selection of Michael Penix Jr. in the first round was the biggest surprise of the 2024 NFL Draft. Especially when you consider that they had inked veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive deal just weeks before. So today ESPN NFL Draft and college football analyst Jordan Reid explains the plan to guest host David Dennis Jr. and tells us why there’s a chance that this leaves a huge mess down in Atlanta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 09, 2024•27 min
The Arizona Coyotes have been a struggling franchise for most of their history. They have faced turmoil both on and off the ice –– a bankruptcy in 2009 and, as of late, a years-long failure to secure a new arena. This winter, with the Coyotes in the midst of a second season in a college hockey barn, the NHL finally had enough. Enter Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. In an abnormal arrangement, Smith is taking over ownership and moving the team to Utah. But they won’t be called the Coyote...
May 08, 2024•28 min
After coming off of a 4-8 season and losing more than two dozen players to the transfer portal, Coach Prime remains more optimistic and blunt than ever, promising long-time fan Miss Peggy and the world that the Buffaloes will make a bowl game this year. Today our Andrea Adelson recaps the Buffaloes’ spring game that got more than 20,000 fans excited for what’s to come and previews players to look out for and the future of Dieon Sanders in the chilling mountain tops of Colorado. Learn more about ...
May 07, 2024•31 min
Frank Sinatra, Derek Jeter, Christopher Walken, and The Notorious B.I.G. They have all been considered the King of New York at some point in time. And now it appears the time has come to place the crown atop the head of Jalen Brunson. But what kind of king would Brunson be? And where does this idea come from in the first place? There’s no king of Baltimore, or Tulsa, so why does this title exist for that city? Andscape’s Justin Tinsley has explored this concept in his book It Was All a Dream: Bi...
May 06, 2024•31 min
Phillies star Bryce Harper has always been about blue collar hard work – and the spotlight. From his Sports Illustrated cover story at 16 years old to being the number one pick in the MLB Draft to his record-setting contract, Harper’s headlines have followed him wherever he went. It’s that worth ethic and willingness to take everything notoriety brings with it that made his arrival in Philadelphia a match made in heaven. And in a town notorious for wearing their hearts – and hate – on their slee...
May 03, 2024•25 min
The world watched as Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy was revoked in 2010 after an NCAA investigation that uncovered improper gifts to Bush. Now, 14 years later, we watched him finally get it back. The Heisman Trust announced last week the formal reinstatement of Bush's trophy, citing "enormous changes in the college football landscape" as the reason. So today, ESPN's Ryan McGee is here to tell the story of where we once were and how the NCAA evolved to allow for Reggie Bush to get his trophy back, ...
May 02, 2024•33 min
From the suburbs of Chicago to the University of Tennessee, and onto WNBA courts. At every stage of her career, Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the hoops world. But her influence extends well beyond basketball. So today, in the wake of Parker’s retirement announcement, Shakeia Taylor of the Chicago Tribune joins us to assess a career crucial to the sport's dynamic evolution and explores a legacy poised to resonate for generations. Shakeia’s Tuesday column for the Chicago Tribune e...
May 01, 2024•32 min
The life of a successful NBA executive requires you to fix everything, everywhere all at once. So when Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik found himself in a fight for his life, he was suddenly in the unfamiliar position of needing to be fixed himself. But this is nothing new to the resilient Zanick family who have been at the forefront of fighting diseases for their entire lives. ESPN senior insider Adrian Wojnarowski spent time with the Zanicks and tells the story of this inspirational fami...
Apr 30, 2024•27 min
We’ve been waiting for Caleb Williams to be the number one overall pick in the NFL draft for what seems like years. And this past weekend, it finally happened. But with all of the hype around Williams the football player, and the focus on how his unique sense of style will fit into the NFL, there’s been little conversation about who this guy is in the locker room and off the field. So today, ESPN Chicago reporter and host Courtney Cronin tells us who Caleb Williams really is. By talking to the p...
Apr 29, 2024•34 min
As the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Brock Purdy accepted the title of Mr. Irrelevant as he entered the league for the San Francisco 49ers. He’s already gone 17-4 as a starter, with 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He’s had a Pro Bowl appearance and of course, ended the season with an appearance in the Super Bowl. With the NFL draft continuing through the weekend, we will know who our next Mr. Irrelevant is on Saturday night. So today, ESPN writer Ryan Hockensmith joins us to explore Purdy...
Apr 26, 2024•31 min
The NFL Draft is one of the most anticipated events on the NFL calendar. Fans of losing franchises wait to see who will be their next savior, and fans of winning franchises look to see who will bolster their Super Bowl hopes. While first round picks get all the buzz, it's the later picks that make or break a teams’ fortunes. So today ESPN’s resident football expert Mina Kimes joins the show to break down who will be drafted where, and which teams’ futures will be determined this weekend. Learn m...
Apr 25, 2024•24 min
Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington is the definition of a baseball lifer. The 71 year old has been a scrappy utility player, a pennant winning manager, and a coach with a knack for unlocking his players full potential. But there have also been downs in Washington’s career: a failed drug test, an extramarital affair, and a decade of thinking he would never manage again. Through it all Washington has done what he’s best at. Teaching the game. Today, senior ESPN journalist Howard Bryant, who...
Apr 24, 2024•29 min
No one was surprised to learn that Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert experienced the same darkness retreat that Jets QB Aaron Rodgers made famous, or maybe infamous. And no one was surprised that the reaction was just as polarizing for Gobert, as it was for Rodgers. But what is it about the Timberwolves center that makes the Frenchman so dislikable to his peers? What exactly is it about his specific je ne sais quoi that has the man who’s won three Defensive Player of the Years awards, and a bank a...
Apr 23, 2024•28 min
10 years ago this week, TMZ published bombshell recordings of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s private conversation with his mistress, V. Stiviano. Sterling’s racist and sexist dialogue captured the world’s attention, and less than a week later, new commissioner Adam Silver had banned him from the NBA for life, forcing a sale of the Clippers. Today ESPN senior NBA writer, Ramona Shelburne, who covered the story and hosted the 30 for 30 podcast, The Sterling Affairs: Takes us back thr...
Apr 22, 2024•31 min
As the playoffs are about to start, all eyes are on the NBA. Instead of the focus being on the court, the attention is all on former Raptor’s reserve Jontay Porter. Porter was caught manipulating his time and performance on the court that tilted multiple prop bets in a specific direction and, shockingly, resulted in one bettor taking home a $1 million payday. It was later found that Porter had also placed bets himself, breaking the leagues sports betting bylaws. So today, Brian Windhorst joins t...
Apr 19, 2024•33 min
Since the 2023 CFB season came to a close, USC’s Caleb Williams has been penciled in as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team holding that pick is the Chicago Bears, who are well known for their inability to draft and develop quarterbacks to their potential. A couple of times throughout history, top prospects have used their leverage to force their ways out of unfavorable landing spots. The stories of John Elway, Bo Jackson, and most recently Eli Manning all come to ...
Apr 18, 2024•27 min
So ESPN MLB expert Jeff Passan updates us on: the latest happenings in the Shohei Ohtani sports betting case, discusses how now isn’t the time for the league and the player’s association to go to battle over who is responsible for the slew of elbow injuries costing pitchers their season, and explains how players approach trying to be on the field for a full 162 games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 17, 2024•32 min
