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Can Anything Keep the Celtics from Raising Banner 18? Jun 12, 2024

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Two games into the NBA Finals, and it looks like nothing can keep the Boston Celtics away from lifting an 18th championship banner to the rafters. They’ve been able to limit the Dallas attack to just Luka Doncic, and everything seems to be going their way.

ESPN NBA reporter Tim Bontemps has been at both games of the series, and he joins the show to explain just how Boston is keeping the Dallas attack in check. And explore if a shift in venue to the Lone Star state will be enough to give the Mavs a fighting chance.

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America Shocks the World in… Cricket?! Jun 11, 2024

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For Americans who’ve never watched a cricket match before, now may be the best time to start. Because for the first time ever, Team USA has drawn global attention, after shocking the world in an upset over Pakistan last Thursday. And that feat looks all the more improbable when you learn who exactly is on this roster.

So today, ESPN’s own Aishwarya Kumar explains how they pulled it off, and why this Men’s T20 World Cup tournament looks like a watershed moment for American cricket.

You can stream Team USA’s Wednesday and Friday matches against India and Ireland at 10:30 AM Eastern Time.

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How Maya Brady Carried the Family Name into the Next Generation Jun 10, 2024

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With all of the energy surrounding women’s basketball these days, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that the interest in women’s sports is growing beyond just the hardwood.

We’ve seen a professional women’s hockey league return to the ice this season, stars continue to shine on the tennis courts and the track. And interest in the Women’s College World Series has steadily increased year over year leading to an average of two million fans tuning in to the most watched title series ever.

So today, Jake Trotter, who covers college sports at ESPN, introduces us to Maya Brady, a prolific shortstop at UCLA, who just completed a decorated college career on the softball field.

And Jake tells us why Maya’s rise is about more than just her shared family lineage with her uncle, one Tom Brady.

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Who Will Get Over the Hump? Emily Kaplan Previews the Stanley Cup Final Jun 07, 2024

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The teams meeting in the Stanley Cup Final this season, the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, are both trying to get over the hump.

For the Panthers, this is year three in their recent turnaround. Having the best record in the NHL two seasons ago didn’t get it done, and last year they fell a step short of lifting Lord Stanley’s trophy into the air for the first time as a franchise.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers haven’t won it all since 1990, when a guy named Wayne Gretzky was still lacing them up. And after falling short in the playoffs themselves over the past few seasons, they are looking to bring home the cup not just for their city, but for the entirety of the nation.

So today, ESPN NHL reporter Emily Kaplan tells us what to watch for ahead of Saturday’s game one.

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How a City Sponsorship Could Signal Change in the WNBA Jun 06, 2024

Show notes

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the WNBA continues to be a hot topic, showing fans and the world that excitement around women's basketball is expanding beyond a “moment.”

With all the chatter about aggression towards rookies, vet players, crazy record stats, and even team mascots dominating the floor, there is one thing that has been looming top of mind for many over the last few weeks: money.

The two-time reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are again at the forefront, as all twelve of the players on the team are negotiating with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) on a $100,000 sponsorship deal. A number even higher than the league salary minimum.

The news came as a welcome surprise to many, but also sparked an investigation from the league. So today Aces beat reporter, Callie Lawson-Freeman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is here to share what she has been able to find out on the ground about this sponsorship and what it could mean for the league.

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Brian Windhorst Previews a Fascinating NBA Finals Matchup Jun 05, 2024

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This year’s NBA finals feature one team everyone saw coming and, according to Brian Windhorst, another we probably should have seen coming.

The Boston Celtics have been on a hot streak all season long –– easily claiming the league’s best record –– while the Dallas Mavericks have been pushing their way towards the mountaintop week by week.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off Thursday night and there’s so much to think about, including how Dallas might actually have the two best players on the court, whether or not Kyrie Irving can shake his Celtics curse, and why it’s win now or maybe never for this iteration of the Celtics.

Brian Windhorst has been in the building with both teams as they’ve made their run through the playoffs and joins us to share what we can expect as the Finals begin.

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What the Negro Leagues' Statistical Integration Really Means Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

For years, names like Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Satchel Paige were well known as legends in the Negro Leagues, but unrecognized in the record books alongside their white contemporaries. Last week that changed, as a nearly quarter-century long endeavor to collect and verify decades of statistics was unveiled for the first time.

The news seems to have been met with every emotion under the sun: confusion, anger, disdain, but not joy.

And part of that is because many are confused as to what’s actually happening. This story was never about Josh Gibson unseating Ty Cobb as the single season batting average leader. It was about presenting the statistics of major professional baseball leagues as evidence to support the legends that played.

So Today, our host Clinton Yates sits on the other side of the table and joins our very own Alex Hyacinthe to break down what this process undertook, and what this really means for baseball.

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One Pitcher May Have Secretly Changed the Balance of Power in MLB Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

Major League Baseball teams have developed a habit of manipulating contract rules so as to prevent a player from realizing his true financial value. Many contend it’s all part of a player exploitation system perpetrated by the league under the guise of “maximizing efficiency.” But five years ago, while pitching for the Brewers, reliever Josh Hader and his agent employed an unprecedented strategy to fight back.

Today, Buster Olney joins us as we explore Hader’s story, the greater context of how MLB uses and abuses pitchers, and the impact this new tactic could have not only on their contracts, but also their long-term health.

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Will a Shuttered School Win a College World Series Title? May 31, 2024

Show notes

Birmingham Southern College sits on a lovely campus three miles from downtown Birmingham, Alabama. But today, that college is officially ceasing operations.

Nonetheless, the school’s baseball team will play on, as they take the field this afternoon in the Division III college world series.

So our Kyle Bonagura is here to explain how the school’s looming closure actually inspired the Panthers to turn their season around. And how the team’s final run may turn out to be its best ever.

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Is Bronny James Good Enough for the NBA? May 30, 2024

Show notes

Bronny James has been in the public spotlight his whole life. Being the son of all-time great LeBron James has set expectations that would be too high for most NBA Draft prospects, let alone one with a less-than-guaranteed shot in the NBA. Bronny James won’t be a lottery pick, and probably won’t be picked in the first round either.

What makes this more complicated than your average draft prospect analysis is LeBron has the opportunity to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, and has stated publicly that he would like to play with his son. So today, ESPN’s resident NBA Front Office expert Bobby Marks joins the show to break down Bronny’s value as a player, and how his father plays a part in where and when Bronny gets drafted.

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