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Inside the Mind of Bill Walton May 29, 2024

Show notes

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 revel in the joy he brought into our lives.

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Has Shohei Ohtani Pitched His Last Game? May 28, 2024

Show notes

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 Babe Ruth before him, Ohtani’s bat skills may keep him off the mound forever.

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One Racial Slur Tore a Baseball Team Apart May 24, 2024

Show notes

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 that have existed in Fort Myers for decades. And the direct result of an assistant coach being dismissed for using a racial slur in a team group chat on Valentine’s Day of that year.

Today, our Howard Bryant takes us inside this story, unpacks a chain of smoldering racial resentments, and provides a new understanding of what it means to be outnumbered.

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How Men, Moonshine, and the Need for Speed Birthed NASCAR May 23, 2024

Show notes

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.

Ryan McGee joins us to explain how one of the sport's oldest tracks might just have been the site of one of America’s oldest vices.

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Are We Seeing the Next Kobe Bean Bryant in Anthony Edwards? May 22, 2024

Show notes

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 class up until leading his team to the Western Conference Finals.

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The Link Between Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Europe’s First Basketball Star May 21, 2024

Show notes

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 basketball team in the 1950’s and 60s, and quickly gained acclaim after winning The Best Athlete of Yugoslavia (Zlatna značka), and Yugoslav Sportsman of the Year (Sportske novosti award). He laid the path for future European superstars to follow in the years to come. Sadly, Korac never got to see his true peak or join the NBA after passing away in a tragic car accident at the age of 30.

Today, Baxter Holmes joins the show to tell us the story of the legendary Radivoj Korac, and how his stardom spawned the European dominance we see today.

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How We Got to the NBA Conference Finals May 20, 2024

Show notes

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 final four.

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Can Jalen Brunson Will the Knicks Past the Pacers? May 17, 2024

Show notes

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 point despite so many injuries, and tells us who has to do what to lock in a date with the Boston Celtics, and a shot at an NBA Finals appearance.

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How Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets Got Their Groove Back May 16, 2024

Show notes

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 we turn to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and he shares what he’s seeing and hearing behind the scenes in this roller coaster of a series.

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Kids are Signing Their Likeness Away to Youth Baseball Giant Perfect Game May 15, 2024

Show notes

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 baseball players have already been signing their rights away to Perfect Game. She joins us today to discuss why Perfect Game and Fanatics’ marriage is potentially harmful for players and how these companies’ machinations impact amateur baseball more largely.

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