When LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar this winter as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, will James also become the league's final all-time leading scorer? Are the Denver Nuggets & Philadelphia 76ers good enough outside their MVP-level centers to win a title? What theological truths can one tease out from the resurrection of the Sacramento Kings? How long can Luka Dončić abide Dallas making mistake after mistake around him? All this & more with Ian Levy, FanSided creative editorial direction and NBA aficionado.
How does Carlos Correa signing in Minnesota bring schadenfreude to Atlanta fans toward the New York Mets? Is the Damar Hamlin story the biggest drop ever from a this-changes-things event to . . . nothing's changed? Plus Dana White reminds us some animals are more equal than others, does Trevor Bauer deserve a different punishment than if he were a blue-collar nobody, how the latest Messi/Ronaldo argument misses the meaningful truth to emerge from their rivalry, and a quick rundown of all the teams for sale around the world at a time when owners insist owning a sports franchise is a money pit.
We share our feelings after the deaths of two sports icons. We lament the continuing grotesquerie that is Pete Rose. Are the Arizona Cardinals racist for telling Kyler Murray he needs to study more? Plus the EPL season gets underway, the marvel that is Sabrina Ionescu and more, including Jonah singing the Hartford Whalers song.
Why are the Knicks the only team in sports that bans the press from press conferences? How realistic are the Donovan Mitchell trade rumors? How is Russell Westbrook becoming like Jason Voorhees? Plus beating the dead horse that is MLB's All-Star Game and Matthew & Jonah discuss whether it's fair to bodyshame Elon Musk.
NBA free agency is underway & we have you covered, including but not limited to: Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving's long-running soap opera introduces a new twist as both now want out of Brooklyn -- but is either player likely to yield the return the Nets seek?; in defense of Jalen Brunson to the Knicks; where do the Celtics stand after adding Malcolm Brogdon; loving the Rudy Gobert trade more for one team than the other; and more. Also: we answer questions from Patreon subscribers; would Brittany Griner be more vigorously sought after if she were a male American sports star; and which governments around the world would benefit from using certain drugs?
The NBA Finals are over, but there's plenty to dissect. Jonah tells the story of nearly coming to blows with a Warriors fan at Game 4. Matthew dreams of a better world, one where the athletes and coaches who actually do the work get their hands on the trophy before their billionaire bosses. Plus information on the JSS Patreon page. Please subscribe if you can!
Tommy Pham slapping Joc Pederson -- and the reactions to the story -- show how in one way sports media has grown over the years, and in another nothing's changed. What's at stake for Golden State and Boston in the NBA Finals? How are the two NHL conference finals not at all alike? How did English footballers strike an unintended blow for the nerds against the jocks? And what to say of an ugly scene from Bulgaria.
Matthew & Jonah debate the sporting & human implications of Man City winning another EPL title. The Celtics and Heat are midway through alternating blowouts; where might the series turn? Plus the question of whether Arsenal missing out on 4th place in England may have impacted the Denver Nuggets' front office, and who does Josh Donaldson think he's kidding after calling the White Sox Tim Anderson "Jackie"?
This episode dives into the results of the NBA's second round of the playoffs while looking ahead to its final four. We also talk about British politicians attacking Liverpool fans for daring to boo a monarchy that's repeatedly screwed them over, Jonah's dismissal of Pep Guardiola's complaints about the English press and Matthew's eternal flame of joy at Man United's struggles. There's also an event that could only happen in baseball.
Myles Ehrlich (Winsidr) joins the pod to talk about the Liberty's WNBA championship (17:00) & what issues the W players may prioritize after opting out of their CBA with the league. Then in part 2 of our GOAT series, how were Kobe Bryant & Mozart's genius distinct from MJ/LeBron/Bach/Beethoven? (1:36:00)
The Ringer's Howard Beck on the KAT/Julius Randle trade, is the new CBA is more restrictive for players than its priors, whether the Bulls or Pistons are sadder, more NBA questions & what instrument he used to play. And in part 1 of a new series, we explore some of the similarities between Michael Jordan & J.S. Bach.
The WNBA owners & players are at a critical point in the league's evolution; how can the workers make sure their demands for dignity are enshrined and ensured? Plus: a 34-year playing career nears its end, Yankees talk with Joe Flynn & Dominick Duthel on growing up a Black baseball player during the time Black players are rarer and rarer.
Japanese baseballers push for more rights. The National Women's Soccer League implements the most humane CBA in all of sports. Caitlin Clark is the most impactful rookie since?? And Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea . . .
From Imane Khelif's joyful light to Simone Biles' endless exceptionality to Manizha Talash's selfless sacrifice, there are Olympic stories worth celebrating . . . and castigating. Also, Dearica Hamby's calls out the WNBA as unjust -- will its media do the same? Finally, a few days after a gay baseball icon dies, bigotry in Boston.
This episode features all things Kings hoops with Sacramento icon Jrue. How do fans there feel after two turnaround regular seasons without playoff success? What key offseason issues does the team face? How is it that the "small-town" Kings and the big-city Knicks are such perfect spiritual cousins? This was a fun one!
Man City's four-peat and the Knicks in a Game 7 lead to questions about the WNBA's direction. Then Alford Corriette (HerHoopStats) breaks down half the league plus questions about charter flights, the in-season tournament and if the W would welcome a young star pushing for early draft eligibility.
One of sportswriting's brightest minds & clearest communicators, Caitlin Cooper talks transitioning from covering sports for a corporation to starting her own supporter-based site & the challenges and rewards that brings. Then we talk Knicks/Pacers playoffs -- what happens when a team that struggles with switches meets one that hates switching? Which player in the series is like a pebble in your shoe? What philosophy did Tyrese Haliburton wear a T-shirt celebrating that Tom Thibodeau would angrily rip off any of his players? That and more!
How are the Mat Ishbia Suns like the Jonestown cult? Why doesn't Reggie Bush's retro-Heisman matter? Also: NBA playoff talk, Candace Parker leaves the WNBA, Jurgen Klopp nears the end at Liverpool and somber numbers regarding death and boxing.
Matthew on when losing is like fish sauce, the NBA's 3-body problem and how the Atlanta Hawks are Swedenborg's Hell. Kris Pursiainen talks today's sports media landscape as well as NBA play-in/playoff topics.
In this very special episode, part 1 discusses LSU/Iowa's Elite 8 blockbuster, the Minnesota T'Wolves fussin' billionaires, the EPL's 3-horse home stretch and the tsunami of sports gambling red flags. In part 2 Matthew interviews a very special guest and announces the show's new name.