The Lead

Plus: One of baseball’s brightest young stars may be on the move. And the Chosen One takes his talents to a high school gym in South L.A. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last weekend, Novak Djokovic won his fourth consecutive WImbledon title. But the real story of the tournament wasn't the Serbian superstar. It was opponent in the final -- the highly polarizing Nick Kyrgios. The talented Australian dominated headlines for two weeks, thanks to his usual brand of entertaining, breathtaking tennis, coupled with a series of hotly debated actions -- spitting toward a fan, breaking Wimbledon's all-white dress code, and provoking one opponent into an uncharacteristic emotional implosion. Today, Matt Futterman of the New York Times explains the many complicated questions around tennis’s top villain, and why tournament organizers will or won't try to rein him in. More from Matt Futterman: https://www.nytimes.com/by/matthew-futterman See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have less than one week to go until the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, and during the first half of the season, we’ve seen a near-record-setting pace from the Yankees, more absurd pitching/hitting superlatives from Shohei Ohtani, and a Braves-Mets NL East showdown that is heating up in a hurry. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt to look at one key storyline to watch in each MLB division. Plus, one of the wildest stories of the first half of the season, featuring an ejection, a heartbroken fan, and the pizza delivery that changed everything. Read Stephen Nesbitt’s full story about Jesse Winker and the pizza delivery: https://theathletic.com/3384932/2022/06/27/jesse-winker-mariners-angels-brawl-pizza/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plus: Nick Kyrgios can’t upend Djokovic’s winning ways at Wimbledon. And MLB’s All Star Game turns into a family affair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Tuesday night, after seven weeks on the sidelines due to an oblique injury, 37-year-old Max Scherzer made his return for the Mets, and looked like… Max Scherzer —right down to a play where he nearly barreled over teammate Pete Alonso on a routine pop fly to first. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd, who recently talked to a number of Scherzer’s former catchers and coaches to get a better idea of what makes Scherzer so famously intense, why he’s sometimes able to channel Tiger Woods on the golf course, and his extreme passion for fantasy football. Read the full story on Max Scherzer from Rustin Dodd and Jayson Jenks: https://theathletic.com/3336028/2022/06/27/max-scherzer-catchers-legend/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This spring, the tragic deaths of several college athletes again opened a conversation about mental health and college sports. In light of that, we’re replaying an episode that originally aired back in September, 2019. It's the incredible stories of two elite college football players whose lives followed very different paths – one tragic, and one uplifting – and what we can learn from their stories today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last week, many of the top college basketball players in the country heard their names called in the NBA draft. But others, including some of the most recognizable names in the game, decided to stay in school for another year instead -- in part because of NIL money. Today, The Athletic’s CJ Moore and Eamonn Brennan explain why college hoops is becoming an increasingly attractive option for college big men in particular, and how the decision to enter the draft (or not) played out for three top players. Plus, what all of this means for the future of the men's college game. Read CJ Moore and Eamonn Brennan's full story about NIL and college big men: https://theathletic.com/3357888/2022/06/16/bacot-tshiebwe-nil-college-basketball-nba/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Sunday night, the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 21 years, and just the third time in team history. And the unanimous winner of the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP was their superstar defenseman, Cale Makar. In fact, Makar was so dominant during the playoffs that The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky, compared him to the legendary Bobby Orr. Today, The Athletic's Peter Baugh joins us to discuss how Makar went from a 125-pound, baby-faced kid who was often mistaken for someone's little brother to arguably the top defenseman in a generation -- all at age 23. Plus, with Makar’s Colorado Avalanche now Stanley Cup champions, are they poised to become a dynasty? Read Peter Baugh's full story about Cale Makar's rise: https://theathletic.com/3374456/2022/06/21/cale-makar-avalanche-brooks-bandits/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plus: The Phillies playoff hopes take a major blow in San Diego. And Hornets fans are feeling deja vu all over again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Thursday night, when he was widely expected to be the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr. instead became one of the new faces of the Houston Rockets — after a freshman year at Auburn that sent his draft stock soaring. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton to look at how Smith, in the span of just five years, went from “a wiry, skinny kid with a little baby fat” to top-three pick in the NBA Draft. The answer has a lot to do with Smith’s own uncommon drive, and the sacrifices made by his dad, a former basketball star himself. Read Brian Hamilton’s full story about Jabari Smith: https://theathletic.com/3088992/2022/01/25/the-next-kevin-garnett-how-auburns-jabari-smith-turned-himself-into-a-star/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.