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ESPN Daily

1,114 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3.8K ratings

Wake up to the best sports story you'll hear all day. Monday through Friday, we bring you an inside look at the most interesting stories in sports, as told by ESPN's top reporters and insiders. The breaking news of SportsCenter. The deep dive storytelling of 30 for 30. Get the very best of ESPN. Daily. Hosted by Clinton Yates.

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Episodes

Stop Saying Commish Rob Manfred Hates Baseball

June 29, 2022 09:00 - 33 minutes

It is a universal truth that commissioners of pro sports leagues will face deafening boos when they appear in public. Rob Manfred, MLB’s commish, is no exception. A lawyer and seemingly mild-mannered bureaucrat, Manfred has become one of the most hated figures in American sports thanks to a number of public gaffes and unpopular responses to baseball’s various scandals. Today, Don Van Natta takes us inside the world of Rob Manfred (after sitting down with him nearly ten times this year!) and w...

Who Gets to be the Face of the WNBA?

June 28, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

Jonquel Jones has won almost every on-court WNBA accolade there is. Since being drafted sixth overall in 2016, Jones has been named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player, Sixth Woman of the Year, and MVP. Before that, she was Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, and a WBCA All-American. But despite being one of the most decorated players in basketball, many people outside of diehard WNBA fans may not have heard of Jones. Being Black and gay and describing herself as more masculine...

Unrivaled: Inside Hockey’s Bloodiest Rivalry

June 27, 2022 09:00 - 51 minutes

The Avalanche beat the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup last night, sending the trophy back to Colorado for the first time since 2001. It was an era when the Avalanche, and their archrivals the Detroit Red Wings, were engaged in a multi-year blood feud that became the center of the hockey universe. It was a rivalry perhaps best remembered for a game played 25 years ago, on March 26, 1997 in Detroit’s Joe Lewis Arena, and is now better remembered as “Fight Night at the Joe.” During the first p...

Title IX @50: Who Gets to Play? Trans Youth in Sports

June 24, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes

For all the strides Title IX helped women make in sports, it’s never been a more contentious time for who gets to compete as a woman. In Part 4 of the documentary “37 Words,” filmmaker Clare Marash met transgender kids whose right to participate in society as themselves is in question by dozens of state legislatures — on the field and in life. And in our final episode to mark 50 years since Title IX became law, host Allison Glock and Clare Marash look at the future of civil rights around educ...

Title IX @50: From the Basketball Court to the Supreme Court

June 23, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes

In the fifty years since Title IX became law, countless women and allies have fought for gender equality in sports and civil rights protections. Filmmaker Dawn Porter shares more about her “37 Words” documentary with host Allison Glock. They dig into the ways Title IX shows up in the lives of legends like Dawn Staley and Abby Wambach, as well as unknown heroes like a Georgia mom who took her daughter’s harassment case to the Supreme Court. Plus, what the new Angel City Football Club in L.A. s...

Title IX @50: How Yale’s First Women Rowers Exposed Discrimination

June 22, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

Yale’s campus in the 1970s was a complex place for women. The school had only recently admitted female students, and even attending class could feel like a battle. To then take up space in sports as well? It was all very new. ESPN’s Allison Glock and “37 Words” filmmaker Nicole Newnham share how some bold Yale women found a valuable tool to seek equity: Title IX legislation. The Yale women’s crew team invoked the law when they stripped naked in front of the school’s athletic director, a prote...

Title IX @50: Billie Jean King + Gloria Steinem: How Sports Met the Women’s Movement

June 21, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes

When Title IX became law 50 years ago, just 37 words of legislation established gender equity in education and athletics. ESPN Films’ new documentary series “37 Words” explores how that fight was won, and the impact it had across sports and society. In the first of four episodes with ESPN’s head of W Studios Allison Glock, documentary director Dawn Porter breaks down how sports converged with the women’s equality movement in the 60s and 70s. We focus on two icons: Gloria Steinem, the feminist...

NBA Draft Preview with Jonathan Givony

June 20, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes

As the Golden State Warriors swim in champagne after their NBA Finals win, the rest of the league turns its attention to the NBA Draft. The top three picks are clear, but it’s anyone’s guess on what order. Will the Orlando Magic take Jabari Smith, a dynamic shooter who just looks like the perfect fit for the modern NBA? Or will they take Chet Holmgren, the 7-footer out of Gonzaga with the skinny frame? What about Paolo Banchero, perhaps the most NBA-ready player in this draft class? Jonathan ...

The Boy Who Lost His Autographs

June 17, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes

Picture yourself going to a ballpark as a kid. You remember how big everything felt, how you were just in awe of being so close to the players. That’s how 11-year-old Elyjah Blankenberg felt when he went to a spring training game between the Yankees and the Orioles, and he worked up the courage to get several autographs…including one from his favorite player, DJ LeMahieu. But the euphoria was short lived, when Elyjah lost his binder full of autographs…and nobody could find it. Ryan Hockensmit...

Andrew Wiggins: From Bust to Finals MVP?

June 16, 2022 09:00 - 28 minutes

The Golden State Warriors are one win away from their fourth NBA title in the past eight years. And while Steph Curry has been the consensus favorite to win the Finals MVP, his rough shooting performance in game 5 has opened the door for another Warrior teammate: Andrew Wiggins. Not only has Wiggins managed to slow down Jayson Tatum on defense, but he was undoubtedly the best player on either team in game 5. Malika Andrews sat down with Wiggins, and she tells us how he has shed the “bust” lab...

Stanley Cup Final Preview: Can Lightning Strike Thrice?

June 15, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes

The Stanley Cup Final begins tonight! The Tampa Bay Lightning are chasing history as they look to be the first team to three-peat as champions in 40 years…but standing in their way are the Colorado Avalanche, who just might be the NHL’s next IT team. It’s the Final matchup that many expected we’d get, so we call up our NHL expert Greg Wyshynski to tell us how these teams got here, and let us know what else we might see as they face off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

Phil Mickelson, Saudi Arabia, and the Battle for the Future of Golf

June 14, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes

The PGA Tour has long been the gold standard of professional golf, rooted in tradition and nostalgia. But that may all be changing with the arrival of LIV Golf, the flashy new league with an unlimited bankroll thanks to its funding by the government of Saudi Arabia. ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenberg was in London this weekend to cover LIV’s inaugural tournament, and he joins us to describe what he saw, and where the league…and golf’s moral compass…might go from here. Learn more about your ad choice...

“TuAnon” Unmasked: The Secretive Star of Dolphins Twitter Speaks

June 13, 2022 09:00 - 46 minutes

Over the course of two seasons in the NFL, a story has been brewing around Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For a while, the beats of the story were pretty familiar––promising young quarterback comes into the league, has his ups and downs, and leaves so many wondering if he’ll ever be the star they dreamed he could be. But last season, that story took a turn unlike any we’ve ever seen. That’s because a subset of fans decided to take control of the narrative themselves and, via Twitt...

How NBA Finals Announcer Mike Breen Found His “Bang!”

June 10, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

Hall of Fame announcer Mike Breen is back with his infamous “Bang!” call for the NBA Finals. The first two games went sadly “Bang!”less (as Breen was out due to Covid), and frankly they didn’t feel the same. That’s because Breen has called more NBA Finals games than anyone. So ahead of the Warriors-Celtics Game 4 tonight, we got the origin story of his single-syllable exclamation, and how his Hall of Fame career took shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hope, Heartbreak, and Ukraine’s Quest for the World Cup

June 09, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes

In the midst of war, residents of Ukraine were able to rally around something that gave them hope: their national soccer team. Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 to set up a chance at a World Cup bid, but ultimately fell short in heartbreaking fashion to Wales. Wright Thompson was there to witness it all, and he tells us what he saw in Kyiv, and what sports can mean to a country in the face of war.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Was Born Believing in Himself

June 08, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

Now it seems obvious that Jayson Tatum was destined for NBA stardom, the one to watch for the Celtics as they square off against Golden State in Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight. But Tatum beat the odds on a few levels to get here, thanks in large part to the dedication and relentless confidence of his mom, Brandy Cole. ESPN’s Liz Merrill gives us insight on Tatum’s deepest relationship, and how he grew from the roots planted by his mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

The Life and Legend of Rickey Henderson

June 07, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes

Rickey Henderson is not only the MLB’s all-time stolen base king, not just the all-time leader in runs scored, he’s one of the best players the game has ever seen…or as baseball writer Bill James once said, “you could cut him in half and have two Hall of Famers.” But Henderson wasn’t always as revered as he is now, as his bold personality clashed with baseball purists at the time. Howard Bryant, author of the new book RICKEY: The Life and Legend of an American Original, looks back on Rickey’s...

Julie Foudy Explains Equal Pay (At Last) in US Soccer

June 06, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes

The US Women’s National Team has fought for equal pay in soccer for more than 20 years. And it seems to be here at last. A new labor agreement with US Soccer levels pay across gender, and could be a template for equity on the global stage. Guest host Sarah Spain joins two-time World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist (and Laughter Permitted podcast host) Julie Foudy to explain how the deal happened, how it works, and how it’ll benefit the men’s and women’s teams. Plus, Sarah and Jul...

Mina Kimes and the First Pitch

June 03, 2022 09:00 - 51 minutes

The ceremonial first pitch is a tradition almost as old as baseball itself, with presidents, celebrities and non-MLB athletes taking to the mound to aim for home plate. But the only person who may truly care about any first pitch…is the one throwing it, with the gut-wrenching feeling that they might biff. Our very own Mina Kimes will be in that position soon, throwing a first pitch for her beloved Seattle Mariners. So we called up MLB Insider Jeff Passan and enlisted legendary pitching coach ...

The NBA’s Top Bettor Handicaps the Finals

June 02, 2022 09:00 - 32 minutes

The NBA Finals tip off tonight, and we caught up with Bob Voulgaris. The alleged former shadow GM of the Dallas Mavericks is of course also one of the most successful bettors in NBA history. He breaks down the matchup between the Boston Celtics, who are looking for their 18th championship in franchise history, and the Golden State Warriors, who return to the Finals for the sixth time in the past eight years. Voulgaris tells us what each team needs to do to get their hands on the Larry O’Brien...

Steph Curry: The College Years

June 01, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

Steph Curry is vying for his fourth NBA title. But ever wonder what he was like in college? At tiny Davidson College in North Carolina, he was kinda just like everyone else: going to the library, eating late-night chicken parm, helping his friend pack CDs…all while his basketball star was rising. Andscape’s David Dennis Jr. has known the NBA 3-point record holder, three-time champion and expected 2022 Finals MVP since those days. He hops in the time machine with stories of Steph that reveal h...

Blood in the Garden: How the 90s Knicks Gave Rise to the Modern NBA (ENCORE)

May 30, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes

Despite decades of mediocrity, the New York Knicks inspire an almost religious devotion from their rabid fanbase. The Nets may play across town with three of the biggest stars in NBA history, but New York still bleeds blue and orange. That was never more evident than in the 1990s, when you could watch the Knicks fight on the court…figuratively and literally…at Madison Square Garden. Under the direction of head coach Pat Riley, and led by players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Sta...

Sound Sports: A Blind Man’s Journey to the Broadcast Booth (ENCORE)

May 27, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes

Bryce Weiler grew up listening to the likes of Brian Barnhart call Illinois basketball games, and as a young man who’d been blind since infancy, he fell in love with the pictures painted on the radio. During college in Indiana, Weiler forged a relationship with the basketball team, and then found his way to the broadcast booth himself. ESPN’s Sam Borden went to visit Weiler and learn more about his process as a live game analyst for college hoops (see more coverage from College GameDay here)....

10,000 Hours of Lying: The Myth of Mastering a Skill (ENCORE)

May 26, 2022 09:00 - 32 minutes

Practice, practice, practice. The theory goes that with enough repetition, time, and hard work, anyone can become the master of their craft. 10,000 hours has long been heralded as the golden benchmark to achieving greatness in almost anything. But best-selling author and ESPN Daily mythbuster David Epstein puts the theory to the test again, and explains why the 10,000 hours myth has gained so much attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crying Jordan: The GOAT of Memes (ENCORE)

May 25, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutes

When Michael Jordan began to cry during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech, that moment would turn one of basketball’s greatest players to the meme seen ‘round the Internet. Now, 10 years after Crying Jordan first became a meme, it's still just as popular as ever, popping up anywhere and everywhere. ESPN’s Dave Fleming once again brings us the origin story of this legendary meme, and tells us why every corner of society just can’t get enough of it. Learn more about your ad choices. ...

The Guy Behind the Guy: Sachin Gupta’s Groundbreaking NBA Journey

May 24, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes

With over 20 million people from 20 different countries across the most populated continent on the planet, you can make a pretty good case that the very concept of an “Asian-American” is incredibly oversimplified. There are some experiences however, that happen to unite Asian-Americans. For example, almost any Asian-American working in sports media can tell you about their shared experiences, from media personalities to NBA point guards…to the guy who ran the Minnesota Timberwolves until yest...

NBA Playoffs: Time to Believe in “Heat Culture?”

May 23, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes

When Jimmy Butler didn’t return to the second half of Game 3 vs. the Celtics, the Heat showed no signs of cooling down. Career performances from Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo and yes, even Max Strus, gave Miami the surge it needed to take the series lead, up 2-1. Ahead of Game 4 in Boston, Nick Friedell dissects the finest sample of Heat Culture we’ve seen so far…and he tells us what it means for the rest of the series. Then, a check in on the Western Conference Finals…where the Mavs are in dang...

Will Novak Djokovic Ever Be Beloved?

May 20, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. His 20 Grand Slam titles place him just one behind Rafael Nadal for the most ever. He’s been ranked #1 in the world for a record 370 consecutive weeks. And he’s the defending champion heading into the French Open, which begins this weekend. But despite his brilliance on the court, Djokovic has never been beloved by tennis fans in the same way his rivals Nadal and Roger Federer have been. This past January, Djokovic found...

The Rat Trick: The Legend of the Florida Panthers’ Rodent Tradition

May 19, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes

The Florida Panthers are at home tonight for Game 2 of their 2nd round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. And while the Panthers are down 1-0 in the series…Florida’s league-leading offense has reinvigorated their fans for the first time in a generation. They are so excited, in fact, that they have begun throwing rats onto the ice. It’s a hair-raising tradition that dates back to the ‘95-’96 season, when a Cinderella Panthers team made the Stanley Cup Final in just their third year of exi...

What it Could Take to Bring Brittney Griner Home

May 18, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February. She’s been accused of carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage…charges that could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Last week, news came out that Griner’s pretrial detention in Russia had been extended by another month, and the US State Department announced that it now regards Griner as wrongfully detained. ESPN’s T.J. Quinn explains what these developments mean for Griner’s case,...

GOAT Skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s Mental Transformation

May 17, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s a major topic in sports right now, as more elite athletes share personal struggles. Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the greatest of all time, hurtling down the slopes at breakneck speed. But in Beijing this year she stopped just seconds into a race where she was expected to take gold. Alyssa Roenigk talked to Shiffrin about this moment in Beijing, and how she’s taken a new approach to speaking her mind, public scrutiny and processing fami...

Windhorst: Celtics, Mavs Advance + Conference Finals Preview

May 16, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

The best two words in sports are Game Seven, and we got two…in the form of major beatdowns. Grant Williams and the Celtics shut down Giannis and the Bucks at home to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the West, Playoff Luka added to his growing legacy with a shower of 3s to lead the Mavericks past the Suns. Brian Windhorst helps us process what happened Sunday, and sets up the Conference Finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabe Kapler: The Most Interesting Man in Baseball

May 13, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes

Picture a baseball manager. Whatever image you’ve conjured in your mind of, say, a slightly out of shape, older man who’s all business - it probably doesn’t match Gabe Kapler, who manages the San Francisco Giants. Kapler is an enigma: an uber-buff fitness geek who only eats red meat. He sports well manicured facial hair and speaks in verse, sounding more like a poet than a baseball player. Tim Keown introduces us to Kapler, and how he’s rewriting baseball’s unwritten rules…and reimagining wha...

The Most Hated Man in Hockey (Update)

May 12, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes

Brad Marchand contains multitudes. Sure, the Boston Bruins winger could be called the most hated man in hockey…he’s served two suspensions in just this season. But Marchand is also one of the top scorers in the NHL, integral to the Bruins’ offense. He’s known for cheap shots, punching opposing players, licking faces, and was once given the nickname “Little Ball of Hate” from former President Barack Obama. With the Bruins facing elimination from the playoffs tonight, Greg Wyshynski tells us wh...

JJ Redick: Inside the Flopper’s Studio

May 11, 2022 09:00 - 43 minutes

These NBA playoffs are full of flopping. You’ve seen it: the flailing of the arms, the swing of the head, or the legs going akimbo. NBA players over the years have honed their skills in making it look like they got fouled, and some take it to the level of an artform. Retired NBA veteran, current ESPN analyst and “Old Man and the Three” podcast host JJ Redick gives us a masterclass in flopping, from his time in the game and a professional giver of takes today. Learn more about your ad choices....

‘It’s the Wild West’: How NIL Money is Changing College Sports

May 10, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes

When the Supreme Court ruled last summer that college athletes could earn money from their Name, Image, and Likeness, it was hailed as a positive breakthrough in college sports. But now that the NIL era is here, the reality is not so binary…rather, this new economy in college sports is getting very messy, very quickly. ESPN’s David Hale is here to tell us what’s really going on across the collegiate landscape, what the hidden cost of NIL is for athletes, and how to fix a system that might alr...

Windhorst on NBA Playoffs: Eight Teams Standing

May 09, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

The NBA playoffs are bringing it! The 76ers held off the Heat on Sunday to tie the series at two games apiece, while the Mavericks stayed hot at home and beat the Suns 101-111. In Milwaukee the Bucks took Game 3 against the Celtics in a Saturday buzzer beater and face off again Monday night. Plus, with Ja Morant likely out for Monday the Grizzlies are in poor position to win against the Warriors, coming off a 30-point Game 3 loss. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is here to tell you what to watch for a...

Talking About Practice: What Everyone Got Wrong About Iverson's Rant

May 06, 2022 14:05 - 37 minutes

We’re talking about practice…no, really. It’s been 20 years since Allen Iverson’s infamous rant, the one you’ve seen clips of pretty much everywhere, where Iverson goes off in response to a question about his practice habits. That roughly one-minute sound bite has come to be one of the most lasting moments of Iverson’s career…but it was the rest of that press conference that truly offers a window into Iverson’s life and career. It was the culmination of frustrating ends to two consecutive sea...

What’s Next for Sue Bird

May 05, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes

If Sue Bird’s WNBA career was a person, it would be old enough to drink. The 12-time All-Star, five-time first-team All-WNBA selection, Olympic Gold Medalist, four-time world champion, and recent NCAA women’s tournament megacast star may (or may not) hang it up after this 21st season. As the WNBA tips off, Bird and Pablo discuss her legendary career, how she’s seen the league change, and important ephemera like AOL screen names. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the F1 Drama as Drivers Take on Miami

May 04, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes

Last season’s F1 drama was off the charts. The controversial, showstopper ending crowned Max Verstappen champion even as fans grumbled that all-time great Lewis Hamilton got robbed. Now, it’s mechanical challenges causing grief for Hamilton as he heads to the first-ever Miami Grand Prix with half a dozen drivers ahead of him. ESPN F1 editor and lifelong fan Laurence Edmondson catches us up on all the racing gossip, what to expect in Miami, and why US fans are finally catching on to Formula On...

Reffing the Refs: Examining the NBA’s Most Scrutinized Job

May 03, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

When it comes to NBA referees, especially in the postseason, it’s hard not to think of that proverb about children: “They should be seen, and not heard.” But in recent days, NBA fans have been hearing plenty about the refs. Everyone from Draymond Green to Chris Paul to Joel Embiid have weighed in, frustrated by how the playoffs have been called. But in the eyes of NBA writer Ben Dowsett — our referee whisperer if you will — there’s also a lot more to this fraught dynamic than meets the eye. D...

Lapsed Fan’s NHL Playoff Preview: Greg Wyshynski

May 02, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes

The NHL playoffs begin tonight and if you, like us, need to play catch up, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski is here to give us his annual lapsed fan’s guide. From the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning to the Alex Ovechkin-less Washington Capitals, to the surprising resurgence of the LA Kings, Wyshynski has everything you need to know about whichever team you’re backing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc Rivers on the 30th Anniversary of the LA Riots

April 29, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

30 years ago today, April 29, 1992, the city of Los Angeles went to war with itself. Riots erupted on the streets following the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King. It was a verdict that provoked outrage because the incident was captured on video, triggering a national debate over police brutality. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was a guard for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992. Doc shares how the sports world at large reacted to the verdict and the...

Top Prospect Derek Stingley Jr.’s Complex NFL Legacy

April 28, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes

Derek Stingley Jr. is one of the most coveted defensive backs in tonight’s NFL Draft, and his name might sound familiar to older NFL fans. Derek Jr. is the grandson of Darryl Stingley, a young New England Patriots wide receiver who was paralyzed by a notorious, vicious hit from Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum in 1978. ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski brings us the story of how the Stingley family endured despite that tragedy, and continued to pursue an NFL legacy. Learn more about your ad choices....

Why NFL Scouts Love Big Butts

April 27, 2022 09:00 - 32 minutes

With the NFL Draft just one day away, you’ll likely hear all about a player’s hand size, or their 40-yard-dash time, or their wingspan…but there’s one measurement that NFL scouts pay more attention to than you might realize…and it’s right behind you. Yes, NFL scouts love big butts, and they cannot lie. But there’s a lot more to it than scouts simply gossiping about gluteals. There’s plenty of science behind why rear ends matter for athletic performance. And ESPN’s Dave Fleming joins us to sha...

Mina Kimes Previews the 2022 NFL Draft

April 26, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes

When the NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night from Las Vegas, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be first on the clock. What happens from there is pretty much anyone's guess. Will Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson be first off the board? Or will Georgia’s Travon Walker complete his rapid ascent to the very top of draft boards? Will Liberty’s Malik Willis or Pitt’s Kenny Pickett be the first QB taken? Like so much in Vegas, the answers are very much up in the air. Mina Kimes has been grinding tape in prepa...

Why a Sweep is the Least of the Brooklyn Nets’ Problems

April 25, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes

The Celtics-Nets series started off as one of the more intriguing matchups in the first-round of the NBA playoffs. But after a pair of late-game meltdowns by Brooklyn, the herculean efforts of Jayson Tatum, and a blowout at home in Game 3, the Nets find themselves facing a sweep at home. We called up our Nets correspondent Nick Friedell ahead of Game 4 to get a sense of what’s at stake for Brooklyn in this series…and why a broom might not be enough to clean up this mess. Learn more about your...

When Giannis Met Milwaukee: A Love Story

April 22, 2022 09:23 - 48 minutes

Athletes often say they love the city where they play, but Giannis Antetokounmpo takes it to a new level. He’s called Milwaukee home since the team drafted him in 2013. It wasn’t a given that the Greek native, a son of Nigerian immigrants, would stay in the midwestern city. But his massive 2020 contract extension shows the love is mutual. As the Bucks seek to defend their NBA title, our own ESPN Daily producer (and Wisconsin native) Ryan Nantell digs into a legendary anecdote from Giannis’ ro...

How Aidan Hutchinson Wrote His Way to the NFL Draft

April 21, 2022 09:00 - 45 minutes

Aidan Hutchinson made football his destiny. His childhood dream was to follow in the footsteps of his father Chris Hutchinson, the former Michigan linebacker who won a Rose Bowl and has the fourth-most sacks in Wolverine history. This dream was much more than just a passive thought: it was one of the many written goals that Aidan used as a guiding principle in his life and led him to breaking his dad’s records, bouncing back from a season-ending injury, and being a Heisman finalist. Ryan Hock...

Nets Owner Joe Tsai and the NBA’s China Conundrum

April 20, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes

For decades the NBA has been in an intricate, expensive dance with China’s government. While the league has become wildly popular in China, its business there is increasingly complicated over issues like free speech and China’s record on human rights. If there’s one man who personifies the layers and complexities of NBA-China relations it’s Joe Tsai, the Chinese billionaire who owns the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada breaks down the ties of Tsai’s company, Alibab...

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