Baxter Holmes is a senior writer for ESPN. He won the James Beard Award for his 2017 article, “The NBA's Secret Addiction.” “If there’s anything I’m really fighting for it’s people’s memory. I love the notion of trying to write a story that sticks with people. And that requires really compelling characters. It requires in-depth reporting — you have to take people on a journey. It needs to be so rich and something they didn’t know. I look for a story that I can tell well enough that it will hold up, that it will earn someone’s memory.” Thanks to Mailchimp, Substack, and Pitt Writers for sponsoring this week's episode. @Baxter Holmes on Longform [00:25] "The Threat of Youth Basketball" (ESPN • 2019) [01:00] "The NBA's Secret Addiction" (ESPN • 2017) [01:15] "The Secret Team Dinners That Have Built the Spurs' Dynasty" (ESPN • 2019) [01:20] "Lakers 2.0: The Failed Reboot of the NBA's Crown Jewel" (ESPN • 2019) [03:02] Longform Podcast #226: Terry Gross [30:40] "Inside the Corrosive Workplace Culture of the Dallas Mavericks" (Jon Wertheim and Jessica Luther • Sports Illustrated • 2018) [43:10] Magic Johnson denies allegations on ESPN [44:00] Holmes talks about response to his Lakers piece [44:33] Longform Podcast #112: Don Van Natta Jr. [58:54] "The NBA's Secret Wine Society" (ESPN • 2018)

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