ESPN Daily

Everyone’s favorite real-life soap opera, the NBA, is officially back tonight! And the moves this offseason have shaken up the league. Out west we’ve seen: Bradley Beal force his way to Phoenix to form a brand new big three with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Lakers double down on the defense-first roster that saved their season last year, and the Warriors bring in Chris Paul to share the load with Steph Curry. But the question remains, is any of that enough to topple the defending champion Denver Nuggets?Brian Windhorst joins the show to give us a full breakdown of the Western Conference…and tell us how familiar this Victor Wembanyama arrival feels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 7 in the NFL was headlined by the Sunday Night matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, two teams at the top of their respective conferences. Jalen Hurts and the Birds triumphed, and the Philly defense shut down Tua and the Dolphins, soaring to victory 31-17. And in the early slate of games, Lamar Jackson reminded us all that he’s that guy as the Ravens finally put it all together in a blowout of the Detroit Lions, while the Patriots pulled off an upset over the struggling Bills.So today, ESPN’s Louis Riddick breaks down some of the most noteworthy moments from around the league this week…and he lets us know if it’s time to panic in Buffalo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This college football season has been full of excitement, and not always from the places we’ve grown to expect. Because for every Georgia and Michigan and Ohio State sitting at the top of the rankings, we’ve also got rebounding powers making noise, like Florida State and Texas. And unexpected teams like North Carolina pushing their way into the conversation. Not to mention a Pac-12 conference insisting on making its final season a memorable one.So today, Ryan McGee drops by to tell us what he’s been looking at as the first college football playoff rankings of the season loom on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout the sports world, trade deadlines tend to be one of the most reliable generators of storylines and intrigue. A star player stuck on a bad team can create months of speculation and headlines. And in other leagues such as the NBA and MLB, the trade deadline serves as the most dramatic point of the season of the midseason.But historically, the NFL had kept major player movement to the offseason, making for a largely inactive deadline — until recently, that is. Last year, we saw the 49ers trade for Christian McCaffrey, who took their offense from stagnant to one of the best in the league. And the year before that, the Rams added Von Miller to a defensive line that already featured Aaron Donald, a move that would ultimately help them win the Super Bowl.So today, Bill Barnwell makes his triumphant return to ESPN Daily –– helping us understand how the football trade market has changed over time, and giving us a full breakdown of this year’s possible movers and shakers, including a few surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ja Morant has been an NBA superstar since pretty much the night he was drafted. A young, overlooked, and under recruited point guard that drew Damian Lillard comparisons when he was the No. 2 pick coming out of Murray State, the expectations for Morant were high and he has exceeded every single one of them … on the court.But despite his limitless basketball potential, Morant’s behavior off the court has become not just a distraction, but problematic. So today, a week ahead of the Grizzlies season opener — which Morant won’t be a part of due to a 25-game suspension — ESPN’s Tim McMahon joins the show to tell us how Morant’s issues might be putting his basketball career in jeopardy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stop us if you’ve seen this before: a star NFL player falls down on a turf field –– sometimes without contact –– and clutches his knee or calf before being helped off the field. He’s diagnosed with a significant injury, his season ends, and then social media sounds off, calling on the league to move away from artificial turf. That cycle played out most recently when Aaron Rodgers’ tore his achilles just four plays into his Jets debut. But just how much is turf really to blame for these injuries? And can anything actually be done about it? The answers and solutions aren’t as simple as you might think.Today, Kevin Seifert joins the show to help us survey the field, literally, as we dive into the high-stakes debate between the NFL Players Association, the league, and the local officials that maintain the fields.For more on the NFL’s turf debate, you can read ESPN’s story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are no unbeaten teams left six weeks into the 2023 NFL season. But there are still plenty of questions about every team in the league. Will the Eagles ever look like they are in high gear? Is Brock Purdy really good enough to win with the 49ers? When will Joe Burrow be healthy enough to deliver? Why doesn’t Lamar Jackson look like he used to? Is this really what the Patriots season is going to be?Kevin Clark, host of This is Football, joins the show to provide answers to these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve probably seen the image: Tommie Smith and John Carlos standing on an Olympic podium in Mexico City in 1968, accepting their medals, heads bowed, with a gloved fist raised in the air. It’s one of the most enduring moments not just from that Olympics, but in all of American history. It was a representation of the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements on a global stage…and you probably don’t know the full story.So today, nearly 55 years after his iconic act of defiance, Dr. John Carlos sits down with David Dennis, Jr. to discuss the impact it had on himself and those around him…and we delve into the mind of a 23-year-old who was ready to change the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is probably no sport susceptible to more debate in the American consciousness than the NBA. It feels inescapable; the discussions comparing player’s legacies, the debates about who’s the best, and the chatter around who’s got next. But today, ESPN’s NBArank returns for another installment, hoping to settle all questions once and for all (well, for this upcoming season at least). Kevin Pelton takes us inside this exercise: one that includes more than 150 journalists working to decide who the top 100 players in the league are…and some of the results may surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you think of college football rivalries, images immediately come to mind of longtime powerhouses, schools with a deep rooted hatred of each other like Alabama and Auburn, or Oklahoma and Texas, or even USC and UCLA. There’s one rivalry that’s just as strong, even if it doesn’t come to you off the top of your head: Oregon vs Washington. It’s a battle of Pacific Northwest supremacy, and this year especially, two of the best teams in the country featuring two quarterbacks with Heisman aspirations. So today, Kyle Bonagura tells you why you should be a little more invested in this clash of Pac-12 leaders, and what to expect when Saturday’s game kicks off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices