ESPN Daily

He’s the most talked about NBA prospect since LeBron James, but Victor Wembanyama is unlike any basketball player we’ve seen before. The 7’5 Frenchman is just 19 years old, and dazzles fans and scouts alike with his dynamic movement and impressive eight-foot wingspan. But until now, we hadn’t heard much from Wembanyama himself. Jonathan Givony sat down with Wembanyama for an hour in Paris to talk to him about his life in basketball so far and his upcoming NBA career – and today, he shares his story with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over 55 years ago, one of the most horrible tragedies of the civil rights movement took place in Orangeburg, South Carolina when police opened fire on a group of Black protesters outside of a bowling alley. The protesters had gathered to push for the desegregation of All-Star Bowling Lane, and when all was said and done 31 people had been shot, most of them students at nearby South Carolina State University. Three men lay dead, two members of the South Carolina State football team and a high school athlete. Andscape Senior Writer, David Dennis Jr., author of THE MOVEMENT MADE US: A FATHER, A SON, AND THE LEGACY OF A FREEDOM RIDE, tells the story of this underreported massacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For much of his life, Luke Russert felt he was growing up in the shadow of his late father, political journalist and moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” Tim Russert - who was a huge Buffalo Bills fan. After pursuing journalism himself, Luke decided to confront the pain of his loss and go on a journey of self discovery, which he wrote about in his new book, Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself. Through his travels around the world, he saw signs of his father, at places like a baseball stadium in Hiroshima, and at the Western Wall, where Luke happened to purchase a Buffalo Bills yarmulke. So today, Luke Russert joins senior writer Xuan Thai to talk about life, loss, and the powerful connection sports creates between children and parents…and what it would mean for the Bills to finally win a Super Bowl. Then, hear a parting shot on Father’s Day and baseball from Jeremy Schaap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Givony has been covering the NBA Draft for twenty years. And so he breaks out his notebook to review his draft notes on one Nikola Jokic, maybe the biggest steal in draft history. He also provides an update on Victor Wembanyama’s all but certain path to joining the Spurs. And then he takes us through the rest of the draft. Who will go second between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson? Will anyone trade up to find their next guy? And who are the sleepers outside of the lottery and into the second round? Givony breaks down everything…and everyone…you need to know in this year’s draft class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With hindsight being 20/20, there appear to be a few things PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan would like to take a mulligan on. And towards the top of this list would be using the word “merger” to describe this new alliance between three crucial parties: the PGA Tour itself, Europe’s DP World Tour, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. It was just one of many confusing developments that shook the Tour and the world of golf this past week. So today, Mark Schlabach is here to share what he has learned about how this deal came together in the first place, why so many people are so angry about it, and whether it can withstand the many headwinds and scrutiny it now faces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Jordan McNair died five years ago today, the headlines and airwaves were dominated by outpourings of anger and desperate search for answers. McNair was a football player at the University of Maryland and collapsed during the first day of summer workouts. The trainers originally thought he was suffering from cramps, but it turned out to be something much more severe. Today, John Barr tells us the story of what happened next, and how a grieving family discovered the power of forgiveness.You can watch the Outside the Lines special, “The Freedom Within,” here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been 47 years since the Denver Nuggets first joined the NBA, and In that time…things haven’t always panned out. But now, the Nuggets are the verge of finally striking gold, and claiming their first NBA Championship in franchise history. So, today, with a potentially decisive Game 5 tonight, Nuggets reporter Ohm Youngmisuk tells us how Nikola Jokic has Denver positioned to ascend the NBA summit…and how the Nuggets became the most quietly dominant team in the NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sports underdog film is a hallowed, often sacred genre. When done right, underdog stories like Rocky and The Bad News Bears can become cultural touchstones. And there’s one film released in 1992 that fits the bill perfectly: The Mighty Ducks. Ever since the team came quacking onto the scene, they’ve captured the hearts of a certain generation of sports and movie fans alike. Now, they’re the subject of the new E:60 duck-umentary “Once Upon a Time in Anaheim.” So today, we bring you a sneak beak: screenwriter Steven Brill tells us what it was like to write a movie that eventually inspired a real NHL team…which ruffled a few feathers when Disney announced the team would be named the Mighty Ducks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been nearly 70 years since Wake Forest last won the College World Series. They’ve only made the trip to Omaha twice, ever. But now, the Demon Deacons are the top-ranked team in the country, with that elusive trip to Omaha now in sight. Much of the credit will rightfully go to the leadership of head coach Tom Walter. Yet beyond whatever Walter and his team are able to accomplish this month, his legacy in Winston-Salem – and as a coach – is forever sealed by something he did more than a decade ago. It’s a story about the bond between a coach and a player, but unlike any you’ve heard before.So today, on the eve of college baseball’s super regionals, Ryan McGee explains how Tom Walter came to share the gift of life when a player he barely knew needed it the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jimmy Butler’s been underestimated for most of his basketball life. Every step of the way, Butler has been forced to prove he belonged. But now, as the six-time NBA All Star Butler leads the Heat against the Nuggets in Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight, it’s easy to miss how it all started. So today Ryan Hockensmith takes us back to Butler’s college days to pinpoint the moment when Jimmy Butler became Jimmy Buckets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices