ESPN Daily

Major League Baseball’s crackdown is underway on pitchers using foreign substances for better grip. ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan explains why we’re seeing players being undressed by umpires as they come off the field (in one case literally). Questions remain about how smart a move this was to make in the middle of the season, and if it is having the effect that MLB wants. Then, Sarah reflects on Bobby Bonilla Day, and a Yankees bat girl who finally saw her dream came true, 60 years after writing a letter to the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

P.K. Subban, ESPN’s newest NHL playoff analyst and three-time NHL All-Star, joins Sarah Spain to dive deep into the Stanley Cup Final. Subban, who played sevens seasons for the Canadiens, shares what it means for most storied franchise in the NHL to be back playing for the Cup after last winning it nearly 30 years ago. Standing in their way are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to be the first team to repeat since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Subban explains what the Canadiens need to do to complete their Cinderella run, and how the Lightning can make even more history en route to their third championship. He also tells the story of his childhood friend and teammate Steven Stamkos...and how they used to dominate on the Pee-Wee hockey circuit. Then, Sarah shares her thoughts on Dak Prescott opening up about the importance of mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simone Biles has been the face of USA Gymnastics ever since she began competing on the international stage. The most decorated gymnast of all time has sealed her position on the U.S. Olympic roster for the second straight games, and will travel to Tokyo with a scary good team. ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk shares what she saw at the Olympic trials, and breaks down the moves that make Biles legendary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA Conference Finals are heating up - especially for Khris Middleton, whose surge helped the Bucks come back to rout the Hawks 113-102, and they lead the series 2-1. The Hawks led for almost the entire game thanks to Trae Young, who got injured during the game but returned. And in the west, the Phoenix Suns are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. Propelled by veteran Chris Paul and young star Devin Booker, the Suns held a comfortable lead in Saturday’s Game 4, until the final minutes when the Clippers closed the gap and nearly held the lead. Then, a bizarre final minute...but the Suns held on to take a 3-1 lead. Sarah Spain and Brian Windhorst unpack the Conference Finals action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of his book, “Reborn in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home,” Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers fame shares how his love for U.S. sports and culture as a kid in Liverpool led him in search of his own American dream. From meeting his childhood idol William “The Refrigerator” Perry, to the emotion of being sworn in as a US Citizen, Bennett's story truly captures the wonder and complexity of America. It's also the story of sports' magic ability to bridge cultures. And of course, Bennett offers his thoughts on England's chances in the Euro 2020 tournament as it heads into the knockout round.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every four years, athletes compete for glory at the Olympic Games, and this year’s Tokyo Games will feel even greater for two-time gold medalist Susan Francia. Her mother, Dr. Kate Karikó, has seen her lifelong work come to fruition in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Karikó’s dedication to her research amidst adversity inspired her daughter, who became an elite rower and Olympian. ESPN’s Julie Foudy takes us through the story of Dr. Karikó’s perseverance, her mRNA breakthroughs behind the vaccine, and the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the E:60 upcoming feature “What We’re Made Of.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the playground to the gym to the NBA Conference Finals...the basketball court is ruled not by an iron fist, but by the “hot hand.” Shooters demand the ball when they get a hot hand. Teammates feed the player with the hot hand. Coaches draw up plays for the hot hand. But what if there is actually no such thing as the “hot hand?” For decades, that’s been the belief of Nobel Prize winning scientists who insist that what looks like a player who can’t miss...is really just a statistical fluke. Author Ben Cohen penned a book on the subject, “The Hot Hand,” and he joins the show for a scientific heat check now that the conference finals are in full swing. Is the burning sensation is a verifiable reality, or just a puff of smoke? Then, Pablo seeks to turn his park hobby into disc golf pro Paul McBeth’s million dollar endorsement deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday the Supreme Court unanimously ruled to uphold Alston v. NCAA, saying the NCAA could not bar certain types of payments to college athletes. It’s largely seen as having opened the door to a wider challenge to the NCAA’s ban on college athletes receiving compensation, writ large. ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas, college athlete and longtime critic of the NCAA’s claims around amateurism, breaks down the latest chapter in the saga and what it means (in the way that only he can). Then, Pablo shares thoughts on Carl Nassib, the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend’s NBA playoffs included a pair of Game 7s and the first game of the Western Conference Finals. In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets in overtime, despite a 48-point performance from Nets star Kevin Durant. The Bucks will meet the Hawks, following the thrilling finish to that series where the Hawks soared to victory, thanks to Trae Young’s fourth quarter heroics. And in the west, Devin Booker propelled the Chris Paul-less Phoenix Suns to a win in Game 1 over the LA Clippers, who are still without Kawhi Leonard. Brian Windhorst runs down every minute of NBA playoff action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is perhaps the most overlooked superstar in the NBA. At age 24, he’s one of the league’s premiere scorers. And his domination has continued this season, through the Phoenix Suns’ playoff run - they’re in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years. In a re-air of our episode from February, ESPN analyst Michael Wilbon takes us back to Booker’s roots in his “Cover Story, ” and chronicles the Gen-Z phenom’s path from 6th man at Kentucky, to his connection with Kobe Bryant, to his relationship with new teammate Chris Paul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices