The Lead

The NBA trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, but the impact of the James Harden-Ben Simmons/Nets-Sixers blockbuster trade is still sending waves throughout the league. Today, The Athletic’s Sam Amick takes us behind the scenes of that deal, tells us just how powerful Harden has become in getting what he wants, and why this soap opera could be seen as a cautionary tale. Read Sam Amick’s full story about James Harden: https://theathletic.com/3124556/2022/02/11/nets-sixers-trade-the-cautionary-tale-of-james-harden-getting-what-the-beard-wants-nicks-and-all/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a long regular season and possibly the most exciting postseason in NFL history, the Los Angeles Rams hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy on Sunday night as Super Bowl LVI Champions. And they did it inside their home stadium, in front of thousands of maniacal fans, and with a SoCal-themed halftime show to boot. Today, The Athletic’s Ben Standig joins us to break down the keys to the Rams' victory over the Bengals, and Sheil Kapadia swings by to give us a way-too-early preview of the 2022 season.More from Ben Standig:https://theathletic.com/author/ben-standig/More from Sheil Kapadia:https://theathletic.com/author/sheil-kapadia/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us and this year’s edition features two of the most explosive teams in the NFL – the star-studded L.A. Rams and the upstart Cincinnati Bengals. Today, The Athletic’s Arif Hasan breaks down the key matchups that could determine who goes home with the Lombardi Trophy and tells us what this game could mean for the legacies of Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow.Read all of Arif Hasan’s NFL coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/arif-hasan/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics got underway last week with a lot of questions — questions about China, and about holding another Olympics during a global pandemic. But in the midst of all of that, we’ve seen Olympic athletes from around the world delivering some incredible performances. Today, we dive into some of the stories that have inspired us, shocked us, and made us laugh. Plus, the controversies and Covid-related challenges that have already surfaced during the first week of the Games. Follow The Athletic’s coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics: https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/2022-olympics-live-updates-medal-count-schedule-how-to-watch-as-nathan-chen-and-chloe-kim-go-for-gold/3S3Sk4mjTMOg/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Evander Kane is a complicated person. The NHL veteran has been a force within the league ever since he was drafted #4 overall back in 2009. He's known for doing community work, he co-founded the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and he has been one of the NHL's most vocal players when it comes to issues of race and racism. But then, there are the controversies. Massive debts and bankruptcy. Multiple accusations of domestic violence and sexual assault. A long suspension over a faked vaccination card. And reports that he is a toxic presence in the locker room. So why did the Edmonton Oilers, who have arguably the two best players in the world, sign him? And how is this experiment likely to end? The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman joins us to discuss.More from Daniel Nugent-Bowman:https://theathletic.com/author/daniel-nugent-bowman/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NBA trade deadline is closing in and it’s hard to keep track of all the storylines. In just the last week we learned that James Harden may already want out of Brooklyn, Bradley Beal’s days in Washington could be coming to a close, and Portland and Indiana might finally be ready to tear it all down. Today, The Athletic’s Zach Harper helps us make sense of the madness and tells us which players might be on the move come deadline time.Read Zach Harper’s NBA coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/zach-harper/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you think of the Cincinnati Bengals and clutch playoff performances, the first name that probably comes to mind is Joe Burrow. But they’ve also gotten a huge lift from a player who’s quickly becoming a household name: their extremely confident rookie kicker, Evan McPherson. Today, at the start of Super Bowl week, The Athletic’s Jay Morrison takes us back to McPherson’s earliest days as a (98-pound!) kicker, to explain how he developed the swagger that has made him one of the breakout stars of the playoffs. Plus, the story of the pee-wee football coach who convinced Joe Burrow he should be a quarterback.Read Jay Morrison’s full story about Evan McPherson: https://theathletic.com/3097718/2022/01/28/its-money-evan-mcphersons-been-calling-his-shots-long-before-joining-the-bengals/?source=theleadpodcastAnd his story about Joe Burrow: https://theathletic.com/3111076/2022/02/03/yep-thats-him-joe-cool-why-joe-burrows-pee-wee-coach-forced-him-to-play-qb/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NFL's diversity problems are back in the spotlight this week, after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a major lawsuit against the league, claiming discrimination in its hiring practices. The suit contains a number of explosive allegations, including claims that he was offered "sham" head coach interviews by both the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, so that those teams could be in compliance with the Rooney Rule (which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching positions and other high-level vacancies). The suit also claims that Flores was pressured by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to intentionally lose games, with Flores allegedly offered $100,000 for each loss. Stephen Holder, Senior Writer for The Athletic, gives us his views on the case, and Alicia Jessop, an attorney and Associate Professor at Pepperdine University explains how the lawsuit could play out in the courts.More from Stephen Holder:https://theathletic.com/3106413/2022/02/01/holder-brian-flores-lawsuit-a-reminder-the-rooney-rule-cant-change-hearts-and-minds/More from Alicia Jessop:https://theathletic.com/3106423/2022/02/02/analysis-brian-flores-faces-hurdles-in-nfl-case-but-may-create-transparency-in-nfl-hiring/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NBA’s most surprising contenders reside in Cleveland. The Cavs sit near the top of the Eastern Conference and they’ve done it by doing something totally different from the rest of the league. Today, The Athletic’s Kelsey Russo and Jason Lloyd give us insight into the Cavs recipe for success and tell us what the ceiling is for this group in the postseason.Read all of Kelsey Russo’s Cavaliers coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/kelsey-russo/ Read all of Jason Lloyd’s Cleveland sports coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/jason-lloyd/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Tuesday, one of the most iconic athletes of all time finally made it official, as Tom Brady announced that he’s retiring from the NFL after 22 years — and seven Super Bowl titles. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Greg Auman, Lindsay Jones, Steve Buckley, Daniel Kaplan, and Matthew Fairburn, who share their reflections on Brady’s career, and the incredible — and sometimes complicated — legacy that he leaves behind. Follow Greg Auman’s coverage of the Bucs: https://theathletic.com/author/greg-auman/?source=thelead podcast Follow Lindsay Jones’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/lindsay-jones/?source=theleadpodcast Follow Steve Buckley’s coverage of Boston sports: https://theathletic.com/author/steve-buckley/?source=theleadpodcast Follow Daniel Kaplan’s coverage of the business of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/daniel-kaplan/?source=theleadpodcast Follow Matthew Fairburn’s coverage of the Patriots: https://theathletic.com/author/matthew-fairburn/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.