The Lead

The NBA All-Star Game is this weekend and there are expected to be many tributes to the late Kobe Byrant. Kobe is, of course, a king in Los Angeles, but his relationship with his hometown, Philadelphia, was complicated. The Athletic’s Michael Lee, who covers the NBA and lives in Philadelphia, joins us to talk about how the city made Kobe the competitor he was, but didn’t give him much love until the very end. Read Michael Lee's story about Kobe Bryant's complex relationship with Philadelphia: https://theathletic.com/1585634/2020/02/05/he-was-really-philly-kobe-bryant-had-a-complex-relationship-with-philly-but-deserves-its-adoration/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Women’s National Team qualified for the Olympics this past weekend and leading the way, once again, was Rose Lavelle. The talented young midfielder also turned heads at the World Cup last year, capturing the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third best player. The Athletic’s Megan Linehan joins us to talk about Lavelle’s rapid ascent to stardom, how she cracked a U.S. lineup that is heavily stocked with veterans, and just how bright her future could be. (And also, her unnatural love of dogs.) Follow Megan Linehan's coverage of Rose Lavelle and the USWNT: https://theathletic.com/author/meg-linehan/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been a heck of a week for the Boston Red Sox. The team agreed to send their best player, Mookie Betts, to the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade, along with former Cy Young Award winner David Price in a three-team deal. But the trade almost fell apart in spectacular fashion. The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey joins us to talk about what went on behind the scenes, why the Red Sox made this move now and how Boston fans feel about losing a generational player.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate when hiring a head coach or senior executive. But there are currently just three black head coaches in the league and the most recent round of hiring saw only one minority candidate get hired for five open positions. The Athletic's Mike Sando joins us to talk about the Rooney Rule’s effectiveness (or lack thereof) and the potential path forward.Read Mike Sando's story about the Rooney Rule: https://theathletic.co.uk/1572032/2020/01/30/where-do-we-go-from-here-with-the-rooney-rule/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Friday, there was yet another development in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. The Wall Street Journal reports that the team used a powerful algorithm called "Codebreaker" to figure out their opponent's signs. How much did the sign-stealing scheme help the Astros on the field? The Athletic's Jayson Stark and Eno Sarris recently ran the numbers to answer that question. Stark joins us to explain their findings, and to argue that despite their elaborate cheating scheme, the Astros should not have their 2017 World Series title vacated.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you go back to the very FIRST season of the NFL -- a hundred years ago -- there were just a handful of black players. And one of them was Duke Slater. Slater was the first black lineman to suit up for the NFL. He was known for being unstoppable. And now, he will finally be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As part of our Black History Month coverage at The Lead, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman to talk about Duke Slater’s legacy, from his college football days in Iowa to his achievements as a lawyer and a judge, and what it means that he will finally be honored in Canton.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There was a time when Portland belonged to Brandon Roy. The former Trail Blazer's career was cut short by knee trouble and he has been more or less invisible ever since. But after years of trying, The Athletic’s Jason Quick finally tracked him down. Today, Quick joins us to talk about Brandon Roy’s short but remarkable career and how he has overcome an identity crisis, a divorce, and a drive-by shooting to find peace (or something close to it).Read Jason Quick's profile of Brandon Roy:https://theathletic.com/1531666/2020/01/16/brandon-roy-talks-retirement-inner-peace-shooting-portland-trail-blazers-return/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Houston Astros hired Dusty Baker to take over in the dugout just weeks after firing manager AJ Hinch in the aftermath of the team's sign stealing scandal. At 70 years old, Baker is the oldest manager in baseball, but with that comes a wealth of experience and stability the Astros desperately need. Baker is known as a players' manager and has a stellar reputation in the league. So how will he do as he inherits a team mired in controversy but also built to win the World Series? The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli joins us to talk about Baker's hiring, his historic career as a player and manager, and why he's just what Houston needs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Connor McDavid has been shredding defenses since he entered the league five seasons ago. But there are signs that the NHL's most talented player has grown frustrated with his team’s lack of success. The Athletic's Jonathan Willis joins us to talk about McDavid's incredible skills, his secretive recovery from a devastating injury, and whether or not the clock is ticking on his Edmonton career.Follow Jonathan Willis's coverage of the Edmonton Oilers and the NHL:https://theathletic.com/author/jonathan-willis/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions. It was another impressive comeback for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who trailed 20-10 in the fourth quarter before rattling off 21 unanswered points. Kavitha breaks down the game for us from Miami, discusses what it means for the legacies of Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Jimmy Garoppolo and Patrick Mahomes, and talks about the reactions of Chiefs fans at the game.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.