Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Marcus Thompson to discuss the NBA Finals. Bruce Arthur also joins for a conversation about the Stanley Cup Final, and Sadie Stein comes on the show to talk about Mr. Met.

NBA Finals (1:10): A conversation with Marcus Thompson about the Golden State Warriors' dominance thus far, how the Cleveland Cavaliers might turn the series around, and Kevin Durant's relationship (or lack thereof) with Rihanna.

Stanley Cup Final (17:15): Bruce Arthur examines the series between the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins, assesses Sidney Crosby's performance, and looks at why the NHL won't be sending players to the 2018 Olympics.

Mr. Met (33:57): Sadie Stein explains her ardor for the New York Mets' baseball-headed mascot and examines why he snapped at a bunch of unruly fans.

Afterballs (45:50)

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Ethan Sherwood Strauss to preview the NBA Finals. They also talk with Charles P. Pierce about the legacy of writer Frank Deford, and Daniel Engber joins for a conversation about our favorite non-famous athletes.

NBA Finals (1:54): A conversation with Ethan Strauss about what to look out for in the third consecutive finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavs. What will Golden State do in crunch time? Will Draymond Green kick anyone?

Frank Deford (21:25): Charles P. Pierce, who worked with Deford at Sports Illustrated and The National, talks about what made him a great writer and reminisces about his favorite Deford stories.

Non-famous athletes (40:10): Daniel Engber discusses his obsession with Mets utility player Keith Miller, and we talk about our listeners’ favorite non-superstars.

Afterballs (56:50)

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin and guest Jane Coaston talk about the NBA playoffs. Sean Singer also joins to discuss Enes Kanter and Turkish politics, and economist Andy Schwarz comes on the show to announce his plan to kill the NCAA’s amateur model.

NBA playoffs (2:42): A conversation about the inevitability of a third straight Cavs-Warriors finals, and whether anticipation for that series has killed the rest of the postseason.

Enes Kanter (15:50): Former Turkish Basketball Federation official Sean Singer explains how Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Enes Kanter became a political activist, and how his conflict with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is perceived in Turkey.

A plan to kill the NCAA (30:50): Andy Schwarz rolls out the HBCU League, which would pay college players and prepare them for the NBA.

Afterballs (49:22) 

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Bryan Curtis and Stefan Fatsis talk with Michael Lee about John Wall and the NBA playoffs. Former NFL player Stephen White joins to discuss why quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed. Bryan and Stefan discuss the NFL broadcasting prospects of retired quarterbacks Tony Romo and Jay Cutler. And Scott Price joins to discuss his recent articles about the declining health of NFL legends Nick Buoniconti and Jim Kiick.

NBA playoffs (2:00): We talk with Michael Lee about the rise of John Wall, the Washington Wizards point guard, and the first game of the Western Conference playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. 

Colin Kaepernick (12:28): Former NFL defensive lineman Stephen White breaks down the tape and argues that Kaepernick has not found a job because of his decision last year to kneel during the national anthem.

NFL announcers (22:35): Bryan and Stefan discuss the quick hires of just-retired quarterbacks Tony Romo by CBS Sports and Jay Cutler by Fox Sports, and what makes a good ex-jock television broadcaster.

Miami Dolphins (37:13): Scott Price joins the show to discuss his recent Sports Illustrated stories about the dementia taking over the lives of Nick Buoniconti and Jim Kiick, two stars of the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins football team.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with ESPN’s Howard Bryant about racism in Boston sports. Damon Young also joins to discuss LaVar Ball and the “black basketball dad,” and David Epstein analyzes Nike’s effort to engineer a sub-two-hour marathon.

Racism in Boston sports (??): A conversation with Howard Bryant, the author of Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston, about the recent racist heckling at Fenway Park and the history of racism in the city and on its sports teams.

LaVar Ball (??): Damon Young of Very Smart Brothas discusses his conflicted feelings about Lonzo Ball’s father and the specific role black parents play in their kids’ athletic development.

Nike’s marathon gambit (??): Assessing Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 marathon, Nike’s marketing of its Breaking2 event, and whether we’ll see more attempts to break the two-hour barrier.

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Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and guest Wosny Lambre talk about the layoffs at ESPN. They also discuss how NFL teams evaluate draftees with "red flags" and review Dion Waiters’ genius essay for the Players’ Tribune.

ESPN layoffs (2:31): What do the massive cuts at the Worldwide Leader say about the network’s new business model and the state of sports journalism?

NFL draft (16:30): This year’s draft class had a host of players, among them Joe Mixon and Gareon Conley, with so-called “character issues.” How should teams look at prospects who've been convicted of or accused of heinous crimes?

Dion Waiters (29:25): Why the Miami Heat shooting guard's essay “The NBA is Lucky I’m Home Doing Damn Articles” is such an effective piece of writing.

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Stefan Fatsis and Greg Howard talk with Kevin Arnovitz about the NBA playoffs. Alex Hutchinson joins to analyze an upcoming attempt to break the two-hour marathon. And Stefan interviews John Kelly, the lone finisher of this year’s Barkley Marathons.

NBA playoffs (1:48): We talk with Kevin Arnovitz about the media coverage surrounding the death of Isaiah Thomas’s sister; Kawhi Leonard and Mike Conley’s duel in Game 4 of the Spurs-Grizzlies series; and Russell Westbrook’s media antagonism.

The Two-Hour Marathon (20:59): Alex Hutchinson discusses Nike’s planned attempt next month to break the two-hour marathon, and the ethical, physical, and technological issues surrounding the effort.

Barkley Marathons follow-up (32:29): John Kelly, the lone finisher of this year’s Barkley Marathons, objected to Stefan’s critique of the race on last week’s show. Kelly joins to talk about why he runs the Barkley and its many challenges.

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Stefan Fatsis is joined by Shea Serrano and Marcus Thompson to talk about the NBA playoffs. Stefan and Josh Levin also interview Nick Elam about how to fix basketball’s end game. Finally, Stefan and Christina Cauterucci talk with Becca Roux about the new labor deal in women’s soccer. 

NBA Playoffs (2:20): Breaking down the best matchups of the first weekend, evaluating the Cleveland Cavaliers’ title hopes, and celebrating the rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Fixing NBA Endgame (17:06): Nick Elam joins to explain his radical proposal to fix basketball’s crunch time and talk about the plan’s likelihood of being implemented in the NBA. 

Women’s Soccer (37:04): Becca Roux, the interim executive director of the USWNT’s Players’ Association, discusses the team’s new collective bargaining agreement and the ongoing battle for equitable treatment in women’s sports.

Barkley Marathons (55:02): In his Afterball, Stefan examines the heartbreaking ending of the Barkley Marathons in the mountains of Tennessee and whether the race might be too cruel.

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Ethan Sherwood Strauss has been covering the Golden State Warriors for

several years for ESPN, during which time the team became the most

popular and successful in the NBA. On the eve of the NBA Playoffs, he sat down

with Isaac Chotiner to discuss life on the NBA beat, the strange life of Steph

Curry, and fans who want ESPN personalities to “stick to sports” in the age of Donald

Trump.

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