Veteran reporter Sam Smith followed the Chicago Bulls for their 1990–91 season and turned that experience into a bestselling book, “The Jordan Rules.” It’s a searing, unmatched portrait of Michael Jordan’s path to glory. On this episode of Sports Wars, Smith explains why the Jordan–Isiah feud is probably the most ferocious in history, and he sets the record straight on why Jordan left the NBA to play baseball (hint: it didn’t have anything to do with the mob).




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Sam Smith Breaks Down “The Jordan Rules” | 5

You can binge all episodes of Sports Wars exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Sports rivalries can fuel fans and athletes to fight and argue for years. But what’s the real story behind these epic battles? From Wondery, the company behind “Business Wars”, “Gladiator” and “The Lead” comes SPORTS WARS, a new series that offers an immersive look at some of the greatest athletic rivalries of all time: two superpower nations facing off in the Miracle on Ice. The battle for the starting quarterback gig in Green Bay between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. And many more. Host Dan Rubenstein (Sports Illustrated, SB Nation) will take you from the grudge matches to the pranks, from the tantrums to the triumphs: what really happened, who was right, who was wrong -- and you can decide whose side you’re on.

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Feel brighter every day with The Best One Yet, a 20-minute pop-biz podcast that serves up the top 3 stories spanning pop culture & business news, every morning, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning ritual.

Follow The Best One Yet on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best One Yet ad-free right now on Wondery plus. Wondery.fm/IP_TBOY

For more deep dive and daily business content listen to Wondery– the destination for business podcasts. With shows like How I Built This, Business Wars, The Best One Yet, Business Movers and many more, Wondery Means Business.

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What if the NBA never vetoed the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers? What if the Seahawks ran the ball on the one yard line in the Super Bowl? Could a coin flip have landed Magic in Chicago, Michael in LA and made Charles Barkley the first Black President? Wait, what?!! Questions like these have broken the brains of sports fans since the beginning of time.

 

Enter Wondery’s newest sports show, Alternate Routes, a weekly leap into the sports multiverse where former SportsCenter anchors, Trey Wingo and Kevin Frazier pry open the sliding doors of a different “what if'' moment from the world of sports. In these alternate sports realities, dynasties will fall! Legacies will change forever! New GOATs will emerge! Join Trey and Kevin every week as they travel every path, go down every rabbit hole and follow every alternate route, no matter how far-flung or far-fetched.

 

Enjoy Alternate Routes with Trey Wingo and Kevin Frazier wherever you get your podcasts: https://wondery.fm/AltRoutesxWondery 

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Listen Now: Alternate Routes with Trey Wingo and Kevin Frazier

A 109 year old Black woman fights for reparations for her neighborhood that was burned to the ground when she was a child. The first woman on to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List was a Black Panther. The richest person of all time, an African king, gave away so much gold that it caused Cairo's economy to crash… for over a decade. On Wondery’s history series Black History, For Real, hosts Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee go beyond the stories you already know to drop you right in the mix. It’s a no-nonsense, unwhitewashed account of history’s most overlooked moments, with a mix of narrative storytelling and candid conversation. We’ll even spill the occasional historical tea! It’s all facts, no cap.




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Introducing: Black History, For Real

For real life royals, the crown jewels can be more like shiny handcuffs. There are expectations and rules – and if you break them, the consequences are big, and very public. And no, we’re not just talking about Harry and Meghan. There are royal families and wild royal tales from around the world and throughout history that you have never heard before. From Wondery comes the latest from Even the Rich co-hosts Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams. Even the Royals takes us inside the cloistered world of royal families, past and present, where wealth and status often come at the expense of your freedom – and maybe even your life. In these stories, very human emotions, like jealousy, love, disgust, have the power to reshape the world. 

 

This is just a preview of Even the Royals. Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, or at wondery.fm/eventheroyals.

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Listen Now: Even the Royals

Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, he’s your new favorite snarky talk show host. Join The Grinch (and his faithful dog Max) each week as he rants against Christmas cheer and roasts celebrity guests like chestnuts on an open fire. Starring Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson as the notorious curmudgeon and broadcasting straight from Who-Ville, will The Grinch send these famous folks back down Mt. Crumpit, or will they soften his stance against Christmas and grow his heart three sizes? Grab your hot cocoa and cozy slippers and listen along to find out!




Follow 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes of 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Listen now: Wondery.fm/Grinch

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Sam Smith Breaks Down “The Jordan Rules” | 5

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