The Lead

We’re headed into the final stages of the NBA season and the hottest team in the NBA resides in Boston. Today, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss gives us insights into how the Celtics overcame their early season struggles on both sides of the floor and he tells us if this team actually has a chance to make it out of a loaded Eastern Conference come June.

Read all of Jared Weiss’ Celtics coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/jared-weiss/ 

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DeMar DeRozan has been having a career year in Chicago, and helped lead the Bulls to a 38-21 record heading into the All-Star break. And just a few days before playing in his fifth All-Star Game on Sunday night, he also broke a very old NBA record -- previously held by Wilt Chamberlain -- by scoring 35 points while shooting over 50 percent from the field in seven straight games. So, in honor of all this, we're rebroadcasting an episode that first aired back in early November, when DeRozan had already started turning heads. Tiff spoke with The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry about what’s been behind DeRozan’s resurgence at age 32, and why it’s coming at exactly the right time for Chicago fans.

More from Darnell Mayberry:

https://theathletic.com/author/darnell-mayberry/

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The second week of the Beijing Winter Olympics has brought us a lot of incredible athlete performances, but it has also seen more controversy, most notably the ongoing saga with figure skater Kamila Valieva. Today, we break down some of the sights, sounds and storylines and that have defined these Winter Games, from Mikaela Shiffrin’s Alpine skiing struggles to Erin Jackson’s stunning speed skating win. 

Follow The Athletic’s coverage of the Olympics: https://theathletic.com/olympics/?source=theleadpodcast

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Dr. Evil takes over General Motors. Pete Davidson eats a chip and gets tackled to the ground. And a rabbit on a soapy island is talking, and nobody is sure why. The Athletic's Jake Ciely and Nando Di Fino take a break from their usual roles as fantasy sports writers, to walk us through what they believe were the best -- and worst -- commercials of Super Bowl LVI.

Read Jake and Nando's full rundown:

https://theathletic.com/3125172/2022/02/14/best-and-worst-2022-super-bowl-commercials-ranking-the-ads-including-larry-david-dr-evil-and-more/

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After a dismal 2021 season, Kentucky men's basketball is back near the top of the college basketball rankings. A huge reason for the Wildcats resurgence has been the play of their junior transfer, and National Player of the Year candidate — Oscar Tshiebwe. Today, The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker takes us through the big man's remarkable journey from The Democratic Republic of Congo all the way to Lexington, Kentucky and then he tells us why this Wildcats team could bring home John Calipari’s first national title in a decade.

Read Kyle Tucker’s story about Oscar Tshiebwe: https://theathletic.com/3020970/2021/12/17/kentuckys-oscar-tshiebwe-will-not-be-boxed-out-if-i-quit-now-im-quitting-on-my-family/ 

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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

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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/

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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/ 

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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

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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/

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