The Lead

Before Sunday night, it had been almost two and a half years -- I repeat, two and a half YEARS - since Klay Thompson last suited up for an NBA game. After tearing his ACL in 2019, he returned to health in 2020, only to rupture his achilles tendon. Now, after diligently rehabbing both injuries for months on end, he's back in the lineup for the Golden State Warriors. The Athletic's Anthony Slater, who covers the Warriors, joins us to explain what life has been like for Klay during his long absence, how he has grown in unexpected ways, and what we learned about him during his highly anticipated return against the Cavs. Then, after leading Georgia to the national championship on Monday night, quarterback Stetson Bennett will live forever in the hearts and minds -- and possibly the checkbooks -- of Bulldogs fans.

More from Anthony Slater:

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After an absolutely wild finish to the NFL's Week 18, The Athletic's Greg Auman joins us to discuss the team that is once again poised to make a deep run in the playoffs -- the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs. Can they overcome a slew of injuries to once again make the Super Bowl? Plus, we recap what the playoff picture now looks like, how the stars somehow aligned for Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a Raiders-Chargers game for the ages that somehow did NOT end in a tie.

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We’re heading into the final week of the 2021 NFL regular season, and for a number of teams — including the 49ers, Raiders, Chargers and Titans, to name a few — there is a lot to play for on Sunday. Today, The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia breaks down what’s at stake in the NFC and AFC this weekend. Plus, the story of a football fan, a lost wedding ring, and the team that came to the rescue. 

Follow Sheil Kapadia’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/sheil-kapadia/?source=theleadpodcast 

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It turns out 36 is the new 20 -- at least for Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin. The aging Russian is off to the best start of his career this season, and is inching closer to a record once thought untouchable -- Wayne Gretzky's career goal scoring record. So what exactly is behind The Great Eight's white hot start? And how has he taken his game to yet another level? The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir explains. Then, we dive into the tennis story that has become an international sensation -- Novak Djokovic's detention at an airport in Melbourne. Why is the world's #1 player being told to go home? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

More from Tarik El-Bashir:

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The Lakers started the year as one of the NBA title favorites. Now, nearly halfway through the season, they're still struggling to stay above .500 and out of the play-in for the second consecutive year. Today, The Athletic's Bill Oram tells us why the Lakers' bet on Russell Westbrook has not paid off and whether LeBron James can carry this team back to the promised land at 37-years-old.

Read all of Bill Oram's Lakers coverage: https://theathletic.com/author/bill-oram/

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The College Football Playoff National Championship is just six days away, a showdown between the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, and the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs — who have made it this far with a QB who wasn’t even supposed to be their starter: Stetson Bennett. Today, The Athletic’s Seth Emerson tells the story of Bennett’s unlikely journey from walk-on to junior college to QB1 for a national title contender, and whether Bennett and the Bulldogs can defeat Alabama when it matters most.

Read Seth Emerson’s full story about Stetson Bennett: https://theathletic.com/2990959/2021/12/01/hes-just-a-baller-the-journey-of-georgia-qb-stetson-bennett-iv-a-long-road-to-respect/?source=theleadpodcast

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After blowing out Cincinnati on Friday, the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban are in yet another national championship game. So how exactly do Saban and 'Bama keep winning? A big part of the answer is recruiting -- Saban has brought in the top-ranked recruiting class in nine of the past 11 years. So how exactly does he do that? The Athletic's Aaron Suttles joins us today to explain why Saban thrives on the recruiting trail, and how that has enabled him to build one of the best dynasties in college football history. Plus, what does Alabama need to do to knock off the Georgia Bulldogs on January 10th?

Read Aaron Suttles and Nicole Auerbach's full story about Nick Saban, ace recruiter:

https://theathletic.com/3005138/2021/12/13/soul-food-italian-suits-and-hard-truths-what-its-like-to-be-recruited-by-nick-saban/

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To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #1 we have 'The Afghan Women's Soccer Team's Incredible Escape From Kabul.' We hear from two women who helped orchestrate the evacuation of the Afghan Women's Soccer Team -- long a symbol of defiance to the Taliban -- just before the Kabul Airport was shut down and the ultra-conservative religious group regained complete control of the country.

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To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #2 we have 'From San Quentin To The NBA: 'Showtime' Taylor's Redemption.' The Athletic's Marcus Thompson joined us to discuss the incredible story of Aaron 'Showtime' Taylor, who went from calling basketball games for fun in San Quentin State Prison to calling a Golden State Warriors game at Chase Center.

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To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #3 we have 'Reflections On Henry Aaron.' Five baseball writers from The Athletic joined us shortly after Aaron passed away to share their memories of him as a player and a human being, and to reflect on how he was shaped by -- and helped shape -- American history.

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