The Lead

The NBA Draft is almost here and one of the most intriguing prospects at the top of the lottery is USC big man Evan Mobley. The seven footer's game has drawn comparisons to reigning finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-NBA big man Anthony Davis, but questions over his introverted personality and skinny frame have some evaluators questioning if he can actually reach his incredible upside. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie spent some time with Mobley during his lone college season and he joins us to discuss whether the concerns over the big man's mentality are overblown and whether or not he could actually become the best player in this draft. Then he tells us about his evaluation of presumptive number one pick Cade Cunningham and picks one player who could be this draft's most undervalued prospect.

Read all of Sam Vecenie's NBA Draft coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/sam-vecenie/

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Carissa Moore is not your typical surfer. Before she could walk, her father had her on his surfboard so that she could get the feel of the water. By age ten, she had been labeled a prodigy. At 14, she defeated the top-ranked women's surfer in the world (twice). And now, at age 28, she is a four-time world champion -- and one of the favorites to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics. But, on top of all her natural talent, she also breaks a lot of stereotypes about surfers. The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani recently interviewed Carissa and her father, Chris (who is still her coach), and he joins us today to explain how Carissa developed her incredible talents, and how she and her dad have walked the line between pursuing a dream and finding peace.

Read Christopher Kamrani's full story about Carissa Moore:

https://theathletic.com/2692257/2021/07/08/carissa-moore-olympics-surfing/

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The Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is tonight, and one of the biggest stars to watch on the U.S. team is five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky. Today, The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach joins us to tell the story of the backyard pool where Ledecky kept her training going in the spring of 2020, the bond she formed with the family who shared the same space, and how the whole thing could impact her pursuit of history in Tokyo.

Read Nicole Auerbach’s full story about Katie Ledecky: https://theathletic.com/2609313/2021/05/26/katie-ledecky-olympics-tokyo-swimming/?source=theleadpodcast

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At every Olympic Games, there are thousands of stories. This year, Simone Manuel looks to solidify her legacy as the greatest gymnast of all time. Katie Ledecky could become the most decorated female athlete in Olympic history. And Trayvon Bromell aims to claim the title of 'world's fastest man.' But there are also so many more. The Athletic's Zack Pierce joins us to talk through some of the biggest and most fascinating storylines to follow from Team USA during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including a softball duo's 13-year quest for redemption, a teen prodigy who could inherit the crown in swimming, and a rock legend's horse-riding daughter.

Read Zack Pierce's full rundown of U.S. athletes to follow:

https://theathletic.com/2706266/2021/07/19/meet-team-usa-every-athlete-at-the-2021-olympics-and-what-to-know-about-each-event/

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In each of the past two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks came up short in the playoffs after amassing incredible regular season records. With each loss, the questions over whether this team, its coach, and its star player could ever get to the mountaintop grew. On Tuesday night, all those questions were answered. Giannis Antetokounmpo had an historic night, becoming only the 7th player in history to score 50 points in an NBA Finals game, and the Bucks brought a championship back to Milwaukee for the first time in 50 years. Today, The Athletic's Eric Nehm, who has covered Antetokounmpo's entire career, tells us how the star forward changed the narrative around his playoff performances and how the Bucks finally overcame the ghosts of playoffs past.

Read Eric Nehm's Milwaukee Bucks coverage: https://theathletic.com/author/eric-nehm/

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The 2021 NBA Draft is next Thursday, and one guy who has defied the odds (in a truly unprecedented way) to become a projected pick is Ohio University junior Jason Preston. The Athletic's James Edwards III recently interviewed Preston, and he joins us to explain how the late-blooming guard went from being a high school benchwarmer in Florida, to an aspiring basketball journalist, to an overnight college basketball sensation -- and how a family tragedy continues to fuel him.

Read James Edward III's story about Jason Preston:

https://theathletic.com/2707091/2021/07/15/from-pistons-blogger-to-likely-2021-nba-draft-pick-meet-jason-preston/

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U.S. track and field legend Allyson Felix is on the way to her fifth Olympic Games after qualifying for the 400 meter and the 4 x 400 meter relay. She and her 2-year-old daughter Camryn also stole the show (and kinda broke the Internet) at the Olympic Trials last month with an incredible display of cuteness after the race. The Athletic's Kavitha Davidson -- our very own former co-host! -- recently spoke with Felix about her incredible journey to qualifying for the Tokyo Games, and how her high-profile falling out with Nike two years ago transformed her from a quiet, eyes-on-the-prize runner to an advocate for mothers -- and now a businesswoman who says her new shoe company aims to do things differently.

Read Kavitha Davidson's full story about Allyson Felix:

https://theathletic.com/2702778/2021/07/13/i-hope-that-women-just-realize-their-worth-allyson-felix-bolstering-her-legend-status-by-fighting-for-mothers/

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The U.S. Men's National Basketball team has won four straight gold medals and looked pretty much unbeatable since 2004. That is, until recently. In the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Americans lost back to back games against Australia and Nigeria, and raised doubts over whether this team has what it takes to continue the streak of basketball dominance that the U.S. men's team has enjoyed for nearly two decades. The Athletic's Joe Vardon is embedded with the squad as they prepare for the Games. Today, we asked him whether fans should be worried about the teams prospects going forward or if this is just the growing pains of a hastily assembled squad.

Follow Joe Vardon's coverage of Team USA here: https://theathletic.com/author/joe-vardon/

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The 2021 NFL offseason has delivered a lot of surprising decisions, from the Bears moving up to draft Justin Fields to the Falcons moving on from franchise legend Julio Jones to the Raiders completely remaking their offensive line (for reasons that aren't entirely clear). Today, The Athletic’s Robert Mays joins us to break down some of the best, worst and most notable decisions of the NFL offseason — including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bringing back all 22 starters from their Super Bowl-winning team — and what it all means for the season that’s ahead.

Follow Robert Mays’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/robert-mays/?source=theleadpodcast

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For weeks, Japanese citizens have been holding protests about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and saying that Japan should not be hosting the Games in the midst of a worsening coronavirus pandemic. A recent poll showed that 80 percent of the public opposes holding the Olympics, and medical experts have warned that the Games could be a super-spreader event that will further strain the country's health care system. Now the government has declared a state of emergency, meaning many businesses are closing their doors, a move that has further enraged many business owners. So, with public opinion so squarely against them, why has the Japanese government continued to insist that the Olympic Games must go on? Anthony Kuhn, NPR's international correspondent in Seoul, joins us to explain why the government's position is about more than the bottom line.

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