The Lead

Steph Curry recently returned to the Golden State Warriors' lineup after missing most of the season with a broken hand. But during his absence, his brother Seth emerged as a key member of the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks.  The Athletic’s Tim Cato, joins us to talk about Seth Curry’s gradual rise from un-drafted free agent to Mavericks X factor, and what it’s like to finally emerge from his superstar brother’s shadow.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went on a local radio show on Friday to talk about his frustrations with the NFL. In a rather remarkable series of comments, he also sounded off on his fellow players, who he said don’t care enough about the new collective bargaining agreement that players are negotiating with the league. The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins us to talk about why things have reached a new boiling point, why Rodgers is speaking up at this late stage of his career, and how some players aren’t buying what Rodgers is selling.

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Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is on a mission to win over more fans in a city that is synonymous with the Lakers. And the franchise has doubled down on those efforts lately, through everything from a slick marketing campaign to building and renovating hundreds of basketball courts around the city of Los Angeles. With the Clippers and Lakers set to square off on Sunday, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha joins us to talk about how the ex-Microsoft CEO's quest to build his team's fanbase is going, how these two teams match up against each other on the court, and whether or not Los Angeles might actually start to become a Clippers town.

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of alleged sexual abuse and sexual trauma and the content might be emotionally upsetting for some listeners.

In the second part of a special investigation, a former player of junior and college hockey coach Thomas "Chico" Adrahtas joins us to tell his story. Brent Cary played for Adrahtas as a teenager and, like many young hockey players, looked up to the well-known coach, almost like a father figure. And though Cary himself ultimately didn’t accept Adrahtas’s proposition, he was deeply disturbed to learn what his mentor is accused of doing.

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Content Warning: This episode contains details about alleged sexual abuse and sexual trauma and might be emotionally upsetting for some listeners.

Multiple former hockey players have accused a former University of Minnesota and Robert Morris University Illinois hockey coach of sexual abuse. They say the coach, Thomas “Chico” Adrahtas, tricked them into having sexual encounters with someone they were told was a woman, when, in fact, it was the coach. The Athletic's Katie Strang, who spent months investigating Adrahtas, joins us talk about how, despite multiple reports against the coach over more than two decades, he was able to keep coaching.

Read Katie Strang's investigative report:

https://theathletic.com/1591547/2020/02/21/former-players-say-chicago-area-hockey-coach-sexually-abused-them/?source=theleadpodcast

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Last week, Maria Sharapova announced her retirement. She won five grand slams during her 19-year career — including a signature win over Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2004 — but also leaves behind a complicated legacy. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare to discuss Sharapova’s reputation as a ruthless competitor, the fallout from her late-career doping suspension, and her intense — but actually one-sided — rivalry with Serena Williams.

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When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away Russell Westbrook and Paul George, the basketball world more or less left them for dead. A lot of people also thought there was no way Chris Paul — sent to OKC in the Westbrook trade — would ever stay. But the Thunder are well on their way to a playoff berth, with CP3 at the center of it. Today, Erik Horne of The Athletic joins us to talk about how the Thunder have defied expectations, and how Paul, at age 34, is showing everyone he has a lot left.

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The NFL combine has gotten a little out of control lately, with people obsessing over the size of Joe Burrow’s hands, broadcasters raving about how fast 300-pound linemen can run the 40-yard dash, and a punter bench pressing 225 pounds more than two dozen times before a raucous crowd. The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins us from Indianapolis to talk about how the combine became such a bizarre spectacle and what events there actually matter (hint: it's not what happens at the smoothie station).

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The Negro Leagues celebrated a 100th anniversary earlier this month. And as part of our Black History Month coverage, we decided to send The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, a Kansas City native, to check out the iconic Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Today, Nate takes us back in time (and on a virtual tour) to hear why Jackie Robinson was selected to cross the MLB color line, how Negro Leagues players were like rock stars in their communities, and the stories of women who played in the Negro Leagues against the men.

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Earlier this month there was a big trade in the WNBA. The Phoenix Mercury acquired Skylar Diggins-Smith and the star guard is now united with two all-time greats: Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. A lot of people say this is the first time one WNBA team has had three true stars. The Athletic’s Alexis Mansanarez joins us to talk about how Diggins-Smith ended up in the desert, why she wanted out of her old team, and how the WNBA is starting to mirror the NBA in really good ways.

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