The Lead

As the NBA stays locked in a political standoff with China, the league has also made a big move in another major overseas market: India. The league played its first-ever preseason game in India two weekends ago. The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings tipped off in Mumbai before a crowd of 4,500 people -- oddly, most of them were children. The Athletic’s Sam Amick joins us to talk about how the game went and how the move fits into the NBA's larger strategy of global expansion. Shaun Jayachandran also reports from the ground.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick on the NBA’s quest to grow the game around the globe:

https://theathletic.com/1273376/2019/10/07/nba-india-diary-sacramento-king-indiana-pacers-preseason-trip/?source=theleadpodcast

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Joseph Tsai, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets has become a central character in the NBA-China story. As co-founder and executive vice-chairman of Alibaba, he has close ties to the Chinese government, and recently released a statement in support of China’s policies in Hong Kong. The Athletic's Bill Shea joins us to talk about Tsai's history, his love of sports, and why he's putting NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a tricky situation.

You can find Bill's latest writing on the NBA and China here: https://theathletic.com/1275004/2019/10/08/how-much-does-the-nba-stand-to-lose-in-china-over-a-tweet/?source=theleadpodcast

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Big League Chew, the bubble gum made to look like chewing tobacco, turns 40 next year. The gum has a fascinating history that involves an independent baseball team in Portland, the actor Kurt Russell, and two baseball outsiders who used chewing gum to stay connected to the game they love -- and to book their ticket to Cooperstown.

Check out Corey Brock’s story on the origin of Big League Chew:

https://theathletic.com/1190981/2019/09/10/how-jim-bouton-and-his-maverick-teammates-opened-up-that-first-pouch-of-big-league-chew/?source=theleadpodcast

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Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey created an international incident with a tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters. The backlash was swift and severe, as China broke ties with the Rockets and ceased broadcasting their games. Estimates say the NBA's relationship with China is worth billions, so the league is trying to walk a fine line. We investigate the history, the fallout, and look at what might happen next.

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A nine-month investigation by The Athletic raises troubling questions about abnormally high ADHD rates among University of North Carolina athletes and their use of prescription medications, and asks why these high levels of ADHD were not disclosed in papers coming out of the UNC’s renowned brain injury research center. The investigation calls into question the validity of research papers on concussions, some of which have influenced NCAA policy.

The Athletic's 3-part video series on UNC can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWM6ES5ykL4&list=PLJFxqDQGJPM3fOD-XK_WEs-9iS5ZDv-JS?source=theleadpodcast

The Athletic's report about the absence of critical data from UNC's renowned concussion research center:

https://theathletic.com/1261858/2019/10/08/failure-to-disclose-the-mysterious-absence-of-critical-data-from-uncs-renowned-concussion-research/?source=theleadpodcast

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The New York Yankees are one of the most storied teams in all of professional sports. So how did a former player-turned-broadcaster with no managerial experience become the team’s skipper? Hear about Aaron Boone’s unlikely rise to the most iconic job in baseball, learn more about his famous ‘savages in the box’ incident, and find out how he has proven his critics wrong as the team sets its sights on a World Series title.

Read Rustin Dodd’s story on how Aaron Boone became the perfect voice for the Yankees:

https://theathletic.com/1246710/2019/10/01/being-boonie-how-charisma-and-a-crazy-competitive-side-made-aaron-boone-the-perfect-voice-for-the-yankees/?source=theleadpodcast

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best young teams in professional hockey. The team is also led by a very young general manager who has placed a premium on locking in youthful talent with big contracts. It’s part of a wider movement in the NHL where young players are commanding the type of salaries that were once reserved for veterans. But while today’s young hockey stars are good, it’s the older teams who are winning Stanley Cups. The Athletic’s Craig Custance joins us to talk about Toronto’s baby faced GM and whether or not young stars are worth the money.

Check out Craig Custance’s “The Full 60” podcast for weekly conversations about the NHL’s hottest stories.

https://theathletic.com/podcast/22-the-full-60/?source=theleadpodcast

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A joint investigation from The Athletic and WVUE-TV in New Orleans reveals why a football stadium that was supposed to be built in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward still has not been completed. The project was intended to be a symbol of recovery after Hurricane Katrina. A decade later, there’s still no field and less than $900 remains in the organization's bank account. In Part Two of the story, we explore what transpired after the project’s creator and lead architect stepped away, and what happened to the nearly one million dollars that went missing.

Part two of a special two-part investigation.

https://theathletic.com/1244948/2019/10/01/what-happened-to-new-orleans-field-of-dreams-and-its-1-million-in-donations/?source=theleadpodcast

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A joint investigation from The Athletic and WVUE-TV in New Orleans reveals why a high school football stadium that was supposed to be a symbol of recovery after Hurricane Katrina was never completed. Celebrity athletes like Drew Brees and Saints head coach Sean Payton helped provide funding. The project captured the attention of President Obama, Anderson Cooper and news outlets across the country. But a decade later, there’s still no field -- and a million dollars is missing.

Part one of a special two-part investigation.

Read the full story on The Athletic:

https://theathletic.com/1244948/2019/10/01/what-happened-to-new-orleans-field-of-dreams-and-its-1-million-in-donations/?source=theleadpodcast

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We interview Governor Gavin Newsom about the bill he signed into law that will allow college athletes in California to be paid for the use of their name and likeness. We ask him why he signed the bill, what impact he thinks it will have, and why he agrees with the President of the NCAA that the new law is an “existential threat” to the status quo for college athletes.

Additional Reading:

https://theathletic.com/1255043/2019/09/30/the-athletic-roundtable-the-fair-pay-to-play-act-has-passed-in-california-what-now-for-college-athletics/?source=theleadpodcast

https://theathletic.com/1245743/2019/09/27/mandel-california-bill-is-not-the-existential-threat-ncaa-says-it-is/?source=theleadpodcast

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