The Sports Bubble with Jensen Karp

From the makers of THE SPORTS BUBBLE comes DRAFTED, a new podcast series hosted by Keegan-Michael Key that offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at eight college football players as they enter the NFL draft. We hear their hopes, dreams, and fears during the most exciting time in their young lives. DRAFTED premieres September 21st, and is a production of Treefort Media, Klutch Sports Agency, and iHeart Media.

In 2019, three-time Olympian swimmer Nathan Adrian was diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer - setting him up for a difficult road to recovery in time for Tokyo 2020, hopefully to be his fourth Olympic Games. Then the global pandemic rescheduled all of 2020. The five-time Olympic gold medalist talks about how the postponement may have helped him, the difficult task of finding Olympic-sized pools in a global crisis, and how his public health degree keeps him up at night these days.

We're all in need of a little inspiration these days, which makes Sean Elliott the perfect athlete for The Sports Bubble. Not only is the Spurs legend an NBA champion and two-time All-Star, he's also one of the greatest college basketball players of his generation - and he did it all while battling a crippling kidney disease that resulted in a transplant. Now, as the long-time, and healthy, San Antonio Spurs broadcast analyst, Sean talks about his heightened health concerns during the pandemic, the difficulties with announcing NBA games from home, and his terrifying experiences with racism growing up and playing in Arizona.

While the return of most sports leagues remains shaky at best, NASCAR has returned at full speed. Leading the way is driver Aric Almirola who found himself on a hot streak - whether as the only driver that has finished in the top 10 at every race since the stopdown or by crossing the finish line in third place at Geico 500… backwards. The driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing shares how he’s turned this strange season into the best of his career, why he sent a text to Bubba Wallace, and why he’s ready to capture the W at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.

The first sports league in the United States to return to “normalcy” was the NWSL – no small feat accomplished without the brave women who first experienced it like Utah Royals FC star Kelley O’Hara. The two-time FIFA World Cup champion talks about the “summer camp” vibe of the Challenge Cup, the social landscape of America, and if the internet trolls she’s dealt with in her life and career still allow her to think this world can be saved. They also get into why there’s really no good soccer movies (seriously, Hollywood, what gives!). Then, Jensen talks to former WBC super welterweight champion and current DAZN boxing analyst, Sergio Mora.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith went from playing alongside Michael Jordan on a North Carolina NCAA team to ten seasons in the NBA where he helped lead the Houston Rockets to back-to-back championships. Since then, The Jet has brought his expertise on the court to the always entertaining & award-winning Inside the NBA on TNT, where he's delivered enough classic TV moments to rival his extensive on-court highlight reel.

It’s official, the MLS is Back…in a bubble. For stars like midfielder Sebastian Lletget of the powerhouse LA Galaxy, the results of this tournament mean more than just a win, draw, or loss… it’s an attempt at playing for normalcy. In this episode, Jensen talks to Sebastian about the latest in the MLS quarantined version of “the happiest place on earth,” the racism he’s seen in the sport while playing for West Ham United, and whether anyone has heard from Zlatan Ibrahimović since he left LA. They also play a game to test just how well he knows his girlfriend Becky G.’s music - it’s a contest that will really make or break her new song, “My Man.”

To be an elite striker, you have to be fearless. As the fastest player in Major League Soccer history to reach 100 goals, Bradley Wright-Phillips has shown he’s as fearless as they come. But the current world we’re living in even has him worried. In an open and raw conversation, recorded just before the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, the two-time Golden Boot winner reveals his deep concerns about the “tough ask” to leave his family behind, the long-standing racism in soccer, and whether activism has become a “trend.”

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen is not only one of baseball’s best all-around players, he’s also a fun guy off the field, which can’t be said about everyone in the league. The 2015 NL MVP and five-time All-Star talks to Jensen about his hilarious quarantine alter-ego “Uncle Larry,” how that epic Topps trading card came to be, and his recent viral “Fresh Prince” moment in an empty Philly rental. They also chat about Andrew’s return from injury, the game’s need for black community outreach, and how - or if - MLB locker rooms can actually adapt to today’s Black Lives Matter movement.

When your gamer handle is “MamaImDatMan,” you better mean business. As the reigning MVP of the NBA 2K League and its first individual player to sign an endorsement deal, Nidal “MamaImDatMan” Nasser has proven he deserves the moniker. Nidal joins Jensen to talk about the skills and training it takes to be WAY better than you at video games, how the 2K League travels just like their NBA counterparts, and why the community of eSports is growing in popularity. He also helps pick Jensen’s future online handle.