Colin McGowan
J.R. Smith Is Fun Again
J.R. Smith has never lost his swagger for even a moment. But in Cleveland, he's found a way to channel it, stay weird, and help a championship contender.
Players, Haters, Ball, and the Players' Choice Awards
The NBA Players Association wants to have its own postseason awards. It's not like the world needs more awards, but how could it be worse than the status quo?
Man City Is Rich and Broken
Now that they're a big-time club, Man City is learning all about the psychoses that come with that status. Spoiler alert: It makes everyone miserable.
Paul George Is Back, Kinda
With his official return to the NBA out of the way, Paul George can focus on what he and his fans want most: a return to form.
Happy and Mad In March
For various reasons, good and bad, Wisconsin and Duke are usually villains in March. This year both teams are uncharacteristically fun and characteristically great.
The Boston Celtics Are Going For It
In a league increasingly obsessed with compiling assets, the Boston Celtics have opted to play to win instead. It shouldn't seem as revolutionary as it does.
Michael Bradley, Forever Out Of Place
Michael Bradley is likely the best American soccer player of his generation. The reason he seldom looks like it has everything to do with what he's being asked to do.
The Houston Rockets Are Doomed
The Houston Rockets are famously dependent on big ideas. But those ideas require people, and Houston's human components are breaking down at the wrong time.
A National Soccer Team Is not Just a National Soccer Team
Is it even possible for a national soccer team to create an identity and style for itself without running into a tangle of metaphor and national biases?
No More Mr. Nice Guy: The End of Rick Barnes in Texas
Rather than fire his staff or change his style, Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes decided to leave the Longhorns. In the end, his coaching never equaled his recruiting.
The NBA's MVP Scramble and Living In Interesting Times
The NBA's Most Valuable Player race is usually an exercise in manufactured debate. This year it is real, and it's spectacular, as befits a league in transition.
John Calipari Cares A Lot
John Calipari has everything he claims to want at the University of Kentucky, and is on the cusp of historic success. So why do NBA rumors continue to swirl around him?