Athletes
The Sporting Scene
What Is Lost in Luka Dončić’s Glow-Up
The rebrand of the Los Angeles Laker—who appeared on the cover of Men’s Health looking lean, buff, and bronze—makes sense. That doesn’t make it less sad.
The Sporting Scene
Women’s Basketball Needs All the Stars
The W.N.B.A.’s All-Star Game offered a vision of a league not centered on one player but elevated by many.
The Sporting Scene
Bottoms Up for the Big Dumper
Cal Raleigh, of the Seattle Mariners, and of the eponymous big butt, has been drawing a lot of attention lately—but he deserves even more.
The Sporting Scene
Wimbledon in the Age of Sincaraz
Jannik Sinner avenged his loss at the French Open with a commanding victory over Carlos Alcaraz, in the latest chapter of a transcendent rivalry.
The Sporting Scene
The Sincaraz Era Is Tennis Reborn
In Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the sport has not only its next great rivalry but a moment that highlights everything the sport can be.
The Sporting Scene
The Caitlin Clark Rules
The basketball star’s domination on the court is one of the most inspiring things in all of sports. Does it represent a revolution or evolution?
The Sporting Scene
Tyrese Haliburton Has Worn Me Down
The Indiana Pacers star is corny, he’s awkward, and he’s thrilling.
The Sporting Scene
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Good Vibes Are Being Put to the Test
The young team’s rise has been fuelled by a happy chemistry. But, after a Game One loss in the N.B.A. Finals, will it be enough?
The Sporting Scene
A Big-League Bet on Pro Softball
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League, led by the former M.L.B. executive Kim Ng, plans to capitalize on the surge of interest in women’s sports and to finally give the game its due.
Cover Story
Kadir Nelson’s “Major Taylor, a Champion Who Led the Way”
A celebration of the “world’s fastest man.”
The Sporting Scene
Gaël Monfils Is Winning in His Own Way
He made his French Open début two decades ago—and has been electrifying the tennis world ever since.
The Sporting Scene
Rudy Gobert Takes Out the Trash
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ center has been a perennial target for smack talk, but in the N.B.A. playoffs he delivers a masterclass in clapping back.
The Sporting Scene
JuJu Watkins Is the Moment
The U.S.C. basketball star’s magnetism is generated by nowness, by the way she seems to embody an ever-refreshing present.
The Sporting Scene
Team Canada’s Revenge, Served Ice-Cold
The hockey team’s thrilling victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off sent a clear message to the Americans and Donald Trump.
The Sporting Scene
The Tragedy and Farce of Luka Dončić’s Trade
The Dallas Mavericks handed their leading man to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now everyone is trying to make it make sense.
The Sporting Scene
Jimmy Butler’s Messy Splits
The basketball star has been known to force his way off teams. So what makes his attempt to break free of the Miami Heat seem so fraught?
The Sporting Scene
What’s Really Behind the House Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes from School Sports?
Trans people comprise a scant portion of athletes, at all levels, but the drive to bar them from participating in competitive sports has never been about numbers.
The Sporting Scene
Coco Gauff Edits Her Game
Will the tennis star’s small technical adjustments deliver big at the Australian Open?
The Sporting Scene
Donald Trump’s Go-To Dance Move Has Invaded Sports
It’s not clear whether the popular gesture is celebrating the President-elect or mocking him. But does that distinction even mean anything?
The Sporting Scene
Rafael Nadal’s Last Stand
Amid his impending retirement, the tennis champion leaves behind a legacy of courage.