The Sporting Scene
How Nikola Jokić Became the World’s Best Basketball Player
He doesn’t run very fast or jump very high, and seems to prefer the company of horses. But he has mastered the game’s new geometry like nobody else.
When Trucks Fly
Monster-truck tires are at least sixty-six inches high—the height of the average American. When the trucks leap fifty feet in the air, a crowd’s reaction is almost religious.
Daniel Bard Made an Improbable Comeback. Then He Had to Do It Again
The Rockies pitcher overcame mysterious control problems to return to the major leagues, but the problems weren’t gone for good.
Toto Wolff, the Compulsive Perfectionist Behind Mercedes’s Formula 1 Team
Mercedes drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, dominated the world’s fastest motorsport for a decade. Now they can’t win a race.
Will the Saudis and Donald Trump Save Golf—or Wreck It?
High-level defections! Tiger Woods and Jared Kushner! Lawsuits and blacklists! Is the new LIV league a way to reward players, or the vanity project of a despot, or something else?
Can Pickleball Save America?
The sport, beloved for its democratic spirit, could unite the country—if it doesn’t divide itself first.
Kai Lenny Surfs the Unsurfable
The big-wave surfer tackles some of the most fearsome swells on the planet. On the surface, it looks like he’s just having fun.
What It Takes to Climb the World’s Most Forbidding Cliffs
After decades of dominance, Tommy Caldwell is still seeking new ascents.
Invasion of the Robot Umpires
The minor leagues have been testing the Automated Ball-Strike System. But isn’t yelling and screaming about bad calls half the fun of baseball?
Hou Yifan and the Wait for Chess’s First Woman World Champion
For years, Hou was the only woman who stood a chance against the very best. But she had her own ambitions.