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James Harden’s Rockets Changed The NBA Forever

When James Harden arrived in Houston on Oct. 27, 2012 — via one of the most second-guessed trades in NBA history — he instantly transformed the Rockets into a perennial contender and changed how basketball was played. Several times in the Harden era, which saw Houston make the playoffs in each of his eight full […]

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The Premier League Race Is Tight. Which Teams Really Have A Chance?

cwick (Chadwick Matlin, deputy editor): Readers! It’s been ages since we last came to you with our half-baked ideas about who the greatest soccer player in the world is, well-meaning jokes about Tony’s outrageous collection of soccer kits, and deeply-researched analysis about what is happening in the English Premier League and Champions Leagues. It’s such […]

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Women’s Basketball Is Awash With Standout Freshmen

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma has a theory on why anyone thinks there’s a better freshman in the country than his starting point guard, Paige Bueckers. “I’m not boasting, but if I talked to every single coach in America and they told you they’d rather have their freshmen than Paige, I would tell you they’re […]

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What Makes Patrick Mahomes So Great

We know which athletes are great, but we know less about what makes them great. To help, FiveThirtyEight is compiling The Greatness Files, a compendium of, well, what makes great athletes great. Next up in our series: some guy named Patrick Mahomes. I grew up a Joe Montana fan. I was 2 years old when […]

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The Nets Go All-In With James Harden, But The Move Has Risks

After a month of drama and no shortage of trade speculation, the Houston Rockets finally dealt disgruntled superstar James Harden on Wednesday, shipping him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team megatrade that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. The haul for Harden? Three players (headlined by Caris LeVert, whom Houston sent to […]

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