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Defector

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

G-Wiz, the mascot of the Washington Wizards, stands courtside.

Bum-Ass Franchise Wins Last-Ditch Pot Of Gold After Years Of Self-Exile

Lauren Theisen

Cole Caufield #13 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates after scoring a goal

The Montreal Crowd Claimed A Victory

Mason Westfall

The Machines

The Claude Delusion

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Dancers of the Monte-Carlo ballet wait to perform on stage on the Opening Night of the "Ma Bayadere" ballet show, a creation by French dancer and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, in Monaco, on December 26, 2025. The show will take place from December 27, 2025 until January 4, 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Crosswords

The Crossword, May 11: She’s A Rainbow

Giri Nathan

Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Interviews

Longtime NBA Photographer Nathaniel S. Butler Explains How He Sees Basketball

Ray Ratto

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - CIRCA 1990: The Rocky statue stands atop the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1990. The statue of fictional character Rocky Balboa, as portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone, was created for and used in the Rocky III movie. It was later located outside the Spectrum at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. In 1990, it was temporarily moved to the top of the museum steps, which feature prominently in the original Rocky film, for the filming of Rocky V. In 2006, the statue was moved to a grassy area at street level on museum grounds. (Photo by James Drake/Getty Images)

Philadelphia Continues To Innovate In The Field Of Losing

Stephen Curry (30) speaks with coach Steve Kerr during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 13, 2019.

Steve Kerr Hasn’t Had Enough Just Yet

Tom Ley

The Timberwolves Were Elbowed And Kicked Back Into The Series

Kelsey McKinney

jeff probst snuffs Ozzy's torch in Survivor 50

Arts And Culture

Jeff Probst Is Ruining ‘Survivor 50’

Brandy Jensen

Finally, An Austen-ish Adaptation Worth Watching

shiny gold statue of turmp against a blue sky

Politics

Pastor Clarifies That Giant, Shiny Trump Statue Worshippers Love Is NOT An Idol

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, and other publications.

Owen Lewis

Boxing

Fabio Wardley Was Too Brave For His Own Good

David Roth

A photo of a bunch of old-timey green barstools with the cover of the NYRB Classics edition of Robert Coover's Universal Baseball Association in the middle and the Defector Reads A Book logo at left.

Defector Reads A Book

You Are Hereby Invited To Join The Universal Baseball Association

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces shoots over Alanna Smith #8 of the Dallas Wings

WNBA

Role Players, Ring Chasers, And A Shadow GM: Your Guide To The 2026 WNBA Season

Patrick Redford

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 07: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the second quarter of a game against the Detroit Pistons in Game Two of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

James Harden Is Powering Down

Luis Paez-Pumar

Federico Valverde #8 and Aurelien Tchouameni #14 of Real Madrid C.F. react following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid CF at MetLife Stadium on July 09, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Soccer

The ONLY Thing More BROKEN Than Real Madrid’s TEAM SPIRIT Is News Aggregators’ CAPS LOCK BUTTON

Nina Mandell

Footwork on the AAI vault during a gymnastics competition. In the corner is the cover image for the book "A Fraction of a Point: A Gymnastics Dynasty on the Line"

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

How One Ohio High School Built An Unlikely Gymnastics Dynasty

Gianni Infantino: We’re Just Here To Extract Wealth From You American Hogs

Jake Romm is a New York City-based writer and the Associate Editor of Protean Magazine.

Jake Romm

Franco Berardi’s ‘Thinking Gaza’ Fails To Think

Gritty the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers skates onto the ice prior to an NHL game against the Dallas Stars at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Podcasts

Gritty Is Beside Himself, With Lauren Theisen

PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 26: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on prior to Game Four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on April 26, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)