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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Giri Nathan

Split image: Spencer Dinwiddie on the left, dribbling a basketball; on the right, Kyle Kuzma, in street clothes on an NBA bench, pointing

Kyle Kuzma Docks His Boat On “Dinshittie Island”

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Shaquille O'Neal performs as a DJ at a party.

Florida Court Rules That Shaquille O’Neal May Continue To Juke Process Servers In The Physical World

Patrick Redford

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Muenchen looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match between Manchester City and FC Bayern München at Etihad Stadium on April 11, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Zemanek/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Soccer

Dayot Upamecano Lived A Defender’s Worst Nightmare

Corey Atad is a freelancer writer based in Toronto with an unhealthy Air Bud obsession.

Corey Atad

Defector At The Movies

‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ Is A Film About Action

Lauren Theisen

Jason Zucker sprays ice as he stops in front of Petr Mrazek

The Penguins And Islanders Are Having A Mid-Off

Annie Rauwerda is a writer and comedian from Michigan. She loves Wikipedia, digital archives, and her cat.

Annie Rauwerda

Life's Rich Pageant

In Search Of Wikipedia’s Shrug Guy

Kelsey McKinney

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Podcasts

Please Be Careful Who You Are Texting

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 11: Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James #6 interviews after the 2023 Play-In Tournament on April 11, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 2023 NBAE (

Lakers Redeem Cursed Season By Falling Backwards Into Playoffs

Defector Staff

The title card for "Roth and Roth: A Cardboard Cutout's Journey"

Announcements

We Turned David Roth And Cardboard Roth’s Journey Into A Short Film

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Draftee Diamond Miller talks to the media before the 2023 WNBA Draft on April 10, 2023 at Spring Studios in New York City, New York.

WNBA

Turning Pro In Women’s Basketball Is Not A Zero-Sum Game

Russell A. Carleton is an author at Baseball Prospectus and of the forthcoming book <a href="https://www.triumphbooks.com/the-new-ballgame-products-9781637272268.php?page_id=30&amp;cid=434862" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.triumphbooks.com/the-new-ballgame-products-9781637272268.php?page_id%3D30%26cid%3D434862&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1680985638870000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0_Ie5IAhP6DgMCeMB7in79">The New Ballgame: The Not-So-Hidden Forces Shaping Baseball</a> from Triumph Books, available in June 2023.

Russell Carleton

Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres' high-fiving after a Yankees win on April 2, 2023.

Welcome To Nowhere

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Two firefighters attempt to free a red squirrel, whose head is stuck inside a manhole cover

Creaturefector

History Repeats: Red Squirrel Gets STUCK In Manhole Cover In Germany, Just Four Years After Similar Squirrel’s Manhole Stranding

Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including Point B. Handsomest man in the world.

Drew Magary

Funbag

Help! My Friend Uses A Separate Loofah Just For His Butthole!

Soraya Roberts

Arts And Culture

‘Cry Wolf’ Shows How Easy It Is To Blame The Victim

Tom Ley

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards rests during a break in the game against the Sacramento Kings at Capital One Arena on March 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. 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.

Bradley Beal Would Like Gambling-Related Insults Kept To A Minimum

Sabres Complete Phase One Of “Operation: Stay Alive”

Barry Petchesky

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 10: Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders leaves the ice after obtaining an injury during a game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on April 10, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Islanders Came Up Small

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres looks out at the field in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 10, 2023 in New York City.

Small Ball Returned To Torture Yu Darvish

ROUBAIX, FRANCE - APRIL 09: (L-R) Race winner Mathieu van der Poel of The Netherlands, Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin-Deceuninck and John Degenkolb of Germany and Team DSM (injured after being involved in a crash) during the 120th Paris-Roubaix 2023, Men's Elite a 256.6km one day race from Compiègne to Roubaix on / #UCIWT / April 09, 2023 in Roubaix, France. (Photo by Frank Faugère - Pool/Getty Images)

Cycling

John Degenkolb’s Day In Hell Was Worth It

Israel Daramola

The ‘Succession’ Misery Index: Strategic Refocus

The NBA Doesn’t Like The Way The Mavericks Tanked

Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka walk over a footbridge on the course.

Golf

A Masters Where Both Sides Lose Is One Where Everyone Else Wins

Oneil Cruz, Pirates Suffer Devastating Injury

Laura Wagner

Protesters face off with a line of police officers during a rally against the fatal police assault of Tyre Nichols outside the LAPD headquarters, in Los Angeles, California, on January 27, 2023. - The US city of Memphis released January 27, 2023 graphic video footage depicting the fatal police assault of a 29-year-old Black man, as cities nationwide braced for a night of protests against police brutality. Five Memphis officers, also all Black, were charged with second-degree murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols, who died in hospital on January 10 three days after being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

Policing

Journalist Ben Camacho On Facing Petty LAPD-Driven Lawsuit: “It’s The Biggest Gaslight Of My Life”

Hamilton Nolan is a journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to his work at <a href="https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687350200913000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0naFbUVOe-5ZgtPDtIM3gz">HamiltonNolan.com</a>.

Hamilton Nolan

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 08: Shuichiro Yoshino of Japan and Shakur Stevenson of the United States exchange punches during their WBC Lightweight Final Eliminator match at Prudential Center on April 08, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.