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A little more than three years ago, inside a shiny new arena in Rwanda’s capital, the Basketball Africa League launched its inaugural season. It was a milestone for the continent and for America’s National Basketball Association, which was a driving force behind the venture.
But among human rights experts, the NBA’s deal with Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame has raised questions since the very beginning.
Today, our Mark Fainaru-Wada takes us inside his 18-month investigation into a partnership that formed the foundation for Africa’s new league and provides a clear-eyed examination of the complexities and ethical challenges of engaging in business with an authoritarian regime.
Find more details from Mark's story in his article and video report.
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The Olympic games are officially underway, and for the USWNT the chase for gold begins tonight against Zambia. 

But this isn’t the same team that we’re used to seeing. The names have changed, and with America’s worst finish in a major international tournament EVER in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the playing field is stronger than ever.  

So today, ESPN global correspondent Sam Borden explains what’s changed. Who stands between the ladies and a gold medal on the pitch?
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The 2024 Olympics are just about ready to get started in Paris. And that means that from sea-to-shining-sea, American fans are preparing to see the men’s Olympic basketball team bring home gold.

But, as we’ve seen in recent years, the talent gap between Team USA and the rest of the world has been closing on the hardwood.

So today, ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps tells us if the most talented international team we’ve ever sent to the games can capture the gold against the most talented field in the history of the Olympic games.
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It's been a minute since breakdancing hit mainstream culture in the early 1980s, but this summer, it’s evolving to another level with breaking, a competitive version of this art form, making its Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

16 men and 16 women will compete for the first-ever breaking medals on August 9th and 10th.

Today, Clover Gold introduces us to one of America’s top B-girls, Sunny Choi, and reflects on what breakdancing’s rise to the Olympics says about the impact and evolution of hip hop culture.
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Last Thursday, we kicked off an examination of ESPN’s rankings of the greatest athletes of the 21st century. And though we found a lot to disagree with, we also uncovered a lot of insights about the state of the sports world in 2024. 

So today, we bring you part two of this conversation between Emily Kaplan, Kevin Clark and guest host Jeremy Schaap. Does Kobe deserve to be higher than Tim Duncan? Why is Aaron Rodgers so low? Did international stars get a fair shake? What does this list tell us about the modern relationship between athlete and fan? We get into all that and more.
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WNBA All-Star Weekend is upon us, with the STARRY 3-Point Contest and the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge airing on Friday night at 9 pm eastern on ESPN. And the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game itself tipping off on tomorrow at 830 PM on ABC

So today, ESPN women’s basketball reporter Alexa Philippou, takes us through what the weekend has in store.

She previews the faceoff between Team USA and Team WNBA, and dives into the most riveting Rookie of the Year race in the history of the league. Before explaining just how the W can capitalize on the momentum that it’s seeing right
now.
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