Home Articles Multimedia Best Work

Best Work

ESPN.com •

75 stadiums, 45 states, one vision: Why the Savannah Bananas' next step is their biggest yet

Jesse Cole vividly remembers the early days of owning the Savannah Bananas.They sold only a handful of tickets in the inaugural season in 2016 as a member of the Coastal Plain League playing as a collegiate summer team. He and his wife sold their house, emptied their savings accounts and slept on an air bed to start the team. When they left traditional baseball in 2022 and started "Banana Ball," Cole expressed that they had a "big vision to create something special."The doubters expressed an opp...
ESPN.com •

How The Rock transformed his body -- and mind -- into Mark Kerr

SITTING IN A Beverly Hills hotel room during one of multiple media junkets, Dwayne Johnson spent nearly three minutes explaining how he morphed his mind and body into Mark Kerr for "The Smashing Machine" when he turned to the MMA pioneer and asked: "How did I do, by the way?"Kerr opted for an anecdote. His son, Bryce, saw the film in New York a couple of months ago. He immediately called Kerr afterward and began whispering his thoughts, almost afraid to admit what he had seen."'Dad, he walks lik...
ESPN.com •

Hawks' State Farm Arena, streamer Davis Dodds host 24-hour livestream for NBA schedule release

Chiney Ogwumike says the Hawks could lose star playmaker Trae Young as he enters the final year of his contract. (1:32)Born and raised in Atlanta, Internet personality Davis Dodds grew up attending Atlanta Hawks games at State Farm Arena. Now, he'll be part of a first-of-its-kind NBA schedule release.Dodds is hosting a 24-hour Twitch livestream at the arena that began at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday to announce Atlanta's 2025-26 schedule. NBA teams can announce their upcoming season's schedule at 3:15...
ESPN.com •

Return to your happy place: How Happy Gilmore's long-awaited sequel came to be

Adam Sandler gives a nod to his famous "Happy Gilmore" character to announce the Bruins picking Boston College's James Hagens with the seventh pick. (1:48)Since Happy Gilmore hit the big screen in 1996 with his wild swing and short temper, a sequel seemed to be buried in the rough.Editor's PicksChiefs' Travis Kelce shows out in training camp ahead of 'Happy Gilmore 2' cameo3dNate Taylor'Happy Gilmore 2' cameo guide: PGA stars, NFL champ, WWE icons and more2dESPN StaffThe waterboy can ball: Stori...
ESPN.com •

'That's the Thundor dream': How one superfan contributes to OKC's 'free throw defense'

Brian Windhorst joins Scott Van Pelt to break down the Pacers' comeback win vs. the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (1:48)Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey went to the free throw line against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs at Paycom Center.The Grizzlies already faced a 12-point deficit with one minute left in the first quarter. Edey shot an admirable 70.9% from the charity stripe during the regular season.Against the Thunder's st...
ESPN.com •

Every Lakers game, illustrated: The artist capturing the season in real time

Luka Doncic reveals that he threw his phone the night he was traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers. (4:33)Los Angeles-based artist Jack Perkins started a new tradition this season. After each Los Angeles Lakers game, Perkins -- known on social media by his @purehoop handle -- recapped the result with comic-strip-style illustrations. Each of them focused on a theme of the specific game.Throughout the highs and lows of Los Angeles' 82-game regular season, the detail of Perkins' work evolved. The...
ESPN.com •

Thousands of games, one-of-a-kind scores: Inside NBA 'scorigami'

March 2, 1963, lives in NBA history as the day Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points. On March 2, 2025, another statistical nugget joined the Big Dipper's.The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs ended 146-132, the 3,159th unique final score in NBA history and 14th this season. Or, in other words, a "scorigami."The NBA's recent increase in scoring has opened the door for point totals never seen in the league's near-80-year history. Hakob Chalikyan wanted to make sure tho...
ESPN.com •

'I've never seen him': Organist Dieter Ruehle is the Dodgers' and Kings' mystery music man

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes isn't sure the team's organist exists."I feel like ever since I've been here, you always hear 'Dieter Ruehle,' and it's almost like, I don't know if it's a real person," Barnes told ESPN. "I feel it's just like a mythical thing or I don't know. It sounds crazy to say but no, they do a great job, he does a great job."His teammate, Mookie Betts, is on the same page."Yeah exactly," Betts told ESPN. "I've never seen him."Editor's Picks'A small difference, bu...
ESPN.com •

Spray cans & sunset hues: L.A. artist honors Luka Doncic, Kobe Bryant in Lakers mural

With each stroke of a spray can, Arutyun Gozukuchikyan refined the details of a Luka Doncic mural -- brought to life in colors he never imagined."I never thought he was gonna come to [the] Lakers," Gozukuchikyan told ESPN, referencing the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers this month.As purple slowly covered Doncic's undershirt, someone behind Gozukuchikyan photographed the moment. Overhead, cotton candy clouds painted the Los Angeles sky.In a...
ESPN.com •

'Don't steal from us': The tackle that earned Cal's equipment manager a Senior Bowl invite

Trevor Skogerboe, equipment manager at Cal, shares what it was like tackling a fan to prevent a helmet from getting stolen during a field storming. (2:45)Field storms can be dangerous. Goal posts are toppled. Players are run over. Injuries are common.But what's often forgotten in these moments is what California Golden Bears equipment manager Trevor Skogerboe couldn't get out of his mind: he needed to make sure equipment didn't go missing.Moments after Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza led a 17-p...
ESPN.com •

Trio of young stars grace MLB The Show 25 cover

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser explain why they would keep the rare Paul Skenes baseball card and not trade it for the Pirates experience offered. (2:27)MLB The Show 25 will feature three athletes for the first time, with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gracing the cover as the video game embraces a "dynamic era" of young MLB talent.The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video...
ESPN.com •

'You want to hear the song?': How a 1980s Orlando Magic song became a victory lap

Mikal Bridges finishes with a monster slam to extend the Knicks overtime lead vs. the Sixers. (0:17)After logging 42 minutes in a commanding 98-74 victory over the Orlando Magic last March, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart sat at his Madison Square Garden locker, catching his breath and reflecting on the night.The victory snapped Orlando's five-game win streak. But, equally important -- if not more so -- to Hart, it denied the Magic's attempt at fulfilling a ritual.Since November 2023, Orlando ha...
ESPN.com •

Ribbit and roll: A viral mascot fuels the Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell takes over down the stretch to help the Cavaliers stave off the Bulls and advance to 14-0. (1:57)The Cleveland Cavaliers had just won their 14th straight game of the NBA season.The victory against the Chicago Bulls marked the longest win streak in franchise history. The Cavaliers became the sixth team ever to start a season 14-0. That swift start followed a busy offseason, which included moves that have ushered in a team that has exuded fun on and off the court.Perhaps there is...
ESPN.com •

The waterboy can ball: Stories from Adam Sandler's pickup games

THE MOMENT IS still fresh in his mind.It's March 2023 and a Los Angeles-based photographer who goes by the moniker Xavier Luggage is in the middle of his first pickup basketball game at Poinsettia Recreation Center.The park typically fills around 6 p.m. with people arriving to get games in. But it's an hour or so earlier when the attention of the players snaps toward the side of the court.They all see him warming up, seemingly out of nowhere."I was like damn, that looks like Adam Sandler," Lugga...
ESPN.com •

'We finally made it': Inside Chase Budinger's journey from the NBA to Olympic beach volleyball

Chase Budinger still remembers the feeling.Growing up in Encinitas, California, he would sit on the living room floor with his family in the evening and be glued to watching the Olympics.As athletes would win events, grab their respective country's flag and wear it with pride as they celebrated, those emotions impacted Budinger, even though he sat thousands of miles away.They also inspired him."It kind of just became a dream of mine of wanting to do that someday," Budinger told ESPN. "To kind of...
ESPN.com •

Hoops and horoscopes: Zodiac GM explores astrology's impact on NBA

Jrue Holiday shuts down Andrew Nembhard with a steal in the final seconds of Game 3. (0:44)LATE IN GAME 3 of the 2024 Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics were fighting.The Indiana Pacers held a 2-point lead with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. A win would cut the Celtics' advantage to 2-1, ensuring the series would return to Boston.After the Pacers missed an opportunity to extend their lead, Jrue Holiday converted an and-one, snatching the Celtics' first lead since the opening qu...
ESPN •

Twins unveil City Connect uniforms, a celebration of Minnesota's lakes

The Minnesota Twins looked to capture a specific feeling in their City Connect uniforms, which were unveiled on Monday.

It's a feeling one experiences while sitting by the shore of a lake -- the water hitting against the rocks on the shore while hearing the waves ripple in and out as the sun sets.

With the state being covered with lakes, it's a familiar moment for Minnesotans. Prince said it best in the 1984 film "Purple Rain": "You have to purify yourself in Lake Minnetonka."

The Twins' City
ESPN •

Anthony Edwards' memorable slogan takes over Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2004, and a new slogan is taking over the state.

The Timberwolves advanced to the round after defeating the Denver Nuggets in seven games. The series began with Minnesota fans tattooing Naz Reid's name on themselves after Game 2 and ended with Anthony Edwards creating another memorable trend after Game 7.

During a postgame interview on Sunday, TNT's Charles Barkley told Edwards he hadn't been to Minnesota
ESPN •

'Pulled off the impossible': Behind the scenes of the Chargers' Sims-themed schedule release

Seconds into the Los Angeles Chargers' 2024 schedule release video, one thing becomes abundantly clear -- this won't be your ordinary NFL schedule unveiling.

It's set in the world of "The Sims," a life simulation video game series where players can create characters and control their lives through various objectives and tasks.

In the Chargers' world, there's a scene of John and Jim Harbaugh fighting, reminiscent of the movie "Step Brothers." A portrait of Bill Belichick's dog, who became a sta
ESPN •

Tampa Bay Rays unveil City Connect uniforms, a nod to the organization's innovative spirit

The Tampa Bay Rays have always been willing to do things differently.

Though they routinely have one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball, the Rays have reached the playoffs in five straight seasons by getting the most out of their roster.

They introduced the idea of an "opener" in 2018, leading to the best ERA in the American League just a month after the strategy, though that is just one part of a long list of Tampa Bay innovations.

The Rays' latest? The reveal of their City Conn
ESPN •

'This is so exhausting': The Knicks' season as told by Ben Stiller's social media

Ben Stiller's routine is simple. When the New York Knicks are playing, he clears his schedule and tries to be home.

He doesn't make dinner plans on game nights. Stiller guesses that might be the definition of "being maybe a little too into it." When not sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden, his preference is simply watching the team alone.

"I can then ... shout or scream at the screen or whatever," Stiller told ESPN. "And I find when I'm watching the game in public, I start releasing sou
ESPN •

Miles Myerscough-Harris recreates Swedish soccer team's photo with 127-year-old camera

Miles Myerscough-Harris had a simple task: recreate a 100-year-old team photo of the AIK soccer club. His main piece of equipment, a No. 4 Cartridge Kodak camera made in 1897, added a layer of complexity to that assignment.

Days prior to AIK's match against Örebro SK on Feb. 18, the club released a special kit to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Allsvenskan, Sweden's first division, which AIK plays in. Players donned the kits before the game against Karlberg as Myerscough-Harris prepare
ESPN •

'Like a store on wheels': Meet Travis Kelce and Dak Prescott's custom suit tailor

After the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a spot in Super Bowl LVI, Tom Marchitelli had one thing on his mind.

"I spent the first 24 hours after he clinched the AFC title, reaching out to everyone I could. How can I get in contact with Joe Burrow?" Marchitelli told ESPN.

In 2014, Marchitelli left his job as a hedge fund accountant to become a custom menswear designer for athletes. By Super Bowl LVI, he had worked with top players such as Travis Kelce, Dak Prescott and Rob Gronkowski, tailoring his
ESPN •

Artists celebrate Kobe Bryant with 639 (and counting) worldwide murals

LOS ANGELES -- On the day of Kobe Bryant's death in Jan. 2020, the plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena overflowed with people. Fans placed tributes everywhere. Flowers covered the ground. Tears replaced words.

A stunned silence overcame the venue's entertainment complex as it offered a place for Bryant fans to pay their respects and grieve together. In the hours and days after his passing, Los Angeles Lakers and Bryant fans found comfort in another avenue -- art.

In a Miami neighborhood, Gustavo
Load More