The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 23, 20199:53 am

DAVANTE ADAMS AND THE RACE AGAINST TIME

Davante Adams anxiously awaited the news. Despite having played nine seasons in the NFL and being arguably the most decorated active wide receiver in the league, he eagerly awaited something most people would think is an afterthought at this point of his career. He needed to know whether he had made first-team All-Pro. Adams doesn’t ordinarily care for awards, for recognition. His motivation has always come from within. From seeing how far he can push himself past his own lofty standards. But this time was different.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 22, 20194:58 pm

DAVANTE ADAMS IS PEAKING IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE

Davante Adams could feel his daughter’s eyes on him. Watching him. Intently focused on his arms, his legs. His face. Then-15-month-old Daija couldn’t look away as her dad worked out in the middle of a gym inside their Danville, California, home last April. So he strapped Daija into a bouncer a few feet away that allowed her to jump and jump until her little legs grew tired. Normally, when bench-pressing heavy weight in front of his Packers teammates, Davante would struggle to complete one rep. But with Daija watching, he easily completed three. She’s watching me, he thought to himself. I have to show her that her daddy can do this. That her daddy is strong.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 22, 201911:06 am

IF YOU DON’T KNOW KEEGAN MURRAY YET, YOU WILL SOON ENOUGH

Keegan Murray calls for the ball. A sweat stain lines the back of his gray shirt. He’s been shooting jumper after jumper in a gym about 10 minutes away from downtown Chicago. Midrange off the dribble. Five spots of 3s. Jab left and pull up. He often won’t move to the next spot until he executes each drill perfectly. Until each release feels just right. It’s drizzling outside on this late-April morning. The sky is a deep gray-blue. A park sits across the street. This unassuming gym, which has a sign near its entrance that reads “To whom much is given, much will be required,” is where he’s been training for this week’s NBA combine in Chicago. Murray is one of the most intriguing participants in attendance. He leapfrogged from a barely recruited prep to a superstar sophomore at Iowa, to a projected lottery NBA pick in next month’s draft. Some mock drafts even have him projected to be a top-five pick.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 22, 201911:01 am

THE DRIVE BEHIND JABARI SMITH JR.

It was pitch black outside, but Jabari Smith Jr. didn’t need to see. He just needed to feel. His feet knew where to jump, his arms knew when to pump. It was 5:30 in the morning, an hour before Jabari, then in eighth grade, was supposed to wake up to get ready for school. But something tugged at him to hop out of bed and jump rope outside his home. To push himself harder. His mother, Taneskia Purnell, didn’t realize what was happening at first; she kept hearing a loud, persistent noise. It was cold when she went outside and found him, wiry body bouncing up and down, rope whipping in the wind. She wished he would let himself sleep just a little bit longer. But he was too determined. Too awake. “I’m OK, Mama. Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’m OK.”

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 22, 201910:45 am

There’s Heartbreak Behind Puka Nacua’s Sudden Rise to NFL Stardom

The words replay in Puka Nacua’s head, again and again: “I … AM … SPEED. “I … AM … SPEED. “I … AM … SPEED.” He borrowed the mantra from Lightning McQueen, the underdog rookie from Cars, and has repeated it to himself before every Los Angeles Rams game this season, convincing himself that he belongs on this NFL stage, despite falling to the fifth round of the draft in part because he ran too slowly in the 40-yard dash.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 22, 201910:16 am

The Twins Who Went From “Best-Kept Secrets” to Likely NBA Lottery Picks

Ausar Thompson is finding his rhythm. It’s just shy of 8:30 a.m., and he’s launching midrange jumpers, slowly inching back to the 3-point line. His workout hasn’t officially begun, but he’s already laser focused, tracking each make and miss. He wakes with that kind of concentration, telling himself before sunrise: “You’re not going to stop once in this workout.” On this morning in January, he makes good on his promise. Pat Quinn, his shooting coach, fires him crisp chest pass after crisp chest pass, and Ausar bends low, releasing shot after shot, finishing each with a silky follow-through.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 21, 20199:41 pm

Andrej Stojakovic Is Paving His Own Path to the NBA

A cacophony of whistles, buzzers, and sneaker squeaks permeates throughout a nine-court gym. A teenager with a familiar last name and a silver cross dangling from his neck clutches a basketball in one corner, far from the horde of cameras clicking across the court. He can see some of his Compton Magic teammates jockeying to get into the frame on this mid-May morning in Anaheim, California. The teen, standing a gangly 6-foot-7, doesn’t seem to hear any of it. He dribbles side to side, staring ahead. He doesn’t break a smile, doesn’t say a word. He is keenly aware that he’s in the spotlight. People know his name. Now they want to see if he’s any good, especially since he recently picked up scholarship offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA. Sometimes it takes referees a second to figure out who he is: “Stojakovic …” one will say. “Why do I know that name?”

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 21, 201910:40 am

Isiah Pacheco Is Running for Much More Than Super Bowl Glory

Before every game, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco takes a moment to himself, bowing his head and saying a quick prayer for his late siblings, Celeste Cannon and Travoise Cannon. They are always with him. Before the game. During the game. After the game. In his heart, his mind. He thinks about them often—and if they could see him now. See how far he’s come since he lost them.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 21, 201910:28 am

Yunus Musah Is From Many Places, but Just Found His Home

Yunus Musah didn’t quite know how to answer people when they asked him variations of the same question. Where are you from? He was 16 years old, a budding football prodigy who had just left Arsenal’s academy to join Valencia CF in Spain’s La Liga in 2019, when the queries seemed to peak. He was suddenly out of his comfort zone, away from everything he knew. His world was moving quickly. He’d pause a second, trying to gather his thoughts. Of course, he knew the literal answer.

The Ringer by Mirin FaderDec 21, 201912:11 am

THE INTERNAL RECKONING OF JAVIER “CHICHARITO” HERNANDEZ

Javier “Chicharito” Hernández glances at the ink that lines his arms. He points to a tattoo of a yin and yang symbol. Then one of two elephants, a larger one and a smaller one, drawn across his right forearm. The elephants represent what he refers to as his childish side and his mature side. He calls these competing parts of him his “dualities.” And there are others. His ego versus his essence. His light versus his shadow. Chicharito versus Javi—the name he’s known by all over the world, and the one used by family and loved ones. “I have two sides,” he says. “And it’s not just because I’m a Gemini. I think we all have it.”