Hi, this is Josh Levine. I'm the host of Slates Sports Podcast Hang Up and Listen,

which you probably know already, but I don't want to be self-important.

Maybe you didn't know that. I wanted to introduce this podcast that we have in our feed today. It is an

episode of I Have to Ask, which is an interview show hosted by my colleague

Isaac Chautner, known for his great interviews in text.

He now is doing them in podcast form.

This episode is an interview with Ethan Sherwood Strauss.

He writes about the Golden State Warriors, it's for ESPN.

We've had him on Hangup a bunch of times.

If you've liked those interviews, you'll like this one.

Maybe you'll even like this one better,

because Isaac's a pretty good interviewer.

Enjoy.

Welcome to Slates I Have to Ask Podcast. I'm Isaac Chotner.

My guest today is Ethan Sherwood Strauss, a writer for ESPN who covers the Golden State Warriors, the most popular basketball team of the last several years.

The NBA playoffs are upon us, and while in this conversation Strauss and I did discuss some basketball, we also discussed a bunch of other things that should be interesting even if you're not a sports addict.

Like how often sports commentators should talk politics, how superstar players like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant interact with each other, and how endorsement deals can make team chemistry more difficult.

Ethan join me in Studio in Berkeley Berkeley and here is our conversation.

Ethan thank you for being here today.

Thanks for having me.

I wanted to start by asking how you began to cover the NBA.

Um, it started after college.

...