logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
42m 30s

Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstar...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.  

 

  • SOURCE:
    • Sue Bird, former professional basketball player.

 

 

Up next
Aug 23
Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great (Update)
From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side. SOURCES ... Show More
53m 24s
Aug 16
164. Unravelling the Universe, Again
More than two decades ago, Adam Riess’s Nobel Prize-winning work fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. His new work is reshaping cosmology for a second time. RESOURCES:Adam Riess, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University. SOURCES:"The Nobel Prize Winner Who T ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 2
163. The Data Sleuth Taking on Shoddy Science
Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent plenty of time rooting out cheaters in other fields, how he does it. SOURCES:Uri ... Show More
56m 25s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
The NBA, the WNBA and the Pro Sports Pay Gap: Your Questions Answered
When Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark lit up this year’s March Madness basketball tournament and propelled the women’s final to top the men’s in TV viewership, the gap between men’s and women’s sports looked like it might be starting to close. But that’s not the case when it comes to ... Show More
14m 13s
May 2022
What’s Next for Sue Bird
If Sue Bird’s WNBA career was a person, it would be old enough to drink. The 12-time All-Star, five-time first-team All-WNBA selection, Olympic Gold Medalist, four-time world champion, and recent NCAA women’s tournament megacast star may (or may not) hang it up after this 21st se ... Show More
35m 16s
May 2023
A’ja Wilson On Chasing Greatness, LeBron Retirement Talk, WNBA GOATs & More | EP 13
WNBA Champion & Two-Time MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces joins Paul George and his co-hosts Jackie Long and Dallas Rutherford to discuss when the WNBA first became a reality for her (4:52). A’ja explains why she decided to attend the University of South Carolina, what her r ... Show More
1 h
May 2024
Will Black WNBA Superstars Get What They're Due?
Last month, news broke about Caitlin Clark’s $28 million shoe deal with Nike. It’s undoubtedly a great business decision for both Nike and Clark as she transitions into becoming the most hyped WNBA rookie of all time, but the announcement begets a conversation about equity in the ... Show More
37m 40s
Sep 2020
Breanna Stewart
All-world basketball star Breanna Stewart joins Kelley to discuss her ongoing pursuit of basketball perfection. Stewie discusses her recent recovery from a torn Achilles, why she’s still salty about the games she lost in college despite going 151-5 and winning four national champ ... Show More
47m 32s
May 2022
Sue Bird: Running it back, We Are BG, and what's next for the WNBA
Sue Bird joins The Players’ Pod to talk all things WNBA: where the league should expand, how players are handling Brittney Griner’s detainment, whether this is actually Bird’s last season, how the league has changed and how it needs to evolve, and what it takes to win a Champions ... Show More
1h 8m
Feb 2021
Sheryl Swoopes | Ep 71 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes joins Matt and Stephen on episode 71 of All The Smoke to discuss her illustrious basketball career. Swoopes discusses being the first player signed in the WNBA, being a 3x-MVP, and win 4 WNBA titles. Plus, Swoopes discusses equality in sports today, the ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 2022
The NBA Forces a Fit Check
October 17, 2005. The NBA is going through massive changes. Michael Jordan is retired (again), and the league is getting younger. Stars like Allen Iverson represent the rise of hip-hop culture, which David Stern blames for the league’s dwindling viewership. His solution? Today, S ... Show More
29m 53s
Apr 2023
LSU’s Angel Reese & Flau’jae Johnson: Catalyst for Change in Culture & Women’s Sports
FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST:MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcastINSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivotTWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivotTIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivotFACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast FOLL ... Show More
54m 51s