Sports Poets Society

Mark Clennon for TIME https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/lebron-james/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=090626&fbclid=IwY2xjawSWYz9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFvcGtNYThYM2JIYUZMT0ZJc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoFMm92aGmy1KSeHgrYWV2AqaTEfXsyL9YWbgT0e8YuFkDmLwjecQCq6site_aem_YWdncwBX8IWgPDprVFzlQElrnfWi&brid=YWdncwGAGOOvWlkhtSlgdJcgktcM TIME Jun 09, 2026 by  Sean Gregory/El Segundo, Calif. Senior Correspondent Mark Clennon for TIME A purple smock adorned with smiley faces cloaks LeBron James ’ body around 7:30 a.m. one mid-April morning, as he’s groomed for a magazine cover shoot at the Los Angeles Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, Calif. Typically, this would be awful timing for a reflective talk with one of the world’s most famous people. James hasn’t been sleeping well. His speech is groggy. A first-round playoff series with the Houston Rockets opens in three days. He has practice soon. But throu...

https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1897126,00.html Former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly died Saturday morning May 9, 2009 in Florida. He was 78. by Sean Gregory - Monday, May 11, 2009 Follow @TIME As coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team that spawned the globalization of basketball, Chuck Daly didn't call a single timeout over the tournament's eight games. When you have Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on your squad, and are beating the awestruck Angolans, Brazilians and Puerto Ricans by an average of 43.8 points , any coach worth his whistle would have just let them play. But even if the Dream Team had been challenged, Daly, who died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday morning, at 78, might not have seen the need to lecture his team. Unlike most coaches, who are first-degree control freaks, Daly never stole the spotlight. Like any good boss, Daly always trusted his talent, and knew his guys would find a way to win. No coach massaged pro egos b...