The Golden State Warriors inked yet another eight-figure contract this week that will completely reshape the NBA. Instead of adding another MVP to their roster, however, the reigning world champions signed a deal to let Rakuten, a major Japanese tech company, advertise on their jerseys. The three-year, $60-million agreement is the latest and largest in the NBA’s decision to let teams put ads on their jerseys. This move by the NBA shows how corporate sponsorships are taking yet another step in defining the way we experience sports. Rakuten is not new to the sports world, as it signed a similar contract with soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona last November. Its soccer deal was much more lucrative, totaling at $262 million...

This past week, the 2016–2017 NBA regular season came to a close. The playoff seeding is now set and the teams who clinched playoff spots are preparing to make a run. Fans are hopeful the 2017 Finals will be as good as last year’s, when the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied back from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the powerhouse Golden State Warriors in seven games. But while the 2016 NBA Finals were exciting, most NBA playoff series are uncompetitive, lopsided and uninteresting. The playoff format is to blame. The NBA allots 16 playoff spots overall, eight per conference. This means that more than half of the NBA’s 30 teams make the playoffs every year. In contrast, there are only 10 playoff spots in the MLB (the two Wil...

The NBA season is finally in high gear, and it only took six weeks for a rookie to make a fool of himself. It’s always a waiting game after the NBA draft: Which soon-to-be rich 19-year-old draftee is going to show the world that, despite having a pro­fessional career, he acts his age? The third pick from the 2015 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers Jahlil Oka­for answered that call. After an explosive start to the season — averaging nearly 17 points and eight rebounds per game — it would be unfair to expect Okafor to tuck himself into bed before cur­few and stick to mineral water. In fact, Okafor reportedly attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages with a fake ID at a bar, appropriately named Misconduct Tavern,...

Attention Oberlin College seniors: You have two more sure opportunities to see LeBron live in action this season — maybe forever. Shell out the big bucks and see the best athlete on the planet throw down. It was a midsummer’s dream come true for Cavaliers fans. In early July, as the haze wafted off the asphalt basketball courts in Cleveland, countless fans asked themselves: Where will LeBron land? Many were still bitter after his “decision” to move to Miami in 2010, but was it time for the prodigal son to return after four finals appearances and two championships in South Beach? In July of that summer, LeBron posted a heartfelt essay to the Sports Illustrated website answering that question: He was coming back ...