This week on the Top Reads Podcasts, Bradley Allen shares an article from The New Yorker about how Golden State has made basketball beautiful again. Sticking with the basketball theme, ESPN has collaborated with 99% Invisible, creating a audio documentary series about the history of the slam dunk, as well as a special feature about the evolution of basketball.

Also, Julie Angell and Alexa McCarthy discuss the Chicago Tribune’s take on Rob Gronkowski’s lap dance, and what it means for women in sports media.

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Here are the rest of the top reads from the Impact sports staff:

The hate towards Cam Newton isn’t due to race, it’s because people love to hate the cocky player. Cam acting like a brat yesterday will hurt his reputation, and it isn’t because of his color. From FoxSports.com

What separates American soccer players from the rest of the world? The length of their season. And US national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann proposes some vital changes to the game. From MLSSoccer.com

A lot of dopers have slipped through the cracks in track and field and Olympic sports overall. It’s  that dirty little secret that nobody wants to talk about. Here’s a piece from last month, but it’s timely leading up to the Olympics. From Deadspin

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