For an N.B.A. Twitter 👑, It’s All Jokes. Lots of Them.

By BY ALANIS THAMES from NYT Sports Josiah Johnson can find humor in almost any sports or pop culture moment, earning him fans from the N.B.A. to Hollywood.https://nyti.ms/3HBCbZe

For a TikTok Running Star, It’s All Uphill From Here

By BY TALYA MINSBERG from NYT Sports Erin Azar, a.k.a. Ms. Space Cadet on TikTok, invited followers to join her, “a slightly overweight person who drinks too much beer,” as she trains for a marathon. She didn’t anticipate millions would respond.https://nyti.ms/3znzSDS

Jake Paul’s Big Night: 16,000 Fans, a Tweet From LeBron and a Win

By BY EMMANUEL MORGAN from NYT Sports Paul, the social media star turned boxer, hoped his eight-round, split-decision victory over Tyron Woodley would give him legitimacy in the sport.https://nyti.ms/3mJ7cmf

Fight by Fight, Jake Paul Strikes for Credibility

By BY EMMANUEL MORGAN from NYT Sports The social media influencer wants respect for his transformation into a main draw boxer even if his skills are beside the point.https://nyti.ms/3DjB12F

Mexican softball players apologize for tossing team gear.

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Pictures of their equipment and uniforms in clear trash bags prompted widespread criticism on social media.https://nyti.ms/3xjyvoB

Martina Navratilova Has Plenty to Say

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports One of the most dominant players in tennis history, Navratilova was a cultural pioneer when the world wasn’t prepared for an outspoken lesbian. Finally, the world is catching up, and she’s still here.https://nyti.ms/3fRU3Dw

Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul: Is It a Fight? ‘It’s Entertainment’

By BY MORGAN CAMPBELL from NYT Sports The bout won’t have an official decision since it’s an exhibition. It might have a knockout. It is certain to deliver an oversized share of frivolity.https://nyti.ms/3popPLq

At the French Open, Naomi Osaka Seeks Comfort on Clay and No Interviews

By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports The world No. 2 has said she won’t talk to journalists at the tournament, which begins on Sunday, but she faces a bigger obstacle: her record on clay.https://nyti.ms/3p0C5S3

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau Have a Beef. Or Do They?

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports The PGA Tour stars have been sniping at each other since 2019, but the click-clack of DeChambeau’s golf spikes really set Koepka off last weekend. We have a suggestion for how to settle things.https://nyti.ms/3uBWJJL

A Humbling N.B.A. Moment Brings Cheers From Japan

By BY ALEX WONG from NYT Sports Going viral because you got dunked on? Yikes — unless you’re Yuta Watanabe, whose effort has endeared him to a growing wave of basketball fans in his home country, Japan.https://nyti.ms/3h8fTnq

Zeb Powell Is Looking for the ‘Next Me’

By BY MICHAEL VENUTOLO-MANTOVANI from NYT Sports Powell has become “the face of Black snowboarding.” He does not take that lightly.https://nyti.ms/3dCCtCc

The Lawyer Who Became a (Pitching) Ninja

By BY ZACH SCHONBRUN from NYT Sports Rob Friedman has a huge social media following, top pitchers who swear by him and deals with ESPN and M.L.B. But he insists this is just a hobby.https://nyti.ms/3vgt2zp

Stephen Curry Sees Your Tweets, and Your Team’s Weaknesses

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports An up-and-down season for the ailing Golden State Warriors has social media abuzz with people doubting Curry, but he’s playing better than ever.https://nyti.ms/37xNT6T

This 14-Year-Old Ski Daredevil Is Already a Pro, and Trying Not to Scare His Parents

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports Kai Jones skis way out of bounds. But relentless practice on and off the slopes gives him confidence for tricks ready-made to go viral and emblematic of freeskiing’s growth.https://nyti.ms/3hEcUBg

What Is José Mourinho Telling Us on Instagram?

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports The Tottenham coach’s account is a surprisingly unfiltered window into his personality. It’s revealing a side of him he hasn’t always wanted people to see.https://nyti.ms/3r9ZzFg

Taylor Rooks Gets the N.B.A. Interviews That Go Viral

By BY SHAUNTEL LOWE from NYT Sports Rooks, a host at Bleacher Report, said being a Black woman in sports journalism has its challenges, but her approach — capturing players’ full humanity — gives her an edge.https://nyti.ms/2FCsEWr

Even in a Pandemic, Everyone Still Hates the Astros

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports Robbed of their chance to jeer Houston players in stadiums this year, fans have gotten creative with social media, banners and other ways of shaming the team for their cheating scandal.https://nyti.ms/31cjWXv

Gymnasts Worldwide Push Back on Their Sport’s Culture of Abuse

By BY JULIET MACUR from NYT Sports On Instagram and other social networks, gymnasts have tagged posts with #GymnastAlliance to share their own experiences in the wake of a new documentary that highlights verbal and physical abuse by coaches.https://nyti.ms/2D4hOry

A Career Spent on Twitter Can’t Ever Tell the Whole Story

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Ryan Babel, one of the first high-profile soccer players to use social media, has spent his career being defined by everything but his play.https://nyti.ms/2NULCZm

A Softball Team’s Tweet to Trump Leads Players to Quit Mid-Series

By BY NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The players said they did not want a photo of them standing during the national anthem to be used for political purposes.https://nyti.ms/3dp8473