This week on The Limits, Jay talks to author and editor Dave Zirin about the intersection of sports and politics. Dave has written 11 books on these topics, covering the many ways that activist athletes have unveiled larger systemic issues of racism and injustice in America.

Dave gets into it with Jay on overlooked female athletes like Wyomia Tyus and Brittney Griner, on whether the NFL is better safeguarding players from longterm brain damage, and the hypocrisy of criticizing the business of sports while remaining a lifelong fan.

Dave also talks to Jay about Colin Kaepernick, whose taking of the knee in 2016 sparked protests across America, and the framing of Dave's latest book, The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World. Dave has a different take on Kap's NFL journey than last week's guest, Stephen A. Smith. He argues instead that the NFL was setting Colin Kaepernick up to participate in a media circus--and Kap has chosen not to be a clown.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Dave talks more about how Colin Kaepernick's taking of the knee inspired his predecessors to speak out more about their own history of activism.

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay talks to his ESPN colleague and longtime friend, Stephen A. Smith. The First Take co-host and network star has reinvented how sports, politics, and candor can go together on the air. As one veteran executive told him shortly after his 2003 ESPN audition, "It was the greatest audition I have ever seen in the history of this business."

When the studio lights come on, Stephen A. Smith is always ready. But he stumbled in his early career, letting his ego get the best of him after the cameras were off. He was temporarily let go from ESPN in 2009, and his mom made him literally look in the mirror and reevaluate what he was willing to put into--and get out of--his professional path.

That wisdom has paid off, and Stephen A. is now one of the highest-paid sports analysts in history. He talks to Jay about how he remains fearless in linking sports and politics, the responsibility he feels as a Black man to use his platform and be heard, and his controversial opinions on Colin Kaepernick.

Stephen A. Smith's memoir, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, is now available for pre-order and releases on January 17, 2023.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Stephen A. continues to unpack the link between sports and politics in America.

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Hollywood powerhouse Tracy Oliver sums up her career simply. "When people go right, I always tend to go left." She wrote the hit 2017 film Girls Trip, becoming the first Black woman to pen a movie that grossed over $100 million at the box office. On today's episode of The Limits, Tracy tells Jay how she has navigated her biggest Hollywood successes, from an eight-figure deal with Apple, to creating and executive producing the Amazon series, Harlem.

Tracy credits a lot of her wins to her contrarian streak, which she's had from a young age. She tells Jay how she randomly started wearing a Stanford sweatshirt while growing up in South Carolina–then ended up attending. That's where Tracy met Issa Rae, and the two began collaborating. In the relatively early days of Youtube, they created the popular web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.

The Internet was wowed by their presence, but multiple studio executives laughed them out of the room with blatant sexism and racism. Tracy stayed on track, steadily building her portfolio as a writer focused on the friendships of Black women, and the joy of the Black experience. Today, her career is a blueprint for so many aspiring creatives of color, and Tracy has shown time and time again that Black stories are anything but niche.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Tracy talks about mentorship in Hollywood.

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This week, Jay is in mixtape mode, pulling together three of his favorite conversations on The Limits. With The Breakfast Club losing co-host Angela Yee to do her own show, Charlamagne tha God shows what it means to be proud of longtime colleagues as they move on to other things. He talked to Jay about his own journey of education and discipline, from jail to finding his voice on the mic as a now-legendary interviewer.

Next, with the NFL pre-season underway, Jay revisits his conversation with Brian Flores. He's the former Miami Dolphins head coach who believes he was fired for refusing to lose games on purpose. Flores is suing three NFL franchises and the league itself, alleging racial bias and discrimination in hiring practices. He's committed to exposing the truth of what went down and underscoring the importance of how much representation matters, especially in leadership.

And speaking of coaches who stand by their principles, Jay closes out the mixtape with his conversation with Mike Krzyzewski, legendary former head coach of Duke Men's Basketball. "Coach K" guided Jay to a national championship back in 2001 and would win five in total. He also coached the U.S. men's team to multiple Olympic gold medals. He discusses his toughest moments in his career, and what he's enjoying in his first year of retirement.

Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus.

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay looks back on his conversation with a recently split, beloved comedy duo. For years, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero lived the lives of many struggling New Yorkers: juggling multiple odd jobs, battling roaches, and just trying to make ends meet in the Bronx. But they also spent plenty of time online, where their constant back and forth on Twitter was so funny that followers demanded they make a podcast.

Their eponymous show, Desus and Mero, has since exploded over the last decade from podcasting into television, culminating in a successful four-season Showtime run.

Desus and Mero talk about that journey, and the kind of hustle and hard work it takes to make for good podcasting and longevity in show business. Plus, they don't hold back with Jay, getting into it on the NBA, the best rappers in the game...and the virtues of the Filet-O-Fish.

This episode first aired in May 2022, before Desus and Mero announced their split.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains explicit language and material suited for mature audiences.

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This week, Auntie Oprah (as Jay calls her) lent us an episode from Trials to Triumphs, a podcast on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Hosted by Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, Trials to Triumphs discusses the personal and professional struggles of innovators–just like The Limits.

On today's episode, Ashley speaks with actress and singer Amber P. Riley. Amber is best known for her role as Mercedes on the hit comedy-drama series Glee. She also starred in the West End debut of Dreamgirls and won season 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013.

Amber and Ashley discuss reaching contentment by nurturing authentic relationships, embracing stillness and finding peace. Amber also gets real about building her Glee family, and how she managed the loss of beloved costars.

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This week, we revisit one of Jay's favorite conversations with the incomparable Niecy Nash. In her own words, Niecy has made it "from the hood to Hollywood." She talks to Jay about her early days in Hollywood with clarity–and hilarity.

The 2022 Oscars may be infamous now for very different reasons, but this interview originally happened the month prior, when the nominations were still being scrutinized for lacking diversity. Niecy got real about the deeper reasons the Academy so often overlooks Black women, and why she isn't looking for its approval.

Her outlook is faith-based and positive, not in small part because she has found love again with her wife, musician Jessica Betts. As she reflects on her evolving sexuality, Niecy confirms that finally, she feels seen.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. This week, we'll look back at some of the best wisdom guests have given Jay on how they remain strong and grateful, with advice from Megan Rapinoe, Mero the Kid and Nike executive Larry Miller.

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On today's episode of The Limits, Jay speaks with Colman Domingo, star of stage and screen. He's the ultimate character actor, known for stealing scenes in films like Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Selma, and If Beale Street Could Talk. He embodies every character he takes on, most recently earning an Emmy nod for his role as father-figure Ali to Zendaya's Rue on HBO's Euphoria.

Colman is a triple threat in Hollywood, with experience as a producer, director, and writer. He just wrapped shooting the film adaptation of the musical version of The Color Purple, where he plays the villain, Mister. Through the conversation, Jay could not believe that a man so full of reflection and empathy could tap into that kind of darkness so convincingly. As Colman puts it, he "chooses the light," channeling negative energy into making poignant art. He also has this wisdom for aspiring Black artists: "No one can tell you not to create. So just create the thing--and don't wait."

Alongside his extraordinary talent as an actor, Colman's depth as a human being is every bit as impressive. In this moving conversation that brought both men to tears, he and Jay discuss expressing needs and boundaries in relationships, finding identity in fractured families, and grieving the loss of beloved parents.

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In this week's episode of The Limits, Jay talks to Steve Stoute, a music executive responsible for shaping the careers of the biggest stars in recent memory. Nas, Mariah Carey, Will Smith...Steve Stoute's resume rivals any of the biggest players in the industry.

He spent the '90s molding talent at Interscope Records alongside Jimmy Iovine. But in 2004, when he felt his vision for marketing wasn't being realized, he left Interscope and founded his own firm, Translation. The company now has a net worth of over 30 million dollars with clients like HBO, Nike and Beats by Dre, and it sits directly at the intersection of advertising and music.

Now, Steve's attempting to shake up the music industry once again with his company UnitedMasters, which gives artists the ability to distribute their music across platforms without signing to a label.

Steve talked to Jay about his journey from the trenches of the music industry to mogul status, his relationship with Nas, the current state of hip-hop, and how he thinks advertising and marketing models in the streaming era need to be totally reimagined.

And because Steve's a guy who prefers to stay out of the limelight, he asked not to be on video. But we'll be back with full video content on NPR YouTube channels next week.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits.

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On today's episode of The Limits, Jay talks to legendary fashion designer, Dapper Dan. For over five decades, "Dap" has revolutionized the way hip-hop and fashion have influenced each other, dressing the likes of Eric B. and Rakim, LL Cool J and Salt-N-Pepa. He also always makes sure everything goes down in his native Harlem, where Jay met up with him.

Once a gambling prodigy, Dap briefly went to prison on drug charges, but he came out with a renewed respect for Black culture and sensibilities. He started dressing gangsters and hustlers, and gained popularity for repurposing the logos of brands like Gucci for hip-hop icons.

When the FBI came after his namesake Harlem store, it seemed like Dap would have to shut down for good. But he remained a cultural fixture, and in one of life's great ironies, built a new chapter in his career in a 2017 partnership with Gucci.

At 77, Dap thinks like a historian, relating everything he has made to the musical and cultural movements of the time. He tells Jay how Harlem has evolved, how he's managed to always look forward, and who he sees as this generation's successor to his vision.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. This week, Dap talks about the wisdom he imparts on Harlem youth today.

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On today's episode of The Limits, Jay sits down with his mentor: the all-time great, Duke college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Coach K. For Jay, this is the man who helped him channel his inner rage and insecurities as a teenager into reaching the ultimate heights of college basketball. He was also one of Jay's biggest supports after Jay's career-ending accident.

Over 42 seasons at Duke, Coach K won five championships and guided hundreds of players to their greatest potential. He coached icons like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry in the Olympics, bringing home the gold three times. He built trust across generations of players--always putting in the work to reach them physically and emotionally, individually and as a team.

But as his career soared, his physical and mental health suffered, and he reveals to Jay the ultimatum that pushed him to turn to therapy to show up as a better man for his players, and for his family.

It's one of many reasons Jay calls Coach his second father.

Coach K also discusses his retirement, and the moments that now give him true happiness. And Jay and Coach get into what their relationship has meant over the years, and how that continues to evolve.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. This week, Coach K talks about working with NBA Finals MVP Steph Curry.

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We're in instant replay mode this week on The Limits, revisiting Jay's conversation with billionaire tech mogul Mark Cuban.

Whether it's the NFL or the NBA, healthcare policy or America's two-party political system, Mark Cuban believes that when you buck tradition, you begin to grow. In this episode, the Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank investor challenges NFL franchise owners to rethink who they hire and why.

He applies that same logic to the healthcare industry, where he is upending the market by flipping it on its head and selling more directly to consumers. These big ideas come from a man who hustled his way from his working-class roots all the way to the billionaire club. At a time when the American dream feels completely out of reach, Mark explains why he still believes in it.

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One of Al Harrington's biggest takeaways from his sixteen-year run in the NBA? Never let a rookie take your spot. The former power forward constantly found ways to evolve the game to outsmart new competitors — and, in his words, "provide a new offering."

In his post-game career, he's used that mindset to build the cannabis company Viola, which sells high-quality forms of marijuana. But Viola's mission isn't solely to sell product. Instead, Al wants to ensure that Viola gives Black and brown entrepreneurs significant opportunity in the legal, multi-billion dollar cannabis industry.

Al recognizes how decades of the American War on Drugs have ravaged Black and brown communities with disproportionate mass incarceration rates for marijuana-related offenses. He wants to offset that lasting harm by finding seats for entrepreneurs of color at the table.

Al sat down with Jay to discuss the stigmas he has overcome as a Black former NBA player building a cannabis company, the challenges he's facing bringing up Black entrepreneurs in the space, and why Viola is the LVMH of weed. Plus, he talks about his preferred strain of cannabis, and what to ask for in a dispensary.

EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of drug use and is only appropriate for adult audiences.

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When New York multi-hyphenate Jon Gray set it upon himself to bring the Bronx to the world through food, he faced two battles: establish a successful business at the tail end of a recession, and overcome the high-end culinary world's historically white gaze.

Now, Ghetto Gastro, the food collective he co-founded, is connecting the dots between fashion, design, hip-hop and the culinary arts. They've created unforgettable food experiences and products in collaboration with Nike, Microsoft, Airbnb, Beats By Dre and more. They're known to bill corporate giants well into the six figures for just a few dozen dinner guests.

Jon was raised in a nurturing, education-forward household in the Bronx. As a teenager, he sold drugs to afford things his peers couldn't. In conversation with Jay, he talks about how he transitioned from that lifestyle--and applied some of those same skills--to a multidisciplinary career in the arts that he "reverse-engineered," in his words.

He also explains how Ghetto Gastro is not only about creating value, it's about capturing that value, circulating it back to Black people through donations, and thereby channeling new opportunities into the community directly.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Jon discusses his personal and spiritual connection to the late designer Virgil Abloh.

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U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe is of course a champion on the field, but off the field, she's a champion for the causes that matter. She has long been one of the biggest voices advocating for equal pay in the U.S. Soccer Federation, which was historically reached via collective bargaining agreements this month.

Now, as she's reaching the end of her trailblazing run in professional soccer, Megan sat down with Jay Williams to talk about the path to equal pay for the U.S. Women's National Team, and what work still needs to be done across professional sports.

Plus, she reveals whether she'll appear in the 2023 World Cup, the sacrifices she has made as a lifelong athlete, and whether or not a future in politics is in store for her.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Megan discusses equal pay in the international arena, and how she has remained at the top of her sport.

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This week, we're letting our friends at It's Been a Minute take over our feed.

In this episode, guest host Juana Summers talks with Danyel Smith about her new memoir, Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Women in Pop. As a previous editor-in-chief for both Billboard and Vibe magazines, host of the Black Girl Songbook podcast, and longtime music reporter, she uses her expertise to spotlight the stories of pop powerhouses like Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson, Whitney Houston, and more.

In her book, Smith crafts a love letter to Black women in pop, capturing the intimate details of who they were, their influence on her, and how their music changed pop forever.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Jay looks to his favorite moments in conversation with his guests about parenthood.

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You know Ben Baller as the jeweler who has iced up the biggest names in hip-hop. But before that, he was a record executive listening to Jay-Z's first album before anybody else. The guy's got stories. Like how he was fired by Dr. Dre for speaking out against the bad contracts Dre was giving to his artists.

So Ben gets fired? So what. He's a master of reinvention. He sells his sneaker collection for millions and starts designing high-end jewelry. Now he's telling stories about making pieces for Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson.

In this episode of The Limits with Jay Williams, Ben tells Jay how he hustled his way to the top not just once, but over and over again. The way he tells it, a Korean-American kid can do anything he wants if he just goes out and grabs it.

Content warning: This episode contains explicit language only suitable for mature audiences.

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For years, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero lived the lives of many struggling New Yorkers: juggling multiple odd jobs, battling roaches, and just trying to make ends meet in the Bronx. But they also spent plenty of time online, where their constant back and forth on Twitter was so funny that followers demanded they make a podcast.

Their eponymous show, Desus and Mero, has since exploded over the last decade, so much so that it is now coming for the throne of late night on Showtime. And still, even as their fame has catapulted, they've managed to keep the most authentic versions of themselves intact on camera and off.

On this week's episode of The Limits with Jay Williams, Desus and Mero talk about that journey, and the kind of hustle and hard work it takes to make for good podcasting and longevity in show business. Plus, they don't hold back with Jay, getting into it on the NBA, the best rappers in the game...and the virtues of the Filet-O-Fish.

Desus and Mero airs Thursday nights at 11 PM ET on Showtime.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Desus and Mero share their experiences as children of immigrants, and how that has shaped their careers today.

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In your mind, Kelly Rowland might be the teenager of Destiny's Child fame, or the solo artist with dance floor anthems like "Commander." But these days, Kelly's much more than a pop star. She's an entrepreneur, philanthropist, writer and mother of two beautiful children. She recently published a children's book called Always with You, Always with Me, her ode to working moms.

This week on The Limits, as we gear up for Mother's Day, Jay and Kelly explore motherhood: how Kelly juggles being a good mom with her career, how she strives to be transparent with her children about fame and celebrity, and how she cared for her own late mother in her final days.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Kelly takes it back to her early days with Destiny's Child, and how her experience as a child star impacts her life today.

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As a former NFL player and star of the Bachelor, Colton Underwood has embodied the highest ideals of masculinity. He worked hard to fit the mold of what everyone expected him to be. Until it almost killed him. When he finally accepted his sexuality and came out in 2021, the impact felt seismic.

This week, Colton talks about navigating his football career as a closeted gay man—what it was like to experience locker rooms, and the homophobia that came with them. And why the sports culture makes it so difficult for closeted men to live their lives openly.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Colton shares his thoughts on raising kids as a gay man.

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We've all failed before. Competition, rejection, loss...it's all a part of life. It's what The Limits is about: overcoming those obstacles to become great.

This week, we're featuring an episode of NPR's Life Kit featuring Jay Williams where he talks about the long, often grueling process of working through our disappointments. He describes the winning principle that got him through a career-ending motorcycle accident, through depression and addiction, and through multiple suicide attempts: you control your own narrative.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits.

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Denzel Curry brought his rage to rap. For years, he's been known for taking a crowd and turning it into a moshpit. It was his way of taking his internal pain and expressing it. These days, though, Denzel is looking inward and so is his music. Now his mission is to find peace, and he wants the rest of us to find it too.

Denzel pioneered the Soundcloud rap movement, but the death of his friend, XXXTentacion, made him reconsider his own relationship to fame. In this episode, Jay and Denzel talk about the pressures of fans and how to take care of yourself once you become an icon.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Denzel reveals who he think is the best rapper in the game right now, and what makes him the most angry.

Denzel just appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. Catch his performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glHqWvkpRqo

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Michele Roberts grew up watching the NBA on her TV, but she never imagined she would one day be a trailblazing executive for the league. After Michele was named executive director of the NBA Players' Association (NBPA), she became the first woman to hold this position, and the first woman to lead a major sports union in North America.

The recently-retired Roberts has been a beacon for the league's star players, guiding them through a near-lockdown, a global pandemic and a full-blown strike in response to racial injustice. All the while, she's broken down barriers for Black women in sports. In this week's episode, she and Jay Williams discuss her journey from the Bronx to the big leagues, the stereotypes she's faced long the way, and her admiration for other Black women trailblazers like Ketanji Brown Jackson.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Jay talks to Michele about other NBA issues like Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia.

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On this week's episode of The Limits, we're in instant replay mode. We're bringing you back to where it began, with our first conversation with sports marketing executive Maverick Carter. Maverick is the architect behind LeBron James' athletic empire, and he sat down with Jay to share how he and LeBron succeeded on their own terms, why LeBron's mother initially doubted their vision, and what Mav really thought about LeBron's decision to return to Cleveland.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.

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TJ Adeshola has been changing the game in sports media and tech for years. The Twitter Global Head of Content Partnerships got his start at ESPN, where he was grateful to receive guidance and opportunity from several Black mentors.

When he entered the tech world at Twitter, however, he didn't see many people who looked like him. From then, TJ's mission has been clear: to diversify tech spaces from the inside out – and he's been breaking those barriers as a leader for nearly a decade.

As he puts it, "If you're looking to build a winning team, you don't recruit five point guards."

TJ and Jay also discuss the current state of sports media, and how as a sports executive, he managed to maintain community and fandom during a pandemic that halted live events.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, TJ talks with Jay about cancel culture, and how the Twitter team is tackling fake news.

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Hip-hop producer RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan always knew he was going to be one of the greats. And believing it was his first step to achieving legendary status.

RZA was confident about what his music would sound like and what he wanted to say. But he also had the confidence that he could turn other artists into stars. All RZA needed was a little time and trust. He asked the members of Wu-Tang to give him five years and he would get them to number one on the charts.

Now known as the Five Year Plan, RZA's deft management of each Wu-Tang artist's styles – and egos – helped shape the storied legacy and immense success of Wu-Tang today. As RZA takes his place as an elder statesman of hip-hop, he's thinking about creating generational wealth for the next crop of young artists. Plus, he tells Jay what he hopes to accomplish with his new album, Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, RZA talks about Kanye West, and his philosophies for balancing artistry and pain.

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson knows that the key to being a good chef is a lot like being a good athlete. You get up every day and keep pushing yourself.

Despite being told that his Blackness would never let him own a fine dining restaurant, he made his way cooking in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. After landing in New York in his early 20s, he set his sights on building a restaurant empire, starting with the renowned Red Rooster in Harlem. Today, he is a James Beard award winner, Top Chef alum and host, philanthropist, and food activist.

As his career has soared, he has thought deeply about what Black cuisine means to this country and around the world. Marcus tells Jay about how he thinks Black cuisine, much like Blackness itself, is ever evolving. Plus, he gives his perspective on the restaurant industry's outlook in the pandemic, and why he says good food is a civil right.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Marcus gives tips on the kitchen tools you'll need to make great meals, even if cooking isn't your thing.

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It's Prime Time on The Limits. NFL legend Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders sits down with Jay to talk about his latest chapter coaching college football. The two-time Superbowl champion decided to bet on HBCUs as the future of the NFL, successfully making what Sports Illustrated has dubbed one of the most shocking recruits in college football history.

The head coach of Jackson State University now feels his calling is to raise the next generation of young, Black athletes. He's coaching them to be better on and off the field, and he's advocating for them to finally get paid for their name, image, and likeness.

As Sanders puts it, his tenure as a coach is "not a moment, but a movement." And just as with his own NFL career, Neon Deion is building the kind of coaching record that proves his critics wrong.

You can watch Sanders in action in his new Barstool Sports and SMAC Productions docuseries Coach Prime. New episodes air Tuesdays and Thursdays on all Barstool Sports digital platforms at 8:00pm ET through March 10.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. On this week's Plus episode, Deion Sanders talks about the personal relationships that have pushed him to greatness.

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In her own words, Niecy Nash has made it "from the hood to Hollywood." As she closes out her leading role in Claws, Niecy tells Jay about her early days in Hollywood with clarity–and hilarity.

With the Oscars approaching next month, Niecy also gets real about the deeper reasons the Academy so often overlooks Black women, and why she isn't looking for their approval.

Her outlook is faith-based and positive, not in small part because she has found love again with her wife, musician Jessica Betts. As she reflects on her evolving sexuality, Niecy confirms that finally, she feels seen.

For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. This week, Niecy Nash discusses reconciling her faith with her sexuality, and her cheat code for handling pressure.

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Bobby Hundreds is a trendsetter, and he believes if you give yourself permission you can be too. As founder of the iconic streetwear brand The Hundreds, he's been at the forefront of design for decades, and in this episode of The Limits he tells Jay how he does it.

For Bobby, success is about reframing your perceived weakness as your greatest strength. In the early days of The Hundreds, when Bobby found himself with limited merchandise, he branded it 'exclusive' and suddenly buyers found his designs irresistible. Now he's applying that same mentality to Web 3.0 by expanding the definition of "NFTs."

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Whether it's the NFL or the NBA, health care policy or America's two-party political system, Mark Cuban believes that when you buck tradition you begin to grow.

In this episode of The Limits, the Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Shark Tank investor challenges NFL franchise owners to rethink who they hire and why. He applies that same logic to the healthcare industry, where he plans to upend the market by flipping the market on its head.

These big ideas come from a man who hustled his way from his working-class roots all the way to the billionaire club. At a time when the American dream has become a joke, Mark explains why he still believes in it.

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Brian Flores is not messing around. The former Miami Dolphins head coach was fired last month, and had his eyes set on the top job with the New York Giants. But a misdirected text from New England Patriots general manager Bill Belichick convinced Flores, who is Black and Latino, that the hiring process was rigged against him, and that race was a major factor. He responded to the NFL by filing a class-action lawsuit on Tuesday. He was one of only three Black head coaches in the NFL at the time of his firing, in a league that has a majority of Black players. The lawsuit accuses the league of systemic racism and discriminatory hiring practices. It's made for a whirlwind 48 hours for Flores, who did not come to the decision to take legal action lightly. And it's arguably a louder stand than when Colin Kaepernick took his knee and paid the price. In this episode of The Limits, host Jay Williams sits down with Flores to talk about the change he hopes to inspire in the NFL, and the sacrifices he's willing to make to see that change take flight. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.The Limits is produced by Karen Kinney, Mano Sundaresan, Leena Sanzgiri, Barton Girdwood, Brent Baughman, Rachel Neel and Yolanda Sangweni. Music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our executive producer is Anya Grundmann. Special thanks to Charla Riggi and Erin Register.

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Larry Miller has been a top executive in sports and athletic wear for decades. As the Chairman of Nike's Jordan Brand, he's in charge of a multibillion-dollar global apparel juggernaut. But as a teenager growing up in West Philadelphia, he made a violent mistake that haunted him for decades: he murdered an 18-year-old man, Edward David White.

Later in life, as he ascended the corporate ladder, Miller kept his past a secret, afraid that it would jeopardize his career.

In this episode of The Limits, Miller tells Jay Williams why he couldn't keep his secret any longer, and how he took Michael Jordan's ideas and turned them into one of the most successful athlete-driven brands in the world. Plus — what he says about the possibility of Nike collaborating with Kanye West.

Larry Miller's new book is called Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom.

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You know Ben Baller as the jeweler who has iced up the biggest names in hip-hop. But before that he was a record executive listening to Jay-Z's first album before anybody else. The guy's got stories. Like how he was fired by Dr. Dre for speaking out against the bad contracts Dre was giving to his artists.

So Baller gets fired? So what. Ben Baller is a master of reinvention. He sells his sneaker collection for millions and starts designing high-end jewelry. Now he's telling stories about making pieces for Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson.

In this episode of The Limits, Ben tells Jay Williams how he hustled his way to the top not just once but over and over again. The way he tells it, a Korean-American kid can do anything he wants if he just goes out and grabs it.

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It took a long time for Gabrielle Union to realize she had the wrong idea of success in Hollywood. That idea came from growing up in Nebraska, in white spaces, where she often embraced a role as 'the Black friend.' But in Hollywood she grew to reject those roles. Now her priorities are her own, and she's learned hard lessons about what to pay attention to — and what to ignore. In this episode of The Limits, Union tells Jay Williams how she learned to stand up for herself, why 'balance' is a myth, about her journey with surrogacy, and how she and her husband — former NBA star Dwyane Wade — overcame a turbulent time in their relationship. Union is an actor, activist, producer, and entrepreneur. She is the author of We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True and You Got Anything Stronger? For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.

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Lenard McKelvey's mom was an English teacher. As a kid, he always had his head in a book — even when he was reading that book in a jail cell. But there were some things he couldn't learn from reading, and one of them was how to be true to himself as his radio career took off. Now he's Charlamagne Tha God, host of the massively influential radio show The Breakfast Club and his own late-night show on Comedy Central, Tha God's Honest Truth.

In this episode of The Limits, Charlamagne tells Jay Williams how he came to wield one of the biggest microphones in Black culture, and why — despite that — he's still working on finding his voice.

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Years before they built the SpringHill Company — an entertainment and development brand recently valued at $725 million — Maverick Carter and LeBron James were just two kids from Akron, Ohio who loved playing basketball. Over the past two decades, their friendship and ambitions have grown stronger as they have defied assumptions of what athlete-driven business ventures can be.

In this episode of The Limits, Carter — CEO of SpringHill — sat down with Jay Williams to share how he and James succeeded on their own terms, why LeBron's mother initially doubted their vision, and what Carter really thought about LeBron's decision to return to Cleveland.

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We all have moments when our limits are tested. On this show, host and ESPN correspondent Jay Williams asks how we define those limits — and what it means to exceed them. New episodes every Tuesday, starting January 4th.

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