The Is Winning Time a Winner? Edition

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the decline of the Brooklyn Nets and the surging New Orleans Pelicans. They also discuss Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes, and they review the HBO series Winning Time, on the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.

• Support Hang Up and Listen by subscribing to Slate Plus.

• Jaylen Brown has declined to comment on his vaccination status.

• Jack Hamilton in Slate on the rise of the Celtics.

• Kevin Durant says he’s been “thinking too much.”

• The Glue Guys podcast on huffing farts and Slenderman.

• The Pelicans won Game 4 to even their series against the Suns.

• Ben Rothenberg in Slate on what comes next after Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players.

• Russian player Andrey Rublev called the ban illogical and discriminatory. Retired Ukrainian player Alexandr Dolgopolov called Rublev a liar and a hypocrite.

• The Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins wrote in support of the ban.

• Former NHL goalie Dominik Hasek, who’s now in the Czech parliament, says all Russian players should be banned from the NHL.

• Jack Hamilton’s Slate review of Winning Time.

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not a fan. Neither is Jerry West, who is demanding a retraction and an apology.

• Adam McKay reveres West, who he spoke with for the podcast Death at the Wing.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Vic Weiss:

Josh’s Vic Weiss: Jose Alvarado hides on the basketball court. What other sports are good for hiding?

In this week’s bonus segment for Slate Plus members, Vinson, Stefan, and Josh discuss the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid’s thumb injury.

Podcast production and edit by Kevin Bendis.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.