Tania Ganguli

The federal indictments against N.B.A. players and others for illegal betting exposed a new wrinkle in the way old friends can benefit from their access to an athlete.

More than 30 people were indicted on Thursday in a case involving insider bets on basketball games and poker games rigged by Mafia families.

A former teammate of LeBron James is accused of giving inside information to gamblers. Mr. James has not been accused of wrongdoing.

The only active N.B.A. player named in two indictments was Mr. Rozier, a versatile veteran who first drew the attention of gambling investigators in 2023.

Las Vegas Sands, owned by the Adelson family, was under pressure in Macau, with billions at stake. That created an opportunity.

The People’s Daily newspaper put the star player’s name on an opinion article, an example of the political perils the N.B.A. could face in China.

The league’s popularity has given rise to online sexism and racism — and misinformation that traffics in both.

The W.N.B.A.’s Sophie Cunningham is riding her viral moment to endorsements and brand deals. But she doesn’t want to talk politics.

Brands have seized on the spectacle of the post-championship celebration as a marketing moment.

An American microbrewery has made inroads in English pubs with a novel marketing strategy.