Naked Sports with Cari Champion
The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts·255 episodes·Weekly
NAKED SPORTS lives at the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. It is a niche groundbreaking interview-based show that dives deep into the lives of the game-changers who have helped shape our world.
We explore how sports are interwoven not only into their personal lives; but the role they play in the global experience. NAKED SPORTS is hosted by Cari Champion, a trailblazing broadcast journalist and television personality renowned for her pioneering contributions to sports media for women.
In each episode, this distinguished host sits down with, a diverse array of athletes, politicians, and cultural innovators who have left an indelible mark on their fields. Through intimate, unfiltered conversations, the show reveals the raw and vulnerable sides of their journeys—peeling back the layers to explore the defining moments, personal struggles, and transformative experiences that live at the intersection of sports, culture, and politics.
These conversations are thematically linked to live at the intersection and on this new season of NAKED SPORTS, we begin with a six-part docu-series, The Making of a Rivalry: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese, in which Cari questions how this “rivalry” started.
Does the necessity for success depend on a foil? In a time of divisiveness, are sports—more specifically the WNBA—a reflection of our country?
Or will the greatness of two supernovas unite this country and heal race relations? NAKED SPORTS guests will span varied backgrounds, providing diverse perspectives as we examine how sports play a crucial role in nearly every aspect of life.
Connect: @CARICHAMPION
Episodes
Latest Episode
July 2, 2026 · 49m
In this emotionally rich episode of Naked Sports , Cari opens up about loss: the recent passing of your grandmother and how that grief became both a wound and a window. Grief, being the ultimate proof of love, was evident in and how the community has shown up with support, reminding Cari of what really matters. Cari reflects briefly on how that moment shifted her perspective, re-centered her priorities, and made space for meaningful conversations, like the one that follows with today’s guest, the brilliant Selwyn Seyfu Hinds. Selwyn, a screenwriter, and producer who went from hip-hop journalism as The Source’s former Editor-in-Chief to Hollywood creative, joins Naked Sports for a wide-ranging conversation. Together, we explore his new Hulu series, Washington Black , a powerful story rooted in human resilience and the refusal to be defined by trauma. Cari and Selwyn unpack the cultural legacy of ’90s hip-hop, the evolution of storytelling, and the role of Black creatives in shaping narratives that matter. The conversation touches on identity, legacy, and the fight to remain authentic in industries that often want to shape you. Throughout, there’s a thread of truth: that community, creativity, and perseverance are how we carry forward — in grief, in art, and in life. Watch : George Washington Black on Hulu Connect : @CariChampion @SelwynHinds Subscribe : Naked Sports with Cari Champion See for privacy information.
More Episodes
Jun 24 · 59m
Cari sits with sociologist and two-time New York Times bestselling author Dr. Ana Malaika Tubbs to talk about her books The Three Mothers and Erased, and why the stories of Black women, and especially Black mothers, keep getting left out on purpose. Tubbs shares how Alberta King, Bertice Baldwin, and Louise Little weren’t just “moms of” famous men; they were leaders themselves, and “all of them did what their sons later became famous for.” She explains patriarchy as a designed system, why propaganda makes people defensive about words like “patriarchy” and “feminism,” and offers practical ways to disrupt it: internal work, healthier relationships, community care, and voting. One line that sticks: “This system was not designed by you. It’s not for you. It’s hurting you, and it’s allowing you to hurt me.” Connect: @carichampion @annamalaikatubbs Learn More: AnnaMalaikaTubbs.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 17 · 40m
Cari sits down with Bakari Sellers to talk through the case of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, who was shot in the back after an argument over four bottles of water at a South Carolina gas station, and why the owner, Rick Chow, was acquitted. Bakari lays out how messy the legal reality can be: “there was no shoplifting,” the shooting happened “130 yards away from the store,” and the jury only had two choices, guilty or not guilty of murder, because the defense kept out a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter could have affected the jury’s ability to choose guilty or place the entire blame on Mr. Chow. Sellers also names the harder community questions: “there’s a void in the community because we have a Black child that’s dead,” plus “a conversation that has to be had about guns in young people’s hands.” Listeners walk away with the tension between grief, reasonable doubt, and what accountability can look like beyond a courtroom. Connect @CariChampion @BakariSellers Learn More: Linktree Subscribe Cari Champion's YOUTUBE ChannelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 10 · 35m
This episode feels like listening in on two big basketball fans trying to make sense of a Finals swing: the Knicks looked ready to run away with it, then Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs stole Game 3 and changed the mood heading into Game 4. CNN’s Omar Jimenez shares what he learned from an extended sit-down with Spike Lee, who’s lived every era of Knicks hope and heartbreak, and why this moment hits New York differently across generations. Omar also breaks down how the first-ever sitting president to attend a Finals game created a “disruptive” vibe around MSG, with extra security, blocked streets, and fans trying not to lose focus. The takeaway is the mix of pressure, pride, and obsession that makes Knicks fandom feel like family, plus why Omar still thinks this series is going six. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 39m
On this bonus episode, days before the California primaries, Cari sits down with billionaire climate activist and California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer to talk about what it costs to be “early,” and why he’s fine taking heat if he thinks he’s right. He says he was ahead of the curve on Trump—“He’s a criminal. Like, this is what impeachment is for”—and defends working with influencers because “one in five Americans gets their political information from influencers,” stressing his team discloses payments and doesn’t buy endorsements. Steyer also addresses the awkward topics: being an “ethical billionaire,” past investments in private prisons and coal, and why he says he changed course and focused on reform, climate, and structural racism. Cari closes with emphasizing the overall importance of "voting" in whatever city, state, or district you may reside. Connect @CariChampion Voting Info: Calmatters.org Learn More: TomSteyer.com Subscribe Cari Champion's YOUTUBE Channel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 28 · 58m
Cari sits down with UCLA sociology professor Dr. Marcus Hunter after a random first-class chance encounter on a train to Philadelphia, and their bond was an instant connection. Despite the candor of their initial union, the conversation is basically a wake-up call about reparations being real, not just “40 acres and a mule” talk. Hunter breaks down how the Freedman’s Bank (started in 1865) built what he calls “our first sacred money,” roughly “about a billion dollars” in Black deposits, then collapsed after white managers used Black funds on risky white loans, leaving depositors with only “60% of the money” paid back over decades. He explains how Frederick Douglass was pulled into calm concerns, then found himself “married to a corpse” when the truth came out. They connect that history to today’s “$1.776 billion” anti-weaponization fund and argue it proves “they do have it,” pushing listeners to move away from reaction and into response.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 13 · 55m
This episode starts with the host recapping a Liberty vs. Connecticut Sun game and raving about the in-arena experience, especially Ellie the mascot, before sharing thoughts on the WNBA’s 30th season and how the Caitlin Clark “Cinderella shoe…is now off,” as fans see more of her on-court personality and the league’s competitiveness rises with limited roster spots. Then we meet NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth, who clears up the constant “Are you related to the other one?” question and explains how he got into racing through iRacing when money and access were real barriers. He breaks down why “racing is… the toughest barrier of entry” financially, how his first setup was “my school laptop and an $80 wheel,” and why it’s “not… plug and play” but a real entry point if you do the work. Listeners will walk away with a fresh, practical look at how mentorship, resourcefulness, and consistency can open doors in a sport with only “36 seats” at the top. Connect @CariChampion @RajahCaruth_ Subscribe Cari Champion's YOUTUBE Channel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 6 · 1h 5m
This Naked Sports episode with Godfrey swings from hilarious to heavy in the best way. He shares his family’s story, born in Lincoln, Nebraska, because his parents fled the Biafran War, and how that immigrant grind shaped him. From there, he gets into why he’s a purist about craft, whether it’s comedy, boxing, or music, saying the common thread is “the love of the craft,” and reminding people it takes years to really get good. He also riffs on Jordan vs. LeBron, and goes all-in on music history, from Michael Jackson’s “Victory Tour” to the industry’s racism, and how Black artists built the culture in this country. The real takeaway is his no-filter honesty about America: “subtract by a hundred, and you’ll know what year you’re in; it’s 1926.” We tried to wrap and tease a part two, but the story unfolded, describing a wild early New York, living with Viola Davis and his life as a podcaster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 29 · 49m
This episode starts with the mystery of why WNBA vet and fan favorite Natasha “T Cloud” Cloud is still unsigned after the new CBA, free agency, and the draft—whether it’s money, age, locker-room narratives, or even whispers of being “quietly… blackballed” for her outspoken politics, including Palestine. The host reads Cloud’s posts that show faith and grit, “they can’t starve who God is feeding,” and says the situation “doesn’t add up.” Then the conversation turns serious with guest Tonya McKenzie, who reacts to public tributes after former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax murdered his wife and died by suicide, arguing this isn’t just about mental health but domestic violence and how Black communities protect abusers. She says, “protecting the abuser is participation in the abuse,” and calls out how people defend perpetrators but ignore victims and kids. The episode closes with alarming femicide stats and a dedication to Dr. Serena Fairfax, urging listeners to speak up and stop enabling silence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 15 · 49m
Today, Cari talks with PBS NewsHour co-anchor Geoff Bennett about his book “Black Out Loud” and why the ’90s felt like a once-in-a-lifetime run of Black TV—“how did all of these shows exist on the air at the same time?” He traces the history from minstrelsy and vaudeville to comics like Moms Mabley, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and the Fox era that helped power “In Living Color,” “Martin,” “Living Single,” and more. Jeff explains the shift wasn’t just culture, it was business: networks later “pivot[ed] to whiter audiences,” and that helped end the boom. After listening to this episode, you’ll walk away understanding how comedy “lowers our defenses,” why representation changed real choices (like the “Maxine Shaw effect”), and why today we have “way more volume, but…less impact.” Connect @CariChampion @GeoffRBenett Read: Black Out Loud By Geoff Bennett Subscribe Cari Champion's YOUTUBE ChannelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.