Michael Lee

Philadelphia

Sports enterprise reporter focusing on the intersection of gender, diversity and how sports shape our society.

Education: Florida A&M University, BS in Newspaper Journalism

Michael Lee is a Sports enterprise reporter at The Washington Post focusing on the intersection of gender, diversity and how sports shape our society. Lee previously worked at The Post from 2004 to 2015, serving as the national NBA writer and beat writer for the Washington Wizards. He is a longtime NBA scribe who covered the league for 19 seasons at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Post, Yahoo! Sports and the Athletic. He has covered three Olympics (2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing and 2016 Rio de Janeiro), the World Series and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
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Latest from Michael Lee

Mookie Betts knows he can’t save baseball. He just plays like he can.

The Dodgers star still wants more people who look like him at the stadium, but he understands all the forces that stand in the way.

October 4, 2024
Betts helped the Dodgers to the best record in the National League.

Years into efforts to attract more Black players, MLB sees signs of hope

An exciting group of young players in the prospect ranks has baseball hopeful that its pipeline of Black talent is improving.

July 18, 2024
Philadelphia Phillies prospect Justin Crawford is eager to make it to the majors. (Sam Hodde/MLB Photos/Getty Images)

Now 99, the oldest living Negro leaguer ‘never thought they would recognize me’

Rev. Bill Greason, who survived the Battle of Iwo Jima as a Marine before becoming teammates and close friends with Willie Mays, calls the recent embrace of Black baseball’s past a “blessing.”

June 20, 2024

Even as chaos swirls, Caitlin Clark is finding joy in her rookie year

“I think it’s hard for people to remember, I just love playing basketball,” Clark says. “This is my job. This is what I’m here for. I’m not here for all the other stuff.”

June 13, 2024
“Honestly, I feel like I have a pretty good skill of blocking everything out,” Caitlin Clark said. “I think being in this position, you better have that skill, or else it’s going to break you at some point.”

Negro League supporters hope MLB stat integration is merely a first step

Josh Gibson’s grandson has lobbied to have the most valuable player awards named after him.

June 1, 2024
Josh Gibson is being recognized as one of the best hitters ever, following the incorporation of Negro League statistics into those of MLB.

The WNBA has been building toward this moment. Can it capitalize?

A generation since it launched, the WNBA is looking to make the most of its rise in popularity — and the arrival of a rookie star.

May 14, 2024

Guided by their Villanova roots, these Knicks aren’t afraid of a fight

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, who were teammates at Villanova, are leading the Knicks on an impressive NBA playoff run.

May 3, 2024

‘I’m not Black; I’m O.J.’: Why Simpson avoided athlete activism

As prominent athletes of his generation took a stand for social justice, O.J. Simpson made choices that enhanced his own social status.

April 13, 2024
On Dec. 16, 1979, O.J. Simpson is escorted from the field by police after the final NFL game of his career. He ascended to stardom while avoiding the social justice activism of many of his fellow athletes. (AP Photo, File)

Fifty years later, Henry Aaron’s legacy lives on in Atlanta and beyond

Fifty years after he passed Babe Ruth with his 715th home run, Aaron’s legacy is still felt among his former teammates, friends and the city he called home.

April 8, 2024

Doc Rivers is trying to rescue the Bucks and restore his reputation

Doc Rivers left the comfort of the ESPN booth and the golf links to rescue the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship hopes —and his own reputation for coming up short.

February 26, 2024