Sportsworld

We celebrate the athletes who rarely step foot on the pitch - only ever cross the white line to bring on drinks - and some who are able to lead the race but never reach the finishing line.It's the tales of the substitutes, the 12th players, the bib wearers and the pace setters.Lee James chats to England cricketer Jack Leach, former Netherlands and Tottenham keeper Michel Vorm and Olympic 800m runner Jenny Meadows on benchwarmers.Photo: Mark Wood of England on 12th man duties (Credit: Getty images)

Nigeria’s UFC world welterweight champion Kamaru Usman says it’s become ‘normalised’ to face racism in the United States.Last month, Usman was subjected to racist comments from UFC fighter Colby Covington – who said the backlash he received from fellow fighters was “unwarranted”. UFC President Dana White said he doesn’t want to "muzzle fighters, we let everybody speak their mind. I don't know what he said that was racist.” Usman, who was born in Nigeria but moved to the United States at the age of 8, has become one of the biggest names in the sport and is nicknamed the Nigerian nightmare. Usman and female UFC bantamweight fighter Sijara Eubanks have been talking to Sportsworld's Maz Farookhi about the challenges they’ve faced in their careers, being role models and how they felt when they heard those racist comments.Photo: Kamaru Usman (Getty Images)

In 2010 the Los Angeles Lakers were the kings of the NBA. The Lakers, thanks to legendary coach Phil Jackson and Laker great Kobe Bryant, defeated the Boston Celtics in game 7 of the NBA finals. But in the following the decade, the fortunes of the franchise changed. Phil Jackson left, franchise owner Jerry Buss died and the championship team was broken up. So what happened? Sportsworld’s Delyth Lloyd is joined by former Lakers coaches and players to discuss the Lost Lakers.Photo:Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010 (Produced and edited: Tom Paton - Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Remember the date – 26th August 2020 – the day athletes across US professional sports boycotted games. An unprecedented and historic protest for racial justice and the end to police brutality in America. Players were responding to the death of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot by police in Wisconsin.It was led by several Women's NBA teams and reached across the entire basketball leagues and across other sports...as America's courts, pitches and fields fell silent.Lee James speaks to star of the WNBA and LA Sparks player Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and former Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder NBA player and now motivational speaker and author Etan Thomas.Photo: Sug Sutton looks on while standing with teammates Jacki Gemelos, Kiara Leslie, Leilani Mitchell, Myisha Hines-Allen, Tianna Hawkins and Emma Meesseman of the Washington Mystics during the WNBA postponement announcement at Feld Entertainment Center on August 26, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. The Washington Mystics are wearing white T-shirts that spel

Ferrari – the biggest name in Formula One.Iconic cars, a global brand, a Formula One team that comes under more scrutiny than any other. As Ferrari marks its 70th anniversary and it’s 1000th Formula One race at the Tuscan Grand Prix this weekend, we’re taking a look at what makes the name such a dominant force within the sport. From the origins of the iconic Prancing Horse logo, their cars and their famous owner Enzo Ferrari to the current day – what’s it like to drive for the most iconic brand in F1?What’s the pressure like, the scrutiny, how does it change your life and what’s it like walking through the gates of the famous Maranello factory for the first time?Felipe Massa, Jody Scheckter and Eddie Irvine all have their say.Plus Shabnam Younus-Jewell is joined by Italian journalist and designer Giorgio Piola and the BBC’s Formula One reporter Jennie Gow.Photo: Ferrari fans supporting the team at Monzo for the Italian Grand Prix (Getty Images)

What's it really like to play for the obsessive and demanding Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa?We’ve spoken to some of the people who have got closest to the 65-year-old Argentine through his well-travelled career – from Buenos Aires to Bilbao and Mexico to Marseille - to try to find out more about how he operates.Bielsa carries a mythology with him - but how many of the remarkable stories about him are actually true?As his exciting Leeds United team prepare to take on the Premier League, it makes for a revealing portrait of a fascinating but flawed character who is embarking on a tantalising new chapter in his career. Photo: Marcelo Bielsa (Getty Images) Presenter: John Bennett Producer: Sam Sheringham

As Leeds United make their return to the Premier League after a 16 year wait, we take a look at their fall from the top, and their return to glory under manager Marcelo Bielsa.Joined by special guests Lucas Radebe, Jon Newsome and the Kaiser Chiefs, we unravel the last two decades of football in Leeds. From the glory days of Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer, to their significant and rapid decline in the early 2000s, and their return to the top flight of English football in 2020.This is the story of Leeds United and their rise, fall and rise again to the Premier League.Photo credit: Leeds United win promotion to the Premier League in 2020 (Getty Images).

Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce is one of just a few black head coaches in the NBA, but says now is the time athletes around the world are ‘speaking louder and being heard’.Pierce was joined by This Is Us softball player Kiki Stokes for one of a series of BBC discussions about racism and whether we will see change following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May which sparked protests around the globe. Earlier this year Stokes quit the Houston-based Scrap Yard Dawgs club along with her team mates following a now deleted tweet from the team’s general manager Connie May about the national anthem.Pierce and Lloyd talk about their own experiences of racism with Ade Adedoyin and discuss what needs to change, and whether sport and politics should be discussed at the Olympics in 2021.Photo: Atlanta Hawks Head coach Lloyd Pierce on the sidelines during their game against the Boston Celtics in February 2020. Credit: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images

The 2020 NBA season has been far from normal - due to covid restrictions the action returned without home court advantage, with no fans and with all games played in a bio-bubble in Disneyworld. But with the play-offs just two days away, would winning in this extraordinary season crown the career of one of the game's most extraordinary players, LeBron JamesOn Sportsworld we find out more about the basketball legend who is aiming to lead a third different side to the NBA title, and discuss how key the next couple of months are going to be in determining where he stands in the on-going debate about who is the greatest of all time. We speak to Dru Joyce, his basketball coach at St Vincent St Marys high school in Ohio, his Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers teammate DeAndre Liggins and basketball journalist Bonnie-Jill Laflin.Photo: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Staples Center (Credit: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Will George Floyd's death lead to change? NFL player Sam Acho, WNBA Chicago Sky player Gabby Williams and England and Harlequins rugby union player Shaunagh Brown discuss their own experiences of racism in light of Floyd's death."It's not politics it's our lives, we're trying to erase the line between our blackness and our sport.”George Floyd was an African American man killed during an arrest in Minneapolis in May. It sparked protests around the globe about racial injustice and racism. What changes do these athletes want to see in their sport and society? This is the first in a series of BBC discussions about racism across the globe and whether we will see change.Photo credit: Gabby Williams wearing a 'Black Lives Matter' shirt whilst warming up before the Chicago Sky match against Seattle Storm (Getty Images).

This programme explores the sad and controversial life of Jim Thorpe - the American Indian who was the star of the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, where the Swedish King famously told him 'Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world'.Thorpe had grown up on the Sac and Fox Indian reservation in Oklahoma and then, as a teenager, was sent 1500 miles away to a boarding school in Pennsylvania whose purpose was to 'civilise' Indian children by eradicating their culture. Its motto was 'Kill the Indian and save the man'. The pupils were forced to wear military uniforms, have short hair, and were punished if they spoke their own languages. 'The last phase of the Indian wars was fought in the classroom', says one contributor.Thorpe was saved by sport and became the school's great star at both athletics and American football. He's often described as the 'first international sporting superstar'. But in 1913 it came out that he had been paid a few dollars to play minor-league baseball and the elite amateurs who ran US athl

As Liverpool end their 30-year wait for the league title, we chart the rise of their remarkable manager Jurgen Klopp.We take you to Klopp's home village of Glatten in the Black Forest and to Mainz where he was a player for a decade, then tasted promotion and relegation as a manager.Then we travel to Dortmund where he won trophies, became a celebrity and had a pop song written in his honour. And finally to Anfield, where he has ended fans' yearning for a 19th league title.We'll speak to school friends, players, executives and fans to learn about how he developed his coaching philosophy, his big personality, his gifts as an orator and the man-management skills that set him apart from many of his peers.This is the comprehensive backstory of one of the most revered coaches of modern times.Photo: Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)

Sarah Mulkerrins is joined by Former New Zealand Captain and Global Director of Women’s football for Copa 90 Bex Smith and Former FIFA Director of Women’s football, now head of Women’s Football for Switzerland Tatjana Haenni to look back on the 2019 World Cup and the legacy it created for women's football. The tournament staged in France was considered a huge success, but what impact did it have on the sport in some of the competing nations? French football journalist Loic Tanzi assess the changes in the host nation, South Africa coach and former Banyana Banyana captain Desiree Ellis reflects on their World Cup debut and we're joined by a World Cup winner, USA's Jessica McDonald.Picture: The trophy of FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 is displayed during a press conference to present the FIFA Women's World Cup. (Getty Images)

The 2020 Champions League final was due to be held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Saturday May 30th, exactly 15 years after the most extraordinary night in the competitions history as Liverpool completed “The Miracle of Istanbul”.AC Milan had a star studded line up and were overwhelming favourites, especially after they raced into a 3-0 lead. However Liverpool launched the most amazing second half comeback that culminated in winning the trophy in a penalty shootout.To mark that anniversary, we take you back to that iconic night with those who were there - including penalty saving hero, Jerzy Dudek.Plus broadcasters and fans, each with their own unique perspective on the moments that made the match the most talked about for years.Photo: Jerzy Dudek saving Andriy Shevchenko's penalty to win the Champions League in 2005 (Getty Images)

There may be no FA Cup final on FA Cup final day, but we've decided to put our panel of guests to the test on their knowledge of the famous old trophy, and you can play along.

Sportsworld's Lee James is joined by Rob Green, Robyn Cowen and Rene Meulensteen as they pick their six-a-side team of the season in the format of a US draft. Six picks from each respective field position and you can only have one player from each Premier League team. Join the madness as the team fight to get their top picks of the season into their teams. Who would you pick?Photo Credit: Sadio Mane playing for Liverpool FC (Getty Images)

Lee James is joined by Andy Murray's former coach Miles Maclagan, former US professional Jill Craybas and tennis journalist Gigi Salmon to create their ultimate Wimbledon champion.From forehands, serve and return to tricks, heart and champion spirit, they select the best attributes from the world's best tennis players to make a Wimbledon GOAT.Photo: Serena Williams & Roger Federer (Getty Images)

Nearly 400 players from 30 different nations across the African continent have graced the Premier League.But who is the best?Lee James is joined by Janine Anthony, John Bennett and George Addo to somehow come up with a list of the top eight African players in the Premier League. There’s also a special appearance from former Nigeria, West Brom and Stoke winger Peter Odemwingie, who puts forward his case to make the final list...And then we head to a lockdown knockout with the top eight going head-to-head in the quarter-finals, in a battle to be crowned champion.Sarah Mulkerrins, Mo Allie, Melissa Reddy and the ex-Tottenham, Norwich and Cameroon defender Sebastian Bassong have the unenviable task of picking the winner – so who will they decide?Photo: L-R Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure & Michael Essien (Getty Images)

We discuss the impact the coronavirus is having on the mental well-bring of athletes and across sport.Lee James is joined by former West Ham and Wales midfielder turned MLS side Atlanta United Academy coach Jack Collison. Along with former Aston Villa player welfare and liaison officer Lorna McClelland. We explore what athletes are doing to support each other and keep themselves busy.Jeremy Snape, who is now a sport psychologist, talks about the mental challenges facing athletes during the pandemic. And bowler for English County cricket team Warwickshire, Olly Hannon-Dalby, tells us about the #MakeTheCall initiative - which aims to reach out and talk to vulnerable members of the community who may be isolating. Picture: An empty football pitch in England (Getty Images).

Eight time Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters and BMX world champion Alise Willoughby give their views on the unprecedented postponement of this summer's Olympics. The pair talk about how their training schedules have suffered due to lock-down caused by the coronavirus pandemic and how their preparations will have to change in order for them to be at their best when the Games finally take place. They also talk about coping with having to stay at home from a mental point of view and the measures they're taking to stay in a positive mindset.Picture: The newly-built Japan National Stadium, the main venue for the 2020 Olympic Games, in Tokyo on March 25, 2020, the day after the historic decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (Getty Images