.essay-head{max-width:1080px;margin:0 auto;padding:56px 28px 32px;text-align:center}
.essay-head .eyebrow{font-size:11px;letter-spacing:2.4px;margin-bottom:24px}
.essay-head h1{font-size:clamp(48px,6vw,78px);line-height:1.02;letter-spacing:-2.7px;margin:0 auto 26px;color:var(--navy)}
.essay-dek{font:20px/1.6 Arial,sans-serif;color:#43616c;max-width:760px;margin:0 auto 27px}
.essay-head .author{justify-content:center;text-align:left;margin:0;gap:12px}
.essay-head .author small{font-size:12px;opacity:1;color:#506973;font-weight:400}
.opening-art{max-width:1150px;margin:14px auto 55px;padding:0 30px}
.league-board{height:420px;position:relative;border-top:1px solid #c4d3d2;border-bottom:1px solid #c4d3d2;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at center,#fffdf8 0,#f1eee5 90%);overflow:hidden}
.league-board:before{content:"";position:absolute;inset:26px 20px;border:1px solid #b7c8c640;border-radius:120px}
.league-board:after{content:"";position:absolute;left:50%;top:26px;bottom:26px;border-left:1px solid #b7c8c640}
.logo-slot{position:absolute;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:18%;height:160px;z-index:1}
.firm-mark{display:block;object-fit:contain;max-width:100%;height:auto}
.logo-slot .firm-mark{width:auto;max-height:150px;max-width:95%}
.slot-5{left:2%;top:30px}.slot-3{left:23%;top:28px}.slot-6{right:23%;top:27px}.slot-9{right:2%;top:28px}
.slot-8{left:2%;bottom:25px}.slot-4{left:23%;bottom:25px}.slot-7{right:23%;bottom:25px}.slot-2{right:2%;bottom:25px}
.slot-10{width:14%;height:260px;left:43%;top:80px}.slot-10 .firm-mark{max-height:245px;max-width:87%}
.opening-art figcaption,.wide-art figcaption{font:11px/1.6 Arial,sans-serif;text-align:center;letter-spacing:.3px;color:#536b74;padding-top:12px}
.nba-body{max-width:760px;margin:0 auto 56px;font-size:20px;line-height:1.85}
.nba-body p{margin-bottom:26px}
.nba-body>p:first-child:first-letter{font-family:Georgia,serif;float:left;font-size:78px;line-height:.82;padding:8px 10px 0 0;color:var(--blue)}
.nba-body .emphasis{color:var(--blue);font:32px/1.45 Georgia,serif;margin:52px -55px;padding:32px 0;border-top:1px solid #b5cccb;border-bottom:1px solid #b5cccb}
.wide-art{margin:52px -105px 48px;padding:28px 35px 20px;background:#eeece3;border-top:1px solid #ced6cf;border-bottom:1px solid #ced6cf}
.free-agency-art>div{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-around;gap:18px;height:180px}
.free-agency-art .firm-mark{max-width:24%;max-height:170px;width:auto}
.court-line{width:60px;height:1px;background:#9ab7ba;position:relative;flex-shrink:1}
.court-line:after{content:"";display:block;width:15px;height:15px;border:1px solid #9ab7ba;border-radius:50%;background:#eeece3;position:absolute;top:-7px;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%)}
.prestige-lineup{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;gap:26px;min-height:150px}
.prestige-lineup .firm-mark{width:21%;max-height:145px;object-fit:contain}
.nba-body .closing-line{font-size:27px;color:var(--blue);margin-top:30px}
.author-end{display:flex;gap:22px;max-width:760px;margin:0 auto;padding:30px 28px;border-top:1px solid var(--line);font-size:15px;line-height:1.7}
.author-end>img{border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;flex-shrink:0}.author-end .eyebrow{font-size:10px;margin:0 0 9px}.author-end p:not(.eyebrow){margin:0 0 12px}.author-contact{font-size:13px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none}
.essay-bottom{max-width:760px;margin:0 auto 58px;padding:0 28px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:20px;font-size:12px}.essay-bottom a{text-decoration:none}
@media(max-width:1050px){.wide-art{margin-left:-45px;margin-right:-45px}.nba-body .emphasis{margin-left:0;margin-right:0}}
@media(max-width:850px){.wide-art{margin-left:0;margin-right:0}.opening-art{padding:0 24px}.league-board{height:350px}.logo-slot{height:130px}.logo-slot .firm-mark{max-height:115px}.slot-10{height:220px;top:65px}.slot-10 .firm-mark{max-height:205px}.slot-8,.slot-4,.slot-7,.slot-2{bottom:20px}.essay-head{padding-top:42px}}
@media(max-width:600px){.masthead{padding:16px 18px;gap:15px}.masthead nav{gap:12px}.masthead nav .nav-sub{padding:7px 9px}.brand{font-size:20px}.brand small{font-size:7px;letter-spacing:1.5px}.brand img{width:34px;height:34px}.essay-head{padding:34px 22px 26px}.essay-head .eyebrow{font-size:9px;letter-spacing:1.8px;margin-bottom:20px}.essay-head h1{font-size:48px;letter-spacing:-1.8px;margin-bottom:23px}.essay-dek{font-size:16px;line-height:1.65}.desktop-break{display:none}.essay-head .author{font-size:13px}.essay-head .author small{font-size:10px;max-width:250px}.opening-art{padding:0 18px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:34px}.league-board{height:355px}.league-board:before{inset:15px 9px;border-radius:50px}.league-board:after{top:15px;bottom:15px}.logo-slot{width:27%;height:98px}.logo-slot .firm-mark{max-height:91px;max-width:95%}.slot-5{left:3%;top:16px}.slot-3{left:36.5%;top:16px}.slot-6{left:auto;right:3%;top:16px}.slot-8{left:3%;top:126px;bottom:auto}.slot-10{left:40%;top:115px;width:20%;height:124px}.slot-10 .firm-mark{max-height:122px;max-width:100%}.slot-9{right:3%;top:126px}.slot-4{left:3%;top:auto;bottom:17px}.slot-7{left:36.5%;right:auto;top:auto;bottom:17px}.slot-2{right:3%;bottom:17px}.opening-art figcaption{font-size:9px;letter-spacing:0}.nba-body{font-size:18px;line-height:1.85;padding:0 24px}.nba-body p{margin-bottom:24px}.nba-body>p:first-child:first-letter{font-size:68px}.nba-body .emphasis{font-size:27px;padding:25px 0;margin:40px 0}.wide-art{margin:36px -6px;padding:22px 15px 16px}.free-agency-art>div{height:120px;gap:10px}.free-agency-art .firm-mark{max-height:110px;max-width:27%}.court-line{width:20px}.prestige-lineup{gap:20px;min-height:240px;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr}.prestige-lineup .firm-mark{width:100%;height:115px;max-height:115px}.wide-art figcaption{font-size:10px}.author-end{padding:24px;gap:16px}.author-end>img{width:52px;height:52px}.author-end{font-size:13px}.essay-bottom{padding:0 24px;margin-bottom:35px}.nba-body .closing-line{font-size:25px}}
@media print{.masthead,.essay-bottom,footer,.author-contact{display:none}.essay-head{padding-top:0}.opening-art{max-width:800px}.league-board{height:350px}.nba-body{font-size:12pt;line-height:1.6}.wide-art{break-inside:avoid}body{background:white}.nba-body p{orphans:3;widows:3}}
.title-first{white-space:nowrap}@media(max-width:600px){.essay-head h1{font-size:clamp(32px,10vw,44px);letter-spacing:-1.6px}.byline-details{display:block}.essay-head .author small{font-size:11px}.byline-details:first-letter{font-size:0}}

/* Mobile phrase breaks requested for this commentary. */
.author-end .author-phrase{white-space:nowrap}
@media(max-width:600px){
  .nba-body .mobile-heading-line{display:block;white-space:nowrap}
  .nba-body .emphasis{text-wrap:balance}
  .author-end p:not(.eyebrow){text-wrap:pretty}
}
@media(max-width:360px){
  .nba-body h2:has(.mobile-heading-line){font-size:19px}
}