About Lang…
Lang Whitaker is a writer and author originally from Atlanta who has lived in Memphis, TN, since 2017, working for the Memphis Grizzlies. Before that, I lived in New York City for 16 years. I grew up in Atlanta and went to the University of Georgia, and I am still an avid fan of the Braves, Falcons and Bulldogs. I also support Manchester United. Sorry.
For the Grizzlies, I am the General Manager of Grizz Gaming, the Grizzlies’ team in the NBA 2K League. I am also a contributor to Grind City Media, the Grizzlies’ in-house content arm. I host the Grizzlies pregame show on social media, and appear on the Bally Sports postgame shows. I was nominated for an Emmy for my work helping write the script for Ice Cube’s voiceover on a Zach Randolph tribute video.
Before working for the Grizzlies, I was a writer and editor for NBA.com. I also co-hosted the official podcast of NBA.com, “The Hang Time Podcast,” along with Sekou Smith and Rick Fox. In 2013, The Hang Time Podcast was named an honoree by the Webby Awards. I have interviewed everyone from Lonzo Ball to Will Ferrell. I made regular appearances on NBA TV. From 2009-2012, I appeared on “The Beat,” a weekly show that covers the latest news from around the NBA, and was also a regular on NBA TV’s “The Jump.” In 2011, I co-hosted the NBA Social Media Awards, along with Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal.
Since 2010, I have been a contributor for GQ. I was their NBA columnist for several seasons, and have also written about everything from fitness trends to “Duck Dynasty,“ to interviewing iconic celebrities from Pelé to Bo Jackson. I also wrote a bunch about cooking at home and had several celebrity chefs come cook meals in my apartment.
I spent over a decade at SLAM magazine, first as Online Editor, then as Executive Editor, and finally as Editor-at-Large. While at SLAM, I wrote the award-winning column The Links, a daily compendium of news and notes from around the NBA. I also top-edited everything in the magazine, came up with cover concepts, and wrote dozens of cover stories and hundreds of features. In 2024, SLAM was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for our enduring impact on the game of basketball.
In 2013, I appeared as myself in a Nike commercial for Kevin Durant’s newest shoe.
I was a co-founder of the website The Classical, a website dedicated to smart sports writing. We launched a public fund-raising campaign in the summer of 2010, and by the end of September we had successfully passed our goal of $50,000. The site launched in December of 2010.
In March 2011, my first book, a memoir, was released: In The Time of Bobby Cox: The Atlanta Braves, Their Manager, My Couch, Two Decades and Me (Scribner). Reviewing my book, the Wall Street Journal said, “Mr. Whitaker is an entertaining writer who shows what it’s like to be an intense baseball fan. Along the way, he offers many shrewd observations of Braves players.” Atlanta magazine said my book “is a strangely compelling mash-up of memoir and obsession … You don’t have to love baseball to be a fan.”
In October 2010, I was a co-author of FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History (Bloomsbury). New York magazine wrote, “This is a history of basketball told straight, but smartly, with wit and detail and undeniable affection… We are now living in a FreeDarko world. Hail, hail.” Sports Illustrated said, “To say that they’ve written one of the most enlightening books on the game’s evolution (which they have) is to miss the point. The book isn’t intended solely to educate; it’s also meant to entertain, and to that end it succeeds wildly.”
In 2013, I was a co-author of SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers That Changed The Game (Rizzoli). HypeBeast said this “informative masterpiece offers stunning imagery and action shots of 33 of the most sought-after kicks.” Complex said it is “a serious book for people who really care to know the history, have a passion for the sport, and can appreciate the stories attached to great pairs of shoes.”
In 2023, I was a co-author of 30 Years of SLAM, a book about the history of SLAM magazine, produced to celebrate SLAM’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
From 2004-2006, I was editor-in-chief of Striker, America’s ultimate soccer magazine. Sold pretty well on news stands, got great cooperation and exclusive photo shoots with some of the world’s top players, but couldn’t find consistent support from the advertising world.
From 2004-2008, I wrote a weekly column for SI.com.
Appeared as a cultural commentator on VH1’s “I Love The New Millennium” series. Discussed various topics from the years 2000 through 2009, which included everything from the McGriddle to Michael Vick to Hurricane Katrina.
In 2002, I was written about in the New Yorker.
I have also written for many other outlets, including the New York Times, Billboard, Esquire, InStyle, Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, Antenna, King, XXL, Tidal, The Source, Pitchfork, the Washington Post, Stuff, Creative Loafing.