Justin Tinsley

Justin Tinsley is a senior sports and culture reporter at Disney/ESPN's Andscape, formerly known as The Undefeated, where he examines the intersection of sports, race, and pop culture. Tinsley has contributed narrative commentary on a range of topics, covering figures such as Marvin Gaye, Biggie Smalls, Malcolm X, Lauryn Hill, Cardi B, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, Richard Pryor, LeBron James, Zion Williamson, Nipsey Hussle, and Jay-Z, as well as the television show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Tinsley's work spans multiple platforms and formats. He is the host of the 30 For 30 Nipsey Hussle original podcast "The King of Crenshaw" and makes weekly television appearances on the ESPN program "Around the Horn." He was featured in the LeBron James-produced and Jemele Hill-narrated documentary "Shut Up and Dribble," which explores basketball's relationship with pop culture, fashion, and social justice. His bylines have appeared in Rolling Stone, The Sports Fan Journal, and EBONY.

As an author, Tinsley wrote the Notorious B.I.G. biography "It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him" and collaborated on NBA Champion Dwyane Wade's photographic memoir "DWYANE." "It Was All a Dream" draws on interviews and research to contextualize Biggie's life within the history of rap and the broader cultural and political forces that influenced him, including Caribbean immigration, public education policy, and the 1990s music industry.

Tinsley has contributed to ESPN the Magazine with a cover story on Grammy winner Chance the Rapper and NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, as well as an in-depth interview with Dwyane Wade. He published a book review in the New York Times on Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett's "Things That Make White People Uncomfortable." His reporting connects sports figures, musicians, and cultural icons within broader social narratives across television, print, and digital media.

Tinsley earned a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from Hampton University and a master's degree in strategic marketing and communications from Georgetown University. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Tinsley brings depth and authenticity to stories at the crossroads of sports, race, and American culture.