The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 05/21/2021 - HOUR 2 - Playoffs

Episode Date: May 21, 2021

NBA playoff matchups and predictionsGuest: Chris Webber Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Chris Weber, Hall of Famer, just got elected in here. I'll be joining us in five minutes, Joy Taylor, alongside this weekend. All the big playoff stuff starts. So you've got Boston, the Nets are starting, and Clippers in Dallas, and Lakers and the Sons. And so this is a first weekend. By the way, the LeBron versus Steph, Lakers versus Warriors playing game got at 1.6.1 or 6.2 million viewers, which is a massive number, which goes to something I've been pleading for years, which is make the first round of the NBA playoffs from the second round. Three games at max five games.

You force me to watch. just a playing game. And it's like the Warriors aren't even good this year. Got a huge number that beat all but about six, seven college football games. It's like, hey, billionaires. I know you got your zillion dollar homes and all your properties. If you want us to watch your sport, just shave off all the useless games in the playoffs we don't need. We don't need.

Wasn't there at some point, LeBron didn't even lose a first round playoff game for like seven years? He's never lost the first round. series. And for a while, it's like, okay, it's all that is, soak the fans. Like just, and people freak out, well, if you go three games, the stars could lose. Well, they don't in college basketball when you have one game. Better players win. You can go to a YMCA and look at the two teams and go, they got better players. You ever get on one of those teams at the Y when you have good players and you play for like two hours because nobody can beat you? The better players win. They just, they're going to win. A series would be better.

Three or five, even five games would be better than seven games. Seven is just wasting our time. Very interesting. Andrew Berry is the new GM. I don't want to push this, but he was talking about Baker Mayfield. It's interesting the word he used. Let's play the bite.

You know, I'd like to say that it was a proactive statement, but it really just worked out that way. We obviously felt comfortable with Baker, half felt comfortable with Baker for a long period of time. Comfortable? somebody asked my wife, how's your marriage? I'm comfortable. Kind of sounds like, it's cool for now.

It's fine. I'm comfortable. Maybe I'm making too much of it, but comfortable is, we'll pick up his 50-year option. Now, it should be noted, Baker is 6 and 14 against winning teams. Winning teams are hard to beat. Nobody goes undefeated against winning teams. but he is 14 and 4 as a pro when he's been asked to throw it 30 or fewer times and 10 and 18 when he's asked to throw it over 30 times.

They're a better football team when he has reined in a little. But it is interesting to listen to the general managers in Baker's Division talk about their quarterbacks. This is the Ravens General Manager here. The guy that's going to be here, we love him. He's really the face of this team. right now in many different ways. He's the leader. He's a good player. And he's our

quarterback. So we will work tirelessly to get a deal done. Love him. Work tirelessly. What do you think about Baker? Oh, comfortable. Pick up as that's your option. Am I reaching there? Tirelessly.

Love. Uncomfortable. I don't want to go anywhere, but it's people tell you what they think. They're just all right. Chris Weber, 15 years just got into the Hall of Fame. He was a five-time all-NBA player, rookie of the year, back-to-back NCAA championship game appearances,

and just got inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he is now joining us live. First of all, Chris, the Hall of Fame stuff. Let's just get to the Hall of Fame stuff, because a lot of players, you don't want to talk about Hall of Fame when you're playing. You don't want to set yourself up. but when you're sitting there at the podium and you're a Hall of Famer, like where did it take you back to?

Your childhood, what did you think the minute you found out, Chris, you're in the hall? The minute I found out, I thought to tell my father. Because, you know, growing up, you know, I'm a mama's boy and a daddy son. I just thought, you know, calling tell my father. And just to share that with him just as a son was awesome. And then my mind went to the first couple of times you played, the first time you dunk things like that, and then, you know, it goes through every step going to, you know,

playing, you know, in college or playing in high school, winning championships, playing in college, getting to play with, you know, the great Michigan teams and the FAA five there, going to go to the state and meeting Chris Mullen and living a dream, you know, playing for that team and, you know, the ups, the downs. And then finally, you know, Sacramento in my mind, really, you know, being the place that just everything came together. And so, you know, starts with,

with your father and the one you started dreaming with and telling your dreams, then to friends, and then kind of just quiet moments of yourself, you know, just thinking, wow, I had a fun ride. It's going to be a really interesting playoff because it's a condensed schedule. So last year's the bubble, and it was a very strange playoff where young teams, actually, for the first time in my life, were better than old teams. Usually veteran teams crushing the playoffs. And then this year you have a condensed schedule where you're asking veteran players

to have basically no off season, more injuries, more guys taking time off. I mean, Jimmy Butler barely played against the good teams in the East. So the Milwaukee Miami series to me, I think to myself, well, the last two years when Jimmy Butler has played, Miami's won 65% of their games. They probably have a coaching advantage in this series. Can Miami beat Milwaukee? Is that our first big playoff upset in your opinion? Miami definitely can beat Milwaukee.

We've seen, you know, kind of who Miami is all year. and then, you know, we see what the evolution wants the playoff start. But I think Milwaukee, you know, this year, Milwaukee's under the radar. And I think they're happy to be under the radar. You know, I don't think necessarily honest, didn't want an MVP, but, you know, he has the kind of the target on everyone else's back now. And Milwaukee still is a really good team. And I think they'd rather be in the position of being the hunter than the hunted.

So I do actually give Milwaukee the advantage in the playoffs. this year over others because I think they can sneak up on teams as opposed to years past. Let's talk about the Brooklyn net. So last year, I fell for it. I like the Clippers. I like their talent. I really did. I was all in.

And it was funny because I had different people saying, do, do, do, do. They have no chemistry. They're not good late in games. The playoffs are about late in games. And then you watch them unravel and I'm like, man, I fell for it. And then I watched Brooklyn, no chemistry. I know they're talented. But you tell me, you haven't played a ton of games together.

You're going to be facing teams that match up well with you. Philly in their size, Milwaukee in their size, Miami could be. Can you see this team getting into the playoffs and suddenly they face crisis and kind of unraveling a little bit? So first of all, I fell for it as well with the clipper. So I'm with you. I can't judge. as well. But I wish I have kind of one of your examples of parables here, but I'm with them playing and winning because of a couple of things, how it came together. Like a lot of times, I don't think the

chemistry is being together every day. I think chemistry is, how did you make the decision to come together? Like, what was the commitment? What was that moment, that defining moment when you all said, we're going to do this? Because to me, once you do that, you live on that commitment all year. I think hard in the way he's playing. I think we know he's the connector on this team. Kyrie having some of the best numbers he's ever had and, you know, Durant playing the way that he has. You know, I believe in this team because of the individual

decision of each individual, the decision making of each individual will come together. And I just don't think that, you know, I think they each have so much to play for. Even when you look at Blake Griffin, I've always liked the teams of underdogs and everyone left out. Well, this isn't that group, but they've been kind of treated that way individually,

and they play with that mentality. And that's why more than anything, I think they can come out to East. I think they have just as much incentive as guys that have never won a championship, even though two of those guys do. The other team that C-Web that interests me is the Clipper. So Steve Balmer buys the team for $2 billion. He wants out of the Laker building.

He spends $2 billion for a new arena. He goes out. They sign Kauai, Paul George. He's very well known. very enthusiastic. He's like Mark Cuban first couple years in the league. He is fist pumping. And last year, it was kind of humiliating.

And then this year, Chris, what's really interesting, there's all these ex-clippers, Tobias Harris and Doc in Philly could crush. Chris Paul Phoenix could crush. Montres, Harold and the Lakers, same building, could crush. And I think to myself, man, this could, if they don't be Dallas,

this could get ugly. I mean, have you ever felt from the owner or the front office in your career, you felt the pressure in the building when you walked into a playoff series? Yeah, you did. But truthfully, at the places that I had that maybe didn't have the history as others, you know, I would talk to KG like I wanted to feel the pressure of, you know, Bill Russell and Archibaw at the game and all those banners. And so I think there are a couple of different type of pressures. You know, there's a different pressure to be a Patriot, you know, New England Patriot, then it may be to, you know, Detroit Line. So I think that kind of,

you know, plays into it. But, you know, the one thing I say about sports is this the most fair venue because it's unfair to everyone. And even though he's my country day alumni in high school and he's one of the most enthusiastic fans and people for the sport, you're still going to get your heartbroken at times. And yeah, they could lose in the first round to Dallas. Wouldn't Donchards have something to prove? we thought he was going to be the MVP. So for guys like that, I look at the incentive on the other side. Kauai kind of hasn't totally bought in yet. Is he coming back?

Is he not? The new arena. You're right. This is a new type of pressure and a pressure to start a legacy. So, you know, I'm sure the guys are feeling it. But I think more so than anything, they're feeling the embarrassment of last year. You know, Paul is feeling, you know, with guys kind of the disrespect. He's coming into that.

Kauai's kind of feeling left out because he came here to win a championship. no one's talking about them in that way anymore. So, you know, I think they're feeling a different type of pressure, and we're going to see who they are come play out time. So I look at LeBron and the Lakers, and LeBron's saying I'm not 100%, and AD can be a little brittle. Schrooter's been very hot and cold, so is Coosma. You're not exactly sure what you get.

And yet you go to the sports gaming places. They're all like Lakers should win it. And, you know, I mean, I don't know. It just, it feels like, They're so close to having another injury. When you look at the Lakers, do you go into this playoff with confidence or do you go in with trepidation? I go in with trepidation. But I want to, like if we go back, and it's all about LeBron's injury.

That's the only thing, I'm telling you, Colin, the worst injury I've had, and I've had microfracture knee surgeries, and I've had more serious injury, but the one that could have the most impact while you're playing and allowed to play is a high ankle sprain. period. You can't move. You can't stop. You can't guard. And so I think that the Lakers saving grace is their defense. I mean, if Drummond just does what he's supposed to, just does what he's supposed to, that's 16 rebounds and 12 points, easy. And he can do much more than that on a nightly basis. We know what Davis can do. But yeah, I go on with trepidation only because of health. But LeBron is just, I mean, he's one of the most incredible players we've ever seen. And I just can't,

I can't go against him, especially when you have other guys that are around. him that play better when he's on the court and I'm more inspired. I still got to go with the latest. Yeah, it is, you know, it's funny. It's part of LeBron's success. The last, I was eight or nine times, Joy, that he's made the playoffs. He's made the finals. And I was thinking about this the other, I was talking to a friend about this the other day, and I said, some of this is, this is not to take anything from LeBron's greatness, but it used to be that college basketball, guys like, you know, even Patrick Ewing and Duncan would play three and four years of college. So, The league was older, and even rookies were like 23 physically bigger.

The league now is young, and sometimes I feel like LeBron looks around these teams, and he's like, these guys aren't emotionally. They can't compete with me. He's like this sage that's, you know, he's got the answers. Is some of LeBron's success truthfully right now is that because now it's a G league, it's a one-and-done league, that the league is kind of watered down with a bunch of young kids. that's definitely part of it i mean you know he understands the game he was the only one embracing the bubble last year right um but i but i think he also embraces it because he was that young kid

and everybody talked about him when he was at 18 and he understands more than anyone what that learning curve is and so yeah i definitely think now you know when i came in colin for two years in a row i was the youngest player in the NBA at 20 years old yeah and i remember you know the jokes and things like that. Now, I can't imagine, you know, what the youngest age is. And so, yeah, it's a different day. It's allowed him, along with taking care of his body, but he's so mentally strong that, you know, this, you know, I can definitely see him playing three or four more years. And, hey, you know, it doesn't happen in football, but, you know, they're not necessarily younger. But we're seeing that with some quarterback play as well. And so I just think it's a new day being able to take care of your

body and your mind and saying, yeah, these young kids won't get it for a while so I can sneak a few more great years out of us. By the way, Chris, you know, teams like the Sons and the Knicks and the jazz can have great regular seasons, but they're not favored in the playoffs. And I've tried to explain to fans is, you know, a fans are always like, oh, the referees favor the stars. And I always say, no, the stars know how to manipulate the refs. The stars are bigger, older, stronger players, and these playoffs series get very, very physical. And it favors bigger, stronger, veteran players who can kind of manipulate the body, manipulate the ref. But that's my way of explaining it.

When you were in the league, why does it feel like, like, you know, there's the regular season and then there's the playoffs and everything sort of changes? For everything you just said. And then also, players play harder. I mean, it's just that sense. You hold more, you grab more. There's more leeway with how you play. So, yeah, stars definitely know how to.

to take advantage of it. The games are uglier. You know, players embrace that. You know, if you're a great player, you understand not to take this three-pointing that you would during the regular season to go and get the file now because you're using the emotion of the crowd and this young player and his jumping ability and wanting to block your shot so bad. You're using all that against them.

So really, it's about understanding, you know, the moment. And I really, I couldn't believe, one, how fast the NBA was when I first got into the NBA thinking, you know, wow, it's 24 second shot clock. This is, this is real. This is 10 times faster than the game that I came from. And then you play in the playoffs and you go, wait a minute, it's even faster. And the crowd has you hype. And you're experiencing adrenaline, you know, that you haven't experienced before coming from college to the NBA. So it's just a whole different experience. And that's why you see so many guys get out of sorts emotionally. It doesn't matter what they're doing on the court. They get so out of sorts emotionally. They just can't take it

and tend to make mistakes. Chris, you look great. I'm happy for you. Hall of Fame. Congratulations. Continued success. You're always welcome anytime you want to be on. I love seeing you and chat and you always make me think, bud. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it. All right. C-Web, Chris Weber, who's always thoughtful, always makes me think. You know, he is right there too. Is that, you know, college, 24-second shot clock, that NBA game is fast. And what it means is you got to make fast decisions. And you've got to coach barking now. And you got the media and the refs and the fans. Those playoff games, you can watch young players. That's why Miami was so unique last year. Their young players were great. Young players melt. Well, the bubble eliminated a lot of that stuff. That's right. You had no fans. So a lot of that stimulation that you're talking about was gone. Gone. And so the young,

the young players last year flourished when the fans left. Now you're going to bring more fans in and it's just a lot to ask a 21-year-old or a 22-year-old to just thrive in that. It's just not the way it works. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, This is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series

because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the first. mine. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tomorrow, MLB is back on Fox in this season's Topps Project 70 is teaming up with baseball night in America. It all starts tomorrow when the shoe surgeon will create a special sneaker

from Mookie Betts before the Dodgers Giants game. You can check it out tomorrow at 7eastern on Fox in the Fox Sports app, and also check out this special new Mookiee Betts baseball card they created, which just came out today. Is that one of those NFT things? You can check it out at Topps.com. Baseball is back on Fox. That's not an NFT.

That's a real trading card. That's a very confusing. Which are also very expensive these days. I mean, between Bitcoin and NFT, like right over my head. I mean, my whole life, I've been invested in the market since 89 dollar cost averaging, you know, with my paycheck. Right. And I've been buying a little real estate and that's it.

And now all of a sudden, in the last year, everybody's like, nope, your money's got to be in something called Dodge coin and NFTs. And I'm like, I don't even... I've heard that the NFT market has kind of cooled off. Cooled off a little bit. Well, do you understand what it... Let's not bore the audience because I can't even... I don't even know what it's... it is. Trading cards. I do not really generally throw money at things that I don't fully understand

as a policy. Yeah. But if you know what you're doing. I don't like any currency where one guy Elon Musk can rip it and it tanks. Well, I mean, that's kind of like that's what the market is, isn't it? Well, but if Warren Buffett came out and said, I don't like banks, I wouldn't sell my bank stocks. Elon Musk is like, it's no good. Cryptocurrency. All right, I'm born everybody. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. What I understand, the crypto world is not for the faint of heart.

You really got to ride that wave. Oh, yeah, that's what it is. It's a roller coaster. You can't have any panic. I mean, for me, I'm trying to get 8% a year and just retire to a nice home in the hills and golf occasionally and play it with my dogs. That's it. I'm like a country western song. So the NBA MVP finalists were announced yesterday, Steph Curry,

Juel Mbide and Nicola Yokic are the three players in the running for the award this year. Well, where's Chris Paul? Chris Paul not there? No, Chris Paul this year. Interesting. Steph led the league in scoring with 32 points per game, also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Embed, 28.5 points. 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game, and Yokic averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. A lot of people feel that Yokic is the, is the lead.

at this point. And Chris Paul, 16 points, obviously a much lower stat line, although in both of our opinion, I think, was an obvious contributor to the success of the Sons this year,

who are second in the West and the Coaches Association just gave their head coach's coach of the year. It's so funny about how people want to marginalize Chris Paul. Everybody's saying this. Well, I mean, he's held. But they have a bunch of young players,

and they were slowly getting better. Yeah, they went from lousy, to second best record in the league. They didn't kind of get a little better. By the way, he got Oklahoma City, Chris Paul did, do a four seat last year. They won two of their last

25 games this year. Folks, it's not just what you do in life on the team you join, or the company you join. What happens to the company you leave? I am so proud that my former time slot at the other place went down 60% when I left.

that I've crushed here with joy. I'm so happy of that failing by them. It's not just what you do when you arrive somewhere. When Jim Harbaugh left the 49ers, it wasn't just that he won games at Michigan, but the Niners went into the tank. So you know Harbaugh can coach to some level because the place that he left went from Super Bowls to...

Well, the issue with the MVP is, as we know, it's mostly a narrative award. Not that the person who wins the MVP every year doesn't deserve it. They're always good. They're always good. They're always deserving. It's just a matter of the criteria for what and who should win changes every single year. Is it the best statistical season?

Is it a historical season? Like with Westbrook, is it the best record? It's so confusing and it changes every single year. Like, Yoko is obviously an MVP season. He hasn't missed a game. He's unbelievable this year. You could give him the MVP and you could make hasn't missed a game a big component to it. Yes, which is probably why he's going to win.

Yeah, yeah. But you can't deny the contribution that Chris Paul has made to a team that has mostly been awful over the past decade. Like, it's, they're second in the West, which is the better conference. Well, it's very significant. It shows you that basketball is more than athleticism. Chris doesn't jump. He's not the quickest guy. He's a mid-range shooter.

What it shows you is the value of talking, communicating, being demanding on teammates. I mean, Doc Rivers and I talked about this. Like, Chris is hard to coach. Like, he's a barker. He'll get after you. So it's like, it shows you that Chris is not going to get on the cover all these magazines. Chris is intense and he demands a lot from his teammates. And he doesn't want to be friends with all his teammates.

He doesn't want to be friends with everybody. And that kind of guy turns people off. But we need more basketball players in America that don't want to be your ally. They don't want to be your buddy. They want to coach your, they want to get after you if you don't play well. That said, Seth is totally. deserving as well. He's the reason that they're there.

So, Knicks fans are showing they're ready to see their team in the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The team announced that they are sold out for both game one and game two of their series against the Hawks. They were offering 15,000 seats at Madison Square Garden.

That's the largest capacity announced so far for the postseason. In any NBA team? Yes. Wow. In New York City. Wow. And 90% of the almost 90% of the fans in the stands are going to be vaccinated. Wow. And they know that because they've got their little...

Well, I think a lot of... I'm not... Don't quote me on this, but a lot of the facilities are asking you to bring your card or submit your card before you enter or you... I think... I think Staples has... You have to either show a negative COVID test or show your vaccination card. All right.

So they are able to keep track of it. By the way, businesses are allowed to do that for the... all of you anti-vaxers out there. It's not illegal. I'm excited about it, though. It's going to be a factor. It's going to be a factor. It's going off of the bubble.

Atlanta's young. The young team, they're going on the road. And they're Knicks fans who haven't seen the Knicks in the playoffs a long time. Madison Square is intense. It's going to be crazy. They're going to make it feel like it's every seat is. Ryan, when's that game on? That's a make a sandwich and sit there for two and a half hour game.

It's going to be fun. I'm really excited for Nick's. fans in the city of New York. We talk about it all the time how important it is. Game one is Sunday at 4 p.m. You know, people talk about New York what a great baseball city it is, and I've pushed back on this.

The Knicks have been embarrassing for 15, 20 years. You know, they don't lose their season ticket base. It's still sold out. The minute the Mets are bad, people don't show. When the Yankees are out of a playoff race, empty seats. Well, that's why Hoopers

always say that New York is the Mecca of basketball. Like, it's the Mecca. There is such a strong basketball fan base in that city. Obviously, New York is a great sports city anyway, but basketball is strong. And the Knicks are a very, very expensive brand as well. Go look at the 80s Yankees' attendance when they had Don Madagley and Stunk. Yankee Stadium, there was seat.

I mean, before it was owned by like Steinbrenner and they started spending big money on Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter. There's nobody. New York's Yankee. there weren't sold out crowds. Like the Knicks have been an embarrassment for 20 years. Can't get tickets. They've always had great attendance.

Brand is strong. So the Falcons are reportedly looking to trade Julio Jones to get some help with their salary cap this season. The athletic listed some teams that could be potentially interested in going after them. One of them was the Titans, and Derek Henry is all in for that move. He tweeted in response to the story, Titan the F up. So he is all four them getting at Julio Jones

in Tennessee. Jeff Schultz of the Athletic list of the Titans, the Ravens, the 49ers, the Patriots, Colts, and Chargers as teams that could be in the market for Julio. Well, I mean, he's expensive, so it comes down to cap. I mean, I would imagine New England's not paying

anything for a quarterback, so they can certainly afford him. New England, I mean, Baltimore's got... It was interesting to see him with the Chargers as well. Well, again, the Chargers aren't paying Justin Hurried. Herbert yet. Baltimore's not paying Lamar Jackson yet. I mean, Chargers have three more years of not paying Justin Herbert. And I'm trying to think who they pay. They pay both a lot. They didn't pay Melvin Gordon. He left. No, the Chargers are probably a team that could go. And again,

this is the thing about Julio Jones. Atlanta is in a rebuild. They need him to play a lot of games. Julio Jones, if you're a good team, like this, like, he's not going to go to Seattle. But let's like say Baltimore. Baltimore is going to win 9, 10, 10. games because of Lamar and because of their coaching. If Baltimore needs him to be great late, you don't need him to be great in September, October. And you don't have to wear him out. He's obviously, he's an extensive injury history. If you are already a good team and he can be an additional piece, and obviously Julio is still

amazing. But he does have some limitations physically as far as staying healthy for the whole season. So don't rely on him for the entire season. Use him in big spots and he will be crucial for you, especially in the postseason. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie New.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it.

Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LeVar Arrington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep. That's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk

about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Simply Safe, award-winning security system. Highly trained security experts, when you need them most.

Go to Simplysafecollan.com today. customize your system and get a free security camera. You know, I tell my kids, you know, be ready outside of college. Once you get past college, be ready. The best opportunity of your life could be available. You could just, it could just be happenstance. You run into somebody. Companies are always looking to hire younger people because they're cheaper and they can mold them and they can turn them into what they want to.

So I tell my daughter, like, be ready after college. You can backpack in Amsterdam for four years and blow through it. But at that point, you'll want some money and they don't want to pay it. Like, be ready to go after college. College is experiment time. College is make mistakes time. 22, 23 outside of college. Be ready to go.

And pro sports is unfair that way. is that at least my daughter, there are people that aren't ready to go after college and succeed. That happens all the time in America. You don't find yourself until you're 43, 47. But pro sports is entirely unfair. Your peak athletically is probably 23 to 29. And then it's not the same.

You get hurt more. Recovery and rehab takes longer. I mean, you watch LeBron the other night. He had no juice early on. Russell Westbrook is now 32. He's played over a thousand games. He is not as relentless as he used to be. He admits some nights he just does not have juice like the other night.

He admitted it. I just didn't have any juice. Last night, he was very, very restrained. Only took 13 shots. Only took one, three. Missed it. But nonetheless, Lots of assists played under control.

And people always think, oh, you're very, very hard on Westbrook. But the good and the bad of getting older is I've seen everything. Not once or twice. I've seen everything 10 times. Westbrook is Stevie Francis and Alan Iverson and Stefan Marbury and Derek Rose. And it all, all, always, always ended poorly. For hyper-athletic point guards who aren't natural shooters, who tend to be shoot first, ask questions later,

it always ends poorly. Stevie Francis at the end played in China. So did Iverson. Or was it Marbury? And Iverson was in Turkey. And Derek Rose has been on six teams in five years, the Knicks twice. It always ends the exact same way. Westbrook now, the great players admire him, but don't want to play with them.

And the two teams that were interested, Washington and the Knicks, losing teams. the last 15 years. Listen, everybody admired Stevie Francis. They called him the franchise. He was unbelievable. Everybody loved Marbury. Alan Iverson was iconic and amazing. But when you come into the league in pro sports, it's entirely unfair.

You got to be self-aware at 23. You got to get it fast. And so I've just seen the Westbrook story over and over. And the media and the fans fall in love because they're so athletic. Derek Rose and Francis and Westbrook, but it's ending the same way. Russell's on a bad, bad roster, and only the Knicks and Washington wanted to.

And everybody admired Marbury and never bad Mount DeRose, but they don't necessarily want to play with them. And so when people say, oh, you are, you know, it's almost like the Hollywood party crowd, man or women. You know, the Pamela Lee crowd, the party crowd in Hollywood. Oh, they're on People magazine. It's the Lindsay Lohan crowd at 20s. And then by like mid-30s, they're burnt out.

Nobody wants to work with them. They're kind of hacky. They're not on the magazines. They're desperate. They're B-listers. Like, it always ends the same for the... Tom Hanks was never the party boy. You know what I mean?

It's like Don Cheadle, Ed Norton. They're never really the party guy. They're just gifted. Meryl Streep never was. The Hollywood party set, it always ends the exact same way. Every single time. And the hyper-athletic point guard, shoot first, ask questions later, best friends to basketball, it always ends the same way.

And Westbrook's ending the same way. The good teams don't want him. He doesn't quite have the relentlessness. By the way, he's played over a thousand games. I mean, you only jump that high and be that fast for so long. Everybody's human. You see it now when LeBroni gets hurt more. All right.

And by the way, they play the Sixers next. And that's not a great matchup for Washington. That is, Philadelphia can play defense. They've got a rim protector. Ben Simmons is as good as any guard in the league. So he'll make things difficult for Beale or Westbrook. So that's going to be a quick series. Now, I will say this.

You know, in America, there's two things we bet a lot. We bet the NFL and college football. But there are people out there that like to bet the NBA. A lot of people are saying that Phoenix is an interesting bet against the Lakers because the Lakers are really one injury away from a brittle player AD and an older player LeBron from being in trouble. I think we all admit if LeBron went down, Phoenix probably wins the series. I mean, I'd certainly like him. And if AD goes sideways, you're asking LeBron now, quote, playing on one leg to carry a team.

Wouldn't be great. You can't trust Schroeder. Andre Drummond, some matchups work, some games he doesn't. So a lot of people are saying the Phoenix is an interesting bet here because they're young. the top four players for Phoenix, including Chris Paul, played all the games. Phoenix's top four players all played all the games, like 69, 70, 71, 72 games. Lakers did not. So Phoenix has good chemistry.

They're young. Younger players don't get hurt as much. If they do, they're not hurt as long. But I think the playoff series to watch is Miami and Milwaukee. I can simultaneously think two things. I can think Milwaukee is going to win, and they can. got a terrible first round draw. I can think that.

I mean, LSU won the national championship in college football two years ago. Their schedule was brutal. By the end of it, I'm like, you know, you could look at that schedule and go, God, it's brutal. They're the best team. It's possible you can think two things. I think you should get vaccinated, but I don't think we should hold people down that don't want to be in vaccinate them, just, you know, stay out of arenas and off airplanes.

Like, I think you should be able to say no to the vaccination. I strongly encourage you should get it, but I can think two things. I don't think the government should hold you down in your living room and give you a vaccination if you don't want it. So this is a really interesting series. First of all, Jimmy Butler played one game. This is weird. All year long against the Nets, Sixers and Bucks combined, and they won it. And when Jimmy Butler played this year, they were 33 and 19.

So they're a good basketball team. In the last two years when Jimmy Butler has played, Miami is 84. and 45 and 45 in the regular season and 14 and 17 in the playoffs with a top coach. That's a championship level team. He just didn't play much. He took any miss. It was really interesting. I'm not insinuating anything, but he seemed to miss a lot of games against the best teams.

As if Miami was strategizing, we'll play him against Orlando, but we're not going to let the net see him. Because we're going to meet the nets in the playoffs. We're not going to let Doc Rivers see him. And remember, the nets were an all-new team. The Sixers have an all-new coach and the staff. And so, and then Miami's got new pieces as well. So it's almost like Miami kind of strategized it. We're not going to play Jimmy Butler against the good teams.

You're going to see him in the playoffs, which is not a terrible strategy. So in Miami is also the heater, the classic struggled early. We stopped paying attention except joy. People forget about him. And then you look up and they won their last seven games with Jimmy Butler playing. So Miami, you know, this is the way it goes. It happens in all sports. You struggle in September in the NFL.

And then you look up and the team's like nine and three in Red Hot. And Miami had a bunch of injuries. I think Butler got COVID, COVID protocol. So they didn't play well early. And we just stopped paying attention to them. Plus, we were all staring at the Nets. The Nets were on a hot streak. So everybody's looking at Brooklyn.

And all of a sudden the Sixers with Doc Rivers has got him beating. Simmons love each other. And we're all like, oh, nobody paid attention. Miami. Now, seven straight, Butler's played. 63, 64% winter last two years when Butler plays. They've got playoff experience. They're healthy. They've got a big. They match up with Janus. Now, they're young in certain spots. And Milwaukee's got sage veterans, PJ Tucker, Drew Holiday. So I like Milwaukee in the series. But if you told me there were two series, I like the underdog, I would bet a little

on the Sons because they're younger, healthier, and the Lakers are an injury away from being a little bit of a mess. And Miami, simultaneously, I think the Bucks win at all, Miami's a good bet. They are, another thing is Spolstra's history is, Miami, Spolster's very good at this. He's very good at his teams tend to play well late in the season. He and Pat Riley have been around a long time. They rest the right guys. tends to historically, they're really good about this time. And so I'm excited for it.

MDrive, check out MDrive for men.com today. Refind your Prime with MDrive, free shipping. 60-day money-back guarantee. Now, Joy, you watch a ton of Miami games. Your take on them this morning today now. Well, I already put my money on them. You already did? Yeah. I think this is a very, very tough matchup for Yonis and the Bucks. I mean, we played the soundbite from Yonis earlier. They asked him if he thinks it's going to be different this year and he's like, I don't know. That's not necessarily a vote

of confidence. Miami has a place with a lot of rage. They were in the finals last year. It went six games and everyone like kind of dismisses that because it was the bubble, but they're a real team and they're healthy. You know what it tells you that they played well in the bubble.

What it really tells you is they're emotionally very strong too, not physically. Well, it's a heat culture. Like everyone kind of dismisses those sort of intangible things. But it's a real thing. It's the same thing that went on with the Spurs for years. By the way, what culture melted down last year in the postseason? Clippers don't have a historically strong culture.

What culture was shockingly good? Miami and all those kids. Historically great culture. So Milwaukee's culture is under delivering. Miami's culture is over delivering. I can like two things. I like Milwaukee, but I think this is a six, seven game series. Hour three, Jim Mersey, owner of the Colts next.

Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean. that you need to.

Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for Blah. at people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.