The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 05/28/2021 - HOUR 2 - NBA, Blazers, Clippers

Episode Date: May 28, 2021

The NBA has more talent right now than ever beforeThe Blazers need a rebootThe Clippers next game against the Mavericks is vitalGuest: Jim Jackson Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Ah, here we go. Hour 2, Friday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. By the way, Jim Jackson did Sons Lakers last night. He also did the Knicks Hawks, which is a really fun going seven game series.

Joy's Miami Heat have, it's been a little disruptive to Joy's life. Not one of the happiest people in the world slightly, I would say, a little chip first hour. It's a hard. Yeah. Okay. I was a little rough around that at his first hour. It hurts, you know? Yeah.

I don't allow, we can't, we can have a little bit of bias because we are opinionists. We're not journalists. We all come from a city. Right. So, but I don't allow. myself to really get hurt anymore. Yes. By any team except for the heat.

Like, I love the dolphins, but like, I'm going to be moderately upset if it doesn't work out. Because I spent too long time being really upset at the dolphins lost. Right. So I have to limit my stress levels. And so, yeah. Well, you know, I've talked about this before. The NBA's never had more talent. Don't listen to anybody.

It's got more good basketball players and more basketball talent than it's ever had, including the Michael Jordan era. And just give me a minute on this. In the Michael Jordan era, it was a domestic league. There wasn't all these international players. Now you're searching the globe for all these players. And nutrition's better, training's better, coaching's better. The league's never had anything close to this kind of talent.

6-11 guys were clunky, back to the basket. You didn't want them shooting anything more than a free throw. Hell, guys moving out now, seven-foot guys shooting threes, international players. The league's never had more talent, but it's also never had less leadership. And I don't blame the players. It's the economics of the sport. Get to the pros. It used to be you would play high school for four years,

and you'd have this legendary high school coach, and there was a culture, and he would talk about leadership. He would mold you. And then you would go to college for four years, and the college coach, you would see it. Sometimes you've got to see it to be it. You'll learn. We all learn, right? How to be a parent. We watch our parents.

How to be a leader, you'll watch a leader. So it used to be, players would be in this great high school program with this old crusty coach who'd been winning for 30 years, but you sensed culture. And then you'd go to college and you kind of sensed, oh, that's a, this. Then you go to the NBA and by 23, you're like, yeah, Tim Duncan was a leader. And Patrick Ewing was a leader. Well, because they'd seen it. Well, now it's AAU.

which is mostly about that dude can play. Let's bring him on the team. That's not about a culture. That's just just get the best players. And then you spend one year in college max. Listen, after my freshman year of college, I knew beer better than algebra.

And nobody learns anything in one year of college. And then these guys come into the league and you're like, well, they're great players, but they lack leadership. There's about five guys in this league that I would say, oh, that's a great leader. Every team used to have several guys. Went to a great high school program four years.

Went to a college program. Even the great players, Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing. And they were in college for years. So a prime example is Devin Booker. Devin Booker is filthy talented. I mean, like, insane. But years ago, Scotty Pippen took over for Michael Jordan. Jordan went to baseball.

And Scotty was a top 10 player in the league. But he didn't have the emotional makeup to be a number one. And some of it was, you know, when you're a number one, forget the media hovering over you every night. The other team focuses their game plan specifically to stop you. That's a lot. Do you make other people better? You will be asked now as the team leader. That's a lot.

Are you a coach on the floor? That's a lot. You're asking me to drop 28 and defend and be a number one. It's hard to be a number one. Devin Booker last two games when Chris Paul's limited, worst plus. minus in the series. He's never lacked talent. But I think Devin Booker is a little bit of what the league is now. The most talented I've ever seen it. Everybody can shoot. Everybody can put the ball in the deck. A lot of guys can. But I don't see the leadership. And listen, Chris Paul, Lakers' sons don't play till Sunday.

So they got some time here to get Chris Paul healthy. But what Phoenix looks like, without Chris Paul being as effective, they look like Phoenix the last couple years where they're talented. We're not doubting Booker and we're not doubting DeAndre Aiton. I'm not doubting any of these guys. But I think we have a leadership problem in the NBA. We don't have a talent problem. We don't have a coaching problem. I mean, I watch these games.

These dudes are doing stuff now. It's insane. I remember last time I went to a dunk contest. It was in Los Angeles on a rainy weekend. We had guys jumping over cars, cars, automobiles. Like, talent's not the issue. But when Chris Paul's off the floor, this is why I said he deserved to be the MVP. He's an old guy.

You know, D. Wade, multiple years in college. Chris Paul, multiple years in college, Steph, multiple years in college. There are exceptions to everything. But Phoenix looks a little bit rudderless without Chris Paul direct in traffic. With that, Jim Jackson, joining us now live. So you called the game last night. You know, it's funny, Jim, because you got a little. bit of both. You, you grew up going to the high school program and then you grew up and then you

went to college for years and years. But at the end of your career, you dealt with a lot of what I'm talking about now as guys that just did AAU. You're a college. And I, so I think you're uniquely qualified to talk about this. You broke into the league. Everybody was old school. But the time you left the league, it was becoming a little bit like, dude, you played what, 30 games of college? And when I look at it. at Phoenix without Chris Paul, I just see a bunch of talent. They feel a little rudderless to me, or am I a little too much here? Well, no, I mean, the core, you got to look at the core part.

McKell Bridges had time in college, three years, you know, at Villanova. Cameron Johnson had his time at North Carolina. Devin Booker's anomaly, I mean, and DeAndre Aden, because of the two main guys are the ones that weren't in college, you know, only one year. Now, I mean, there are a number of teams, too, in the league where the leadership aspect, you're correct on that. Because they don't have it, a lot of talent, but guys that don't know how to leave. And that's always been the case in a lot of different, I would say, eras of basketball. It just so happened in the era when I came in and even before.

Because the league was older, you always had that leadership and mentorship on the sideline, coaches, so to speak, but also the players. So when I came into the league, it was like Derek Harper was my master's. mentor. Okay, when I came in, Terry Davis, these guys that have been in the league for a while, you know, it was just like, okay, these are the dudes and those. This is how you become a professional. This is how you get through the daily ground, 82 games, but they also led by example because they have been in the league, six, seven, eight, nine, you know, almost 10 years. Okay. So it is a big difference in it. And that's the juggle that you have, Colin, when you have the leadership being young guys who, didn't really have to carry a lot of the load in college.

That's right. Okay. For a number of year, not just one. Learning how to be a number one on the big stage is totally different. Kobe had to go through that. Kobe wasn't automatically the best team leader, okay, because he went to high school. He didn't have to carry that load for two or three years and what that felt like, how to get guys really involved to win and win big in college.

He got right to the NBA and he had to learn and matured. sure and that still took time yeah you know um it's interesting with the clippers tonight um i said this everybody loses in the NBA it's no big deal but when you get humiliated that's when guys lose their job if them if the mavs beat the clippers tonight it's going to be a sweep and you know listen we know the clippers history isn't great but there was never really any big expectations it was brief with chris paul but But this team was all big expectations. So when failure coincides with expectations, that's when you get humiliation.

And I look, if the Clippers, this could be the biggest game in franchise history. If they do not win tonight, they're going to get swept. Jim, you've been around this league long time. That cabloom, I mean, this thing is, you think Paul George and Quire both gone, one gone, what do you see happening? Well, this is a little bit closer to me because I covered the Clippers. all year. So I got to, it wasn't the same as being on the road traveling with the team and kind of sitting down with the coaches and players and really getting insight and getting the feel.

But by covering the games all year, I got a, I got a really good understanding of what this team is made up. And my, the biggest trepidation I've always had was when things get tough, who's the voice of reason? Yeah. And that's the biggest thing because your two best players are probably your most quietest players on the court. Yeah. I think that's part of the reason why you go and get a Rondo because his voice is loud because he's been there, done that, and guys really respected. Yeah, this is a critical game. And the reason why is because Dallas, you have think about it, you go back to the bubble last year, they felt they had a chance to beat the Slipper team, okay? During the course of the year, it was a huge blowout. First game in Mabs

played the clip. It was over at halftime, okay? Mavs were up 50 points. During the year, the three games and Mavs won, two out of the three. Luca average 30 plus points. Luca's going to get his numbers. Okay, in his league, Cobby. You can't stop Luca. You can try to make him less efficient, but you can't stop him.

What's killing the Clippers defensively is Tim Hardaway Jr. being able to get a shot. The first game, Dorian Finney Smith. Now, part of the game plan was to leave some of those guys open and force them to make shots, and they did that. But in the last game,

I mean, it was, you know, Jalen Brunton. It was Tim Hardaway, Jr. Guys that you know that can play. Those are the guys that are beating the – Luca's going to be Luca. And if they lose this game, I mean, all heck is going to break loose in regards to, you know, just to panic of what the future holds for this Clipper team. I really do. Believe that.

By the way, Anthony Davis is much better than Rashid Wallace, but I made the comparison about a week ago. I said when Rashid was dialed in and a – aggressive. He was a handful. I mean, he was, he went toe to toe with K.G. and Duncan for years. He could defend. He could hit a three. He had about, he was about 70% AD. And I watched that third quarter last night. And you know the story where AD was a guard his junior year. Then he had a gross spurt. And I'm watching him last night, shoot, move, fluid, put the ball in the deck. And I'm like,

man, the guy upstairs gave him so much talent. Like I watched that third quarter and I thought nobody in the league is going to beat that. Nobody in the league is going to beat that team. Do you think LeBron's ever frustrated that he has to cross his fingers to get that AD? Well, I think the league is frustrated because AD is so talented. I'm going to back up a little bit. I'll play with Rashid, okay, in Portland. Yeah.

Keep in mind, Rashid was the number one player coming out of high school. This was talent, but Rashid didn't really care about being the number one. He didn't care about making an all-star game. When he wanted to turn it on, he turned it on. It was to blow my mind because he was so talented, could dominate. He could be a perennial all-star, one of the best power force ever played. But that wasn't his motivation. He loved to play the game the way he wanted to play it, which is nothing wrong with that.

I see a lot of similarities with AD in regards to the fact that when he wants to turn it on, he's virtually unstoppable. but then he'll go through those stages where he just wants to be kind of one of the guys. And he has too much talent for that. But Colin, here's the thing. A Lamar Odom, a guy I'll play with in L.A. for my last year. Kind of the same way. 610 talented, over talented, could dominate to be one of the best.

But that was it, I don't know if that was his motivation. And I don't know how you get a guy, a man, to do it. when it's not built within it. And that's the challenge that you have when you're the Lakers. That's why you have to have somebody else around Anthony Davis in order to carry those games in those days when he's not really going at. Because like you saw this in that third quarter,

but also in game two at the beginning of the game, that AD makes this Laker team unbeatable. Yeah. So you did the Knicks-Hawks game two, and the gardener was crazy. here's a dilemma if you ran the Knicks. Julius Randall is an effort guy on a championship team. I think he's your third best player.

But you can't take him out of here. You've got to pay him something because he's such, he's the soul of the team. He's a grinder. He's tough. And I look at it and I think the Knicks are going to be in a little dilemma. We're seeing the reality of Julius Randall in the playoffs. He can disappear for halves, a lot. But he also, he is really deserves, I mean, he's a comeback player of the year.

So, and all of a sudden that contract's coming up. What do you do with Julius Randall if you're the Knicks? I mean, you want this momentum to keep going, Jim, because, man, it's kind of attractive. I watch the Knicks now and I think, well, if I was a free agent, that'd be kind of fun. Like the Knicks are back. Yeah. What are realistic expectations with Julius? What do you do with him going forward?

You can't discount what Nate McMillan has done defensively to take Julius Randall out of. Now, it's a lot easier, Colin, to defend a Julius Randall, a power forward than it is a Tray Young, a Steph Curry, you know, guys that have the LeBron James, guys that have the ball in their hand and on the perimeter can shoot and step back and do a lot of different thing. It's a lot more challenging to take away thing. With a Julius Randall, you can shrink the court. you can take away driving lanes. Things you can do to minimize his effectiveness, and that's what they've done. So I'll give Atlanta a lot more credit for that

than Julius Randall not being able to perform. But moving forward, keep in mind. New York has a wealth of money that they can spend, okay? They need to have a viable point guard. Derek Rose is great, but Derek Rose is 12 years in the league. He's your secondary point guard option. In this league, you need to be. be able to surround a Julius Randall with a point guard that can make plays and knock down

shot. Okay? That's the direction that the Knicks have to go. I love what Julius Randall has done. The growth in this young man has been incredible, not just from a game perspective, but in his mind because last year, he wanted to be number one. He got paid to be number one, but he didn't understand what that meant. This year, he's bought into, it's not about me and my individual goal is about how good I can

be to help the team continue to get better. And that's the kind of attitude you want. You can't get rid of that attitude. The thing that Nix have to do in the organization is surround him with the right guy. And if that's getting an alpha number one at that point guard or shooting guard, you try to go find them to compliment the young players that you had. Good stuff. Jim Jackson's been doing the Lakers and the Knicks. Exciting weekend ahead. You have a great weekend. Smoke a cigar for me and hit a golf club, would you, buddy? Well, I'm going golf from right now, Colin. I got to guess that. I had a feeling that was the answer.

Yeah. All right. Jim Jackson, Fox Sports. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard 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 what I'm 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 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-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?

I do a little kill. 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 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on 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. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking.

Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

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Two New York strips, six burgers, five pounds of drumsticks, free in your first box. Butcherbox.com slash heard. So the worst place to be in the NBA, pretty good, not great. QuickSand. You can't get a top 10-12 pick. Your fans are kind of satisfied. you don't feel like it's a do-over, and that's where Portland's at. I mean, once again last night, Denver shot like 52% on threes,

81% free throws, 47% from the floor. Portland doesn't play defense. It's time for a reboot. It's just time, same team for about six years. It's just time for a reboot. They're two Dame Lillard dominated. Dame and C.J. McCollum are the back court. They're very similar players.

Neither plays defense. and they got to both offer the same thing. And they need a big trade. And Dame's not going to leave. He's a loyal guy. So go get him a two. Portland's been trying to kind of fake it. Rodney Hood, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, old mellow, kind of faking it.

Got him a two. Got him a two. No. Dame's a one and there's nothing resembling a two on that team. C.J. McCollum should be a four, a good. good player, but a four and a championship team. So, and what's happening now, because there's so much talent out west, the Mavs look like they've passed Portland.

And Memphis, oh boy, here comes Memphis. Are they close to pass in Portland? And the sons this year pass Portland. Utah is now past Portland. The Nuggets, if they win this, that they have passed Portland. So forget the Lakers. You got all these young teams. I mean, Memphis now is like, oh, and even teams like that didn't make the playoffs, like Golden State,

well, Clay Thompson comes back next year. So it's time to blow it up. This roster peaked a couple years ago when they got to the Western Conference finals and faced Golden State. And they were swept by Golden State that didn't have Kevin Durant. And that was kind of like the tell. Like we got to get, we got to go big and get another guy. Now, the solution to me is Paul George and the Clippers get swept and humiliated. Steve Balmer goes to bloom, blows it up, and Paul George becomes a two.

And maybe C.J. McCullough is a good player that you really, you're getting that with Dame, just a better version with Dame. But it's the same. We got the same story here year after year after year. It's time for a reboot in Portland. It is too Dame dependent. And, you know, it's, they're just. They either win shootouts or lose shootouts.

They can't make a stop when they need to, and that's kind of been the story for the last five, six years, Joy with the News. Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News. Clippers. How the mighty have fallen. They've lost home court advantage to the Mavs and are down 2 as the series moves to Dallas. They've yet to live up to the hype of their high expectations.

surrounding the team last year and in this year in the postseason. But Tailu believes that they will show who they truly are in game three. When you're down too old, we're coming to an old team's arena. It shows what you're made of, you know, our toughness and, you know, all year. Just trust sticking together. And then this is going to show us tomorrow, you know, who we are and what we're made up. So I'm excited to see. Yeah, I mean, generally when you have the first two games at home, you want to win those.

the test is going on the row. Well, you lost your two games at home, and now you're going to the Mavs home. So that's actually opposite of how these things are usually supposed to go. Right. If they go down 3-0, they're losing the series. As we talked about earlier, with the heat, no team has ever come back down from 3-0s.

I don't anticipate the Clippers doing that. No. So you have to win, or this is over. Like, you have to win. That's it. This is the game for the series. This is the entire season. This is not even the season.

This is the franchise right here as it is currently constructed. If the Mavs won convincingly, I mean. Tonight? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like it's going to be a different franchise in four months. Like they're just going to make moves. I have to.

You just need a leader. Like it's, we all thought that the talent could overcome the lack of that specific and tangible. And in some cases, I suppose it can. But I don't know. I don't know. don't really know that I can look to an example of that because Kauai is proven in the postseason. You can talk about how things have gone with the Clippers, but Kauai is a champion.

Kauai is an MVP. Like he's proven that he, finals MVP. He's capable of that. So we know what, to me, Kauai is not the question here. I know what Kauai can do when he's in the right situation and he's in the right culture and he has pieces around him. Paul George is really the question. I also know what Tailu can do.

Yeah. So it's not to put this on Paul George, but you have to have the right. formula. Like, you can have a lot of talent, but it's all got to line up. I mean, we talk about, you know, LeBron with the heat. They had all the talent in the world, but they hadn't put it together the first year. Right. You've seen it with lots of LeBron teams in the first year that he's there. It takes a little time to get things going, but you can't be this far into this experiment and it not work. So there's a lot of pressure on the Clippers. For a very interesting postseason where everyone is kind of coming in with a flaw, and there's this most parody we've

ever probably seen in an NBA postseason, at least for a long time. Very quickly, the clippers have a lot of pressure on them. So you're going to have to get that win tonight. All right, Mac Jones. Seems to be making a good impression on his new team at OTAs this week. Receiver Kendrick Borenson Jones has a swag to him. Swag. Drew Locke had a swag.

Swag's big. Swaggy. Swaggy. Swaggy. Swaggy. He said he could feel his energy and his leadership already. Swag. Tight. Hunter Henry out of that he thinks the rookie's doing a good job.

By the way, he wears number 50. Is that swag? That ain't swag. It's swag. Listen, I don't know swag. That ain't swag. We're number 50 throwing a football. That's like that pitcher in the spring training that wears like 78 and ends up at AA Birmingham or something. Belichick said Jones dove right into the playbook and is continuing to learn. Well, that's like being a good parent. That's the minimum. He dove into the playbook.

What was he going to do? He used it like a pamphlet. He just threw it in the garbage. There's a lot of clichés being thrown out. Oh, he dove right into the playboy. Earlier, Patriots insider Tom Curran tweeted after watching Mac Jones at OTA. So he's getting kind of glowing reviews from inside the team. Yeah, Kendrick Bourne loved him.

Number four receiver loved him. Well, Tom said just finished watching our first OTA of 2021, the Patriots. one thing it stands out about Mac Jones to me is his size and lack thereof, not just compared to Cam Newton, shorter than Stidham as well, really will need to fill out his frame. Accuracy on uncontested throws, which is what we're seizing today, is as advertised, Arm isn't really live. These are just observations relative to how far he may need to go,

fortunately, except for the heights, the other things he can improve. So not a glowing review from Tom. who I trust because Tom Kern's been accurate for over a decade with the team. Look, I don't, I don't, it sounds like we're poking fun and we're not like rooting against him. I'm really not. I just, I want everyone to succeed. We just have to give our observations. And I just didn't think he was, I didn't think he was a number three overall.

I will give New England credit, though, and they do deserve credit. They did not trade up. They waited and he dropped. So I don't have a problem with that pick because they do need a quarterback. and they didn't give up capital. I thought it was a great pick for them. Yeah, but this is where I push back. Trade multiple first rounders to draft Mac Jones at three.

You're out of your mind. There's really no pressure on Mac Jones right now. And that is, that's a conversation that we have about first round picks all the time. Where are you taking? What was given up for you? Because those expectations to shift the public and media's opinion of you. That's right. And quite frankly, the teams as well, when you walk into a locker room or the front office is like,

all right, we did all this to get you. What do you have? And expectations are sometimes unfair. Yeah, Jordan Love, they moved up to get him in the first round. If Jordan Love falls to the middle of the second, we're like, well, yeah, he's a middle second guy. It's okay. Yeah. You got time. He said three years. Who cares? There was never a ton of pressure on Andy Dalton. He went to TCU. He stayed there forever. He wasn't a hot prospect. He went in the second round. So there was never this, well, he's Big Benner. He was a second round pick. So like, like that's how the Jordan love, the Packers change the temperature in the room.

We're going to give up picks to move up to get you. Okay, now you're, that's why it was San Francisco. Mac Jones at 15, fifth quarterback taken, I'm good with it. Yeah. For a team that needed a quarterback. That three spot for Mac Jones, that's what we ripped. We didn't rent, we said that is absurd.

It would have been absurd. And it's not it's not just because maybe Mac Jones won't be good enough. Maybe he will be good enough to have been a number three overall pick. But expectations change timelines. They change expectations within the fan base, the patience. And the pressure can get to you as a young player.

Like you have to get out there. You have to prove yourself instead of just taking the time to learn. So it matters whether it's realistic or fair or not. Nothing is fair. That's how it works. So Tom Brady is back at the Bucks facility training for next season. But it is not in the typical OTA format because he doesn't like it. Bruce Ariens offered Brady the chance to hold throwing sessions at the team complex

without any coach's presence, and the players would be able to come and go as they please. They would also have access to everything from the practice field, to the locker room and weight room. So he and about 10 other teammates took him up on the offer this morning, and Arienswell said he was concerned that if an injury occurred to a player while working out away from the facility, their contract wouldn't be guaranteed.

So when you're doing those kind of workouts and you're not at OTAs and things can happen, so that's what his concern was. I love this about Ariens. He is not afraid to just make the players happy. It's not about, everyone always freaks out about extremes, right? Like these players, the young player that went from high school to the G League. The floodgates, no one's going to get an education anymore. Like, just just simmer down.

Okay, Bruce Ariens does things a little outside the box. Just a little outside the box. It's okay. He's still going to have training camp. I remember, Joy, when I worked in Tampa, the Buccaneers, Sam Wisch was let go and they were looking for a coach. So they interviewed Tony Dungey. And Tony's one of the nicest guys you ever meet.

But Tony, back in Tony's day, every coach was like, coward and parcels and throwing stuff. And so they interviewed Dungey. And Rich McKay told me privately, it's like, he's not a, he's not, we need to interview him again. So they interview him a second time. And they're like, yeah, we know he's the right coach. his resume. We know how smart he is, but he's really quiet. And he doesn't do it like everybody. And then they brought him in for a third time and decided Tony's the guy. My point being is that Tony, who's a Hall of Fame coach, Tony was different. He was not in his generation. He was more

mentor and teacher. And Bruce Ariens is different. He is not a grinder like the, his belief is you can let players be themselves. They're professionals. They're professionals. And by the way, I'm not going to overcoach. But, but, you know, and by the way, I, there are times Ariens drives me nuts. He's got a little Mike Tomlin where sometimes I'm like, I'm not sure the details are all great. But with Brady, who is an obsessive, kind of an obsessive sort of freak attention to details, you don't need a second guy in the room like that. You need somebody that lightens the mood up a little.

And that's what Ariens does. And at this point in Tom Brady's career, he wants to be able to make his own decisions. He doesn't like OTAs, but he still wants to. train. This is a perfect situation. And Ariens' concern wasn't one of control. He's actually looking out for the players. He's like, I'm fine with you guys working out. I just rather you do it in the facility so it doesn't mess your money up. That's right. How nice of your head coach to be concerned about your well-being? There's many ways to do things. It's just a matter of, are you being a professional while you're doing it? Bruce Ariens is a little more loose,

but he's still a very serious guy. Yeah. Everyone has a different, you know, drumbeat. Good stuff, Joy Taylor with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stuff. I got two things I want to talk about with the NBA. One on the Miami Heat fans. I'm going to go right after you. And then one on the Clippers. It's just, it's just so amazing.

It would be like if the Yankees and the Met shared the same baseball stadium, one's the greatest franchise ever and one's kind of woeful and sad. Lakers, Clippers share the same facility, and one is the franchise. And the other one, finally. Got their got wah, wah, wah, and it's just happening in L.A. and everybody's freaking out,

and we'll talk about that next. 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. What's up, everyone? It's me, three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Murray. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Mary.

This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk. to some of the best who've ever done it on the field or the track. So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR Cup Series champion, the Lights Out podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to. I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merriman on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 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 Bats, 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 a 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 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 cracks. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it,

and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Jersey Mike's turkey, if it had a resume, it'd say 99% fat-free and raised without antibiotics, but their turkey already has its dream job.

Jersey Mike's premium meat makes a sub above. Jersey Mike's be a sub above. So the heat are just getting smoked by Milwaukee. And Miami has lost three games this year by 29 points or more all to the Milwaukee bucks. So Milwaukee's a team I picked to win the championship. They're not always pretty, but they're really good. You know, my takeaway is, and this happens all the time in college basketball, but let's slow down on Bam, Otabayu. A couple years ago, I made fun of, like, Bam, I was making fun of his name, and you never watched him play.

I saw him at Kentucky. He's a nice player. He's become a nice player. He cannot be your number one. I'm not sure he's a number two. He's really a number three. Miami needs to slow down on Bam, Otabaiou. He got worked by AD in the finals last year.

He's getting worked in the first round by Janice this year. He averages about 14 points a game when he faces really elite bigs. And then he averages about 22 to 23 a game against stiffs. So he ends up averaging about 18, 19. But against AD and against Janus, this is kind of what he is. About 14, 50 in the game. Good player, nice player. Love to have them on my team.

But the heat are like one of those March Madness teams where they get hot, lightning in a bottle. And then we kind of overvalue all their players. And we overvalued Tyler Hero. He's a one-dimensional player who can't defend anybody. Duncan Robinson, similar, one-dimensional player, Bam, Otabaiu, good player, a three, 14 a game, 15 a game against good centers. But if Miami, if the Miami Heat were an NFL team, they would be the Tennessee Titans team that a couple years ago knocked off the number one seed, Miami last year knocks off the number one seed. But when you looked at Tennessee, you were like, all right, Derek Henry's great.

And Ryan Taney's nice, but they didn't have a pass rush. and you couldn't depend on Corey Davis, the wide receiver, and their secondary wasn't very good. And you're kind of like, everybody then the next year wanted an encore from Tennessee. And you're like, well, they're just not that special. They still don't have a pass rush. Their secondary is still kind of average.

And Derek Henry's still great. And Ryan Taneyhill's nice, like Bam on a Bayou, it was nice. And Derek Henry's great, so is Jimmy Butler. But like a lot of movies, Most movies do not have a sequel. And when they try, it fails. It's just a good movie, but it's not a franchise. And it doesn't, frankly, I mean, it's hard to make a good sequel to a great movie.

Miami last year was a good movie. And I just look at them and I think they're the Titans. We're looking for this great encore. And it's like sometimes you just, you get hot. There's a moment. Everybody's healthy. You take a lead against Baltimore. They had a young quarterback.

Lamar Jackson in his biggest game. He's a little tight. the coaches get a little tight. And you look up and you're like, whoa, Tennessee's great. No, not great. And then the next week, you know, they face them on New England and, you know, New England's got like, you know, no receivers that could get open if I was guarding him.

So I just think we're over. Bam out of Bayou should be your third best player on a championship team. I mean, last year when they were getting worn down, it was like Miami fans. Oh, he's a star. Not close to a star. Okay. And I was thinking about the Clippers. And, you know, I had mentioned this earlier to Rick Buecker and to Jim Jackson.

There is a difference between losing and being humiliated. So LeBron James has lost a lot of finals, but it's not necessarily humiliating. I mean, even when he was swept by the Golden State Warriors, well, that was KD and Clay and Steph and Draymond. Many of you think that's the best team that's ever been. I don't. I think the Chicago Bulls are better. I think, you know, Shaq and Kobe are probably better. Magic Kareem.

But I do think that warrior team is one of the four or five best basketball teams ever assembled. But the Clippers, this is humiliating. If they lose tonight and get swept, it's the first round. The best player for Dallas, a 23-year-old kid. They don't really have a second star. And the Clippers wanted to play the Mavericks. That's why they tanked at the end of the year. And when you add expectations to anything, you go from disappointing to humiliating.

And so when I look at this Clippers team, this is when owners blow stuff up. It's not just losing, but it's losing swiftly first round to a Dallas team that is ascending. They're not supposed to beat the Clippers. Clippers won 47 games, resting Kauai and Paul George for 20 games apiece. I mean, Luca played almost every night. Hardaway is playing almost every night, and they're winning 42 games. So, you know, there is a reason public speaking, they've done studies on this and polls on this. Public speaking is the number one fear of people, not even dying.

That's two. Jerry Seinfeld used to tell a joke about it's amazing that death finishes number two to public speaking. So if you go to a funeral, you'd rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. Like people are petrified. Why? Why are they petrified of public speaking? Because you can embarrass yourself. 40% of America, 40% never leaves the area code in which they're born.

People don't want to put themselves out there. safe, content, live a nice life, don't take big risks. Big risk can be big swings and misses. So, you know, Bill Buckner, that was humiliating. It changed his life. Chris Weber, the timeout in college. Like, like Cubs fan, remember he grabs, interferes with the baseball. Like, that stuff borders on, like, that changes you.

It changes the franchise. It changes the venom and the anger to fans and owners. The Chris Weber timeout, the Steve Bartman ball, that kids gone into high. hiding. He had nobody's seen him in 15 years. You start losing in the first round getting swept by Dallas. Steve Balmer's going to get humiliated. It's humiliating for Ty Lou. Those executives in the front office, the clippers have a huge front office, and they're highly compensated, making more than their Laker counterparts in many instances in the front office. It's ugly. And ugly changes the temperature of the room and stuff gets blown up. And owners don't like it. And owners, rich billionaire buddies are poking fun at him. And it's like, nah,

And this doesn't work. So this is, to me, this is the biggest game in the history of the Clippers. Next game, game three maps. This is as big as it gets. And I said this yesterday, is that if you never had anybody fall in love with you, the first person that paid attention to you, you'd put your arms around. The Lakers for 50 years, 60 years, 70 years, since like, like, wilt, or 60, everybody falls in love with the Lakers.

Everybody wants to be a Laker. So the Lakers are generally a little picky and choosy on the star they bring into town. They do a very good job to generally bring in the star who's a leader. Even when Steve Nash didn't work, he's your classic Laker. He's a player. He's productive. He's a leader. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson.

Everybody falls in love with the Lakers at one point in the league. Right? So, like, they're very, they're pretty choosy. on it. They know how you win championships, not just talent. Clippers forever. Nobody like the Clippers. Who won't play for the Clippers? So when Paul George inquire like, yeah, and think about the whole thing that neither guy is really a verbal guy. Neither guy is a, you know, a guy you'd build a culture around. They're just really super talented guys. And boy, this, it is on display right now. It is getting, it is like I said, it's time to get a massage in Clipperland. Everybody's a little tight in the shoulders the night.

Interesting. For a limited time, only Casper Cooling Collection, first time ever, on sale. Go to Casper duvets, mattresses, bed sheets, all part of better sleep, cooler sleep. Memorial Day sale, 15% off everything they have. Go to casper.com slash promo. Casper.com slash P-R-O-M-O promo. Two hours down, third hour on a Friday, 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.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

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 black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.