The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/16/2021 - HOUR 3 - Kevin Durant, Stephen Jackson & Rich Klieman

Episode Date: June 16, 2021

In hour 3, Colin recaps Kevin Durant's elite game 5 performance. Stephen Jackson joins to talk Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Playoffs and more. Rich Klieman, manager of kevin Durant joins to talk Brooklyn Nets and KD/Nash relationship. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Be a sub above. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, F.S.1. So we have news, Joy. The Dallas Mavericks have parted ways with Donnie Nelson, the GM. So what does that tell you? two days after a story breaks with multiple leaks inside the Mavericks organization, the guy leaking the story was probably Donnie Nelson

because Mark Cuban just said, see you. Am I nuts for thinking that? No, it's not terrible. It's not a far off area. Because the article was essentially everybody was mad because this guy, this former sports gambler who's in analytics had gotten very close with Mark, and it's the only person Mark listens to, so we kept saying there's envy in this organization,

multiple people are leaking. So two days later, the GM gets dropped. And by the way, what that tells you is, Mark could have waited a long time to do that. Mark decided do it now. Mark's messaging to all of us is that was the leak. Well, the story did also say that Luca was having some issues with several members of the front office, if I recall.

Several. Yeah. I don't know what's happening in the NBA today. NBA woke up cranky. This is wild. So Stan Van Gundy fired. Sam Van Gundy. Scott Brooks.

Somebody else. Donnie Nelson. Donnie Nelson just got fired. And we, well, and then of course all the injury news. And then there's a Chris Paul story. Chris Paul is out indefinitely. Protocol COVID. Now he's apparently, Jalen Rose has reported he is vaccinated.

So if you're vaccinated, you get to come back soon. sooner. Only if you're exposed. If you're positive, you have to probably still do the full two weeks. Oh, boy, that blow up the hole. Because it doesn't matter if you're vaccinated or not if you, if you're positive. Like the purpose of the vaccination is obviously to protect you from becoming positive. And if you do become positive that the reaction, you won't be as sick. You won't be as sick. But if you're if you're positive, which we don't know, but if he is positive, he would have to be out for the two weeks. Stephen Jackson. Kauai Leonard. Yeah, Co-I-Lennard.

Stephen Jackson joins us in about 15 minutes. Rich Climman. KD's manager will be joining us. And, you know, there are a lot of people, speaking of the bucks and the nets, there are a lot of people these days that call them experts. You see him on CNN, MSNBC. I'm an expert.

But after last night's performance, Kevin Durant is very deserving of that title. In offensive basketball, that's what an expert looks like. He can dribble. He can fade. He can hit threes. He can drive. He can finish.

He can slash. He is a complete offensive machine. Do you know how exhausting it is to play 48 minutes of an NBA game? How exhausting that is. That's a 9,000 calorie burn. And it's not like KD's got an extra pudding. He's the skinniest great player ever. He plays an entire game, 49 minutes, 17 rebounds, 10.

assists has to defend. That was an all-time performance. And what's just remarkable, you know, the last five seasons in which he's been healthy at the end of it, he has been the best offensive player on the best team. So this is not a surprise. And that game, I mean, if you really think about it, now that LeBron's older and is out, there really is no competition for the best player. Because this has always been a 75-25 offense over defense league.

Yonis can't shoot. Kyrie has struggled with injuries. Dame's a small player. Luke is too young. AD can't stay healthy. Embed's got injuries. James Hardin has no playoff credibility. Kauai, he's heard again, kind of a question mark.

This is, now that LeBron's out. LeBron's always been sort of the roadblock. Now that he's out, this is Kevin's League. It should be Kevin's League. The last five seasons in which he's been healthy at the end, he's been like the best player on. the, you know, best team. And it was really funny watching this game last night.

It is, did you notice how emotional Durant was and Steve Nash was at the end of that game? Like, Kevin's not on the floor. He'll be frustrated time to time, but he's not, he's not a fist pumper. That's not really his thing, right? He's kind of stoic sometimes. Did you see how emotional he was? Because I think Kevin knows last night's win, they're in the finals. I don't care about Philadelphia.

I don't care about Atlanta. I don't care about the bucks. I think Kevin knew I got to buy time tonight. Kyrie will come back eventually. It's probably the next series. And Hardin was obviously going to be rusty. He was that first quarter, it was like, has James ever played basketball? I think Kevin knew, can I buy us a night?

That's it. I just got to get us a night. If I can get us through this, it's the same way I look at the football season. When Joy and I go into a football season, you can't take a day out for five months. And I always look at Thanksgiving. If I can get to Thanksgiving, I'm not sick, I'm ready to go. I can see the next Monday I show up after Thanksgiving. I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

I can see Christmas vacation. I thought Kevin Durant at the end of that game, he knew, okay, if I can get past tonight, Hardin's not going to be really good. He's not going to be 100%. He's not going to have his timing. He's not going to be able to really defend. And he got him through it. I mean, that's what an offensive expert looks like.

To be that effortless and that efficient in the biggest game of the year against a supposedly great defensive team. Again, what's amazing about great players, and I know we talk about them nonstop, but I've said this multiple times. does everybody understand how much greater like Peyton Manning, Brady, Kobe, Bryant, Michael, Jordan, Durant are. LeBron, think about this. Every time Kevin Durant in his entire career, after maybe his rookie season, goes into a game. The whole game plan is stop that guy.

And nobody can't. I mean, that's what greatness is. Kobe, for most of his career, we've got to stop Kobe tonight. You looked at film at Kobe. Nobody was sitting around breaking down film on Derek Fisher or Brian Shaw. when you really think about how great Peyton Manning was, he got everybody's best shot. I've talked to defensive coordinators.

They're like, oh, yeah, it's Peyton Manning Week. It's Tom Brady Week where you don't want to be humiliated. Like Milwaukee does not want to be humiliated when they play Kevin Durant. Hardin's not 100%. Kyrie's not playing. So Milwaukee, this great defensive team knew, just stopped Kevin. They couldn't. stop him.

There wasn't even a speed bump. I mean, what you watched last night is the Jordan's 63 points against the Celtics. He lost that playoff game is everybody knew Michael. You've got to stop Michael. We can win. Nobody could stop Michael. That's why when we say, when people come up to me and go, you guys talk stars too much. I'm like, do you understand how much better?

And Chris Middleton's a good player. He is a 19 point of game NBA player. do you understand how great the truly greats are? Chris Middleton's not getting doubles, and he's giving you 19. Kevin Durant's the whole focus of Milwaukee last night, the coaching staff, the players, and that's what you get. I don't want to hear about UFO experts. I'm done with UFO experts.

That is an expert in offense, and Steve Nash afterwards in awe. historic, historic performance. I mean, he played the entire game. He barely missed. You know, we know he's capable of nights like this, but to do it tonight, you know, we lose Kai. You know, James obviously is soldiering through, you know, his ailments. We're down bodies.

We're wounded. And for him to have the toughness, the mentality, you know, that's what makes him one of the all-time greats. And so this is a performance. that, you know, a signature performance, you know, for Kevin. And it was beautiful to watch. Also, Kauai Leonard out indefinitely for the Utah, for the Clippers. So the Utah Jazz now are favored by seven points tonight.

Utah will take a three-two series lead with a win tonight. It would be shocking if the best home team in the NBA lost to a Clippers team that could not beat the jazz in Utah with Kauai Leonard, the best pure player overall talent in the series. So the concern for the Clippers is Kauai Leonard, ACL Tear, that's the concern. He will miss game five. According to reports, Kauai has told teammates, expect me to be out potentially for a while. So that's your story there.

Does it change what the Clippers look like in the next couple of years? You know, we don't know. I do think it's an opportunity for Paul George to seize the moment, play well, even if they lose, if Paul George plays well, not KD well, plays well, plays heroically, gives you 28, pretty efficient, then Steve Ballmer can look at that and say, you know what, that's a guy I want to go to the well with and Kauai. But if Kauai Leonard's departure means Paul George is front and center and he really struggles, don't be surprised if this changes the entire organization going forward. So Stephen Jackson will join us next.

His thoughts. He knows he's been traded. He's moved around this league. He knows these big decisions. You know, the playoffs, the intensity gets ramped up. I mean, we've had two coaches fired today. Donnie Nelson, Mavs, GM just got run in Dallas, meaning, you know, Mark Cuban, there was a story ripping the Mavericks.

lots of leaks. Mark Cuban going public and getting rid of Donnie Nelson tells you, at least to me, this won't be tolerated, and that was the guy that leaked it. That's what it tells you. When you get all this intensity, quick decisions, punitive decisions are clearly made. Wolf and Shepherd. I'm wearing a pair of my Wolf and Shepherds. Today is the dress shoe made and worn by athletes. In fact, I was watching the Bucks Nets game last night when it was over and they were interviewing Durant, I could see, my wife pointed it out. She said, somebody over there is wearing wolf and Shepherds. Yes, they were. It's their crossover. A founder is a former track athlete and designer. Brought athletic shoe, innovation to dress shoes. Invented the crossover. It's business

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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 IHard 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, Cliford 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. 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 Reed. 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 to fly. of the court licking his fingers why he got the ball like after you go through a training camp with that i said you figure it out real quick get your ass up and down the court and you're gonna get the ball so listen to point game on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts hey everyone it's rider strong and will ferdell from podmeets world and now the pod meets twirled podcast we're two men who were completely clueless to reality tv who now have covered dancing with the stars traders and were geared hearing up for the season finale of Survivor.

So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it?

Yeah. Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha, who. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, again, we are experts.

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Go to Tommyjohn.com slash hurt. Stephen Jackson's a perfect guest today. He knows the playoffs. He can answer some of the riddles last night, how Milwaukee, he actually had a boodin-holes or as a coach in San Antonio. I don't really understand Milwaukee's game plan against Kevin Durant. Although, let's be honest, Kevin Durant's hard to defend. And Stephen Jackson now joining us live.

And he owns a lot of shoes. That's all I'm going to say right there. That is a nice looking place. So nobody reads promo ads better than you. I always tell you that. Well, thank you. So Stephen, you've played with Kauai and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, Tobias Harris. You've had Doc Rivers, Popovich, Tyron Liu, and Boondhouser as coaches.

So you've been around this league, you know it. So Milwaukee and the Nets, I'm watching that series last night. I'm not a coach. I'm not saying I am. And I know Durant's going to get his. They didn't double him. They didn't trap him in half court. get the ball out of his hands.

You know, Boudinthalzer. You know, he was part of that Spurs system. Were you a little surprised? In fact, they never put Yannis on him, the best defender in the league. Were you a little surprised by Milwaukee's defensive game plan against Kevin?

Shocked more than surprised. Like you said, Bud is coached under Pop. Pop and Don Nelson were two of the best coaches ever I got a chance to play for. They were great at making adjustments. were great at taking advantage of mismatches. And Bud didn't do that at all. He didn't go at James Harden with a bad leg at all last night.

And they didn't make their gestures they needed to make. And that's why they lost the game. We all know Kevin Durant is hard to stop. You just kind of make it difficult for him. But letting them see one-on-one matchups, he's going to shoot over any and everybody in the league. And for Yon's not to take that challenge for Brooke Lopez and for Yonis, not to post-up guys when they get these switches,

they did not take advantage of none of them mismatches. last night and that's why they lost that game. You know, it's interesting. Ben Simmons didn't take a shot in the fourth quarter and I would say Ben doesn't want to go to the free throw line. Yonis last night, Stephen, on a couple of occasions looked like he didn't want to go to the free throw line. He's doing a fallaway. And you know, these are great athletes. And you would think, you guys are all confident. But I'm watching Yonis late in games and I'm thinking he's doing followways with James Harden. He literally doesn't want to initiate contact.

And I'm thinking to myself in all your years of the NBA, I would think all you guys walk on the floor and think you can beat the world. But did you ever play with guys whose confidence wavered game to game quarter to quarter? Oh, yeah, you got some guys that's confident. Like I said earlier, you got some guys that knock down shooters who sports analysts consider some of the best shooters in the league when they come playoff time in them big moments, they can't hit shots. And that's just what it is, man.

You got to take challenges. And then Yonis, he's shooting 41% from the line. I wouldn't want to go to the line either. If I was shooting 41%, but that's one reason why I said the two years he won MVP, he was never the best player in the world. You can't be the best player in the world shooting air bars from the line. I give Shaq a pass. Shack was 7 foot 300-something pounds.

He's not considered a shooting guard. Yonis shoots threes, and he bricks them too. I just, I always said Middleton was the most talented guy on that team because he can do it all. You can't really take nothing away from him. And I think Milwaukee needs to start approaching their team like Middleton is the go-to guy so he can, because he's the guy that can close the games for him. Well, he's certainly a much, much better shooter.

No denying that. You know, it's funny. Everybody said, well, the Clippers have bad luck. Kauai's hurt. And I would say this, Stephen. There's a reason somebody wants in America invented resumes. So you know what you're getting in life, right? And Anthony Davis was hurt in New Orleans.

Now he's hurt again. Kyrie Irving was hurt in Duke, Cleveland. Now he's hurt again. The truth of the matter, when I look at Kauai Leonard, my theory is they knew what they were getting with Paul George and Kauai, but they were the Clippers. And when you never had a star fall in love with you, when two fall in love with you, you just say, come on, we'll deal with all the stuff. I kind of feel like when you sign Kauai Leonard, Stephen, you kind of know he's a little bit of a mystery. right let me you played with him he's a good guy but did when you played with him did you just feel like he was a different cat yeah he's he's he's hard to read he's he's not really outspoken and

sometimes he's the type of guy you don't know if he's hurt or not you know because he really don't show too much emotion but injuries are part of the game man you can't escape i think uh with a guy like kawai with the talent as great as he is uh that's something you got to deal with they did a lot of guys are resting because of injury these days more than ever it did we we took a we took a pride at trying to play 82 games when I was playing. So they're wrestling a lot of guys now, and the games are different, but they have played a lot of basketball in the last year and a half. So it's kind of understandable.

You know, I talked to Gary Payton the glove last night, and Gary was a guy like you. He played hurt. He played 80 games. He didn't take time off. And he said, listen, some of its condensed schedule, he said, but the more powerful players become in all sports, they try to get less practice time.

They don't lift as much. I mean, listen, they don't want to be dominated by training staffs and coaching staffs. Like, they'll work out on their own time. And Gary said, you know, we used to be in the, we used to lift two and a half hours a day. And it makes you, and that's what Gary's takeaway was. Some of this is condensed schedule. And some is, as the players have gotten more powerful, you can't force them to go in and lift every day. And some of these are, they're talented, but they're more brittle.

Their bodies aren't as strong. Is that fair criticism? Yeah, I think it's just different. You know, the error is different now. You know, I played two years with a fractured toe just because I wanted to be out there with my team and just because I knew I could still get the job done and deal with that pain.

But it's different strokes with different folks. We took pride of being out there. If we could walk, we could play. And I know some of these guys are the same way, but I think with the coaches kind of catering to these guys and willing to give them games off, I think they're embracing that. And we didn't have that.

We didn't have that when I was playing. Coach, we wasn't trying to give us a day off. We had to earn that. And even when they gave us days off, we wanted to play some times. You know, I've seen plenty of times where Pop wanted to give Tim Duncan games off. Tim was like, nah, I'm here to play and I'm going to play. And you got some players like that that you can't say no to. You know, Chris Paul can wear out teammates.

But in Phoenix and Oklahoma City, they're mostly kids. And they're willing to listen to him. You played with Chris Paul. Are you surprised by his success? or do you believe because of his personality, he's probably best served, Stephen, playing with younger guys? I wouldn't say that.

I say he's best served with young guys that want to win that got the same passion as him. Chris Paul is a dog. Everybody in the NBA wanted to play with Chris Paul because you knew what you was getting at the point guard. You was getting the leader. You was getting somebody that was going to fight with you and going to the trenches with you every night.

And I'm glad he's having this session getting his just due because he's been great all this time. He's just been in. in crazy situations. But I remember when I first signed with Indiana, Pacers, and I was going to, to get him find my house in Indiana. And Chris Paul was at the airport with me at the same time.

And I gave him a ride to his hotel. And we talked about one day playing together. You know, I wasn't, I didn't get the good opportunity when I was with the Clippers, you know, to actually play with him. But he's somebody that all the players want to play with because he's the old school point guard. And you need guys to run your team.

And when you have a great core young guys like they have in Phoenix, you need a captain. the quarterback and nobody's perfect than Chris Paul. You know, I'm going to take Utah now to win the series without Kauai Leonard, or do you believe they're still more athletic, they're still deeper, they've got a championship coach, and Paul George will carry them. What do you believe today? It's kind of hard to say.

They haven't won the game on a row week with Kauai, so it's hard to see them winning one without him. Paul George is definitely coming into his own. he's starting to be the playoff p that we know he could be, I think they're going to have to just switch it up and add some different dynamics. I still think they have the tougher team, the more physical team. If Boogie can come out and contribute,

if some of those other guys can continue to contribute without Kauai, they still can get it done. Remember, I can never count nobody out. I was a part of the AC that beat the best team in the league in the first round. So anything can happen. It's about how they approach the game and how hard they play and how bad they want it. By the way, you got all those shoes behind you. Is there one pair of shoes you're really loyal to?

or do they just all blur together? It's hard for me to get loyal to any pair. I'm still with Jordan Brand, so I get a box almost every two months, about 20 pairs. So I really don't fall in love with them. But the reason why I'm not sneaker head, I wear my shoes. I don't just collect them and put them up. I wear all my shoes.

So they all mean the same. But I grew up not being able to afford them. So to have them now is a blessing, and I just appreciate getting them. Good for you. Part of the Jordan brand. Stephen Jackson, love having you on Fox Sports. Thanks, bud. All right, man.

Hi, Joy. Hi. Hello, at Mercedes AMG. Giving 110% isn't possible. It's mandatory. Check out their site, all their beautiful cars and SUVs and coops. MbUSA.com slash AMG. Mercedes AMG driving performance, Joy Taylor with the news.

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. How many sneakers do you have, Colin? I have a running pair. They're bright green. So if I have to run late night or early, you can see me on the road. No, not workout shoes.

I mean... Like sneakers. None. None. That's not true. You have... I wear those OCs. Those aren't sneakers, are they?

No, you have, um... Oh, my God, what they called? You have those fancy shoes that, uh... The Switzerland ones. That Anne got you. No. The fancy ones. Yeah.

I'll think of the name of them. I think you're talking about, the OCs. That's the Roger Federer shoe. Those don't count as tennis shoes. I was never a sneaker head. I couldn't afford them. I know. We have to get you some J's. I think I'm going to get you some Jordan ones. Some Jays. But I wouldn't. Yeah, you would wear them. Would I? Yeah. When?

Not the show. Okay. All right. So James Hardin returned for the Nets last night after missing most of the series with a hamstring injury. He played 46 minutes, but he only scored five points on one for 10 shooting. After the game, he said he just tried to go out there and do the best he could. He also hoped he gave his teammates, he made some encouragement in life. I mean, it was good to see him out there. Obviously, we knew he wasn't going to be 100%. Well, it was a 40-minute decoy. I mean, there's some value. Absolutely. It definitely showed his value. And if you foul him, he'll hit free throws. KD. had an unbelievable game, obviously. But Kyrie Irving was forced to miss the game due to his brain ankle. Nash said today he will also miss game six.

I think we can at this point assume we're not going to see him in this series at least. The nets are reportedly preparing for him to be out the rest of the series. So this game last night to me was really just about KD showing how incredible he still is. And the Bucks showing that they're not willing to adapt enough. The NBA playoffs are all about adjusting. Forget the injuries. It's just game to game. you've got to adjust and I just

I thought the Buck's defensive game plan left me scratch in my head. I just, I would think I would trap, I would get the ball occasionally out of Katie's hands. Also, Hardin being out there as long as he was, Stephen just said it, Nick said it earlier, why are you not going at, Jim Jackson said it earlier too? Why are you not going at James Hardin?

Attack him. He is not 100%. Right. Like even if you know, there's certain things like you know Katie's going to get his on a normal night. Well, he's on five. fire last night. So why not lean into whatever your vulnerability is on that side of the court and you know that that's hard and you know he's not 100%.

You've a pair of golden go ahead. That's what it is. Oh, I have a pair of those. Yeah. I have a pair of does those count as tennis shoes? Those kind of sneakers, yeah. All right, and I got one pair of sneakers. They're very stylish. I think you would like Jordan once. I'll show them to you. So the NFLPA released their influencer hot list, which ranks players with the most

total engagements on social media. Engagement is important. You got to get the comments and the likes and the and such. It's very important. Tom Brady took the top spot. Boom. He's followed by Patrick Mahomes,

Russell Wilson, J.J. Watt, and Gronk in the top five. And they've all got kind of different things. Like Brady is funny. Russell Wilson's committed. J.J. Watt is a little funny. Gronk's goofy.

Odell Beckham number. Gron has a lot of ads on his social media. Like he does a lot of that. He does because he's, Bronc doesn't spend his salary money. It's up of his endorsements. brilliant. JJ Watt has like a lot of the motivational stuff too.

Odell Beckham's into fashion. So is Cam Newton. They're six and seven. Do we know he does the TikTok and Reels. There's a lot of different ways to engage. Yes. I think that this is actually to me, I know we're talking about how Tom Brady is aging,

which is obviously incredible that he's at the top of this list, which means he has like just recently really leaned into social media. Yeah. But also what this list tells you is the NFL, has embraced social media, which for a short amount of time, they were resistant to. You remember they weren't allowed to put highlights on Twitter. It was like a whole thing. They weren't not letting guys celebrate.

Like, lean into what everyone's doing. Yeah. The younger audience consumes social media. I do. I'm mid-50s. I'm on Instagram every day. Of course, but you really want to lean into the new wave. Like, this is what's every, this is what we're talking about.

I don't do Snapchat, but I'm big into Instagram, big into Twitter. And again, I watch TikTok. I don't do it. I think I'd look silly. But Snapchat I'm out on. I've never been a Snapchat person. Are you Snapchat? I ain't have Snapchat.

Okay. I haven't used to a lot of Snapchat. Yeah. I don't do LinkedIn. If I don't have your phone number, I'm not interested in talking to you. I don't need to have your business connections. If I've got your phone number, then I care about your business and you. And if I don't, I'm not going to join your LinkedIn.

You, you, Colin Coward, can pretty much get anyone's contact that you need to. like probably on planet Earth. Probably. Through my, with a few texts. Representation. Through your network. Yes.

Through your network. So tonight we have two great, crucial game fives, both series tied at two games apiece. Sixers host the Hawks, according to Fox bet they're favored by seven. And then later, the Clippers will have to go to Utah

without Kauai Leonard, and the Jazz are also favored by seven in that game. I'll take the Jazz minus seven and the Hawks plus seven. Yeah, seven is a lot of point for, for that game. In terms of the way that they've been playing. Also, Atlanta is one of those teams where you can beat them

and they have a flurry of three-pointers late, the backdoor cover. There's certain teams like offensively gifted teams, you know, you've got to be careful about betting against them because even if they get outplayed, like Atlanta is one of those teams that I've been burned by. Atlanta can get totally outplayed. Dallas has this ability. They keep it close because they score late when you go into a prevent defense. Yeah, absolutely.

That's why seven is a lot of points for them. But with Kauai out indefinitely, the Jazz are probably going to win easily tonight. The Clippers are afraid he's suffered an ACL injury. If you missed any of the flurry of NBA news today, Chris Paul is also out indefinitely in health and safety protocols. Oh, boy. The sons announced they'll give the next update on his status on Saturday. Now, there's some talk out there. TMZ Sports has that he is tested positive.

It's not been confirmed by that many other people. Chris Paul. Yes, because he's reportedly vaccinated. Jalen Rose said he's vaccinated. Reportedly he's vaccinated. But he tests positive. So did Bill Mars, so you have to be out of the building. You have to be out of the building, even if you are vaccinated.

So we'll get an update on that. Donnie Nelson is out at the Mavs. Sam Van Gundy is out with the Pelicans and Scott Brooks is out at Washington. So just a wild day in the NBA today. Well, I mean, the intensity of the playoffs, you know, it gets rubbed in your face. If you didn't make the playoffs and you're watching your rival in the playoffs,

like the Clippers now are in the playoffs, they beat Dallas and 7. It gets rubbed in your face, and you get reminded we should be there and they're not. And then there's a story drops in the athletic. There's a huge dysfunction. Yeah, so Donnie Nelson out of there. There's a report that the MAVs fired him before the article, but the way it works is when there's a big damaging article coming out,

the athletic, they call you the day before. Would you like to comment on the article? So Sunday night, Mark Cuban found out about the damaging article that was going to run Monday. the athletic and Sunday night whack Donnie Nelson's out. So if you say, well he got fired, it was before

if you're going to have a damaging article, somebody writes a bad article on Fox, they're going to call you the day before. Would you like to respond to this negative criticism? Also, wouldn't, if you have the sources in the building and they were going to let him go, wouldn't that have been in the article? Good point.

That's why you're on TV. She's an expert. Joey with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line. Rich Climman, Kevin Durant's manager. What a night for him.

Not Rich, but Kevin. Rich could have had a good night too. This summer, Tommy John underwear is your solution to swampy shorts because its cool cotton fabric is two to three times cooler, I can attest, than regular cotton. Get a pair of new breathable Tommy John underwear and feel a cool island breeze all summer long in your shorts. Dozens of comfort innovations.

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on Fox Sports Radio FS1. 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, Clifford 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're at wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network

on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ 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 to fly. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball, like,

you go through a training camp with that ice. Ed, you figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. 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. For one, it's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing

with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it?

Like what was just because we? Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune in a pod meets Twitter. world for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to Podmeets twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And the IHard Radio app. For hot water that never runs out, go tankless

navion, tankless water heater's 15-year limited warranty. Rich Climant is Kevin Durant's business partner, co-founder of 35 ventures founded by Kevin. And I still got to be high off what that performance was last night. You know, it's interesting. In life, like unless you're a doctor, or, you know, a lawyer where you need it, like a degree or accreditation, the answer, usually if you're looking to hire somebody, is just hire smart and they'll figure it out. And I'm watching Steve Nash last night, and everybody's like, he's got no experience,

but I've known Steve for a while. Steve's smart. He's just figured it out. The criticism is going to the coach he's facing, who's been coaching for 25 years, and Rich Climman joins us live now. I want to start, Rich with that, is that it was asking a lot of Steve Nash,

move to the East Coast, Kevin Durant, Kyrie, James Harden, Blake Griffin. That's a lot. That's a lot for a veteran coach. And you've got kind of a first, and you see how it's working. How is Kevin and Steve's relationship? How is it molded over the last five months?

Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, over the last five months, I've really only seen what you've seen. Like I think the sacred like locker room dynamic that they have, I stay out of. I have my own relationship with Steve and I met Steve obviously through Kevin and they've had an incredible friendship prior to this, you know, both on the court working together when Steve was a player, when he was a coach with the Warriors, but also just in light, like they're real friends. But the dynamic, I'm sure, has changed to some level. But, you know, I see what you see. And for me, I think Steve is doing like an incredible job from the outside looking and it just,

temperament, temperament alone. And when you have the circumstances that they face this year without that kind of like level of leadership that he brought in the trenches and the wars that he's been through himself, like I just don't think that can be replicated. You know, and that experience he had has obviously transitioned into coaching. You know, it's interesting when Kevin got hurt this year, how frustrating was it for him? Because the expectations are so grand, they're so high, and then he has to sit for over a month. Was it tougher? Did he understand it's, It's fine. I'll heal. All be good. Yeah, I mean, definitely I'm going to heal and I'll be good.

Like, you know, the thing that we always talk about as these things continue to happen, like just in life, like everything that happened with everyone in our whole world that were the last year and a half is just how many of these fires we've been through. You know, like how many times he's had an injury or a circumstance where it seems like everybody in the world turned on. And there's just things that have happened. And we just get through it. He gets through it. he's as mentally tough of an athlete as a person that you'll find.

I think that's something that in the wrong way was never attributed to him. But I think people are seeing now, like, this is someone that's just been through it. And, you know, this year was frustrating, but he just keeps working. I think in any facet of life, like, if you just keep going and keep doing the work, good things will happen. And that's always his philosophy. Listen, when you play with two other stars like Kyrie and Hardin, you can't be too consumed with stats because they have to flourish too.

Kevin's never been, Kevin's never really been a stat guy to me. I've never thought about that. I just don't see him as a stat guy, the guy that's staring at his stats all day. How does he look at his role with the Nets? Because you've got three stars, your coach is a star. How does he view his role? Like really tactically, you know,

like he likes to play basketball at the very highest level and likes to play the game in every particular side of the ball, right? Like on defense and offense, in terms of being able to read screens, everything that he does, he likes to master his craft. And when you're playing with two players that have also been cut from that cloth, you know, do they look at their stats? No, but did the stats happen? Yes, because when great players play with each other, you see what happens, right?

But, you know, for Kevin, I think for him, it's really like playing at the highest level. And like last night, there was almost kind of two reactions because obviously there's this incredible, like, the reality of the fact they got to still go play game six in Milwaukee. They won the championship last night. But he could take a second to understand that like from a 48-minute body of work to be really proud of like playing ball at that level. You know, and I think that's what's always been the most important to him. You know, it's interesting. I said yesterday that, you know, Kevin, I'm not sure if it's a

criticism, it's a reality. He's been impulsive sometimes in his life. I didn't love the Golden State departure. But, you know, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it's a criticism. I'm not. He's a reality. He's whatever. It's his life. It's not mine and he's flourishing. But when during a season is your relationship as a business partner, does Kevin ever look just kind of, hey, Rich, can I get me five minutes here? I got to get something off my chest. Does he internalize stuff? Because he's, when you're in this pressurized world of Kevin Durant, you're on top of an industry. Do you ever see little pressures or does he just kind of internalize it and handle it himself? I mean, I think he's just like a human being. I mean, I know.

that's not the answer you want. But like, you know, we have a real relationship. Like we're friends. You know, I'm saying we're business partners. He also has his space and there's some things we don't talk about. But for the most part, like, you know, I think he probably goes through and experiences similar things that all of us do in, you know, in their life. It's obviously amplified.

And there's certain things that, like, we just can't understand that they go through, right? But I think that there's nothing that he is, like, thrown off by, and there's nothing that he doesn't understand comes with the job. Like, he really loves this. He chose this, and he's blessed and, like, feels that pride. And I think the excitement of last night for him, like I said, it's just like when you can play the game at that level and can enjoy what comes of it, like, he really loves that.

So, you know, I think that, like, you would talk about your work with somebody. There's frustrations and ups and downs throughout a season, both personally as a team. But I think all great ones, all great CEOs, all great athletes, like how can you at that level continue to thrive for so long and be letting yourself get caught up in the ups and downs of what goes on, especially in a social media age, especially Kevin Duran, right? Especially people like if LeBron James and Kevin Duran allowed this stuff on a daily level

to have something they internalize, they couldn't be who they are. That's part of it. Yeah. Blinders. Yeah. He looked. happy last night. There was a moment at the end of that game when he made a play and he just turned and you could just see he was so happy. And you know what it felt like rich to me? Kevin was saying,

just get me through tonight. Hardin's going to get healthier. I'm going to get Kyrie back. Like I thought he was, he was outwardly emotional playing that. He knew, forget him. He knew how big it was for the Brooklyn Nets. I felt that last night watching him. Did you? Oh, yeah. But that's what, I mean, man, that's what, every Brooklyn fan, every NBA fan should want out of players like Kevin Durant. He felt it and he understood it and he thrives in it. And like, man, that's what you train for. That's what you play for.

But I do think, you know, I mentioned this to whether it was him after the game or someone else, I do think to like a mainstream sports fan, there was this like closing of a loop that everybody, you know, allowed themselves to have last night. I think real basketball people don't even play into that. You know what it really is. Joy knows what it really is, but like a sports fan that has just read what they read and is like, yeah, well, Kevin is incredible, but he hasn't done this, like has just caught up with that. Like, I think everybody understands that like sometimes these games put some silly conversation like that to bed. And it doesn't affect the series, right? There's still two games or one game, possibly two to play.

But I think that kind of like conversation that whether it's relevant or not is a part of being in the NBA, I think it last night it was. like, all right, we could put that to bed. I think fans needed to close that loop so they could stop talking about all the old nonsense. Yeah. Hey, great seeing you. New York is flying. They're doing some construction behind you. You're out there in Chelsea, a beautiful, cool part of the –

you're a cool guy in a cool part of the country. And it's great seeing you. Congrats. You're probably still on Cloud 9 from last night. I would imagine that that's going to last a day at least for you. It'll last a day. Yeah, it'll last a day. I'm enjoying it.

and we'll get ready for tomorrow's game. And I like talking about Kevin, but man, I only don't come on TV so I can tell you everything I'm doing. Can I just keep talking about boardroom and all my fun endeavors or do we have no time? All right. We don't, but I'll say it right now.

He's got a podcast. It's called Boardroom Out of Office. Rich Clown. He's a super smart guy. How many managers do I bring on? One, his. Boardroom out. I don't bring managers.

You're the only manager. No, yeah, I know. But you're the only manager I bring on in the whole world. Kevin Durant's, that's it. Most managers, oh, there you go. You're not dealing with, you know, some local cable access show here. It's a big deal. Wow.

Stay no more. You know what? I don't even want to talk about my business. That was the best you could say. Have a good day, Colin. Thank you, Joy. All right. Rich Kleinman, boardroom out of the office, the podcast, Kevin Durant's manager.

Smart guy. He's a good friend of Kevin Durant. Yeah, that one last night is, it is crazy. How exhausting. So I remember years ago talking to an NBA player. He was a great college player. I don't want to call him out. He was a great college player.

And he went into the NBA and he was still a really good score. But he admitted he's like, you know, in college you don't really have to guard guys because you're not facing NBA guys. And he said, when you have to, in the NBA, I'll get my points. But you have to defend. or you just give them all back up. Right. Like everybody in the NBA, now especially, can score. Bruce Bowen was a defensive player in the NBA.

He was a good offensive player in college. So the idea that Kevin Durant played 48 minutes, like I would totally understand if in the next game, Kevin was a little off. He didn't got to stay home. Now he's got to get in a plane. Now he's got to fly to the Midwest. Now he's got to.

I mean, it's like that performance would set most players back. I mean, Charles Barkley said the other night, he goes, when I was old, Charles said, I once scored 36 when I was an old guy. He goes, I was done for two weeks. Well, that's why Kevin is one of the greats. When you're one of the greats, it doesn't set you back. Hustler turf equipment. Most complete lineup are residential and commercial zero-turn lawnmores in America. Check out a hustler turf dealer near you. Hustlerturf.com. Hustlerturf.com. There's so many NBA moves today.

I'm going to race to my phone. There may be nine more in the last 10 minutes. It's the herd. 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 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'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, 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 Clifers 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 Clifford show on the IHeard 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a hear, 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. It 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. This is an IHeart podcast.

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