The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/24/2021 - HOUR 1 - Hawks, Durant, Mayfield

Episode Date: June 24, 2021

The Hawks are a great story but the Eastern Conference is weakKevin Durant is more gifted than Michael JordanThe Browns should wait before giving Baker Mayfield a new contractGuest: Nick Wright Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. It is a Thursday. It is great to have you in live from Los Angeles. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me, those pesky Atlanta Hawks. I told you you. You can't count them. You just can't. You know, it's funny.

I always try to trust my eyes. You know, you talk to NBA, GMs, they'll say, trust your eyes and then go to the analytics. Don't go to the analytics first. What do your eyes tell you? The eyes tell me the Eastern Conference is bad. It's like, just because you win the Pack 12 doesn't mean the fourth best team in the SEC isn't better. You can win the NFC East. If the Cowboys win the NFC East, I think the third best team in the NFC West,

Rams, Niners, Seattle, or Arizona is probably better. And that's how I start my show today. The Atlanta Hawks took a lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. They were sub-500 at the All-Star break. They don't have an All-Star. There's a difference between hate and being honest. Those aren't very good teams. Let's be honest about that.

Think of what the Hawks have done so far. They've beaten the Knicks who don't have an elite score on their roster. Think about it. The NBA is a global game. New York's America's biggest city. That franchise doesn't have one elite score. Then they beat the Sixers, Ben Simmons, can't shoot, the second best player, and Joel M beat as a torn miniscus.

And now they lead Milwaukee, who's number one player, Janus, also can't shoot. That's the East. Since LeBron left the Eastern Conference, Mercenary Kauai Leonard won the East, literally packs his bags, goes to Toronto, wins the East leaves, and the number five seed Miami Heat with a bunch of kids win the East. You know, it's funny. Milwaukee didn't even really play that poorly. They did what Milwaukee does. Chris Middleton had a bad shooting night, O'4-9-on-3s.

I mean, that happens with Chris Middleton. And Mike Boondon-Holzer didn't make any adjustments. Mike Boondon-Holzer never makes adjustments. Going to double Trey Young, he wouldn't double Kevin Durant. You could say, well, you know, it just was a bad night for Milwaukee. They didn't play particularly bad. I mean, Boodenholzer did what Boodenholzer does, and Middleton has stinkers all the time. I mean, in the West, the Clippers and the Sons were missing MVP-level players.

Chris Paul and Kauai. The game was unbelievable. I mean, you had nine guys on both teams, 18 total, that contributed backup players like Cameron Payne were insane. I mean, you took Janice and Trey Young out of this game. It's unwatchable. It was barely watchable. There's a reason that that game last night will not get a huge TV rating, and there's a reason that Sun's and Clifference.

has got a big number. You can't fool America. I've said this before. America will always watch what they find the most dynamic or captivating. The SEC championship every year in college football gets a bigger rating than 95% of the bowl games. Because everybody knows in America, they got more good NFL players. That game's not going to get a rating. I mean, this sums it up.

Milwaukee's final two three-point attempts. We're taken by two guys that were 0 for 13 on threes. that's who they went to for their final two three point shots. Two guys that were old for 13. And I think Trey Young's great. And nobody would deny that. I think he's the number one point guard in the east because I think he's better and more dependable than Kyrie Irving.

I do. And I think James Harden, I consider a shooting guard more than a point guard. I think Trey Young's the number one point guard in the east. But think about this if he was in the West. You'd take Luca over him. I would take Steph over him. I'd take Dame over him. And I'd have to consider.

John Morant and Jamal Murray, and I take CP3 over him since CP3 has been in the league forever and wins everywhere. I mean, Dame and Steph are better players than Trey Young. They are, let's not keep prisoners of last night. Steph's a better player by far than Trey Young, and Dane's a better player than Trey Young. Steph can't make the playoffs in the West and Dane can't get past the first round. It's not, hey, Trey Young's terrific. He's a great story.

He's fun to watch. Atlanta's fun. I mean, you know, but we understand in sports. This is part of sports that we understand. Some golf tournaments, the courses are harder. They used to have golf tournaments in like Las Vegas Invitational. Guys would be 35 under bar. Then you go to the U.S. Open.

You know, and guys are like, you know, you watched last weekend, Brooks Kepka, Bryson de Shambo, everybody except John Rom went into the tank because the course is too hard. And then you have these desert courses where guys are 35 under after the weekend. The Eastern Conference just isn't very good. In fact, it's bad. And LeBron and Kauai left it. now it's really bad. It's injured guys. I mean, the Celtics got injuries. The Sixers got injuries. The Knicks can't shoot. Philadelphia can't get along and can't shoot. And I'm left with Atlanta

needing three more wins, a team that was sub 500 on the break from getting to the Eastern Conference finals. I love Trey Young. It's a great story. He's going to get a lot of guys drafted. I don't know how you guard. Trey Young, Damon, Steph. When you have an NBA that you can't hand check, so they can get past you. and they're great ball handlers and they're quick. And they have the kind of range, two steps over the half court line they can shoot. I don't know how you defend these guys. You can try to trap them. Good luck.

They're all quick and great ball handlers. All I know is when I watch Trey Young, I think to myself, if I'm an NBA general manager and I'm drafting and there's a six-nine wing and then there's a guard that can shoot, I'm taking the guard. I am taking the guard. But I watched that game last night and my takeaway. is these teams, it would not. They look like first round and outers in the West. They just do.

I've got to be honest. So this is interesting. So Steve Kerr is going to coach some USA basketball and Kevin Durant's going to play for it, apparently. And, you know, Steve Kerr played with Michael Jordan, the best player in most eyes in the history of basketball. We can argue about he and LeBron Magic, whatever. Just for the time being for the argument, MJ is the best player ever and it's certainly a legitimate argument. And Steve Kerr played with him for years.

and he also coach KD. And I do think what he says is accurate here. Here's the tape. I think he's more gifted. I really do. I mean, that's saying something, but Kevin is a different, entirely different breed. I mean, 6-11 with guard skills,

unlimited three-point range, passing, shot blocking at the rim. It's just stunning. And watching him this year was really, really gratifying. I think KD is more gifted than Michael Jordan. I also think Wilt was more gifted than Bill Russell and Kareem. They were just better centers. Certainly Kareem was.

I think Westbrook is more gifted than Chris Paul. Chris Paul is a better player. I think Dominique Wilkins is more gifted than almost everybody that he played with. Carl Malone, Larry Bird. But I think Carl Malone and Larry Bird were better players. On the all gifted team, Westbrook and Wilt, KD. Dominique, T. Mack, Shack. Gifted is not what becomes goat. And it really points out something that's important. The relentlessness, the obsessiveness of Kobe and Michael and Montana and Peyton

Manning and Brady and Jeter. We don't talk about Jeter like that, but Derek was, may have been single in New York, but his focus and drive and willfulness is legendary around Yankee circles. is that it's not just talent. And I'll give you a great example. So much of sports is really formed by your personality. So Michael had brothers and brothers pick on each other. I didn't have the classic brother. I had a sister.

So I'm more finesse. I'm a lover or not a fighter. Michael grew up with brothers who beat up on him, picked on him, scored on him. And there's a value in that. When you find, you go and look at the UFC and look at the tough guys and boxers, they often grew up with brothers.

And they're banging on each other in the yard and fighting over pizza and fighting over the bicycle and fighting over the skateboard and fighting. And that creates this toughness. Michael came into the league and he inherited a guy named Orlando Woolridge. Now, I want you to think about this. Orlando Woolridge was Russell Westbrook if Westbrook was a three, not a two. Woolridge, like Westbrook, was hyper athletic. 20 plus a game. really well-liked by players, ripped, cut, looked like a bodybuilder, hyper-athletic,

Alleyoop, slam dunk champ. He was Westbrook as a three, not a gifted shooter, but a great score and a great athlete. And when Michael inherited him, the first year, they averaged almost the same. What did Michael do? Bulldozed him, ran over him, took him on at practice, any chance he got. And Warridge was a good guy. Woolridge confronted him, went after him, and got him out of town. Kevin Durant had Westbrook.

Durant was way better than Westbrook the first year they played together. Durant averaged 25 Westbrook 15. There was no question who the better player was. You knew Michael was better than Orlando Warridge, but initially, Woolridge was giving you like 23 a night. He was a slam dunk champ. What did KD do? What KD. O's does?

He grumbled a little here. He wasn't happy with it, but he never confronted it. He didn't go after Westbrook at practice. He didn't confront him. He didn't confront the coach. He went and asked Sam Presti, give me more love. He got mad at the newspaper that said he was unreliable. If KD was Michael, he'd be in Oklahoma City.

He would have gone right after Westbrook, moved him out of town because Westbrook's hard to play with. And Orlando Warridge, a great player, could be hard to play with. I mean, he was one of these guys. He was a volume guy. He was hyper-athletic, played a certain way. Michael just moved him. get him out. And KD. doesn't have that personality. If there's issues, he leaves. Golden State staff Draymond issues, he leaves. And I believe Kevin Durant is on the all-gifted team with

Wilts Chamberlain, Tracy McGrady. Just, I mean, it's just like they can do things nobody else can do. I think Steve Kerr's being totally honest. I don't think we've ever seen anything like him. But both of them, very early in their careers, had a high. hyper-athletic, strong, muscular, vertical, al-U-P, unbelievable talent. And Michael made sure it was very clear, this is my city, this is my locker room, this is my team. That's just Michael's personality. And the Bulls moved off from Orlando Woolridge very quickly. In fact, Michael even broke a leg, didn't even play for a while.

And they still made sure they got him out of town. And it wasn't because Woolridge couldn't play, or Woolridge was a bad guy, or That's the difference. Michael confronted coaches, issues, barriers, GMs, everybody. He used to mock the general manager. He would mock Jerry crap. People say he's mean. Let me tell you something.

NBA players, you've got a very short shelf life. You've got to go right after what you want. I mean, Kobe said in Los Angeles, I'm going to Chicago. Get me a player. Shaq left. Get me a player. I'm out of here. They got him Palgisal.

And that's not Kevin's personality. And that doesn't mean he's a bad person. But when Steve Kerr says he's more gifted, he is more gifted than MJ. I've told you the story. Mark Few coach Gonzaga was on this USA basketball team a few years ago and went to the practices. And I just asked him about KD. And he's like, Colin, it's the best basketball players in the world. And KD was unstoppable.

You could defend Westbrook or defend Kyrie or you could defend everybody kind of. You can't defend KD. I mean, Michael Jordan didn't have KD's reign. I'm not sure he handled the ball that much better. Wasn't it long? KD does everything. But it goes to show that it's beyond that. It's not just talent.

It's a focus, a drive, a relentlessness. You can't be passive-aggressive. That's the difference between Brady and Aaron Rogers. One's a little more passive-aggressive, one's confrontational. So much of life in sports is above the shoulders. Because KD's smart. We know that. That's not the issue.

But Michael growing up with brothers, tough, picked on him a little bit. He went through that and Michael comes out as resilient, as tough, as feisty, as nasty. And that is a huge, it's not even like, it's not Michael's athletic ability. That defines Michael. That when I think of Michael, the word I think of is relentless. It's not talented. It's not gifted. When I think a KD, those are the words I think of.

Rick Buecker was on our show the other day talking about that. He's had the opportunity to be the leading scorer in the league. He's had the opportunity to be a big fish in a small pond. He's had an opportunity to be a champion. Now he is leading the Brooklyn Nets. And yet there still seems to be this. I don't know, difficulty in appreciating where he is and what he has and that he's still trying to prove something. I think KD loves to play. What he's trying to get out of playing the game

is still an uncertainty to me. And an uncertainty to a lot of people. Michael, never question that. Michael, I'm going to be the greatest basketball player of all time. I'm offended. I am deeply offended. if you don't know that. That is, that is, we don't even argue about it. I am the best ever. That is what I'm going to be. And you may say that's obnoxious, but that's what it takes to be number one. I mean, I heard his story yesterday.

Tom Brady has been fighting for players to practice less. You know, he keeps telling these players, no OTAs, we should have fewer practices. Brady is using that. is a competitive advantage because he's practicing with his teammates of the local high school, why everybody else isn't. You want to be a goat in sports? That's what it takes. It often does.

That competitive edge in relentlessness, relentlessness is what it takes. Baker-Mayfield's agent wants a contract. We will discuss that coming up. 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. 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, 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, Unthinker. filtered 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 Clivert 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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, so. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for Black. 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, Keer 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, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth

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Simply Safe, making people feel safe at home for 15 years. Check it out. Simplysafecollan.com today. Customize your system. Get a free security camera. It is interesting when you say somebody is more gifted than Michael Jordan. People take offense to it. But we know there are quarterbacks more gifted than Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rogers. It's okay to say that. Gifted is a word that I always feel like somebody from above touched you a little. Like you get somebody gave you a genetic, a DNA gift. And I mean, let's be honest about, I saw this the other day.

You know, most kids that are college athletes ate like a huge percentage of them. Their mom or dad were professional athletes. Like Andrew Wiggins, I think his mom was like a great athlete and dad. Some people just get the height and the size. If you've ever been around an offensive tackle in the NFL, they're all 6-7-308 and oftentimes have flat stomachs. And it's just like, well, I could spend all year in a weight room and I would be half that size. There is something. So when you say he's more gifted than Michael Jordan, Michael was a grinder.

Now he was athletic. Don't kid yourself. But Michael was the word I always think with Michael is relentless. The word I think about with KD is gifted. It doesn't mean he doesn't have his relentless moments. It doesn't mean Michael didn't have his gifted moments. But Michael was just, I mean, there's a story about Michael in minor league baseball. I never forget this story.

He quits the NBA, goes to minor league baseball. And the South, as you know, is brutally hot in the summer. It's an oven and humid. Michael would put on one of those workout, like those black workout things. They can be any color, I guess, but the one I saw him in, it's like putting saran wrap on. and he would take batting practice before games for three hours, his hands were raw. I could not walk in the south for 30 minutes wearing that.

Walk, you'd be soaking. Michael would take batting practice for two and a half hours, get blisters before the game. That's Michael. Michael was never a great baseball player, but you go back and ask anybody that played with him. They're like, oh, that's the hardest working player in the history of baseball. I mean, and baseball guys are grinders generally begin with. That's what to me always defined Michael. Joy with the News.

No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Everything isn't an insult. That's right. Gifted is, yeah, he's more gifted. I don't have a very good. No.

Michael might take it as an insult. Well, Michael would. But it's not meant to be an insult. Right. So the Sons will likely have Chris Paul back for game three. He's listed as probable for tonight's game and intends to play. Boy, that's been a fuzzy situation. We kind of...

Yeah, I was thinking about that driving yesterday. I feel like me and you do a lot of thinking about driving. I'm like, what's going on with that? Like, how is he probable? Could we get a definitive word? Yeah, what's happening? I don't know. Maybe, you know what?

It's a lot of people have been arguing how much... Even though we have a lot of medical information that would otherwise be private if you weren't an athlete that's out there on athletes. Like I saw a lot of people like, well, because, you know, hip up. violations. No, that's not going to be a hip. Okay, they have injury reports.

All right. Just chill out. It's not a hip, a violent. What you're talking about. But it is a little strange. Maybe he didn't want, I don't know. I don't know what's going on. It's strange.

But he's probable for tonight. However, the Clippers will still be without Kauai, who has been ruled out once again with the knee sprain. Although Cameron Payne's been incredible, 29 points. Insane. Nine assists. The weirdest game. His game is, it's George Gervany.

It's weird. He plays with such a fun intensity. He was brilliant to watch. I know everyone was like a little of a reacting. Like, oh, I don't need Chris Paul. Like, just calm down. Like, Chris Paul's going to be back. It's going to be fine.

And Cameron Pay was playing a lot when Chris Paul was available. So the sons are favored by one and a half for game three tonight, according to Fox Bed. Teddy Bridgewater went five and O backing up Drew Brees. You can have backups that come in. And for brief times, you don't really know. how to defend them. You haven't seen a lot. There's not a ton of tape. They play with an elevated level of urgency. And all of a sudden you look up and you're like, Teddy Bridgewater just beat us. Wait, he's no. Well, he's not Drew Breeze, but Cameron Payne is an NBA player with the ability to

score. Yeah. Long. Exactly. So the Celtics are reportedly finalizing a deal to make Nets assistant Imeyudoku, their next head coach. He started his coaching career in San Antonio working under Popovich for seven years. And then he moved to Philly in 2019 and spent a season in Brooklyn. He reportedly very quickly separated himself in Boston's hiring process. He also received recommendations from Celtic stars like Jason Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Jalen Brown. That's that's been. That's the three guys. You got to get along with those three. Well, they all played for him with Team USA at the 2019 Feeba World Cup. So they all have a relationship. That's why you hire him. Yeah. If your three guys like him, and Marcus Smart's not a big score, but he's one of the

sole pieces of the Celtics. If those three like him, that's your coach. He played seven seasons in the NBA. never hurts to be starting your coaching career under Popovich, who has an unbelievable reputation with assistance. It's like Belichick. Yeah. Andy Reid, yeah. Yeah, a great coaching tree. So I like this higher for the Celtics.

Obviously, their stars buying into him is huge as well. Huge. They don't have to go through the rest of the offseason looking for a coach either. That's why Nash got the job. Kevin Durant and he, they respected him. He was an MVP. Well, the relationships are very important. Yes.

Yes. And your stars trusting you are very important. huge now in the league. The Pacers have also hired their next head coach. Rick Carlisle was out of a job for three days. How long has it been? Not a long time. He reportedly agreed to return to Indiana next season.

He will sign a four-year, $29 million contract. This will be his second stint as the Pacer's head coach. He was there for four seasons in 2003 or 2007 and had a record of 181, 147 in that time. He was with the Mavs for 13 seasons and won a title. in 2011. They were 34 and 38 last year. Herb Simon's one of the legendarily nice guys. He owns the Pacers. He's a very nice man. Herb and Rick, I'm sure, ended on good terms because Herb's a nice guy. People really like him. So when you end on good terms, sometimes you get hired back. That's the way it works.

Well, we have lots of discussions about the coaching carousel in the NBA. And every once in a while, they will insert some new blood, which I think, think is very needed, especially when you have these young players who, you know, have a different energy and there's a relatability factor and all of that. But I actually think that Rick Carlisle is a great fit, not just because he has been there before, but like, I think he's a great fit for the Pacers. I think this is a good hire for them. You know, we know what happens in Dallas. Like, sometimes you just, it wasn't that Rick was necessarily failing there. Sometimes just since come to an end, like things come to an end. People start to have a difference of opinion on how

things are run or what needs to happen to improve. But also, Joy, sometimes you get an older coach who doesn't fit with younger players. You get a younger coach who doesn't fit with older players. So much tie loose. So much is fit. Yeah. Do you fit your personnel in Rick 61? Luke is a young guy international. Maybe they don't quite. It's okay. Also, where you are as a franchise, I think, matters as well. Do you have the stars you need and you need to start winning now? Are you rebuilding like the Pacers and you need to really emphasize a whole new, way of doing things. Like different coaches fit for different times and eras with

organizations. So that's another reason why I think it's a good fit for that. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. My buddy, Nick Wright, First Things First, co-host, joining us now, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing. So I said, listen,

I think we would agree with this. The West is a lot better than the East. The East is you know, Ben Simmons can't shoot. The Knicks can't shoot. Yonis can't shoot. It's not the same conference. We know the NFC East is not the AFC West at the top or the NFC. We get that. But what I did talk about earlier, Trey Young is great.

And I do think, I said the other day, I said the 10 best young players under 25 in the league, I put Luca 1, I put Tray Young second. And I got some blowback on it. And I said, there's a lot of stuff with Trey Young beyond the scoring, which is obvious. The confidence. He gets others involved. I think he is the number one. point guard in the east? Is that a little too much too early? It's not too much. After this playoff run, so there's a lot to unpack here. Your old buddy, Bill Simmons,

made the right comparison. People are comparing him to Steph. Listen, he's not a dead-eye shooter. He's a good shooter. But he's not Steph or Dame, even though he takes Steff and Dame shots. The comp Simmons made, that's right, is Steve Nash, because it's the playmaking that makes him so impossible. And you saw last night, Brooklyn, or Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn wishes they were there, Milwaukee with their drop coverage, he just is going to kill you on floaters. He's incredibly confident. And Colin, like, when we're talking playoff debuts, he, Magic Johnson, as far as his first season in the playoffs, is the gold standard. Trey could be moving into second place. LeBron had a great one, but only made round

two. Then you've got to go all the way back to Dr. Jay, but Dr. Jay wasn't really his playoff debut because he had all the ABA runs, Rick Barry, Lou Alcender. Now we're talking about 45, 50 years ago for him to be scoring 30 a night, 10 assists have a team with no other all-stars this deep into the playoffs. And by the way, he's had to go through the three best, most physical defenses in the East. Yeah. The Knicks, the Sixers, and now the Bucks. Your point-on-point guard. So I think most people would say if you don't consider hard on a point guard, which I understand, that the best point guard in the east is Kyrie Irving. Well, Trey Young is doing something in these playoffs. Kyrie Irving had an opportunity to do. In 2019, with a better roster around him in Boston,

Karee played a worse Bucks team. And not only did they lose to them, they lost in five. And Kyrie was six for 19, he was seven for 21, he was bad. And so I do think Tray Young is the second best young player. I think he's past Donovan. I think he's past Booker. I think he's past Zion, who I adore. I think he's past Tatum. And I think only Luke is ahead of him. And I think he's the second best point guard, or I'm sorry, the best point guard in the east. I totally agree with you, 100%. So when the clippers fell down to the MAVs, a source inside the clipps, a source inside the Clipper said, we're going to win this thing watch, and they did. When they fell behind a Utah 02, I set on the air, the Clippers are going to win the series.

They're down 02 to Phoenix, and not just because Chris Paul is coming back in Kauai probably isn't, but I don't think this is lightning in a bottle. I compare the Suns yesterday to the Seahawks, that first team that won the Super Bowl. The year before, they were six and five and got hot, and the Seahawks then got knocked out of the playoffs. The next year you watched them and thought, they are so far and away the best. team in the league. It's not close. What is happening? Phoenix last year in the bubble, you're like, ooh, they're pretty good. They weren't great. And you're watching right now, and I said, like the Seahawks, you're saying to yourself, well, they look way better than everybody, and they have a

similarity. The Seahawks and the Sun's young players, all peaked. Two or three young players, like, wow, with a great leader. And what you're seeing, Bonnie Williams, Pete Carroll, coaches who have been fired, but been around. They harness that. And so I look at Phoenix and I think, this thing's over and I'm not sure it goes six. Oh, listen, you and I don't often agree on so much. We agree on a lot here. So, Colin, do you remember the game where LeBron was backing down Jay Crowder and

Andre Drummond was pantomiming it on the sideline? Yeah, yeah. That game in round one. Yeah. I don't know how long ago that feels to you. but to me it feels like it was months ago. Since then, not only have the sons not lost, they have trailed in the fourth quarter since then for 25 seconds.

They have just rolled through everybody. Getting to obviously was incredibly close and great finish. And the clippers, on the other hand, it's not only that they're without Kauai, it's that tonight will be their 16th game in the last 32. two days. Yeah, it's brutal. They're not just out of bullets. They have thrown the gun at the guy and now they're trying to go tackle him. They're spent. I know, Thai Liu has made amazing adjustments. Yeah. And by the way, they could win tonight. Like, I think they might win tonight.

But I think with no Kauai, with a son's team that got half a week off after beating the Lakers, a full week off after sweeping the nets, and now, depending on how Chris Paul reacted to, you know, the COVID protocol, assuming he was asymptomatic, he's just rested. And they're up to O. Like, I think it's, I, there's going to be no slander from me on the Clippers. I think what they've done in this postseason has been great. But the sons are the healthier, more rested, better team right now. Yeah.

I don't think they can win four out of five against them moving forward. Yeah, you know, it's funny because I, I, after those games, I thought to myself, this will still go six. And yesterday I had somebody text me that what you just said. They gave me the games the Clippers have played. And they're like, Chris Paul isn't hurt. He's just resting. They're like, watch out.

So I want to go to this. So Steve Kerr, now maybe because he's coaching Team USA basketball, he said this. But he said, you know, Kevin Durant's more gifted than Michael Jordan. And as Joy said, everybody thinks everything's a slight. And I do think Wilt, K.D., Tracy McGrady, there are these Dominique. guys that are just gifted. And it's not that they don't work hard. I mean,

Wilt was always distracted. But they don't have this relentlessness. And I said, Jordan had brothers, roughhousing. Michael, and I think of Michael, I don't think gifted.

I think super talented, but I think relentless. I do think KD could be, if he was more relentless, he could be the greatest basketball player ever. I don't think it's crazy to say that. Do you? No,

I mean, he won't be. but could have been sure. And listen, he's going to end up one of the 12 greatest players of all time. He's knocking on that door already. But the comp, I was listening to your opening rant when you talked about this. The comp I was waiting for you to go to is Randy Moss, Jerry Rice. Randy's one of the greatest ever.

And Randy is without question, the most gifted wide receiver we have ever seen. Yeah. But as much as I love Randy, there is no. argument to be made, he was better than Jerry Rice. It just doesn't exist. Right. So like, there are, there are the natural physical gifts. And it's not like Kevin Durant has squandered anything. That's not it at all. Right. He, I mean, he's been, he, he has been spectacular. And I think you can argue he has gotten the most out of his immeasurable talent. But talent and giftedness is not everything it takes if you're talking about becoming the greatest of all time. And so you have LeBron who is

a different type of physically gifted. I think LeBron, the natural gift LeBron has that is underrated is the court vision part of it, that KD, while he's a great passer, is not the LeBron-level passer, and that's the biggest discrepancy in their two games. And then you have Jordan who, relentlessness, that is exact, I think that's the exact right word. The maniacal competitiveness. The part of Jordan that made him have to beat that usher security guard in the quarters contest or rig the luggage off the conveyor belt contest against his teammates is part of what made him so special. Yeah.

It's the same thing. Mahomes is more talented, but Brady's way better at quarterback. And I know. You know what? This is unbelievable. Colin, hold on. Hold on. Since you fit that in, I have to do one thing here real quick before we go.

It's important. Once part of time Colin Cowherd was the best local radio host in America. I think then it was an un, nobody wore the crown for a bit. Then I wore it for a little bit. Then FS1 hired me. Right now, the guy who's the best local radio host in America, you and I both know him. Yeah. His name's Danny Parkins.

He's great. He teamed up with Emmanuel Acho's brother, Sam Ocho. He just did, just completed a couple hours ago. 24 hours of live radio raised over half a million dollars to build a supermarket on the west side of Chicago in a place where a liquor store had been

got burnt down during the George Floyd protests. They called it the What About Chicago Radiothon to one of the most successful local radio things I've ever seen. It's a great thing that Emmanuel's brother and Danny did and I know you're friends with Danny. I just wanted to give him a shout out and recognize it on this platform.

By the way, is it too? Is it too late to donate to that? It is, but I donated in your name. You just got to send me a check. So don't worry about it. I got you covered. Okay. That sounds good to me, buddy.

Nick Wright. Thanks, man. See you, Colin. Yeah, it is. It is, and Danny Parkins is terrific kid, and great story in Chicago. The Michael Jordan is, you know, one of the things I like about Michael that he was so complex that he's still fascinating years later. I could talk Michael Jordan every day on the show. He's a fascinating.

guy. We did several weeks of talking about Michael Jordan during the pandemic last year with the last dance. Very complex guy and very competitive. And that is, that is, you know, it's not, you know, I had this conversation with my wife the other day. And we went to a restaurant. And if I go to a restaurant in L.A., oh, was somebody a waiter, somebody, hi, I love your show, blah, blah, blah, you know, I've been on the air forever. Like, they know who I am, right, in Los Angeles. But I said, but everybody's always great. But I told my wife. I said, can you imagine being Michael Jordan? He could not go to dinner.

I said, I'm the perfect level of fame. I get a free appetizer every third time I go to a restaurant. I said, that's the perfect level. Somebody in the restaurant says, hi. I get a free app every third time. People understand how hard it is to be LeBron and Brady and Michael and... Even KD. Steve Kerr was talking about KD.

You can't go anywhere. What he was dealing with when he was in Golden State. We say it all the time. be wealthy than famous. Oh, God, you could have fame all day long. If I started over again, I would go into the waste management business. That's always the richest guy in every town. He owns the waste management business in most towns in America. And nobody knows who he is. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Hey, it's Ben, host of the fifth hour with Ben Mallor, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascon, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.

Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app, Apple podcast, 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor, the podcast.

forth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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 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 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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, Tript 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, because 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, Kear Gaines, as 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. So it's interesting. Baker Mayfield's agent said he thinks a contract will get done this summer.

Jack Mills, I think something will be done this summer. He obviously wants a long-term contract for Baker Mayfield. I think Cleveland should wait a year. And it's interesting because Cleveland has low sports self-esteem. And when teams have low sports self-esteem, they often rush to sign somebody who gives them a little love. They have a little success. And the team is like, Ryan Fitzpatrick Buffalo Bills had a really good September and the bills signed a new long contract. The hell are you doing?

You sign him like Washington signs Ryan Fitzpatrick. He's been with nine teams in 17 years. But teams that historically lose, it's usually bad ownership. Cleveland does not have great ownership. Their owners impatient. And so Baker gives them a playoff win and it would be very easy for Cleveland to go, he likes us. Let's give him a 10-year deal. I think Kevin Stefansky and Andrew Barry are such smart guys coach GM.

They'll be able to hold off this impatient, impulsive owner. All you got to do is hold him off for a year. Because Baker last year are the number one running game and the number one offensive line in the head coach of the year. He had 26 TD's eight picks, 3,500 yards, completed 63% of his throws. It was okay. Wasn't like his first year. It was okay.

It doesn't look like Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes to me. It's okay. So I think they'll be able to hold him off. But it's, you have to remember, be patient. The Buccaneers had James Winston. In year two, James Winston, 4,000 yards more than Baker, 28 touchdowns, winning record, 86 pass-er rating. They just kept pushing it off.

That's how they end up with Tom Brady. Marcus Marriota, remember that Tennessee. Marcus Marietta, year two for Tennessee, had a winning record. record, 26 TDs, nine picks, 61% completion percentage, 96 passer rating. They didn't rush. Now they have a better quarterback. Is that you got to just, there's, goff got signed early.

How'd it work? Carson Wentz got signed early. How'd it work? There's this rush now to sign the quarterback early. And there are times like with Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, it makes sense. their generational talents. Mel Kuiper at Josh Allen is the 10th highest-gritted

quarterback in the history of covering the draft. That's how good Josh Allen was. So in Baker's case, what is the rush? Let's see him now as Joe Burrow gets better. What if Joe Burrow this year looks great? And we know Lamar is great. And you have Baker who could be

the third best quarterback in a division. Let's just wait. There's no hurry on this stuff. And also when you pay Baker, some of these players are going to leave. Let's see it then. Again, Dak Prescott rookie deal when you can just keep signing and signing and signing, when 13-3 is a rookie. Offensive line is great.

You can pay them all a fortune. As the team has become more DAC-reliant, they're jammed up against the cap. Dax's last 16 games, he's 6 and 10. Doesn't mean he can't play. It doesn't mean he doesn't deserve money. There's a lot of things about DAC I like more than Baker in terms of intangible. But low sports self-esteem is a real thing. Teams with histories of losing usually have two things.

Bad owners, impatient, impulsive owners, Browns do. And any little success, they just rushed overpay it. NFL, there's two rules. Pay great money infrequently and wait as long as you can to pay it. And the exceptions, even though the Mahomes deal is a team friendly deal. So I don't think Cleveland should pay Baker now. Play the season. Let's see him with success.

What if Joe Burrow ends up being as good as he looked in the first five games? And you're looking at Lamar and Joe Burrow twice a year. And it's like, do we have the third most talented quarterback in the division? That's not a recipe for winning. That's why the Rams got to the playoffs and got rid of golf. Because they felt like, hey, Russell, and he's not Kyler. Standards. When you win, the standards remain high.

Hour 2 on a Thursday live in Los Angeles 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 I-Heart 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 Heart 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 J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. I mean, 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, Cliver 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 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.