The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/30/2021 - HOUR 3 - Clippers, NBA stars

Episode Date: June 30, 2021

The Clippers are doing whatever it takes to keep Kawhi happyColin breaks down which NBA stars are either a One or a TwoGuest: Dan Woike Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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. On The Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it 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, unfilled 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Ah, here we go. We are live in Los Angeles. Hour 3. It is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS-Wan, heard brought you by Jersey Mike's subs. Be a sub above. An hour ago we had Quentin Richardson on.

He told one of my five favorite stories in the history of the show. we'll put him on the podcast today. It's an outrageously funny story. You just don't realize. This is why I've always defended athlete. You and I out of college can decide where we want to go. For a college athlete, the better he is, the harder he's worked, he is punished and sent to a worse fringe. Can you imagine putting all the time at Harvard Law or University of Virginia law school or Michigan law,

law and you're the top of your class and you go to a worst law firm where the partners are idiots it's dysfunctional nobody like backstabbing that's what pro athletes go through and also as an attorney you only have like nine years to make your money you also have to share pens share pens at desks so i mean that that's why i well they make a lot of money well they make generational money if they're good with their second and third contracts well i think it's the most of the most of money part is significant. I get that from fans. But I think it's the expectations to be successful

in these environments where you're practicing at a junior college and you have to get in your car with a tower wrapped around you so you can go shower. Which is not sanitary. Name another industry outside of pro sports where the harder you work in

college, the worst place you are forced to work. That's why I support pro athletes. They get these off Donald Sterling, Marg shot. I mean, the guy in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert. Is that, what is, is that right?

Yeah, Dan Gilbert. Both the Cavs, yeah. Every time. Or the Lowe's story of the TJ told us about the Bengals, having to share, um, it's like a movie. In one point in Cincinnati, I could be incorrect.

I think I'm right because I think I read it years ago in Sports Illustrated. There was a legendary high school football program in Cincinnati. I'm not sure, I mean, it's still there. The high school is there. I'm not sure if they're as good as they once were. It was called molar high, M-O-E-L-E-R. It was a great high school.

It was like the best high school football program in America. I believe they had an indoor practice facility before the Cincinnati Bengals. That's insane. T.J. Hushman's out of it. They would throw jocks in the middle of the floor. And you had to go, you could wear, you'd be a quarterback, you're wearing the tight ends yesterday.

That's just sharing underwear. It's gross. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays and 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, 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 Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

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

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, 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, Keer Gang. is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free I Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now.

Hawks Bus, Buck's Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 is featured on the free-to-play. Fox Bet Super 6 app. Scan the QR code below, download the app, and answer six questions about tomorrow's game for your shot to win $1,000. By the way, I just saw a story.

LeBron James has that movie, Space Jam, and they had a big premiere and stuff, and he went out and partied with, like, Hollywood people. And I don't party with Hollywood people. They stay up way too late for me. It's really a scene that I'm not comfortable with. Except for the get-together.

You go to get-togethers. What are those? Didn't you? You said you were out of, like, a fancy party the other day? Well, well, that wasn't a party. That was dinner and a cocktail dinner. But the one thing when LeBron apparently partied with Don Cheetle, and I would bet good money that Don Cheeto had a lot of,

1115 says, gentlemen, it's been a great night. I'm going to hit the hay, a big day tomorrow. He seems responsible. You think he says hit the hay? Don Chito goes to bed early by celebrity. He's very, very good at what he does. He's an adult. I don't know what, we should do a segment call.

What time does John Chito go to bed? But I think he's one of those Hollywood people that goes to bed at a response. There are Hollywood. There are those kind of people out here, though. Responsible people? Yeah, that they've just been doing this. long enough that they're like, or they'll do the like walkthrough move where like they come to the party like say hello, you know, like they're seeing and like, all right, we're out of here.

And like just doesn't Don Cheadle seem responsible? He seems very responsible. So you're not going to see Don Cheadle at 445 waving a big tequila bottle down Hollywood Boulevard. Where were they? I didn't see where the party was. I am not cool enough to go to these parties. LeBron's got a big fancy house. So it was a house party, then yeah, you got to be. But I guarantee even then Cheeto said, uh, uh, uh, uh,

King James, 1115. I don't imagine that LeBron James parties are lead to too much irresponsible behavior. He's got kids. He's got kids and that's just, that's not LeBron's, like, brand. Right. Or Don Chittles. Or Don Chittles, yes.

His brand is bed early hit movies. Dan Wojke's been covering, he covered everybody. Clippers, Beat Rider for the Lakers, L.A. Times, Clippers Orange County Register covered the NBA for nearly a decade. So he's covered everybody in Southern California, and he'll be there tonight. Clippers' sons. Biggest game, I would argue, in the history of the Clippers. I think it's the biggest game for the Sons for everybody on that roster, except Jay Crowder,

who's been in the finals, and Dan Wojke, is now joining us live. So, you know, sometimes I get vibes off of games, and I'm like, ooh, I feel good about this one. What is your vibe for tonight's game? well it might be affected i was out till three in the morning last night with john she a real wild night um no uh you know i i feel good about where the clippers are at colin and it's a weird as someone who's been around that franchise um intermittently over the last second that's a that's an odd feeling to have i i just feel like they've kind of found a formula in this series um they found a formula in every series so far their experiences mattered their poises mattered uh their depth and their

versatility is all mattered. And they're coming home. And, you know, to win tonight, I really think the role players need to have big games. And that's kind of what role players do, generally speaking at home, as they play well. And after sort of that shooting abomination we saw in game four at Staples Center, you wouldn't think you'd see that again. This has been a very good shooting team all season. So kind of the door seems a little bit open for them to force a game seven.

And then, you know, who knows what happens? You know, it's interesting. Paul George, I went to this yesterday. If you look at game seven against Dallas, game six against Utah, the last game he played, which could have been, you know, Dunzo, you're out. He's been giving you 44 minutes, shot the ball well, gives you a little bit of everything. I do feel like he's broken through a little bit of that playoff disappointment label. I kind of feel like he's been the best guy on the floor.

in a lot of these series in the key moments, your thoughts. Yeah. I mean, you should never give yourself a nickname column. That just sets up all the problems, first of all. Like, none of this. So much of the Paul George Slander comes from the fact that he called himself playoffee, right? If he had just been like, no, my name is Paul, we'd be all right, probably on some of this stuff. But I think that he's been, I mean, he has been fantastic.

I do worry a little bit about wear and tear with him. And look, and you can watch and you can tell early where his energy levels are. Is he attacking the basket? I think that's a huge thing in this game, getting the foul line, attacking DeAndre Aiton, maybe even playing Theondre Aiton off the court. The Clippers haven't really been able to do that. Aiton's done such a good job in this postseason, you know, staying out of foul trouble and has been wildly effective when Phoenix has been able to go to him. But, you know, the number that I like most about Paul George in these last four games has been his work on the glass, Colin. You know, over 10 rebounds in each of the last four games, I think averaging almost like 14 or something like that.

to me that's effort, that's will to win. That's where that shows up, right? And I think when we watch Paul George play, he plays with such ease. It's sort of his on-court style. He's very, very smooth. And sometimes that reeks of lack of urgency. Watch the rebounding numbers. That's where urgency and effort shows up.

And he's been a terrific alpha for this team when, you know, when there are other guys, you know, not able to be on the court. I thought the suns looked really tight. last game, especially early. Were you surprised by that? No. I mean, I think that's sort of how these playoff series work, right? As you know, you mentioned sort of my resume.

I've seen the Clippers blow some 3-1 leads in person. And Game 5 is usually where it starts. Yeah. You know, I remember the Clippers Rocket series from, I think it was like 2014 or something like that. The Clippers didn't show up with any energy in game five. The Sons wanted to keep their season alive. they played with great energy, and, you know, they start to build a little momentum.

I think, you know, what I saw last year in the bubble, same thing with Denver. Denver could have folded down three, one against the Clippers. Clippers are up big in the second half. Denver doesn't fold. They push forwards. They built some momentum. And I think, you know, what you saw with the Sons was a team that didn't respond very well to the Clippers sort of sense of urgency and desperation.

Monty Williams said it after the game. You know, you set it after game three, to be honest. he said the same thing and the Clippers did it in game three. And that to me is, you know, the first five to ten minutes of this game. The Clippers have proven, Colin, that they can play uphill, that they can come from behind. Yeah. And they've proven that this postseason. But can they, if they put pressure on the suns early in this game, it'll start to build.

You know, you start thinking about, oh, man, like, you know, we're down here. We're going to have to go home for game. Like, there's no comfort in going home for game seven. Like that game seven pressure can start in game six. And it's sort of on the Clippers to put it on. You know, it's interesting. Not only has Paul performed bigly, but Paul, I love that word. Milwaukee Yonis has heard.

I think the Clippers are better than Atlanta. If the Clippers won this series without Kauai and then got to the finals without Kauai, I think they're the best team. And it is interesting. Paul could not only shed that label, he could burst through it. Is there any possibility that Kauai would play even if the Clippers got to the finals? I mean, it's so hard to know. You know, I think the Kauai injury sort of secrecy is very predictable.

And it's very real. I think the extent of his injury is to people outside of like that main circle is pretty unknown. And I'm not in that main circle. And virtually no one is. I mean, that's sort of the mythicism of Kauai Leonard. And, you know, as he goes into free agency, one of the things that the clippers have kind of sort of promised to him along the way was that they would take his medical and his privacy both very seriously.

And kudos to them. They've stuck to their word. You know, I mean, I think they could be out there right now saying, you know, this guy needs to be on the court and stuff like that, an effort to pressure him. That wouldn't bode well for them moving forward in an effort to try to resign him. I think they could be doing the same on the opposite. And mostly they've just not talked about it. And I think that's sort of, you know,

you talk about how star players kind of inject their culture under the organization that they're at. The Clippers have been, you know, really over the last decade as they've become competitive, sort of a blank slate for superstars to come in and just sort of like, we'll listen to you, we'll defer to you. Yeah. They have deferred to quiet on this. And I think the, as they say, the silence speaks volumes, right?

Like that's just sort of they're doing what Kauai says. And look, there might be a chance that he returns. I think they should proceed as if that he is not going to. That should just be sort of the thing. And Colin, here's a weird thing too, just kind of watching these clippers through this playoff run. Not everybody that's maybe built to be a complimentary player. Yeah.

You know, we've seen Paul George sort of fail in that role a few different times. And just right now, and I'm not saying the clippers are better without Kauai Liner on the court. That's crazy. But Paul George might be a little better. And he might be a little more comfortable. And he looks very comfortable. Hey, listen, Damian Lillard wants out. You got, there's, this is going to be, there's a lot of things out there.

Ben Simmons, Dame Lillard. It's not, listen, it's not the craziest thing to think. We got a very strong draft. Draft picks mean a lot. The Warriors have a couple. I think the Warriors next year could end up having a Pascal Seyakum, Clay, Steph. You got to, you know, I think the one thing interesting, Dan about the West,

LeBron and AD with a long off season are going to come back healthy. The Warriors with two great draft picks and Wiseman, who's a weird fit for them, are going to come back profoundly different and probably better. If you're the Clippers,

you know, you cannot, I guess my point is, you can't rest in the West. I think if this team got to the finals without Kauai and they won the finals without Kauai, wouldn't at least have a talk about it? About what?

About moving on from Kauai? I mean, I don't know. Like, are we absolutely? I don't think so. Oh, you don't think so? No, I don't. I mean, I think that. Would you trade him for a, for Dame?

No, I wouldn't. No, I mean, I think like, and look, and we can go back to the sort of the end of the Dallas series for why you wouldn't, you know, when they kind of, it was sort of return on investment was was right there for them, Colin, right? Where you've got a guy playing with Shaquille O'Neal level efficiency doing it, you know, from 17 feet away and just dominating it. And the ultimate trump card in every series, the ultimate sort of adjustment is like, you got a player that's going off. We're going to throw Kauai Lender at you. And we've seen it work against Janus.

It worked at times, certainly against Luca. it was working in the Jazz series, you know, and he just gets bumped in the air, steps the wrong way and sort of we are where we are. You know, and it's not dissimilar to what happened to Milwaukee. It's not dissimilar to eventually what happened to the Lakers. I mean, that is definitely a part of this game,

and durability certainly matters. But if you're the clippers and you're talking about the best chances that you have to win in kind of maximizing championship windows, because, you know, look, Steve Bummer would love one banner. I don't think one title is going to satisfy a guy like him. I think if he gets a taste of it, I think he's going to want more. Certainly, I think Kauai Leonard is your best bet. It doesn't come without risk, certainly, but I think it's your best bet.

Yeah. It's just weird. I mean, nobody knows his injury. Yeah. I mean, every other injury, I know what it is an hour later. One person. Yeah, just where are two people. Kauai and his doctor.

It's crazy. Dan, great seeing you again. All right, Colin, be good. Have a great week. Yeah. You know, Kauai is such an enigma. Like, who knows what his injury is? Like, it's just so much secrecy around.

It's very strange. I wonder, you know, traditionally in sports, we are very out there with what players' injuries are and what's going on with them physically. And, you know, we have injury reports before games and stuff like it's, we don't treat athletes how we would treat anyone else when it comes to their medical information. And I do wonder if that's changing a little bit because we didn't really know what was going on with Chris Paul either. I don't know. Just think about this.

The Clippers win tonight. Game 7, you'd have to think they could beat Phoenix. And then they go and play Milwaukee without Janice or Atlanta. And they win without Kauai. Now, I'm not saying Kauai's got an option to leave. What I'm saying is it's like, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, there's going to be a lot of good players on the market.

I said this yesterday. I would choose Kauai over Dame, but it's way closer than you think. If Kauai left, if I told you today, Kauai leaves, Dame comes back. Are they worse? Because, like, Kauai, Paul George gives me 90% of what Kauai gives me. Are they that much worse? No.

Dame gives you something, you're not even close to accomplishing. No, I agree. It's very close, extremely close, but Kauai did win two championships. I know. He's a weird guy to build a culture around, though. he's an interesting cat dame paul george i can build a culture around that those guys are talkers yeah of course i mean they're incredible players and dame is an like all-time great offensive players i don't i just i won two championships i know but it's just it's different when you

build the culture around i i don't know i'm i i am a kawai guy yeah i think i am too but it's odd joy with a news This is the herd line news. So LeBron's changing his number from 23 to 6 next season. To sell jerseys. Yeah, I think it has a little something to do with the space jam. Yes. Which I think we have to sit you down and make you watch the first space jam.

I just, is it? You know, you're not a sports movie guy. I'm not like a cartoon guy either. No? Well, I mean, the Simpsons. I don't know that. I've seen Space Jam 500 times. But I'm expecting this space sham to be completely different than the original.

I've only ever watched one sports movie I love and it's a hockey movie. Miracle. That's it. But you have not seen a lot of sports movies. Like you're not a sports movie guy. I'm a true crime. Yeah. I just watched Mayor of East Town.

Oh yeah. I heard that's very good. It's very good and it's very heavy, but it's fantastic. Kate Winslet is unbelievable. You know what I finished? Ted Lassau. Oh, you finished it? I finished it.

It's fun. It's amazing. It's a masterpiece. It's every emotion. It made me so happy. It was recommended to me by a million people, and it was absolutely everything is supposed to be. It's very joyful. It makes you happy.

It does make you happy. It's innocent. There's an innocence to it. Because I finished Schitt's Creek, and I was like, I need something. I need a show. I'll watch like, I'm watching Breaking Bad now. I've never watched Breaking Bad, so that's a show I'm watching right now. But I, like, finished shit's,

Creek, I need a happy show, too. Like, sometimes I just need a happy show. That's Anne's favorite show. Schitt's Creek? All time. Dan Leigh, she thinks it's... Yeah, it's amazing. By the way, the woman in that show,

the comedic actress... Yes. Why am I forgetting her name? Oh, Catherine O'Hara? Catherine O'Hara. Yeah. Is one of the ten funniest people on the planet. She's brilliant.

And literally one of the ten funniest people on the planet. She definitely is. She was absolutely brilliant. We have completely derailed. But anyway, he is. he is not going to change his Anthony Davis is not going to change his jersey he wore 23 in New Orleans

but he's going to stick with three as a Laker and the reason is because he wants to he wants them to retire the number three jersey when his career is over that's nice right I say dream big well try to play half the games I say dream big why not you know what aim

for the stars right so Donovan Mitchell is the centerpiece of the jazz franchise but Wade Dwayne Wade who joined the team's ownership group this season is allegedly worried about his future there. He's reportedly concerned that Mitchell's desire to stay about his desire to stay in

Utah long term. Now, Donovan Mitchell does have a $195 million extension that kicks in next season, so he'd have to force his way out if he did want to leave. Well, he and Gobert have never been close, but it seemed to work okay this year, didn't it? Well, yeah, I think so, but

there's a little interesting. So he can hit free agency in 2025 if he declines his player option on the final year of his extension. And Gober also received a five-year max contract in December. But the interesting thing about this story to me is, while Donovan may, like, this might be an anxiety about him leaving. I, what do the jazz need that, like, they don't have to win?

They need one athletic wing. They will draft that. They could acquire that. But they're not that far off. They've got their rim protected. They're a well-run organization. They have a good coach. They have a three-time defensive player of the year.

They have the six-man of the year. They have Mike Connolly. They have Bogdanovich. You guys got to do some winning. Before we start talking about forcing your way out, to go where? What else do you need? Yeah, they could use, I don't know the contract situation. They could use like a Terrence man because the clippers have Kauai,

Paul George, and Terence man in the wing. If you could give them like a Terrence man who's not great, but he has talent, they need a wing, an athlete to defend on the. the wing and hit a three on the wing. I don't know. I think they need to crank off the excuse machine is what I think they need. Like we give the jazz a lot of, a lot of runway because who wants to, you know, talk about the jazz. Like it's the jazz.

They're always good. But that's my point. Like, okay, like, what are we talking about? Where is he forcing his way out to? They have a, they have a great roster. Maybe they need an extra piece. But like, they've lost in the first round, 2018, 19 season last year. And then they lost in the second rounds of the Clippers this year with a,

the three-time defensive player of the year in the last four years and the sixth man of the year and Donovan Mitchell. Like, I don't know. I think it's just time to start doing some serious winning there. I don't know. Am I being too hard on Utah? No, I mean, I think the West is hard. I think the Western Conference is the SEC and football. If you're the third best team in the SEC, you're often the fourth best team in the country.

Well, I'm not saying that they should settle to not try and get better. Yeah. But I don't know how much more they, like, you can't look at that, that roster. and be like, yeah, there's a huge whole year. They would win the, I think they'd win the east. Yes. I think Utah would win the east. I just think this is like the SEC.

They feel like Georgia football and the SEC. You're like, oh, they're great. Yeah, but they're not LSU. They're often not Florida. They're not Auburn. They're just kind of becoming the team like, okay, like I've heard enough about all, like, all that, like a system and how great. Like, like, it's time to start doing some winning. So Penny Hardaway was reportedly in the running for the magic head coaching job after interviewing

with the team last week. However, he announced he's going to be. be staying at Memphis. He's been with the team for three seasons. They went to the NIT championship last season, the one. And Memphis is also reportedly going to hire Hall of Famer Larry Brown as an assistant coach, which I think is a great move. He's smart consultant. He's a hallfamer legends. And I think, I mean, what Penny's been able to do with the Memphis program is amazing. He's done an incredible job recruiting. Well, you knew he'd be a good recruiter. He's a personable guy. He was a star. You knew he could

recruit, but he's also done a great job coaching. There's 63 and 32 since he's been there. Yeah, they win games. Yeah. And I love that. I love that story. And he was a great player who became a good coach. Like it's different. Mostly Magic tried to coach. It didn't work. No, it doesn't. The transition doesn't work for everybody.

But he was a great player and he's a great coach. Yeah. Good stuff. Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Live News. That's a segment. How many great players have become great coaches? That's a segment in itself. That's rare. You do not get that.

No, it's not always. They make bad GMs and bad coaches most of the time. Or really great ones. Like, it can really go either way. Yeah. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington,

and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up On Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments.

Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it 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. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field

and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or 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. Hot water that never runs out. Tanklessmadesimple.com asks for Navian.

Okay, we're going to play a game here. We talk about this all the time in the NBA, the confusion between who's a one and who's a two. Yes. Now, here's my qualifications for what makes a one. You rely on, they're reliable mentally and physically. Okay. That's why Kyrie drives me nuts.

I don't know what I get physically or mentally. They're the best player in a title team. other good players on the team, including All-Stars, often defer to them late in games. So when Paul defers to, you know, if he plays for a team USA, like, that's the ultra alpha. Like when Byrd was deferring to Michael, it's like, that's the ultimate alpha. And also, you're a winning player. Some guys are talented. They're not winning players.

So we're going to play, well, I don't know what it's called. One or two. it's called. All right. It's called one or two. Are they a one or a two? Here we go. Is Joelle and Bita one or a two? All right. They're plus 121 when he's on the floor and minus 31 when he's not. And because Ben Simmons is not reliable, he has to carry a much greater percentage of this team's success. So I feel he's a one. The injuries scare me to death. But I think he has the mentality of a one. He's got the physicality of a one. I think he shows up in big spots like a one. He's a one. Is Kevin Durant a one or two? He's a, Kevin's a one. I don't like him in that uniform, by the way.

I hate that uniform. First of all, he has the highest career scoring average of all active players. He averages 30 a game in the playoffs. So by the way, he played the minutes. He gave you the games. He was great in the fourth quarter. So I thought even as he lost, year. I thought it was a great series for him. It was like, wow. Off that Achilles injury, I think Kevin's a one, absolutely. Is James Harden a one or two? I think James is a two. I think his style where he needs the whistle does not play well in the postseason. You can't be just a great regular season player and be a one. He's a great regular season player. He needs a whistle, you don't get it in the postseason. I don't get a ton on the defensive end. Kevin

Durant will give you a defensive effort. He feels like I need somebody. I think Kevin one, Hardin, two can win a title, but I think Hardin would defer to Kevin late in games. Is Janus a one or a two? He's absolutely a two. Now, Middleton's not a one, so don't even go there. But I don't trust him late in games. And that's really what it comes down to. If I don't like it with six minutes to go in the NBA games, I mean, let's remember, outside of three feet, he's 34% from the field. And stop telling me he's going to become a shooter. It's getting worse. Is Trey Young a one or a two?

It's really early. But everything I see is a one. First of all, he distributes, so he makes people better. Number two, he takes big shots. He's great on the road. Like, there's a Reggie Miller quality here. He loves to be the villain. Even LeBron didn't like to be the villain.

So I like the fact that he'll take the big shot. He doesn't shoot nearly as well as Dame or Steph, but he doesn't care. He'll take the shot. He elevates teammates. He's great on the road. He doesn't shrink in big games. I think he's a one. How about Jimmy Butler?

You know, I like Jimmy. But he's starting to feel like a two. He actually has never been a great shooter. There's a little bit of Dwayne Wade here. He can be a number one on a really, really young team. But I feel for Jimmy Butler to win a title, he's got to be a true. two. He had the lowest shooting percentage by any player in the postseason. It's a Duane Wade situation. On Miami's a one. But if, but if Tady was on this team or, or, you know,

one of the great players, he, I think, would be your two. Jason Tadam, one or a two. This is very difficult. This one I struggle with. I think I may be wrong. I have him as a two. And I'm not sure I'm right on this. Bill Simmons could come on. I'll give Bill Simmons the Florida argue. He is talented. I am not disputing that. Of course. Offensively, he does a lot of things a one does. But they lost in five games to the nets. They weren't overly competitive. Here's where I struggle. He was very good in the fourth. I may revisit this. I may regret this. I think he's... How about this? How about this? Best two in the league.

Sure. He's the single... No, he's the second best two in the league. I'll get to the best two later. By the way, being a two is not an insult. No, he's the second best two in the league. Is Bradley Beale a one or a two? He's a two. And I'll tell you why. And I like Bradley Beal.

But the fact that he has not forced his way out of Washington tells me his mentality is he's happy making money and scoring points. One's, LeBron wouldn't stay there. Durant wouldn't stay there. I don't think Steph Curry would stay there. If you're staying with that organization, that's telling me I'm satisfied where I'm at. Donovan Mitchell. I think he's a one. I think he defends.

I think he plays hard. I think he demands a lot from his teammates. He's okay making Rudy Gobert mad. I like his mentality, a one. Chris Paul. He's a one, not a huge score. Who does Booker defer to late? In the huddle, who does Booker defer to?

Who does this team defer to with a minute and a half to go? That's a one. It's not all scoring. The team defers to him. Booker defers to him in big moments. In the huddle, on the floor, on the defensive end, with the ball. So that makes Devin Booker a... Two.

Devin's still got a way to go. He's got to improve his passing. He's got to improve his defense. The clippers went right after him. He's a great two. He's not as good as Tatum. Jason Tatum's a better player right now than Booker by a little bit. How about Yokic, one or two?

He's a one. First of all, plays every game, plays hard, scores, makes everybody better. Best passing big in the league. He's a one. Kauai Leonard. The best two in the game. I'm sorry, he's the best two. Jason Tatum's the second best, too. I cannot depend on him physically. I cannot depend on him emotionally. He's hurt. Nobody knows what it is. It's too weird to me. I can't build my franchise around him. Paul George. Very good, too. For obvious reasons, he has struggled in a lot of big clutch situations, but he's a good too. All right, I got a bunch of others, but we ran out of time.

That segment is so good. We have a lot more. I short changed it. Well, maybe we'll do it tomorrow. We got another show to do tomorrow. Yeah. Nothing like getting the segments done the day before. You know, I'm lazy enough. All right, good stuff, everybody. We will see you tomorrow.

Speak for yourself. It is coming up next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. On The Look Back at It Podcasts. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it 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 I'm 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 Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled 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.