The Herd with Colin Cowherd - All Ball - NBA Bubble Expectations; 'Decision' at 10, Top 2021 HS Prospects with Rivals Analyst Eric Bossi

Episode Date: July 11, 2020

In this episode, Doug discusses expectations for the NBA bubble, and the impact of 'The Decision' on its 10th anniversary, and top 2021 top recruits with Rivals analyst Eric Bossi. Make sure you download, rate and subscribe here to get the latest All Ball Podcasts! 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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 podcast. 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. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all?

You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Remember all those big dreams used to have and then life made other plans? With a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, it's time to bring those dreams back.

Start your own business or commit to van life with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. Now, you could win the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter mode for. by four that we have enter the Dan Patrick Show Ultimate Camping Rigs sweepstakes. To enter, get official rules. Visit Danpatrick.com or Fox SportsRadio.com. Have to do it by February 2nd

for your chance to win. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800

flowers.com. Right now, Get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Hey, welcome in. This is the all-new all-ball. Doug Gottlieb here. And just a reminder, you can listen to the Daily Radio Show, 3 to 6 Eastern, 12-3 Pacific.

You can also listen to it in the IHeart Radio app, or likely wherever you had downloaded this podcast, you can download that daily podcast. Hope you're great. And we are creeping into a time in which we're going to have basketball. I guess we have had basketball with TBT with the basketball tournament on TV. Good chance to talk a little bit about that in a second. But like NBA basketball is a couple weeks away. And it's going to be fascinating because as much as we like to act like no one's been doing anything. I think the reality is lots of guys have been doing something. Now, look, I have heard several players say,

well, I hadn't touched a ball for a couple months. I find that to be bullshit, frankly. It doesn't mean that you're doing full workouts the entire time, but the I haven't touched the ball in three months. Come on. And maybe you haven't, but that's negligence. Well, there was just no gyms open. try that one with your coach.

We're going to be reasonable about health and injuries and all that of stuff. But in the real world of sports, I don't buy for a second that guys didn't touch a basketball or that guy couldn't find a gym. Everybody has, if you're an NBA player, I guarantee there is a basketball gym which you could get some shots up. Could you be in your regular routine? Of course not. That's reasonable.

but this idea, and I'm not talking about you had a Mike Conley set up, or he had a full gym at your house. Every one of those guys, if they wanted to, if they wanted to, was working on their game or working on their body. All right, let's welcome him in. I want to talk some hoops. I got some different thoughts. Eric Bossy, who's a lead basketball analyst for rivals,

good friend of the program, the radio program, and he has been on the pod before. He's awesome. Let's get after it. Let's welcome him in. he's Eric Bossy. He's a friend of the pod, and I think he does a great job. And Eric, I really appreciate you taking some time with this. What are your expectations for basketball in the bubble?

Like when I say hadn't played for a couple months, they're going to have a short training camp. They start games in a couple weeks. What are your expectations for what hoop looks like? I think it's going to be hopefully a little bit higher level than most people are expecting, just because I feel like there's a lot of these guys who are ready to get out there to compete. But even if it's not up to the standards that we would be expecting,

normally we're watching basketball in the summer because normally, you know, June or July basketball is the NBA finals, right? When it's at its highest level. Sorry, I got a long meter going by. So we know that it's not going to be perfect, but I don't think it's going to be terrible. And frankly, I really don't care.

I'm just so excited to get to see a basketball. basketball, and I don't know, I'm kind of a nerd. I keep seeing these random names like the Michael Beasley's of the world popping up and getting another shot at things. I'm kind of interested to see these guys, and see, maybe can these guys who are fighting for their professional lives inject a little bit of life into things? Yeah, I mean, look, I think they're going to get buckets. I think whether it's Beasley, if he gets minutes or is Jamal Crawford, I don't think those type of guys generally win games. But yes, I'm with you. It feels like it, for the

those got like an advanced veteran sort of summer league where you're going to match up those type of guys with some there'll be some G league guys playing who are hungry, right? Hungry, hungry to play. And that part of it is, I didn't even think of that, that part of it should make it fun.

Yeah, it's just obviously that's not who you're tuning in for. Like I'm tuning in to see who's going to win a championship, you know, how's LeBron going to look after all these things, like any normal basketball fan. But also, you know,

as someone who lives and breathes basketball basketball basketball, basketball, all these different sub-stories, they're really interesting to me. They're interesting to me as well. I guess my thought is the games before the playoffs, especially the teams that are established, my guess would be they cycle through everybody, they work on stuff, they let everybody plays like, right? Like if you got a uniform and some socks and some shoes, you're getting in, I think that part will be interesting, you know, for like the Lakers and the Bucks and the Clippers. My

expectations are for them to tinker with some lineups, play some depth, you know, try some different things as well. And it'll be like an advanced preseason, which I really like. And then you have all those kind of, then you have the teams that are not playoff teams. And that's, you know, like the Washington Wizards and how they play will be interesting. And then you have the Nets who all their best players decided to not show up. I want to when you see some of these dudes complaining about food and accommodations,

what do you think? On one hand, I kind of get it because they're rich, right? And I think any rich person, or a lot of rich people, or a lot of people with means in that situation who are used to

a certain level of service, there's going to be some grass. And we like to all say that we wouldn't, but, you know, I mean, I'm far from rich. And as I've gone through the years, I've been known to complain a time or two about a hotel that a lot of people would be very happy to stay in. But I think right now a lot of it is kind of tongue in cheek and just kind of a woes me. But I really don't think it's that big of an issue. And, you know, there's lots of things for me to get upset about in my life. NBA players

complaining about their food at Disney just isn't high on my list of things to worry about. No, I don't, but I also think that it's, here's the part that I was thinking of, where on one level, we're starting to realize, or maybe the guys are starting to realize that they do have power behind their voice, right? Like, look, you're respected guys because in your chosen craft, you've made it. And many of these guys, as you've known, following them through the recruiting circuit, like, they're actually very, very bright guys who would be successful. in whatever field they've chosen. They're just bodies and skills and early development was basketball. And so they've used that

and it's built their platform. You're like, wow, you know, there's a lot of the rest of America who has come to figure out that these guys are actually super, super bright, active citizens in the United States. The juxtaposition of that with the bitching about food

and a decent hotel room, you know, where America goes to vacation with their kids, I just think it's a little bit of a dice thing because the old picture is worth a thousand words. Like video with commentary is worth even more words than that. And I just think you have to be very, look, you don't have to kiss everybody's ass and tell them how great Disney world is

and how amazing it is and when you're showing a regular hotel room. But I just think there's a limit and you've got to be smart with your use of social media. If you're going to use social media just to have fun and to clown around with what's going on in quarantine, cool. But if you use it for that and then you want to, you know, You want social change. I think that can be really hard for most people's brains. Like, mine are your brain.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending. Opinions are flying. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise.

Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, The stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsClyce brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay.

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 was 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 And 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 podcast Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, 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. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I think a lot of people, we understand there's a difference there. I don't know if that's how most people take, can make the switch in the social media. Oh, now you're serious about demanding social change. Five minutes ago you're complaining about the fact that you got a sandwich in some sort of plastic container.

Yeah, I think that's a really fair point, Doug. You know, I think what you're getting to is could some of the message they're some of the greater, broader, more important societal messages are looking to be made. Can some people look at them and go, well, I can't take this guy seriously. He's griping about how his chicken looks is staying in the swan in Disney, right? I get that, and I see that, and I see some merit in that.

But I also think that anyone who's small-minded enough to dismiss someone's position on social issues or things like that because they complain about some food, you're probably not changing their mind anyway. Yeah. That's a very smart point you made. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800flowers.com.

From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99. Or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest.

It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide through this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Think, find a forest near you, and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Eric Bossy joining us here in the All Ball podcast. Ten years ago, LeBron, it wasn't just that he chose Miami. It was the way in which he went about it. And look, you've been around for hundreds of these. I can remember the time where I put on the Notre Dame hat to choose Notre Dame, and we had a little press conference. It's like a tradition that seems to be, you know, like I remember, was it Johnny Be Good, right?

That was the, remember that movie in the, I think, 80s? Anthony Michael Hall, Johnny Be Good, where you have a big press conference, you announce where you're going to go to school. That was kind of what LeBron did, only he hired Jim Gray. They did it in Connecticut. There was some weird aspects to it. First thing, 10 years ago when that announcement came down, where were you? in a gym watching AAU basketball.

So I didn't even get to watch it on TV. Where? Gosh, I can't remember. I would imagine probably at the Peach Jam or getting ready for the Peach Jam, but I know I didn't watch it on TV. And so given the time of year, I'm going to assume I was watching summer basketball. All right. So what was, do you remember what you thought, was you just nodding,

or did you think it was weird? Like, what did you think? There was a lot of talk about it certainly. It caused a lot of things. To me, I thought it was, I didn't think it was, I thought a little bit of much to do about nothing. And when I saw the video of it, I thought back to when Kobe Bryant announced coming out of high school, because he said something very similar. He said that he was going to take his talent to the NBA.

And so I thought maybe it was kind of a nod to Kobe in it. And then all the sudden, you know, things just exploded. I guess I didn't realize that it would rub so many people the wrong way. I was just like, you know, this is a young guy making a big deal trying to do something different, and maybe it didn't go off perfectly, but, you know, I guess I'm more of a, don't get too fired up about things you can't control. And I'm sure, in retrospect, LeBron would have liked to do it differently. But I think the bigger conversation in it was what it led to,

what kind of the formation of the supercheats and stuff that are coming about. And I think that mourns more than how he did it is what really got some people going. Did, was it good for basketball? Yeah, I mean, I don't think it was, I don't think it was bad for basketball. You know, we all like to see guys compete, but, man, I kind of like seeing really good players play with other really good players. And that movement, they got going with him and Wade. and Bosch and it ushered in kind of a new era whereas you had super teams in the past but they were built from within because guys were locked in the longer contracts and free agency was so much

different and stuff like that so it was kind of a I guess the kick up kickstart and the jumping off to the NBA that we see right now and as I mentioned to you sorry if I'm rambling here I mentioned you I thought that was I thought it was a little bit of byproduct of of the summer basketball system that LeBron came up in when, you know, he was traveling to play with the team out of Oakland with Kendrick Perkins and Leon Poe and stuff like that. And I thought it was just a manifestation of the summer thing that most of those younger star NBA players who didn't spend much time in college came up through making its way to the NBA. And those guys kind of learning that, hey, you know, we got flown all around in Summerball.

Now we can kind of take control things. and kind of reshape the NBA. Yeah, the problem, the downside to it is, again, the juxtaposition with the National Football League, where player movement is not, especially with the most important position of quarterback, it rarely happens in the prime of somebody's career. Because really, they have to want to get rid of you in order for that to happen, right? Like Brady left, but Brady's 43 years old. Right.

Bradfar left, but Brett Farv had retired and come back. It was his third time he was trying to come back. Philip Rivers is like 38, 39 years old. And that's the only, whereas, you know, in the prime of his career, there's no chance he's getting out of San Diego. No chance any of these guys moved for the most part in the prime of their career. And what I think that does is between the teams, the familiarity, and even the opponents of the teams, you know every year,

when you play the Annapolis Colts, you had paid Manning. Every year when you play the Patriots, you got Tom Brady, et cetera. Like there's a, it's better for the sport. And I think the same is true with the NBA. And again, I understand the LeBron, like to me, the LeBron thing was more also. It wasn't just about playing with better players than he had in Cleveland or for better organization. But I also think it was about a kind of a coming of age.

He hadn't gotten a chance to get out of Ohio. He went to high school there. He plays professionally there. And like at some point, like, man, I got to see what the, you know, I got to see what some other part of the world is like. I got to grow up. And I think he did. And I think even losing that first NBA finals helped him grow up. And then obviously came back and made it a success story.

But I understood it. I can understand it and tell you he had every right to do it and get why playing around better players already better. But I think it one changed the trajectory of how we will always. look at him. Fair or unfair, that's just the reality of it. And secondly, I think it changed the landscape of the NBA for the worst because guys don't have

the same affinity for where they're playing and they're waiting for that moment where they can get out and they can find the guys that they've always wanted to play with and create their own dream team. Yeah, I think you've got some really fair points there, Doug, and I think also though, if we're going to hold

players to those kind of standards on things, I think ownership and general managers and people of that nature and how they treat those star players has changed quite a bit too. I don't think there's quite as much loyalty from that end of thing. And so I think that has enabled these guys and emboldened them to grab the bull by the horns and do this horn on their own, whereas like you say, you're talking about these NFL cord racks. There was never any question if those guys are going to get brought back. There was never any question if Pat Mahomes was going to get taken care of by the Kansas City Chiefs, right?

I feel in basketball maybe there's been a little bit more questions on those guys, and especially now with the way the contracts have taken off and everything and things of guys, you know, well, you know, we really want to keep Brad Beale around, but are we going to pay him this next Supermax when, you know, Beal's been nothing but the best guy, guy could be for the Wizards, what have they done to help him out? Could you blame him for wanting to jump out on his next chance? You know, so there's a lot of sides to get taken, but I think you've got a fair point,

and it's definitely, I think it's maybe a little bit of different and how the different viewers and consumers of the NBA look at things. I think the more new school Twitter NBA fans probably don't care about it, but the old school guys, the more purest and the more purest, things, like, you know, who sit around and really want a team and a guy that they can root for through his entire career in one place, they don't like it, but guys, I think now there's more fans of players versus fans of teams, and it's probably a result of guys jumping around. So it's a little bit of both.

Yeah. And I do think, though, you know, I think the AAU mentality also has changed things. I know the Oakland Soldiers thing was always interesting. it's interesting because my late father, I mean, we used to bring guys in. Ronnie Henderson stayed at my house for a summer. I mean, you've got to go back through. We used to have a guy from Roman Rupchenko

who played with Ronnie Henderson at LSU. I can think of like 30 guys who would stay at my house from out of the area. And then AAU, of course, tried to change the rule where you've got to play with guys kind of in your area. but you can get around that by saying you're going to prep school or whatever. Like there's there was always loopholes. But it's interesting because that movement combined with the bronze movement and I think some player empowerment because of social media

and I think that's why we have so much movement in college basketball, which I definitely think has hurt the sport. Again, I'm a transfer and I'm not sure. And for people don't know, like, yeah, I got in trouble, but I was thinking about transferring anyway just for a better fit and to play with better players. But I also think that so I'd be hypocritical if I didn't mention that. But I think all of this movement, it makes it hard when you turn on college basketball on TV to know who's playing for who because there's so much player movement from one year to the next. Oh, no question. It all trickles down.

And it's all part of kind of instant gratification. and, you know, there are a lot of players who, I'll look like this. If you're a school and you recruit a kid who went to three different high schools and played for four different summer teams, I've got no problem with the kid who did that. He needs to do whatever he thinks isn't his best interest, right? But if you're a school and you recruit that kid, expecting that you've got the secret soft to be the reason that he's not going to switch,

well, then I think it's kind of foolish on your first. part to expect a different result. Now, if you can make, if you can, if you can change that and you can get that kid to stay, then wow, you know, more power to you. You've done something impressive. But a lot of it is, is guys taking guys that they know they're going to transfer. Or as you know this, every spring, we get a lot of, we get a lot of kids to get reached on by schools.

And some of us in the industry, we joke around with each other. Like, there's a lot of kids where we could probably write their transfer. for a story the same day we write their commitment story just because we know either a history of jumping around or we know that a school is taking a guy just to take a guy so until we get schools not taking guys that they know they don't really have any future plans for they just want practice bodies and until we got guys going to places that they're serious about it's going to be a problem the the answers have to come from all around so you know I I I I think the NBA and some of those things like it contributes it

because you dream of playing and you watch those guys doing it. Subconsciously, you think you need to do that too. It's human nature, right? But the solution is, as you know, Doug, it's a really big conversation and it involves lots of moving part. Okay, so what you, for people don't know, Erickson, National Basketball Analyst for Rivals, you can follow them on Twitter at Boss Hoops.

You can follow them on Facebook, which is facebook.com slash eBoss hoops on Instagram at eBoss Hoops as well. He's McDonald's All-American voter. This is your time of year, right? This is July. You're supposed to be Peach Jam, Vegas, Indie at Spice, you know, maybe come in here and watch some Pangoes or some L.A. stuff or whatever. How are you able to do your job to evaluate when we, didn't have a conclusion of most high school hoops. We didn't have spring and we're not having summer.

Yeah, it's been tough, Doug, because for the most part, most state high schools associations got their seasons completed or at least to a final four or quarterfinals or something like that. So you're able to go back and review the last month and a half of the season or so because there's so much more film available, whether it be with Huddle or NFHS, or streaming services or whatever. So you can find a pretty good representation of how a player finished his soft.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife Life 12 in the TikTok podcast. 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we

don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. A rep, mom, I'm a one.

want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. More freshman, sophomore junior year of high school, because those are the guys that we're evaluating now, right?

But to go beyond that, it's tricky because with these kids, man, what they looked like in February of their sophomore year, looks a lot different than what they look like in July before their junior year of high school because there's a lot of growth and a lot of maturation going on there. And yes, there's some events out there that are being streamed. You know, like you mentioned, Pango. Dinos has run leagues in Arizona and Iowa and Utah.

There's been a lot of events in Texas, Florida, things like that. But that's really, I would guess maybe only 20, 25% of the country is really out there playing. And guys aren't playing against the same level of competition that you're used to seeing against. And we're watching things online. And some streams are great. Some streams are not great. So it's made it very tough to evaluate.

You still, I still probably spend, I don't know, a minimum of 10 to 12 hours each weekend watching live streams to try and keep up on guys and follow up on guys that people give you tips on. But you just can't substitute being in the gym. seeing guys because you get so much better feel for actual size, actual level of athleticism, speed of the game, things like that. You know, ability to decide on the fly. And then also we're only getting a quarter of the picture. And it's hard to sit there and say, okay, I feel like this guy's elevated into a top 25 player, nationally, a top 100 player, whatever, or a high major win.

You can't see them against three quarters in the rest of the country. Or even if not against them, you can't see those guys from all those other regions. So it's really tricky. And, man, I can't imagine what it's like for college coaches right now because I know what's happening. They're getting called from high school coaches, summer coaches, and they're getting told, hey, man, you got to take my word for it. This guy is good enough.

We need to offer them. And we're in this, you've got to offer environment right now in high school sports. And I think that a few things are going to happen. We're going to see some guys go too high, some guys go too low. and like you're talking about with the transfers, they're not being bad now. We're about to enter like a tsunami of transfers compared to the hurricane or whatever you want to call it of transfers.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, I think. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. Flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values. To order today, visit 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them.

You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council.

And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bag's daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler.

And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still. on the roof of the car, and there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size.

Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit nhtsa.gov. Slash the right seat. Brought to you by Nidza and the Ad Council. I'm fascinated by like three names I want to ask you about in 21. Let me start with Patrick Baldwin. He's a top five on everybody's list, maybe top ten. I don't know where you got evaluated.

For people who don't know, his dad is the head coach, UW Milwaukee. His dad also played at Northwestern, and he's a former assistant with Doug Collins. He's a great student. He's a very good player. He's 6-9. Last time we saw him, he was 200 pounds. And there's the, does he go to UWM and save his dad's job? Does he go to his dad's alma mater and kind of,

save Chris Collins job, right? Or does he go to Duke, where, of course, Chris Collins played, and it would kind of make a lot of sense. And if the other things, if the other entanglements weren't there, for somebody who hasn't seen Patrick Baldwin, Jr. play, what does he like? He's gifted. He's extremely skilled. He's, regardless of position or class, he's one of the best shooters in the country,

he can handle the ball. As you might expect from a coach's son, he's very fundamentally sound. And by the way, another fun thing about Patrick Baldwin, senior, he was in Levinworth High School where I went. He was a senior when I was a freshman in high school. So I have gone way back with those guys. But, you know, he's a new-age player. I think he's, you can play him as a stretch four.

You can play him as a big three. He's got tremendous versatility with a skill-s, set and a high IQ and the guy's a worker too. So everything that you want in a prospect. And like you said, that recruitment is just really interesting because, by the way, you've got the North Carolina's and the Kentucky's the world of want them real bad, and I'm sure the G League initiative would love to have him,

even though he's made it pretty clear he wants to go to college. I think Duke, it's probably the team to beat just because Dad sees big picture and also what's best overall for his son, but having spoken to both of them, you know, that chance of coming. to play with his dad, it's very real. It's not something to be taken lightly.

I don't think outside of that bubble people can understand how important it is for some kids to play for their fathers. They've got a chance, especially a coach's son who hasn't had a chance to spend the type of time with his father the most kids do. Okay, what about Chad Holmgren, a kid from Minnehaha Academy. He's in Minneapolis, like 7 foot 185. obviously everybody in the Midwest wants him, everybody nationally wants him, really, really, really thin, but also skilled. Is he a 21st century player big in that he can defend the rim, stretch the floor, and defend the ball screen?

Yeah, I think so. You know, I think in the NBA, it's not a perfect comparison, but you eventually hope to see him playing like a Carl Anthony Townsendez type role, you know, a big stretch five who protects the rim, but shoots the ball and isn't your typical power player around the rim that we would expect of seven-footers of York in the NBA. Yeah, he's got to get stronger, and you know this, you can't mistake being skinny for lacking toughness. And the thing that people really underrate about Chet is that dude is a competitor. Like, he'll shove his mother out of the way to get a rebound.

He doesn't care. He's going to play hard, and he's a good athlete. He's just skinny. I think he definitely projects into what people are trying to do down the road. The only thing that's going to hamper him is just how long it takes him to develop physically. Okay, last player I wanted to ask you about was Kennedy Chandler, Memphis, Tennessee, Sunrise Academy. I believe, you know, he and maybe J.D. Davidson, maybe Hunter Salas, the kid from Omaha. Like those are three of, there's the ruffin kid from Mississippi.

But, you know, in the conversation of top point guard in the class, when, if somebody hasn't seen Kennedy Chandler, what are they missing? A little bit more of a throwback point guard, I think. Yes, he can score. But I think he's more of a run-the-team kind of guy. If you're going to compare him to an NBA type point card, he's more Chris Ball than Derek Rose. in terms of style and attack.

He's going to pick his spots offensively. He's low to the ground and a lot more athletic and stronger than you realize. He likes that mid-range jumper. As he rounds out and becomes more of a consistent threat from three, he can be really dangerous, but also, you know, Chris Paul is certainly one of a kind. I'm not saying that Kennedy is going to be him, but you don't see a lot of guys Chris Paul's size doing games. damage at the highest level of the NBA, right?

He's the exception to the rule. So that's what Kennedy has to prove going on, but he's tough. He's a leader. He's a winner. He's strong-minded. And, you know, in a class that I think is pretty imperfect at the point guard, like that's probably the position group that as a whole I would have the most questions about in the class of 2021.

You know, it's no knock on Kennedy, but in a typical year, wouldn't think of him as the best point guard in the country. You know, you would certainly think of him as a top four or five point guard, but he's not typically the kind of guy you look to and go, oh, yeah, you know, that's the one. And here we get back to the summer conversation, man, it sure would have been fun to see, okay, how does a Hunter Salas come along, who I'm a big believer on after seeing him with his high school team of the winter because Omaha's not too far from me in Kansas City, you know, can a JD Davidson, who's this extreme, crazy athlete and has vision,

can he get, can he blend and be a little bit more under? control and find things. So how do we judge those guys right now? And if you're schools, how do you decide which of those are prioritized? You've just got to go with the guy that you've been rocking with all along. Yeah, it's fascinating. You mentioned Kansas City.

Is your A, is he going to Florida State? I'll be honest, I haven't heard yet on York. I've been so wrapped up in trying to keep up with these high school guys. I forget about the transfers sometimes, but there's certainly been some rumblies about that. It's a weird one, though, because you know, his old mentor was Victor Williams

who played at Oklahoma State, right? And then, you know, he's like one of the only ones not to recommit to go into Oklahoma State because I think he wants like a bigger role. Like, hey, dude, you got a chance to play with Cade Cunningham and no NCAA tournament's actually a good thing because that means every scout is rolling into every game that you have to play.

I do think that he may have to sit because of the year out. That could be good for him, but I don't think anybody thinks they're going to sit this year because they all think they're going to get you know, they're going to get to the COVID waiver. So it's a weird one to me. And, well, I would think you'll have a pretty good chance at a waiver since they're going to be eligible for the NCAA tournament.

I just have them now. No, no, you get automatic waiver. And that's the remarkable thing about them keeping all their players is they all could have left and transferred and play right away. Right. And what's interesting, Doug, and obviously you know Oklahoma State, as well as anybody else in the country, you're a little bit of an interested party there.

you know, maybe yours role wouldn't have been like the star player, but he still has a role that they don't have anyone else to fill right now, right? They've, he had a place that's going to be locked in because he's the true rim protector on the team. They don't want to have anyone else like that. It's, it's, I'm certainly surprised that. I'm sure Victor was like, what are you doing, man? But it is what it is.

These guys, you know, I think you're going off to a great story. start as a freshman, probably played better as a freshman than was expected. Sure. And then had some struggles up and down last year. And now here we go again. We're coming full circle to the discussion we were at earlier with guys will pack up a move. They don't want to fight through some adversity a little bit.

And that's not a knock on you. Or I'm not saying he's not willing to fight adversity or anything like that. But I think he's leaving what was really a good situation for him for the next two years, whether or not they could play in the NCAA tournament in 2021 or not. It was a really good setup for him. And so he's now going to be really tricky in picking where he goes because something might look good from the outside, but he's not going to know for sure until he gets there.

And especially in the environment that we've got going on with COVID with so much in the air, it's a tricky time to transfer unless you're really, really unhappy or you're really, really getting done bad by a coach. And I don't know, maybe I'm blind to this, but I don't see Mike Boynton is the kind of guy who's doing dudes dirty. He's about the sharpest guy I've come across. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves,

their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't

realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, 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. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to The Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. It's been a long time, and I think has a great future in college basketball, the kind of guy as a player, that I think I'd be pretty likely to want to be around. Well, my point, if I was, and I haven't talked to Yor, and was, and this was, could he have a bigger role at a different school? Yeah.

I'm sure he could. Now, one, I don't think he earned a bigger role, right? It wasn't like he was, two, but here's the most important thing. Like, hey, if you're, what is your goal? Like, if your goal is to go the NCAA tournament, win a national championship, like, okay, that I can understand when you're at Oklahoma State. You're not going to have Cade in two years when you'd be a senior. But I don't believe that's his goal.

I believe his goal is to play in the NBA. If you're going to play in the NBA, you're going to play as a roller and a rim protector. that's it. That's what you're going to do. Can you switch on ball screens? Can you defend the rim? And yeah, every year you kind of work further and further out of making shots, but that's not really all that important as much as what you do at the defensive end. And can you roll, catch, and finish? And I, you know, guys get caught up in the how many points, how many rebounds, what did I average,

where that's actually a role. If that's your role, you won't have to change that role at all. And the hardest thing that guys have to do is they get to the NBA. Like, hey, all that stuff you did in college, you can't do here. we need you for a specific task and they have to parry down what they were trying to do in college. Right, right. You're exactly right. You were more succinct to it. I tend to ramble sometimes, but we're on the exact same page here. Maybe you can find someplace where his role is expanded, but the role that he was going to play at Oklahoma State is the role that he's perfect for,

and it's the role that is likely going to be his future on the professional level. so he's walking away from as much experience for his future as he probably could have been getting at any school in America. Last thing. Is there any confidence that you're going to have any event to evaluate in person this summer at all? Not any like event that I'm used to going to in years past. There's going to be no peace sham or no All-American camp or Las Vegas big time or anything like that. Are there going to be something like, heck, I'm not even allowed to travel.

we're owned by Verizon, and Verizon has a travel ban for all employees. So even if there were an event until my employer gives me the okay to go ahead and go, I'm not going anywhere. Now, if there's something that I can drive to and be home that same day, like for instance in Kansas City the next couple weeks, there's a few smaller events going on where, like, Mocan Elite, when the travel teams in the country, is going to bring in 40 to 50 kids for four or five days and do like a camp.

Casey RenGMC is going to have a couple other nearby teams in and do kind of a camp, the scrimmage games, but that's the extent of what my in-person viewing experiences are going to be for the summer. Eric, great stuff, man. I love catching up and talking hopes with you because you, like me, love it. You like me, miss it. And I do think there's something cool, though, to having, like, to those of us who've grown

up watching or coaching or playing in summer games in relatively empty gyms, like, I don't think that's as big adjustment for most of these guys as people will lead you to believe, obviously for a championship NBA championship, it'll be weird. I think the hard part is going to be living in the hotel room for two or three months. Like at some point you're going to want to kill your teammates, right? Like, I just need my own personal space. You're going to miss your wife, your kids, your girl, whatever. Now they can get there.

They actually can get there, but they have to quarantine for four days. Right. It's not like it's not a typical going home. You know, you can go chill out in your basement and play some Xbox or, you know, watch the kid ride their hoverboard and the driveway and things like that. It's different. And, you know, real quick back to your original point with the playing time, yeah, what does seating matter now with this?

All the matters is getting in. And I guess seating matters a little bit in terms of matchups, but home court advantage, those crowds, those things are all out the window. And it's fitting that it's at Disney at Wide World of Sports because so many of these guys spent so many of their formative years playing in those buildings. so I think it's kind of cool to see them going back to it. Eric, great stuff. Remember, you can follow him on Twitter. We gave that out, Facebook, IG, wherever,

and still evaluating all the best hoopsters across the country. EB, thanks so much, dude. Hey, thanks for having me on, Doug. I really appreciate it. If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes.

Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk my mind. We've all felt left out. And for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about,

and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddy host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. What grows in the forest?

Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination. Our sense of wonder. And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. we reconnect with each other The forest is closer than you think Find a forest near you and start exploring

At Discovertheforest.org Brought to you by the United States Forest Service And the Ad Council Man that was awesome with Eric If it doesn't make you feel like you're ready For basketball Like just two basketball guys And I'll say this look

My issues with the bubble I mean look I haven't lived an NBA lifestyle but I've gotten to a point where sometimes I do have to check myself and my expectation for a hotel. The danger is when if you're going to use social media to be your platform for your voice for social change, you got to be careful about, you know,

clowning a relatively nice upper, upper echelon hotel room and all you can eat food service. Like I get it. You used to one, it'd be like if we're watching somebody hands you a brand new TV and says, hey, here's your TV for month. It's standard deaf. Sorry, dude, you don't get the good channels.

We have this level of expectation because of our time in the United States we're going to have high-deaf, we're going to have the best channels and suddenly you can't get it. I understand. You just got to be careful about it and how it does dilute the rest of your voice

when you handle it that way. Now that the rosters are completed in full, I do believe that if the Clippers have Lou Williams, assuming Kauai gets there and everybody's healthy, I think the clippers benefit the most because I just losing Avery Bradley really hurts the Lakers. They were playing great basketball

but they probably didn't have the best roster. Now their roster isn't as good. Yeah, J.R. Smith, who can make shots and can defend and does have obviously postseason experience. But you've taken away that momentum which will be hard to regenerate. And I also think that playing in front of nobody will be better for the younger guys

who are more of the more recent AAU generation where you just play games to play games. And you have to find ways to navigate this and manage against, manage against, you know, guys being around each other too much and eventually being at each other's stroke. Hey, hope you enjoyed the pod,

a lot more to come. Remember to download, subscribe, and rate. Listen to the Doug Gottlieb Show daily, 3 to 6 Eastern, 12 through Pacific, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, etc., etc. Follow me on IG and on Twitter at Gottlieb show. In the meantime, we're getting closer. it's going to happen. We're going to have actual real basketball on TV.

I'm Doug Gottlieb, and this is all ball. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999, or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source,

the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 acapella 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 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. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all?

You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.

Guaranteed human.