The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 06/27/2019

Episode Date: June 27, 2019

Colin responds to Enes Kanter saying that Zion Williamson is overrated. He thinks next year LeBron James will once again be the best player in the NBA. Yahoo Sports NBA Insider Chris Haynes gives Colin the latest on where all the NBA free agents will land. Plus, Colin gets breaking news that the Lakers will now have enough cap space to sign another max player. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. 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, 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. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

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This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Thursday. This is the herd, wherever you may be, however you may be. Listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio. We're on FS1. Going forward, here we are. Our hiatus, our sabbatical is over. Joy Taylor is joining me today.

Joy, how are you? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning, good morning, good morning. Doug Gottlie, this hour. So I talked about this briefly yesterday that it's not hard to spot the next great superstar in America. And we get one about every four or five years, a Serena, a tiger, a Bryce Harper.

They don't happen very often. But about every four or five years, if you collectively combine all the sports, we get a superstar. And they're fun. and they're not difficult to find and spot. The media mostly gets that right. The next is Zion Williamson. Now, he played at Duke. He's unbelievable.

Number one picking the draft. It is remarkable, though, as I watch the media and listen to players, even people I like. A lot of pushback. He's overrated. He's not that big of a deal. People don't. Okay, time out. Listen to this.

he's already the most popular NBA draftee of all time. This is with the Pelicans, not with the Lakers, not with the Celtics, not in a major market in a football city where the football owner owns the NBA team. I mean, they had NFL people run in the organization. It was two months ago, it was a hazmat spill for the NBA. According to fanatics, Zion shattered. their record by selling more Pelicans jerseys and shirts than any drafty in history. But here's the stunner.

In the five days after the draft, people purchased more Zion shirts and jerseys than they did for the entire first round class. Excuse me? You've got to be kidding me. Folks, yesterday, Enos Cantor, Ennis Canter, one of my guys, very good NBA player, was the latest to doubt Zion Williamson on our chair, on our couch. Here's what Anna's Cantor said.

I kind of feel like he's overhyped. I feel like he's Julius Randall with hops. Some players are even scared to say it, but you know me. I'm not scared to say anything. You know, I'm outspoken. Okay, so I want to talk about Julius Randall with hops. So 18-year-old Julius Randall averaged 15 a game at Kentucky, averaged one assist a game and shot 16% from three-point land.

18-year-old Zion at Duke averaged 23, shot 68% from the field, 34% in threes, twice as many assists, and he's a better ball handler. Now, it's not the first Julius Randall comp I've heard. Both are lefties and both look like men at 16 years old. But talent announces itself, you don't have to search for it.

You kind of had to search for Julius Randall at 17 years old. At 1617, Zion was an internet sensation. At 18, he was an American sensation. And I want you to think about this. There are late bloomers all over life. There are Hall of Famers who are late bloomers in all sports. But it is almost unheard of. you got a search to find a late bloomer that becomes a legend.

Okay, Serena, Eddie Murphy and comedy. Legends. I'm not just talking funny. I'm talking legends. Almost always you can spot it early. Magic, Tiger, Serena, LeBron, Bryce Harper on the cover of SI at 16. Kurt Warner was excellent. He's not a legend.

Now people will say, Colin, Michael Jordan, cut from his high school team. overplayed, he was a McDonald's High School All-American and offered a scholarship to at the time the number one program in America, UNC. By 17, he was great. Colin, what about Tom Brady? He was offered a scholarship and played quarterback at Michigan. At the time, a top five program in America. And oh, by the way, by the year two of the NFL, he won a Super Bowl. That ain't late blooming.

What about Steph Curry? At 23 years old, he's a real late bloomer. At 23, the Warriors traded. an all-star guard for Steph. Next, Jerry average 24 a game. If those are your late bloomers, then they don't exist. Jerry West made a trade with Charlotte to get Kobe Bryant.

Kobe was 18-19. Jerry West told Shaq before Kobe played a game. You two will win multiple titles together. He is an all-time talent. Gordy Howan hockey was a 23-time All-Star. He was invited to training camp with the New York Rangers at 15.

15. 15. Derek Jeter's high school scouting report, according to Dick Grouch, April of 92, a Yankee, a five-tool player. He will be a major league star, a plus five. Okay. Zion's an easy one, folks. Talent announces itself. Julius Randall at 15 was an anonymous high school sophomore. Zion at 16 was an internet sensation. looks, pizzazz, style, strength, power. Now, this morning, Zion Williamson is not as good as Julius Randall because Julius Randall is 24 and it has taken him to 24 years of age to be a 20 point of game guy.

This morning Julius Randall is better. In one year, they'll probably be even. From that point forward, Zion will be a significantly better basketball player than Julius Randall. Don't outthink the room on Zion Williamson. This is what Tiger Williams was, Tiger Woods was at 1718. There were some doubters. I heard them. Swings too hard. This is what looks like, folks. Crazy. And I love Ennis Canter, but crazy. Zion just sold more jerseys and shirts than every other first rounder in the draft. First round combined. All right, let me shift to this. Oh, Canada.

50-50, if they're going to keep Kauai Leonard. If they don't, they'll rebuild. It's the height of the franchise. It'll never be the same. That's what I'm being told. 50-50, clippers, raptors, I have no idea. Now, Lou Williams, smart veteran guy in the NBA, once played in Toronto. He was six-man-of-the-year there.

And he was on a podcast, and he was talking about why Canada is simply different and tougher for NBA players. Once you're there, you'll love playing for the Raptors. You love playing for the country because it's the whole country. It's the whole country. Like that fourth, fifth month into the season, you're like, I want to go home. I want to go home.

When you play in Toronto, you feel like you're playing overseas. Oh, it does? It feels like it, bro. Like, we can't wait to go on the road sometimes just to be in America. You know what I'm saying? It's like a little shit you don't think of, like the channels on you. TV, phone bill, you got to get, you got to get a Canadian bank account. Like, it's like that that people don't think about.

Like, that shit is hard. And then you have kids, you're raising your kids out of, in Canada. You know what I'm saying? So once you're there, you're like, oh, this is dope. But the hard part is keeping guys there. It's very interesting. In my life as a sportscaster, you would think that all the big markets and all the rich people win.

That's the way it should work, right? Better resources, better geography, better. weather. But in my life as a sportscaster, if you are excellent at everything, you win regardless of where you're at. That's why I think Kauai stays and the Raptors who do everything well, their training staff, their GM, their scouting staff, they found Pascal Seacum. They do everything well. They coach well. They GM well. They scout well. The training staff. They market well. Folks, in theory, TCU football should not win 11 games a year. TCU, Texas Christian, small private school. They're surrounded by the University of Texas. Texas A&M. Baylor. Oklahoma's a three-hour

drive away. They win 10 to 11 games a year. There is no reason Nebraska football dominated a decade. Why? There's no players there. They're in the middle of nowhere. There's not a major airport. There's no reason Yukon became a basketball dynasty. The men won four titles in 15 years. They were the toughest team Duke had to face in the tournament. The women became a dynasty. Have you been to Stores, Connecticut? I lived in Connecticut, and I never went. It's a pasture. There was no reason it would become the best basketball school in the country for a decade

and a half. You know why I did? Two legendary willful coaches. There's no reason Gonzaga is a top five, six program in the country. It's closer to Idaho than Seattle. There's no players there. The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of the country. It is, by most accounts, a fairly boring city, would not be attractive to players.

It's a medium to small market and sort of a dying American city. It's a furnace in the summer. You might as well play inside of a microwave. And yet they have 11 World Series titles and probably the best baseball fans in America. Players love playing in St. Louis. Nebraska football, TCU football, Gonsaga basketball, Yukon basketball. There is no... Say this out loud.

The most Tony nominated musical of all time is a rapping musical about Alexander Hamilton. That makes no sense on paper. But excellence cuts through. Yes, a rapping musical about Alexander Hamilton is the most nominated musical in American Broadway history. Folks, excellence wins, regardless if you're in Boise, Beijing, Syracuse, Singapore, it doesn't matter. Kauai Leonard, great GM, great training staff, great owner, great fans, great marketing, free penthouse, free private jet, free food.

Be very, very careful about leaving a place that does virtually everything well. Because about 90% of these programs, these franchises in America have major holes and don't things well. By the way, Lou Williams, I think I get it. It's cold. The taxes are bad. And it is different living in another country. I am not denying any of that. I'm not.

I mean, David Beckham comes over, lives in the States. He's from England. You know, you talk to them. America kind of feels different than Europe. It's fine, but it always still feels like London's his home. I get it. It's different. But, man, in all my years of sportscasting,

the teams that dominate sports, and the people all overcome obstacles, but excellence always cuts through. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the I-Hard Radio app. 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. 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. 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 really really. 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reed. I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers,

why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mind. I want you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, Brett. My mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Here's a story that came out yesterday that warmed my heart. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were on Tom Brady. a picture of them. If you look at the trees, it looks like Northern California. I'm guessing here, but it looks like Northern California. That style of tree, yeah, it looks like Pebble Beach. And they're both in suits. And Tom says, spoiler alert, we were friends this whole time. Always great to see you, Peyton. And I was driving in this morning listening to talk show hosts

who didn't love this. And they were like, it kind of spoils it. And I'd rather they beat arch rivals. Folks, sports athletes, all these guys used to be rivals about 15 years ago. They were in the 30s, the 40s, the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, 2000, and in about 2000 something changed. Everybody got rich. And now they're all friends. In Michael Jordan's era, stars were fighting for their slice of the financial pie. I'll give you an example. Nike and Converse were about the only shoe companies paying NBA players. Now, let me read the list. Nike has shoe deals with the NBA. Adidas, Under Armour, Puma, Peak, New Balance, Reebok, the Jordan brand, and Onta, which is a Chinese brand for Clay Thompson. That's nine. My bad, big baller brand. Ten. Used to be a game of the week. It's now on NBA TV. Regional networks. ESPN, TNT. Everybody's getting love. Everybody's getting marketing. Everybody's getting shoe deals. There's so much money.

to go around. You're not fighting. You're not losing a game and then losing market share. And also something else has happened. Sports has never been bigger on TV because of the Hulus and the Amazon's and the Netflix. The only thing that works on linear TV now is politics and sports. That's why it's a good time to be a sportscaster and a good time to be an athlete. Because these networks now, they have to spend on leagues. It used to be wrestling wasn't considered legitimate to go on a sports network. Now they're fighting over it. it. A year ago, two years ago, we created the big three out of thin air. Ice Cube did. Now networks fight over it. The XFL spring football, networks, the two top ones. ESPN Fox have a joint venture.

So these athletes now, this is the future. They're all friends. They have about six different agents. They're all making money on shoes. Now, we've always known Magic and Bird were close. Federer and Nadal are incredibly respectful. But I think a lot of it started, to be honest with you, it feels like to me a lot of it started with LeBron and Kevin Durant about nine, ten years ago, when it was like, these guys train together. Everybody is so wealthy now.

You know what it really is? It's a swapping jersey culture. Soccer was way ahead of everybody. You play the game, you swap jerseys. That's what you do now. There is no fighting as the two teams converge. to go into the locker room after the game. It's over.

This is not, it's, it's not the zero-sum game. If I win, you don't necessarily lose anymore. I win and you win. They're all winning. All pro athletes are winning today. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Sham Sharanya, who we've had on the show, says Campbell Walker and Charlotte aren't close.

Charlotte doesn't want to pay him. And the Boston Celtics, according to Woe, have emerged as a leader. This one works for me. Listen, not all NBA stars are great teammates. A lot of them are just great talents. Steph Marbury is not Steph Curry. A lot of times guys are just talented.

And the problem with a point guard, a good wing, a good center, a good forward almost makes everybody better. But a good point guard's different because they have the ball. And we have a different culture in America. It used to be a great 17-year-old basketball player in America. This is the way it was for most of my life. He had a high school coach bark at him. And then he went to college and stayed for four years and had a college coach bark at him.

And then he came into the NBA and he didn't make any money until about year seven. Our culture has culture's changed. Now at 16 years old, he has AAU coaches begging him to play for him. He has recruited at 15, 16, 17. Then he goes to college where they're begging him to play. play for one year. Just come to Kentucky for one year. We love you. We'll do anything. And he goes to the NBA and he's rich. He's rich at 19 years old. There's nothing wrong with this. Same things happen in Silicon Valley. We've got 20-year-old billionaires. I got no problem with it. But it has changed

the dynamic of the coach-player relationship for not all, but some. Players are a little more entitled. They're a little more gassed up. Now, Zion handles it well. I think most players handle it well. But Kauai Leonard, Greg Popovich, never had a problem with any star. He didn't work with Kauai. Brad Carlisle, Rick Carlisle gets along with everybody. He didn't get along with Rondo. David Blatt and Spolstra struggle with LeBron. Scott Brooks struggle with Westbrook. Brad Stevens struggled with Kyrie. 90% of athletes, it doesn't change things. They love basketball. They like to be coach. Most players, I think, in all sports, like to be coach. But we have a different culture today. The culture in America for basketball is very, very, very, very.

very much about loving the player, worshipping the player, giving the player, find the talent, get him paid. It doesn't work that way in baseball, hockey, soccer, basketball. There's a developmental process. That's all gone now. Players go to college one year out. College is valuable. So Kyrie's a one in Dunner.

Kyrie comes into the league. AAU coach begs him. A college coach begs him. He gets rich immediately. And some of these guys are a little tougher to coach. And by the way, there's nothing. wrong with that. I mean, not every NFL guy or baseball guy is easy to coach. I think Kemble Walker is more of an old school player will fit Brad Stevens better than Kyrie Irving.

So I think this actually works. Kemble Walker works. By the way, Nick Nurse worked much better with Kauai than Greg Popovich did. Greg Popovich is old school. Greg Popovich is a legend. And Kauai's like, dude, little much for me. Back off. Nick Nurse coached in the G League forever. I mean, he's like, it's like a camp counselor. Everybody loves Nick Nurse. He didn't bring in the ego, the vanity, the daunting legacy. And Kauai liked that. So it's just a different world we live in.

And I do think Kyrie's talented and it'll probably be better off going, playing with a star, regardless of a coach in Brooklyn. But I don't think it worked in Boston. It doesn't mean Brad Stevens can't coach. It doesn't mean Rick Carlisle can't coach. It doesn't. It's just the world. It's just the way basketball and the culture for American to be.

domestic basketball has changed. Kyrie will be happier elsewhere. And I think the Celtics will, remember last year, they were 12 and 3 when Kyrie didn't play. Now that goes counterintuitive to what we think basketball is. Like if your point guard's great, you should win more. He sat, they won more. It was just the numbers.

So this is a situation where not every great player who has the ball in his hand is a great fit with the team, the players, the coach, the city, the system. Kyrie will make a lot of money go and do great. and Campbell Walker, finally, America, will be reintroduced to Kimball Walker, who's a really good player and a really good kid and pretty low maintenance and had a college coach who barked at him and now we'll have an NBA coach who has a system and I think they'll fit perfectly. I saw this yesterday.

People get freaked out about this stuff. LeBron was in a pair of shorts and he's a professional athlete so he would be in good shape. but there was this picture that came out and, you know, Laker fans are freaking out. Look at LeBron James. He's in great shape. A guy, look at him right there. Oh, my God. LeBron is amazing.

It's unbelievable. I can't. We're not wait for the season. I will say this about LeBron. I felt he had a very bad year. But I was sitting around this morning and it's going to be a very interesting season next year. Now, think about this. Think about the players who have either regressed, are not as good as we thought, have injury issues and won't play.

Kevin Durant next year. will not play. Clay Thompson, most of the regular season, will not play. Russell Westbrook's own team now acknowledging he's their second best player. Chris Paul's injury has taken him out of a top 15 list. I think it's fair to say Ben Simmons has regressed. So as much negativity as LeBron faced this year and he stopped following me on my social media because I badgered him all year because I said it's a bad year for office. It was a bad year on the court. There was too many businesses.

You were too distracted. I was thinking this morning, who are the 10 best players next year on the NBA? You know who I have? Number one? Number one's LeBron James. Now, I know you all love Kauai, but he's a better ball handler than Kauai. He's a bigger athlete than Kauai. He'll be more rested than Kauai.

He's a better passer than Kauai. LeBron's the best player in the league. I think Kauai is the second best player in the league. And he's a very good second best player, but he's going to take 20, games off. LeBron's rested. He won't take 20, 25 games off. I think Janice is the third best player in the league, and probably along where Rudy Gobert, the best defensive player in the league. I think Steph Curry, I know everybody's selling him because he struggled some in the finals. Steph Curry's an absolutely impactful player and has changed the way we play basketball's

four. I think James Hardin and Anthony Davis go five and six. Hardin controls the ball, so I give him a nudge over Anthony Davis. I think Damien Lillard seven had a great postseason. Joe L. L.M. beat his eight, although I worry about his injury concerns. I think the Joker in Denver, who finally America figured out is a fascinating player, acknowledge he's got an odd NBA body, but he's a great player, and I think Paul George is 10. And so those are the beat to the 10 best players in the NBA. I think LeBron's number one again. And I know everybody's in on Kauai Leonard, but Kauai is very comfortable now. If he stays in Toronto, taking 22 games off, he's not the ball handler of LeBron, he's not the rebounder of LeBron, he's not the passer of LeBron. He's not the passer of

LeBron. Frankly, I don't think he has LeBron's leadership qualities. And also, LeBron's going to have Anthony Davis right next to him. So that's going to help LeBron because there's going to be some double teams on Anthony Davis in the low post. So in the end, it's been a choppy year for LeBron. But if you're honest about it, he's probably the best player in the league with KD out, clay out, Chris Paul's injury, Westbrook's been sort of unveiled. I mean, Ben Simmons regressed. It's kind of where we're, and I didn't put Kyrie in the top 10 because, as I said, I think he's a great individual talent, but I think he's difficult. I think Kyrie is the current NBA star that I'm much lower on than everybody else in the league. It's just a little flaky for my taste.

It's just certain guys work for me. Certain guys don't. Kyri, I'm sort of out on. Maybe he'll reel me back in. I'm kind of out on him. Much like, by the way, I was out on Westbrook, much earlier than people, out on John Wall, much earlier than people. I'm kind of out on Kyrie Irving. But LeBron's still the best player in the NBA.

There you go. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Hurd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Chris Haynes, FS1 NBA analyst, Yahoo Sports Senior NBA Insider. So I'm looking on the internet yesterday. My wife's gone for the weekend. So it's a lot of me and watching whatever I want and internet stuff and naps.

and that Kevin Durant's got his arm around, Charles Oakley, but everybody's telling me that Kevin Durant still hasn't made up his mind. And I thought about this, Chris. LeBron struggled with every move. Okay, I remember Maverick Carter and those guys saying, three days out, he did not know he was going to Miami. It shocked us when he went back to Cleveland.

I think we as consumers and media think these guys have all this stuff figured out. My feeling on Kevin Durant is this is hard. He's a good listener. Do you think he's got it figured out? I do. In this situation, I do. That doesn't mean it's not hard. Remember when he signed with Golden State Warriors,

then it came out later on that he was kind of upset at one point, asking his manager, why did you let me do this? Why did I do this? But I think, look, this connection with New York, I'm talking about the Knicks, we've been known about this for a while. And the way things happened, the way things ended abruptly for KD in Golden State this last year, it couldn't have came at a, it couldn't come at a worse time for Golden State with hopes of retaining him. That's why I think, you know, he's going to meet with some teams out there, the Knicks included.

I just don't, I just don't feel good. If I'm a Warriors fan, I just don't feel good. He's selling his Malibu House, so he is moving off his West Coast real estate. Now, there are varying reports, Chris. It could be Kyrie Irving and Nets, the second most popular team, or it would be the Nix. You're saying it's Nix. I think it would be more so the Nix than Brooklyn.

But obviously, I think he's definitely looking into it because Kyrie looked like that's a foregone conclusion with Kyrie ending up in Brooklyn. So it's something he's going to listen to, but I ultimately think the Nix have the upper hand. Okay, so that's where we stand on that. Let's go to Kauai Leonard

And at this point Kawhi Leonard's been the one player I don't know that anybody truthfully knows it He's a very quiet, reticent guy Do you have a gut feeling on Kauai Leonard today? I think look I think he's going to meet with a handful of teams

I reported that And you know I spoke with Uncle Go ahead No you reported What teams did you report? I reported the teams I reported a handful We have an idea

what the teams are going to be. But it's going to be a handful of teams. I spoke with his uncle, Uncle Dennis Robertson, right before the finals started. He was telling me about just the trust that was built in Toronto, with the medical staff, with the front office, and how they didn't initially going over to Toronto. They didn't want to do it.

They had no desire to be there. Obviously, things have changed. Trust was built, something that eroded when he was in San Antonio the past year. So I think, man, Toronto has a great shot of retaining him. But, you know, he's going to listen to other teams, you know, particularly the L.A. Clippers. We all know they've been going after them all year behind the scenes. So I think it's going to be tough. But ultimately, I like where Toronto is at right now.

Explain to me, I hear the J.R. Smith stuff to the Lakers. So A.D. and LeBroner in, Kyle Kuzma, who I thought they needed to keep his in. I hear a lot of DeAngelo Russell stuff. Is that just internet stuff or do you buy DeAngelo? Because I think Minnesota is desperate. Here's my theory on DeAngelo. Minnesota's got Carl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and have been really disappointing. The fans are getting tired of it.

The owner's getting tired of it. And the GM's going to go all in on DeAngelo. Now I got three All-Star Level guys. I think you can't keep selling me Andrew Wiggins and Carl Anthony Town and not making the playoffs and the West is stacked. I think they backed the truck up for DeAngelo. And frankly, I think they're a plighting. playoff team. I don't think the Lakers can pay everything. Because DeAngelo Russell, to me, I mean, if you got to AD, LeBron, DeAngelo, and

Kuzma, that's a bunch of good players. That should be favorites in the West. So he's kind of a linchpin to me. Where do you think he goes? Minnesota's a good spot. Look, the Lakers, there is interest in him returning to the Lakers. You know, that part is true. That is true. I would expect him to meet what the Lakers doing, free agency. You look at the fit. I know people are a little bit concerned about the fit,

but you look, DeAngel, he's matured since he left L.A. He's a bona fide all-star now in his right. And he's somebody who can play on the ball or off the ball. He can. That's a very good point. He can be a two-guard. And that's very beneficial of playing alongside LeBron James. And so, you know, obviously it's not the marquee free agent that, you know,

the Kevin Durant, Kauai, Jimmy Butler. Yeah, but you already got one. You already landed one. I agree. I agree. And that's why I think it makes all the sense in the world if they were to make that work. But going to the Minnesota, I don't know how much better they would be in Minnesota. Because I still have my bones to pick with Andrew Wiggins. I just don't know. I don't know about that kid.

But it definitely, point guard, spot for Minnesota, that would feel that void immensely. By the way, Zion Williamson sold more jerseys and T-shirts than the entire first round combined. when you talk to people through the league, I think he feels like Tiger Woods when he was winning juniors. I think he's going to be a star. Now, I don't think he's going to be an all-star level player out of the shoot. I think he's going to have to figure it out. They're a very young team.

There's a bunch of new parts there. So I think the Pelicans will be interesting post-trading deadline good in February, March. I think he's going to walk into this league and be a star, though. What are you hearing from your people? What are they saying about Zion? Well, I think he's going to be a star from the get-go. But I think he's going to be a star just for the status that he has right now. Not necessarily star player.

But with that being said, Kyle, I remember when I, you know, my first season covering the league full-time was the 11-12 season. And there were two teams that when you go to their games, the fan base or the butts in the seats were just abysmal. The Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans. Yeah. And it was still that way, considering the fact that they had Anthony Davis, who's regarded as a top five player. It's a football city. Yeah, it's a football city.

But I think that's all going to change with Zion being there. You know, the buzz, the hype that's around him, and he's embracing the city. You know, he's going out there doing community events already. Hasn't even signed his New Orleans Pelicans contract yet. But he's out there. You could tell he's going to embrace this. And I think they're going to be, that tennis is going to skyrocket for New Orleans. And it's good for them because they've been.

suffering for a while. But no, I think he's going to be a start in that regard in season one. I don't think he's going to be a bus. I just don't know the extent of the start of him he's going to be as a player in the league. But I think he's going to be fine. So we've got all this, you know, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, say Boston not interested. And there is sort of a feeling a lot of players, especially Rich Paul guys, don't love, don't love Boston. Now we hear the Kimball Walker stuff. I think he actually is a good fit. I don't like players. taking pay cuts, but Charlotte's not going to offer them a max. So the pay disparity is not as huge as a lot of the reports.

What do you hear about the Celtics now? Because they got money, and Horford and Kyrie are gone. So, and being able to get Kimba, and, you know, there's a lot of people who feel like that's a done deal with Kimba going to Boston, four years, $140, $41 million. He's going to get that regardless if he goes to Boston, New York. Dallas, but like Boston has the upper hand for sure. But with that being said, what it does is it keeps

them in that hunt right now. Their championship continued to hunt. Yeah, and the east it does. And the east it does. And then look, you look at all that they would have lost would be Al Horford. And so there, you know, I reported, you got, you had them on yesterday, Ennis Canter. Yeah. I reported that, you know, Boston is looking at Ennis Canter. Boston, Los Angeles

Lakers. Oh, he'll give you 17 points. And Ns gives you 17 points a night. And what, and what Kimba does in why he's not better than Kyrie, but he may be a better fit. That's everything. Yeah, for Boston. And so it makes all this sense in the world. They can get this done. They hit a home run, considering they're going to lose their top two players this offseason. Yeah, Kemba's a really good player. Kemba, and I was telling Joy this earlier,

Kemba's got a bigger brand for college basketball for me. I remember the Madison School Garden stuff before than I've watched them play. I don't see Charlotte play much. I'll be honest with you. I just don't. It's not because I'm just on the West Coast, but they've never been a team that I set, my TV schedule for. There's about eight teams I watch regularly. They're not one of them, and he's a terrific score. And what Charlotte did, they kind of messed up the situation. We knew for a while that it was

a good chance that Kimball Walker was going to get one to three all-NBA team spots. And so you knew you were going to have to, he was going to be eligible for his Supermax. Why did they not try to trade him at the deadline to try to get something for him? Now he's going to walk for free. And they'll get nothing.

They'll get nothing in return. And for a Charlotte Hornet franchise who, over paid for a lot of players they have on their roster waiting for those contracts to expire, you need some more assets coming in. So they messed that up. Jimmy Butler, where's he land? I think Jimmy

ultimately lands back with the Philadelphia 70s. Yeah, so do I. I think it works actually for it. It does work. I mean, he was a key piece for them in the playoffs. We were saying this yesterday, is that because Ben Simmons is not a shooter and he's more of a passer, that Ben Simmons doesn't really

get in the way of Jimmy Butler's game. in that Butler gets the ball at the end of the shot clock and at the end of possessions. And Jimmy likes that. Simmons is one of those rare NBA players who has the ball in his hands but really does want to accentuate your game. And I think Butler in a weird way, he and Simmons kind of oddly fit. They do. You know, I'll say this. I think the only way that Jimmy interferes with Ben Simmons' game is down the stretch.

And you've seen like in the fourth quarters, Jimmy started bringing a ball up. He was playing point. and it worked to the Sixers' benefit because he's somebody who can catch and shoot from the outside. And that's what you need down to playoffs at that point. So that's the only time where Ben Simmons has to try to play a game. He's not that accustomed to doing. All right, Chris Haynes, good seeing you, FS1 NBA analyst, Yahoo Sports Senior NBA Cider, and his phone is ringing for the next week.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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 Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 loss. 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 Hardway and listen now. What's up, fam? Miss Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us

on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah,

you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the, I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, 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 42.

Hey, ref, 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. The breaking news is Anthony Davis has waived his $4 million trade kicker. And the Lakers are trading several young players to the Washington Wizard. So they now have $32 million in cap space. This is a real story.

We've got breaking news. So the Lakers who have been, I mean, there's no arguing, even if you're a Laker fan. They've been kind of a mess. They draft the Angela Russell. They get him out of town. They put magic in. He quits on television. He doesn't tell his bosses.

They move up Rob Polinka. Their flow chart, we don't know who really runs the organization. It's been kind of mayhem man overboard. But I say this all the time is when you have a big brand. And there's maybe 15. in American sports, Duke basketball, Notre Dame football, Ohio State football, Lakers, Celtics, Yankees. There's just not many of them. Dallas Cowboys are obviously Steelers, Packers. These are just ingrained brands, right? Like they're just bigger brands. They go down.

Packers had 20 years. Steelers in between Super Bowls. Alabama football, Ohio State football. Like they all dip. There's no question. They all dip. Lakers have been a mass for five years. I think they have the second worst record or worst record in the NBA for five years. But in a star-driven league, and there's two sports in the world that are really star-driven. Soccer and the NBA. Those are global sports where Real Madrid can go into the tank for seven years. If they get a Rinaldo, then suddenly they're the hottest brand in America.

The power of memory, the power of us growing up with certain brands, Oregon football, will never be as big as Michigan football as long as they both have the big coach. It doesn't matter. Michigan was so relevant in the 50s, 60, 70s, 80s, 90s, you can't catch up. And you just got to remember with the Lakers. Between the Lakers and Celtics,

you got like 35 titles since 1950. These are the two brands of note. Now, L.A. was always sunnier than Boston, but the culture's changed. NBA players now are doing movies. They don't have to be great. You've got average guys doing movies. So the culture has benefited entertainment towns.

And L.A. is the number one entertainment town. Boston's not. And this shows you the power of sunny weather. It shows you the power of LeBron James. Don't kid yourself. LeBron's got a lot of power. It shows you the ability of LeBron to make a movie, maybe give you a little kicker here, a little kicker there. You know, people will say it's shady. I just think it's good business.

I just think this is what it's recruiting. This is what you do. By the way, in college basketball recruiting right now, And I'm not taking a shot at anybody, but a real trend is all these high school stars that go to universities, they all end up their parents move to Durham, North Carolina. They're moving to the, and I'm not picking on Duke. I'm just saying it's a real trend. Am I saying it's shady? No, but I'm saying it's like a trend where high school stars end up going to universities and the parents move to the town.

Now, it may just be for support, but it's like a trend. All of this is business. These are all businesses. It's just things change. AAU basketball. We have an idea that there's some level of purity to it because it's sport and competition, but it's a business at the end of the day. It's the entertainment business.

Yeah, this is a massive story. So now the Lakers have cap space. There's four players, I believe they want. I think Kauai is who they want more than anybody. I don't think they're a leader in the clubhouse for Kauai. I think the Clippers and the Raptors are. That's who they choose first. My next guess is they would choose Kyrie Irving next if they had a choice.

It wouldn't be my second choice. I think it would be LeBron's because of familiarity, and he is a pure shooter. I don't think they're going to get Kyrie Irving. I think their third choice would be Jimmy Butler because he's athletic. And again, spot-up shooter. I think DiAngelo is, Gianjillo is probably if you ask them their fourth choice, he's younger. I don't really see him as a max player. You gas him up with all that money.

He had some immaturity problems. I do think he's a pretty good fit. I don't think he's nearly as good as Kauai. I don't think he's as good offensive player as Kyrie. I think he's the fourth most talented guy. So my guess is the Lakers, DeAngelo would be their fourth choice in terms of if we got to pay somebody 32, Kawhi's your one. DeAngelo is your four.

but I think DeAngelo's the one that they would be the leader in the clubhouse. And I also think DeAngelo Russell, he liked L.A. He didn't like being traded. He liked L.A. He was a one in Dunner, came to Los Angeles, kind of a hangout guy, a little bit too much of one, but I think he liked Los Angeles. So, yeah, it's fascinating, right?

It's crazy. And we kind of knew what was happening because Sunday's the day, so I kept saying, watch Friday and Saturday, the rumors start to ramp up. Here we got one today. It does concern me, though. Like you're talking about getting DeAngelo Russell and Kyrie. What does that do to Anthony Davis's game? Like, we've seen this.

Well, remember, LeBron won titles with Bosch and Kevin Love as their games were marginalized. I mean, the end game is winning titles. Right. He won those titles, but what were the other pieces that were around him when he won those titles? Let me ask you this. if you have LeBron A.D. and DeAngelo Russell, I don't think that's quite as talented as LeBron Bosch and D. Wade. Because LeBron was in his prime and he's not in his prime. Right.

But is LeBron, I think LeBron, Anthony Davis, and DeAngelo Russell and Coosma is more talented than LeBron, Kevin, Love, Kyrie Irving, and Tristan Thompson. Yes. I just think that there's a, I think they need some other very. key X-Factor pieces. They need a JJ Reddick, a Darren Collison. They need those extra pieces. They definitely need, listen, I, they wanted to keep Josh Hart. You know, they knew they were going to have to give

up Lonzo. And we told LeVar Baldess on the set, your son's going to get traded. They, I knew, I was told that the Pelicans wanted Lonzo and one of the two forwards. The Lakers thought Kuzma had greater leadership skills and was a healthier body than

Ingram. The Lakers were really ideally would give up Lonzo and get LaVar circus out of town. All right, here's another one. This isn't shock me. Kawhi Leonard plans to meet with both the Lakers and Clippers during free agency. That doesn't shock me. I think

he would, if he's in Los Angeles, he would meet with the Lakers. Sure, especially now they have the space. That's kind of out of respect to LeBron. You'd meet. You'd meet the Lakers. I'll tell you, though, this is God, the poor Clippers. God, the poor. But who knows? There's a lot of things

it can still happen. Jerry West will officially retire. He'll just, I'm done with it if Kauai signs with the Lakers. Let's not count the, let's not to count the clippers out yet. What if they just get Al Hortford? God, that would hurt. That would be a kick to the solar plexus. So Kauai, according to Chris Haynes, going to meet the Lakers. The rest of the league is so pissed. They all hate the Lakers. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, in 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices 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 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert 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, 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 of 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's he at? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clipper Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed.

You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis. coming to he's like you know I love you dog you know it's all love this was just playoffs this was just basketball so listen to point game on the iHeart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts this is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human