The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 11/20/2019

Episode Date: November 20, 2019

Colin explains why the Clippers are already disappointed with Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James is a major reason why. He thinks Jason Garrett might be coaching for his job against the Patriots. The College Football Playoff Committee continues to send a message about the SEC and Colin is fine with it. Plus, 2x NBA Champion and former Warriors F David West comes in studio to talk about the hidden drama of the Warriors during their dynasty and why he isn't surprised LeBron is playing so well with the Lakers. 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. 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 to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys

this is clivert taylor the fourth 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 a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRour. Radio app by searching Herd.

This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a loaded Wednesday. This in Los Angeles is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor looks like a zillion dollars today. Look at that. Thank you, Tom.

Look at Joy Taylor. sophisticated, amazing. You know, I was thinking about this. CM Punk's on the show today. Joel Platt's going to yell at me on the show today. Nick Rydell make fun of me on the show today. David West, former NBAers on the show. He looks great, by the way.

He looks like 20 pounds. Those power forwards get out of the league. He's not going to argue with you today? No, he probably won't. He's good dude. Bucky Brooks or a pack today. How are you? I'm great.

Good morning. Good morning. Let me just give you a hypothetical. So let's say you had a really, really, and I'll just speak for guys here, I had a, you had a brother. And your brother was more successful than you, but he lived in North Carolina and you lived in Texas. So you didn't have to be reminded of it every day. But what if your brother lived, you lived in Los Angeles and your brother lived right next to you? And every year he had a new car and his kids went to a private school.

And every time they went on a vacation. Oh, they're a sudden tan. They look great. And you've got to be reminded every day how much more successful. His wife's got beautiful ring on. Looks like a skating ring. She got a new ring and a new car. Kind of be, after a while, you'd be like, enough already.

I'm tired of my. We all get that LeBron and the Lakers play in the same building as Kauai and the Clippers. We all know historically the Lakers matter and the Clippers are irrelevant, right? Did you see what happened last night with LeBron? Oh, yeah, he was amazing again. He's now the best point guard in the league. The Lakers are the best team in the league, 12 and 2. Statistically, it is unbelievable.

He last night, first player with a triple double versus all 30 teams. He's all over Instagram, giving shoutouts to his mom. He's all, oh, my Lord. And the Clippers are wondering tonight, is Kauai going to play tonight? Because he's missed five of the 14 games. When your neighbors buying a new car and buying his wife a new skating rink to put in her hand and they keep putting it in your face, once again the clippers are invisible.

The Lakers brand, which has always been bigger, is winning, and their superstar is playing every night and playing his ass off. The clippers brought in Kauai. They didn't just bring him in for June. Don't get me wrong. It works in Toronto. It works in San Antonio. but this is an incredibly competitive, distracted market.

The beach, the mountains, the shopping, the Dodgers, USC, UCLA, soccer teams, two NFL teams. And LeBron shares the building. And the bronze plan every night. Remember Steve Ball? The Clippers didn't bring Kauai in just to be icing. They want some cake, too. They brought him in to get market share, to get some buzz, to get some headlines, to get talked about. Is he playing tonight?

Because, you know, you can't play on back to backs, even though he's fairly young. And LeBron's absolutely on fire. You cannot tell me there's not tension in the room in Clipperland. You can't convince me of it. By the way, when Steve Ballmer had that press conference, remember that press conference? And Steve Ballmer's a highly energized guy to begin with. Remember this? I got to say, I'm just fired up to be here today.

It's pretty cool. Some ball games this year with Paul and Kauai in our teeth. We're going to win some ball games. I got to say being number two, being number four, we're only here for one reason. We want to win it all. There's only one reason. From now on, it's all about the Larry OB. And if they don't win, let's say, you know, like LeBron gets to the finals,

the way he does when he's healthy every year, you're not winning October, November, December, January, February, March. April, May. So Lakers going to win all those months. You put all your eggs in the basket. Like for June. I don't think Steve Ballmer did that. I think Steve Balmer wanted market share. I think he wants a new arena.

I don't think he wants to be second fiddle a single day in Los Angeles. And maybe they win and it doesn't matter. And I'm just, Jerry West doesn't care today. But when your neighbors buying his wife a skating rink to put in her finger every other year, and the Lexus and the private school for the kids. And you're reminded every single day, he was always the apple of mom's eye, and he still got it.

LeBron is just kicking the clippers butt, owns the city. And listen, I get load management. Like, it works. I get it. But I think it works better in Toronto than Los Angeles. We got major market media, major distractions.

And LeBron owns this city and coal. Hawaii on most nights now isn't even playing or competing against him. I think there's tension in the clipper building. I don't think they love it. I think you can say you'll tolerate stuff. But, God, doesn't it sting a little now that LeBron is, oh wait, the best player in the league and maybe by like a yard or two? They didn't bring Kauai in here just for the icing.

They wanted a little cake. And the story tonight, nobody's sure if he's going to play and he's already missed five of 14 games. I get the load management. I do think it plays better when your neighbor isn't jamming it in your face every night and getting all the headlines.

All right, so I read a column from a Dallas writer, Tim Kalloshaw says, is the Cowboys key to upsetting the Patriots, Dak Prescott out dueling, a Tom Brady. No, that's not really what it's going to be. Let me first state this. Five of Dallas's six wins. Let me just state this are against Eli Manning benched, Case Keenham bench, Josh Rosen bench, Jeff Driscoll backup, and Daniel Jones in his seventh NFL start. Aaron Rogers ate up the Cowboys, Sam Darnold ate up the Cowboys, Kirk Cousins ate up the Cowboys, and Teddy Bridgewater

beat the Cowboys. Okay, Dallas's defense has struggled to take the ball away from bad quarterbacks, and they're not getting a ton of sacks against average offensive lines. But this game, to me, does not boil down to DAC. Dax's good. It doesn't boil down to the Cowboys offensive liner Zeke. They're good. Or the weapons, all good. Dax getting his money, should get his money. This is a referendum on Jason Garrett. Las Vegas has made the spread in this game six and a half points. that is an absurd line for a New England team that can't score and a Dallas team that may have eight of the ten best players in this game.

This is all about Jason Garrett. And if Dallas loses Sunday against the Patriots, they will be 0 and 4 against Green Bay, Minnesota, the Saints, and the Patriots. Jerry is not paying him to beat Miami and the rebuilding giants. He's paying Jason Garrett because now we know, Dax's fine. Dax better than fine. Dax probably now top 10.

Dax improving in every single statistical category. Sunday, this column, Sunday's not about Dack. It's not about that. Dax getting his money. Dact is a lot. every penny of it. Dax made Jerry a fortune. It is a complete and utter referendum on

Jason Garrett. And when Jerry Jones gets into his Gulfstream on Sunday night, three and a half hour bumpy flight at a windy, snowy, New England and he loses by 10 to a 41-year-old Tom Brady or 42-year-old with no deep threat,

no gronk, he's not going to be happy. It's going to be varying degrees of how ticked off Jerry Jones is. You know, I don't think it's a coincidence that Jerry Jones talked at length, told a story about a certain coach he bumped into years ago this week, the coach being, of course, Bill Belichick. I was skiing after our season was over, the cowboy season was over, and I was renting skis for my grandkids, and there was a line and somebody bumps up against me a few

times and I turn around and there was this guy that couldn't make of him because he had his ski stuff on and goggles and it was Bill and of course he no longer had a job he'd been with Cleveland and they'd let him go up there he said boy listen said I can coach said if you ever get an opportunity don't forget about me I thought about that many times that you never know when you can find a great coach interesting week to bring up that story and tell it on radio don't you think. Sunday is not about Dak. It's about Jason Garrett. And if they lose and maybe

by over a touchdown, Jerry's going to make a decision on that three and a half hour flight. And he may be telling another story about Belichick on the radio Monday in Dallas. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeard radio app. Search

herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist. 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost the time. mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where SportsSlice 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, context and ask the questions everybody wants answer. 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. 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. You know these kids.

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, rec, 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. The story I've told myself about love. or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find

clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So the committee comes out every Tuesday night. You know, they wait about a month, and then they come out and they come out and they,

here's who we think deserves to be in the final four. And then they always have those two teams, five and six. And we kind of pay attention to that aren't in the final four, but are about ready to get in. And it may freak some people out, but it's LSU one, Ohio State two, Clemson three, Georgia, four, Alabama five, and Oregon six. Now, Tua's not playing for Alabama, so I don't think they're going to end up in the championship. But I would tell you this, if Bama beats Auburn in two weeks, my guess is they're in. And if LSU beats Georgia, and I think they will, because I do think Bama's going to beat Auburn,

and I do think LSU is going to beat Georgia. And the committee is telling you, we want two SEC teams in. That's what they're telling you. That's why Oregon being six, not five, matters. I do think Bama, even without two, is going to beat Auburn. and I do think LSU is going to beat Georgia, although I think both games will be highly competitive, and then we'll have Ohio State, Clemson, two SEC teams.

I have never been a believer in being loyal to places I grew up. I'm not loyal to the Seahawks. If they didn't have Russell Wilson, I wouldn't like them. I'm not loyal to Oregon just because I used to work there, and I think it's an amazing place. Two things happened in college football. Oregon's scheduled tough and lost to Auburn. And if Alabama beats Auburn with their backup quarterback, Alabama is getting in.

really appreciated Oregon scheduling tough. But you got to win those games in September, and Oregon did not beat Auburn. Auburn has a freshman quarterback playing his first game. Auburn was favored, and Auburn won in a neutral field. You got to take care of business, although I do appreciate the effort scheduling Auburn, and you lost close. The second thing is the SEC is the best conference. It doesn't matter where I grew up or who I've covered for a long time.

Right now, the SEC has the number one ranked undefeated team, LSU. they have the number one rated one lost team Alabama. They have the one lost team is Georgia. They have the number one ranked two lost team, Florida. They have the number one ranked three lost team Auburn. Okay? So the SEC is the best conference. And the committee's telling you, we want two teams from that conference in.

That's what they're telling you. And they're telling you, you know, Oregon's good. But they went up against Auburn and lost. And if Alabama beats them, you have a common opponent. and if they can beat them with a backup quarterback, we're putting them in. And I don't have a problem with it. I think the SEC is the best conference.

I don't think it's necessarily close. And I do think Oregon scheduled right, but didn't finish the job against Auburn. If they win that game, they're in and nobody complains. So I don't have a problem at all where the committee is. I may have grown up out West. I do think it's bad for business to have a final four with Clemson, LSU and Alabama or Georgia in it.

It's incredibly southern. The ratings in college football, Denver West, have been going down for the last five or six years. You need to have a Western representative. I think you could certainly argue Oregon from a business standpoint would be better in than another SEC team. I think having Denver West, San Francisco, L.A., Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, engaged matters. It's going to feel very southern again. But if the South got the best college football, and I don't even think it's disputable right now, I do think Ohio State's the best team.

I think they'll be a hot knife through butter against LSU's lousy defense. But I don't have a problem this morning. I would love to say Oregon you deserve to be in, but you scheduled tough, outplayed Auburn, and lost to a freshman quarterback in his first game, and you may have the best quarterback in college football. Not just scheduling tough, you got to win that game. Oregon didn't. That's why they'll probably be on the outside looking in.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. I said it before. It's one thing if your brother is more successful than you. It's another if he lives next door to you and constantly remind you that he's more successful than you. And Kauai Leonard's not playing potentially again tonight. And LeBron James is having a ridiculous season.

Not ridiculous because it's LeBron. It's because he's in his, what, 17th year. And he appears to be, I watch him now regularly, the best point guard easily in the sport. And I do think there's some tension in the Clipper building as they were, they got Kauai, not just for June. They wanted to get a buzz, market share, relevance. LeBron has squished all of that.

He's just playing out of his gourd via the Coward Global Satellite Network, Nick Wright. By the way, I have defended load management. But I think it works a lot better in Toronto than it does in Los Angeles when LeBron sharing the arena. And I do think the Clippers are looking at LeBron thinking. their guy's on fire. Our guy can't play back to back. I could be being hyperbolic on this, but it does feel like it's a complete facial to the clippers.

Does it not? No, this is something you are getting exactly right. Unlike the, if I need one stop, Kauai, if I need one bucket, Kauai. That is, of course, if it's every other Tuesday what he's playing. You are now back to reality, which is the Lakers have the best defensive player in the league, Anthony Davis. They have the best player in the league, LeBron James, who win a nice trick in year 17

all just become a rich man's jason kid and be the best point guard in basketball and average 11 ciss a game because I've never done that before, so that'll be fun. And yeah, of course, the clippers are anxious. And I think your analogy is spot on about your better and more successful brother. This is why I had to move out of L.A. to New York to get away from you, couldn't stare at you every damn day. I the, and the most important part is, and I hear everyone say it, and all my friends in the analytics community, I get it well, as long as they win in June, it won't matter. Because of what they're doing, they might not get to June.

I will say it again, Lakers, clippers, Clippers, Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz. Those are five excellent teams. one of them goes home after round one. Three of them go home after round two. Because of the load management, the seating the clippers are staring at could be against, oh, I don't know, the Denver Nuggets in round one. Or maybe you beat the Nuggets in round one,

and now you're in Houston for round two. And so it is an enormous bet. And one last point on this. You said it worked in Toronto. Toronto was the one seed, the year before Kauai got there. They went 17 and 5 without him. They this year are not thriving,

but more than surviving without Kauai Leonard. That is not the team he has with the Clippers, and the Eastern Conference playoff picture is not the playoff picture they have out west. It's an enormous gamble. It would be in any city in the Western Conference, even more so when LeBron James is reminding the entire world, as has been the case every healthy year since year three.

he's the best player in basketball and it's not even close. Let me shift to this. Carmelo Anthony came back last night. There's three or four NBA players I never bought into. Blake Griffin, Derek Rose, you know, Carmelo Anthony.

I, you know, I'm not denying Hall of Fame level talent. Carmelo will get Hall of Fame votes. He'll get in. That's not an issue. But he was terrible last night, big shocker. Here's the other thing, though. LeBron James rushes to Twitter last night.

Oh, it's so great to have you. should be noted, LeBron last four or five years could have gotten Carmelo on any of his teams. You know, like LeBron, he's got a bunch of guys last year that couldn't shoot in headcases. He couldn't get Carmelo on his team last year. I could call Nick Wright the greatest. Wait, time, I could call you the greatest friend. Hold on. You're arguing? I'm arguing that LeBron went phony on Twitter.

Oh, if I kept saying, you know, Nick, you are the best. I love Nick Wright. And we had a bunch of openings on FS1, and it was all the guys you compete against. I mean, this Carmelo thing is nonsense, right? Okay. Colin, you will be my brother forever and our, us, you becoming someone that I looked up to from afar to now becoming one of my closest friends is one of the greatest things ever happened to me. You don't know. Understand this.

If you are ever washed and I am still in my prime, I ain't inviting you on my TV show. I don't know if that day will come, but it won't be about our friendship. And so, listen, Mello gets Mello, 14 straight years, 20 or more points per game. First 14 years start his career. The people who have done that are Kareem and LeBron, and I'm, there's only four people ever, and Carmelo Anthony. So we should put respect on what he accomplished. You said he'll get Hall of Fame votes. Walks in, first ballot, no question about it.

in a different phase of his career. And unlike Dwight Howard, Dwight can reinvent himself because Dwight at his best, even when he was prime Dwight, defense and rebounding. So come off the bench for the Lakers, give us minutes of defense and rebounding, and you can be useful. Carmelo in his prime, throw him the ball, automatic bucket. That's a tough reinvention. And there's no shame in this. That entire class of guys, O3 in the class surrounding, it. Let's look at it. Chris Paul, different place in his career. Dwight, different place in this career. D. Wade, out of

the league. Chris Bosch, out of the league. The only reason we look bad upon Mello is because the one guy who's the face of that generation, LeBron, to bring it back, is still the best player in basketball. And listen, man, the Lakers just didn't need him. I'm sure LeBron

called up Jeannie Bus and was like, hey, let's get my guy on the team, and she's like, LeBron, you play basketball for the team, you have nothing to do with personnel decisions. we're not going to take your calls anymore. I'm sure he did everything he could for his friend. He just didn't work out or something like that. Either way, I'm glad Mello ain't on the Lakers,

but I'm happy he's in the league. It's all working out for me. Let's, uh, uh, I want to get to an NFL thing. We got in a big argument this week on Twitter. I'll get to that in a second. Is I keep hearing. Oh, the Jacksonville, first it was L.T. and the Chargers were going to beat New England.

And then it was a big Ben and all of his weapons. And then it was the Houston Texans and their Letterman jackets. And then it was Andrew, luck in the Colts. And then Jacksonville had a couple cracks at him. And now it's Patrick Mahomes. We keep looking for the, you know, the team that's going to end the run. And I'm

watching the Chiefs Monday and I'm thinking they needed four picks to beat an unathletic old Philip Rivers. That game was in doubt at the end and I'm thinking, this team doesn't run. They can't stop the run. I don't think they match up with Baltimore right

now at all. I don't think they match it with New England at all. aren't you a little bit concerned about the team you grew up rooting for? All right. So the Monday night game was not good. They were lucky to escape with a win. I will grant you that. But your argument that we keep looking for the team who will beat New England,

my counter would be two points. One is New England has never been this vulnerable. The chiefs may have needed a number of picks to beat the Chargers. The Patriots needed a blocked punt to beat the bills and needed a touchdown, really the nicest pass thrown all night this Sunday, thrown by a wide receiver. Because their quarterback is cooked to beat the Eagles. Oh, he's cooked, Colin.

You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. He's cooked. And so we also have direct evidence of the Chiefs playing the Patriots last year and taking a lead in the fourth quarter, Devens couldn't hold it. We have the AFC championship game where Tom Brady, your golden god, through an interception to end the game and D. Ford's off sides and whatever.

what it is. They lost that game. But to act like they are not closer, the Colts with Andrew Luck played them in the playoffs and got annihilated. Philip Rivers has never beaten him in his entire 15, 16 year career. The Chiefs are going to be the team that does it if Baltimore doesn't get their first. You say the Chiefs don't match up well against Baltimore. Lamar Jackson's 14 and 3 is a starter. Those three losses must have all hurt your heart because one came to Baker and two came to Mahomes. Now, I know those Mahomes wins don't count because somehow, he's one and eight in Colin Coward's eight career biggest games, which makes no sense whatsoever, because two of those came against Baltimore. One of them clings the one seed last year. Oh, that game doesn't

matter, but the game against Seattle, that was meaningless. It was a loss. It was a big game, but I digress. The chiefs have some holes. They have a byweek to fix it, and you want nothing to do with them in Foxborough in a few weeks. when they show up to play your beloved Patriots. All right. I just see, I don't know what they do well, besides Andy Reed designs, plays, and Mahomes is magician, but I'll take your word for it.

What are the pants do well? What do the Patriots do well? Coach, win, clutch, defense, secondary, situational football, of the 27 things they're great at. But I digress. We've got to get to this. Two minutes left. You and I got in a Twitter spat.

I generally don't get in those. You get in those every day. That is, you are, you love arguing. I don't at all. I've got my portfolio to tend to. Anywho, the point being is, you and I argued about James Hardin, who apparently is lighting up November, and I'm like, congrats on that. It means nothing.

It will translate to nothing. He'll be exhausted in April and May. And go ahead. Have your say now, because I did at the very end of the argument win, which I don't on Twitter much, so go ahead. Okay, well, it's very interesting because you just employed in the beginning of this strategy I don't often go to, but I do like to have in reserve, which is when I lose an argument, I do claim the other person is just a far more seasoned arguer than me, and that's why. But that's neither here nor there. Listen, we've got to be able to appreciate the moment. It can't all be about destination. James Harden might average 40 points per game this year. Last year, his team was decimated by injury.

He averaged 36 and carried him where they did. The season before, he was the league MVP, and he's the only, they're the only team to threaten the Kevin Durant, healthy Golden State Warriors were up 15 in game seven until it fell apart. And if that means, well, they therefore can't win a title, I just disagree with it. It can't all, I'm really, really enjoying. my large adult Slovenian son, Luca Donchich, and what he's doing.

They're not going to win the title. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy what they're doing. He is scoring like wilt as a perimeter player. Maybe it's ugly and maybe it won't end in a championship, but I can appreciate the journey, not just the final destination. That's the only point I was making before you tapped out of our debate. It's actually a reasonable debate. I will say this about James Harden.

and in this world of load management, Harden, you know, I don't think Hardin actually has done a great job. He's starting to now defending his position, which is, dude plays his you know what off every night, and he brings it. And if you bring your son to a game in Houston, James plays, scores 40, and you go home on that drive home with your mom and dad, and it's one of the five best nights of your career. And I grew up with downtown Freddie Brown, and he played every night. There is a real value in that. I'm sorry it matters. That's your best argument.

Not the wilt one you made on Twitter. Oh, thank you. All right. I got to go now. Nick Wright, first thing's first. All right, see you, buddy. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. The media tends to, you know, listen, if a star gets traded to a team, we're all in on the star.

A.B.'s going to the Raiders. It's going to be unbelievable. And Khalil Mack's going to the Bears. It's going to be unbelievable. And the truth is a lot of these trades, you know, they don't work out. Some do. But I would say more than 50% of trades don't work. The player doesn't fit the culture. The player gets paid a ton. Our expectations are unrealistic. A player, a star gets traded to an NFL team and you have to make sacrifices to keep them on the team like offensive line. But Odell Beckham was talking this week about, you know, Mike Tomlin, the coach of the Steelers and how Tomlin disrespected him after Cleveland. beat him. And, you know, I said to him after the game, you disrespected me. He said, I know who you are. And, you know, we're doubling you all game and this and that. And I've never seen a team in my life in the NFL like the Cleveland Browns. They can never let go of last week.

I think this is the 11th straight week where they're talking with a big game coming up, like a game they can't lose, talking about last week. So I am officially, they don't have a logo on their helmet. I'm officially giving the Cleveland Browns a logo on their helmet. The Cleveland rear view mirrors. They never are looking ahead. They're always looking behind. This is the new logo of the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland rearview mirrors. Every single week, it's Wednesday. They're still talking about last week. Just go beat Miami. But the other thing is, the media does tend to. Whoever gets the star in the NFL, you think you win the trade. And it just doesn't work that way. So I didn't love the OBJ trade to Cleveland.

I said before, expectations are through the roof. I don't think he wants to live in Cleveland. They've already got Jarvis Landry, David and Joku, Nick Chubb, and they have huge offensive line issues. Do not give away picks that you could solve on the offensive line. Baker Mayfield is going to have a rookie head coach. Do not give him OBJ rookie head coach, global icon, and move offensive linemen. And I went this morning to look at the grades, the OBJ trade.

So they gave up a first rounder. There were four good offensive linemen in that draft they could have had. They didn't get any of them. They gave it up. A third rounder they gave up. The Giants got two defensive linemen for that. One of them, Dexter Lawrence, Clemson having a great year. And they also gave up a player, which wasn't really crucial.

But all the grades, sports illustrated, it was all A's and B pluses and Ds and Fs for the New York Giants. But the Giants are no worse for where without O'Dillard. Beckham Jr. They're a rebuilding team like they were with them and they've got some nice young defensive linemen and they'll go again in this draft, the Giants will go heavy defense, which they should. But with OBJ, I've got one touchdown in 10 games, a four and six team, which is distracted, Baker Mayfield's gotten worse, and OBJ is the second best receiver they have this year. You tell me, does Cleveland get an A for that? Do the Giants get a D or an F for that? So I think it's just a cautionary tale.

When you get these drafts with superstars, you have to give stuff up to get them. And Cleveland needed offensive line help, and they gave up a first and a third round pick. And that probably would have been a starter and an immediate starter on the O line and a starter by midseason on the O line. And I don't think they should have made this move. I did not go crazy with it. I did not go over the top. I said, I don't think it's going to pan out. We got a guy that doesn't correlate.

His production doesn't correlate to wins. With a veteran coach like Belichick or an Andy Reid, OBJ would be fine. Freddie Kitchens is young. He's going to be a little over his skis as he learns on the job. I don't think OBJ, a global icon is a perfect fit. It also put pressure, I believe, on Baker Mayfield to get the ball to OBJ. And we've been saying this for months. It's just now recently Cleveland found their identity as their four and six.

Cleveland struggled with their identity the first six, seven weeks. Their identity without OBJ would have been very clear. We're a run team. And Jarvis Landry's a great possession receiver. That would have been a very easy identity. I think OBJ clouded their identity, and that's why they're four and six and why they won't make the playoffs.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 middle health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, I Heart Radio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending. Opinions are flying. 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 answers. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice 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. 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?

Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, Red. My mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet.

Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian, and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope I'm a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me.

If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring. twice. One ring is too scary. Cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network available on the

IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Love getting NBA veterans. Fifteen years in the league. Multiple titles. Multiple All-Star games. A tough guy, a smart guy, David West. It is an absolute pleasure. to have you on the show. I met you for the first time

this morning. Yes, sir. I've been looking forward to this all show. So let's address something that you have proximity to in the last couple years, the Warriors. It always felt like there was a lot more drama than they would let on, obviously. Can you tell us now

firsthand? Was there a little more drama Katie, Draymond, Clay, then was being let on? I think it was more drama than we allowed to get out. We were able to control the environment. But, you know, it was natural

because guys are highly competitive. We were there for one reason, like to win on the biggest stage. A lot of Alpha Stars. Yeah. And so, you know, it, I think initially, you know, we were more or less worried about Steph, and Steph was the one

that took control. He did? Yeah, he took control right away. When Katie got there, he just said, now how did he do it? Well, he, before the issue could arrive. of whose team it was or who was the guy who was going to get the ball to start the game. You know, we saw right away in like the first couple pickup games.

Like he deferred. Like he was the bigger player and just said, you know what, I'm going to give Katie the ball. Yeah, we're going to start playing through Katie in the fourth quarter. We're going to close with Katie. Were you surprised? I wasn't, you know, because, you know, Steph is that type of, type of dude. He's smart. Yeah, man, he knows how to navigate it and keep.

things, you know, cool. The environment in Golden State is his personality. It's his, you know, it's the same way in San Antonio, it was Tim's sort of personality. Tim's... Low-key, work hard, bust, arse, be tough. Right.

But Golden State was Steph, and, you know, that was a part of his way of sort of leading the group. It was like, look, I'm going to take a back seat. Let's get the ball to KD. I'll find a way to do what I need to do. And everybody was okay with that. Yeah, absolutely.

KD was the new guy. Now, KD, and I say this about Aaron Rogers and KD, some people are more sensitive. They're on their phone. KD. He's not married. Aaron Rogers isn't married. He sits around on his phone.

Is it fair to say KD is sensitive to the phone, criticism, social media? Did you sense it? I wouldn't say I would say that he's engaged and he knows what's going on. And he's not afraid to interact when he has to interact. Sometimes he shows his hand a little bit, you know, because he lets things bother him. He does. You know, for him, it's more or less being like someone who's trying to maximize what he is. I get that.

And I think Katie is absolutely trying to get the most out of who he is and, you know, maximize himself as a basketball player. Were you shocked, David? He left? I was. I was. Where were you? Car, restaurant. I was home, but I just remember.

I remember I had spoken to him maybe like a couple weeks. before the decision and then obviously it talked throughout the year and i just felt like um you know he was in a position to really cement himself you know get into that sort of uh uh legend with the warriors type thing um i still think he's got a great legacy with the warriors but i thought it was the one place he might just say you know what i'm cool here i thought he loved the city he loved the people did he yeah i thought i thought i thought i thought so did he incur get along yeah oh yeah I mean, it's hard not to get along with Steve. I mean, Steve is...

But he and Dremon, Dremon could wear you out. Well, I would say... But you know who Dremon is. Like, Dremon is a guy's, again, highly motivated, has like 30 chips on his shoulder, you know, just from people who questioned his ability. So Dremont's never going to change who he is because that's given him, you know, a chance to be great.

Totally get it. And so Katie knows that. And I think the thing with... you know, Steve and Dre is, you know, you've got to sort of see who they are, know this is what they've been to be successful, and you figure it out. And I thought KD did a good job. He knew what, I mean, Dreemann's the one that recruited him to Golden State. Was this is David West joining us? Was it possible, David? This was like a Hollywood marriage. There was too much wattage. It was just never destined to be a 10-year marriage, KD, warrior staff.

It's just like you see Shaq and Kobe. You're like, that's great. It's going to last a few years. Right, right, right. There's just too much wadage in this. the room. Now does it look like in retrospect that was it? Yeah well and I think you know we just had we had you know Steve did a great job of just managing day to day the expectations you know the pressure that comes with it but then also the pressure that guys put on themselves you know but then the one thing that I thought was most humbling for me in that all environment is and sort of gets overlooked is these guys are unbelievably hard workers you know what I mean so even with all of that all of the success all of the hoopla and the fanfare around, you know, what they are and what they, you know,

potentially could be in terms of all-time greats. The idea of like the consistent work and the consistent effort to be the best at what they do. What's Gucci Main say? Work harder. Nobody cares. Nobody cares work harder. Yeah. Gucci Main. Right. That's who I draw. Well, are you guys laughing at my Gucci Main references? Yes. David West respects my Gucci Main reference. My staff laughs at me. Right. You can just call him Gucci, Colin.

I can call him Gucci? I don't think we're on a first name basis. Okay. All right, let's go to this, load management. I don't love it. I get it for Kauai. James Hardin's making a point, I'm here every night. LeBron's like, I'm here every night.

Do you like it? You know, I don't necessarily like it in the general sense of the term. I don't like the term. I think that Kauai is a special situation because he's got, he had an injury, and he's trying to trust himself. again. You know, when a guy misses basketball for a year with something, one thing people, you know, overlook is the ability to trust yourself and trust your body again. So I think he probably has some of that in there. And then the nature of that injury,

the quad. So I think there may be some specific benefit for him. But as for everybody else, you know, if you're healthy, you should be playing. That's kind of how I feel. I mean, it's just if I'm, I can't, I have been, we've both been sick and shown up. If you're healthy, you play. You should play. Period. Are you shocked that LeBron's moved a point? The Lakers' offense is seamless.

Not that he's just not great, but he is 35 minutes a night, 11 assists a game, everything works. Looks like Danny Green and him have played together for 10 years. Are you shocked at his seamless transition to a new position? No, I really don't think he's doing anything different than he's always done. I think probably on those other teams there was more a defa. fine point guard on the roster. I mean, Rondo's on the roster. But I think, you know, he's made that move, but it's a position that he's always played.

He's always been a facilitator. You've always been able to, you know, win games with him handling the ball, him making the majority of the decisions. I do think, though, this is, you know, aside from the Miami cast, this is probably the most talented group he's been a part of. No, Danny Green can play. Kuzma's 16 a game. Anthony's top.

Yeah. No, it's a good. Yeah, it's a good group. good group. And it's also, it's a smart group. Last year's team was a little too, just goofy. Right, right, right, right. Not ready. It's just guys who are 10-day contract guys, odd person, nothing against Lance Stevenson, but that doesn't feel like LeBron, Danny Green, A, D. Right. That feels like LeBron's guys. Right, right, right, right. And that matters. That personality, your star gets along with the other guys. Absolutely. And those are guys.

who, you know, because AD is in, I would say, the prime of his career or not even yet. And he's obviously one of the greats we have in the game now. But playing alongside a guy like LeBron puts him in a position to like learn, right, and to figure things out for himself. It allows him to step onto this sort of stage of expectations where people are expecting you to win, win big, right, winning the playoffs. He didn't have that in New Orleans. These are things he's going to have to learn, you know, from LeBron. And I think it's going to make him, you know, that's just that much more better. By the way, you've got a project called the historical basketball league, the first college basketball league to enable athletes to benefit from

their talent, marketability, hard work. Minute left, what is it? It's a professional college basketball league. That's what we're working on. We want to create an opportunity for athletes, particularly in basketball, to have an opportunity to share and have an equitable stake in this huge business that they help. So will they be college or will they be pre-college, current college or post-colle? There'll be current college. There'll be current college players in terms of the age.

So 18 to 23, we want to, you know, be an intermediate step into the pro ranks without the confines of the current collegiate system. It's absolutely great having you on the show. You're a wealth of information. Appreciate that. And I appreciate your honesty about the warrior situation. A lot of the stuff we thought was happening was happening.

I was a little shocked he left, but it happens in life. David West, you're always welcome back on the show. Appreciate it, man. I love old school NBA guys, the best. 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. 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 SportsSlice 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 Smygel

and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway 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 to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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?

Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, 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. This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed human