The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 7/30/20

Episode Date: July 30, 2020

Colin comments on Patrick Mahomes not being ranked the top QB, LeBron James is driven-- not anti-social, there's no need to baby Zion Williamson, and the Astros are better off keeping their mouths shut.Guest: Fox Sports Radio host Chris Broussard Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to the 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 Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the Heard. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. The NBA is back. We are live in Los Angeles, and this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,

we're on Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. We have a damn fine show today. Very good. Very good show. I'm not going to lie. Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you? I am the best I've been in many months.

We have NBA basketball today. We have been walking through the desert with no water for six months. Today, we've come upon a lake with fruit. We were at the oasis. Vegetables. Yes. We will eat tonight. Let me start with this.

The media doesn't have a lot of courage. They don't. They just don't have a lot of courage. Everybody's got to follow in line. That's why I don't have that many media. friends. Most of my friends are like business friends. They're aggressive people. Men, women, aggressive, not worried about following in line. So yesterday, the NFL top 100, voted on players, did not make Patrick Mahomes the number one player in the NFL. I have no problem with it.

I'd probably put him there, but, you know, that's okay. Yeah, Lamar Jackson finished number one, Russell Wilson, too. Oh my God, Patrick's four and the third best quarterback. So let me ask you, Did you watch the Super Bowl where Patrick Mahomes was outplayed by Jimmy Garoppolo for three and a half quarters? Midway through the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl with superior weapons and a superior veteran coach. Patrick Mahomes had no touchdowns, two picks and should have had three.

And was outplayed, outplayed by Jimmy Garopolo. Did your television not work? Did you watch the game that he trailed at home to Houston 24-0 in the playoffs? Orway, he was shut out in the first half the year before in the AFC championship against Bill Belichick and looked awful. Finish the game, completing 50% of his throws and trailed by four touchdowns entering at home the fourth quarter. Or did you watch him get outplayed by Jared Goff a couple years ago? Patrick Mahomes is unbelievably talented. But he admitted, quote, late this year, unquote.

I learned how to read a defense. He is not without fault. I'm going to throw a number at you and you're going to be surprised. I'm going to tell you this. He's not the best athlete in the league at quarterback. Patrick Mahomes ran a 4-8-40. Lamar Jackson is twice, twice the athlete. Lamar Jackson's the fastest player on his football team.

Patrick Mahomes may not run the fastest 40 at quarterback for the Chiefs. He's a 4-8-40 guy. He's not as dynamic. athletically as Lamar Jackson. He's not as experienced or as elusive as Russell Wilson. Russell never gets hit. He doesn't have the release of

Aaron Rogers, nor does he see the field like Tom Brady and probably Drew Breeze and Russell Wilson. He is not without fault. Do you realize Patrick Mahomes' fourth quarter passer rating last year in the regular season? Was 18th? That is with Andy Reed.

Tyreek Hill, Travis Keltz, Kelsey, Mitchell Schwartz, Damien Williams. That is with an unbelievable, unparalleled, unrivaled, schematic Andy Reed weapon cast. He was 18th. He was getting beat badly at home, shut out by New England, worked in the Super Bowl. He was not great in the Super Bowl for the first three and a half quarters.

Now, now, is he a great talent? Oh, absolutely. Does he have the best arm? Oh, God, absolutely. Is he the most fun to watch? He and Lamar are way up there. But I don't think he's as strong as wince. When I watched Cam Newton coming to the league, I was like, the hell is that.

Oh, my God, Big Ben. Patrick Mahomes is a slender kid who ran a 4-840 who's got a baseball arm, is fun to watch, is kind of got a Magic Johnson flair for the game, and I love him. But he is not without fault. He admits this year, I just figured out how to read a defense. It's a little late for that, but he's progressing. I've said before. I don't think he's scratching the surface, but I think we have another level of Patrick Mahomes.

I think he's going to take it to another level. I remember when I used to come back and criticize Aaron Rogers. I used to say, I don't think Aaron Rogers is great. He's not the leader of Tom Brady. I think he throws the ball away too much. I don't think he always is the best guy in the huddle. I can remember saying that six, seven years ago and getting nothing but heat on that. And saying, I think Aaron is an unbelievable talent,

but he's kind of, he's 6-2-215. He's not big and strapping and strong. He gets hurt. And sometimes he can be condescending. And he has a weird thing where he doesn't have a lot of come from behind wins. And it's not always the Packers' fault. And not every teammate likes him. And I think Aaron's a first ballot Hall of Famer.

But God, five years ago, I got crap nonstop. It wasn't until about two years ago when the media, even in Green Bay, started saying some of Aaron's problems are Aaron's fault. Mahomes isn't a perfect player. I think there's a lot of things Russell Wilson does better. I really do. I think there's a lot of things Drew Breeze does better at the line of scrimmage. I think Lamar Jackson's a way better athlete.

Patrick Mahomes ran a 4-840. In high school, I run a 475. Me! I'm a radio idiot. Okay. So Aaron, the gap between Aaron Donald and the next best defensive player, in this league is the Grand Canyon. I mean, who's the second best defensive lineman in the league? Fletcher Cox?

I don't even think he's close to Aaron Donald, and Fletcher Cox is a pro bowler and going to be a Hall of Famer. The gap between Mahomes and the other quarterbacks based on multiple skill sets? It's not that great. Some guys are better at stuff. And again, I can like you, but can we at least acknowledge

Russell Wilson is overcoming an antiquated offensive system, a bad old line and undrafted wide receivers. No tight end. I mean, Russell Wilson is taking a lot of nonsense and getting to the playoffs. Can we acknowledge that Patrick Mahomes has the best, his coach drives Bill Belichick crazy. Andy reads a wizard.

Travis Kelsey's the best tied end with George Kittled in football. Tyree kills the fastest human that's ever put on pads. And Brett Veach is one of the smartest drafting guys in the league. league. This idea that everybody's got to follow in line. What I really loved about yesterday, this is what I really loved about it. That Patrick Mahomes went to Twitter. He's very funny. And he put a pencil up there. I'm taking notes. I'm taking notes on this. That's why I love Patrick Mahomes. That's why I love him. He gets it. He's got a little chip on his shoulder. This is the best thing that ever happened to Patrick Mahomes. This is the best thing to ever

happened to him. He's too young to be getting $500 million and being the talk of the town. This is a great day for Patrick Mahom. He got a little chip on his shoulder. Hey, Patrick, you're the third best quarterback in the NFL. No, not third best player. You're the third best quarterback in the NFL. That's what players think. That is honestly jet fuel for Patrick Mahomes. And why he'll win more Super Bowls and four more MVPs

and make everybody in Kansas City happy. All right, I got this story. NBA's back tonight. Oh, we have arrived at a lake plentiful with fruit and vegetables. Looks like somebody's looking for clicks. a true hoop website or something Henry Abbott, who I know and like,

but what in God's name is going on with Henry. He says, LeBron James, the least told story in the NBA is LeBron's oppressive, overwhelming, and anti-social competitiveness. It is, ugh, icky. It's the most under-told story in the NBA. Abbott noted that James struggles

to be around normally motivated, gets impatient with those who don't work as hard. Little tolerance for mistakes. In fact, Henry at one point says this. This is worth a chuckle. LeBron's current teammate, Anthony Davis, may be softening him since he has a special affection for the big man. Wait, time out.

I want LeBron to be more like Anthony Davis. The hell out of here. That's the last thing I want LeBron to be is that soft. Yeah, I'm sorry, Henry. I'm sorry, True Hoop, magazine, website, whatever you are. we've spent 15 years comparing LeBron and MJ mostly doing a poor job. We finally figured out their match.

They're obsessive. Because 99% of the players in the NBA are playing for a paycheck. LeBron's playing for immortality. So was Kobe. So is Michael. So are the great. So is Elon Musk.

So is Jeff Bezos. So is Bill Gates. So is steep jobs. They're ruthless. They're relentless. because they're not doing it for a paycheck. 99% of people in America are going to work for a paycheck to be content, to get their kids through school.

They like their job. They don't live it. That's fine. But for the truly gifted, it's different. And we should never ask them to come down to us. They're not demanding we go up to them. LeBron James is not demanding that Alex Caruso be 6'8 and Tower and Tomahawk Dunkett. He's not asking Alex Caruso.

so to do that or KCP, but he will not. He sure as heck will not go down to your workout standards. Thank God somebody with the Lakers is obsessive. Do you think their front office is as good as the Clippers? I don't. You think their owners as rich as the Clippers? I don't. Do you think their rosters as good as the Clippers?

I don't. Thank God he's compulsive. Thank God somebody with the Lakers is. Somebody is focused and driven and willful. would I respect Michael Jordan more? Let me ask you this. As a parent, one of my greatest fears, other than my kids running into traffic, one of my greatest fears is they will not live up to their potential.

I think my kids are really good. They're curious. They've got empathy. They're smart. One of my biggest fears is I'm on my deathbed, and they took all that potential and didn't do anything with it. You're a parent. Doesn't that worry ever?

You just want the best for your kids. Use all your gifts that I didn't have. Would I respect Michael Jordan more today if he was less relentless, less willful, and wouldn't have tapped every ounce of greatness out of his potential? That's why we loved Kobe and why we love MJ. That's why we love LeBron

because you get so rarely a Tiger Woods or an Oprah or an Elon Musk who are flawed. But they have this massive intellectual capacity or athletic capacity or emotional capacity. And they just squeeze that damn towel and they get everything out of it and you become an icon. LeBron doesn't ask you to be as great as him. But he should never lower his standards for me or you or Alex Caruso. This article is nonsense. I want LeBron to be more like Anthony Davis in what lifetime?

I want everybody that has nearly as much talent as LeBron, schoolteacher, scientist, engineer, radio host. Be relentless, be willful, be a pain in the arse, occasionally not every day. What you want for your kids is what the greats all through this country give us. It's why we'll get through COVID. because we got 9,000 people working on vaccines and they're brilliant. The idea that I'm supposed to look at the greats in this country, the Mark Cubans, the Obamas, and I'm supposed to go, you know, if they could just slow down a little for me,

nah, not remotely interested. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. And I was just talking about my kids. And my fears as a dad that they won't at least achieve some of their talent, some of their capacity or they won't reach at least some of the heights, I think they could. We tend to, and I hope I'm not guilty of this, we all baby our kids. There used to be something called helicopter parents where parents hover over their kids.

Now they call it bulldoze parents, where parents like clear a path so their kids have no problems. They call them bulldoze parents. I saw it a lot in the Northeast. I saw it a lot in the Northeast with prep schools. Parents just bulldozing a pass so their kids have no struggles. Dad on the phone yelling at the principal, how could you give my child to be? It's bulldozing parents. So you end up raising a bunch of weenies who aren't used to like getting pushback in life.

You'll notice most of the great quarterbacks in the NFL. We talk about this all the time. Got told no, got hit, got hurt, junior college, too short, too slow. you give everybody a perfect childhood. It's rough. I'm not saying Zion Williamson had a perfect childhood. That's not what I'm saying. But I'm already hearing a lot of this.

Let's slow down on Zion. Let's protect Zion. We're asking too much of Zion. Here's his coach, Alvin Gentry, as Zion debuts tonight, hopefully, talking about Zion going forward. I think he's a very mature kid. You know, he's a 20-year-old kid.

And I think a lot of times we forget about that as we did with LeBron. You know, these guys are still kids. You know, he does what all the 19 and 20 year old people do. So I think we've got to be a little bit careful about, you know, and all this extra things on his shoulders. He's here to play. He's here to have a good time.

You know, hopefully he'll be healthy enough to play or, you know, in conditioning enough to play. But other than that, we should treat them like a 20-year-old. Oh, stop. You're the one coach who just compared him to LeBron. You put him in the same sentence with LeBron. And he's not going to be LeBron. He's not going to be that good. Zion can handle it. Kids today are so much smarter, so much more self-aware.

There's so many advantages with technology. Zion knows what he's doing. He has more support than players did in the 70s and 80s. Warren Buffett always talks about this. Every generation of kids has a better life and easier life and more support than the previous generation. Nutritional advantages. Michael Jordan didn't have. Therapy advantages. Psychology coaching advantages and support.

Personal personal coaching. Zion could get on the phone today and get Adam Silver, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Mike Shosheskiewski on the phone within five. minutes. The NBA commissioner, the best college basketball coach, the Olympic coach, the best player in the game, the greatest player ever, the second greatest player ever. He could get all of them on the phone in five minutes. On a cell phone. He could be shooting a basketball with his left hand and talking to him with his right hand.

Stop bulldozing the kids. He can handle it. Zion's a smart kid. He was asked yesterday about the bubble. You know what he said in three words? I want a hoop. I want a hoop. Let me hoop.

He can handle it. Did you see how this kid handled Duke when he got hurt? Did you see how he handled it? He handled like a 45-year-old. I'm 50. I had cereal for breakfast. I can't handle it. This kid handled the Duke situation deftly, smartly like a grown-up.

Have we seen Patrick Mahomes? Patrick McHolmes could, if he didn't have his act together, could unravel tomorrow. He goes to Twitter last night, a little clever thing. These kids today, these athletes, I've been saying this now for a while. It is unbelievable how lucky we are as sportscasters and fans. Find the bad guy. Find the turd. Find the bad NBA guy.

I mean, don't get me wrong, the Lakers look like a reality show. They got the goofiest set of guys in the league. They literally should be on hard knocks NBA. But they're goofy. There's not a bad guy in the league. NFL's got some guys you have to worry about. I'm not saying it's perfect, but the stars, J.J. Watt, Patrick, Mahomes, Russell Wilson,

yeah. I mean, they're like good kids. They got a fortune. Zion's going to be fine. His coach should stop putting him in a sentence with LeBron James. That's not fair because he's not going to be LeBron. Good God, he's not going to be LeBron. We're not going to see LeBron.

There's never going to be another LeBron. That's over. It's like Tiger Woods. For 12 years, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson's great. Brooks Kepka, we're never going to see Tiger again. He wasn't even a comet. He was a planet.

He flew by. We had to change the gravity. It's like mentioning him when LeBron is unfair, he can handle it. This kid from day one, Duke basketball, shoe explodes, knee is heard. He has been a total. A 19-20-year-old kid today is a 30-year-old in the 70s and 80s. The coaching, the nutrition, the trainers, the guidance, the finance, the financial. support is so much better today.

Get Mike Shashefsky on. Ask him what it was like his first two years at Duke and ask him what he's created now. Those kids come out of Duke. They are ready to roll. They are ready to go. They got financial support, insurance, parental support, therapy, nutrition, training.

I mean, they got these kids. You don't think Kansas, Duke, Carolina, those kids come out of those programs and they see miles ahead of where kids' 70s, 80s, even Michael Jordan saw in the 90s. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. People. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, 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. Chris Brousard, basketball guy, Fox Sports NBA. We got hoops tonight. So true hoop comes out. True hoop comes out. Henry Abbott writes a story. Said LeBron's anti-social. He's overly competitive. Anthony Davis had softened him and my takeaway is. What time about? I want LeBron to be more like Anthony Davis. I don't buy it. I don't understand the criticism of LeBron. I don't buy this. He's obsessive stuff. I think he's relentless like the all-time greats like Elon Musk. Like Michael George. What are your takeaway on it? Yeah. And look, I know Henry well. He was a former editor of the NBA at ESPN.com. And a great guy, great reporter. But I agree. First of all, LeBron is far from antisocial. I mean, LeBron is one of the most gregarious. people that you'll meet, particularly in the NBA. So that was wrong. I do think he's obsessed with greatness, which is what all the greats are.

Michael Jordan, obviously, was obsessed with greatness. And sometimes when you're obsessed with greatness, it rubs people that don't mind being mediocre or okay or very nonchalant about winning. It rubs them the wrong way. We saw it with Jordan, Magic Johnson, for all the smiling and all that. He was obsessed with greatness. Same with Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas.

That's how the greats are. So there's no issue there. And I even thought, like, the story talked about how, because of LeBron's personality, that some guys haven't liked playing with him and things like that, I think it's more about the fact that when LeBron plays,

everything goes through him. I think that is what has kind of pushed more players away than just LeBron's obsessiveness and control over everything. Now, I'm not saying it doesn't rub some guys the wrong way, but I think the bigger challenge is that everything goes through LeBron. When he's on the team, he becomes the system. He makes all the plays. And that can be challenging when you're a great player.

Even a Kyrie Irving, who's a point guard, had to back off and let LeBron handle the ball most of the time. Yeah, which has never bothered me, but I do believe it's a reality to play with LeBron James. DeWay, Kyrie Irving, LeBron's team. Now, Lakers, Clippers tonight, does it matter more for one of the teams and why?

Colin, as excited as I am about this game just because it's the return to basketball, what makes me even more excited are the dynamics now. What has happened in the bubble? The Lakers are focused. They are zeroed in.

LeBron James looked like he hasn't missed the beat. He looks like he's in great shape. And that team is serious. And the Clippers are the opposite. They got guys going in and out of the bubble, guys, you know, going to the nightclub, and Kauai doesn't look good in the first three exhibition games. So my point is this, if the Lakers can't beat the Clippers tonight under these circumstances, they've got AD, they've got LeBron, they're healthy, and the Clippers are without their third and fourth

best players, Lou Williams and Montres Harrell, and maybe their fifth best players. And maybe their fifth best player Patrick Beverly. And if they still beat the Lakers tonight, then I don't know how you can think the Lakers are going to beat the Clippers in the playoffs if they lose tonight. Now, I think the Lakers will win, but if they

lose, that'll be three losses in four games this season. Twice the Clippers will have been without their full complement of players. And now they're just kind of lolly gagging through the bubble so far. And they still could beat the Lakers? This is

I would say virtually a must win for the Lakers, assuming they play LeBron and AD 30 plus minutes and try to win. So Charles Barkley came on the other day and he said if the Lakers win, it's up to Anthony Davis. I don't see the Lakers as a championship team. I think they're going to be really good because of LeBron and AD, but I don't like their bench. I think it's an odd mix of guys way past their prime.

I don't trust Kyle Kuzma in a big spot. Alex Caruso is limited. I've never seen him in this moment. I don't think the Lakers are a championship team. But your thoughts about how valuable A.D. is? Is he more valuable than LeBron? I think the Lakers are the second best team in the league. I mean, the Clippers are the best.

So I think somehow if the Clippers get upset by someone else or if the Lakers get past them, I think they'll win it. I think they'll beat Milwaukee or whoever were to come out of the East. Look, LeBron is clearly the Lakers' most valuable player. I mean, he makes everything go. But I do agree with Charles in that 80. will be the key. Doesn't mean he'll be the finals MVP necessarily,

but he will have to be dominant against the clippers because Barclay's right. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they match up well with LeBron. We saw in the first two meetings of the regular season, George wasn't even playing, and LeBron was not able to take over the fourth quarters because the clippers have great perimeter defense.

That means Anthony Davis, who the clippers have no matchup for, is going to have to be dominant in the fourth. And, Colin, that's one thing I'm going to be watching for tonight. In their three games, he's averaged 26 points so that can fool you and make you think, oh, wow, AD's had his way with the clippers. But no, he's had eight points in the fourth quarters of the three games combined. That's 21 minutes.

He's got to be much better. I've been saying it all year, the Lakers need to get AD used to being a go-to guy in the fourth quarter. So Alvin Gentry says, oh, come on, slow down on Zion. We're putting too much weight in his shoulders. It's like LeBron. And my take is Zion has shown us since Duke. He's a big boy. He can handle this.

He's got maturity beyond his years. Nobody thinks he's going to win the title. That Alvin's bulldoze parenting him. He's clearing all the runway for him. It's like, Alvin, chill out. Well, this is what Alvin does. And Alvin's a great guy. anybody in the NBA will tell you that.

But he under, what is it, under promises and overdelivered. That's what he, he sets the tone. He always downplays everything. So, look, I think right now, and as you said earlier, you're absolutely right. First of all, why are you putting him in the same sentence as LeBron, if you want to downplay expectations? I think right now, Colin, everything is great. All we expect from Zion is big time scoring and excitement.

That's it. some dunk, some excitement, some hype, and you give us 20 plus points. He can do that. The challenge for Zion will come in a few years, perhaps, if it becomes a challenge, is when people start expecting him to win. Right now, he's got two, three years, four years maybe of a honeymoon period. Yeah. Well, we just want the hype.

We just want the highlights, 25 points, and you're good. You're an all-star every year. Once we start saying, okay, can you win? that is when the challenge will become for Zion because I'm not convinced yet that his greatness and he's going to be a star will lead to winning though because, you know, can he rebound the ball at big numbers? We'll see.

He's only giving you seven a game right now. And they're winning. They're 10 and 9 with him, Colin. They were 11 and 5 in the 16 games before Zion returned. So they were already playing well. The good thing for him is, He's with a really good young team. You got Lanzo, you got Ingram, you got Drew Holiday.

So they should be in a position to win in a few years. I'm not sure if he'll be the driving force, the number one guy, but he'll put up big numbers and they should be a pretty good team. So Nick Wright and I are going to be at my house tonight, having some tequila watching it and going on Instagram. And so you'll want to check that out, Broussard, because there'll be a lot of basketball knowledge being dropped on IG live. I've never done Instagram live tonight.

I'm doing it with Nick Wright and Tequila. That sounds exciting. It kind of is. It sounds dangerous. Good seeing you, buddy. 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.

So, strange, the Dodgers had the 2017 World Series potentially taken from them because the Houston Astros cheated. They had a spreadsheet called Codebreaker, in which, they stole signs and then relayed them to hitters, that's sort of a no-no. They lost draft picks, but they never had a game taken from them. Yet Major League Baseball suspended for eight games, meaning the Dodgers will probably lose once or twice more because Joe Kelly pitcher has been suspended for throwing at and over the head of Houston Astro batters. Lance McCullors is a fine player pitcher for the Astros, and he did not like what Joe Kelly did.

Joe Kelly threw a ball behind Bergman's head on 3-0 on purpose. Not only did he, you know, take it upon himself to, you know, I guess send a message, but he wasn't even part of the team during that season. You know, we knew coming into the game that he likes to go off script. So it is what it is. It was done unprofessionally. What he did after you punched out, Correa was unprofessional. Running into the dugout was unprofessional.

So it is what it is. We're here to play baseball. We just want to win. So, you know, that's it. Let's deconstruct some of those comments. Joe Kelly did it on purpose. Did you not cheat on purpose? Joe Kelly was unprofessional.

Ringing the 2017 World Series wasn't unprofessional? All we're here to do is win. No, in 2017. that's not all you were there to do. You were there to rig the sport. Stop talking, Lance. Stop talking. Baseball and other sports don't have this. Baseball polices itself. Baseball doesn't have a clock. Other sports have a clock. Baseball doesn't. Other sports have a salary cap. All of them. Baseball doesn't. Baseball has a lot of things, unwritten rules. Other sports don't. Baseball is unique.

And baseball also has a system in which they police themselves. And if you cheat, you will have a small, hard baseball thrown at you. Colony, throw in his head! He's a professional pitcher. He knew where it was going. These are pro athletes. They can move out of the way. Find me the litany of players hit in the head,

boinked by a baseball who never played again. It's short. When Astro supporters and players and fans and fans and coaches talk about Joe Kelly's intent. He threw it a guy. Your intent was to rig the sport. I'm going to go with that's worse. And baseball never really punished you.

Draft picks? Fired your GM. Ooh, talk about a slap on the wrist. So baseball didn't take away any games from you. So Joe Kelly is doing what baseball pitchers and players do. And by the way, it is allowed because I've seen it a thousand times. John Smoltz came on our show, Hall of Famer, and said, yeah, occasionally I was asked to throw it, guys.

All right, you throw a little high. Would I only get a hitch on the ankles? You rig the World Series and I get a throw right at your butt. That's it. You weren't limited. Why am I? I have no problem. When you work at a company,

you have to know what you can get away with and what you can't. In football, if you jump off sides, This is why a lot of edge rushers, Joy and I talked about this yesterday. This is why they guess, they guess, they get to a five-year-a penalty. This is why you see two or three times a game, a great edge-rusher. He is guessing. He is looking at that ball. He is moving off.

Because it's not much of a penalty. In the NBA, occasionally to send a message, second quarter, you do a hard foul. Guy gets a couple free throws. That's why guys occasionally hard foul. In baseball, if you cheat or stare at a home run, like it or not, there will be repercussions. And that ball's a weapon, and it hurts. And these guys throw 98.

And you'll get one in the ribs. Maybe sail it high. Joe Kelly can occasionally be wild. He knows where the ball's going. Nobody got hit. Nobody got hurt. But baseball was absolutely hurt by what the Astros did. I think repercussions are okay.

You stole something from us. Baseball didn't make it punitive. This time we took it into our own hands. a little. A little fine, little suspension. I'm not saying life should be a prison yard, right? That's not what I'm saying here. But throwing the ball at a guy, throwing behind him, eight games seems a little stiff to me. This is baseball. In football, you get a five-yard penalty. In baseball, you get a 98-mile-an-hour heater to the ribs. Don't cheat. That's a you problem, Houston, and stop talking, Lance McCullors. Intent?

Don't want to hear it. On purpose, not interested. All we're here is to win. You have a spreadsheet called Codebreaker. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college. college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So tonight, NBA's back. I do not think the Lakers are a championship team. I think they're just asking too much of LeBron. I don't like the bench. Kyle Coosma's not a legitimate three. You don't know what you're getting, Coosma. 26 one night, zero the next.

36 one night, four the next. He did this all regular season. It's who he is. He loses confidence, and I don't think LeBron trusts him. And I think Anthony Davis is somebody that I've never seen an alpha dog. I've never seen it. He's just talented. And I think in the NBA, in the playoffs,

Two things matter. Talent and leadership. And he's just talented. Charles Barkley, though, disagrees. He thinks Lakers are a championship team. I've always said this. I love LeBron, everything about him, but it's going to come down to Anthony Davis. Because you think about this, LeBron is going to have his hands full with Paul George and Kauai offensively and defensively.

So at his age, that's a lot to ask to handle those two guys. Nobody in the NBA can match up with Anthony Davis. to me, he's going to be the guy who's going to dictate whether the Lakers win the championship or not. And I think if that's the case, it's a not. I've never seen him be a dog. I've never seen him be a leader. I've never seen him bark at a player. When KG and Rondo were in Boston, they would bark at Doc Rivers.

Forget teammates and opponents. Miami, LeBron, Wade, Bosch, barking at Mario Chalmers. great teams are verbal and they bark and they demand and they got dogs. Anthony Davis is simply talented. I've never seen it. All the Anthony Davis fans go, oh, look at numbers. Numbers! Numbers!

He had those numbers in New Orleans. They won a single playoff series. I know he gets numbers. The playoffs aren't about numbers. The playoffs are about leadership. Because these games are close. And the better coaches and the better stars and the better. better. I've seen bird yell at people.

I've seen MJ. I've seen Magic. I've seen Kobe. I've seen LeBron. I've seen D. Wade. I've seen Kevin Durant Barkett guys. I've seen Draymond Barkett guys. Never seen Anthony Davis do it. I want to see it.

Otherwise, you're just talented. I'm over talented. The world's full of talented people. Doesn't have many leaders. World's got talent everywhere. NBA's got talent everywhere. How many leaders are there? 5, 8, 7.

not a lot of leaders. So if it's coming down to Anthony Davis, even on those Pelican teams, remember when they won that playoff series against Portland? The leader in that series was Drew Holiday and Rondo. That's what everybody talked about. They're like, God, Drew Holiday just took the series over. Anthony was just talented.

And I don't think talent wins it alone. I think Toronto won the championship last year. They got some breaks with health, but they had great leaders on the team. They had veteran players. They had a coach that people believed in. They had Kauai Leonard. there was leadership all over that locker room.

That Warriors team wasn't just talent. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, Draymond Green have real leadership qualities. LeBron D. Wade, go last 25 years in the NBA. You go look at that Dallas team that shocked everybody. There was leadership there. Rick Carlisle. It was a veteran NBA team in Dirk Navisca.

There was a bunch of old guys. They weren't the most athletic. They had leadership. San Antonio's dynasty is about leadership, not just talent. So if Anthony Davis is the reason you're going to win, and you got to give me more stats, got to bark at guys, got to get after guys, got to hold guys accountable. Leadership's hard. Talent, you wouldn't be in the league if you didn't have it.

NFL came out yesterday. NFL.com top 100 players voted on by the players. A lot of its nonsense. But they're, you know, they're mostly accurate. Number one, Lamar Jackson, two, Russell Wilson, three, Aaron Donald, Patrick Mahalms, number four. And I think the thing I was happiest about. you know what it's going to be. The players now are finally acknowledging Russell Wilson's great. Battle lines, below average tight ends, seventh round running back,

antiquated offensive system. I was talking to a former NFL quarterback last night. A guy I've never brought on this show before really smart. And he said, Russell Wilson is the doing more with less quarterback in the league. That's not to say he's without flaws. But if you look at Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes,

they got the coach and the system and the line and the weapons and the running backs. And Russell does not. This is finally players. By the way, last year Russell Wilson was ridiculously 25th in this. This is players going, we get it. And that's okay. one of the things Bill Maher is a commentator on HBO, and he said this for years and years with politics,

stop yelling and screaming because everybody doesn't get everything at the same time. Twelve years ago, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were opposed to gay marriage. It was a bad take, but you can't demand growth and perfection. If we're going to grow, then we've made mistakes. And we've been on the wrong side of history and wrong side of humanity. and so players for a long time they just didn't get Russell Wilson and maybe he's a little smaller

he doesn't have the Mahomes arm the system over there was very Marshawn Lynch and defense and the defense had a nickname and Pete Carroll's a legend but players now are acknowledging all right guy they have him second best player in the league that's this is where he should be top three player in the league I've said I think he's the best

football player in the world I don't necessarily think he's the best quarterback talent I think Mahomes is currently the best quarterback talent in the NFL. I could argue Aaron Rogers is the second best quarterback talent. Lamar is probably the greatest athlete and getting better at the quarterback stuff. But Russell, to me, is the best football player in the league. If you combine playmaking, toughness, leadership, IQ, self-awareness, elevating others, world's best football player right there.

And by the way, I've had, I used to say this about Ladani and Tomlinson when he played for the Chargers. I thought he was the best football player in the world. He never fumbled. He'd catch, he could block, he could run, he was a leader, he'd never got in trouble. He made everybody better around him. I thought, LeDanyan Tomlinson for about five years was the world's best football player. I'm not saying most valuable, but literally did everything well. I think Aaron Donald right now is probably the second best football player in the world.

And Russell Wilson won Aaron Donald too. The gap between Aaron Donald and the second best defensive player in the league, it's absurd. Aaron Donald's great at everything. Pass rush, double-teamed against the run, leadership, never gets hurt, has to be. schemed. So it's nice. The players finally got it. Took them a while. I get it. By the way, I started the show today talking about. There's an article out there criticizing LeBron for being antisocial. True hoop went out and said, you know, he's antisocial. He's overly obsessive, which I don't even know what that means. I mean, you're obsessive or I don't know what

over it. What's the line on obsessive? But I saw a story in May. And I just, I roll, sometimes the media wears me out. Most people in the media are not aspirational. I mean, if you wrote two columns a week, and that's all you do, it's a nice lifestyle. You go to games, get free hot dogs, a couple of columns a week. You're not trying to change the world. But don't criticize people like Michael Jordan and Elon Musk who are trying to change the world. So Slate, which is kind of everybody's a victim website, they wrote an article about Michael Jordan.

And the headline was, is there anything more to Michael Jordan than basketball? If this documentary is the final word in his legacy, the answer is apparently not. Oh, good hell. He had an incredible relationship with his mother. Great relationship with his wife. Close to his kids. He has an incredibly tight circle of friends. Same guys for 25 years.

He's got a hobby. Golf. Loves it. If that, oh, by the way, his profession, he's the greatest in the world at it. Not just basketball, but apparel. If that's not a full life from some sports writer for slate, what's your life look like? The documentary was a journey through the 1998 season when the general manager said, we're firing Phil Jackson regardless.

That's what the documentary was about. It was about a season of Michael Jordan. they sprinkled in his family. They sprinkled in parts and elements of his life. But his wife did not appear in it. Michael probably didn't want his wife in it. He probably didn't want his kids in it. You know, a lot of people in my business don't put their kids on Twitter or social media.

They don't want their kids out there. The idea that Michael Jordan has this shallow life. Oh, my God. He sleeps with a basketball. What a shit. He's got any... If I know somebody and they have a great relationship with their parents and a great relationship with their kids, and they've had professional success and a good hobby.

I'm out. That's a great life. Parents, kids, tight friends, good career, and you even have a hobby. Everybody should have a hobby. Everybody should have a good hobby. That's not a complete life. Like the media is, you know what?

Most of the media aren't aspirational. They write their two columns, get a free hot dog at a game and go home. That's what your life is. You just don't get those like Michael and LeBron and we have politicians in this country. They're immortal. They see they can change the world,

not just change a comma on a column. Michael doesn't have a life? I mean, people are, it's incredible. The gall of it. If that's not having a life, I would like to sign up. Can I have Michael Jordan's lousy life? Great relationship with his mom, his kids. Michael's had the same group of about six guys he runs with

for 20 years. That's the way to do it. Also, being obsessed with what you are great at is not a bad thing. Yeah, like, if I was obsessed, if I was obsessed about, like, singing, and I have no, I can't sing. I have no ability, I can't carry a single tune. Yeah, actually, I think we all probably know someone like that

who's obsessed with something they like, but they are not particularly talented at. It's called American Idol. People spend 20 years and, like, at one point, Simon Cal goes, your grandma told you you could sing. I'm here to tell you you can't. That's sad. Being obsessed of something you're not good at.

If I was obsessed with a golf, it'd be pathetic. I'm losing nine golf balls around. That would be pathetic. Being obsessed with basketball if you're Michael, why not? 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me.

Clifford Taylor the Fourth. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast.

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