The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Bucks-Raptors, Klay Thompson, and LeBron James

Episode Date: May 24, 2019

Colin discusses game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Golden State Warriors G Klay Thompson losing millions, and Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James recruiting players. Guests include Chris Broussard, Matt Barnes, Rob Parker, and Jason McIntyre.  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. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist, and an Armenian businessman.

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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 SportsSlic.

On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every

weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Heard at Fox SportsRoddrador.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Friday. Absolutely packed. In LA, this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We are live in Los Angeles. We're on Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Remember the old game show, the dating game? One hour from now, the herd version of the dating game with NBA free agent. And Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning. Your raptors are rolling. Again, we are matching and we didn't mean to, but we got a little raptor love, a little charcoal, little black here on the show today. Well, you know what? I think I do deserve credit for, I will claim the Raptors. I do deserve credit for that. It's your team. You should claim the raptors. They're your team. Baby dinosaurs are all grown up. I thought they would be extinct by now. The LeBron Meteor for years took him out. I want to start with that. So this was a couple of months ago. There was a poll that came out from Sam Amick of the athletic, excellent NBA writer. And he polled a bunch of people in the NBA. Who would you start your franchise with? And do you remember that day I came on the air and I said, timeout?

The top three guys are centers. What? Do you guys watch on the NBA anymore? It was Janus Anthony Davis and Joel Embed. And I said, okay, I'm going to build around guys that I don't trust at the free throw line late that don't shoot threes and that don't have the ball in their hands. They're not ball handlers. They can't control the tempo.

And I pointed out that Anthony Davis, one playoff series win. Joel Embed, not really a relevant playoff player. Injuries, drama, social fun, not relevant in the playoffs. Carl Anthony Towns, a big nothing burger. And here's Janice shrinking. I mean, I didn't get it then. I don't get it now. Is everybody watching the same league I'm watching?

You know what this series is about? You have two great players. One guy you can marginalize. and one guy you can't. Go ahead, try to trap Kauai Leonard. He'll just dribble out of it. The whole floor, to defend Kauai Leonard, he can use the whole floor.

Janus has about an eight-foot box, and the Raptors have figured out, let's throw a bunch of bigs at him, a bunch of laint at him, box him in, and see how he does it. I mean, Janus, as Chris Weber pointed out, Did you notice late in the game, the guy you want to build around, wasn't even on the floor. I understand.

Anto the Coupo is tired, and this is a shot cut violation. But it's 34 seconds left in the game, man. Yeah. You're not that tired, and his ankle didn't look to be tweaked that much. You wonder why he's on the sideline at the most important time. I do not recall a player being tired in the last minute of an Easter conference final game that was a superstar being pulled out because they were tired. Again, Janus is great. I'm not denying that.

But when you're voting as an executive in an anonymous poll telling me who to build around and you can't figure out the basics in your sport, this is why I've said, you can take a wide receiver out of a game. You can roll the coverage. Weather can take a wide receiver out of the game. If you have a deep threat and it's snowing, good luck. A running back. I can put eight in the box.

Quarterback? If I have a good offensive line, he's going to control the sport. That's what Tom Brady does. But you can't tell me these centers are going to control this league. They don't shoot threes. I don't trust them late at the free throw line. And these games are all decided, by the way, at the free throw line or late. And the other thing is, do they control the tempo?

You know, Kobe in his prime, LeBron in his prime, Kauai in his prime. They have the whole court. There was a moment that we're just showing this play on FS1 where, you know, there was a play in this game where basically the Raptors just invited Janus to come right at him. Look at it. They got four guys around him all sorts of length. He's not a great ball handler. He's not comfortable pulling up. And that's how you defend the big. We're not saying during the regular season that these guys can't be dominant players. But once I get to play you seven straight games, it is much easier to marginalize a center and a non-ball handler and a non-ball handler. non-great shooter than it is Kobe in his prime, LeBron in his prime,

Kauai Leonard in his prime. And that's all this series is. I mean, even ask yourself this. LeBron's been the best player in the world for about 12 years, right? I mean, we knew that right now. Now, this year's a little different, but he was the best basketball player in the world for 12 years. LeBron sometimes even struggled playing with Biggs.

I mean, he loved Chris Bosch, but it was a weird thing. So Bosch was a center, but, and Kevin Love was a big, and then they became shooters. LeBron struggled playing with Tristan Thompson at times and Kevin Love at times and Chris Bosch at times. So they can be hard to play with. Ben Simmons doesn't play well with Joel Ambide. The Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors late in games, they're trying to get smaller, not bigger. Boogie Cousins, we don't need you. Clint Capella, we don't need you.

So it's not a knock on Janus. But when you're having a poll on who you'd build around and GMs are voting for centers, we're not watching the same game. Because this series is just down to two great players and Milwaukee can't figure out how to stop Toronto's, and Toronto's figured out to a higher degree how to manipulate, marginalize, and slow down Milwaukee's. All right, I want to shift to this.

This is interesting. It's got people worked up yesterday. You know, I like Clay Thompson. I like his dad, Michael Thompson. That's a good family. And their guy playing for the Dodgers. That Thompson, not just Thompson twins, the old British band.

We got all sorts of Thompson's playing sports. And yesterday, a moment yesterday at practice, Clay Thompson lost about $30 million because he wasn't voted to the first, second, or third, all-NBA team. And here's the moment he found out. Here we made the all-N-B-A team that's elevated your potential.

Oh, did it? You already came out? Yeah, it came out today. You were, like, right behind me. Cambo. Cambo got it. You were a couple. I mean, that's cool now, but, like,

when you go to five straight, finals. I respect those guys. When you go to five straight, I mean, it takes more than just a couple of NBA guys. It's like an all-time team, but whatever. I'd rather win a championship than be third team all-N-BA. So it's all good. So I think there's that many guards better than the league? No, but that's the reason why we're still playing. So I don't even want to get into it, honestly. So he lost about $30 million, not making the first, second, or third. all NBA guard list. So first of all, let me just say this.

I'm bummed out for him, but players agreed to this. Players, you know, in the collective bargaining and stuff, players agree to all this stuff. So, you know, sometimes the union speaks for you and players agree to it. Secondly is, this is how the world works. Folks, we let anybody vote for the president of the United States. That's like a really important position. Ever gone to a mall and look around?

You think everybody in that mall? all understands the implications of free trade, I'm going to go with no. And they're voting on the president of the world's most powerful democracy. You trust everybody in Congress? Vote them in, vote them out. I feel bad for Clay, but it's not an egregious vote because this league now has more great guards. It's like the NFL.

I've never seen a time with the NFL's got more great quarterbacks. There are so many good guards. And so if you're asking me, and I like Clay more than most, I've said before, I think he's the top 10, 12 player in the NBA. So if you ask me, my all-N-Ba guard team, my first team's James Hardin and Steph Curry, my second team's Kyrie, who can drive me nuts, but he and Damian Lillard. My third team, believe it or not, I still think Westbrook has skills. I just think MVP was silly. I do Westbrook and Clay Thompson. And my fourth is Campbell Walker and a guy I've always loved Bradley Beal more than everybody else.

But it's not an egregious vote. And the NBA guys, they, I mean, listen, Oscars, President of the United States, we put stuff to votes all the time, and I will say this, I feel bad for Clay, and I thought his answer was perfect. And I understand him being bummed out. If I lost $30 million and somebody gave me a heads up in a press conference, I don't think I'd be as classy as Clay Thompson. But I will also say this.

This was predicted. Oh, no, it was. There was an article a couple of months ago. April 11th from a San Francisco Bay Area writer and the headline, how Clay Thompson's early season slump could cost him $30 million. Clay had a bad October and a really, really bad December, and that was probably the difference between fourth and third. A writer in the Bay Area predicted this over a month ago.

That bad start in a league jam full of unbelievably good guards could save the Warriors $30 million bucks, and it did. Top of next hour, the dating game, an all-time classic, classic game show, which I watched as a kid. And we're going to do it today with free agents.

Matt Barnes also joining us this hour. And coming up next, there was a discussion with only one answer for the last 12 years. And now there's potentially a bunch of answers.

And what's yours? And what's mine? And Joyce, that's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the I-Hard Radio app. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness.

So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant, this went to a billion dollar fraud.

But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody? coming after me. Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. from the WMBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't.

Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeke. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me.

And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. at our level at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports.

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

Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games,

from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants 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 Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my

own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip 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 Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Great to have you back in the last 12 years. It was really written in stone. No reasonable person was going to argue

that LeBron James was the best player in the world. It wasn't really an argument. It was silly. I mean, again, and it didn't even matter who won the MVP award. Nobody ever thought Westbrook was better or Hardin was better than LeBron. LeBron was the most valuable player. I mean, it was dumb to argue for 10 years. I don't care.

D. Rose was ever more valuable. Well, he had a better year. It's not called who had the best statistical year. It's called Most Valuable Player. I mean, good God, the ratings are down 50% in the Eastern Conference. He's even valuable to television executives. Forget the league, forget the players, forget his teammates. LeBron's been the best player in the NBA and in my opinion until he got hurt this year for the last 12 years.

And he was also the most valuable. And it shows the MVP award. As you're watching these MVP award winners get dusted out in the first round of the playoffs. You know, it's just, it's a, it's comedy to me. But I think now for the first time it marks a new era. And generally speaking, there's only one or two guys we even talk about as best player in the game. It was magic or bird, I chose magic. It was Michael and nobody argued.

Then Michael left, and it was it, was it Barkley? Was it a Keem? Was it, you know? And most of my life, you know, it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before like magic and bird arrived. There was always like a guy. And maybe there was a second guy that was kind of close. But I think we're now, I'm watching these playoffs and it's wide open, who the best player in the world is. Let's start with my vote, Kevin Durant.

but I've got to be honest, it doesn't help my case when the Warriors are 31 and 1 in the last 32 games without him. It doesn't help my case any. He's certainly not valuable. He's not as valuable as LeBron. He's not as valuable as Kauai. I don't think anybody would argue that if you took Kauai off the Raptors, I'm not even sure it's a playoff team. So my vote is Kevin Durant, but he is not as valuable as many players in this league. Then there's Kauai Leonard.

Well, I mean, he's having, this is like Jordan. He's having an unbelievable all-time playoff run. And I don't think there's any disputing. He's brought a little mid-range jumper back, which I like. And he's the best two-way player in the game. And that's not arguable. And he is valuable. Best, I don't know.

But in terms of valuable, he's valuable. Okay, then there's Steph Curry, who I think is more valuable than Kevin Durant. but Durant's a better player. Steph's averaging 35 and a half points since KD got hurt. And by the way, they've trailed by 17, 18, 17. It doesn't even matter. He's the fourth quarter assassin. There's nobody in the game like him right now.

There's LeBron James, 28, 8, and 8. Now, he decided last year to take defense off. He just didn't play any defense. And so I don't think you can make him all NBA. But would anybody be shocked if LeBron came back finally rested and just tore it up next year? I'm going to go with, I wouldn't be shocked. And there's Janus. Now, this morning, everybody's like, whoa, listen, seven days ago,

if you even argued Janus wasn't in the top two, you were a hater. And then there's James Harden, who is analytically the best offensive player ever, analytically. Now, here's what I know. If you don't control the tempo by dribbling, if I don't try, if I don't try, trust you late at the free throw line. And if you're not a great three-point shooter, or at least really good, you're never going to be my best player in the game. Yonis, I don't care how many 60 minutes pieces they do.

He's never going to be my best player in the game. I think he's a great kid and a great player and a force to be wrecking with. But if you got some length on your roster, you can marginalize him much easier than Kevin Durant, Kauai, Steph, LeBron, James Harden. So I think the who's best, who's the best best? basketball player in the world, you could vote a lot of different ways. I'm a KD guy here, but it's not helping my case that he doesn't appear to be that valuable. They're 31 and 1 in Golden State with Steph leading.

LeBron was the best player and easily the most valuable for 12 years. He was valuable to executives, TV companies, teammates, the Eastern Conference, the league ticket sales. I mean, LeBron, you couldn't argue. You were silly. You just sounded like you were trying to get an argument on radio. now I think it's wide open. And even the guy I think's the best, I don't think he's that valuable in terms of he's not Kauai valuable.

He's not Kauai valuable. And I'm not sure he's staff valuable. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So the bucks dropped game five at home to the Raptors, leaving them on the brink of elimination, heading back to Toronto.

Wow. They kept it close, but they couldn't stop Kauai. He scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. And after the game, Yonahas, was asked about the team's mindset going into game six. We're not going to fall. How do you know? We're not going to fall in the first team in late.

We're not going to fall. We're going to go and we're going to give everything we've got. We're going to come back to Milwaukee being pissed. I think we had a chance to win it. We're in the other game today, but we didn't. Obviously, you know, I'm pissed. I'm not going to lie to you. We got two more games to go and we can do this.

Janice did have 24 points, six rebounds, six assists, one block, but he also had two turnovers and was four of nine on free throws. He's not the, you know, he's shot 75% free throw line, which is fine for a big. He's down into the 60s now. Like he has lost his mojo at the free throw line, especially late in clutch situations. And the way that he gets fouled, that's just that that can't be the case. He's got to work on that. But I mean, Chris Middleton had six points last night. Now, Brogden and Bledso and George Hill had a big game as well.

they all kind of pick up the slack, but you can't, that can't happen. This goes to the thing. So you have to be careful about living in the moment. I said about Chris Middleton. Chris Middleton should be the third best player on a championship team or like the fourth best player on a dynasty, like Draymond, right? And everybody's like, oh, Chris Middleton against Boston. Anybody's seen Chris Middleton since Boston?

It is, you don't know what you're getting Chris Middleton, quarter to quarter shot to game to game. He hasn't been that consistent this series. but I mean you got to give it to Kauai. Like he's just put, he's taken over the series. Yeah, no, no, he's, he's been unbelievable. Unbelievable. And I love, I'm starting to go back to loving the mid-range jumper.

I know the analytic people. Isn't it nice? It's nice. I got layers. I feel like that's been the story of this entire playoff run. Get a bucket. Yes. Get a bucket.

I'm so with you. It's really been enjoyable to watch. And by the way, one of the reasons I like the mid-range jumper. I like the texture of it. Like a three-point shot, you're way out there. You don't have to even, you don't have to put a move on anybody. To get a good main range jumper, you've got to put the ball on the deck, you got to spin a little bit. It's play around basketball.

You're a little one-on-one guy. You got, you know, your palm in the ball. It's like, that's when basketball is showcased fun, not jacking up stuff in the parking lot. Yeah, I'm so with you. It's been really fun to watch. And Kauai has been the best at it throughout this playoffs. This won't get ratings, but I find it to be a fascinating, even series. I know this is not going to get good TV ratings.

I think it's been a great series. I think we've gotten a lot of good basketball. Oh, so do I. And this series has been good. That said, I think that they went in Toronto and closed it out for the finals. So LeBron James is justifiably worried about the dysfunction in the Lakers front office and how it could cost them landing elite free agents. And that's not stopping him from trying to bring some free agents to L.A.

According to Brian Winhorse, LeBron is already talking to some big names. He said, from what I understand, he has already begun the recruiting process. I've heard he has had contact with Kauai Leonard. I've heard he's had contact with Jimmy Butler. there's no tampering enforcement by players. The thing about it is, I don't know if texting calls, maybe dinner with LeBron is enough for the Lakers to overcome the hurdles that they're going to have.

Yeah. Now, he's right about that. There is a lot more than just LeBron saying, let's get together and we'll go win a championship, the way that it felt like in Cleveland and in Miami. The situation is very different. You know, it's easy to bang on Magic Johnson. Okay, you can say, you know, he didn't put the time in, but let's be honest. Magic and LeBron, if they sat in a room together, is a big deal.

You can all, you know, listen, and I said it, I don't think magic's built for the details in minutia of a president. But Magic gave them a heads up and said, hey, I'm not going to be in Dusseldorf this weekend watching backup guards. Say what you want about Magic Johnson. Lakers got LeBron with Magic having a three-hour conversation. And no magic now, that's a pretty hollow room. you're sitting in. Well, I don't know why going to Dusseldorf to watch Point Guards wasn't going to be

Rob Polinka's job anyway. Right. That's not really Magic Johnson's job, even if he was still the president of the Lakers. So that was never the perception of that set up to me anyway. But you're right. The room is missing key pieces now. And it

feels like because it's gotten so dysfunctional, that even with LeBron in the room, it's like, you're kind of just here to obviously help. It's no longer where like, okay, we're coming in whatever LeBron says you know is going to get executed. We know that's not going to happen. Tailu is not the head coach of this team. Free agency is just sales.

That's all it is. You're sitting in a room and trying to sell a guy. But the issue now is players want to go not only to the best situation for them on the court but off the court. And that's not really the case here because you're going to constantly be dealing with The Lakers' dysfunction is so all over the city. Like, it's not just a basketball team in a city. It's the Lakers.

It's Los Angeles. It's so much bigger than that. So it is going to be a big hurdle to overcome. Finally, the Jets signed Levi-on Belt to a four-year, $52.5 million contract is off-season. There's been reports circling that the new head coach, Adam Gase didn't agree with the big signing and could be looking to trade Levion. Now that the GM is out.

And Gase addressed that rumor yesterday and made his feelings about Leveon very clear. The contract was it was what it was. Everybody can criticize contracts all you want, but he's here. I'm excited he's here. I think our players are excited to he's here. I know our coaches are. I mean, you get a chance to coach a great player, a guy that's done things that nobody's ever done in the league. Like we're excited for that opportunity. Back to lay the second to have been some speculation that you guys might try to trade in before the season even starts. That's ridiculous. That's the first time I've heard of that. So that's not going to happen.

No. Why would Levy on Bell be traded? Well, because there's this feeling that Gase doesn't like... Gase is not bigger than Levy on Bell. Well, all I know is this is when you get these young quarterbacks, you got to give him help. Baker Mayfield's got a bunch of good players around him. Jimmy Garoppolo, have you noticed what they're getting around him?

Lamar Jackson, they got him Mark Ingram. They drafted tight ends. Sam Darnold last year had the worst, lowest ranked running. back group, third lowest rate is receiver group, and third worst offensive line. Levian Bell solves a lot of issues for Sam Darnel. You don't trade him. Look, maybe Gates didn't love the money situation, but it doesn't sound like he had any input on who they drafted either.

So it's a new world. Levyon Bell is going to have a great year. I'm going to say that right now. It's going to be the Kauai effect with Leveon. Everyone forgot how great Leveon is. He's had a year off to train. He's been away from him. from getting hit.

He's going to have a great year, and you're absolutely right. Sam Darnold needs weapons. He had nothing last year. I mean, he had no quarterback in the league if you combine O-line receiver group and running backs had lower-rated help. Lavian Bell solves the running game. He's also the best catching running back in the sport. And a lot of great running backs like Adrian Peterson couldn't catch.

You don't get rid of Lavian Bell. And you overpay for a guy like that also. Especially when he has a young quarterback on a rookie deal. Just overpay for him. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line news.

Let's bring him in a decade and a half in the NBA. Always eloquent. Always smart. Always thoughtful. Sometimes feisty. Matt Barnes joining us. You know, it... So I said before the season, I didn't buy Denver.

They were too young. And I thought Milwaukee would win a series or two, but I didn't buy Milwaukee because, again, they're still babies. Now, I didn't buy the rap. either, but somebody's got to win the East and they look great. What do you make, not on the disintegration, that's not fair, but Yonis is having some struggles here. What do you make of it?

Growing pains. I think it's a process. I think we want to crown him as the greatest, and he's on his way to being a superstar right now. I think he's a star. And this is something that LeBron went through, you know, when Detroit beat him up and Timmy got him in the finals in San Antonio, and then, you know, Kauai went through this against LeBron and Miami.

This is a growing pain. I think he'll be a lot better from it. But he's been exposed from a standpoint of in a series, you have time to adjust and critique stuff. And, you know, he got loose a little bit, but over a seven-game series, they know that they can just close this pain down and make Milwaukee beat them from the outside.

You're going to live with that. So I don't, I think he's disappointed, obviously. I think everyone was disappointed, but to me, experience it is king in the playoffs. That's why I agreed with Denver. I agreed with Milwaukee. I always like Toronto from the standpoint of Kauai as a finals MVP has been there. Danny Green's been there.

They have some, you know, Matt, they have a couple of, Toronto does have a couple of things that finals teams have. Superstar, well-coached, and a bunch of crafty veterans. Now, they don't have a second legitimate score, but let's just talk about this for a second. When I'm watching this sport, I'm seeing a lot of these older Raptor players. I said this couple days ago with Joy, I said, I think Toronto's a little bit in Milwaukee's head. Do you see that? No, I agree.

I definitely agree. It's the experience factor. It's the experience factor. These guys have been there. They're battle tested. You know, the lights get brighter, the further in the playoffs you get, you know what I mean, and them able to shut down that paint, put Kauai on them, on and off on Greek freak, has them thinking twice.

But these guys have just done it. And that's what you need in the playoffs. You need that experience. Like I said, this is going to make Milwaukee a lot better for it. but it's also going to, I think, open up Janice's eyes. I mean, he's a tremendous player on the way to, you know, possible MVP this year, on the way to being great, but he's still young. And this is just a huge roadblock, I think, that they hit.

And, you know, outside of Kauai playing out of his mind, it's been a tough go for him. Both Toronto or Milwaukee would be major underdogs, obviously, the Golden State. We think Houston's the second best team in the league, and I saw this story, and I thought of you. James, I'm going to read the headline for our radio audience. James Hardin and Chris Paul had verbal exchange after game six loss to the Warriors. According to Sham Sharania, who we put on the show The Athletic, Hardin and Paul had multiple tense moments culminating in verbal back-and-forth post-games that went into the locker room, all centering around ball distribution.

And I know everybody, you can tell me about analytics and shooting the three-ball, but ball-centric guards can wear out teammates. You played with Chris Paul. I love playing with Chris and one of the most competitive players I ever played with but at the same time an acquired taste from a standpoint of he's old school

so he barks you know what I mean he's most of the time what he's saying is right but his delivery comes off wrong sometimes so that was the problem we have with the clipper sometimes with DeAndre and Blake didn't I don't think he'd like to his tone so I'd have to be like well this is what he's trying to say you know what I mean so I think this may be

a similar situation with James I think younger players don't really understand where Chris's old school mindset and mentality comes from. So he's not telling you the wrong thing. He's telling you the right thing. And obviously ball move it as great as James Hardin is, one of the best offensive players we ever seen. You're not going to win a championship with him dribbling the air out of the ball. You just not. And I think they're obviously more effective too when you let CP kind of do his thing and get

everyone else the ball. And then when they need to get a bucket, James can get it or Chris can get it. So I think they limit their self when, you know, everyone stands around and James just dribbles that ball, as talented as he is, as effective. as he is, you need a team to win, not one player. Interesting yesterday. I love Clay Thompson. I would have him on my all-NBA third team guard. I didn't think the vote was egregious, but I think he's such a good defensive player. That puts him to me in the time. Yeah, yeah, that's what I feel too. He's a better defensive player. And I also think, and this probably doesn't go into the voting,

but if I had a vote, I like his lack of vanity and ego. I think that matters. I think John Wall's hard to play with. I think Bradley Beals easier to play with. That stuff matters to me in the voting. So I'm bummed for him. He probably lost $30 million not making it. But, you know, how does that land for you? Because you played defense. So I know, I think you like Clay for the same reasons I do, which is there's another end of the floor. I love Clay. But I think the Warriors as a whole, I think this is the one thing they kind of realized they were going to be sacrificing when they built this great team is accolades and possible, you know, money. All that is substituted for rings. You know, people say, oh, well, Katie is not that good

because he's playing with Steph. Or Steph's not that good. Now, these guys are still great. All of them are still great. And they're showing you how great they are. But I think they get snubbed in the voting from a standpoint of this team is so good. Like you were saying earlier, Kevin Durant is the best player, but he's not as important as a Kauai or other guys that you take off the team and they're nothing. That doesn't diminish Kevin's greatness.

That just shows how great of a team Golden State is. You know, same thing with Steph. Steph is playing out of his mind again, but he still doesn't get the credit he deserves because he has such a good team. So I think these guys realized that they sacrificed a lot of individual accolades and money coming together for this dynasty. And hopefully, I mean, 30 million is a lot. But I think he played it right. But I agree with you. There's not many guards better than him.

And he should have definitely been 13. Here's what Clay can think. I live in California. I was only getting 15 to the 30 million anyway. The state's getting the other half. So it's not 30, Clay. It was just 15 million. That's all you're actually losing because this state's going to take.

You know, but you think about the big picture. I mean, rings are great. You know, when you talk about this 30 million is missing, but when you're done, you can't do nothing with rings. That 30 million, you are 15 million, whatever, however you mean, you can do a lot with that when you're done playing. You know, so like I said, I think they're obviously a dynasty. They're going for, you know, a three-peat.

But that hurts. That 30 million is hurt and it's frustrating. But I think, you know, he said what you're supposed to say. Okay, Kauai Leonard. I'm going to make the argument later in the show today that you could stay in Toronto and I think it's a pretty decent argument. But your co-eastern argument. you're Kauai Leonard.

You get your team to the finals. Not that you'd be guilty, but you know if you leave, they're just rebuilding. They're flushing it out and rebuilding. Does winning make you stay longer? Or where do you think he's thinking now? I don't know, because you look at Kevin Durant. Does winning make him stay longer? No.

You know, so it'll be, I think it comes down to where he wants to be, where he wants to live. A California guy, California native, you know, he wants to come. come back to California. And obviously, you know, you stay in the East and it's going to be you and Milwaukee going back and forth for a long time. But who's to say, hypothetically, if Kauai played for the Clippers this year, the first round against the Warriors, that that series is different. There's no cause.

I remember how the Kauai had a grip on our Golden State 2017 team until he got hurt. You know, he was, we had our hands full with him offensively and defensively. Who did you put on him? Everyone got a piece of him. KD. KD. guarded him, Iggy guarded him, Dray guarded him,

so they threw a lot of people out of him, but he's still, that's why I knew, I think, like Joy said earlier, people forgot how good he was because he took the year off, but I've always said he's top three in the world. And it's hard, right now it's hard for me to tell. I got KD as the number one player in the world, but KD, LeBron, Kauai, all these guys are right in that mix. And Kauai, like you said, definitely hands down the best two-way player in the game.

Good to see you, buddy. Good to be seen. Matt Barnes. You got to go home now. Are you done for the day? Yeah, I got some errands to run. Look, it was just quite a lie for you. I mean, I can't complain.

I mean, it's 938. And I'm done with my day. You got paid and you're done. If only the league was that easy. I mean, no pay what the league does. Great seeing Matt Barnes once again. Don't forget the dating game, top of the hour on free agents. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for great. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire

survive. The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness. athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards.

If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and

smile. That means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can, like, I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays,

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

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, 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, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. You know, my job is to watch sports, observe it, and then have answers and theories and beliefs. and one of the ones in sports I've never had an answer for and I can't figure it out and I still don't know. Why does the Western Conference, for the last 20 years, 30 years, it seems like, just kind of dominate the Eastern Conference.

Now, I get why the SEC is the best in football because there's more great high school football players in the South, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, than Denver and West and the Midwest. Like some things I can answer. Why is the West better? I always had a theory. It's a winter league and it's a much of warm weather

cities. And you know, baseball's played in the summer. NBA is a winter league. And if you're asking these guys where they want to come home at night, where they want to hang out with, they want to go to warm cities. I don't necessarily think that's right. It's the only thing I can figure out. But the West has 14 of the 20 last NBA champs, seven out of the last 10. It's got the current dynasty. It's had more dynasties. 80% of the NBA's top players are Western players. The last 17 only two guys are from the East. Derek Rose once, LeBron, four times. The rest are West, including the last five straight.

The West has more good players. And it just does. That doesn't mean the East can't have one great team, the Miami Heat to win, but the West has been best. And I'm looking at Kawhi Leonard. And when MJ retired, mostly so did the East. LeBron basically built his legacy

on beating guys who were over-hyped stars, mellow, John Wall, Derek Rose, you know, good players, all stars, but the real stars were out west. And I look at Janus and I think, well, LeBron built his entire legacy, dominating marginal superstars. Well, look at Kauai Leonard right now. Who are the superstars he's battling in the east? Janus, not a ball handler, doesn't shoot threes. Embed, hurt often.

Kyrie, small, hurt, little flaky. Ben Simmons, can't shoot. John Wall, talented, but just had another surgery, misses the ear. Go ask LeBron about moving west. It's a different vibe. I could make the argument for Kauai Leonard. And I still contend this. Nobody's talking about this, but we have all these free agents.

You go look at the last 20 years in this league. They do not choose outside of Miami they don't choose the eastern seaboard. And you keep telling me about the Knicks and you keep telling me about Brooklyn. But I think Jimmy Butler could move west. Kyrie, a story this week, still considering the Lakers. I think Kevin Durant could possibly stay west.

Zion's already drafted into the west. Anthony Davis, Pelicans trying to keep him, could stay in the west. What of Corai just stays east? I mean, this is how LeBron built his legacy. He just stayed in the east. A lot of guys moved west. Free agents got out and he sat there and went, all right, I'm good. I'm just going to keep getting to the finals.

Let me tell you something. No shoe deals? They like their players in the finals. They like them. Kauai ends up in the Eastern Conference finals, NBA finals, that's where Kauai, not a real verbal guy, can make some money up. He's just playing in June every year. Okay, I got to tell you, I have a weird thing about my personality.

This is odd. It's weird. it's not that I'm embarrassed about it but is a weird part of my personality. I struggle watching awkward. I struggle watching the unathletic kid in Little League struggle. I struggle watching the Jeopardy contestant who's the third best get crushed. I struggle and I always have. There's a lot of videos I cannot go online if I know it's somebody getting humiliated.

I struggle watching awkward. It's about my whole life's been like this. If I have watched a movie already and I know there's an awkward scene coming up, I will fast forward through the awkward scene. I can't sit through it. In my life, I can't. I can't do it either. I can't watch awkward.

I get embarrassed for the first. Maybe I was a kid and maybe it's deep psychologically that I was embarrassed. It just gives me anxiety. I can't do it. There's stuff all the time in the internet. Oh, watch this fool. Rex Chapman does that blocker charge thing. I can't watch it.

I can't watch it. It's all over the internet. I can't watch it. I don't want to see it. So I can't get this out of my brain. Kevin Durant never returns. The Warriors win the title without him. And he's at that parade waving.

And everybody's like, yeah, bye. I can't get it out of my brain. It's going to be the most awkward parade of all time. And I keep thinking to myself, if I'm Kevin Durant, and I'm on that float, and I didn't play the last two and a half series, and they won every game without me, I would turn to the guy running the float and say,

take the exit, go straight to the airport. I cannot stop thinking about this. This is going to be, if he, now there's a story out. He's not practicing. He's not coming back minimum for the first two games. And the bottom line is they don't have the size of Toronto or Milwaukee. You can argue the big advantage for the Warriors over both Toronto and Milwaukee, because it's not experience over Toronto.

That's an old team. But it's, they can play small. They can play small, fast, and fluid. And they're not as fast and fluid with Kevin Durant. They don't play as fast. We know that. I'm not saying better or worse. They don't play with the same tempo and speed with KD as they do without KD.

and I this is going to be can you imagine because they swept Portland and let's say Toronto Milwaukee go seven games they're exhausted and they open up and they sweep they sweep whoever they play from the east Kevin Durant's going to be on that float going hi hi they're now 36 and one without me I don't want to watch that parade I can't do it and here's the other thing is that If I'm Kevin Durant, I've said this now, and you think I'm nuts on this, but you would not deny that branding's a big deal in the NBA. I mean, you know, like Willis Reed comes back on the court. Paul Pierce comes back on the court.

There's a little soap opera to the NBA. It's one of the reasons I like it. It's fun, right? Is that if I'm Kevin Durant, I'm actually, I want the Warriors to win. But if I'm Kevin Durant's agent, his shoe company, I'm like, if even I was Kevin Durant, I'd root for my team to lose a game. so I could come back in, lose the opener to Milwaukee or Toronto. Okay, now we need Kevin, although you can win without him.

Kevin comes back, you trail in the series, 1-0 or 2-1, then Kevin saves the day. Then that parade, it's all good. Then Kevin's waving, everybody's, oh, we really needed you. That was great. But if he doesn't come back and they win, I can't watch that parade. I don't do awkward well. I don't do comedians bombing on stage. I can't watch it.

I can't watch Jeopardy. And this is one of the reasons I can't watch it. Not because I don't love Russian literature questions. I can't watch Jeopardy because there's always two really smart people and then somebody snuck on. They're getting crushed. I'm always, I feel uncomfortable for that person. So that's where I stand this morning. I just can't take awkward.

All right. The dating game's coming up. The dating game is a classic show on American television for years. It was like the game show of note. It didn't last forever, but you had the host, and then you had a young lady, and then you would have three bachelors trying to win her love. All play her. And three bachelors slash free agents trying to win my affection. We'll see how this goes.

Hour 2 in L.A. Friday, it's the herd. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back.

Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal concerns. I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know.

Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them

and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything.

because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying,

and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly. 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, is we have real conversations about All 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. Ah, this looks different. This is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be watching and listening. We're in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. We're going to try something new here today because Joy and I have been saying is in our world, We all know from Labor Day till about February 10th, it's a football world. And we all know in this business, certainly at FS1, that, you know, you get to about April, and then you get into June 15th or so, and then you have the NBA playoffs.

And then you kind of wait for a week, and then the world, it's become so much fun. It's this, all these superstars in the NBA, making deals, all the teams. And this year could be. the craziest year ever. And so what we're going to do today, for anybody that's in their 20s, you can YouTube this while you're watching it. We're going to put a new spin on a classic game. Go ahead. Get ready, all you eligible NBA superstars.

It's time to play the free agent dating game. Here's our host, Joy Taylor. Welcome to the free agent dating game. I am your host, Joy Taylor. I'm going to tell you how this works. Colin is going to play the role of a player about to hit free agency, hit the free agent market. Our three eligible bachelors are going to represent the three NBA teams.

They will each make their pitch to land the free agents. And Colin, or whatever free agent he is currently playing, we'll decide which team he wants to go with. So let's get started with the very first round. Hi, Bachelors. Hi. Hi. Hey now.

Hey now. That is Kauai Leonard. Colin is Kauai Leonard for our radio. listeners. Let's start with Bachelor number one, Chris, which team are you representing? I am representing the Toronto Raptors. Kawai.

Life is about three things. Money, legacy, and experiences slash relationships. So money, you can get $190 million from the Toronto Raptors, $140 million anywhere else. You already gave up $30 million when you

left San Antonio. Plus, we have people all over the city, ready to give you a multi-million dollar condo to live in. You got Hawaiian and dine where you can eat for free all over the city. You will not have to spend a penny if you resign with us. Secondly, legacy. You can go to L.A. and own the Lakers or the city for a little while. New York on the city for a while.

You stay here win championships. You own a nation. This is a whole country that we are giving to you. You will be the greatest basketball player in. Canadian history. That's legacy. Experiences and relationships. Look at this past year. You guys have had a wonderful year. The bond you felt, the emotion you showed when you hit the only game seven buzzer beater in NBA history, Kawhi. You and your teammates have built a bond. They follow you. You are their fearless leader. They're playing better basketball than ever. We can win not

one title, multiple ones with you, Kawhi. Stay. Well, Bachelor number one, you are hot. But it's so cold. It's Toronto. You're like a bus ticket to Nova Scotia. It's too cold. Kauai. You can live in the off-season in Los Angeles, Miami, Bermuda.

Wherever you want to go, it's just for half of the year. Otherwise, you can lay on the beach there are other six months. So don't even worry about that. That's not even an issue. All right. That's very compelling. Bachelor number two. Jason, which team are you representing?

I am representing the L.A. Lakers. First is the worst. We know that. Second is the best. Kawhi Leonard, we are going to make you the global superstar that you deserve to be. You're not going to be that in Toronto, okay? Definitely Popovich wouldn't let you be that in San Antonio. Guess who had the number one jersey sales

in the NBA this year? LeBron, who came to the Los Angeles Lakers. Guess which team sold the most merchandise in the NBA this year. You guessed it, the Lakers, and we didn't even make the playoffs. I'm telling you, Kauai Leonard, you come to the Lakers

and you will restore the brand with 16 titles that we've got. You take us to 17. LeBron could not do that last year. He couldn't even get us to the playoffs. We need you. And a couple other notes. Kauai, I know you want to be that global superstar,

and here's how we get you there. You got a new sneaker deal with new balance, okay? You come to the Lakers. Do you know how many shoes you're going to sell at the 2020? Olympics in Tokyo, you need to be global. We put you on the map.

The Lakers brand. And finally, you know, we got a new coach, Frank Vogel. I'm sure these guys will try to poke fun at him. But guess what? We control the staff. And just as Toronto added your best buddy, Jeremy Castleberry, your buddy who played high school with him, college, we will add him to our coaching staff in L.A.

Just the way we added Jason kid. Your front office is a mess. I don't even know who I'm going to meet if I'm there. Well, here's a thing. You don't have to worry about that. because you're going to be in control. We took the power away from LeBron James. We didn't let him get Tyloo.

This is your show, Kawhi Leonard. Come to L.A., become a global superstar. All right, very good pitch. That was weak. All right, all right. Bachelor number three, Rob, which team are you representing? I represent the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that made the playoffs in Los Angeles.

Kauai, come home, baby. you're from this area, you're from L.A. Come home and here you have a chance and an opportunity not to play second fiddle to LeBron James and that mess across the hall at Staples Setters, but you have a chance to do what nobody else has ever been able to do.

Make the Clippers a championship caliber team. It will always be about you. You were the chosen one. You were the son that came back to Los Angeles. Look at what the Clippers have. Doc Rivers, a coach who already won a championship. Jerry West, one of the greatest all-time. He's the logo.

He's running this operation. You are very attractive, Bachelor 3, but Jerry West is 81, and I'm young. Don't worry about the gray hair. It's about youth, experience. Do you want to be on the logo one day? You could have that chance if you were able to take the clippers to the mountaintop. The clippers are ready to win now. The clippers made the playoffs this year.

Without a superstar, all we need to do is add you, add water, and stir. It's called a championship. Make it happen. Well, you're all, you all had awesome pitches. But the shortest pitch, and I'm not much for talking, I'm going to choose Bachelor number three. The Clippers. Oh, congratulations. You can have them.

You can have them. Great pick, Kauai. Bob, tell us what the lucky couple has won. Kauai and the Clippers. You've just won a guaranteed trip to the playoffs next year, which is more than any other NBA team in Los Angeles can say. Congrats. That seems like a very lasting, solid relationship.

Good, good pick by Kauai. Congratulations, Bachelor 3. All right, time to our second round. Colin is Kyrie Irving. Hello, Kyrie. Hello, Bachelor's. Hey, Kyrie. All right. Let's start with Bachelor 1.

Chris, which team are you representing? I am representing the Boston Celtics. Kyrie, let's face it. There are really two franchises in the NBA, the Lakers and the Celtics. You want to go to the Lakers and have people say, oh, he crawled back with his tail between his legs so he can play with his big brother. No, you are capable, Kyrie, of leading your own team.

We don't believe the narrative, the hype out there about you this year. We know you are a born leader. We know you are a number one guy on the championship team. We just have to get rid of some of our young players who want to make money, who didn't understand we're going for a championship this year. And we will do that because we're going to trade them for Anthony Davis. And the narrative won't be Kyrie went to join somebody else. It'll be Anthony Davis came to join Kyrie, 1 and 1A.

So stay here, Kyrie. You win championships in Boston. You're a legend. And on top of that, you can get $50 more million dollars if you stay with us. All we did, though, was fight. Yeah, but those guys are going to be gone. Trust me. Terry Rozier, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, they're in the deal.

They're going to be playing in New Orleans. UNAD of the future. Interesting pitch. All right. Bachelor number two, Jason, which team are you representing? I'm representing the Los Angeles Lakers. Karee, this is a no-brainer. The best success you've had in your career, Better than at Duke.

Better than at Cleveland the first time around was when you and LeBron joined forces to take down the Warriors in one of the most historic finals ever. It truly was incredible what you and LeBron can do together. Nobody plays better together than LeBron and Kyrie Irving. That match was perfect. You hit the game winner in game seven. That is you.

That's your legacy. You will do that in L.A., Kyrie. You want Uncle Drew the sequel? Come to L.A. They're not making movies in Boston. They're making gangster movies in Boston. We make basketball movies. Kyrie Irving fits perfectly.

He joins the legacy of great point guards. Magic Johnson. Kyrie Irving. L.A. is for you, Kyrie. That's a pretty good pitch. I'm not sure. You know, LeBron, though, has got some physical issues.

I mean, how do I know he's any good anymore? Well, you don't really have to concern yourself with that because obviously you are the star. Look what happened in Boston when you were on the court this year. Total domination. You don't have those young people. punks to deal with in Boston. We've got great young players who know their role. Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram. Kyrie, L.A. is for you.

Might be heading to Hollywood. All right, Bachelor number three, Rob, which team are you representing? I represent the New York Knickerbockers, the Knicks for all you laymen out here. And, Kyrie, you know you're from Metropolitan New York. You know what it's all about. Here's a chance for you to cement your legacy. Can you imagine? You remember all those parades for the Yankees had down the canyon of here? all the ticker tape confetti. The Knicks haven't won since 1973. I think Moby Dick was a

guppy back then. Here's your chance to cement your legacy and win in the biggest place on the biggest stage and the brightest lights. Yes, you could talk about the Celtics and the Lakers, but the Knicks and Nick fans are yearning. You will be a legend in New York

and a legend in sports. The Knicks are the place to be. Well, I I am from there. And Boston's Boston's really functional and sometimes I'm dysfunctional.

I've got to be honest. I think the earth is flat. And I think James Dolan is crazy. I'm going to go Bachelor number three. It's a perfect girl. Bachelor number three. It's a white wall. I'm so logo.

Oh, okay. That's all right. Headed to the big city. Bob, tell us what the lucky couple has won. Kyrie and the Knicks. You've just won a first-class trip to the 2020 playoffs where you can

enjoy a first round exit. Congrats. Enjoy it, first round. Well, at least they're making the playoffs. We'll see. We'll see how it happens long term. All right. Finally, our final rounds, Colin is Kevin Durant.

Hello, Kevin. Man, hold on, I got to sign off my burner account. All right, let's get started. Bachelor number one, Chris, which team are you representing to, Kevin? I am representing the Los Angeles Clippers. Look, KD, you're the best player in the world, period. But nobody knows it. That's why you got to get out of Golden State and get away from Steph Curry and Clay.

They won a championship before you. If you come here and you win a championship with us, you can go down is forget top 10 player, top five player. You may even be able to challenge for the goat. New York, we hear all the rumors about New York. New York hasn't been relevant in your entire lifetime. Yeah, we know your agent is from you, New York. He's going to tell you how big the Knicks are, but let's face it.

Outside of New York City, nobody cares about the Knicks. You come here, you want people to know you are better than LeBron James. What better way to do it than to win championship? in LeBron's city, in LeBron's arena, right across the hall from him. KD, we have the supporting cast. We have Patrick Beverly, Bontres Harrow, we have room for another major free agent. You got to come here, Kevin. You and Kawhi or you and Kyrie.

Name your other free agent, and we're teaming him up with you. Man, that was a good sales bitch. By the way, I forgot to say, hi, Bachelors. Hey, KD. That was really strong. Go ahead. Bachelor 2. All right, Bachelor number 2. Jason, who is your team? Listen, this, I don't even really need to make much of a pitch.

Golden State Warriors. Do you like history? Is history your thing? Do you love me? Do you love me? I love you, Kevin Durant. Do you not want to be one of the greatest players in NBA history? Okay? You are going to top Michael Jordan and wipe his stuff off the map. His three straight titles, irrelevant when the Warriors win four straight. Listen, don't buy this. You get Patrick Beverly.

You want Patrick Beverly or you want Steph Curry? This New York Knicks thing. Listen, when the play breaks down, you're going to be tossing the ball to Lance Thomas and Alonzo Trier? Are you kidding me? Kevin Durant, this is a no-brainer. You sign a one-plus-one, we make history. Four straight titles.

Hasn't been done since the Boston Celtics 75 years ago. I'm telling you, this is easy, KD. Stay in Golden State, open the new arena, become a legend. Man, made me feel good. Go ahead. All right, finally, matcher number three, Rob, which team are you representing? I represent the New York Knicks. New York, New York, New York, so nice to name it twice.

KD, you belong there. We have 8 million people. We got room for you. You know why? You belong in a city like this. You belong in a mecca. You belong in a space where people will look at you and finally say, that mistake you made when you went to Golden State, it's erased.

You come to New York, win a chief. championship, no one will ever doubt your greatness again. People will look at you and say, here goes one of the greatest players who ever played in the NBA. He even got the New York Knicks to win a championship. That's how good he is. You belong with the Knicks, and we belong having you. This is all making me cry. I'm very sensitive. I've got to be honest, Bachelor number one made an incredible pitch But I can't leave the people who love me I'll choose Bachelor number two

Bachelor number two Both state warriors For Jay Mack Congratulations Bob Tell us what the lucky couple is won Katie and the Warriors You've just won our grand prize Another trip to the NBA finals

And another totally predictable season for all of us Congrats I guess All right, that wraps up our show. Take it away, Bob. Bye-bye. Back after this. We'll see you next time on the free agent dating game.

This is weird. I made every pitch. There was terrible. Back after this. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard radio app. Jacob Kingston grew up in an ice ice. isolated polygamous sect.

We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across.

When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud, But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small.

The question is, how do you conquer this? them. On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going from the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladecki.

The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts for wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games,

from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my, new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health

field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't 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. We have a full slate of baseball coming your way tomorrow on Fox.

Action kicks off at 7 Eastern with most of the country seeing mooky bets and the Red Sox. Battle George Springer and the Astros and other regional action. The Braves take on the Cardinals or the Dodgers battle the pirates. Check local listings for the game in your area. Astro is the best team in baseball right now. Red Sox's not far behind. So Astros, by the way, it should be noted. The Astros and the Dodgers said we're not signing these huge contracts.

We're not bringing them in. and the Astros went and signed a veteran outfielder. Michael Brantley is having that huge year. The Dodgers, Zach Grinky, no thanks, Bryce Harper. It's nothing against the players, but these teams that don't feel desperate to throw a 13-year contract that a player are doing very well in this sport. I'm not a fan of 12-year contracts,

though I can love the individual player. You know, I'm watching Toronto and Milwaukee last night, and there's always been this sort of, you know, who's the next Michael Jordan? And Kobe felt a little bit like him. And LeBron, you know, is he better? I got to tell you, I see a lot. When I look at Michael Jordan, you know what I see?

I see Kauai Leonard and Kobe Bryant. Kobe's got the flare and the relentless pursuit of offense. Kauai's got the hands, the body size. I mean, they look physically like each other. The way they're cut, the hands. A couple times last night, Kauai did a one-hand move. that is, you know, extraordinary hand length. It allows him to leave the ground and not really have a decisive plan,

what he's going to do with the ball yet. They both play huge defense. So nobody's ever going to compare Kauai to Michael Jordan because Michael was so big and the suits and the personality and the smile and the gold earring. He was Wall Street. He was Main Street and Kauai doesn't talk. But if you put a little bit of Kobe's flair and drama and personality,

into Kauai Leonard's body type and game, they remind me of each other. I'm telling you, this idea that you have to shoot threes, Kauai Leonard has brought the mid-range jumper back, and it's a real thing. He just wears guys down. He'll beat you off the dribble. It's fun to watch. If you were building to date, and I just say, build the perfect basketball player. And I remember sitting on a couch saying this to friends years ago about Michael Jordan.

And I said, he's the perfect basketball player. Huge hands so you can shoot or palm. About 6, 7, not tiny, but not awkwardly big. You can shoot a 2 or a 3. You have playoff experience. You're a smart player with playoff experience. And I trust you to hit free throws late. Kauai is what you do.

And by the way, not dramatic. He's not seeking drama. I mean, the knock on him, he's bad at the podium. And that's a good knock. But man, if I'm building the perfect player, it looks, the body type, the hands, the size, the defense, the stamina late in games. I mean, he's been, by the way, hasn't he been better in the playoffs on the regular season? He does the load management thing in the regular season. He's been a great playoff player.

So, the tip of the cap. I mean, he's arguably the best player in the game right now. He has been unbelievable joy with the news. No, no, no, no. This is the herd line news. So LeBron James was selected to the all-NBA third team this year, making his 15th appearance on an all-MBA team. And with this selection, he joins Kobe Bryant,

Tim Duncan, and Kareem as the only players to ever make an all-MBA team 15 times in their career. It's the first time he wasn't first team selection for the first time since 2007, maybe the second team that last year. So we were talking earlier about, if KD is the best and what that that whole conversation in ranking is. I'm with you right now with KD being the best in the league. I still have LeBron number two.

I feel like we are all grossly overreacting to what happened with the Lakers this year. But I don't know if I would have voted him this year. Number one, he really did decide I'm not going to play defense, which I got. Secondly, he missed half the year. I'd struggle putting him on an all-NVA team. I don't have an issue with it.

I don't. Now, they were in the playoffs. They were playing incredible. They were rolling right before his injury. I know, but he missed 40 games. He did miss a lot of games. But I'm just not dropping off of LeBron that quickly. I think LeBron is going to come back this year with extra rest, highly motivated.

He's always in the best shape that he can possibly be in. I understand everyone's very cautious about that at one injury. It is his only major injury of his career. I still have LeBron up there. I mean, Kauai and Steph and Janus, like they're all obviously in the conference. conversation. To me, Katie, is a level up. Isn't all NBA supposed to be based on this season's numbers? God, how do you miss 40 games? I mean, he's built up that cachet. Well, you know, I'm not, I'm not arguing the equity. But I would think if I got bumped out for LeBron, I'd be like, I average

22 and I played 80 games. I'd be a little. It might be irritated. Irritated. I think that'd be a fair word. I'd be a little irritated. I also understand. So the Giants turn some heads by drafting, do quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick this year, and they're hoping that Jones can learn from Eli Manning to be the future of the franchise. I guess that's what they're hoping. I don't know. No one really knows the Giants plan.

But new Giants wide receiver, Golden Tate, also has high hopes for Daniel Jones, and he made a very optimistic comparison between him and another former backup quarterback. We're hoping that he can respond to pressure, and if Eli breaks his shoelace or something, that he won't even miss a beat. The good news with Dan situation, he's sitting right behind a Hall of Fame type quarterback.

So he's going to have an opportunity to learn some incredible tools that can help him in the future. So, you know, I hope it's kind of like that Brett Farr, Aaron Rogers kind of situation eventually. You know, actually, the one similarity I would say is Farv was known Big Arm, Adliber. Aaron's known as Big Arm, sometimes an adliber. Daniel Jones is basically to me, he's a lot of Eli. Size, look. The difference is Daniel Jones is way more athletic. Daniel can run.

He's got Alex Smith and him. So I don't think he was worth the number six pick. But I'll tell you, if you were going to compare Daniel Jones to any quarterback in the NFL when you drafted him, you'd say it's Eli Manning. He looks like him. Yeah, it's unfortunate for Daniel Jones in a weird way that he went so high because that is going to put added pressure on him that is maybe undue. Because maybe he is a serviceable starting quarterback or franchise quarterback in the league.

But because he went to the Giants, because there's so much pressure for the Giants to get the quarterback situation right, because he went so high. That's it. It's put this added incredible pressure on the situation. If he goes second round, just same guy, same place. We wouldn't even be talking about it right now. We would be like, Giants actually got a potential Eli replacement. and they didn't have to, I mean...

No, we would just be discussing Eli Manning and all the other things going on with the Giants. It would not be what exactly are they going to do because when you take a quarterback that high, they're expected to start right away. Yes. And they probably need to start them right away. So finally, we've been talking a lot about Aaron Rogers

having a little more fun these days. He and offensive lineman David Bactiari were at game five, Bucks Raptors last night. And when the camera pans to Bactiari started chugging his beer, there he is there goes the beer and it's bye then he had a second one

here he goes says let's go and it's bye bye all right so he points across the court at Aaron Rogers challenging him to chug a beer

and he's only he's only got like a half of beer he gives it a good little effort and it's not that's how I drink a beer yeah Aaron's like me I can do it

couldn't do it I can't do it Couldn't do it. So it's back across. It's the back yard. And he chugged his third beer. And it's gone. Offensive linemen are the best.

They're just the best. I don't know. I do not understand the concept of struggling beer. I could not. I can't get two goals. So I went to dinner two nights ago with Jeff Schwartz, playing the NFL forever. Right. It's amazing.

Jeff is 340 and eats less than me. He's just 340. And I'm like, did you gain weight? He goes, Colin. I literally had a dinner. He had a little steak. little spinach and I'm like, you don't eat my. He's like, no, no, this is my body.

These NFL offensive linemen, it's like this. You are truly born an offensive lineman. Absolutely. That's not something that you choose for yourself at all. You're 100% right. And I mean, the weight that they have to maintain actually is hard for them. Like they have to put on weight when they come in, especially during training camp, you're sweating and losing so much weight and just the amount of food that they have to eat to maintain it.

It's just, it's crazy. But again, it's good to see. Aaron Rogers out there. I know. It's the fun. That's kind of the definition of Aaron letting his hair down. He could chug like one quarter of a beer.

But at least he's having fun. Yeah, yeah. He had a great off season, actually. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. You know, it is interesting.

We played the free agent dating game because, you know, I mean, listen, there's a lot of good NBA reporters out there. And I think, you know, I mean, these are 25, 28-year-old kids. I mean, I've moved around the country four times, three times, I didn't know, 48 hours out. This was the only move I knew months in advance. And even then it was hard and I'm older.

Okay? So I don't think anybody really knows because I don't think the players know. And I would say this to anybody watching or anybody listening. When you're going to make a massive move off in cross-country, I think it's really, really hard. I always use the example when LeBron left Cleveland to go to Miami. I know. I talked to Stephen A. Smith about this. He's like, listen, I ought to broke the story because I had great sources.

LeBron 48 hours out didn't know. He was leaning, but he didn't know. But I can tell you this. Here is, so there's a story this morning. LeBron has started recruiting Kauai Leonard and Jimmy Butler. This tells you the difference, big brother, little brother, in what is happening in Los Angeles. the one free agent the Clippers aren't really all in on is Jimmy Butler, and that's the one the Lakers are desperate for.

Because a source has told me that Jerry West and the Clippers, Anthony Davis, they like a lot, but they're not quite sure if Anthony has those leadership alpha qualities. He's also had some injuries, often hasn't played through injuries, so Anthony wouldn't be their first pick. I've also been told Jerry West and the Clippers, like Jimmy, Butler's talent, but this would be his fourth team in three years. And he does have a little bit of a combative relationship with younger players.

Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler, the Clippers, if they had a choice, I'm told, those aren't the guys they want. They're totally focused on Kauai and Kevin Durant. But what's funny is Jimmy Butler and Anthony are the two, I think the Lakers have focused on because it's the two they have the best chance at. So just think about the dynamic in this city, what it was forever and what it is now, that the one guy of all the free agents that I've been told the Clippers are a little cool on is Jimmy Butler. It's the one the Lakers are praying for.

And that just shows you kind of the standing of the two organizations that, and I don't know, you know, I don't talk to Jerry West. I have friends who know Jerry, golf with Jerry, talk to Jerry, but they have a real focused plan with the Clippers. They, Kauai and Durant, it is laser focused. Now, they may not land either, but that's the top of the food chain. The Lakers are at a point from what my sources tell me, they just want somebody. And they may like Jimmy Butler more than Kemba.

They're just hoping for somebody. And there is deep concern in the Laker organization, despite what you may read from Rob Polanka. They may get shut out. They may get shut out. And it's a whole different ballgame than what it used to be in this city. You know, there's, remember the movie Moneyball? Yes. And there was that line from Moneyball.

It's a classic line. And I'll read the line. It's people who run ball clubs think in terms of buying players. Your goal should be to buy wins. And LeBron and the Lakers right now, they're just trying to buy a player. Whereas I think the clippers look at Kauai and think, oh, he will buy a guy that wins games. and there's a big difference between the two. Like I said, the Cleveland Browns are collecting talent.

New England tends to collect players that help them win definitively. In OBJ, there's no proof you win more with OBJ. Cleveland Browns collecting talent. Now, it may win a bunch of games. New England gets guys who they think can produce wins. It's not just a talent pursuit. All right, good stuff coming up. We may even have Chris Broussard stop by again.

Give you updates on all this stuff. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back.

Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shorthy. shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this went to a billion-dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know.

Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them

and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin, and rising hockey star, Leila Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything.

because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying,

and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field

and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly. 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, is we have real conversations about All 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. Hey, by the way, Discover's going further with Miles than ever before. Discover at Miles card. Unlimited, one and a half miles on every purchase. Match all the miles yearn at the end of the first year.

35,000 miles could become 70,000. No blackout dates. Get out there with your Discover at Miles card today. Limitations apply. Discover match for new card members. Only learn more to Discover.com slash travel. fresh off the dating game with Rob Parker, Chris Broussard and Jason McIntyre. You can admit it now.

I had the best pitches. You actually did. You just had the wrong teams. I know. I was like, how did this happen? Great pitches, wrong teams. I think the Toronto Milwaukee series comes down to this. Kauai, the whole floors is canvas.

You can't marginalize him. Yannis, there's a little box he plays in. Toronto's like, we're just going to put a bunch of bigs and lengthen there. and I think that's the series. I mean, it feels like that to me. Well, what it comes down to is experience. And I picked Toronto at the beginning of the playoffs to win the East because I felt Milwaukee's lack of experience would eventually come back to bite them.

Before the series began, I said, you know, I went against my better judgment and said Milwaukee's looks so good. Toronto's had his struggles. I'm going with the Bucks. But if Milwaukee was to get to the finals and win it, it would be going against, what, 60, 70, 70, years of NBA conventional wisdom, which is that you need to have adversity. You need to go through some bad experiences before you win a championship, whether it was LeBron James individually,

whether it was Shaq and Kobe together, whether it was Michael Jordan, whether it was Isaiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons losing the bird over and over again. Like that has been the history of the NBA unless you are fortunate enough like Magic Johnson to go to a team with the MVP Kareem Abdul-Javar. Other than that, you don't just wake up one day, be great, and getting the NBA finals. This is a necessary, it's painful

right now for the bucks and their fans, but this is necessary. They need to suffer this pain. And Janus, individually, that's what he's going through. This reminds me of LeBron in 2007 against the Spurs in the finals. When LeBron, they zoned up essentially LeBron, made him

shoot jumpers. I remember that. And he struggled. He struggled. It showed as great as I am. I need to add some things to my game. I need to get better. Janis, with his work ethic, he'll do the same thing LeBron did and work on the three-point shot, work on the mid-range shot. I think in two years he'll be a very competent jump shooter. And then, not saying they can't get there next year, but he's going to keep improving.

This is just Milwaukee has to go through these growing pains. I'm just going to throw, and I talked about this earlier, and I think we've talked. about this is that 14 of the last 20 champions are West 7 of 10, 80% of the stars are West. I don't know why. I used to think it was weather. Whatever it is,

I think there's a possibility that this thing's going to, so Zion and John Morant ended West. Pelicans want to keep Anthony Davis more than sell him. At least for this free agency period, he won't move. A lot of people

think Durant, if not Warriors, goes Clippers. Jimmy Butler could absolutely move West. Could I make the argument for Kauai? Listen, you stay east, bro. It's you against Milwaukee. LeBron built his legacy. We've seen how the West works out.

He built his legacy on beating really talented guys, but average stars. Mello, Rose, DeMar de Rosen. The Boston Big Three was older when he beat him. You start looking at this for Kauai and it's like outside of Milwaukee, a lot of Jason Tatum, John Wall.

I mean, they're good players. Yeah. I mean, can I make an argument for Kauai? It's not the worst place in the world. LeBron built a legacy flying through the east. Maybe. Number one, I don't see him or anybody going on a LeBron-type run anytime soon. We're eight straight, five straight finals, whatever it is.

One, as great as Kauai is, he's not as good as LeBron has been throughout his prime. Secondly, you do have Milwaukee. and M.B., trust me, he is going to, within two years, he will be a good three-point shooter and jump shooter. So he's just, he and Milwaukee are going to get better. We don't know yet, but what if KD and Kyrie go to New York or KD and someone else?

Now New York's in the mix. Philadelphia, M.B. and Simmons are going to improve. If Simmons, and I'm trusting that he is, if that dude really wants to be a great player and not just a celebrity, he is going to work on his game, work on his jump shot. Like he's got, this is two years in a row now. You have become a liability in the playoffs.

So if you really want to be a great player, he's going to work on it to some degree. So Philadelphia is going to be there. So I don't think that the East is necessarily going to be easier for Kauai. It might be easier because you won't have Golden State and LeBron out there. But it's going to be a tough road for him no matter what. So I said, Joy actually agrees with me on this. We have this personality thing. I struggle to watch awkward.

I can't watch a comedian bomb on stage. Like if I go to a comedy show, like I go to one in Hermosa, the Magic Club, and they have about 10 comics. I'll go watch the two or three I think are good. I don't want to watch a comic struggling, even though they're all talented to get on the stage. I don't like the Jeopardy Condescent who's getting crushed. I can't watch the Little League kid, you know, the heavyset Little League kid who's awkward and doesn't feel good about himself.

I can't watch this. So I don't like awkward. If Kevin Durant doesn't come back and the Warriors fly to a championship, I can't watch a parade with Kevin Durant on a bus waving and essentially everybody in the baby and like, see you, we don't need you, dude.

I mean, be honest, Chris. Well, isn't it kind of awkward? He's got to, I think, and look, who knows what's going on behind the scenes as far as why he's not on the bench and all that stuff. But I do think he's got to get more engaged. If he can, if the injury's not limiting him from being on the bench,

the injury's not limiting him from being visible and cheering on the team. You've got to show that, those optics that you're all in on this, and you want to enjoy this championship with your team. Beyond what you said, this is why if they win the championship, he needs to go. I know you're saying maybe he should stay and go and say, No, if they win the championship, you need to go. Kevin Durant is a type of player that could be top 10, top five of all time. But you're not going to do it if people feel like you got easy championships.

Part of sports is the challenge. Like that is integral to sports at every single level, the challenge. And people are looking at it like, we know you're great. We know you're awesome. But you're not challenging yourself by winning titles in Golden State. So that's why he has to leave now. As much as I've talked about, if they win it without him, it'll diminish a little bit, you know, the two rings. If they lose it without him, it'll elevate what he did those two years.

And then to your point, it would be easy for him to just stay there. Yes. Like if he, and I don't, if he's only leaving or if he only wants to go to New York or wherever for validation of his legacy, then if they lose without you, you don't have to go anywhere. You come back and win and it's all validated. You know, Chris, I've always rooted. First of all, I've been mobile in my life,

so I think I'd be a complete hypocrite to not root for players to be mobile. People think I don't like small markets. What I root for is greatness. So I would rather see A.Rod go to the Yankees because I know they have enough money to put other great players around because baseball didn't have a salary cap.

I don't want to see A.Rod in his prime go to Kansas City or Minnesota where it sucks up all the money. So I root for great baseball players to go to the Red Sox, to go to the Dodgers, to go to big market teams where they can just, 30 million a year. You put Manny Machado in San Diego, there's limitation of what you can put around him. So like Jim Harbaught, Michigan can get some of the best players in the country. Jim Harbott, Purdue, he's going to be limited. It's Purdue.

But you know how different baseball and basketball. No, I know. I do. But the one thing I'll say about Durant, what I want, what I don't want to see Kevin do is go to a dysfunctional ownership, a dysfunctional coach, a dysfunctional GM. That's what worries me about New York. I don't think LeBron can't overcome it. Well, the front office in New York is fine.

Now, Scott Perry and Steve Mills have done a good job of just clearing up that cap space. Okay. And obviously, David Fisdell is a respected coach who's had some success. So, look, Dolan, of course, can be a question mark. But below him, the front office, I think, is solid. There's no doubt in my mind that that's a solid front office and coaching staff. The key for KD, as far as New York, you have got to go with somebody else. And I don't mean just, yeah, there's the media issue.

He'd have trouble handling that by himself. But just from a basketball standpoint, because here's the thing about New York, you got to win. If he goes there, if, sir, the first year, just get us in the playoffs. Oh, that's great. We're relevant. That gets old fast. Second year, conference finals, at least you better be. At some point, second, third year, if you don't win a championship,

by the way, it's going to start getting negative. When you go to a big market and win, you get more press. You go to a big market and lose, you get more press. Kevin would lose in Oklahoma City and we just go over to LeBron and pay attention, all this stuff. You go to New York and lose, it's different than going to Oakland. Absolutely. Absolutely.

And that's why he, look, all these. guys are talking. Yeah. So whether it's Kyrie or whoever, he needs to go with somebody else. Chris Broussard, great stuff. Hour number three, around the corner. He's on the odd couple with Rob Parker Radio, Fox Sports Radio today, too. Thanks, buddy.

Hour three next. 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. Discover's going further with Miles rewards than they've ever gone before because the Discover at Miles card automatically matches all the miles you earn at the end of your first year. I am going to have in 10 minutes shocking news. I can't believe this. I love it and I cannot believe it. This is, you know what I like? Like when I was dating, a really important thing for me was, does she get the joke?

Like there's no fun being around somebody that doesn't get your sense of humor or, you know, like, do they get it? You know what I mean? Like, do they get the joke? You're going to be with somebody for, you know, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years. Do they get the joke? Can you laugh at the same stuff? Enjoy the same news? You're not going to believe.

I'm starting to fall in love with an athlete. He's starting to get it. I just don't go anywhere. Don't go anywhere, folks. Don't go anywhere. Joy with the news. Oh, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. What a game last night. The bucks dropped game five at home to the Raptors, leaving them on the brink of elimination. Heading back to Toronto. Milwaukee kept it close, but they could not contain Kauai Leonard, who scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Yonis was asked about the team's mindset going into game six. We're not going to fall. How do you know? We're not going to follow. We're not going to fall. We're going to go. and we're going to give everything we've got.

You know, we're going to come back to Milwaukee. Being pissed. I think we had a chance to win it. Win the other game today, but we didn't. Obviously, you know, I'm pissed. I'm not going to lie to you. We've got two more games to go, and we can do this. Well, Janus did have 24 points last night, but he was four of nine from the free throw line,

which is very frustrating. NBA history, Big, Tim Duncan for the longest time. Shack, big struggle at the free throw. thrown line and it seems to get worse in the playoffs. And Kauai had 35, 7 and 9. Van Bleet actually had a huge night last night, 21 points, 7 for 9 from 3, which was a big turnaround from him because he was not shooting well from the 3 point line at all. I think that Toronto wraps this up next game.

It's going to be, I understand that, you know, they're going to be playing with their backs against the wall, the bucks, but I really just feel like the Raptors experience and Kauai just dominating. Yeah, I'm surprised. I'm surprised. I'm not surprised that Chris Middleton I never bought is a great two. And Chris Middleton has been wildly inconsistent. Yeah, he just needs to be more inconsistent.

I mean, there are things that didn't surprise me about Milwaukee. I didn't think they were going to blow through the east. Like, you know, everybody was saying, oh, my buddy didn't right. Oh, they're setting records. I'm like, I'm not saying they can't win the East, but I don't buy this. They're way better than everybody. And the second thing is I didn't buy Chris Middleton as a go-to number two score. Am I surprised Toronto is kind of now controlling the series?

I am because they don't have a second score. But I think it's just Kauai is putting on a Michael Jordan show. Yeah, I think it's more of Kauai than anyone else in the series. They're honest, it's not shooting well from the free-throw line, then Chris Middleton, then Kyle Lowry. It's all about Kauai in this series to me. Kauai is just taking the team on his back. And if he can get help from other teammates, great.

But if not, he's going to make it happen. By the way, you were right. right on the Raptors from day one. There were three teams I said I didn't buy coming into the playoffs. Denver and Milwaukee, which I was guaranteed. They were in the finals. Toronto's the shock to me. Toronto's the one you liked.

I didn't. You know, you nailed it. The only reason I liked Toronto was because it was mostly the same team coming back. Only you're adding Kauai Leonard. And we just forgot, I mean, I didn't, but everyone forgot how great Kauai is. And him not being consistently playing throughout the regular season kind of made people weary on him. Kauai is top three NBA player in the world, basketball player in the world.

Like, he's incredible and he's showing it right now. Well, it was a finals MVP at like 22 or 23 or something. Yes. So LeBron James is obviously worried about the dysfunction in the Lakers front office and how that could cost them landing an elite free agent this summer, but that's not stopping him from trying to recruit some players to L.A. According to Win Horse, LeBron is already talking to some big names. He said, from what I understand, he has already begun the recruiting process.

I've heard he has had contact with Kauai Leonard. Heardy's had contact with Jimmy Butler. There's no tampering enforcement by players. The thing about it is, I don't know if texts and calls and maybe a dinner with LeBron is enough for the Lakers to overcome, the hurdles are going to have. That's true. You really can't, you really can't control tampering within players. You can't control players talking to each other.

Nor would you want to. This has made the NBA so much more. Like, it's just taken over the sports world, especially free agency. We talk about it all year round. We talk about it two years out where players are going to go. You're not going to police that. You know what it's like? It's like speed limits.

It says speed limit 55. They give you seven miles over. What they're trying to do is send a message. Keep it around 55. So it's more of a suggestion? Yeah, I mean, like no tampering. It's like, don't go crazy on this, but you can text other players. Well, they can't.

They just can't control it. Like, you can control public things and things that are on the record and stuff like that. You can't control this. But LeBron did make another small statement today. We are approaching free agency season. So, you know, everyone is going to start following the breadcrumbs and paying attention to everything it everyone does. Well, a picture was posted on Instagram

of Kyrie Irving in a Lakers jersey. Oh, my. Oh, look at that. There is. Dun, dun, dun. Oh, my. Who you like. Internet detectives. Strike again. Like an Instagram picture.

I love it, though. This is the best time. All of the breadcrum things are going to start coming out, and it's like every little clue. And meanwhile, nobody knows where they're going or what they're doing. Well, after the regular season ends, I'm taking a week off, hang out with my fam in Utah.

because you get a week before everybody signs, but I know that that Friday and Saturday, the last days of my vacation, I know what's happening. Like, that's when all the signing's going to happen. Oh, yeah. The whole world's going to be different. Crazy.

It'll be so good. So good. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. So it's funny, this just cracks me up. First of all, when you host a show like this,

I'm doing a radio show, a TV show, a podcast, digital, XM, serious. all simultaneously. I have a guaranteed contract. I don't get paid for clicks. It doesn't matter. Joy doesn't get paid for clicks. We want to be interesting,

but the only thing I get clicks on is Twitter, and it's the only thing I don't make any money on. Like, everything else I can monetize, right? So nobody makes them money on Twitter except the Kardashians. So people think, Colin, you're just, you're pushing the Browns, you're trying to get clicks. No, I hated Baker Mayfield junk grabbing in college.

I brought Baker Mayfield on my show and we pushed each other around. It was awesome. It was good television radio. That's all I care about. That is all I care about is the segment for 12 minutes good. Can I keep you in your car in the parking lot and tease you so you'll stay for another segment? I don't give a rip about clicks. Baker is a good topic.

I wouldn't have drafted him, but he is talented. We love bringing him on the show. And there have been a couple of Twitter spats. and I've asked people behind the scenes because I said, does he get it? Like when I'm saying, Baker, you hurt my feelings. I didn't sleep last night.

The only thing I've asked is he gets like I'm being sarcastic. That's tongue and cheek. Well, officially now, I know Baker Mayfield gets it. Because I didn't, a lot of times some of these athletes, they get all worked up. And my response to anybody that gets worked up on Twitter with me is just sarcasm and, you know, Baker Mayfield hurt my feelings.

I didn't sleep all weekend. Obviously, that's tongue and cheek. And then Baker fired back and I asked the staff, I'm like, does he get that was tongue in cheek? Well, Baker Mayfield officially gets it. Baker Mayfield, my staff just came up during the commercial break. He has gone on his Instagram page and he has created a T-shirt. And... Oh, I am so purchasing that. The land versus the herd. That is a great shirt.

Fact versus fiction. He gets it. Folks, this is all fun. It's entertainment. That doesn't mean I didn't believe what I said, which is, I don't like my quarterbacks and cop videos, and I don't like them grabbing their junk and throwing balls at opposing teams and warmups. I don't want that nonsense. And I have no problem bringing Baker Mayfield on and going right after him and he goes after me.

And I don't care if I win the segment. That's a win for me if I get a cabative segment. Who cares? I don't keep score on it. I got one over him. But when we go back and forth, the whole point now is he's good radio television. He's interesting. Do you see the Cleveland Brown ratings last year?

Like networks wanted to put them on. This year they're in all sorts of television games. They're fascinating. And Baker now gets it. He didn't have to love me, and I don't have to love him. But all this stuff we do at some point, it is theater. I'm wearing makeup now. It is fun.

Now, I can break a story. That doesn't mean I make stuff up. That doesn't mean I'm saying stuff just to blank this and do that. I've always been totally honest about Baker that what drives me nuts. But this, he's an athlete that gets it. That's funny. Those are great. Those are great.

And I would strongly, I don't know if this is going to charity or his pocket, whatever, I would strongly, why don't we buy 10 of these? And maybe we should buy 10 of these. These are funny. Okay. I were size small. You were size small. Yes. Even if you didn't, I was going to suggest that on the air.

Thank you. Yeah. Those are really good, though. Way to go, Baker Mayfield. anything versus the land I'm down for. Born and Raised in 401, too. Can I ask a question here? Was it called the land forever?

I never heard of it until LeBron said that. Yeah. I mean, I never called it the land. Okay, no, I've heard of the burg. Yes. Well, because that, I mean, we start everything, and then Cleveland kind of tries to do their Cleveland version of whatever Pittsburgh does. So I'm going to mention a city and you tell me the nickname.

So L.A. is like City of Angels. Like, that's what it's been called. Right? Yeah, but I mean, you wouldn't say, like, I live in the city of angels. Would you say you live in the burg? Yeah. Okay, do people say... Or say, I would say like I'm going back to the burg this weekend. Okay, you say that.

Yeah. And you're from there. So Cleveland, do people say, I'm going to go back to the land this weekend? I mean, I don't know what people from Cleveland do. But apparently that's a thing now. I would say I have to go to Cleveland is what I would say. So you, now you go to Kansas City a lot. Yeah.

What do they call themselves? Casey. Casey, Kansas. Okay. Do people say... Yeah. Casey, Kansas City. I know.

San Francisco, people don't like when you say Frisco. Like they don't like that. I always just say I'm going to the Bay area. Yeah, or the Bay. The city. Okay, that's a great demo. So the Warriors put on their uniform. The city. Well, but I'm not from there, so I would never say that because everyone would be

like, what city? Do people ever go, I'm going back to the city? I've never heard anyone from the Bay. Now, who's the place that says the town? Didn't somebody have that in a uniform? The town? Maybe that was a Ben Affleck movie. Yeah. Okay, Portland's Rip City.

Right. But no, nobody ever said I'm going back to Rip City. What are people saying in Seattle? It's raining again. They don't call it anything. It's called the Emerald City. But it's not, nobody would say that. Portland's the Rose City, because they call it the Rose City because everything grows there in Portland.

Like, it's so wet. Like, they're just flowers everywhere. And then they call it Rip City. That was Bill Shonley was a legendary. I mean, like Miami, like you would say a 305. That's what people say? Yeah, Miami. Now Denver's the Mile High City

You're going to say hey where you going this weekend Back to Mile High I don't think people do that I think you're playing there you would say that I'll be honest The only one that sounds right to me Is the Berg Thank you

That's the only one I've ever heard of I mean the Bay like the Bay is pretty Yeah but they don't put that in a jersey Like the Berg is a slang That I've heard people say Right That's it Well we're originals what can I say

Well you got that sandwich with French fries on it By the way here's something that's interesting I want to throw this at you So James Hardin and Chris Paul apparently had a verbal exchange. Shams Sharania for the Athletic. They were battling after game six. It was about ball distribution. And this is where I think Hardin and Westbrook are very similar.

I have never been a big fan. And I do think Hardin's a great player. But we're all into this analytics thing. Here's an analytic that you can't deny. If you go to the top, and I would call ball-centric guards in the NBA, Westbrook Harden, John Wall, Kembo Walker, Kyrie Irving, Damien Liller, Devin, Booker, DeAngelo, Russell, combined 62 seasons, one title. Okay, I don't know what analytics says, but that's when I know.

Let me go back 20 years. Stevie Francis, Jason Kidd, Marbury, Iverson, Damon Stoddemeier, Steve Nash, Knicks, Van Axel, 75 years, one title. And I love a lot of those players. You can lecture me on the analytics of basketball all day long. And I'm a believer in analytics, but I also believe in analytics. And analytics is getting along. What do the analytics say about, and Steph Curry is obviously the great exception

because Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in the history of the sport. So there are exceptions to everything. I mean, like Steve Young and Russell Wilson are exceptions. They run around a bunch and they can win Super Bowls. But generally, Cam Newton runs around a lot. isn't quite precise enough as a passer. That doesn't win Super Bowls generally. So you can have exceptions, and Steph's Curry is the exception,

but we always talk about analytics. We don't talk enough about this. High usage ball-centric guards don't win titles. Don't build around him. By the way, I love Chris Paul. But what was the knock on Chris Paul with the clippers? The knock on it was, Chris, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, Blake Griffin sitting over there waiting dribble, dribble, dribble,

maybe there's a usage rate stat or something historically that's used. But when I see the James Harden, Chris Paul thing, well, it's two guys that like to pound the ball. And they wore each other out in crisis. By the way, stars don't generally fight. Kyrie may be difficult, but stars generally don't fight during the regular season. The question becomes in the playoffs, when the games mean more, legacies are shaped, how do you get along them there?

And then Chris Paul and James Harden clearly had their issues. So it's just something to think about. Okay, we do it every Friday at this time. It's Jason McIntyre, founded the big lead. We call it tomorrow's headlines today, big stories, and J-Mac is right around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHard Radio app.

By the way, to sleep cool and comfortable, casper.com. Special offer 10% off, breathable foams, casper.com. We was just talking about this. I don't buy the Jason McIntyre founder of the big lead now. here, see him every Friday in our show. J. Mack was also in the dating game today. He's still recovering from that. We were talking about baseball contracts. It's that the Dodgers and the Astros, really good teams, have avoided these massive contracts.

The Minnesota Twins, for years, had to pay Joe Mower $23 million, which is a lot. Yes. And they were an awful franchise. This is the first year they're not burdened by that. The twins went out, sprinkled the money around. Best record in baseball. They lead the sport in like OPS runs. I think they're way up there in home runs, runs scored.

the bottom line is, of course, the angel signed Mike Trout, but you know what they could have gotten for Mike Trout on the market? A starter, a closer, and an all-star middle infielder, and two draft picks. You can only do one great player. When is a guy at his best, when he has a good guy hitting in front of him and behind him? When you can't put anybody in front or behind a great player, he just sits on an island. Bryce Harper, I believe, 220 right now, right? He's doing really well in Philly.

Interesting note on the Twins. I talk about this on my gambling podcast. their odds to win the World Series this week went from 22 to 1 to 13 to 1. A lot of strange money coming in on the Twins to win the World Series. Now, can they pull it off? I mean, I don't know. It's early in the season, but that's a great note you made. They get rid of the expensive hometown guy, Joe Maurer, and now they get better.

By the way, nothing against the Reds, but it seemed to me the Reds years ago were a fairly Leuponela days. They were kind of a, they were in the playoffs, and they signed Joey Votto, Joy is a good player, but when's the last time the Reds were, they just haven't been in a story forever? Eric Davis, maybe. When you have in these smaller, and I don't, it's ridiculous to call Minneapolis a small city, it's a great city.

But in the baseball world where there's no salary cap, you know, a city like Seattle and Minneapolis, which are big cities with lots of corporations come across, they almost, they're, outpriced. Kansas City's tiny. Pittsburgh's tiny. You sign a Vado and it's just hard. Milwaukee is tiny. Now, Yelich is.

Oh, Yelich is incredible. Yeah, they're going to have to pay him at some point, Big Boy money. All right, we call it tomorrow's headlines today. Jason McIntyre. Will the Bucks come back from a three-two deficit against the Raptors? Colin, everybody's writing off Milwaukee. Series over, Raptors in the finals, right? I think the headline will be, the buck doesn't stop here.

Colin, I just want to say the last three times in the NBA playoffs, a team has been down three-two. They've come back to win. Last year the Warriors did it. Last year, LeBron's Cavs did it against the Celtics. And as you see here, the graphic, 2016 Warriors v. OkC. Well, I still contend they've got more good players. This is not over.

I mean, I know everybody's saying it's a done deal. The guy to watch is Chris Middleton, right? We've gotten on his case a lot. Listen, the guy's got to deliver. He's having an awful series. I think he's averaging like 13 points a game. He scored single digits twice. Yannis needs help.

I do want to say, do you see a little Iverson and Westbrook in Yannis? Every time he drives to the hoop, he's just flailing and going down. Dude, he's 6-11. You better stop hitting the deck like this. That's how you get injured and your career shortens up. We said this before. As great as Jordan was, he was 1 and 9 in the playoffs pre-pippin. If it was just about stars in this league, your best player,

then LeBron would win the championship every year. It really comes down to who your second best player is. When LeBron had Wade and then he had Kyrie, he won his three titles. The question won't be the, the next game, Janice. If Chris Middleton, if you told me today scores 28, I'm like Milwaukee wins the game. And the guy who's beaten the bucks the last two games

are bench guys, right? Norman Powell, I think a UCLA kid. And then Fred Van Fleet hit seven three-points. He was hot last night. Unbelievable. Well, you know, he had the birth of his, he had a baby this week. He had been awful in the series and all of a sudden he has two really good games. It's a nice little story. Heartwarming. He was a Wichita State kid.

Yeah. He had good tournaments. Okay, tomorrow's headlines today. Are we about to realize that the Hullab over Katie's injury is overblown. Yes. Oh, of course, Colin. You know the song insane in the membrane. Joy certainly knows this one. I think the headline will be insane in the calf strain. Kevin Durant's calf injury. Listen, it's just so incredible these playoffs, how somebody has three games that are awful and they stink, Damian Lillard, right? Or he's amazing and he's the best player in the league. And everybody's just saying, well, they don't need Kevin Durant. I maintain that this is

insanity. He's going to come back in the first. finals, probably game three, four. And they could be, whoa. Oh, that's right. Kevin Durant is the third leading score in NBA playoff history. You know what goes, Jordan, Iverson, Durant. Does it really? Points per game. Time out. Time out. He's number three.

Leading points per game playoff history. Michael Jordan, number one, Alan Iverson, number two, Kevin Durant, number three. I didn't know that. I mean, this is a guy who's just an incredible scorer. I know people will say it looks better when they're passing the ball and Draymond and Curry, blah, blah, blah. This team is so dominant with Kevin Durant.

We're going to laugh about the overreaction. I was thinking about this this morning. So, you know, are they better without Kevin Durant? Here's the one thing we're not counting. Kevin Durant's a pretty good defender. Pretty good. He's better than that. Like, you can't tell me they're a better defensive team without Kevin Durant.

Colin, they fell behind by 15 points in three of the four games against Portland. Yeah. That's not good. Those are close calls. This was actually a close series. I know it was a sweep. People will just see that. Oh, it was.

The games were all close. not a closing team. They're still young. You know, like, you can't have that against a box. They need Kevin Durant. Boy. Tomorrow's headlines today. How will the NBA react to the Harden Chris Paul news? They fought during the Warrior series.

Did your producer, the Houston Rockets fan, prevent you from talking about this series? This story a lot right here. James Hardin versus Chris Paul. Give me the headline, Colin. Hardin to play with. Now, Game 6, Rockets Warriors, apparently it's come out now. this week that Hardin and Chris Paul had like beef after that game and they were beefing on the

court and then remember afterward James Hardin said at the podium we know exactly what we need to do this summer. Yeah, we know what we need to do. We're going to do it. And I wonder if people are getting tired of playing with James Hardin, Colin, and they maybe want to move. Think about this. James Hardin's dribbling the ball 600 times

a game. No timeout. That doesn't work in the playoffs. So that's a real number. That's a real number. He will dribble 600 times in a game. You're doing the ISO thing, and eventually you need to spread the ball around. You remember early Jordan, would have put up like 35 a game? Listen, you know, it's so funny. It's almost like Michael only appeared.

Yeah, he only won championships. People forget the Orlando Warrigic, the Quentin Daly, when literally he was fighting with teammates because he shot too much. And he needed Phil Jackson to rein him in and say, Michael, you got to make that pass to John Paxson for the game winner, to Steve Kerr. And I just don't know if this Hardin was great. He'll probably be runner up for the MVP. I think he averaged 36, 7, and 6. He had a great season.

But is that a winnable formula in the playoffs? And I don't know. I think Darrell Moore, your buddy, right? You got to text him after the show and say, what is up your sleeve? Because there seems to be beef with James Hardin and his teammates. Well, I would say this. I don't think he'd bail on Hardin.

But I do think there's part of him that is really concerned that Chris Paul, for most of the playoffs, outside of that one great third quarter late, Chris Paul looked like a shadow of himself. That contract now is an albatross. That's a John Wall contract where you're like, I got two years. And Chris is not, I mean, I honestly, I would strongly consider playing Chris 40 games. Play him every other night.

By the way, Barclay at the end of his career was not doing back-to-backs. Yeah, remember Chris Paul, that game five after Durant went down, Chris Paul finished three for 14 shooting. All they needed was a fourth quarter to pull that out. They lose that game, then they lose a series. I don't know where you end up sending Chris Paul. Like, could Orlando take him on, Phoenix? They need point cards.

No, it's... It has to be somebody desperate because Chris Paul is still a good player in this league. He's still a very good point card. I think you do. Listen, you know, I think Kauai Leonard, we were all making fun of this load management stuff. He looks about as good as anybody late. He does look fresh. Only plays 60 games, yeah.

Yeah. Tomorrow's headlines today. This one's my favorite. Who will replace LeBron as the face of the association? So we talked about this on the phone. this week about Zion Williams and the Zion impact, Colin. I'm just telling you, you see the numbers online, you see the TV ratings. The headline will be Zion, LeBron, off.

Listen, and Joy, stop laughing. I know you guys have had Brousard on here and other people. Who's going to be the face of the NBA? Is it Janus? Is it this guy? It's going to be Zion Williamson. And listen, you look at that NCAA tournament, the highest rated game, not the final four, not the championship.

it was Zion versus Michigan State. That incredible game where Zion was phenomenal. The NBA draft ratings were up huge because of Zion. They were. Colin, I'm just saying this. Get on board early. You know what moves the needle here. When you look at Zion Williamson in this summer league,

you can be watching them this summer in Vegas. Those gyms are going to be sold out hours before Timboff. Do you remember a couple years ago when I think it was Lonzo? Lonzo. Yeah. Lonzo Ball was in the summer league. And the ratings were huge. This is going to blow that.

out of the water. Because Zion is a dunking machine. People are obsessed. I heard back, you know, earlier this week that he has signed with an agent so that dream of going back to Duke is over. I just believe Zion is going to be the new face of the league. Now, you'll say, can he do it in New Orleans? LeBron James did it in Cleveland. I don't see why it's out of the realm that LeBron can watch Zion take over as face of the league in New Orleans. By the way, my staff, I don't like to run stuff on the air I haven't seen. Okay. But my staff is telling me, so Baker Mayfield, have you seen the new shirts? Oh, I haven't seen the show. Okay, show, first of all, staff, show Jason this.

So Baker Mayfield finally officially gets it. He's come out on his Instagram site with these new t-shirts. These are real. And it's the land versus the herd. No. How great is that? That is amazing. Wow, Baker's is fiction at the time. Okay. So the guys are sitting. Now, Sammy. let me talk to you Sammy do you is this okay to run okay the guys in the back have made some had some fun and made a special version of the Baker Mayfield arrest video he was in Oklahoma so I haven't seen this go ahead oh boy Mayfield instant pressure did he escape no

south back at the 15 they bring it pressure right here and right here right up the middle this is how you deal with an athletic quarterback that can scramble and create don't let step up and don't let him get outside. This is great for the brand, Colin. Baker, this is good. That was not my idea. I may have enjoyed that, but that was not my idea. I'm telling you, Colin, if they go seven and nine this year.

You know what's funny about, first of all... And I'm not wishing ill will of these guys. Here's what I think. So they have a new coach and a bunch of new players. That's why I think OBJ needs to be at camp. My concern for Cleveland's their first eight weeks, there is a bunch of roadies and a bunch of good teams. I think they're going to get hot as hell.

in about week 10, week 9 to week 16. I think they could go in a seven-game winning streak. I think you're talking about the Jets. You need to look at their schedule. No, same thing. Okay, okay. By the way, so I think Darnold and Baker, but let's just keep it on Baker.

My question isn't that they're going to win a bunch of games. If you look at Cleveland's schedule late, they're going to win a bunch of games late. They could go in a six-seven game winning streak. My question with them, though, new coach, new pieces, OBJ not there. You're a bunch of talent. their opening schedule.

What about the Hunter versus the hunted? This is a team that's going to be on national television a lot. Teams are going to circle the Cleveland Browns. Dude, we're not losing to Odell and Baker Mayfield. I think this is going to be a tough year for the Browns. Now, tough year, what does that mean? I think we're looking at a serious 8 and 8 or a 7 and 9 year for the Cleveland Bouts. I mean, listen, given the expectations, they have the fourth or fifth best Super Bowl odds right now.

People are going gaga over the Browns because of free agency and getting Kareem Hunt and I don't know. I'm just not as confident as you are in the Cleveland Browns. All right. Great job this week, everybody. Very good job. Joy Taylor. Everybody here, John Goulay is sick, so get better, John.

McIntyre made two appearances on the show today. You should get some sag after money. I'm not sure how that thing works. And no SFY today. I think there's NASCAR or something. So we will see you next week. Have a great weekend. Be safe.

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