The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Baker's Latest, Pulling Kershaw and Chris Webber on NBA Playoffs, Lakers

Episode Date: April 14, 2022

First, (3:00), Colin gives his take on Baker Mayfield's recent podcast appearance slamming the Browns and critical fans, and if Dodgers were right to yank Clayton Kershaw during a perfect game after 80 pitches.Then, NBA Hall of Famer and 5-time All-Star Chris Webber joins Colin to discuss how Patrick Beverley gets under the skin of opponents (15:00), if he would rather face the Celtics or Nets in the playoffs (18:00), the biggest difference between regular season and playoff basketball (21:00), why it's not going to be easy for the Warriors to move off Klay for Jordan Poole (23:00), why he never felt Anthony Davis is a Robin, not a Batman (27:00), if he was a Magic Johnson fan despite being a Pistons fan (31:00), and why he's worried about the widespread trend of NBA players sitting out regular season games (35:00).Make sure you follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

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And it's such a privilege and a blessing to be her daughter. Listen to the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know what it takes to ensure your home and ride with surprisingly great rates. That's why it's a good idea to consider State Farm, because with State Farm, you don't have to give up what you love for great insurance. For surprisingly great rates, like a good vecino, State Farm is there. I had a friend get me a magnet that says,

it's not hoarding if it's cool stuff. And I hold that to be true. Yeah, Marie Kondo says differently. Everything brings me joy. Sorry, but... Yeah, but that's what everyone says. Everyone says everything brings them joy. That's her whole thing.

Okay, yeah, but when I stare at that limited edition box of cheese, it's in the corner of my room, that brings me joy. Or the, or the Pokemon Oreos that I keep, that brings me joy. That reminds me of my youth. It wasn't that long ago. Listen to the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know what it takes to ensure your home and ride with surprisingly great rates.

That's why it's a good idea to consider State Farm, because with State Farm, you don't have to give up what you love for great insurance. For surprisingly great rates, like a good vecino, State Farm is there. My grandmother had posters on her wall of old school matches at the Carlos Colon Arena in San Juan. And we would watch American wrestling and Lucha Wrestling pretty much every day. And she, as did many back then, was fully convinced that wrestling was 100% real. Listen to the My Culturra Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The Colin Coward podcast presented by Fandul Sportsbook, no better place to make every moment more than with Fandul.

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podcast presented by the Fandall Sportsbook. Hi, everybody. Welcome in to the Thursday morning podcast. Chris Weber, C. Webb will join us, his thoughts on the NBA playoffs and the playing game so far. So Baker Mayfield did an interview on a podcast. And he just, he just, sort of let it rip, let it fly. At one point, he said, on the field, I'm a dickhead. That's never changed. He admits he's got a Napoleon syndrome. He says he felt disrespected by the Browns, and he says he'd like to go into somebody's office and boo them to see how they crumble. He admitted his critics also got to him. You know, Marshall McLuhan is a famous scholar of communications. He famously said, the medium is the message, meaning not so much what you say, but how you say it and where you choose to say it.

Baker was Lakehouse with a bunch of buddies, host is there, camo hat, drinking a beer, very casual. It's very let it rip. This is where I think Baker Mayfield's personality has never been right to be a quarterback. My wife's an artist. I'm more the compartmentalizer, the observer. We have different personalities. We make it work. But I will never be able to paint like her.

And she won't be able to do certain things I can do. I think the greatest quarterbacks have talent, but their personalities match the position. Tom Brady obviously is a great example. So is Peyton Manning. Very calculated. Obsessed with preparation. from the podium to a podcast to preparation to the sidelines to pre-snap.

You'll see very brief emotional outbursts, a fist pump by Brady. Peyton Manning will occasionally bark at his center, but they're very much under control. Baker's personality is much more comedian, surfer artist highly emotional let her rip that of course is a big advantage in surfing or a comedian you lean

into your talent don't overthink it and just let it go but the Russell Wilson's the Peyton Mannings the Tom Brady's they understand being a franchise quarterback everything has to be planned

it's not a letter rip position Jay Cutler, Cam Newton, Baker Mayfield, sort of letter-ripped personalities. Don't think before they speak. Often way too casual. It's one of my knocks on Drew Locke, the now Seahawk quarterback. I don't need to know Baker's got a Napoleon problem.

Right now he's interviewing for a job with every other GM in the league. Do you think they want a quarterback with a short guy complex? Do you think they want a quarterback who says he was bothered by the criticism and had to get off social? A quarterback who said, I'd like to go into fans, cubicles and boo them. He's showing weakness. He's showing an inability to control his emotions, that he doesn't have control of them. They control him. Again, there's a reason certain people flourish in certain jobs.

I talk to myself all day. I was meant to talk. It's what I do. I could never have been an artist. There are certain positions I just don't have the right emotional state for. I think Baker's talented, but he almost has a linebacker's personality, a wide receiver's personality, highly emotional, very casual, says the first thing that comes into his mind. There are a lot of great jobs for that. Quarterback, in my opinion, it's not perfect.

So there was a baseball situation yesterday that got people really worked up. Clayton Kershaw, perfect game. After 80 pitches, he was pulled. And this is something that's important. First of all, it was game two. He's six months off surgery. He's an older pitcher. He's very valuable to their World Series chances.

It was under 40 degrees. Under 40 degrees. And this is an older pitcher now. Managing that arm in his health becomes really important. We know this in all sports. I totally understood why the Dodgers did it. Folks, sports are not just there. Athletes are not just there for your personal enjoyment.

Colin, there's only been 23 perfect games. And Clayton Kershaw only has one left arm. This franchise, the Dodgers, are favorites to win the World Series. The perfect game is like an award. It's cute. Kershaw's a Hall of Famer, first ballot, his legacy is set, got one World Series, would like to have more, over $100 million in the bank. To win an award, throw a no-hitter perfect game is wonderful.

but Clayton Kershaw totally understood the situation. Sports is not just there for your enjoyment. Big picture. If Clayton Kershaw is 24 and plays for the Mariners or A's with no shot to win a world championship, the Royals or the Pirates, and he's a kid not coming off surgery, and it's game two, you go for it. But the bigger picture for the Dodgers is we're not really. risking an injury. I'll give you an example. Kevin Durant. Remember years ago he got hurt?

He came back in for the warriors in the playoffs and there were going to be minute limitations. But he came back and he was on fire and they stretched how many minutes he played and he got hurt. Big picture should have pulled him out earlier. You can't just go with an older, somewhat brittle athlete. You can't just go on current momentum. You have to go into games or series with pitch counts or minute limits. So yes, it drives you crazy. Kershah agreed to it, understood it. They have bigger goals here than perfect games or no hitters. It's game two. It's 38 degrees. He's just off surgery. And he's an older pitcher. In the NBA playing tournament, there are no sure things. except one.

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At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, like insuring your car and your home, getting you great rates on both. It's a good idea to consider State Farm. For surprisingly great rates, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Call or go to StateFarm.com for a quote today. I can post a picture that a girl that is way skinnier than I am, a size 2, a size 4,

the same exact picture. And I look vulgar because I'm thicker. But if a thinner girl does it, it's not that much of a big deal. that's what I'm not okay with because why why because I have cellulite because I have thick thighs I can't do that I can't feel sexy in my own skin and that's those are the things that I want to break because there are so many women like me and I want to be and represent us you know obviously there's always room for improvement I always want to look better I want to work out I want to lose weight but in reality this is the body God gave me and I've never really been skinny

listen to the my Coutura podcast network available on the iHeart radio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, like ensuring your car and your home, getting you great rates on both. It's a good idea to consider State Farm.

For surprisingly great rates, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Call or go to StateFarm.com for a quote today. If you could talk to me a little bit about the process you went through, and I think it's good to not pat yourself on the back, but to put it out there so other people can kind of hear what it takes. Like, I don't know. I always look at like this. Like, what do I want?

I wanted to be a WWE superstar. All right, what does it take to be a WW superstar? What are the tools I will need to give me every possible opportunity I can get? And so I took the tools of acting classes, improv classes, wrestling school, everything I possibly can to knock on the door of WW. The people of the, everyone on that real world show would wear my t-shirts, would always ask me to do the MIS. Like, they were so supportive. Like, you don't get it that very often.

You really don't. Listen to the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, like insuring your car and your home, getting you great rates on both. It's a good idea to consider State Farm. For surprisingly great rates, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Call or go to StateFarm.com for a quote today. In high school, I never really was like dating around or anything like that. And then I got into a long-term relationship and was dating someone for a few years. And then after getting out of that relationship, I think this past year or so, or whatever, whatever, has been, like, actually living life as a single person, it's very hard. And I think it's not hard, I should say, but, like, it's very different, knowing nothing but long-term relationships.

And then moving into, like, the single lifestyle that's, like, quote, dating around and, like, feeling people out. That's kind of been something interesting to navigate. Listen to the MyCultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. All right. Let's bring in Chris Weber, the Hall of Famer, Fab Five, Five Time All-Star, number one pick, rookie the year, one of my favorite people.

I get them about once a year and I love it. So I want to talk to you about Patrick Beverly. And I know it's a weird place to start. But, but, you know, Bill Lambere tackled people. Dennis Rodman was a pain in the ass. and, you know, as a Fab 5 guy, as a Michigan guy, is that there is absolutely, in my opinion, room for Patrick Beverly. But what is the line, Chris, between being physical and screwing with guys' knees, hurting them? Like, as a pro athlete, I don't know what the line is.

What is it with Patrick Beverly? What does he do that bothers you and what are you okay with? Man, that's a great question. Thanks for having me on. I think, first, I think everybody would want to play with them and a quick Bill Ambier story, one of my favorite players ever growing up in Detroit, and I used to love it.

He's one of the reasons why I love playing on the road and would do like this, the booze, the antics. He really taught us to embrace, you're going to get hated anyway. However, when I played against some true story, my first time in the NBA, going home, I knew the guy. I go up and get a rebound, tap it against the backboard to show how high it could you. jump and go down the court.

You know, it's like an old trick, you catch and tap it. The next time I go up and I see him, he sticks his leg out and I twist my ankle. I think maybe 17 seconds or two minutes into the game, something like that. And I was out probably six games, my rookie year. And so even though he's one of my favorite players, this is one of the dirtiest things that I've seen. So I did the game, I believe I kind of take the game when he had Westbrook bump knees, like after a late timeout, I don't think that was dirty because I've seen players do that their whole careers.

Right. However, I think the answer is not saying anything and maybe taking one technical with a quick elbow. It's really easy if you don't get caught up in the antics, especially in a two, three game series. It's really easy to shut them down because then they start looking like a little clownish. The only way they don't look like a clown is when they bring you into the argument and you have to try to figure out who's really, you know. you know, acting, who's the bad actor in this? Yeah, no, that's what he did with Morris. He got him worked up, he got into his head.

Was there ever a guy in the league that was a talker with you and tried to reel you in? Not a talker because you couldn't get me that way. So if you wanted to slide under, the Collins brothers, I hated playing them, Nahara, Mattson, any guy then that would flop smartly use their brain, get in front of you. but I hated those guys because they got the benefit of the doubt. They're beating you up just as much and they're getting the benefit of doubt. And to me, those guys were, I'm going to say just as effective. They don't have the winning record of a Rodman.

But in games, they're just as effective as a Beverly as well. So, yeah, those guys, I used to hate planning this, those guys. So I'm not going to ask you necessarily to pick a series, but I want to talk kind of fundamentally, holistically about the league. So I don't buy the Celtics and I don't buy the heat. And my reason is, and I do buy Brooklyn. Because my theory is when the playoffs start, refs swallow the whistle. They get out of the way.

And this is when stars can really manipulate marginal players and average players. And outside of Jason Tatum, Celtics don't have a closer. out, I don't think Miami does have a closer. I think Jimmy's just a great athlete. Same with Bam. And so Brooklyn's got so many things I don't like. They're sized, their bench, the lack of chemistry. They're so KD. Kyrie-centric.

Would you rather play a Boston who grind your ass on the defensive end, who has, they don't have the star power, but every time down the floor, or would you rather play, you know, that kind of team, but they don't have stars, or a Brooklyn who's got two guys that are unstoppable, but all sorts of holes all over the team? I remember playing against Dallas who at the time had the fastest pace. It was Finley, Nash, and Derr. Oh, I remember those teams. You don't want to play them.

You just don't, because you just have no rest of thought, because when those three on the court, you really have to be engaged every single play. because every play is a threat. I really thought Cleveland could have come back. I told someone, I called him early in the second half. I said Cleveland's going to come back to win this game. But I didn't take into the fact that Duran is one of the best shooters ever to play. But yeah, I could definitely, you know, unlike you, I would take them,

but I would rather, you know, play a team that doesn't have those options in the Boston as well. I agree. Yeah. So you're basically, what you're saying Brooklyn does is they put such a, immense pressure on you because if you're not alert, they will score it will. I mean, the shots that KD was hitting into media in basketball, the hardest shot in the game, the Jordan Master, KD Master, Curry's master at every shot. Kobe Master was two dribble pull-up going baseline because you really don't know how to check the guy. If you pump fakes, can he continue

to go? And the shots that KD was hitting, you know, it was terrible. It was great defense. and he pulls up and shoots that tough shot that really, if you're another team, if anybody else, but those two, I'm taking my chances with that shot, making the guy take a shot off the dribble fading right, too. And so I just, yeah, I just, it gets so deflating.

It's almost like a dunk used to be worth more than two points because it would take the air out of your team. Yeah. It's the same way as a bomb. It's seven points, but, you know, it hurts more than a one-yard run. So, you know, I totally agree with you on that theory. And I think a lot of people,

you know, are over, they have two high expectations on Boston. I feel you that way. I think people don't take for granted. You need a couple closures in the playoffs. And, you know, one of those guys get cold. You can go to another. And that's why Brooklyn to me has, you know, definitely advantage. Tell me the difference between regular season and playoff basketball.

Like last night, they don't count the playing game as the playoffs. And I said on the air, I said, that's playoff basketball. You can call it whatever you want. But even the officiating. They were letting guys bump. You know, they, I felt watching and I'm like, oh, that's playoff basketball. You can call it whatever. So you tell me, go back to your career.

Like, where could you really tell? Because you notice rookies getting tighter, young guys getting tighter. I think two things for me. How loud the fans were like, everything was just over exaggerating. Like, now's the time you become a star. Like, the guy off the bench that gets one minute and one steel. It's 100 people outside waiting. for them if you get the win. So just that you feel, you know, WWF, you know, you can cut the intensity

with a knife. You really feel that. I always used to really notice that. And then second, how tired you would get in the first quarter. Like, I can't explain. I don't know what that is. Is that nerves and jitter? Is that how you've worn up? It's everything. But it was almost like, you know, you have no more excuses and you've been waiting even emotionally to put everything into this moment. And so I think it really is the energy and how do you make sure you give your all at times but still can serve at times when you don't need to waste it pumping up the crowd. You know, so, you know, the crowd and then kind of how your body reacted to the moment, you know, is kind of special. So when you go over to the western side, a team that I find really interesting,

Golden State. So Jordan Poole is now emerging as a star. Clay Thompson's not. not quite what he was off injury. And when Clay plays a lot of minutes, I think it hinders Jordan Poole. And I think everybody knows that on the roster. But Clay's your guy. Okay, Clay's your dude. You travel with him.

You've probably gone to weddings. You get into a weird situation where everybody in the damn room is like, you should do Jordan Poole needs to play 42 minutes. Tell me how difficult that is when one of your guys, you know, he's eroding. He's not a sense. and here comes the young buck. Can it screw with chemistry?

So I heard you today. And I hope that for fans' sake, I love it when you go off on tangents or rabbit holes, and I hope that you really go down the rabbit hole of the draft pick does not mean as much in big cities anymore, and you're so right. You need to really go down that rabbit hole.

I'm sure the researchers can get you a lot of. L.A. didn't get shocked. You know, they didn't draft shack. So I totally, you know, agree with you on that. However, I don't know if I can answer this question and not be sentimental. And I think that's the problem that Clay gives. They are a dynasty.

They were a dynasty. You're right in every way. But I'm just adding to emotion which you're going to have to take an effect for fans and other things, especially if you don't win one and you're betting on pool, who is going to be great. But, you know, you would do that to Clay and he's not yet a full year in. You know, he, this dynasty never got a chance to win once we saw a team get hurt or Katie get hurt, you know, this unfinished business. He's, you know, of course, Dr. Maima, the last, you know, vestiges of that. So if you are right, I would not want to be part of that.

I was in Detroit again, Pistons fan, when we had a parade. And I think the next day, and Rick Morris said, oh, thank you for helping me lose all this weight. of you and like three days later he was traded for, I believe Mark McGuire. And I mean, as a business fan, and we won, but I was just hurting Matt. And I would not want to be the man that traded played Thompson. Because if it, what works? Like, does anything but the championship works? And if not, I think keeping him around still trying to win a championship may be the best, but I do think that makes sense. Yeah, I mean, listen, this is all, it's a relationship ship business. I mean, the truth is,

Steph Curry has made the owner a billion dollars easily. In value of franchise, in marketing sales, you do sometimes have to go to your star and say, hey, man, this is a go either way decision. I, you know, I mean, I think. I got to get more form, though. I got to get more. And I think you said Anthony Davis earlier, I'm not taking him. I don't. I don't, you know, I'm not taking them for play, for the community, because it is relationship.

So if we're going to do that kind of, we got to go, we got to go get maybe Bill and someone else and give up our picks because I really believe you on that. But I just don't think, you know, we're going to have to go for a super superstar because that's who I believe he would. I still believe he has two years left of that. So let's go to that. Let's pivot to the Lakers that. I think people tell you who they are. I think it was Maya Angelou who said that. People tell you who they are.

Believe them. So when AD came in out of shape off the bubble championship, I mean, LeBron is sitting there thinking timeout. I'm obsessed with this sport. Dude, I just need you to be in shape as a pro athlete. I would have moved off him there, by low, sell high. Now, with the injuries, this is who he is. He's showing you who he is.

He's not a workout fiend. He's not really a leader. He's he's he's he's hurt increasingly more. What was your feeling when you were in the game about athletes that get hurt? Is it bad form to move off them? Or did you always feel like, hey, man, some dudes, they just can't give you 82. I mean, how to, as a pro athlete, how do you view that? Yeah, and I was plagued by injuries or like ankle injuries, things like that.

So AD's last injury, you can tell like it wasn't his fault, you know, like Curry suffered injuries. But I think, you know, if you're going to get injured, I want to know what guy will work is, you know, tail off to come back the fastest. So then I have to take your work ethic into a cop. And so I do think some guys is unfair. And then I do think as an athlete, you work out a lot so that you can feel confident that you won't have those breakdowns. And then you look at guys that don't work out and you say, see, that's why. And so it's not even the injuries.

You know, I just go back to the previous memory of anybody playing with the bar. That's how I just play. Because I know it's a different day and you can win championships. and I think, you know, my generation should kind of admire the fact that you can go play with friends and free agency. But at the same time, you know, watching a guy like Dirk, even though he won a championship, but you knew he was a winner even before, if he would have never won one because of how you knew he put Dallas on his back and you could trust that. He just needed help. I never felt that way with AD that he just needed help. I felt that he could be that missing piece for someone else,

but that no one else could be that. And I don't know when he's proven that. He's a wonderful talent, but, you know, I'm just looking, you know, and he hit some big shots with the Bronner. I get that, but, you know, we're talking about him being an alpha, and I don't know when that's worked. So I'm not as high on injury or not being the number, being the number one guy if LeBron's not on the team.

The Brian's on the team, he could be number one and two, but I'm not. The Clippers, I had a good source inside the Clippers that told me when AD was on the market, they didn't think he was A, a leader or be tough. They thought he was gifted. And they didn't think he would play through injuries. They didn't think he worked out enough. Now, they've had their own troubles with Paul, George, and Kauai Leonard staying healthy. But they, the idea was everybody loved AD.

and the Clippers have a very shrewd, very deep roster, very shrewd front office. They didn't love him. And their takeaway was, he has to be led. He can't lead. I mean, listen, Chris, all years you played, how many guys were great leaders, truthfully? Not maybe, maybe, well. To a roster? Maybe.

And maybe, and sometimes the best player when I was younger, Maybe he didn't want to be the leader because he was figuring out some other things and was like, I'll let you guys kind of figure it out. I don't want to, you know, or maybe they just led individually saying, hey, this is how you stay in shape. But, you know, I'm not going to the team signings and things like that. So when you find a guy like that, when you find someone that you admire, they have game. And that is very rare. And usually it's a star player and a guy that has been through everything and doesn't want you to waste your chance. So, no, it's, you really have to learn that as well because every guy, no matter how confident they are, you know, we're the most confident in sports.

But again, we're still fans of the game. And therefore, there's that insecurity. You follow sport a long time, whether it leaks out of interviews, whether it leaks out in the way you treat people, whether it leaks out in something after the game. You know, you can kind of see those areas. So to say great leaders, man, yeah, maybe, maybe, yeah, maybe two or three a team. Okay, HBO winning time, not sure if you've seen it. It's the Jeff Pearlman book on the championship Lakers. Speaking to leadership, Magic Johnson, you had prickly stoic Kareem.

You had a crazy owner, Norm Nixon. And here came Magic, big personality, budding heads, a lot of pushback, obviously a great leader. As a Michigan kid, as a Pistons fan, how did you view, he went to Michigan State, He was on the other team, the Lakers. Did you hate Magic as a player? I remember Michael Jackson coming out in 1984, and I remember screaming to my mom, like, please do Billy Jean. I remember that.

I think it was Motown 25th. I remember where I was. I remember where I was when Magic got out of a limo and saw Bird, and I ran around the house screaming. I remember it, like, oh, what's going on? Like, I was the biggest Magic Johnson fan in the world. His father worked in the factory. He was from Lansing Michigan.

I got to meet him in seventh grade. His smile, he was tall and a point guard. He got to push the ball. He was in a video with New Edition. I think it was secret. Like video, this is my favorite. You know, he was cool. And he was like a man of the people.

And so I loved them. And growing up, you know, I grew up loving Michigan and Michigan State. So I knew who he was. As a Pistons fan, it was like the only situation where you could like the Lakers in their fake Hollywood ways because you knew they had sincerity for Michigan there. But when we beat them, I wanted to beat them more than anything. And I wanted Isaiah to get off. I wanted to beat them.

But, you know, he has to be him, Bird, a couple other guys, has to be my favorite players of all times. So he was our Dr. Jay. He was the world of basketball. I mean, you know, I love LA. I remember, like, you know, putting in the VCR watching tapes, watching tapes in the VCR of just the opening scene of we beat L.A., beat L.A. from the screams in Boston and those type of things. So, yeah, magic was, you know, you always pointed out.

I used to tape my fingers like him because I don't know. I thought maybe that could make you dribble. But, yeah, he was, he's magic, man. So, yeah, I haven't seen a series that I'm trying to wait so I can binge watch. it all and I can't wait. But yeah, man, and you know, to have leadership like that as well from getting in the seat to and also, if I could say one more thing, the best leaders to me are the ones that like shut up when it's time to work.

And from what I know about magic, the practices were legendary because as hard as Riley and others work on him, he was always ready in his shape. Some people just had a motor like that, like Jordan, stay able to do all that. And part of that leadership is not just being able to be a rah-rah guy, but them trust in you're going to get on the line with them after a rough light and run some spruce as well. So the other day I had a former Meta World Peace. I think his name is Meta Sander for Artes now. I hope I got that right.

And I said to him, I said, man, we can't normalize all these stars missing games. Like I'm a kid from a small town. I went to a Sonics game every three years. If downtown Freddie Brown and Gus Williams and Jack Smithman didn't play, it was bad, man. It was sad for me. And he said something very interesting, Chris. He said, listen, man, these guys now in the last three or four years are making $30, 40 million. They're young people.

Like, it's a lot. And they are hanging out with Hollywood A-listers. They're making more than movie stars. And he said, I think over time, they'll get adjusted to it. A lot thrown at them. They've never made more money. He's like, I mean, he goes, it was. was six, seven years ago, a guy could make $9 million and that was money. Now it's 35.

And the new CBA benefits the star players. They make more than ever. And it was an interesting takeaway. And I thought to myself, you know what? I remember my first big contract. That was like 32. 32, not 22. You get ahead of yourself a little bit. You start thinking you're really, you know, a little bit greater than you are. Your takeaway on the missing of games by stars, do you think some of it is we're just transitioning. A lot of money. Last four years. Guys are,

you know what I mean? Feeling themselves a little? Or are you genuinely long-term worried about it? I'm a little worried about it because it's part of the culture. So it starts with the team. You know, it starts with the team going from when I played, we would be in practice after getting hurt in the game. a Wednesday that doesn't matter in Milwaukee.

I'm talking about doesn't matter, but because the culture is to eat a steak and yell at a guy and feel good about yourself through that, not getting any better through practice, but running lines and things that have nothing to do with getting in shape. That mentality, remember the jokes, he takes years off of guys' careers.

It was a joke, but it wasn't a joke. Guys were not joking about it. And so kind of that over-exaggerated sense of man-up and all that stuff when really it should have been like, Hey, guys, we just had a six game and seven nights. Y'all need a day off, but it was always a big war. So one, that really messed it up.

So two, teams trying to fix it. And then validating rest is what opened the flood days, my friend. When you have a team saying, you know, hey, guys, just let me know how you're feeling. Then, you know, my loyalty is to my feeling, not to getting through it. I don't want to walk the treadmill and get up every morning. But if I don't think about my feelings, I'll get through it. And overall, it helps my body. I think the team gave a way out.

Third, you know, when you did that at 32 or I did that in my 20s, we were like going against the grain, kind of like you knew there were better stories of don't do this, don't do that. Well, now it's the culture of, you know, why not? You know, you should be doing this right. And so I think anytime you're going, anytime the culture seems to be going in the way of rest or, you know, when I play with AI, this, This is so true.

And so many things are over-exaggerated. But he really played every game. And you can say ego, you could say pride, but he always thought it was somebody in the arena that never saw it. And maybe you have to be that good sometime to realize, like, I'm going to make this kid's life. Maybe it has to be that because Sickman, those guys knew it because the game didn't come on TV.

It was late to late. You know, maybe it was more special. You know what I mean? Sure. I get a little worried about that, but I do believe, you know, in the optimism of meta. You know, I do think it can't come back, but we used to be like we make the money, money don't make us. Now, we might do something stupid with the money and, you know, lose our mind. But the principle was, you know, we play the game.

Money doesn't make you good. My paycheck. Matter of fact, you make more to me, I'm going to show you. You know, so that worries me that the spirit of the spirit of it has changed as opposed to what guys are really doing. Yeah, no, I think there's been a lot of cultural changes. It's harder to hard coach a player. I mean, even, I mean, Chuck Daly had Hall of Famers. He coached them hard.

Pat Riley, hard. Yes. It's hard. That hard coaching thing, Chris, it doesn't really exist anymore. No, no, no. Thank you for coming to work today. Take him instead. Hey, it's great seeing you, my man.

I appreciate it. Hey, thanks for having you. All right. See, Webb. The Volume. Make sure to check out the Dremon Green Show. I brought Dramon Green into the volume because one of the more entertaining voices in sports, unique perspective, understands behind the rope. Also, chops up with guests like Gary Payton, Zach Levine, Tracy McGrady.

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On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year,

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84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.