The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Nick Wright Part 1: Aiyuk Contract Dispute, Hurts/Sirianni Headed For Divorce, Durant’s Legacy Sealed

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

Colin is joined by Nick Wright, host of “First Things First” on FS1! They start with the contract showdown between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers, compare the difference in player leverage between NBA and NFL contracts (2:45) and offer a theory on why Aiyuk declined the Patriots in order to join the Steelers (14:00). They debate whether friction in Philly could lead to a divorce between the Eagles’ star quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni (22:30) and why the Colts could see huge success under Shane Steichen (26:00). Finally, they explain why Kevin Durant sealed his legacy during the Olympics with Team USA basketball (29:45) (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume #HerdSee 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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It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to him.

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Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help From a Hypocrite, the worst advice

from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrite Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. All right, Nick Wright's about to stop on by. We're going to go probably blow through an hour to an hour and a half today. We've got a lot of things to talk about. Hey, before we do that with Nick Wright, I want you to download the GameTime app.

It takes 90 seconds. I've used it. It's easy. The Game Time app, authorized ticket marketplace for Major League Baseball. tickets get cheaper, the closer you get to the first pitch. And the thing about baseball, now the games matter more, first of all. Second of all, baseball is one of those sports because there's a big volume of games. A lot of times I've decided to go to a baseball game in an afternoon.

Somebody calls, boom, I got two tickets you go. Game time, by the way, if you put in the redeem code, Colin, C-O-L-I-N, $20 off your first purchase. Take the guesswork out of buying Major League Baseball tickets with the GameTime app. You download the GameTime app, put in the code, Colin, $20, $20. 20 bucks off your first purchase, last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed, really, really easy for people with busy lives, game time makes things simple, quick, and a $20 off discount. All right, Nick Wright, we haven't talked in a while. So I thought this was, here's an interesting topic, and I bring this up, because you're one of the

bigger NBA fans, is that some things don't sound. don't sound comforting, and they may sound almost appalling, but they're true. And that treating your employees and paying them more than they deserve is really bad business. And that the reason the NFL is king, it's virtually impossible to find a bad contract in the league. I can remember Albert Hainsworth for about a year, got paid a ton of the Patriots. You remember it because it's so infrequent. It may be the only bad contract for the Patriots. Every NBA team has a terrible contract.

Some have three. You know, before James Dolan got distracted by the sphere, it was like half the contracts for the Knicks were bad contracts. Is that one of the reasons that the NFL is king is because they have a weak union, and that sounds terrible to say, players have, like Brandon Ayyuk. They're like, no, we're not going to cave. There's a bunch of good receivers in next year's draft. We'll just go draft them. Now, I think they want him. They're furious.

They know the window shrinking. Their players are getting older. But I think, and I've talked to a lot of guys in the NBA. He's hot Frank Vogel the other night at dinner. You know, L.A., you see a lot of pro coaches, like, especially where I live. They're all in the beach communities. And football coaches are happier. Basketball coaches are all miserable, even the successful ones.

And the reason being is they have cost certainty. They have control. in the NFL, you can be productive, but you're a pain in the ass. I'm moving off you. I mean, seven rounds of players, half the league's undrafted. In the NBA, after the 14th pick, you run out of players. And this Brandon Ayuk's situation's interesting because in the NBA, he would get paid. And he may go to coach fired. And in the NFL, they're like, no, we've got a bunch of good players. Draft will give us nine receivers. We'll give you a number. I mean, you're going to make like $23 million. You're not making $30. And I think it really, so my point being is it

not giving the employee everything they want is why the NFL succeeds. It forces players to get their shit together. Like you don't get that nine year baseball contract. We're like year four, five, and six, you're like, I'm getting my money. The union's so strong. And Brandon, I, you, the Niners are saying, take it or leave it. Well, all right. So I actually, I, so I think I look at, I, I agree with some of what you're saying.

you're a union guy. Well, yes, I'm definitely a union guy, but I look at this, I look at the NBA and the IUC thing separately. So let me deal with the NBA thing first. I actually think a huge part of the issues that you're describing with the NBA

are caused by the individual player max. I think so many of the, if the NBA salary cap was, $150 million. And if you wanted to give, Joker, 140 of it, you could.

So many of these, so many of the complaints of the NBA go away for two reasons. One is one of the reasons NBA guys get, what I would call non-contract benefits, which is, I don't want to practice today, let's not practice today. Those types of things is because

if you're artificially capping what you can pay them and everyone can pay them the same, you have to pay them elsewhere. You have to be like, okay, you're actually worth $100 million a year. I can only pay you $50. And everyone can pay you $50. So therefore, we have to give you these fringe benefits like, you know, what they give college football coaches, country club memberships, whatever, in order to make up that delta.

The other thing the individual player cap does is it makes it to where the middle class NBA is wildly overpaid. And that's what fans. People think fans are going to get pissed when NBA guys are making a million a game. They're not. They're not going to be mad when Jason Tatum,

who's the best player on a champion, makes a million a game, not more mad than they are right now when he makes half a million a game, where people will get mad is when, they got mad at Tobias Harris. They're like, wait, you're the 63rd best player in the league, and you're making $30 million a year. But that exists because of the individual player max.

So that's the first, that's the NBA part, in my opinion. The Ayuk thing, what I think's fascinating about Ayup is people are wondering, why are the Niners going to cake? Why are the Niners who are going to get nothing back of substance for this season when they've got to win, when it's the last year theoretically when Purdy's cheap, when Trent's 36 million, why are they going to cave and trade him at an inopportune time? And I said it on the show today, and I think this will resonate with people if they think not of NFL teams, but of their own workplace, which is, it is the leverage iukaz is i can make it miserable here and people don't think about that

think about any workplace you've been in where someone who's important and unfirable or ish comes in has a bad attitude is shit talking other people is bringing the morale like bringing every room they walk you they walk into you like oh that kills the body that kills working anywhere. And I think that is, oddly, the leverage IU-cas. The leverage IU-cas is, this can be miserable, guys. And if people doubt how much of an impact that can have, read the ESPN article today on what happened to the Eagles. Eagles were 10 and 1.

They had won like 23 of 25 games. Went to Super Bowl, did all that. And then what happened to them? Well, it seems like the coach and the quarterback couldn't be in a room one-on-one together. and the whole thing collapsed. So I think, oddly, the leverage IUC has or any of these guys have is, I can be a dick and I can make team meetings and the locker room suck. And you, if I'm too good to cut, what are you going to do?

So, but I think in the NFL, people just move on. I think in the NBA, you don't. But in the NFL- That part's totally true. Yeah, I mean, I've said this today. I would take that University of Washington offensive lineman, first round guy, I'll say, you can have IUC. You have to pay him, though.

We'll take that offensive lineman. And the fans will think, what a terrible deal. But the Niners' biggest weakness is their offensive line outside of Trent Williams. Give us your first pick. Because Iyuk's worth a first rounder. We just want a guy that can play now. And by the way, he's not scheduled to start for the Steelers this year anyway. And by the way, the other part is that offensive coaches, I will say this,

till I die are better with offensive line than defensive coaches. Andy Reed and Sean McVeigh reboot that thing every two years brilliantly. Mike Tomlin can't get, he cannot figure the offensive line out. Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, great draft picks, couldn't

figure it out. He hired terrible low-line coaches. Sean McDermott, outside of left tackle, revolving door, can't figure the offensive line out. McVean Reed, Sean Payton goes to the Broncos. It's terrible. Last year, his first old line, seventh by PFF.

Dotson was a guard. The Steelers was not going to start for the Steelers. Sean Payton gets him for like a fifth round pick. Sean McVeigh gets him for a fifth round pick for the Rams. He's the highest rated guard in the league last year. Was not going to start for the Steelers. So yeah, so my takeaway is give him my yuk. We'll take that interior offensive lineman.

The fans will think we got just used. But we don't have to pay that kid for four years. I think that would be a great deal. Listen, if that's the guy the Steelers spent their first round pick on this past year, it was a fine new. Is that who you're talking about? Yeah, 100%. And, right.

And the problem with the problem with trading Ayuk is not trading Ayuk. It's trading Iook in August if the compensation is next year's draft when you're trying to win this year's Super Bowl. Like the, I was, I don't know if you remember it, but I was, you broke the news to me live on TV that Tyree Kill had been trading. I was on with you and it happened. And in the moment, I was beside myself. And then the details came out and then I had more time.

And a little, I will admit, this is a little bit playing the result because the chiefs haven't, you know, they've won every Super Bowl. It's been played since the trade. But the key was they're going to get four players for this year's team. Like it was happening before. So they're going to lose Tyreek and they got a first round pick, a six, you know, a third, a fifth, whatever it was,

but the draft hadn't happened yet. And so it's like, oh, they're going to be able to improve these different things and use it right now, as opposed to trading post-draft for future picks,

which is just always such a bummer. It's like, man, he's going to help us today, and you're trading him for help down the road. That's fine to do if you're a rebuilding team that doesn't care about winning.

But the Niners' best chance of winning a Super Bowl that hasn't already happened is right now. Because Brock Birdie's going to go from wildly underpaid, no matter what you think of him, to comically overpaid, no matter what you think of him. So the window is this moment. And that, I mean, listen, I believe that he's going to the Steelers. Andrew Philpony out of Pittsburgh said the Niners and Steelers have agreed.

They're waiting on IUC and the Steelers to come terms on the money. I also, can I ask you another I, you question for you, move on. on other stuff? Is it a little odd to you that Iuke is this much more interested in Pittsburgh than New England? Because Pittsburgh does not have a settled quarterback situation. We don't know who it is. New England, I get, it's a rookie. This is the third pick of the draft. He wanted to go to Washington, who has the second pick of the draft. Now, I understand he played with Jaden before. But it was, the reporting out of New England is they offered upwards of of $32 million a year, the Niners accepted the terms, and Iook was like, I won't play there.

That would make sense if it's like, no, I want to go to Baltimore and play with Lamar. I want to go to Buffalo and play with Josh Allen. But it's like, no, I won't play with the Patriots and their defensive-minded head coach with Drake Maynake quarterback because I want to go to the Steelers who are having a quarterback competition between a first-round pick that might wash out and Russell Wilson's 13. That's weird to me that I can't quite figure. So players are all, and this is not a criticism, but a reality, selfish, and they probably should be. A GM can GM forever, an owner owns forever, a coach can coach until the 70s.

A player's got like seven peak years in football, and then it's over. So they're selfish. So if you were 22, 23 years old and you looked around the NFL, if I said to you, you could go to this place. It is player-friendly. You can be dramatic. You can talk trash. Okay, that makes sense. Pittsburgh is a player heaven. Tomlin's not a big disciplinarian. Tomlin, I mean, Tomlin almost ran onto the field to make a tackle himself once. He is the-tripped the late Jacoby-Jones. He is very motivational. It's like Pete Carroll was viewed player-friendly. That's why when he didn't pay Earl Thomas. Earl Thomas flipped him off because it was like players just thought Pete gets guys paying everybody. And so, so when you think of New England, their brand is rigid, the crafts, not player friendly, take a pay cut, even though it may not be the reality now that Brady and Belichick are gone. The brand of New England is cold. Boston is sort of fences make good neighbors. Pittsburgh is a good time. I mean, that's got to be it. because it can't be,

I understand wide receiver being like quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. But, and I don't love Drake May, but he's third pick of the draft. Like, it's, the Patriots would not have traded the third pick of the draft for Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. That would not have happened. So it's just, that part is weird to me. I want to ask you one other thing for, I know this show. No. I read that ESPN article about Siriani and Hertz.

Yeah. And man, oh, man, it reminded me a lot of what we learned about Carol and Russell Wilson, which is make a Super Bowl with a quarterback that some believed in, some didn't. The coach still views the quarterback a certain way. The quarterback then's like, no, I view myself a different way. I got paid and I want to play a different way. and it obviously for Carolyn Wilson, it lasted for years, and then it broke up at the end. But when I, when I'm reading that Siriani still wanted run the ball, do certain things in Jalen Hertz,

like, you paid me $250 million. I'm going to show you what I can do. It reminded me so much of Pete and Russ at the end that for Philly, I think there's all, the Philly has a really good roster. There are a lot of big warning signs about the GM picked. coordinators, the head coach and quarterback are not on the same page. That was not a great article. No, but the difference is, I'll give you an example. So Russell Wilson has had three different coaches. Three, his college coach, he was a wildly successful, productive college quarterback.

His coach basically said, I'm going to, I'm going to go with Mike Glennon. Yes. Pete Carroll, two Super Bowls with him. I'm over you. Sean Payton. actually resurrected him a little bit. And he wasn't the problem. So three coaches, different levels of success, bailed on him. That tells me that is a Russell Wilson issue. I've had multiple teammates rip him, like notable guys. So there's a Russell component here.

And I think nothing, I'm not being anti-Russ. But when three things happen, if you rob three banks, you're a bank robber. No, that's right. And where it's the, it's, it's, You brought up the NC State thing. I think that's relevant. I think it's like, wait. And then he goes to Wisconsin and it's awesome. It's like he keeps, aside from in Denver, he produces everywhere.

And the coaches seem really hesitant to give him the full keys to the car, which is a weird thing. With that said, Colin, Jalen Hertz did have to transfer from Alabama. Right. Yeah. So it's 2024, and let's talk about something really, really important. If you're ever injured, check out Morgan and Morgan to America's largest injury law firm. And they are there for you, over 100 offices nationwide. Think about that, more than 1,000 lawyers with over $20 billion, that's a B, $20 billion recovered for over 500,000 clients.

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

You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrat, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice.

Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream and chicken soup. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network available on the I-Fart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most. popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines

ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed.

And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup,

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

Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend Janet.

Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drink.

Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Well, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? Just take it. Oh, what are y'all doing? Microphones?

Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you imagine? I would buy it. Cuts through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict.

You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are. I'm lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The difference is Pete Carroll, college, and pro is a championship level coach. So when Siriani got the job, I called, I have six GMs on my phone, a couple of scouting directors.

And we talk all the time. And I called various people. And I didn't really actually want to call Chris Ballard because I didn't want to put Chris in a bad spot. So he wasn't one of the ones I called because Ballard, he came from Indiana. So it's like, like for instance, I can, I can text Brett Veach and ask him a quarterback question because I know he's not drafting one. Right. Sure. That makes sense. Right, right, right. But I didn't want to ask Tom Telesco a friend about Tua and Justin Herbert because I knew he needed one and I didn't think it was fair for me to poke and prod in that space. So I tend to use use. I tend to source my people non-sensitive areas. Right, not neutral parties on whatever you're talking about. So you ask Ballard about Siriani when he is there.

That's hard. So yes. Now, I can ask him now about Siriani. I felt comfortable asking Chris post-success, been to a Super Bowl. But I called two people, two people that I went and looked up Siriani's resume where he'd been, two people. Both said the same thing. I don't know if he's ready. I don't know if he's great on his side of the ball yet.

And there's a distinction here. You can bang on Jim Harbaugh, but he gets the offense right everywhere fast. You can bang on Nick Saban. He didn't win big at Michigan State or LSU year four he was losing games. The defense gets better immediately wherever Nick Saban was, including the Miami Dolphins. Lincoln Riley, offense is brilliant. The minute he arrives. Nick Sariani, that article at ESPN said, people didn't respect his X's and O's.

Exes and O's. I know. And so that literally was exactly what I heard from my. sources, which was he's not good enough on his side of the ball. He's not viewed as an expert. Like I'll give you another one. Matt Eberfluths, you can say what you want. That was the best defense in the league, the last seven weeks of the year. And they didn't have the best personnel. Right. Which is why I think, yeah. Yeah. So you can say what you want. Like Steve Spurrier may not have been the best this, this, this. His offenses were good at Duke. They were great at Florida.

out like he knew offense. So the difference with the Jalen Hertz thing is, is yes, he did transfer, and there may be some of that, but there's a competent coach in Pete Carroll and one in Nick Seriani. I mean, that opening press conference was a glimpse into he was over his skis when he got that job. So listen, and I also think you can't have your coach be a shit talker unless you're a team of shit talkers. If you're, sorry, my dog's running around, but it's fine. If you're a, if everyone on your team is, you know, taunting and whatever, and that's the motif you want to have, especially if your coach is maybe a former player, then maybe you can get away with it.

But what you can't have is a totally buttoned up team led by a quarterback who is like the best press conference in the league. And then a coach is screaming at fans and taunting. You can't have that. part I totally agree with. My concern is on the flip side, which is, man, we've seen Jalen Hertz play big time football for seven years. There's only been one he looked like an NFL franchise quarterback.

Is it never in college? At no point with Philly except for the Super Bowl year. And he was brilliant that year. And he was amazing in the Super Bowl. I just don't know. I think that what happened to Peterson and Wins, absolutely, could happen to Siriani and Hertz, which is that they're both gone within three years of the Super Bowl. I think that's on the board.

No, I think it is. And what also concerns you, you know, it used to be this rule. Don't draft a Jeff Tedford quarterback in the NFL because all of his college quarterbacks look amazing, right? Yes, right? And then, and so the Alabama. So the other thing with her to Shane Steichen. So the pre-Stykin calling the play is not good. Post-Stykin leaves the building not good.

And Stikin almost got Gardner Minchew to the damn playoffs last year. No, I mean, that's why when the Raiders go and get Gardner-Minshu, I said this already on the air. You're not getting the Indianapolis Gardner-Minshu. That's not what you're getting. And by the way, Shane Steikin, the best Justin Herbert ever was, was the first Justin Herbert ever was the first year where Shane Steichen. Oh, I didn't even remember that he was there.

Yeah, I mean, that is... He literally set rookie records. Anthony Richardson, is he good? He's got Shane Steichen. He'll be good. That's why, man, I think the cults could be... Listen, Anthony Richardson has barely played more pro football than Jaden Daniels. You know what I mean?

I mean, it's like 60 snaps. I understand that. But, man, what I saw was impressive. And coming out of Florida, I thought the book on him from the people that watched more Florida than me was, all right, amazing physical gifts. But, you know, two years away from being an NFL ready quarterback. Then I saw him play and I'm like, seem pretty fucking ready to me. Like, I got hurt a lot.

But I mean, it didn't seem like the game was too fast for him any of it. Now, maybe the fact that he suffered two significant injuries in four games, makes you think maybe, you know, that's going to be a problem, I don't know. But Indies, that whole division to me is interesting because you have Jacksonville, which I, you know, I can't quit my guy, Trevor. I still believe in him. The Texans who, you know, some people are going to, you know, that will be the trendy team.

They're like, this is the team that will beat the Chiefs this year that people like. And then no one's going to be on Indy or Tennessee. Now, I don't like the direction of the Titans, I don't trust Levis, but the Titans, you know who thinks the Titans are competing? The Titans who are spending money and doing things like a team that can win. And then there's the Colts just sitting there. Like, hey, guys, we were a completion away from being in the playoffs last year. They were playing in week 18 on Sunday Night Football for the playoffs. and if Richardson's good, man, they could be a dangerous team.

So I had a couple of Olympic team rants today. And I said, one of the things I said with KD, I said, I said, actually being the all-time leading score, cements his legacy. So KD is salt to a shell. He makes everything better. Eggs, caramel, it doesn't matter. You put him on any team.

He got to the finals with Westbrook. LeBron couldn't decode Westbrook, right? He made the Warriors the best team arguably ever. Even in Brooklyn, he was outstanding. The fact that his teammate wouldn't get the vaccine, there's only so much you can do. And then you put him on this team. And I said, if you look at even great players,

you put Tatum around great players. he kind of shrinks. Steph has to adjust. M. B. Clogs it. LeBron takes a leadership role, but won't score as much. KD. works everywhere. Now, as long as you don't ask him to lead. Don't ask him to do that. Just ask him to fit. He is the salt to the chef. Oh, we've got it. Everything will taste great tonight. So that is, that's, go ahead, finish, sorry. So, so it's, it's, it's, perfect that he on a collection of the world's best players that 30 years from now in a bar, you'll be like, who's the leading score? Jordan, no.

But it was Curry, not even close. LeBron, nope, not close. Okay, timeout. Let me think. Was it, well, let's go back to the Olympics. Was it Bill Bradley, Will. No, no. No, it's Kevin Durant.

And you'll be like, a fuck yeah, it is. Because when you ask players, Mark, Mark, he was a buddy of mine, he coaches the Olympics assistant. Years ago, I said, I just asked him, like, tell me one thing that's just crazy about coaching the Olympics. And he just went, Kevin Duran, man. That's all he said, right? So the, so the, he is probably, if you take the, this is something, brew hasn't said this exact thing,

but he's basically said a different version of it. I think he's right. Take the 20 greatest players ever. Okay? He's somewhere on that. Close to 20, but on there. Yeah. There is not a single one of them

that you can simply drop on every great team in NBA history and it definitely works other than Duran. I totally agree. Totally agree. It does not matter the era, the rules, what redundancy they already have, anything, drop him on any great team, and it works. No great. And so that is, and your point is, I think if Kevin heard this, he would say, that's what I've been saying, which is I don't want to be the leader.

when I'm asked about leadership, I'm like, that's the coach's job. You know what I want to do is play basketball. And you know what everyone seems to say I'm awesome at playing basketball? And you guys tar me, I think, again, this is what I think Kevin would say, with I'm a bad leader. But luckily, my job is basketball player, not leader. So fuck off. Like, I think that's what he's say. And it's like, it's not a terrible argument, except.

for the fact that it seems like the other guys in that room of greatness are kind of able to multitask it or have somebody alongside them who's also great who can do it for them. And so it is, it is such a unique thing because I do think, I do think Durant is, I told you this on the podcast before, but I'll say it again. I had somebody who is super close with one of the greatest players ever, and it's not Durant, say, if you, if we were to line the 20 greatest players up, and they're all at their peak on a black time, and asked someone who didn't know about resumes or anything, whatever, who they want it, who they think the best guy is. And you described it's like, okay, they points at Michael Jordan.

And it's like, all right, tell me about that guy. It's like, well, he's average size, amazing athlete, good, not great shooter, crazy, crazy competitor. They'd be like, okay, next to point at shit. I mean, the most dominant physical force is going to come and go with effort, is going to be a liability at the free throw line, but is going to give you a guaranteed 30. Okay, no problem. They point at LeBron.

All right, not the best shooter in the room, not the best dribbler, probably the best passer, and is probably the best athlete. Okay. What about that guy? Oh, Durant? well, he's the second tallest person here. He's also the second best shooter. He's also the fourth best dribbler.

He also can pass. He can defend. And they'd be like, well, I'm fucking taking him. They're like, wait, he's the second tallest and the second best shooter. They're like, oh, yeah, you can do that. Is he durable? Well, he's going to play 20 years. Like the, is he a terrible defender?

No, he can, you know, credibly guard a bunch of response. But despite that, he's probably kind of underachieved. And I like, so I like all of those things are true. And it's because of that leadership component that he has been honest about like, I don't think that's my job. So I'm not going to do it. And I think it's fascinating because when he looks his best around the best.

And then other guys when they're around the best, you're like, oh, you're a grade lower like Tatum. Tatum's around the best. And it's like, oh, you're just a grade lower. Durant's around the best. and you're like, are you the best player alive? Like, it's such a fascinating thing. Yeah, no, and I think,

somebody said this once, that the greatest athletes, you wouldn't really want them to be your boss because they have such bad personal tendencies. They're very selfish. They're relentless. They're harsh. I mean, Jordan could be just not a giver,

a taker. Same with the late Kobe Bryant. but Kevin Durant actually would be a fun hang. Like he would be, you could do 82 games and it'd be like he'd get a drink with you. You know, you would just, he would make you laugh. When you were having a bad day, he'd put his arm around you and go, that's okay, bro. Let's just go hoop it. I totally agree with this.

I, and I, it's one of the, and I've tried kind of, I don't want to say behind the scenes, but I know some people that are tight with Kevin. and listen, at one point, I know, I know definitively that Kevin, you know, thought I was one of the people's kind of a problem with the media. And that's like, that's his right. That's fine. But I have tried to kind of through back channels like political stuff, like try to set up a situation where he and I could sit and I could sit and talk basketball or sit and talk. Because over the last four years, I have grown. to have such affection, if you will,

for kind of just how comfortable he is in his own skin. He's gone a long way from the burners and all that stuff. It's like, nah, if I think you're full of shit on the internet, I'm going to tell you, like, I thought it was hilarious that, like, a couple days into the Olympics on an off day, he was arguing with strangers on the internet on Twitter. It's like, dude, you're at, you got half a billion dollars you're single, you're wildly famous in the Olympic village in Paris.

And you're like, I got to get these tweets off, man. I don't care. I'm going to sit here and argue with you guys about basketball. And I was like, I just, I found it charming. And I also think he has such an immense respect for the game itself that I really like. So I like Duran. I really like Duran. And I do, I agree with you.

Like, he would. I do think he'd be a great guy to be, you know, to be on a team with. And I do think he'd be of all the superstars, one of the best hangs. And that's also, it's also probably helpful. He's one of the only superstars of that level that's still like a single guy, like hanging out with the fellas, like Steph and LeBron, everybody's married with kids. Durant's just like, nah, I'm going to play video games, smoke a little weed and play basketball. Like, I don't know about you guys.

It's hell of a life, man. you. Thanks for listening to Part 1 of the conversation with Nick. Don't forget to check back for part two. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smyl 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 Smiglin friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

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