The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Nick Wright On Durant’s Legacy, NFL Top 100 Debate, Rookie QB’s Most Primed To Succeed

Episode Date: August 10, 2024

Colin’s top takes of the week! First, Colin is joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out”. They begin with the NFL Top 100 rankings and why it’s absurd that Lamar Jackson is ranked higher than Patrick Mahomes (3:30). They give their takes on the NFL’s new kickoff rule and predict that the NFL will adapt quickly to change it if it doesn’t work well (11:00) Then, Colin makes a bold prediction that the two rookie quarterbacks taken last in the first round could make the biggest impact, and offers a theory as to why (16:30). Then, 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)  Finally, they explain why Kevin Durant sealed his legacy during the Olympics with Team USA basketball by becoming the team’s all time leading scorer (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.

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work since I think pretty much day one. Go Lowe's his golf podcast as well. So, you know, I was thinking about this that when I built the volume, one of the things I think about all the time is I think of it a little bit like a swimming area, stay in your lane. Like there are things I know and things I don't. We have a series of people, you're a football guy and a golf guy. Like everybody has sort of a lane. And it's worked that way. And I've seen that most of my life in corporate America. And in Corporate America, when you have problems is when people think, you know, a sales guy suddenly comes up and wants to talk to me about content. ESPN was famous for that. Here, I've got a segment, I think, could work well for a car dealership, and I'm like, I'll create segments.

If you can sell them, you sell them. But I heart, Fox has never asked me to do a segment because they found a sponsor. Like, that's not the way it works. It shouldn't work that way. So Belichick, prime example, got into trouble. He took over personnel. Pete Carroll and Seattle got into trouble. He and John Snyder.

Once John Snyder, the last couple of years, took over personnel. Seahawks had back-to-back great drafts. They had several where Pete had influence where they just kept missing on first-round picks. Rashad Penny, the running back's a great example where, like, everything was a reach. So when the players vote on the NFL top 100, it's illuminating. It lets you look into what matters to players. They love athleticism. Lamar Jackson is the voted the number one quarterback over Patrick Mahomes because he's viewed as hyper athletic.

This is the NBA players, a majority thinking Westbrook's better than Steph Curry, despite the fact they're both guards. One can't shoot and has bad hands. Like the two most important things for a guard. Well, look who likes him now. Yokic wants Russell Westbrook on his team. Like, what are we doing? What are we doing? So it's interesting.

I don't have a problem. I love Lamar. he's not Patrick Mahomes, but it's interesting. They have Dak Prescott ahead of Matt Stafford and Joe Burrell. There is not, that's not, nobody thinks that, like in the league when you talk to personnel people. I mean, DAC struggles with the best offensive line for years in football to win a single playoff game. Burrow got to the Super Bowl with an egregiously bad offensive line. So in the days that you were working for the Eagles, I look at the top 100.

I'm not offended by it, but it illuminates how players view the world. Hyperathleticism is viewed on a grand scale for players. I just think the way personnel departments and coaches work, in the NBA, if the Warriors are going to do something big, they talk with Steph Curry. Obviously, LeBron James has a huge hand in personnel. And sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but you got to keep him happy. The most famous dynasty of my life, the Patriots, never asked Tom Brady's opinion. one time. Now, it doesn't mean they shouldn't have it, but they never even cross Bill's mind. Andy is not asking Patrick Mahomes, you know, for his draft board, right, or in free agency.

Now, when a player plays somebody, if you play Lamar Jackson and he kicks your ass and you go, that was really good. Like that, there's something to be said. But in the NFL, you don't play every team. So in the NFC, only four teams in the NFC played the Ravens last year, right? It rotates every four years. So half the league is not even playing this player. And then there are teams in the AFC that aren't playing them either. Colin, this ranking, which I honestly have to fake even caring about, I do not care about this.

And the Madden rankings, which had Lamar and Patrick Mahomes right here, Josh Allen is a better player than Lamar Jackson. He's a better player. Yeah. The Chiefs feared Josh Allen. They just played them both back-to-back playoffs on the road. They feared Josh Allen. They were excited to play Lamar.

Again, that's not saying that Lamar's not good. They knew they could handle Lamar. Josh Allen has kind of owned them. This is in the playoffs. The reason the bills haven't won was Sean McDermott, the defense, not Josh. To me, there is a gap. Again, Lamar's regular season in the playoffs, he hasn't been remotely the same. No, no.

And that's a big problem for a team that at this point in time, like, we're not judging the Ravens on 12 wins, 13 wins. Who cares? Like, yeah, I expect the Ravens to be in the playoffs. He's getting judged on those couple games, just like Mahon. Holmes. And that's the thing with Josh. He hasn't won, but I think we all go, not totally his fault, right? They were Peyton Manning games early when I remember being in like early in college and high school. And I love Peyton. I was like, this doesn't look like the same guy. I've just watched for 16 weeks. And that's how Lamar felt in the big games. Where Mahomes, he's like, he's like a chameon. He's like a chameonial. He's morphed. He was like one point in time. He was throwing like Dan Marino. Now he became a game manager this year because of his team. It's like he can do it all. Do you know, do you know the one position that they have asked Mahomes opinion in the draft. It's the one position Kansas City drafts poorly, wide receiver.

So they have asked Mahomes from time to time for an opinion on college receivers. And I imagine they listen to him if they ask. Brett Veach drafts everything great except wide receiver. And my take is he has an influence. Because I heard they have asked Mahomes opinion on wide receivers. Well, if you ask his opinion and he says, I like this guy, you're not going to avoid that guy if he's available. You're probably going to, and it's the one position where they've been really immature, Tony, Immature, Rishi Rice, Immature. Xavier Worthy, I think that's his name out of Texas.

Yeah, it is. I mean, he's 160 pounds. I mean, he, you can jam him up on the line. He'll make spectacular plays, but he's pretty talented, Bill Collins. No, no, he is. I'm not disputing that. But there's also video all over practice of him getting tossed around like a crouton and a salad bowl, just getting thrown all over the field. Deshawn weighed 100. Now, Deshawn. was more talented, I think, than this player. He went in the second round because there were a ton of question marks. When you have the elite speed. Now, Deshawn was a great route runner.

I think a lot of people view Xavier Worthy as more than just a go-rout guy. If he can do everything else. Andy has a soft spot for guys with a little trouble. Andy's not afraid of those. Bill just wants to avoid that at all costs for the most part. Andy kind of embraces it. And I'm not saying, like, and that's the Tony's, even Tyreek early on. Kelsey was a character guy.

coming out of high school. So I think Andy feels pretty comfortable that he can mold that. But overall, the quarterback ranking, you could not have an NFL quarterback ranking and not have Josh Allen second. And I take you seriously. You can't do it. I think he's the second best quarterback. And honestly, like, I have more faith in him winning.

It's on the organization. But because I've seen him be awesome in the playoffs. I mean, say what you want about, you know, the Bengals, who the owners, Ben Cheap, they have proven over the last 20 years they've had moments with Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer some really good teams with Marvin Lewis and the Andy Dalton teams like they can build a team Joe Burrell benefited two years ago their team was talented so I was thinking like like and I'm not it's just people are different and I I'm not traditional so I can move my wife's the same way we can move on a dime and the kickoff rules it's quirky looking but just the new kickoff

rules, think about it in terms of when they changed the PAT, it became a real play. One of those, your kicker misses one about every third week, unless you have the, unless you have the Bravins kicker. So seven of eight kicks were returned in the Hall of Fame game. 73% of kicks last year went through the end zone or were touchbacks. You get an extra play about six to seven times a game. There were only like four balls, kickoffs taken for touchdowns last year. It almost never happens.

I don't, yeah, I mean, like, it may happen. It basically in the NFL happens every six weeks it happens once. You don't even get that many. I mean, if a guy gets to midfield or the other teams 40, it's considered a huge return. So the NFL basically said, we just want more plays. So I said this on the air, is that the NFL constantly adjusts. Baseball did when it had to. I mean, Fox basically went to baseball and said, we're not really interested in signing you to another deal. Speed the game up. Fox literally told him how to tweak their schedule. Speed the game up. ESPN, by the way, has no interest from what I've heard in resigning baseball. Lachlan Murdoch. It's pretty clear in our building. It's not like baseball is a priority.

Baseball has changed when it's fundamentally had-do or networks just don't want to do business with them. And they have sped the game up, but it's a different time and it does still feel like it lacks juice and energy and pacing. So, but the NFL in a leadership role, I always said this about Tiger Woods, number one golfer in the world, number one and change clubs. Oprah Winfrey had the number one ratings, and she literally changed her show to more of an ethereal, you know, quality of life, elevation of life show. She was number one. Tiger and Oprah changed, NFL does this. Number one, pulling away and makes changes. That's different from somebody going, John, if you don't quit smoking, you die. I'm not going to give you a ton of credit for quitting when the option is you're dead if you don't start exercising and stop smoking.

So baseball is a little bit like change or we're just not interested in resigning you to long-term deals. So I guess my point is on the preseason thing. People can fight it, but John, I watched it and I'm like, it's, it was the first time I can remember watching every kickoff. It was fascinating. I'm totally behind doing out with the old because it was. was not working. But I watched, you know, I'm kind of sick. I probably watch a coach press conference a day, different, you know, throughout the league.

I ran into Sean Payton's yesterday because you get the right coaches. They're giving you nuggets left and right. All sorts of nuggets. And I saw this a couple weeks ago, a headline that the Packers special teams coach, Rich Passachia, probably the number one Harold that special teams coach in the league said the league might change things throughout the preseason. Sean Payton doubled down on that. So I think they've told everyone, and this is where they deserve credit, we did this,

but we are not afraid to tweak it before week one if we see different things. Because Sean Payton mentioned this, and I do agree. There's a lot of moving parts with where the ball could end up, and he's like, it's hard to follow. It's hard for us. The coaches, it took us a while, the fans cannot follow this. Like if one goes out of bounds, if one goes through the end zone, and obviously, if you don't get it to the front square, there are different yard lines. I think one's 25, one's 30, and one's 40. might be 35. He's like, it's too confusing.

Sean Payton's pushback was, I'm totally cool with this change of the formation, but just have one or the other, right? If you kick it out of the end zone or kick it out of bounds, it starts at the 40. And if you kick it, if you don't kick it to the square, started at the 20. But you can't have too many complications, and I agreed with that. The one thing I think, again, it was preseason game, the Hall of Fame game, you could even have that in its own category. Like there's preseason and there's whatever the hell that is. I know it got rained out or whatever, but I made the people play.

I thought there would be more just open lanes. And I'm not trying to take too much away. It felt like the offensive players because this guy gets a running start five yards. I do have to back up immediately. And I, in the older rule, I had more space so I could back up and then attack. There's not really that much space. and there were a couple times when everyone just went by him, and the offensive guy was swallowed.

And I assumed the opposite. I was like, you're only going to have to make a guy or two miss. It's why, like, Debo Samuel's like, I want in. Because in theory, you think it's going to be easy, but then you watch it in practice. You're like, maybe it's not going to be as, I would say, offensive as you. It's going to be harder than, and who knows, maybe we'll see all sorts of stuff. But Sean Payton said this.

He's like, if the average, if you're kicking in the square, and the average where they end up with the ball is at the 38 yard line over like a two or three week period, every coach is going to kick into the end zone and start at the 30. We'll just play the numbers, which would be bad, which would negate everything they're trying to do. And the league obviously understands this. So they're trying to, they want it to be a play. So a former NFL quarterback texted me after the draft. And I wrote this note down and I have notepads all over my house and I found this the other day.

And I didn't bring it up and it's really interesting. Tom Brady has some draft takes? I'm not going to go there. But he said, this is not a small thing. Caleb Williams defensive coach, Jaden Daniels, defensive coach, Drake May defensive coach, rookie. He said, and Michael Panics in Atlanta, back. backup defensive coach. He said, don't be surprised if Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy with really, really bright offensive coaches in one year, if we don't look up and go, those are the best

two quarterbacks. And this quarterback said, man, when you come into this league and this quarterback spoke from experience, he goes, I had a defensive coach first. He said, it's a different language. He said, Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy are getting a master class level coaching experience that Pennix isn't getting with a coordinator. Caleb's not getting. He said, this guy said, it's just, he goes, and he said this, he goes, people bang on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson for not winning playoff games. He said, if you gave Josh Allen to Andy Reed, do you think he'd have a Super Bowl, and his thing was, of course he would. So it's just interesting is that we, every year in this draft, John, there's a quarterback drafted below the star. Very rarely is the

first quarterback taken, the guy. C.J. Stroud, too, Bryce Young. So I'm not just saying, now, C.J. Stroud got a great coach, a great coordinator, Tank Dell, Nico Collins, they hit on draft picks. But your take on, because Kevin O. McConnell is highly respected. I mean, the tall Sean McVeigh. Sean Payton, I spent a lot of time with Sean. Sean is way too smart to be broadcasting. He has to be coaching. I think the best overbet in the league is Bo Nicks at five and a half. Like the old line's pretty good. If the Franklin kid from Oregon works with Mims and Cortland Sutton, they have workable tight ends. Two backs, I think, are capable. What do you make of that that the first year rookie quarterback, the two with offensive coaches

who are deeper in the draft could be the hits. Well, as I'm watching the Sean Payton press conference on my iPhone at 10.30 at night in my bed next to my future wife, she's probably thinking I'm a nut. He mentioned the name multiple times in Drew Brees. And obviously getting rid of the football is a big deal. And the other thing he hammered home is like people act like I just want to dink and dunk like that's the offense. No, we want to push the ball down the field. And that is the game plan.

So I think the way that he talked about this guy in the press conference was a lot of love. I think he is really, really high. I think he liked his rookie class, the way he was talking. I think he's pretty excited about his team. This did not feel like, you know, I think a younger Sean, Bill Parcell's guy, if he's not happy, you can feel it. He looked pretty excited with the group he has. Doesn't mean they're going to win 11 games.

I'm kind of out on Washington this year. Not because I don't think Jaden Daniels isn't really talented, but they're not that good. They haven't been. They got rid of multiple D-Lyman. Now, you could say Chase Young's a little overrated. Montesweat is not. So they lose talent there.

They just are not as talented as obviously the Eagles or the Cowboys. That division is hard. The Giants have some players. And Dayball, you have, like, he has been coaching. Now he's calling the offense. I could see Washington just having a rough season. And that's where, you know, big, of course they should. They've been bad, been bad.

They're resetting. But when you're a quarterback and you don't have your play caller and then all of a sudden is our offensive play caller good enough, Cliff Kingsbury. You see it a lot with defensive guys. They start getting pressure. Well, who do they point the finger at? The offensive play caller. When shit goes wrong, it goes to Kyle Shanahan or Randy Reid

or Sean Payton or Kyle McHawainan and they go, we'll fix it. And you go, yeah, they will. They'll figure it out. And that's where it gets difficult. I mean, New England, they feel a little bit like a shit show right now. Yeah. You know, no team in the league has spent less cash. I've read

this and heard people say this over the last decade. than them. I mean, that speaks one to the brilliance of Tom Brady and Belichick building a team. But also, I think there's a knock on the crafts can be a little cheap. They like to do the most with the least amount. I think a lot of teams like the Niners of the Cowboys, they'll spend whatever it takes to try to win. Like he's always, it wasn't just Belichick being cheap, you know, felt like a kind of a mandate. You have this rookie head coach who's not that far removed from being a player. You got this defensive star player who's underpaid that they had a kick out of practice. it's getting weird. Diana Rusini says, you know, they've made an offer to Matt Judon.

Then he's saying bullshit. It's just there's a lot going on. The quarterback situation, they have this major project. We've seen a million times. What history doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes. I've seen Jacoby Brissette in a scenario on a bad team 30 times in my life. We know exactly how this goes. The record's terrible. Before Halloween, right around there, it's like, we can't take this anymore. Throw the kid in. The team's awful. And it can. Jared Gough go the wrong way. And they got lucky. McVeigh came in the next year and saved everything. But it goes the wrong way in a situation like that.

Like Gerard Mayo ain't calling the offensive plays. You can just see how it gets ugly. Even again, Dan Quinn, he did inherit Matt Ryan. It's a little harder with a young quarterback who, let's face it, Malik Neighbors looks like a bigger, thicker O'Dell Beckham from eight years ago. And the other wide receiver went in the top 25. And Brian Kelly got a pretty good history of developing offensive players at Notre Dame, at Cincinnati, and now here. So I don't know.

I mean, Dan Quinn got, and I like Dan Quinn, he did get a job with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones on the roster. So it's just, they were kind of a little more, they were already good. I mean, Matt Ryan had already been in the playoffs. Julio was a star. Totally fair. It's a lot more difficult. And I was thinking about this today. you know, in that Giants dock when they tried to trade up from three to six,

and Elliot Wolf essentially at the end of the day said no, unless you give me some godfather offer, not going to entertain it. If I told you Drake May was with Dayball, who spent the four years with Josh Allen, you would like that scenario a lot more. Yes. When you put a project on just a god-awful team whose coach, I mean it doesn't mean he doesn't know football,

but he's never been remotely close to it. position like this. And now the fans are already turning on the owner because of everything that went on with the Apple documentary and the treatment of Belich. It's just weird. It's hard to overcome that. I saw it when I was in college with Alex Smith. The Niners were just a joke. We used to joke in college. Could Pete Carroll's team beat the Niners? And it was like, yeah, I mean, a lot of people would argue, I don't know. They got about 15 first rounders, and this Niners team struggling to win like four games. And Alex went there, and it was, his career was, an embarrassment. And then he got real coaches and what happened. You're like, Alex Smith's pretty good.

Yeah. And he's, he's as mature and smart of a quarterback that has come in the league last 25 years. It is really, really hard to overcome negativity, losing a coach who's not really comfortable. So I guess it's a long-winded way of saying, like, I think it's so much easier when your head coach is the guy pulling the trigger on the play goal. He impacts the game. I'd never quite understand. Like, Siriani. What really is he doing on Gabe Day? I can't figure it out. Yeah. Not calling a play. You know, toughness. Like is he, say this about Dan Campbell. Like, obviously he's adding an element of toughness to his team. So is Harbaugh. Harbaugh's are both doing that. Yeah. Yeah. They're in a different category. But there are some guys, you know, is Dan Quinn calling the defense? Is Gerard Mayle calling the defense? So if they take that part away, it's why when Robert Sala gets the Jets job, he immediately goes, I'm not going to be the coordinator. Like, what the fuck did I hire you for? Just to give Rha-Ras speeches?

I mean, you've had two good years as a coordinator. And now you're giving up the asset in which I hired you for. Part of being the head coach is you got to lead, you got to motivate, you got to run practice, and ideally call one side of the ball. That's what all these coaches do. There's a rare group of people. Harbaugh's a great example who can dominate Bill Parcells. Most guys have to be pretty hands-on in this modern day of football, right?

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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. 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,

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after 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. It's Ryder Strong and Will Friedel from PodMeets World.

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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 a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Orsia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments

from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment.

To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. 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 Iyuk. 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 him. 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. I saw 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 is 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 a hundred and forty 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 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 it's, I think people, 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 I had a couple of Olympic team rants today. Okay. And I said, one of the things I said with KD. I said, actually being the all-time leading score, cemented his legacy. So KD is salt to a chef. It 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. Embedgues 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 leave.

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 and finish, sorry. So 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 was the leading score?

Jordan, no. Well, 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, the fuck yeah, it is. Because when you ask players, Mark Fuse 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 Durant, man. That's all he said. sad, right?

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 see. 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 said. 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 him who's also great who can do it for them.

And so it is such a unique thing because I do think, I do think Durant is, I've 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 top and ask 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. 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, is he a terrible defender? No, he can, 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 hope 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, you 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 like 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 got half a billion dollars. You're single. You're wildly famous in the Olympic village in Harris. 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 Durant. I really like Durant. 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 fellows. 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. Hell of a life, man. The volume. Thanks so much for listening. If you've enjoyed the podcast, take a moment, rate and review.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the big. 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 hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in till he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know, there's a lot to break down. and Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest

moments from your favorite reality shows including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your

podcast. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramers sending on the honey, Stuart, the chip. Score! I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Boca.

On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines, the biggest decisions, and the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. Listen, Inside American Soccer

with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the IHeart Radio App. Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcasts 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. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. 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 drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer?

Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got them. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.