The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Drake, Kevin Durant, Raiders, and famous fans

Episode Date: May 23, 2019

Colin discusses rapper Drake getting too close during the Raptors-Bucks game, the twitter feud between Golden State Warriors F Kevin Durant and Fox Sports host Chris Broussard, NBA free agency, the plans of the Oakland Raiders, and his list of the top 10 famous sports fans. Guests include Chris Broussard, Charles Barkley, Chris Webber, Rob Parker, and Arash Markazi. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist, and an Armenian businessman.

Multi-million dollar house, Ferrari's and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion-dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud

on the I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world.

Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic.

On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs, banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every

weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Heard at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. On a Thursday, this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We are live in Los Angeles. Cold again. Iheart radio, Fox Sports Radio and FS1. I know, I know, I know. I sound like such an elitist. It's 55 degrees in Los Angeles. No, I think it's okay. You know what? It's May. It's about to be officially the summer this weekend. Yeah, it'd be nice. It's nice

everywhere now. We can complain that it's raining. Come on. I'll allow it. Clouds. Get it together. I don't know what's going on this year. I don't either. El Niño. El Dampo. It's raining every day. Terrible. It's weird. Good to have you in. Chris Broussard and Kevin

Durant yell and screaming at each other, and that's Joy Taylor. It's great to have Joy in today. We finally found the ratings are down 50% for the Eastern Conference Finals. The good news, we found another star for the Toronto Milwaukee series. It's Drake, the hip-hop superstar. So he is an ambassador for the Raptors. And one of the cool things about sports is that when you pick a favorite sport,

you're kind of picking a favorite culture. And Drake's up there and he's loud and he's noisy. And the Milwaukee coach, Mike Boondholzer, has had enough of him hanging around touching coaches. I don't know how much he's on the court. It sounds like you guys are saying it's more than I realize. There's certainly no place for fans and whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors, you know, to be on the court. There's boundaries and lines for a reason. Listen, this is really an argument about culture. And I'm not going to change anybody's opinion on this, nor am I trying to. I'm going to create, I'll try in the next three minutes, four minutes to create clarity. Every sport in America has a different culture.

Golf, two words. Quiet, please. NASCAR is very southern. Soccer is very the opposite. International. When you look at baseball, you cannot look at your home run for more than a second. It's about tradition and respect. The NFL is about the shield.

It is very corporate. And the NBA, it's a soap opera. It's youthful. It's young. It's loud. It's fun. I've seen Drake before. It's called Jack Nicholson.

It's called Spike Lee. It's the league where Steve Balmer screaming at people as an owner, where Mark Cuban is getting fined by the commissioner for banging on the refs. When you choose a sport, you're actually choosing a culture. And I've said this is why the NFL will always be king in America. It's Italian food. It's lasagna. It's pizza.

It may not be your favorite, but everybody can kind of tolerate it. The NBA, I grew up on the beach. I like seafood. It's more like sushi. You love it or you don't love it at all? I remember the first time in college I went to McDonald's with a bunch of guys in the car and I ordered a filet of fish. And they all freaked out. Gross.

Fish. I was like, I grew up on a dock. But I realized if you didn't grow up in a dock, half the people in the country don't like the smell of fish, the taste of fish, the texture of fish. Joy grew up in Pittsburgh, then Miami. She probably likes fish. I do eat sushi, yes. There you go. But that's the NBA.

It's not for everybody. The NFL, even my sister watches it. So when it comes to baseball, tradition, golf, quiet pleas, NASCAR, Southern, Soccer, International, the NBA, Drake's brand is the NBA's brand. It's a little hip-hop. It's a little youthful.

It's a little fun. It's a little loud. It's a little party. It's a little internet. It's a lot of all that stuff. And I'm not going to change anybody's mind on this. But when you choose a sport, it generally says a lot about your personality. Young, fun, social people like the NBA.

Older people who, like tradition, are baseball and golf fans. Southerners, college football, NASCAR. people who've traveled the world appreciate new stuff. They love soccer. So I'm an NBA guy. I like it. I always have. It keeps me young.

And I'm not what you would currently call super young. But I also like the NFL more than anything because it's corporate. My dad was into business. I like business. But I can't convince anybody that is bothered by Drake that I'm okay with it. And it's okay. because you probably don't like, fit, understand the culture. All right, so my entire life, I have watched this whole Big Brother, Little Brother thing in sports.

And what I mean by that is like Yankees are the Big Brother, the Big Brand in a city, and the Mets are the Little Brother. A Michigan football is the Big Brother. You know, Michigan State's sort of the Little Brother. And you see that all the time. Lakers are the big brother and the little brothers, the Clippers. Dodgers, Angels, you see it all the time.

See it a lot in college sports. The big state school, then the second school. University of Texas. He's got a lot of little brothers. It's got Texas A&M. It's got Texas Tech. It's got UTAP. So right now, there is a belief that the little brother in Los Angeles,

the Clippers, is going to overtake the big brother in Los Angeles, the Lakers. And I'm starting to hear this from everybody on Kevin Durant. Now the rumor is he's thinking about going, not to the Lakers, but to the Clippers. Here's Kendrick Perkins. If I'm KD., I think I would really consider going to the Clippers. I mean, you look at them in, it's like stability, man.

And it's like, yeah, this is a franchise. And you can see Kevin Durant going there. It's in L.A. He could flourish and be himself, and it would be his team. And I would love to see KD play for a coach like Doc Rivers. The way Doc draws up plays and his play calling, I could just imagine the plays he would draw for Kevin Grant. And that now is gaining momentum and gaining steam.

They're going to take over the city. But let me ask you, after six straight losing seasons, who did LeBron pick the Lakers? Lakers have the losingest record in the NBA, six years. Last six years, who did LeBron pick? Best player in the world, face of the league. He picked the Lakers. Who is Kevin Durant considering the Knicks' second worst record in the NBA?

Maybe Katie's considering the Clippers. And maybe Katie's considering Brooklyn. But put me under, I'll believe it when I see it. I go to Clippers games every year, and I go to Laker games every year, and there is no question. The Clipper fans, the Clipper tickets, they're giving more away, they're a little less expensive, and I think KD and Kauai could change that, and I do think the power pyramid, the structure, the flow start for the Clippers is way better than the Lakers. But every time the little brother has a little success, like the Mets over the Yankees,

remember that in the 80s, 86, or the A's, the Moneyball A's, He flew over the Giants, but the Giants eventually won three World Series, and the Yankees eventually won more World Series, and the Angels won in 2002, but it's the Dodgers that keep winning their division. And the Jets had Joe Namath and briefly Rex Ryan, but it's the Giants that win Super Bowls. The little brother, Michigan State's pretty good. Then Jim Harbaugh gets hired at Michigan. Now it's Michigan School and Michigan State and Michigan's in the bigger games. And it was Auburn for a while, and Alabama hires Nick Sabin, and it's now Alabama. winning national championships and Auburn going to the Capital One Bowl.

Listen. Byron Scott said it yesterday. If you want to come to L.A., I'm a free agent. I'd say look at the Clippers first. Kauai Leonard. I'm Kauai Leonard. I'm getting pursued by both. I think I'd take a harder look at the clippers because of the stability, what they have.

Kendrick Perkins, I'd look at the clippers. Just, I will believe the little brother has surpassed the big brother if Kevin Durant goes to Brooklyn and Kyrie follows him and so does Anthony Davis and Kauai Leonard and Kevin Durant go to the Clippers because my entire life in sports I've seen the little brother Michigan State football, Auburn football

North Carolina State basketball, Jim Volvano but eventually North Carolina gets the right coach and they build it up and they win the national championships and that's the way it always works. Yes, the Mets were adorable. Keith Hernandez got on Seinfeld and Lenny Dykstra and Wally Backman. Who did Ayrod go to? Who had Jeter?

Who's proud of wild card titles and who's really proud of World Series titles? I think it'd be great if the Clippers land KD and Kauai. I really do. It's fun. But, man, six years of losing for the Lakers, did not dissuade LeBron from coming there. And he may regret it today, but if the Clippers had the worst record in the NBA for six years and there's probably six-year stretches they did,

LeBron wouldn't have chosen. Brands are powerful, and the big brand, when they get their you-know-what together, usually rise over the second brand, and they do it really, really quickly. Routing for the Clippers here, be fun. Routing for Brooklyn here, it'd be fun. I'll believe it

when I see it. Okay, Kevin Durant and Chris Broussard, what in God's name is happening? It is just crazy. Chris Broussard will be on this hour. I will talk about that whole mess coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in

noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back.

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

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

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

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

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

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

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

Absolutely great to have you back in. Kevin Durant and our Chris Broussard, who will join me in 10 minutes, have been fighting all week. It's crazy. There's a lot of stuff back and forth. So Chris was on the radio and Chris was on, you know, TV here on FS1. He was talking about stuff about, you know, what happens if the Warriors win a couple of rings without Kevin Durant is his worst nightmare.

And then Kevin Durant, who, like social media, was apparently watching FS1. Obviously he was. And he went to Twitter and he goes, slight exaggeration, buddy, in my worst nightmare. And then, you know, Kevin Durant also pushed back when Chris Broussard talked about, you know, that they had talked a lot texting on the phone. And then Kevin Durant came out and said, cap, cap, cap, cap, cap, which I'm told means lie, lie, lie, you don't have my number man. Chris Broussard said, DM, Twitter, DM, text, all the same, dude, don't act like I'm lying.

All right, so my takeaway on this is, first of all, I don't care what the device was. If you're texting, DMing, Facebooking, Instagramming, Snapchating, anybody 50 times, that's a trusting relationship. Most of the time people DM me, I can't get out of it fast enough. I'm not into it, right? I'm just, I don't, very few people I would trust texting or talking to 50 times. You never know if they're going to take those words like this, throw them back at you. So I just stay off the phone as much as I can in terms to DM and text. Even with friends, I'm a yes, no guy, right?

And so, but this is a technicality. This is, oh, it's not my text, it's my DM. If you are in a relationship with somebody 50 times, I don't care what the device is, okay, this is KD deflecting. This is like when the girlfriend grabs the boyfriend's phone and goes, oh, who's she? and the boyfriend's like, why are you looking at my phone? He's deflecting. He didn't want to talk about why he was talking to another girl on the phone. This is deflecting by KD.

Obviously, Broussard, and he have done a lot of talking here, and Chris Broussard actually answered this. Play the tape. Let me start this off by saying I like and respect Kevin Durant and am not trying to continue a Twitter beef with him. However, he did challenge my credibility, and I must respond to that. In my telephone, I have more than.

60 direct messages from Kevin Durant on Twitter and Instagram since February of 2018. These were conversations initiated by KDM self. We talked about a lot of the things I talked about on undisputed, and some of these conversations lasted more than five hours. If you want to argue over the difference between a text and a DM in the year 2019, go right ahead. But to me, it's all the same thing. For those of you want me to publish these DMs, it's not going to be.

to happen. Out of respect for KD, those texts will remain private. Finally, after all of this, I will continue to love, respect, and pray for Kevin Durant and objectively analyze him as a basketball player. So let me go back to this with Kevin Durant. Actually, I feel jealous because I love Kevin Durant. I talk about it all the time. And I said this year, I thought he was better than LeBron. I'm the only guy apparently he doesn't DM. So I'm feeling kind of hurt on this. I would like a little love from Kevin Durant. I moved to your side about four months ago. I haven't had one direct message sent to me.

But here's the second thing. Katie's not playing basketball. Katie's not married. Katie doesn't have kids. Katie has got a lot of time on his hands. And I've even told people I work with. Marriage kids get you off the phone. You just got more responsibilities.

So single guys, no kid guy, not playing guy. Some of this is Kevin's got more spare time on his hands, okay? He goes treatments to his phone. Phone to his treatments. But here's the thing about Kevin, and I like him a lot. What Twitter really is, and a psychologist will tell you this, it's just projecting and seeking validation. That's what social media is. Look, my food is perfect.

My life is perfect. I'm beautiful. Nobody puts a bad day on Twitter. Nobody puts a bad day on Instagram. Nobody puts a bad day. It's a seeking validation and projecting tool. Now, all of us do that. I've done it, you've done it.

It's not over time, though, healthy. And this is my knock on KD. Is he going to the Knicks potentially because they have much better management? No. Is he going to the Knicks because they can pay them more? No, I will always, always support professional athletes if they feel they're underpaid, if they're seeking more money, if they're seeking better bosses, if they're seeking better teammates. I will support every pro athlete that's ever lived.

But if you're going somewhere that has less money and less players and less history and less ownership and less, isn't that Twitter seeking validation? Like, this is deflecting and projecting and validation. And it's the stuff that worries me that KD is going to make a terrible choice and leave the smartest basketball system in America. This would be like Duncan leaving the Spurs. When you are lucky enough to be around in basketball, Magic Johnson inherited Kareem Smart and Jerry West smart, and James Worthy and the bus family, and it was just Pat Riley. You don't leave that.

And Tim Duncan, he inherits David Robinson and Greg Popovich, and then they get Tony Park. You don't leave that. Man, when you join a family as strong. smart as the Warriors with such good guys. It's so funny, we think a Draymond is the crazy guy. The more I watch the Warriors, he's the glue of the family, and he's the crazy guy. And my old worry about Kevin Durant isn't this stuff, it's that he'll seek validation.

Don't. Seek bosses, seek teammates, seek smart, seek some money. I get money. But Kevin, please, give leaving. Golden State, a second, third, fourth, and fifth thought. Enjoy it with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. So, John Beeline left Michigan earlier this month to take the head coaching job with the calves. Shocked us. The university has found his replacement. Yes, Michigan has agreed to a five-year deal with former Miami Heat Assistant coach, Joanne Howard. Yeah.

Two people who are very excited about this hire are Joanne Howard's former teammates with the heat, Wade and LeBron James. Dee Wade tweeted, talk to me nice, say it is so. My guy deserves this opportunity. This will only be right. Then LeBron responded to Wade's tweet with his own saying, man, what? Absolutely the right choice.

And I hope it becomes a done deal. ASAP, one of my favorite people I've ever met at the age of 16 and been around since then. This is a really big deal for Michigan. Obviously, Joan Howard's a part of FAP-5 and Michigan guy through and through incredible NBA veteran. And he's been put

put in years with a very solid organization in the Miami Heat. And within the Miami Heat had a very important role in player relations to the coaching staff and to the front office. So this is a no-brainer hire for Michigan, especially replacing B-Line, who established a winning an incredible culture there. So I love this. And also, more importantly, you know, when Wade and LeBron James have young sons who will be heading off to college very soon. You know, what I like about Joanne Howard, dude has put in the time. Yes. I got nothing against Jason, kid.

But I'm a starting point guard. Tomorrow I'm a coach. It feels like you're kind of skipping a step. Joanne has put in step, step, step. I think it's great. And I'm not anti-player being coach, but when I see guys retire in an hour or later, they're in a playout. Like, coaching's hard, and he'll have to figure out some recruiting stuff. But this is a guy.

I called somebody last night. has put in the time. He's absolutely putting the time on the coaching end of it. But the recruiting thing to me is not, that is very overblown. I think the whole recruiting environment has evolved tremendously over the last 20 years, this whole idea that you have to go in there with your suit on and talk to the parents and tell them about a good education or whatever the idea of recruiting is. It doesn't exist anymore.

Look at Penny Hardaway. Penny Hardaway has the number one recruiting class in the country at. Memphis and everyone thought that that hire was ridiculous. Penny Hardaway. He's proved everyone wrong. I mean, coaching is obviously a big part of this, but recruiting is number one in college. You have to get the kids there. He's getting kids from all over the country to go to Memphis.

One, obviously, because he's Penny Hardaway, but you have to be able to relate to kids and you have to have a hand in the grassroots culture of basketball, AAU, and the grassroots circuit. And that is a big deal in college basketball now. So hiring former players in this position is a big deal. Chris Weber will join us top of next hour. So C-Web, part of the amazing Fab 5. And if you're 20 years old, you didn't see the Fab 5.

The only way I can explain it, it was, you know this past Duke team that had a bunch of guys? It was like that, but they were culturally different in the baggy shorts. It was the most talked about college basketball team. Maybe ever. I mean, in my lifetime, I'm not saying the best. I'm saying the most game, they were incredibly... Culture altering college basketball program, Fav-5. And the relationships with all those guys in Michigan

have been spotty since then. Yes, but their reputation lives on. They were incredibly important to the culture. So the NBA's all defensive teams were announced yesterday. Rudy Gobert, Paul George, Yannis, Marcus Smart, and Eric Ledso were selected for the first team. But there was one very interesting player who received some votes.

James Hardin got two votes, and they were both for first team. Was that Daryl Morey voting twice? I don't know. This is very interesting. When you look at the list, though, I mean, obviously Patrick Beverly makes sense to get, you know, several votes for first team all defense. That's a no-brainer there. Who was the starting five again? Rudy Goberra, Paul George, Yana Sancti DiCompo, Marcus Smart, and Eric Bledsoe.

What about Kauai? I did think it was interesting that Kauai did not. Mark is smart. Yeah, Kauai would be on my... I mean, Kauai was out for a lot of games, too, so maybe voters held that against him or something. I thought that was interesting as well. Rudy, I mean, most of those,

Rudy Gobert is just as good as it gets. So most of those guys make total sense. No, no, no. First team makes sense, of course. But, yeah, the other votes are kind of interesting as well. Russell Westbrook also got some votes, too. Russell is a better defender than James. Yes.

Russell's Westbrook can defend when he wants to. When Russell's into it, he can defend. Because he's physically, Russell's strong. Yes. If Russell gets up in you. Yeah. Westbrook gets up in you, he can defend. Drew Holliday is another guy. I don't know if he made it. Drew Holliday is another guy that physically, if he gets up in you defensively, he can push you around. No, Drew Holliday is a good player. Finally, Kyrie Irving is the top free agent this summer, and there's a strong sense that his days of the Celtics are over.

He does leave Boston. A reunion with LeBron and L.A. seems to still be on the table. Here's Brian Winhorst on Kyrie's options in free agency. If you had asked me six months ago, Sage, I just said the door was closed and locked. That was not going to happen. But over the last few months, there has no doubt been a thawing between Kyrie and LeBron and Kyrie has become to be more open to joining the Lakers and has done some research on the organization. That said, with Magic Leaving, that was the guy that he felt the connection to, and with the great opportunities in Brooklyn and in New York, plus Boston trying to keep them. I think the Lakers are lower on his list, but they're on his list, and that gives them a fighting chance. Yeah, I don't see it happening, but I have said this. When Kyrie left LeBron, my take

takeaway was Kyrie's career pre-Lebron and I was injured a lot and a little bit of a diva. I thought they worked together great. I did too and I don't know. I could kind of see this happening. I know that there's a lot of options out there.

I know. That report that, you know, teams are kind of backing off of Kyrie, I don't believe for a second. Kyrie is a superstar. He had a bad series. It wasn't working in Boston for lots of different reasons. But... Listen, man. Kiree is more of a one-be and I think with LeBron,

listen, LeBron overwhelms the room, and I get Kyrie at the time was like, okay, but you can't tell me these two on the floor, laid in quarters, laid in sets, late in games didn't work together.

Well, if their relationship is fully repaired, because there were some things that made him want to leave LeBron, not just like him not wanting to be number two. And I think that everything had happened in Boston could have been a, you know, a wake-up call like,

hey, we had a good thing going here. Like, this worked. We played off each other well and had success. I don't know. It's kind of interesting. I think that Kyrie is a smart guy. And every situation, while it might be the opportunity to be the guy, might not be the best situation to win championships, as we know. So I think this could be in play. Exciting. Joy over the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly news. I mean, yesterday I grabbed my phone and Chris Broussard's trending. Let's bring out Chris Broussard, a voice of NBA on this network, New York Times, former Cavs Beat Rider, the odd couple, Chris Broussard and Rob Parker. You thought Rob Parker was the only guy you got in fights with. I know, man. Wow.

I said on Undisputed this morning, I said, you know, the way KD is on social media, this could be a topic every day with me. Who knows how long this thing might go on? Okay, so my takeaway, if you didn't hear it was, I don't want to get into what device it is. If I'm communicating with somebody over hours and multiple text or DMs, it's a relationship. So to me, I don't care what the device is. I don't care. It's like, I'm in radio.

I'm on streaming. I'm on radio. I'm on serious. I'm on TV. Do you know what we call all these? Audio. I don't even call it radio. I just have an audio platform, which is like seven different things, podcast, streaming,

XM, affiliates, and then I do a TV simulcast. So to me, it is all just kind of the same. you're talking, you're talking. I'm 50 years old. I don't know all those different intricacies between texting DM. Hey, I had to ask my, I didn't even know what cap cap cap, cap man. I'm like, anybody, I thought that was cap a guy or something. I took it as bus a cap in your story.

You know, meaning I'm, but no, unless that's what cap, cap, cap, cap, cap, cap, it means. He didn't deny what I said. You just said, you don't have my number. I do have a cell phone number for him. He gave me long ago. I'm sure it's outdated. players change numbers all the time. Yeah.

But there's that. But he slid into my DMs, all right? He's the one hit me on Instagram, DM, Twitter DM, and then we have these long conversations. I actually underestimated it on Undisputed yesterday. I said two to three hours. I looked it up yesterday five hours. Like not five hours straight.

Right. But pretty much like going back and forth, I remember what I was doing those days. And it was like just constant texting for four or five hours. And look, let me say this. KD has the right. We talk about him being sensitive and all that. If what, if going back at the media, there's a part of me.

There's a part of me that's like, you know what? We critique these guys. If they want to come back, I know you've had guys come back to you, that's their right. That's fine. Hey, Ty Lou called me at my house. He was great.

Yeld at me, but he was great. I'm trying to think of somebody else that called me. Odell Beckham. I was out skiing. Odell called me. called me, we talked for 25 minutes, is great. Right. He didn't always love me.

I've always said, if you won't come on the couch, I'll give my number out to athletes. I've told, if Westbrook wants to scream at me, I'm okay. And I'll never, Odell told me a lot of stuff that I will never say just to protect his butt, even though I can say sometimes he's a little needy. I think that's fair to say. But what bothers me is Kevin is trying to make it sound like you just made crap up.

And that's why I went back with the details of, you know, I don't want to release these screenshots of DMs and all that. I want to keep all that private out of respect for him and other people's I communicate with around the NBA. But, yeah, I had to go with a little detail. I got 60 plus DMs from you in the last year or so and, you know, how long the conversations were and stuff. And I said it on Undisputed, I'm, I say it right now. If somebody can prove that I'm, that I lied about that story, you really think I'm going to go on national TV and make up a four, minute rant with details that's just completely made up, completely false.

To me, that's a fireball offense. If somebody can prove I was lying about that, then fire me. FS1, Fox Sports Radio, fire me. Really? Yeah. That's how much I'm putting on this. Fire me. No, and I think, you know, it's funny, and I go back and forth on this, I think it's easy to

look at Kevin Durant and say, you know, Kevin is sensitive. You want to know who else already sensitive? Aaron Rogers. And you want to know some about Aaron Rogers and Kevin Durant. They're very thoughtful people. Is that a lot of people, stuff lands on them. I'm so numb from criticism. You could say, I'm just like, it's concrete to me.

You're like Westbrook. I just don't care. But we have to be careful of ripping athletes because they're sensitive. These are 20-year-olds. I'm 50. I'm just at this point, I've had so many slings and arrows. But if I was a 20-year-old

and I was on these shows all day, I think I'd be on sliding into DMs too. I get it. And I try to put myself in people's, other people's shoes to see how I would want them to treat me. And I get it. Like, I understand with athletes, if somebody was on television or radio

ripping me throughout the day and then comes up to me and acts like everything, things good. I get why they'd be upset or they may say something you. Boogie Cousins a year or two ago, two years ago, saying something to me in the locker room. I had never met him, but I had talked about him on TV and had talked about what people were telling me in the King's organization about him. And he was like, you know, he challenged me, you know. But I respected that and we had a good conversation.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was good. Like you said with Odell and those guys that call you, I like that. So a lot of me in cases, these communication has been he'll reach out after he doesn't like something I wrote or I said on TV and then initially he'll reach out hardcore like coming at me right but then we talk it out and you know we we have we've talked about other things as I've mentioned beyond basketball so that comes into the conversation and and then it ends up being all good and I look I don't know how this will end I hope I'm not going to reach out to KD anytime soon yeah I don't expect him to with me, but at some point down the line, I'll reach out and hopefully everything can get cleared

up. But I kind of, like this, what's going on has played out in private with me and him to some degree before. Yeah, that's okay. I think it's a, uh, Kevin Durant to his credit, does not deny he's watching. Right. Everybody. And I give him, like, his attitude from what I can gather is I'm going to go back at you. Like he, everybody else looks at it as a weakness. I don't think he looks at it as a weakness. He looks at it like, you said this about me. I'm calling you out. I don't care if you got 15 Twitter followers or you're on national television.

And one thing I will give KD, Colin, it does not affect his play. Oh, no. You see athletes, as you know, in New York, the back page kills them. They can't perform in New York. This guy, he plays great no matter what's going on with social media or criticism or whatever. Can I say one thing? Can I look at the camera? Kevin Durant

you don't DM me I've called you the best player I talk about you all the time I constantly give you advice and support and love you I'm now the only media person in the world you don't call I'm the one that said

you're better than LeBron you sound like the people are on Twitter like all we do is compliment you or you'd never give us any attention I am I'm tired of not being acknowledged by KD Chris stick around we got a lot of stuff we got a lot of stuff

the Drake thing's fascinating the Kyrie rumors, Chris Bruce Hardmore. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back.

Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey, I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levin this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WMBA standout, Kate Martin and rising hockey star Lela Edwards. a boy can do it. I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ledecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world, like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

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

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

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. I was saying this to start the show today is that every sport has a culture.

NASCAR is Southern. Soccer is international. Football is corporate. Baseball is tradition. NBA is hip-hop fun, music, loud, energy, youthful. I think Drake fits the NBA's brand. It doesn't bother me, although I think ideally I'd rather not have a fan piggybacking a coach, although it was the Toronto coach who knows Drake and who has a great sense of humor.

What is your kind of takeaway on the Drake thing? And I said this. If Drake makes you uncomfortable in that moment, that's because when you choose a sport, you also choose a culture. Golf is quiet, please. UFC is quite pleased as I bang your head in. So I choose, I tend to be UFC. It's wild or crazy or youthful.

What are people saying about Drake in the league? Well, Drake, like, it does make the game more fun to watch, more entertaining. There's no question. It's reminiscent, obviously, of Spike Lee with the New York Knicks. What was that, 20-something years ago and Reggie Miller. The only issue that I have with Drake is, I don't think you can be roaming 15. feet. You know what I mean? Like because one, you're blocking other fans. I definitely don't think you should be able to touch a coach, even if it's your own coach. Like, so I, Spike Lee would

stay in front of his seat, you know, and do all that. So I think you hate to try to put somebody in a box, but I think you've got to stay relatively close to your seat. Well, the NBA has a rule. As a player, you can't leave your box. So that part I get. But I do think, to me, What's interesting about this whole situation, Toronto's in Milwaukee's head. We've got to remember this. Toronto's a bunch of old veterans. Milwaukee's a bunch of kids.

It kind of feels like Toronto's a little bit Milwaukee's head in this series. Here's the deal. I've said if Milwaukee gets to the finals and wins it, some people think they're going to win it. Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were saying they're the prohibited favorite to beat Golden State when they were up 1 or 2 O'O over Toronto.

if they were to win it, that would be virtually unprecedented in the NBA. Because you know it, Colin, teams have always had to overcome some type of adversity. Yes. It was, you know, the Detroit Pistons had to get past Larry Bird and the Celtics. Michael Jordan had to get past Detroit Pistons and Isaiah Thomas. LeBron had his individual challenges. You know, Kobe and Shaq had their losses. You have to go through those teams unless you already have.

veterans. Like Magic Johnson stepped right into the league with the MVP, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So they won it right away. But this would be unprecedented. So this is their first bit of adversity. We're about to see what Milwaukee's made of. It could defeat them. And then they'd have to come back next year and probably be stronger and maybe get to the finals next year or they could fight through it this year. We'll see. But they, look, they had never won a playoff series before this year. So you want to go from that to beating a dinosaur? Right. So they need to go through this. Maybe it's too soon. We'll find that out. But I think they can overcome it. Okay. Kyrie Lakers, we're hearing different things now. There's a lot of talk about the Clippers and a lot of talk about Brooklyn.

But I said this. You're from Ohio. You know, there's Ohio State football and then there's everybody else. There's Texas football and then there's Texas San Am and Texas Tech. The bottom line is there's always a big brother and a little brother, right? and I'm sorry, the Lakers are big brother, clippers are a little brother, and you can tell me the clippers of the hot team, but LeBron chose the Lakers after five years of Drek. I'll believe the clippers are going to land these guys when they land these guys.

If I said to you, Kevin Durant, Kauai, both are the clippers. You buy that? If they don't mind playing together, because there are people around the league that will say they don't want to play together, not because they don't like each other or anything like that, just the narrative or whatever. If they are fine playing together,

I actually, as much, look, from a selfish standpoint, I want to see Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, go to New York. I think it'd be great for the league. It'd be exciting to have the Knicks be good. I think it'd be a, if Durant could win it there, it'd be huge for his legacy. But just looking at it objectively, if he and Kauai want to play together,

those two to the clippers is probably the best move. Of all these fits, Why is better than Kyrie? It's difficult to win in New York. You know, they wouldn't have, what would they put around them unless they got Anthony Davis? With the Clippers, you already have built-in role players. You've got a championship coach.

The front office all the way up to Jerry West, the consultant is tremendous. Kevin Durant, like Steve Bomber, we know that from the boardroom and all that. And I know this, when KD was interviewing teams before he went to Golden State. I think he knew he was going to go to Golden State as long as there were no red flags there.

But his interview with the Clippers, the Clippers blew him and his team away. Really? Steve Bomber blew them away. And so all of that is in the back of KD's mind. So, no, I think they'll get somebody. Here's what's interesting with the Big Brother Little Brother thing. When you've worked in New York or you're from New York,

in New York, they feel like the Knicks or the Lakes or the Lake the Cowboys are the Yankees. Right. Like one of those national teams. Everybody wants to play for the Knicks. Outside of New York, no. I grew up in the Midwest. The Knicks were like the 13th team I thought about when I thought about the NBA.

And so when we talk about, well, KD and Kyrie, of course they should go to New York over Brooklyn. Nobody cares about the Nets in New York. That's true in New York. But the rest of the country, if they went to Brooklyn and Brooklyn became a contender, it would be almost as big as the Knicks. Like, you know, people wouldn't look at it as, oh, that's the little brother around the country. In New York they would, but not around the country. Think about this.

14 of the last 20 champions are from the West. 80 to 85 of the stars in the NBA are from the West. Don't rule out this happening. Katie either stays or goes to the Clippers. Kauai goes to the Clippers. Jimmy Butler and Kyrie come west. Zion just landed West. last 20 years, you find me all the free agents with options that have chose the Eastern seaboard.

This year, the Warriors are going to win it be the 15th out of 21 years west. We know almost all the stars are west. The only one you can really say is Miami with LeBron and Boschman, which is different than the rest of the east coast. Aquawater, no state tax, Pat Riley, take Miami out. Stars gravitate west in this league. No, you're right. They do. They just do.

The thing is this, though, the rest is so much tougher. And that's what... Well, you know what? So is the SEC. But ballers want to play in the biggest stages in this filled stadiums. Go to Ohio State, the Buckeyes. Listen, if you want to start, good luck in the SEC. But all the great players keep going to the SEC.

I think there's a chance all these guys just gravitate West, because that's what I've watched for two decades. Chris Brousard, Chris Weber around the corner. It's so heard. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth.

He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant, this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know.

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

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

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

It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action, with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, is we have really. Real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast,

learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Oh, here we go, Hour 2. This is The Herd, wherever you may be in, however you may be listening. We're live in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, C-Web, Chris Weber, 15 years in the NBA, a five-time All-Star, was part of two of the greatest college basketball teams I've ever seen.

Faislamma Jama and the Fab 5 in my lifetime are the most, I'm not saying the best. They're the most entertaining college basketball teams I've ever seen. Fislamma Jama, Akeem, Clyde Drexler, Rob Young, Larry Mushu, and the Fab 5, you know, Jalen, C-Web, Howard. That's as good as, that was when college basketball, and I'm not joking when I say this, felt as big as the NBA. I mean, it literally did. You had these iconic college players. Pat Ewing and Christian Leitner would stay like four years. I always feel bad to 20-year-olds.

I'm like 20-year-olds. You don't understand how big boxing was 30 years ago when I started this. Boxing was massive. Some of the biggest personalities in the world were in boxing. And you don't understand how big college basketball was 30 years ago. I mean, you had teams with five NBA guys, and they'd all come back. As sophomores, they'd come back as juniors and seniors. I mean, college basketball, to me, I like college basketball as much as pro 25, 30 years ago.

And then now it's like, you know, guys are in, they're out. You can't keep track all the players. But C-Web will be joining us in just a couple of minutes. I want to say this, one of the things I like about Charles Barkley, he takes big swings. He doesn't sit on the fence. He's not captain's safe take. He's not afraid to be wrong. It's one of the reasons I love Barkley.

He's funny. He has big opinions. And he's not, you know, half the guys doing this for a living are pet peeves. to get called out for a wrong opinion. Barkley never is. You know, he said about two weeks ago, like, Steph Curry, Katie's gone. They can't beat anybody. Well, Steph Curry's just elevated his game. Draymond Green elevated his game. So Barclay came on yesterday. He was on PTI or something. It admitted to Cordyzer and Will Bond. He's like, yeah, it's wrong on that whole Steph Curry thing. First of all, I was 100% wrong. But kudos to the Golden State Warriors.

Steph Curry has put his name back into conversation, Tony. We talk about the best players in the world. We talk about Katie, Janice, Kauai, LeBron. Steph Curry has proven us he's a two-time MVP. Can I just say this about Steph Curry? And maybe his parents get credit for this. I don't know. One of the things I really like about him,

I get the same guy every day at work. That's why I love Duncan. It's why I love Brady. Like when you work with people, There's all sorts of talent in every business. It's hard to work with people. And I'll say this, joy comes in every day. Grindr comes in.

How you doing? Breakfast, do the show. I like that. Like in my life, you know, in my life of broadcasting and radio and TV, I've been doing it for 30 years, I like the same coworkers every day. What if I was coming in one day hungover, one day mad, one day goofy, one day funny, one day joyful? It's hard. Steph Curry's the same guy every day. I like that about it.

That's nothing against Westbrook, but man, I get a lot of different Westbrooks. But when you watch that Gotham Choper documentary on Steph Curry, dad, same dad every day. Husband, same husband every day. Teammate, same teammate every day. He is so his person. And that's why, by the way, that is why, that's when dynasties last longer, when your top player is the same guy every day.

Spurs Duncan, that dynasty lasted over 10 years. Brady. That dynasty's almost 20 years. Warriors. Dynasty's five. It's got another five in it. Like Shaq and Kobe should have lasted a lot longer. But you got a different Shaq Tuesday to Thursday. That thing should have lasted a lot longer. And Steph Curry's personality is, and that's nothing against KD. Get a little drama. Nothing against LeBron.

Get a little drama. Nothing against Kyrie. Jimmy Butler, M. Bede. But man, I get a different, I get a different dude a lot. and you watch that documentary on Steph Curry, and it's just, he's like human Elka Seltzer. You know how you have Elka Seltzer, and you get too much salt in your food, and there's disruption down there in the boiler,

and you're like, I don't feel good. You do Elka Seltzer, and it just fizzes up and takes it away, and you're like, he's the human Elka Seltzer. Steve Kerr admitted, he goes, you know, when Draymond and Kevin Durant had their skirmish, Steph was hurt and wasn't around.

And so Steph in the room, like soothes and sandpapers all the rough edges. This is a current NBA dynasty. Of course they have fights. Of course they have skirmishes. This is about the time this stuff usually blow us up. And you know what? It's not blowing.

I mean, KD may leave, but he's not leaving good. He doesn't like everybody. Katie may leave for validation. Another thing, but he's not leaving going to like his teammates. Like Steph Curry and maybe his parents get credit for it. But I just love the fact that you just get the same stuff every day. O for 11, same stuff. 12 for 18, same step.

Win, loss. It's the same dude. And I think dynasties tend to last longer when your star has an even keel demeanor, temperament, or personality. And, you know, a shack could be angry, Shaq could be joyful, Jack could be funny, Shaq could be, give me the ball, Shaq could be a great teammate. And Shaq is all that and more. but that it's hard to maintain nine years together when you have inconsistent personalities driving the room and that's just one of the many things I love about Steph Curry and I love that

Charles Barkley admits yeah I kind of I kind of whipped on that one a lot of different things Dan Gilbert owner of the Cavs uh was doing all sorts of talking yesterday and Dan Gilbert is actually a fairly um he's a fairly remarkable businessman um he's from Detroit and he buys Quicken Loans as a company. He goes, creates the calves. And then he puts a ton of money back in Michigan and Detroit. And there's kind of a renaissance. My wife's from there, kind of a renaissance in Michigan and Detroit building that thing back up. Dan Gilbert, there's times he wears me out and has driven me crazy and I've been very critical of him. But as a businessman, he's really really good. And, you know, he said something yesterday about LeBron. And it was really interesting. He said with

LeBron, he was talking yesterday, there was a limited shelf life in terms of age and his contractual commitment. It was a win now at all cost. And, you know, it all kind of revolves around the sun, which is him. And whatever pressure comes with it, it worked out. We want a title. And, you know, he's right. But here's what's interesting is that I'm going to look back, and this is not a knock on Dan Gilbert or LeBron, but they were together 11 years. And we got one title out of it. Now, I know it's Cleveland, so they'll take that title. But Russell had 11, Jordan 6, Kareem 6,

Magic 5, Duncan 5, Kobe 5, Shaq 4. Right now, LeBron's in his 16th year. We got three titles, and I do not see one on the horizon. I'll make an argument, and you can blame Dan or LeBron. But that LeBron-Cleveland

thing, it didn't give us nearly as many titles as it should. 11 years and one title. People complain that the time he was with the heat didn't give them enough titles. That was four years. This is three times as long and half the titles. Yeah.

Like I'll look back at this, LeBron's career, and I will not ever criticize him for what he is, which is remarkable. He's the Swiss Army knife of the NBA. Love him. But I'm going to look back and go, Russell got 11, MJ6, Kareem 6, Magic 5, Duncan 5, Kobe 5, Shaq 4, and all those guys were a shot or two away from another title. I don't know, Russell, I didn't watch those. but 11 years, one city, one title,

feels like they left a lot on the table. Well, he played for a decade and a half. He was a five-time All-NBA All-Star, number one draft pick by the way of the magic. And Chris Weber's on the call tonight, Milwaukee in Toronto. First of all, C-Web, I got to start with this. John Howard, your friend gets the Michigan job. Did you call on his behalf?

Did you know the process was going on here the last two weeks? I don't care about Michigan, Colin. This is Charles Barkley. I'm walking with C. Webb. That's Berkeley? I'm the same guy all the time, brother. Where are you guys at? We're walking to lunch.

We got to go kiss the boss's ass. Jeff Zucker. He's going to sit down with us for the first time because he took over the job. So me and Chris are going to lunch to kiss his ass a little bit. But I was watching you earlier. I'm the same guy all the time, brother. I ain't no fake.

brother. By the way, I just spent five minutes complimenting you. I just said, I said thank you for the kind word. I would want you. Hey, I just called a day, man. I'm walking with C. Webb in the line. State for the kind word. I know you called for C. Webb, but thanks for the kind of words, brother. Charles Barkley, thank you very much. You know we love you. We talk about you often. We love all the guys on TNT. Thank you. And come on anytime you want to come on. All right, boy, here's C Webb. All right, C-Web.

Well, I'll tell you this, C-Web, that's one of the great interview starts I've ever had in my career. That's how you do? You want to get a little love. You bring the man on. How you doing, Colin? I'm doing great. So give me the Joanne Howard thing. You obviously knew this thing was happening.

You guys are friends. Did you call on his behalf? I didn't call on his behalf. Colin, I don't know if that would have helped. I don't know. Can I be on his behalf, you know, very honestly. I pray with him and, you know, definitely supporting him. but no, I had no idea that it was going to happen.

And it was because I know he wanted this. I've talked to him a long time about him working with players and the difference in culture, difference in players, things that he had to prepare and humble himself to be in that position in the NBA. And so I knew that he wanted this. And so I'm just so happy for him because a lot of people may think, you know, hey, he's the NBA guy.

He wants to know he's the first dude. you know, graduate on time. When he went to the league early, his junior year, he still graduating on time. He's with him. He recruited me there. I know there's a lot of stories about us going or who's the leader of this. It's about recruiting me there. And so I'm just happy in Washington, actually making a decision. Not smart on my part, and just to see his growth and development, man, I was so happy for it. So, no, I can't take any credit. I wasn't part of it besides just being his personal cheering section. You know, it's interesting. I was just saying before you came on, the two basketball teams,

in college that I remember and will forever, fly slamma jama and the Fab Five. And it does bum me out that the Michigan thing has never been perfect and it doesn't all work together. Do you think there's a possibility that Joanne now getting Michigan does at least bring you guys all a little closer together because the Fab Five was a culture-changing moment in American sports? I like college as much as pro back then.

Do you think Joanne can mend some fences with all this stuff? I think that one, it's really about, you know, and some of reiterate, and it's about him to get the job. Yeah. And that if, you know, it's more important that he gets the job and then Michigan wins and us getting back together. I'm sure others want to happen. But for me, it was taking, you know, man, I want to keep this about Juan.

So it is about him. It has to be positive, right? It has to be some good. things happening and those type of things. So yeah, I definitely see this as a great, it couldn't be a better first step in the world than this happening. But get his feet wet and all that things for that to happen and they make sense. And so for me it's more so like anything to Jade, the wonderful moment of him getting the job, getting his team together, anything else falls in line. But for any talk about integrating this and letting this sink in, I don't think it's just cool on our part.

Definitely. Yes, I'm with you, brother, and all the good stuff. All right. Two questions, and I'm going to let you and Charles sit down and have lunch, because I know Charles probably sitting there going, come on, Webb, get off the phone with Cowherd. All right, two questions. Number one, do you think Durant's made up his mind yet? You bounced around this league. You know what guys are thinking. Has he made his mind up, do you believe, or is he still simmer on a bunch of teams? Okay, so I don't know what he's doing, but I'm going to tell you what I think. I think the Clippers are going to get two major free agents.

I think that do not sleep on draft pick Jerry. Jerry West is one of the most influential guys in this league. People trust him. He's with the Clippers. And I can see two guys. I could see him being one. I know everybody talks about New York, but I think everybody's sleeping on Clipperland.

And all the mess is going on over in Lakerland right now is not going to be surprised. I think they're going to get two free agents. I think that they've shown who they are. They're a good organization. great people in that organization. You see that all they need is some guys to bring them over the top. I think them getting to the playoffs and not worrying about that draft pick. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was pretty smart of them to say,

hey, we put winning first in. Who was that draft pick anyway? You'll see later. And finally, LeBron James, and I agree with you, I don't think they're going to land a big free agent. Do you think this morning there's a little bit of LeBron after Magic retired or quit that regrets coming to the Lakers? Or do you think he's all good with it because of the business?

Okay, so with LeBron, I don't think there's ever been an athlete because they got in the ninth place. I got three years left in my career. This is who you bring? I know LeBron has won championships for all of his coaches that never won one before I get it. We've heard names because LeBron is such a great coach, but why would you bring in a guy like LeBron, all the issues with LeBron? But knowing those issues, why would you bring him in and not bring the coach that he wants?

if he don't want to bring the coach he wants, don't bring him in. Frank Vogel, that's going to be hard to recruit anyway. You can recruit the Indiana with a guy. How the hell are you going to do that with the greatest player in the league? Yeah, I think he regrets it. I think that he's, you know, thinking he's going to pay for it. This is how you got it. Because, look, he's going to have the most rest he's had.

I think, you know, as a basketball fan, I'm like, we've gotten in all of his career. And that's pretty incredible 16 seasons in. I would believe that he damn sure doesn't like what's going on. And he's like, y'all used to call me the drama king. This is where I go to, so I'm sure he's thinking about it. Okay, he's on the call tonight, Milwaukee, Toronto, TNT NBA analyst. Have him on a couple of times a year, Chris Weber.

I love you being honest. By the way, last quick question, who's picking up the tab? I heard Chuck say, well, first of all, I don't know anyone that's been any place ever with Chuck, and he's not picked up the tab. So even though it should be on corporate credit, not believing let people pay. It'll probably be on Chuck. Good talking. you, Chris?

Thanks a lot. All right. By the way, Barclay does have a legendary reputation as the first guy. He's got long arms. Charles always picks up the check. And by the way, there are a lot of people,

including a former Charles teammate in Houston, who did not tip and who did not pick up the check. And I'll just leave it at that. Oh. Not even tip? You know. No tipping. Pippin?

I thought you said you weren't going to say anything. It's out there. I like Scotty, but Barkley is legendary for grabbing the check, buying it for everybody. It's one of the reasons I like him. That is nice. It's tough to go to dinner with somebody who doesn't want to pay or at least split it. Tough. I've broken up friendships over that.

Well, yeah, of course. I mean, if you all go out to eat together, it shouldn't even be a conversation. Everyone should at least want to pay. You'd think. Right. All right, great stuff. Charles Barkley initially and Chris Weber. Rob Parker, Arash Marcosi.

We are just absolutely packed today. Listen, oh, coming up next, somebody tell me what the Raiders plan is. I mean, somebody tell me what the Raiders plan is. They're now on their third plan, and it doesn't make sense. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app.

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

The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness,

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

An Olympic champs, Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source.

the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context,

and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough

because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

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

Search Learn the hard way and listen now. By the way, great stuff from Charles Barkley and Chris Weber. So there's a story. John Gruden, Antonio Brown didn't show up for camp. Yesterday he did. John Gruden was asked about it. And he talked about, you know, this Antonio Brown and the relationship they're building. And here's John Gruden.

Listen carefully. I'm not going to get into the relationship business. You know, I think Brown is a great guy. I love having them here. Derek's a great guy. You can't rush a relationship. You just don't have a great relationship in three weeks or two months. Something that you got to earn and you've got to really work at.

And that's why it's important that we spend time together. I'm a little worn out with all the relationships and all the things that really don't matter right now. He's already worn out. Okay, great. He's been there a year. He's worn out. I could go after Antonio Brown here, but I have a question. What's the Raiders plan?

Because we're on the third one in a year. Their first plan was we're not going to pay stars, we're going to accumulate draft picks. That felt very New England to me. I was okay with that. Like it was weird letting go of Khalil Mac and Amari Cooper, but they did end up with three first round picks. And I thought, okay, just don't get rid of Derek Carr, just keep your quarterback. So that was their first plan. I didn't really get giving up Khalil Mack.

They did keep a quarterback who I like, and they did accumulate unbelievable pick. So that was a first plan. Don't pay stars. And then at the end of the season, in free agency, they did the opposite. It felt like the Miami Dolphins. We're going to overpay for everybody.

What? Yeah, yeah, we're going to pay Trent Brown the most any offensive linemen's ever made. Well, he's the left tackle. No, we're going to move him to right. What? Antonio Brown. noisy. Okay, you bring him in.

And he's great, but man, it's a lot of money. And then there's Terrell Williams, another wide receiver. So now he kind of feel like Miami. Give me a little noise. I'm going to pay a lot of money. Okay, okay, okay, that's the culture. So it's not no stars. It's paying a lot of money for guys who I don't like as much.

And then draft night, they went to another plan. Remember draft night? They reached for guys who are glue guys and chemistry guys and family guys and great in the, and they're going to build. to, so we're on a third culture now. It was, I don't want stars. I'm going to overpay for guys. I don't even consider stars.

And then in the draft, it's going to, I'm going to draft guys. There are chemistry guys. I'm going to reach for them a little bit, but they'll put the glue back together and we'll get. John, pick a lane. Now you're already worn out from A, B? I mean, I can bang on A, B. But in the end, remember, what is the message a coach is sending to the law? locker room. No stars. Just kidding. Blue guys. Where's A.B.? The message started like New

England. Then it's Miami. Now it feels like kind of Colts, Philadelphia. I'm lost. And we're a year in. Worn out. I'm worn out. I can't figure out what your messaging is. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So Drake's been pretty vocal about his love of the Raptors. He's a global ambassador for the team. He's like paid with the team, right? Like he's on the payroll. I don't understand exactly how the payment thing works.

But he, I mean, they did get fined before for him for what he's having Kevin Durant at a concert performance. So there's some attachment there. His name's also on the practice facility. He's a Toronto fan. Okay. And he was very visible for games to. and four, very enthusiastic on the sidelines, just sort of an extension of the coach, if you will.

And the Bucks coach, Mike Boodenholzer, is not very happy with Drake's sideline antics. He is not. I don't know how much he's on the court. It sounds like you guys are saying it's more than I realize. There's certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors, you know, to be on the court, you know, there's boundaries and lines for a reason. Well, Drake is responding to Booden Holder's criticism, which is not surprising. He liked a comment on Instagram that read, sports media needs to accept the rule.

The Miami Hurricanes signed into law back in the 80s. If you don't want the opposing team to celebrate and dance, prevent them from scoring, winning, or achieving their objective, get over it and keep moving. It's right about that. You did invent swag. I have no problem with what Drake's doing, obviously. I mean, it's just, it's a fun thing to watch, first of all. anytime anyone loves something very clearly, it's fun to watch because there's just a,

there's a natural, like, joy that comes. Listen, he gives the series. He gives the series a really enjoying something. He gives a series a little juice. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, I mean, I don't really know what the problem is. It's not like he's harassing the Bucks coach.

Right, right. I think the only thing I worry about is the NBA has a history of creating boxes for players and coaches they have to be in. Now, I will say, though, because he is not a coach, he is up a lot. And generally, if you're sitting courtside, you usually sit, unless it's just one of those moments where everyone in the entire arena is standing. Because people behind you cannot see because you're all on the same level. It's different than being up in the stands where, you know, you can see over the person in front of you to some degree.

So there is a little bit of that. But nobody's telling Drake to sit down. It's not going to happen. So as long as in Toronto. I think Toronto is a little in Milwaukee's head, just a little. Just a little. Remember, Toronto's the veteran team here. This is a surge in Lowry.

And there's a lot of veterans. Milwaukee's young. It feels like Toronto, it's almost like they told Drake, ratcheted up tonight. Just get in Milwaukee's head. I think it worked. Well, yeah, it was a blowout. But I think that, I think Toronto loved it.

I think it got into Milwaukee's young. Why would Toronto hate this? It's your home court. It's your global ambassador who's being enthusiastic. And he's not the first fan to do this. Like, this is not new. Spike Lee, Jack Nicholson, like you said. Like, it's not new anyway.

So the NFL has announced two new cities that have been selected to host the draft in the coming years. Cleveland was awarded the draft in 2021. And Kansas City will have the event in 2023. Las Vegas has already been awarded the 2020 draft year. And the NFL is still deciding on 2022. But I do love this that the draft is moving from city to city. We're showing some video of Nashville.

It's amazing. Over 600,000 people. attended the draft, which is just mind-blowing to me. Two things the NFL took too long, but they finally figured it out. Flexible scheduling on Sunday night. Like, why lock yourself in? Let's watch the better teams the last 10 weeks of the year. And that took forever.

And moving the draft. These have both been massive home runs. In the catch roll. Take it to Cleveland, can you know how many people in Cleveland are going to show up for that thing? You're going to have a million people in Cleveland. You think Nashville had a big crowd. You wait until see what Cleveland does.

Yeah, no, absolutely. It's going to be, I mean, this is a huge event. They did an amazing job with it. The production was incredible. I mean, look at those streets. It's in, that's for the draft. That's for the draft. You know how much downtime it is just standing around there?

I've been in those streets in Nashville before. That is a long, a long, and a long street and a lot of people. 300 yards. I mean, that is an incredible scene. It is really a scene. It's not a scene that I would particularly want to stand in, but I respect. the fandom and it looks like if that's something that you like doing, it's really fun.

Kansas City is going to be crazy too. They're putting it in the right cities too. That cities that, you know, like Tennessee, they want to show you they matter and Cleveland wants to show you they matter. Everyone's going to show out. Yeah. Vegas is going to be insane too. I mean, Vegas is an event town. So it's

really fun. Finally, Dak Prescott is in the final year of his rookie deal and has been working with the Cowboys on an extension. At OTA's Wednesday, Dak admitted that both sides have traded contract proposals, but he tries not to let the process distract him. When you look at numbers, I think a lot of it's about the market, so I don't really pay attention to any of that. I come in and I just prove myself each and every day to these other guys in this

locker room. That's the only thing that I have to worry about. And I know if I'm doing that and getting better, good things happen. So that's out of my focus. As I said before, I've got a great team in place to handle that, and it'll get done eventually. Well, apparently the Cowboys are prioritizing Dak and Cooper's contracts over Ezekiel Elliott's in the contract talks. That's according to NFL media's Tom Pellisero. So they're still looking to get a deal done for Ezeko Elliott as well.

But I think they like Amari and Dax dependability. Right. I think the Cowboys are telling Zeke, you see these guys, we like that we get kind of the same guy in the building every day. And consistency. Yeah. And that's important.

I think it's really big. They are going to get this done, though. And I don't think anyone should freak out about the numbers because he deserves whatever they are going to pay him. He's going to get a lot of money. They're going to have to make choices, but he's going to get his money. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd line news. Every time Rob Parker comes on, it's just the place, the lights flicker. He's got something to say. He's all fired up about stuff. And I can't wait to talk to him. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect.

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

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

or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going.

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

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

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

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now.

Discover's going further with Miles reward than ever before. Discover it Miles Card matches automatically all the miles you earn at the end of your first year. Limitations apply. Go to discover.com slash travel. Well, by the way, I was just, Charles Barkley just came on the show. And Rob Parker said that when he was in between jobs one time, one of the first people to call him was... Charles Barkley and left a great voicemail message to me. He really, he's just a great guy.

So I just heard that that was great. Yeah. So I said earlier, when you choose a sport, you're actually choosing a culture that you're comfortable with. Golf. People who golf like the culture of golf, tradition, respectful, many are over 50. It's not just golf, but you initially felt comfortable with the culture of it. The NBA culture, and I feel comfortable with it, is young, brash,

soap opera, loud, music. Well, I'm not hip, but hipness. I like it in my life. I think it's fun. I take my wife, she loves going to NBA games. So the Drake situation, I know a lot of people are just appalled by it. And I'm like, I've seen this with Spike and Jack and Diane Cannon. And I got Mark Cuban screaming at officials and Steve Ballmer's coming out of his suit.

But this bothers you, doesn't it? I just don't understand like, okay, I get it. He's a big Raptors fan. He's from Canada. It all makes sense, and there's nothing wrong. But now you're going around squeezing the coach's shoulders. What's next, Collins? You're going to be in the locker room popping towels after the game?

I mean, seriously, it's a little bit over, and I think the NBA should say something to them. You cross the line. The game is going on. You don't need to do all that. Kind of stay in your seat or stay, you know, around where your seat is. And that's fine. We love the enthusiasm. We're not telling you that you shouldn't be thrilled.

with what's going on. We love you as an NBA fan, but that crossed the line. By the way, I do feel like Raptors loved it because it got in Milwaukee's head. Toronto's a veteran team. Milwaukee's a young team. I think Milwaukee got rattled. I think Drake rattled him. Just from my little shoulder rub?

Is that all it took? No, I just think they got rattled in that game. I don't think Toronto's that talented after Kauai, but I think they're full of smart veteran guys. And yes, I will agree with that. and that they have, even though they had playoff failure, those teams won a lot of games. Don't look at the last couple of years before Kauai got there. Ibaka, Danny Green, Kauai, Kyle, these are 33-year-old men.

Milwaukee's got a lot of 25-year-old kids. And I do think, I want to see tonight, I do think Drake, and I'm not a big believer in give fans credit for wins, but I think he got into Milwaukee's head. Okay. Warriors, make it to full. Five finals. Nick, come on now.

Isn't it time for you a little bit of a detractor to acknowledge the greatness of this run? Is it the greatness of the run or the weakness and watered down of the NBA? And I'll give you the reason why it's not that impressive. The last time it was done was 1966 with the Celtics. Colin Pop Quiz. How many teams were there in the NBA? Eight. Ten.

Okay? So my point is, once you had a good team back then, you stayed together. There was no free agency. So if you want to go back in sports history, go look. The Yankees made the World Series in the 50s eight out of 10 years. They had the best team. The Montreal Canadians won every year in hockey. The Green Bay Packers, they had the best team, so they really dominated.

For a team to dominate and go to five straight NBA finals in a league with 30 teams, it's because the competition balance has been thrown off. This is what I've told you all the time about LeBron James ruining the NBA. And I've said it before, Colin. Yes, he ruined the league from this standpoint. Hide on the ruins very strong. So he started MySpace when he went down to Miami with the big three. And they won up them and they made Facebook when they got Kevin Durant.

That's where the balance. That's why LeBron made it to eight straight NBA finals. This is a bad league with no balance. And this year has been better. The Eastern Conference was much better. I'll give you that with LeBron out of it. But here we are. Before the season started, everybody knew the Warriors were going to the NBA finals.

Didn't you know? But I would argue this. Don't we kind of know? I mean, Alabama Clemson, mark it down. They're in the national championship. Brooks Kepka is going to start winning all the majors. Yukon Women's Basketball, New England Patriots. I'm seeing all I'm seeing now in sports is dynasty.

Serena 12 years of domination, Federer Djokovic. That's the world we live in. Everybody's got, like one or two empirical powers they dominate. See, I don't see it like that. In Major League Baseball, you can talk about the Red Sox winning their World Series. Kansas City won in 2015. The Cubs hadn't won in a hundred years. I'm just saying this spread out of different teams where you don't know for sure.

You might have an idea, but you know every year the Warriors are going to be there. I just think that's a bad league. I know everybody can say, oh, the NBA, and you saw the TV ratings for the Eastern Conference are down. 48, but part of it is because of Canada being involved where they don't count the ratings. Okay, can you at least acknowledge this? I said this about Steph Curry. For a dynasty to last a long time, Duncan Brady, Steph.

Duncan was not a dynasty. They never won back-to-back championships. They won five. In 15 years, Colin, that's not a dynasty. Are you ready? The Parker definition of dynasty is you need to win three in a row or four out of, or two in a row, three out of four or three in a row. Something like that where you have at least two and then you say you lose one year and then you win again.

Dallas Cowboys won three out of four. That was a dynasty. Okay. Can you at least acknowledge with staff? Because you've been critical of him. I'm watching this Gotham Choper documentary. dad, teammate, father, his personality. He's the Elka Seltzer of players.

He just brings all the disturbance down. This part of his greatness is his DNA is personality. He's so dependable. Dremont and K.D. fought when he was hurt and not in the locker room. Come on, give Steph some love. I give Steph love on that, all of that. I just think that he's approached a little bit higher than he really. really is. And this NBA finals will determine how you look at Steph Curry.

Okay. Okay. If he loses without KD, that would mean that he didn't, he lost, right, without KD. He also is the author of the 3-1 choke job to the Cavaliers. And that year, when they won 73, had not lost two games all year and lost three straight, including two at home to choke that down. And the one championship he did lead them was when Kai R. and Kevin Love were hurt when they beat the Cavaliers. So this is a huge one of you talking about.

We got the numbers. We got all the three-pointers. Sometimes I look out there, I'm not sure if I'm watching the Harlem Globetrotter play to Washington Generals with the crazy threes. So I get that. He's a great player. He's a great shooter. But I think the perch is way too high.

He needs to win this championship. So you really don't believe his legacy is framed today? No, not at all. If he loses? And even the championship they won. He didn't even win the finals MVP. Colin, look, how many finals MVP are, yeah. Where are all the other incredible, high caliber superstar NBA players hiding?

Are they not in the league or something? Like, they're in the NBA finals. They've won. They beat James Hardin. They beat Chris Hall. James Hardin. That team is terrible. Portland wasn't even ready.

Portland. Compared to who? If Steph Curry retires, let's just say, today, he twists his ankle. It practice. And he says, it's broken. I retire. You don't have Steph Curry as one of the ten most important players in league history. I'm not,

Kareem, LeBron, Michael, Magic. Some people try to put him and say he's the best small guard. He's the best shooter in the history of the world. But here we go. I will give you Isaiah Thomas. I'm talking about Zeke from Detroit. I like Isaiah. I like Isaiah. I like Isaiah. Be magic.

He beat Jordan and Byrd during his prime and have not for a bad call against the Lakers, that team would have won three straight championships instead of two. And think about this, he didn't have another top 50 player on his roster. Steph Curry has four of them. No, no. Come on now. Don't make me badmouthed Isaiah is better than Steph Curry.

I love Isaiah Thomas. You'll never get me. Isaiah Thomas is in my life the best ball handler in league history, the toughest little guy in league history. about it. No, no. You'll, by Zan Thomas is big time talent, right? All I'm saying is you have reduced Steph Curry to a crazy, flipping, floppy, Harlem Globetrotter half court shot. After some of those shots, I'm waiting for him to throw a bucket bucket of confetti. He still has to make it, and he's still playing against the Western, in the Western Conference finals, he's playing against the best talent that

There is. Did you name a player that could score zero in a half and 33 in the second half? I get it. That was tremendous. But joy to answer your question, when you look at that Houston team, none of those guys are winners from the standpoint of winning big. Mike Dantone, you remember the teams he had in Phoenix? They could never win. Well, that's a whole different conversation.

But they're still beating them. Chris Paul. Chris Paul can't win. James Hardin can't win. They can't win. Paulin wasn't ready for the Western Conference finals. Steph Curry, you're basically, he's a specialist to you. He's a great player.

You know, brain surgeons are specialists too. You're going to need a specialist someday when you're 70 in a hospital. Bob Parker, his vitals aren't working. Let's bring in a specialist. You'll like specialist then. Rob Parker, Arash Marcosi talking Lakers and Moore and Clippers Durant. Final hours coming up. Rob Parker, thank you.

It's The Herd. One more Herd? The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart Radio app. Search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off June 7th, and all eyes will be on Alex Morgan, Carly Lloyd. Megan Rapino and the U.S. Women's National Team as the defending champions head to France, looking to win a historic Fourth World Cup. All the matches will be live here on Fox and FS1. You know, I absolutely love when the World Cup's men or women are in Europe because sometimes you have, like the British Open.

there's just something Europe feels like our older more sophisticated brother sometimes little cranky by the way they party more than we do France hosting the World Cup is going to feel so right and so big and the number two team in the world

we're number one so like you can see these paths with USA women the veteran powerhouse and this young super talented French team in Europe the World Cup remember the World Cup in BC Did you ever see that? God, it was great.

It was the first time I came to this company. That was the day I decided to come. I watched the Women's World Cup on FS1, and I told my daughter I was sitting on a couch. I'm like, look how much fun that company's having. I'm going there. Arash Marcosi, L.A. Timesports columnist, formerly a senior writer at ESPN and S.I. For the record, when you come on this show and you are critical of the Lakers, listen, nobody likes to be criticized.

You know, and I know I run into some of these employees, Laker employees where I live. Do you get blowback? because you've been critical and you have to cover them. You're a newspaper guy. You're a foot soldier. I'm not. I'm up here in a TV studio. Do you find what is with all, I've never seen the Lakers criticized by local media in my life like this.

How is it sitting with them? It's not sitting well, but I don't think they're paying attention to what we're talking about. And to kind of give you a perspective of how tough this is for me, I love Jeannie Bus. I teach a class at USC. Jeannie Bus, her only public comments have been to. my class. She actually stopped by the class in the kids asked her about Magic resigning and about, and

she talked to them. It was not on the records. I won't say what she said, but it's hard for me to be up here and say I don't agree with what she's doing just because I don't. That does not mean she's not a fantastic person. That does not mean that she's been a great person to work

with, but I don't agree with what's happening with the team right now. I think the biggest concern I would have is this. And I've been doing this on the air, And I've been showing the power structure. If I'm Jimmy Butler, Kowai Leonard, Anthony Davis, Anthony, of course, isn't a free agent yet. But if I'm a free agent, you fly in on your private jet, you get picked up, and then you go to the office. And you sit in a room and you meet these people.

They've got lunch. And, you know, whereas the clippers can give you Balmer, Jerry West, Doc Rivers. That's a pretty impressive room of three dudes. And whereas, you know, a Golden State can give you Joe Lekub, the billionaire, the venture capitalist, Steve Kerb. Bob Myers. Hell, Steph may stop by the meeting. That is a power lunch. The Lakers right now, their power structure is just a spider web gone wrong. And I guess my question is, who's going to be in the room for the pitch? Because you may not have loved Magic as a detail-oriented CEO, but if LeBron's in a room and Magic's in a room, that's a power lunch. Who's making the calls on this?

LeBron has to be there. And I know he wasn't there for the coaching meetings, but he has to be there. He has to run these pitches now because when you talked about it and you looked at the power structure and you just brought that up, Steve Balmer, Jerry West. Michael Winger, who by the way is a future star and Jeannie Bush should probably call him at some point. And by the way, Kevin Durant knows him. Yeah. I mean, you talk about a coaching tree, his GM tree, Sam Presti and Jerry West. So he's a future star, Doc.

But why are the Lakers, the Lakers? Why are the signature team in town? You go back in the day, it was Jerry Bus, Jerry West, Pat Riley. Fast forward, Jerry Bus, Jerry West, Bill Jackson. That is a powerful, powerful room. You're walking into that room right now, and it's Jeannie Bus, Linda Rambus, Kurt Rambis, Rob Polinka, Tim Harris, Joey Bus, Jesse Bus, and maybe a few other people. That is not a power structure. You leave that wondering who's doing what and where.

I'm like hitching my wagon. No, no, no, no. Listen, when I came over to this company, I went to a power lunch with two big shots, and they looked me right in the eye, and the guy said, we can do this for you. And the other guy said, I can do this for you. And I knew they were right because they were at the top of the food chain.

And so I think more people in the room is not a good thing or a remedy for closing a deal, whether it's Alabama football, Duke basketball, or the Lakers. You have thrown this out. That, you know, we're talking about all the, this conjecture. There is a move that nobody is thinking about with Anthony Davis. Because remember, to get Anthony Davis, for those who are watching, the uninitiated here, he's not a free agent.

So you have to trade stuff to get him. Now, who's got the best trade pieces? You have a surprise team here. Well, if you go back to the turning point for the Lakers, it was they were supposed to get Chris Paul from New Orleans. That did not happen. The Clippers got him. Don't be surprised if the Clippers are once again taking the superstar players.

from New Orleans. And here's why. When you look at the trades that they made, when they traded Chris Paul and they traded Blake Griffin, they got a lot of draft picks and some good young players. They got a lot of draft picks. Yeah. And so they could definitely package those picks, package those young players. And I think, listen, if they want to trade Davis,

but they don't want to trade them to the Lakers because of what's been said and what's happened, don't be surprised if the Clippers with Jerry West pick up that phone call and say, hey, listen, we can offer you. multiple first round picks, some really good young players. That's a deal that could potentially happen. Yeah, listen, if you're the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, I've got Zion and Drew Holiday. And you can give me draft picks and Lou Williams. And Montres Harrell, and they got some good contracts, good pieces.

Good contracts. Good contracts. You would not be thinking that you're taking on a bad contract to make this deal. When you look, when you, you know, it's a weird time, the Kyrie, the LeBron. LeBron, I didn't believe this initially. And I told Rich Paul this, LeBron's representative. I said, don't tell me LeBron's not making things happen. And Rich Paul kept saying, Colin, we're letting the Lakers run it.

I said, come on, Rich, come on. And I got to tell you, today, Rich was being honest with me. I think LeBron almost to a fault because he was criticized for meddling. and, you know, he left because Pat Riley wouldn't give him whatever he wants. I think LeBron listened to that and thought, you know what, I'm good. I'm going to let the Lakers run it. I actually believe now that LeBron hasn't meddled and has really let the Lakers make the calls. And I think it's hurt LeBron.

I now trust LeBron more than anybody else in the room. Colin, you go back to the previous two moves he made. When he went to the heat, he knew exactly what was happening. He knew the players that were coming with him. He knew the power structure. He knew the coach. He knew where he was going. Before he went back to Cleveland, he knew the picks, the draft picks.

We're going to trade that for Kevin Love. He knew the plan. I was always amazed, and no one really talked about it. He never called Luke Walton. He never called the Denny players. He chose the Lakers because of Los Angeles. He chose the Lakers because they are the signature team in town. If you want to talk to Jack and Denzel and be in Hollywood, you're with the Lakers.

So he picked them for the only reason, Ron Wood. It's not why Kauai would. It's not why KD. would. The Clippers are now the team that if you want to win a championship, if you want to be with a stable franchise with Steve Balmer and Jerry West and Doc Rivers, you're going there. But to your point, he didn't pick the Lakers because they're the Lakers. He picked them because they're Hollywood and he was coming to Los Angeles. So it wasn't about the team. And he probably should meddle more because Tailu would be the coach and he would be in charge of, can I talk to Kyrie?

Can I talk to some of these players? I was told to Raj Marcosi, I was told, now again, this is a friend of a friend, but somebody I trust, that LeBron came here. And I was told this after the fact that I didn't believe it initially. I thought he said, get Rondo, get Lance. But LeBron complained around the All-Star break to somebody, I trust that somebody's in the league. LeBron complained. He said, listen, man, you got me a bunch of crazy guys who can't shoot. he's like, you know, you basically got me the opposite of Miami

where I had all the stable guys that could shoot. And guys I love, Shane Badiere, Ray Allen, Haslam, smart, heady veterans, both could shoot. And he complained to a friend of mine and just said, man, they got me crazy people. And I just had a crazy guy in J.R. Smith. I left J.R. Smith. You got me crazy guys who can't shoot.

I mean, look, and I think LeBron in that moment, there was a, I should have meddled more. I totally agree that he feels that now. Because I don't think he foresaw a scenario where Ty Lou was not going to be his coach. So by the way, kudos to him for showing up to the Frank Vogel press conference. He didn't talk to us. But I think him showing up showed some kind of support. But they really messed up on that Ty Lou hire because that's the coach that he wanted.

That was the perfect coach for this team. But for them to hire Frank Vogel and pair him with Jason Kidd, it's going to be exactly like the Rob Polinka Magic Johnson situation. Two guys who have never worked together but want the same job. Yeah. Last question. Gut feeling. Give me one player you feel strongly about the Lakers would land.

Jimmy Butler. I think they could give him a max deal and he would love to play here. The clippers from what I've been told do not want to sign him. Colin, they think they're going to have a big summer. So when you, I think you're going to turn a little bit of a corner. here because I think they're going to get Kauai, and I think they have a real shot for KD. And if they get those two, my goodness.

Wow. Jimmy Butler actually is in Los Angeles a lot. He loves Craigs. He does. Good seeing, Yor-Rosh. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News.

All right, well, here's an organization that got the higher right. John Howard is heading to Michigan. He got a five-year deal from his school. John B-line just left for the Cavaliers, and they had to find a replacement for him. So he has been with the Miami Heat for about six years now, I believe. And two people who are excited about the hire are his former heat teammates, Wade and LeBron. De Wade tweeted, talk to me nice, say it is so.

My guy deserves this opportunity. This will only be right. Then LeBron responded to Wade's tweet with his own saying, man, what absolutely the right choice. And I hope it becomes a done deal ASAP. One of my favorite people I've ever met at the age of 16 and been around since then. Joanne put in the time. has put in the time. He has a great reputation around the league. Obviously, he played for many years and was a part of Fab Five, which is one of the most legendary college basketball teams

of all time. And obviously, he's going to be headed back there. So, I mean, they have an unbelievable culture at Michigan with Michigan basketball anyway. So this makes perfect sense. Bring in someone who was a part of establishing that culture in the first place. Someone who's coaching resume can't be questioned. I mean, he's put in time with a very stable organization. who loves him. And he was a big part of being the bridge between players and front office and management. It's interesting. The Fab Five, there were five different guys.

The three biggest names were, you know, Weber, Jalen, and Joanne Howard. It's interesting. All their avenues were different. Webb was the star player and went into broadcasting, you know, like, and he had some little bit of controversy with him. But he was, he was the star player. Like C-Web, when I think C-Web, I think, All-Star. Jalen went, was a good player.

into broadcasting and Howard went into coaching. And, you know, they all ended up with kind of different brands. Now, C-Web's got into broadcasting now. But Joanne was the guy you didn't hear a bunch about. He was never a star in the league. But he's one of those guys that puts all this time in. And when you go around

the league or my sources and I call there, everybody's like, oh, yeah, he's been on this track for like a decade. Even when he was playing, he was going to be a coach. Joanne never sought, he never sought headlines, he never sought attention. He was kind of the grinder. of the Fab Five, and here all these years later, he's rewarded with alma.

Yeah. He's the coach. A dream job. It's pretty amazing. And a perfect situation because it wasn't the situation where somebody, you know, got fired. There's some controversy. Like B-Line moved on to what I'm sure was his dream job to coach in the NBA. It's the perfect situation.

And it's nice to see schools doing this. Obviously, Penny Hardaway is at Memphis and has the number one recruiting class in the country. So there, and the recruiting thing is not, that's, I mean, this is a, what Joanne is known for is relating to players and having relationships. He's a relationship guy. If you are involved with and have a hand in grassroots basketball, that's the number one thing now. I mean, AAU and the grassroots basketball circuit is huge. I mean, we've heard about Zion for years now because of it. And it's just, it's only growing. So if you have those relationships, you can recruit

from all over the country. I mean, kids from Southern California are going to Memphis now. So it's all about relationships. So it's a good hire for Michigan. him. Kyrie Irving's top free agent this summer. We were just discussing that. This is strong since his days with the Celtics are over. If he does leave Boston, maybe he reunites with LeBron in LA. Here is Brian Winhorse on Kyrie's options and free agency.

If you'd ask me six months ago, Sage, I'd have said the door was closed and locked. That was not going to happen. But over the last few months, there has no doubt been a thawing between Kyrie and LeBron and Kyrie has become to be more open to joining the Lakers and has done some research on the organization. That said, with magic leaving, that was the guy that he felt the connection to, and with the great opportunities in Brooklyn and in New York, plus Boston trying to keep them. I think the Lakers are lower on his list, but they're on his list, and that gives them a fighting chance. And this free agency is going to be crazy. Crazy. We'll say this. He and LeBron played

well together. For all their dramatic breakup, LeBron works with shooters, always, Corver, J.R., Bosch. You know, you could argue he and Wade really didn't fit. They just made it work because they're just so great. But, I mean, they kind of had, I always felt. But that team had the other pieces around that if Wade and LeBron weren't the exact perfect fit, I mean, they had the shooters there. They had Ray Allen.

They had McMiller. They had Shane Daddy. There's never been a shooter LeBron's played with that didn't work. He works, regardless of size, Kevin Love, big shooter, Bosch. Like, Kyrie's the one, because Jimmy Butler's not a pure shooter. And Kauai's more mid-range, Kyrie and LeBron fit. They absolutely worked. I mean, I've argued this from the beginning.

I don't understand why if you're going to get LeBron in L.A., you don't put all the pieces around him that make LeBron successful. Tailu, shooters, someone like Kyrie. Now, it's obviously up to Kyrie to come here or not, but, I mean, the state that the Lakers are in because the Lakers did not build around LeBron James. I mean, we were talking about the Cavaliers earlier. Obviously, they had all those years that weren't successful. with LeBron. It's kind of a disappointment to have LeBron

and your team for that long and only have one championship. But eventually they got it right. Put the things around LeBron that he needs to be successful. LeBron is the star. He's the best player in the NBA. You should want to do that. So hopefully this will turn in that direction. I think it would be interesting. I do think that it's more of a possibility than some of the other options out there for Kyrie.

Finally, Kauai Leonard will be one of the biggest free agents this summer along with Kyrie. And Toronto is desperate to try and keep him in the north. The newest ploy is from the CEO of condo store realty, Simon Mass. He is offering Kauai a multi-million dollar penthouse in downtown Toronto. Excuse me? Here are some images of that.

I really like that table. Yeah, it's beautiful. So he would be able to pick from several lavish condos at the Four Seasons, St. Regis or Carlton Residences. So they'd give it to him? Apparently they're giving it to him. You can stay there for free. Now, I would say that this is probably a deal you would want to keep on the low because People generally don't want everyone knowing where they live, especially when you're the biggest star as the city.

So if I stay there for eight years, I wonder, would they let me just stay in it for free or would they give it to me? I think it's probably a deal where they just let you stay there for free. Because I, listen, man, Canada's got its taxes. I mean, it's not a bad deal. That's a $30,000 a month condo. I know you don't think it's much, but you give me free living? Look at that thing. Boy, they got...

It's very nice. That is definitely an incentive. Although, again, I do think you probably want to give him one that's not listed in pictures all over the internet. This week, also, fans have started an incentive called Kauai and Dine. So it's an initiative for Kauai to eat for free at life for life around restaurants in the city, if he signs in Toronto. So there's 50 participating restaurants already. This is brilliant, by the way. Uber and Lyft have also signed up as well as a record.

studio, an auto detail shop, and a law firm. So basically, Kauai can live for free if he's in Toronto. He's just never going to have to pay for anything ever again. And dine. It's got a little. It's very smart. It's a little desperate, but it's very smart. You got to give people, listen, what Toronto is saying is we know we have some maybe weather disadvantages to L.A., but we're going to go all in on this. And I think it's great. I think it's very funny. I don't think it's desperate at all. He is going to be legendary there no matter what. He's there for a year and they're in the Eastern Conference Finals.

They very well may go to the finals. Why wouldn't they want to do everything to keep him in Toronto? And it just shows that the fan base is very passionate and they want to wrap their arms around and make him their guy. I mean, basically just own Toronto. It's very smart. That's great. Joy with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. really fine if someone wants to start a joyous for free campaign around the LA. Listen to this. The Warriors just announced Kevin Durant Calf Strain is unlikely to return for the start of the finals. But they're hopeful he returns at some point during the finals. He has not been cleared yet for on-court activities.

So I'm going to throw this out there. This is my theory on this. This is just, I'm just going to throw this out. that what is because they're winning all these games without KD. What's the value of coming back until the Golden State Warriors trail? There's no value. If you come back game one and you lose, that's not great. If I'm Kevin Durant, I just watch the finals.

And then if Golden State is down to one, I come in and I save the day. But if you don't think branding matters, I'm dead serious. This sounds crazy. No, I don't think it sounds crazy. I just think he's really hurt. I don't think he is going. I don't think he's coming back for the finals at all. That's a long recovery. That's a tough injury to recover from. You have to rest forever. Man, 10 more days and he's not going to be ready for the start.

All right. Okay. Coming up next, Drake's on the sidelines. He's just one of those famous people that we automatically connect to one team. We'll give you a list pretty interesting. That's coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Craziest thing is happening in sports right now. So there's a Yankee name Glaber Torres.

He's one of their young stars. It's just a fascinating story. So he's a really good hitter, especially against Baltimore. Okay. he's played them 11 games. He has 10 home runs against the Orioles in 11 games. By the way, he's only got 12 on the season. So he hits all his home runs against one team.

He hit his 9th and 10th yesterday. Here's the Orioles announcer Gary Thorne describing the last two. Torres pumps that one in the air. That's the left center field. Wilgerson back. I don't know. Goodbye home run. I just, you cannot

imagine this happening and it's all home runs against the Orioles. In the air to right field, Mancini going back on the ball by Torres, way back up and I don't even know.

Goodbye, home run. I mean, Torres continues to write this unbelievable story against the Orioles. Ten home runs and 11 games against Baltimore. I've never seen anything like it. Very, very funny. Gary Thorne's a classic.

All right, best for last. We're talking about Drake a lot, right? And Drake has become very synonymous. He's the ambassador of the Raptors. And I think it's a paid role. Got in a little trouble yesterday. Everybody's freaking out because he's touching the coach. And I was thinking about that my 10 celebrity sports fans,

that when I say them, you think of a sports team. Let's start with number 10. Number 10. Matthew McConaughey, University of Texas. Graduated from there in 1993, co-host the annual benefit for Mack Brown. This year he named himself the Minister of Culture for their new basketball arena. I've been to two Texas games where he has been on the sidelines. I mean, he is all in.

He is all in on the University of Texas, lives and dies with that team. What number nine? Number nine. Ashley Judd, University of Kentucky, which, no, now she comes from an incredibly famous family. Mom and sister are singers, Naomi Judd and Winona Judd. And she sits in the student section at basketball and football games. She was consoling players after their loss in the 2015 Final Four. So she's not up in the luxury suites.

She is sitting with the fans. Ashley Judd, number nine. Number eight. Billy Crystal, for years and years when the Lakers were cool, Billy Crystal was with the Clippers. Now the Clippers now, it's okay to be a Clipper fan. But when they were awful and embarrassing, now he also pulls Double Duty as a Yankee fan,

but he went to their games when nobody was in to the Clippers. He once joked and compared it to watching a minor league team. He commented a game with Ralph Lawler this year. And so he kind of a Yankee, and he's sort of a Clipper. Number seven. Yeah, yeah. A Drake is number seven, Toronto Raptors. He became the team's global.

ambassador in 20 and 13. I think he's on the paycheck somewhere. Toronto native, hip-hop superstar. The team has an annual Drake Knight. He's at number seven. Number six. Tom Brady once said he'd want Mark Wahlberg to play him if there was

a Tom Brady movie, Mark Wahlberg, with the New England Patriots. Boston native reportedly placed a heavy bet on the Patriots to win last season Super Bowl two months before the season started. He also famously left the Patriots comeback. Super Bowl 51. He was so disgust that he left. Mark Wahlberg all in on the Patriots. Number five. Speaking of Boston, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon with the Red Sox.

So, I mean, that's kind of, they were Goodwill Hunting and Red Sox was my first introduction to both. They grew up in Cambridge. Damon narrated their 2007 DVD World Series win. By the way, there was an Affleck curse for years because on Ben Affleck's birthday for years, the Red Sox never won on his birthday and finally did it in 2015. Number four. Bill Murray and the Cubs.

He grew up locally in Evanston outside of Chicago. He was kind of the celebrity face of their 2016 World Series run. He named his son Homer in honor of the Cubs' legend Ernie Banks filled in for Harry Carey in the booth more than once

the north side Bill Murray Cubs Number three Gotta give love to Ice Cube and the Raiders LA Raiders both Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders he made the Raiders kind of black cap sort of synonymous with hip-hop culture

he's considered the leader of the Raider Nation a very vocal group remember he produced a 30 for 30 about the Raiders when they were in Los Angeles. He released a couple of tracks that he called Raider Anthems, Ice Cube, all-in sports fan. Come on a show. Spike Lee and the Knicks. Spike Lee was, whether it was taunting Reggie Miller or not.

Spike Lee was very symbolic of 1980s NBA basketball. It was the Hatfield and McCoy feud with Reggie Miller and Spike Lee. He moved to Brooklyn. His parents moved into Brooklyn as a kid. and by the way, Spike won an Oscar this year. Remember that? So he is the only person in Madison Square Garden who actually has a trophy. Is that a cheap shot? His famous moment was,

it's a very funny moment in 95, and he was doing the whole choke thing to Reggie Miller and Reggie Miller came out and just boom, boom, boom, three, three, three, and did the choke back to Spike Lee. And number one. Number one. Basically, he invented the courtside fan

was Jack Nicholson. And Jack Nicholson at the time was the biggest star in Hollywood. He was Hollywood's... I mean, it was like... You know, you went from like James Dean, Rock Hudson, like Jack Nicholson for about 25 years was the biggest star in Hollywood.

And he was a Lakers season ticket holder since the 70s. And we saw him age before our eyes. The Showtime Lakers were all close with him. He almost got ejected. Back in 2003, there was a Spurs playoff game. He almost got ejected. People get worked up over Drake.

Jack almost got thrown out. Maybe that's because he was in the film Anger Management. Maybe that's what spawned that movie. So there you go. We left out some. Larry King and the Dodgers is up there. Yeah. You can see Larry King like almost.

Mary Hart and Larry King. This is a pretty good list, though. They are definitely who you think of. Who's the actor that's the Philadelphia Eagle fan? Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper is a big Eagle fan. Oh, he was in that.

That's a great movie, by the way. Have you ever seen that movie? Playbook? Silver linings playbook. That is a great. Snoop is a big Steelers fan. Well, you know why we didn't have Snoop on it? Because he's a Laker fan.

He's a huge Steeler fan and he's a huge USC fan. So we couldn't, we almost put Will Ferrell. We couldn't figure out what fan he was more of. Now, he swears about the Steelers all the time. Oh, yeah, Snoop gets upset at the Steelers. Oh, he is not always grounded in. And the Lakers, too. Yeah, he's like a passionate dude.

He was on, undisputed. do this morning. All right, good stuff. Want to thank Chris Broussard, C-Web, Chris Weber, Charles Barkley, Rob Parker, and Arash Marcosi for all stopping by on our show today. Wild show on a Thursday, all sorts of fun. I want to thank everybody. Nice to have Sir Charles.

Don't get him much on the show today. We'll see you tomorrow. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamous and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house. Ferraris and Lamborghini.

Permanes, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness,

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