The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - America's Team

Episode Date: July 5, 2024

Jason McIntyre steps in for Colin and explains why despite the Cowboys haven't played in an NFC Championship game since 1995 they're still clearly America's Team Could LeBron James come off the bench for U.S. team in Paris?   Guest: Sam AmickSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year,

unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHartRadio app by search Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Hello and welcome to the herd. Hope everybody had a safe, fun-filled July 4th. It's me, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. My last day subbing in for the big guy.

He's back next week. I will not be here next week. So on my final day of the week, I'm joined by Alex Curry. Alex, how you doing? How was your July 4th? It was great. It was wild. I got home and there was already a party at my house. It's what I get for being married to a rock star. But we did like it cruise down the strand. It was wild in Hermosa Beach.

And then it sounded like we were hearing like firework explosions from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Did you hear them from your place too? I got a horrible night. That was wild. It was wild. It was so much fun. If I'm off my game today, I'm going to blame the fireworks and the LA parties that were happening all night. I tried to go to bed early. And, you know, it didn't quite work.

But I woke up this morning to some news from my, I mean, my BFF, right? The former NFL MVP, I'll call him a frenemy, Cam Newton. My goodness, Cam Newton chiming in here on the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott, a shocking development. So obviously, listen, we know the Cowboys have been America's team for, what, going on 50 years now. I mean, they haven't been totally dominant in the last 20, but I've got some good news for Cowboys fans. It's not all terrible news off the heels of the Dak Prescott walking boot photo yesterday. But Cam Newton decided on his podcast, you know, he's new to this media space, that he's declaring, the Cowboys should not be America's team.

Just because we're calling them the America's team, it should be the Chiefs because Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelsey. Oh, okay. Cam had a roundabout way of essentially saying that America's team, like, why are we doing this? that. And Cam has spoken, so we should all listen. Well, Cam is kind of new to this media thing. So I'm going to fill you in a little bit here, Cam. The New England Patriots were winners for two decades. They had a dynasty with Brady and Belichick. I think Brady won seven Super Bowls. They were never America's team. It just didn't take. And as a matter of fact, if you ask me, they were hated outside of New England. People were tired of that dynasty. So just because right now,

the Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in five years and Travis Kelsey's dating Taylor Swift. It doesn't make them America's team. It's still the Cowboys, a Blue Blood franchise, which, you know, dating back to the 70s has always been on top in the NFL. And listen, they play on Thanksgiving every year for a reason. The Dallas Cowboys haven't had back-to-back losing seasons since 2002. Folks, the Cowboys have been really, really good. Just because they haven't had postseason success, doesn't mean we should strip the America's team moniker from Dallas.

All I know is when I was a young NFL fan in the 90s, and the Cowboys were dominant, and then the Internet comes up and you got the starter jackets. Everybody was a Cowboys fan, everyone. Not just teenage girls under 13 who loved the Chiefs now because of Taylor Swift. I don't know, Cam. It just felt a little weird like you were, Trying to, I don't know, engagement farm, perhaps.

I think JJ Reddick would be proud here in the downseason in the NFL, you're engagement farming using the Cowboys to kind of cut through. But, Cam, that's just not how it works. Dallas is America's team. You want to go look at the NFL schedule? Cowboys in the early window four times all season. Why is that? Oh, it's because everybody wants their eyeballs on the Cowboys.

They're in prime time all the time. They're in the 4 p.m. window all the time. because they got fans all over America. Hell, Cam, I don't know if you noticed, but on July 4th, a photo emerged of Dak Prescott in a protective walking boot. And the NFL media went to DefCon 1. It was panic time, and everybody freaked out.

Oh, my gosh, here he is. Jack Prescott, a walking boot. What? Trey Lance, is he going to be starting week one? Like, people went ballistic. They lost their minds over a photo. of Jack Prescott in a walking boot. Like, this is America's team.

This is what they are, Cam. And, you know, we'll talk to someone later in the show, a great guest who actually has texted with Cam, sorry, with Jack Prescott about the injury. It was preventative. He was going fishing. Stand down, everybody. It's going to be okay.

But this is what comes with the territory of America's team. I know, you know, Cam is not as high on Dak Prescott as I am. and KM is the king of hot takes and hats. Dak Prescott right now has led the Cowboys to three straight 12-win seasons. I think he should get paid. Here's Greg Kosell talking about Dak Prescott as we enter this season.

At his core, what he is is he's an executor and a ball distributor, and he's good at it. Now, obviously, when you get into the playoffs and play better defenses, depending on who you're playing, you really have to be efficient. one of the issues they have, and they're going to have it this year, is the run game. They do not have a running back. If you look at what Ezekiel Elliott's tape has shown in the last two years,

he's certainly not a back that can carry 230 or 240 times. And Dack, because of the style of quarterback that he is at this point, as I said, a distributor, he needs a complete offense. He needs a run game to be effective. Yeah, we all do. That was from the Ross Tucker podcast. Greg Kossoe, good stuff. He comes on this show, as you guys know.

But listen, I'm not as down on DAC as everyone else. Obviously, it's a massive season with the McCarthy situation looming. C.D. Lamb, Micah Parsons. I'm not saying Dak Prescott is some world-beater. I think he's good. I think he's a top 10-11 quarterback in the league. But to try to steal the moniker, say, Dallas is no longer America's team.

Cam, hey, I know you're new to this media stuff, but nice try. It's a bit of a miss. Let's move to the NBA, where LeBron James and all the biggest stars in the league will descend upon Vegas for USA Basketball Training Camp. They will train in Vegas this week, then they will battle Canada, I believe, next week, and as a tune-up for the Olympics. But at training camp, you guys can take a guess what the biggest story is going to be. 39-year-old LeBron James. And boy, what a rough summer for LeBron, huh? I mean, goodness gracious.

The guy handpicks the Lakers next head coach, his podcast buddy. Then he gets the Lakers to draft his son in the second round and give him a big fat contract. You can, it's dripping with hate folks. You know it's coming. And then LeBron says, I'll take less to bring in free agents. And then they don't get anyone. Oh, wow. You know, the media, the ink-stained wretches who are going to be covering this team in Vegas, it could get ugly.

A lot of these guys grew up Michael Jordan's sycophants younger in the 90s. They love Jordan. They're not huge fans of LeBron. And you know the media loves to build people up and then tear them down. And it is coming. Folks, do you see the article that dropped this morning? I don't know if you saw it. Big question.

So is LeBron going to come off the bench for Team USA? The pylon begins. They're coming after the king. You know the saying from the wire. you come at the king, you best not miss. People are now speculating. Should LeBron come off the bench for Team USA? This stacked team, I mean, obviously,

Joel and Beatle start at center, right, we got that. You got Steph Curry is your point guard. Here's the roster we got on FS1. Probably need Kevin Durant as your stretch four. Okay, so that's three spots. Then you need a lockdown wing defender. Well, that's not LeBron. That's probably Kauai Leonard, right?

He's healthy, allegedly. Steve Kerr says he's healthy. Whatever. And then you'll need like a shooting guard to fill it up, maybe a D-Book, Anthony Edwards. You want to get very defensive, Drew Holiday. Maybe it's all matchup dependent when they play France and oh my gosh, I can't wait for that game. Gobert and Wembeñama are working together right now as a starter for France. That is an impenetrable backline.

And USA will have to counter with Embed and Anthony Davis probably starting. But all of this is a way, roundabout way of saying, well, shucks, should LeBron come off the bench? and you know there's somebody sitting there stewing just wait I'm gonna come off the bench really you guys are sending me to Paris so I can come off the bench you think how's LeBron gonna take that and folks we're at this weird space now and we'll get to in-depth a little shortly where once the athletes get near the end it starts to become open season on them because the media has been you know ball-washing these guys for two decades and now all of a sudden is Damn. LeBron, it's 39.

Now, it's weird because in the 80s, you know, Magic obviously had to retire early. Larry Byrd's injuries, he was done in his early to mid-30s. Isaiah Thomas just up and retired before he was even 35. Jordan quit two times well before the age of 39. So it's like, LeBron's playing at 30. We should be applauding him and excited that he's still around and playing at such a high all-NBA level, averaging 25, 7, and 7, or whatever the numbers are. And now you guys are trying to drive him to the bench?

Listen, we know that commanding control of a team and the court and just owning everything is a space of basically three guys in the NBA right now. Three people do it better than anyone. Anybody can score. Anybody can be a pure point guard. Anybody can rebound. But when you've got somebody who does all those, Nicola Yokic, Luca Donchich, and LeBron James,

They're still the three best at totally controlling all the pieces on the chessboard. They've got everything manipulating defenses. They're the three best at it. Two of those guys, they're not playing for USA, obviously. And by the way, Luca Donchich has a seismic battle against Janus tomorrow. One of those two teams, Greece or Slovenia, will not make the Olympics. And I'm sure their NBA coach will be thrilled that they get a rest in the summer. But other than Luca and Yolkic, who are, I think, like, third.

13 years, 12, 13 years, LeBron's junior. LeBron is better than anyone on Team USA at manipulating defenses. Steph Curry has the gravitational pull that you've got to guard him on the perimeter. He'll be hitting 30 footers. Okay? But like, Co-Wyell Leonard doesn't do this stuff LeBron does. He's a great defender and he's a good mid-range guy. Okay, probably great mid-range, but fine, whatever.

Like, I like Jason Tatum a lot. He doesn't do all the things LeBron does, although the playmaking was kind of unlocked. in the finals. He looked great, in my opinion, led the Celtics and assists. But you need LeBron out there. I cannot envision a scenario where LeBron's coming off the bench for this team. It would take some big Cajonis from Steve Curtis, say, yeah, LeBron, we're going to call, you'll be the sixth man in Paris. I don't see a world where that's happening. I do see a world. Yeah, LeBron's not the shooter Kevin Durant is, right? And you want to stretch those defenses. You know they'll pack the paint in the Olympics with the Feebo rules.

It's going to be fascinating. I don't see a scenario where LeBron comes off the bench, but certainly it's got to be in play in certain individual matchups. I would sooner start Drew Holiday at the two and have him defend wings, and then I'd have LeBron in there for offense. But we'll see. Steve Kerr has options. You look at the roster and is like, this team is stacked.

They're loaded. You know, bam out of bio, TRIES Halliburton. These are end of the bench guys, and they're like top tier dudes in the NBA. There's a loaded team. I just, it's going to get weird if the media starts pushing, should LeBron come off the bench? We already saw one article this morning. I hope we don't see anymore. So Alex, USA basketball, I'm fired up about it.

It starts in Vegas. Are you going back to Vegas by any chance? No, no, no, not right now. But the interesting thing about these super teams is everyone's going to have to put their egos aside, right? And do what's best for America. And they have a great leader in Steve Kerr. He's going to do what's best at that time. The point is, I mean, he made a point this morning.

in one of the articles, he said, if everyone else is getting better than the U.S. has to find ways to do the same, right? So whatever it's going to take in that moment, Steve Kerr is the right guy for the job. He is, what, the most recent coach of the most recent dynasty that we've had in the NBA, he works with superstars.

I'm confident that he'll do the right thing. It's just weird to hear is do the right thing, meaning bench LeBron, or have him come off the bench. The right thing is to win gold. That's all that matters when you go to the Olympics. You do whatever you need to do to win gold.

You got to put egos aside. What is our best chance to win this game right now? And that's what it has to be. Fun storyline for USA training camp. All right, coming up next, folks, two global superstars are kind of on the struggle bus. Is it the end of the era for our first social media superstars in sports? That's next.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I hard radio app. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrate.

One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years. from black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 or 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, well, you guys were out last night watching fireworks. I was watching fireworks on the soccer field. Argentina, Ecuador, thrilling match in Copa America, and a very weird thing happened. So Ecuador scores in stoppage time to force PKs. And Leonel Messi first up, everybody.

obviously. Oh, Messi, a penalty kick. It's a lock. And he hit the crossbar. If you're here watching on FS1, look at this. It's stunning. At first, I thought it went right in. I was like, wait a minute, he missed. It was one of those shocking moments, Messi. And at that point, Ecuador had the momentum. You're like, holy cow, is Argentina going to lose. They end up prevailing. But Messi missing the PK was pretty much the story of the game. And it's been a weird copa for Messi. Obviously, the greatest player ever to play soccer in the history of to sport. He's won everything known to man. Okay. Well, he was

incredible in that thrilling World Cup final against France, a memorable game. Messi's the goat, okay? But he hasn't scored in Copa. He's a little dinged up. And listen, he just turned 37 years old. He's getting up there in age. It's not just Messi, though. Later today,

you're going to, you guys are going to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal battle France in the Euros. And maybe this is Cristiano Ronaldo's final Euro. Euro tournament. Now, if you watch the last game they played in, in extra time, he missed a penalty kick and broke out in tears on the field. Again, Ronaldo and Messi, these are two humongous global stars missing in key spots. Now, they are late in their career, and it got me thinking.

So, social media pretty much exploded. It's tough to pin down the exact date, but somewhere in like the 2007-8 to 2010 race. somewhere in there. You know, you go YouTube, really popped, Instagram, Twitter. Those were like the big social media moments in about that 2008 to 2010 range. And who were the big-time stars? Leonel Messi was emerging as a superstar. Cristiano Ronaldo, same deal.

He was kind of a little more advanced at that state. He's a couple years older than Messi. And then in the NBA, you had Steph Curry with Davidson and then Golden State Warriors. You had Kevin Durant and you had LeBron James. All these guys are around the same age, 35, 36 to 39. And they emerged just as social media was popping. They were the first iteration of social media stars. It was an immersive experience.

LeBron turns Taco Tuesday into a thing. I know Taco. People had talked about Taco Tuesday before. LeBron was doing it every Tuesday and yelling, Taco Tuesday. And it became a thing. and you and your family, us kind of sort of sometimes. It was a deal.

LeBron did that because we were along for the ride. Leonel Messi, I don't know if you guys know this. His dog is like followed around and photographed and a huge deal in Argentina. His dog. Okay. Cristiano Ronaldo, every summer, he takes him and his hot wife and their kids, they go on a yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean, somewhere exotic and beautiful. And he's living the dream.

And you know, the photographers are capturing it. he's putting it on his IG, you feel like you're on vacation with the guy. You feel close to Rinaldo. And then you maybe see the hotel they're at and you're like, oh, let me follow that hotel in case one day when I'm a baller, I'll check it out, you know? I mean, Steph Curry. Folks, you guys know I have kids at home. I talk about this on my podcast all the time. Steph Curry does some of the best, coolest new age workouts I've ever seen. And I'm not going to lie, as my son likes to say, no cap. When Steph Curry gets this. little blue device that lights up and there's five of them and you do it to improve your quick

twitch ability. Well, guess who went out and got it? Your boy, yes, I did. I went and got it and I'm doing drills with it during COVID with my kids on the basketball court and we're like copying Steph Curry's workouts because we can. We didn't, we knew nothing about Michael Jordan back in the day. Oh, he gambles, Magic Johnson. We just did not have that same experience. Now Diego Maradona was a little different because he was, you know, everywhere and on every newspaper and magazine. But nevertheless, we're getting an inside look through social media at these stars. Kevin Durant essentially birthed that You the Real MVP meme where he's crying and talking about his mom.

That stuff has never happened before in the history of sports. It's now a thing. And it's just this weird moment. And I kind of am rambling here. But when you look at these global icons, Messi, Ronaldo. though. And these guys have social media followings that dwarf anyone in the NFL and Major League Baseball. It's not even close. They are global icons. Steph Curry shows up in Positano and everybody's stopping what they're doing.

And oh, Curry, let me get in the mix. Curry came to my gym and you see these moms going up. Oh, Steph, can I have a photo? Of course, yes, I went and got one. I posted it. This was years ago. But it's like these guys are different and you feel, thanks to social media, like you're along with them.

And now they're all kind of sort of coming to an end. They're still great. Curry's still an amazing player. Cristiano Ronaldo is still very, very good. Messy, awesome. But it just feels a little, I'm a little wistful that the good old days are ending for these global icons. And, you know, they were with us all along on social media. And I'm kind of going to miss them when they're gone. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news.

No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. It's a good remembering the greats out there. We've talked about this. We're in a transition period of some of our all-time superstars are at the end of their careers. And as you said, it's been fun to kind of watch their entire journeys and be along with it. But let's start with the Lakers here because they took a gamble hiring JJ Reddick as their head coach with no previous NBA coaching experience. And it's clear that LeBron has his new coaches back.

But what about the rest of the team? Shaq said that he thinks getting the other players to buy in is going to be one of Reddick's toughest tests. For me as a player, if I didn't respect the coach, it was easy for me to turn my 100% down. Let me explain. I'm going to give you 100 anyway. But if it's a situation where I know we're not going to go, hundreds is hard to maintain. But my question is, you have LeBron's respect. He's sticking up for you.

What about the other guys? That's going to be the test. I think I could play for a guy who I just played against four or five years ago. I don't think I can do it. I think the big tell is going to be how Anthony Davis feels about all of this, right? Because he's the number two on the team, the quote future of the team. And there were reports before the Lakers officially hired JJ that he wasn't 100% in on the decision. But Shaq went on to share that he made that example of I go 100% with guys and coaches like Phil Jackson.

But like one of the greatest coaches of our generation. He goes, you come and you're going to get 100%. So yeah, this is going to be one of the many uphill battles for JJ Reddick. He was just in the league a handful years ago, right? So is he going to get that respect from the players of, I can look at you as my head coach opposed to appear? Another uphill battle is getting the Lakers back to a championship or bus team because that's the Lakers way.

And then developing the LeBron and Bron. relationship on the court. So there's a lot of factors here, but I'm curious to hear from Anthony Davis. Like I think AD is going to be the big kind of help set the tone with LeBron for JJ and the Lakers. That's a good point on AD. I hadn't thought about it because AD wasn't at the press conference. I think LeBron was there when Bronny was there. Yeah, yeah. Interesting. AD will be at the Vegas camp, right, for USA basketball. So maybe someone will ask him there. Probably. I don't, I think AD, you're right. It's probably the worst. one to be not concerned, but curious.

Whereas the other guys are all like in their 20s. Don't listen to LeBron. Yeah. And they also probably watched JJ Reddick when they were like 12 years old. Yeah. Being an awesome shooter, one of the top shooters in the league for, I don't know, a decade. So I wouldn't worry too much about the young guards. No, it's going to be Anthony Davis.

Yeah. But does Anthony Davis have the pole that Shaq did? And remember, the big knock on Shaq from Kobe, Alex, was that Kobe was like, you're never in shape. You're never trying. You could be the best player ever. There were both like two superstars who wanted to be the biggest superstar. So they butt heads there.

But this is LeBron and AD's team still, right? That's why they gave AD the big contract. So is AD going to buy in as much as LeBron? And when and if he does, can he lead by example to all the other guys on the team? Yeah. If you want to get really sinister, not that I do. AD wanted James Borrego, who didn't get a head coaching job

because he knew him from prior years. What if the Lakers got Reddick for like a good one or two years and they know AD's not going to love him and AD will want out and then they just press the entire reset button with no stars and start over and you move AD out.

I mean, that's a little sinister. From what we've seen from the Lakers, they haven't had a coach since Phil Jackson last longer than three seasons. So it's... I would predict JJ Redick lasts longer than A.D. Whoa. Yeah, I don't... Okay.

I mean, how's AD going to age, given his injuries, history, and just... Like, is he at 35 going to be as good as he was last year? I don't think so. Like, LeBron aging is fine. Yeah. I don't know that AD's going to age the way... Like, look at some of these other centers. Shack at 35.

Go look them up. So there's a lot of questions around the Lakers, and a good chunk of them are centering around AD right now. Yeah. Yeah. So it's going to be interesting. Let's move to the NFL where C.J. Stroud made a statement in his rookie season.

Leaving the Texans in his second season and wide receiver Tank Dell is confident that Stroud is on the track to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league. I for sure feel like CJ got the opportunity to be the best quarterback in the league. Not me just saying it because who he is to me, but just like what I'm seeing him do each and every week. I feel like CJ got to just keep doing what he's doing to bridge the gap between him and my home, man. Because not going to lie, my home special, man. It's for sure going to be a lot of work to get to have to. be put in with seven, but I just feel like if he just keep doing what he's doing, he on the right path. I mean, even yesterday when we were talking about our top tier quarterbacks, I had CJ

Stroud in like my top third tier. That's right. Yeah, there's a handful of the tier threes, but I mean, this is after year one. He's the reigning offensive rookie of the year. Now, sophomore seasons are very telling, right? This is going to be kind of the big next step for CJ because you're not a surprise team anymore. Everybody knows you're great, won the division, you're going to have a target on your back. Can you continue doing this? Now they did pick up some solid offensive weapons. They got Stefan Diggs and Joe Mixon. So I mean, I like him picking up for his quarterback, obviously. I think he could be the best. I would hope, you know, if the staff here, they get questions from the media. What about Jason McIntyre? How about, well, I think he can be

the best host. You always want to pump up. up your guy. Yeah, you want to keep it up for your guy. But even when, like yesterday I talked about this, Patrick Mahomes was talking about what quarterbacks when you're not playing are you watching? He said, Burrow, Lamar, Allen, and C.J. Stroud. Yeah. So he is a top guy, even in the top guy's minds.

He was tremendous. Incredible. I could say this. Nobody saw him doing that as a rookie. Nobody. I don't care who's the biggest CJ Stroud fan. Nobody saw him being that good with those receivers. He didn't even have a great group of receivers.

It's incredible. Yeah. He's amazing. Now, can he be the best quarterback in the league? What are your expectations this year? I don't, I mean. Same? No, he should be better adding digs unless digs is a headache.

Schedule is a little tougher. Yeah. But, yeah, CJ Stroud, no signs of slowing down. I think, so it was Bryce Young, number one. They can easily win the AFC South again. Stroud, too. Bryce Young has only room for improvement. Yeah.

And I think Stroud has room for improvement, right? He could get, he could be better. He could. It was excellent. Won a playoff game against the Browns, maybe a little further. Joe Flackle was really horrendous there, but Stroud was good. Comeback player of the year.

Off the couch? Yes, indeed. That was incredible. Okay. To the NFC North, the Vikings moved on from Kurt Cousins and drafted J.J. McCarthy to be their quarterback of the future. He's battling with Sam Darnold right now.

It may not start right away, but teammates are already seeing the potential. New Vikings linebacker, Blake Cashman, who was Zach Wilson and C.J. Stroud during their rookie campaigns, and McCarthy came in eager to learn and has shown he's a leader. Now, Cashman also said he thinks that JJ is going to be a great player for a long time. Now, the good thing about JJ is he's coming from a great coach in Jim Harbaugh. He is a winner.

He knows what it takes to win and succeed. He's coming in to a pretty solid setup O-Line. He is one of the greatest receivers in Justin Jefferson in the league. He is set up to succeed, but again, like he doesn't have to start week one. They also have Sam Darnold competing for the job. Do you see him starting week one? It sounds like no. But by the way, what's going to be a great player?

Why not just say he's a great player? Is he not that good right now, but he's going to be great. Any transition from college to the pros is going to take a moment to learn the playbook, get used to NFL-sized guys coming at you. Like we even saw Caleb Williams. they were saying, you know, all the reports that came out in minicamp is, he's a little slow, a little behind. It's like, yeah, give these guys a beat. They're learning a completely new system in a new league. Yeah, I like McCarthy. They got a good coach, like you said,

good weapon. Jordan Addison's also out there as a receiver. They're going to be solid, six, seven wins. I just, I don't know that it's going to happen this year. That being said, a lot of people have doubted McCarthy his entire time in Michigan, and all I kept doing is win. Yeah, they're in a tough division, though. Lions, Packers. Yeah, that makes it difficult. Bears with Caleb Williams, like a lot of pressure there. Well, you could also argue there's really no pressure, especially if Darnold starts.

It's like, okay, we drafted him, but we're a year away. We're just going to trot out Darnold for the first. Yeah, but you just paid Justin Jefferson the biggest contract for a wide receiver. Like, he's going to want to win. They're going to want to win. You know, the whole Mahomes sitting has ruined the idea of, oh, we should just sit a year. Look at what it did for Patrick Mahomes. Like, let's settle down.

There's also quarterbacks who have sat. Also, Jordan Love. He sat for free. He sat a long time and came out, had a great, but first official starting season, and now he's lining up to get a big payday. Yeah. I mean, I'd like to see McCarthy play.

Actually, the best way to get better is to play and I could get better sitting on the bench. So I'd like to see him play. Yeah, I'm rooting for. Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News.

All right. LeBron actually come off the bench for Team USA? We'll ask a writer next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Ben. Host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallor. It would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour?

I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mallor show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather

on the Iheart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

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It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes, for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table

right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. And 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 here on earth. Or are you a good person because you're afraid?

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Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A good guest. He's covered the NBA for a long time. Sam Amick of the Athletic. Big piece this week on Clay Thompson picking the Mabs.

Oh, over the Lakers. It hurt, it hurt, Sam. How are you? I would go, Jay Mack. Thank you for having me, sir. You know, I'm here for you and your feeling. Let's talk about it. Yeah, you know, listen, when LeBron said he'd take less than the max,

I thought there was a hope that the Lakers could add somebody like a Clay Thompson and ultimately Clay made the decision taking the Mavs. You could argue the Lakers dodged a bullet, but I'm curious. The thought process on the Mavs, talk me through it. Yeah, I mean, the obvious basketball stuff is, another guy to stretch the floor with Luca and Kyrie championship pedigree. We kind of saw, and I'm admittedly a sucker for this stuff, the way that Kyrie did bring a different mentality to that group

as the only guy who had won a championship on that Maverick's roster. This to me, now adding a guy who's won four, who was part of a fantastic dynasty, and who's got a lot of motivation now, because he doesn't feel great about the way the warriors kind of sent him out. you know, I think it'll be a good bit. Defensively, the question is can Clay recapture some of what he used to have, you know, before those two devastating injuries?

But, you know, they're just trying to add to what they had from before and build off what they did on that finals run. Do you have the Mavs as the best team in the West right now? I know Minnesota brings back basically everyone had a good draft. OKC had just a bonker summer, adding Caruso, Hartenstein. I don't know. How do you shape up the top of the West? Yeah, I mean, honestly,

my mind went to OKC first, which is counterintuitive for me, because last year I was one of the people that was really slow to believe that they could really make an impact, but you add Hardinstein. Caruso is a fantastic two-way player, obviously an elite defender. I love what they did. We can't forget about the Nuggets, even though they had a pretty tough summer losing KCP. And then Minnesota, I think it's all about Anthony Edwards and does that ascension continue? Does he figure out the nuances of superstardom that I think kind of tricked him up late in the postseason last year. The West is obviously pretty stacked. Yeah. Let's go to the East and Paul George real quick. I don't know. He's bounced around the league now a few times and everywhere he goes.

It's like, oh, Paul George makes some instant contenders. And then it doesn't really materialize. I mean, heck, we even saw Bradley Beale go to the Sons. And I thought they would go to the finals and it was like, didn't quite work. Damia Lillard last summer to the Bucks. Oh, the Bucs. Favorites in the East. It feels like that model is kind of dead, the three star model. I hear you. I mean, you took the words right out of my mouth. Not to say it won't work. I think at minimum, it's going to take some time.

And that's what we learned this past season. You look at not little apples to oranges, but Minnesota, and the way that the Rudy Gobert trade took two years to kind of bake and figure out, and for the T-Wolves to be better. The Mabs with Kyrie, we were ready to kind of cut the cord on that after the first season with them together. The Sons maybe can figure it out this year, the Bucks, maybe. but if you look at Philly, I think the takeaway, if you're going to use that logic,

is that it might take a little while. First of all, they got an entire roster to build out. They still have a lot of work to do. All that being said, for me, Jemak, I was giving a big time thumbs up on that move because Darryl Morey had put himself in a position where it was kind of an all or nothing proposition. It was a high-stakes situation where if they didn't get Paul, then you've got 30-year-old Joel M.B. yet again looking around wondering who is, you know,

co-stars are going to be. Tyrese Maxi's amazing, but they needed more. So for them, I think it was a fantastic move. All right, Sam, this is a tough one yesterday. I did my top 10 players in the NBA right now. And, you know, we had Eddie House on, and he was apoplectic that I left Jalen Brown off the list, and I had Jason Tatum in there.

Here's my top 10 currently. Obviously, people did not like Yokic second. But there seems to be a lot of consternation that Kevin Durant was left off. his agent went on this Instagram and was like unhappy. Just nonsense. I'm just curious. My top 10, obviously, I'm a big boy.

I can take it. You love it. You hate it. Who am I missing? No, I mean, the KD one is tough. You know, LeBron, I really feel like we need to kind of look at the film and really break down his numbers were incredible last year. We got to make sure that we're not, you know, rating him as damn, he's good for a 39-year-old. You know what I mean?

Like, to get on this list, you have to be, be the best of the best. And I don't know if he's above KD at this point. Up at the top, Jemak, I think that that's probably still got Joker number one. I know he didn't get the job done in the playoffs, but Luca in some of those moments in the finals where we got reminded that he still has a lot of growth on the defensive side and the leadership side and the composure side. That's going to, I think, you know, take him out of that top spot for me. Janus, as a quick side note, I think is going to be on fire this season from a month. motivation standpoint because we've all kind of forgotten who he is.

You know, we can go all the way through. The Tatum one's tricky. I mean, I voted Jaylon Brown for finals MVP for obvious reasons. And you kind of saw after he got Eastern Conference Finals MVP, why even with the title, we're probably not going to stop debating, you know, the two Js. Yeah. Hmm. KD over LeBron.

That might be the spiciest take I've heard this week. I hear you, brother. I mean, quick context. To me, late last season, not amazing for Kevin. Defensively, the Sun's coaching staff absolutely raved about the fact that for most of that year, you know, he was one of the only guys on their squad trying to fill in gaps, play multiple positions, guard some of the best wings. I like the way that he tried to make that thing happen last year, and I think that took away a little bit from what he does,

you know, his transcendent offensive talent. But, you know, Kevin is still a force. Let me drill down on that for a sec. So Kevin Durant's still a force. Sam, he's, everywhere he's been, he's had stacked teams. I mean, even going back to early OKC with Russ and Hardin, they went to the finals. I know Presti screwed up by trading Hardin. But he goes to the Warriors are loaded.

He goes to the Brooklyn Nets. They're stacked. Can't win. Get me out of here. I don't know. Has he, is his brand a little damaged, if you will, with fans and media for, A, leaving the Warriors and B, not winning outside of the chips? with the Warriors? No, I think that's fair. I think, you know, I know he kind of bristles at the word

legacy, but that's a big part of the conversation. And this son's chapter is really important for him because, you know, it seems like they're definitely going to run it back and give this thing another shot. And I think he needs to. The idea that that he might have raised his hand again and said, let me try a new spot. If he had done that, then, you know, I think that that legacy gets battered even more when it comes to him being a mercenary and a guy that as an individual talent was incredible. Now, I always do want to make sure, because I cover those Warriors teams really closely, that when we talk about him, we cannot act like he was a cherry on top of that Warriors team. You know what I mean?

He was the best player for most of his time there and a guy who got the best of LeBron multiple times in the finals. That was a special chapter for him, and it's his life and he gets to choose what to do with it. Obviously, a lot of folks, I think you and I both included think that if you would have kept it going with the Warriors, it'd be probably a better story. Yeah, I totally 1,000% agree. Like the damage he could have done with that Golden State team, keeping that team together. But listen, he had the injury. And there was clearly something with him and Draylon. You covered the team closely.

If you had to ask KD. point blank, why did you leave the Warriors? Is there a way to sum it up succinctly? Yeah, I think it's a very human thing. I think, honestly, and I don't want to speak for Kevin, but you know, you did not get the sense that he was enjoying himself by the end. And you had the friction with Dremont, who's an incredibly intense personality and a guy whose leadership style is, you know, is kind of one of one and not always in a good way. You had the nonstop comparisons to Steph Curry and a Warriors fan base that it did actually grew up down in the bay. Like it did kind of feel like it didn't matter what Kevin did. you know, he was still going to have a massive gap between the love from that fame base for staff and the way they saw Kevin.

You know, and then you got the coaching staff that had more history with Steph and they did Kevin. There's a lot of layers to it. I think, you know, going to the office every day and even if you had rings and had success, he obviously wasn't feeling fulfilled to the point where he wanted to go ahead and sound a new deal. To me, that's probably the crux of it. I think that's very well said. We could wrap up with this. So USA basketball training camp is now happening in Vegas. They'll be taking on Canada soon.

And one of your colleagues at the Athletic wrote a piece on should or could LeBron come off the bench, theorizing that it's like Embed and Curry are starting, Kauai on the wing, KD is your stretch four, and then, you know, Ant or Booker, whoever at Shooting Guard. And then LeBron's coming off the bench. I'm just curious. Is there any scenario where you think LeBron actually comes off the bench for Team USA? I mean, I'll say this, because Joe, like you mentioned, is a colleague and a friend and a guy who is very tapped in with Team USA. And having not, I did look at the piece, having read the whole thing yet.

You know, I feel confident saying that if Joe's writing a whole piece about it, he's getting very good, reliable insight that it's, you know, probable that it might end up happening. You know, I think, listen, he's been covering that team for multiple years. I'll see him a few days out here in Vegas at Team USA camp. If nothing else, Jay Mack, he's given the rest of us in the media something to have these guys talk about on day one when camp begins. I love it. Yeah. No, that's interesting.

What if, like, Steve Kerr is floating this as a test balloon through Joe to just see how the public reacts, how the media, how LeBron reacts on? Is he going to show up angry? I don't know. That's a great point of how the sausage gets made instead of just thrusting it on LeBron. Hey, let's float this through the media, see what the reaction is. I don't know.

Is that too sinister? of me to think that? Not at all. No, it's really not. And I just as a media guy, being honest with you, and to add more context there, you know, Joe covered LeBron in Cleveland and he's got really good relationships on that side of the ledger as well. So if I, you know, I haven't talked to Joe about a story. I will probably have a funny laugh about it with him later. But, but yeah, like I think, you know, it's pretty, for me, easy to see kind of, you know, what kind of direction this comes from, I guess. Yeah, do you expect piling on LeBron? So, hey, LeBron, you got to pick your coach, who was your podcast partner, you got to pick your son, 55th.

You said you'd take less than the max, and then nobody wanted to come play with you, and now you're coming off the bench. You add all that together, and I don't know, maybe he can use it as fuel and motivation, but is there something else happening here? No, to me, I don't feel like that's where LeBron's at. To be honest, I think he's waking up every morning feeling great about where his game is at and his part in the Lakers program. To me, the most interesting part of their offseason. is this kind of mixed emotions experience for LeBron when it comes to the happiness of having the Lakers franchise take your son, you know, the frustration, in my opinion,

and their inability to go get something done trade-wise that makes it serious impact. Maybe internally, not maybe, I think, you know, disagreement about the way that ownership in front office sees the roster compared to LeBron and AD. It's just, it's been a lot this summer for the Lakers. But for LeBron's part, I think he's doing just five. Yeah, all right, Sam Amick, the athletic, great stuff. Read him on the athletic. Sam, good luck cover in Vegas and talk to you soon.

Thank you, Jason. Appreciate it. All right, great stuff, thought-provoking stuff. Love that. All right, coming up next, something I've never done in all my days filling in for cowherd, Super Bowl tiers. I had four in the top tier, and I had to add a team up top. You want to guess who that team was?

Take a wild, crazy guess. That's next year, hour number two on the herd. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your, your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows

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