The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Celtics-Nets, Curry, Paul

Episode Date: April 18, 2022

Thoughts on Celtics-Nets game 1 and the aftermath Steph Curry continues to show us that he's a great teammate Chris Paul has an interesting legacy   Guest: Ric BucherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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It just started. Boston Nets was fantastic yesterday where Colin was. right where Colin was wrong an hour from now as is customary on Monday and Joy Taylor is joining me. I did the travel in this weekend. Not that I regret it, but I've got to come home and sleep a little bit. I had a wild weekend in Chicago, my favorite city. And he survived the cold of Chicago. It's chilly. Yeah, it's April. It's chilly. Did you get a coat? You know, you just kind of, you... Colin's a big no-coat person. I don't like stuff. I don't like watches and jewelry and coats and

anything. I don't like being cold, so I compromise with the coat thing, but I'm glad you had a great time in Chicago. Yeah, so the game really of the weekend, and it's the good guys against the bad guys, it's the Brooklyn Nets, the villains of the NBA, lost yesterday to Boston, and, you know, I mean, Kyrie Irvin's flipping fans off and all that stuff. It is really the perfect encapsulation of Kyrie Irving this weekend. He's an other world talent. He's a freak. I mean, he's the best small finisher I've ever seen in my life. I've been watching the NBA since the early 70s.

He lets fans get into his head despite the fact he wants to be the villain. And then he tried to justify it after. That's all you need to know about Kyrie Irving. But what we have in this series is really two different basketball cultures. If it was a movie, Boston would be Hoosiers if those guys in the movie could play. Defense, intensity, they care. There's chemistry. They've got a star player.

They make sure there's ball screens. You know, they're always trying to get Tatum loose. They've got guys that overachieved in the draft. They're good for basketball. The Nets, if they were a movie, they'd be boiler room. Let's make some money and leave somebody else to deal with our mess. It's ego. Defense is optional.

I'm not even sure if they have plays. Kyrie Irvin and KD. It's just like, get a bucket. I'm not sure they're particularly well-coached. I'm not sure they want plays. As you know, though, as you know, I tend to like tire fires. So Boston is good. Boston winning is good for basketball.

So was Hoosiers. And Brooklyn is good for drama. And I can't take my eyes off them. Everything about Boston, last couple of seconds, even the final play, passing and teamwork and unselfish. But, you know, it's interesting. When K.D. left. the Warriors. He wasn't just leaving Steph. He was leaving kind of the L.A. Rams of the NBA, a really smart GM and a really smart coach and a really smart culture. And there was accountability.

And you can go there to rehab your image. And I mean, like Steph Curry, I mean, he's a guy that doesn't even have to start over the weekend. He didn't just leave a player. He left a culture. And Brooklyn is the opposite of the Warriors. Chemistry. Ah, deep. defense, accountability, nah. And I find myself watching KD and Kyrie and thinking they're succeeding despite themselves. And I'm not even sure if they're succeeding, because if they get bounced in this round, that's a massive disappointment. And I like watching them play. But, you know, when you choose to be a villain, LeBron did. He didn't even really mean to. Like he gave a million dollars to a boys and girls club when he had that big decision. It was clumsy. He didn't want to be a villain.

But after a year of being the villain, LeBron's like, I don't like being a villain. I don't like this. Kyrie and KD. have chosen to be the villain. And they don't like the shrap and all the pitfalls of it. You're going to get heckled. People are going to be on you. I mean, KD's sensitive. We know that. Kyrie hears everything. We know that. And he reacts to everything. So if you choose that path in life to agitate, shocking. You're going to get hecklers. Nobody was heckling Jordan and the Bulls. You know, nobody heckles the sons.

Nobody's heckling Milwaukee. They just ignore it. They're not trying to agitate people. So here was Kyrie and a shack after. Where I'm from, you know, I'm used to all these antics and people being close nearby. You know, it's nothing new when I don't. come into this building what it's going to be like, but it's the same energy they have for me, and I'm going to have the same energy for them.

Somebody's going to call me out of my name. I'm going to look at them straight in the eye and see if they really bout it. Most of the time they're not. I don't really want to hear all that. And, you know, certain cities, they don't care what you said to press conference. You know what's going to happen to game too? They're going to be talking more smack up there in Boston. I played in Boston two years, but listen, it happens to the best of us.

You don't think people said stuff to Charles Barker, said stuff to Akim. my lives around myself. Go on, man. Please stop, man. Charles Barkley, by the way, was an agitator. So I still like Brooklyn in the series. I'm probably out of my gourd. But when you choose a path in life,

you've got to deal with the Pratt falls of it. So now let's talk about the team KD. Left, the Warriors. And I just referenced this. They're the L.A. Rams of the NBA. Really smart GM. Really smart coach. Awesome culture. They always seem to find money.

Nobody else has. They draft and develop really well. And they make odd players and weird players and old players all fit. This Warriors team gives you the full range of their culture. Let's start with Andrew Wiggins. People are like, he wasn't a bust, but he was a big underachiever. What do you do with Andrew Wiggins? He goes to the Warriors.

He just made his first All-Star team. He's become hyper-efficient. He's one of the league's most efficient players now. He's a wonderful fit. There's old Draymond Green. He gets hurt a little. Is he passed his prime? Is he worth the money?

Seems like to me he's the best defensive player in the league. He's reestablished his brand. How about Jordan Poole? Classic Warriors. 28th pick. He wasn't a one and done guy. Nobody thought he'd ever be a lottery player. And look at him this year.

He is emerging as one of the league's brightest young stars. And there's Clay Thompson. Two ugly injuries, missed two years, comes back, hard work, rehabs. Here he is. And by the way, Jordan Poole is about ready to take all their jobs. And he loves him. And then there's Steph, cherry on top, Steph. See what Steph did this weekend?

You know, I've been injured. I don't need to start. I'll come off the bench. Excuse me? When that was suggested to Russell Westbrook, he was outraged. by it. When Mello way past his prime, when it was suggested, he comes off the bench, they didn't know what to do with it. Steph Curry is like a two-time MVP, three titles. He's like, you know, I've been injured. Jordan Poole's playing great. This warrior team is the full

collection, the full range of what they are, a draft and develop guy, an old tough guy who reestablishes his brand, a guy off an injury. Steph Curry stepping back and being unselfish. the emerging star in Jordan Pool. They put in the death lineup yesterday where it's like nobody's over 6'6. They run up and down the floor and they just, Yokic looked exhausted at that game over the weekend. But I just, I like what they stand for. And what's interesting, so this Jordan Pool kid is really good, really fast, and watch out.

And if you're Clay Thompson, you can be saying, who's this kid over my shoulder? like they're not paying him anything he could take my job and yet after the win here's clay on jordan pool well i mean jordan pool wow what a playoff debut i mean all his hard work is paying off if he doesn't get most improved this year i just it just doesn't make any sense without him we would not be where we're at so dub nation we should be very grateful for george's development and the type of player he's become because he's uh he's just incredible i mean what a what a what a star in the making. Smart people create smart cultures. And the great thing about a thoughtful culture, Rams and

Warriors, is look how many different personalities can fit in that culture. Rams can take in Jalen Ramsey. They can take in a guy like Dante Fowler we thought was a bus. They can bring in OBJ. They can bring in a guy, quarterback, and a losing culture. Everything works. Everything works with the Rams. Same with the Warriors. The old guy, the hurt guy, the emerging star guy, the draft and develop guy. It just kind of works. Everybody for everybody else. The opposite, of course, of Brooklyn, which I maintain is still a fascinating watch. Colin Wright, Colin wrong, one hour from now. Man, my guy, Chris Paul. Oh, God, Chris Paul's so good. The, you know, it's a, the reason movies usually end with a nice bow around them, the good guy wins, the bad guy loses.

And they do audience research on this stuff is because they don't want a messy ending. They don't want you or I leaving the theater with ambiguity, right? They want to close, wrap it all up, you walk out, and you just feel good about the movie. and Chris Paul, his career, I talked about movies, Hoosiers and Boilerm, I don't know what his would be, but his ending is hard for people to wrap their brains around. And that's why I think he's perhaps the most underrated player in the league today and the most underrated point guard in the history of the league. And I'll talk about that 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 IHard Radio.

app. 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. 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 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.

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TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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 Jett. And I'm Alex English.

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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 you know i've always been for mobility for the athlete or you know the politician the broadcaster the landscaper i don't care you should be able to move around and do what you want take your family wherever you want follow the commerce follow your heart whatever it is but um i think it's hurt chris paul give an example the

five best point guards i've ever seen in my life are magic johnson step currie uh isaiah thomas Magic, Stockton, Curry, Isaiah, and Chris Paul. Those are the five best. But Magic, one team. Curry, one team. Stockton, one team. Isaiah, one team. Chris Paul, several.

This is his fifth team. And this is where mobility can kind of mess up your legacy. And I think it's hurt Chris Paul's legacy. Point guards are quarterbacks. We don't mind them going to a second team. We don't want them bouncing around the league. It made Brett Farrve look needy going to the Vikings and the Jets. It's hard to sell to a basketball fan to appreciate his greatness.

So the way I always explained Chris Paul is, when he arrives, bad teams suddenly get good. Oklahoma City was tanking. Phoenix was a mess. And when he leaves, all-star-level players often disappear, D'Andre Jordan, Blake Griffin. In sports, we like simpler. arguments. Good guys, bad guys. Star bust. Great player, bad player. Chris Paul's more complex than that. He goes to bad teams, make some playoff teams, and then people go, well, I mean, you know, he doesn't win championships. Championships? It was a dumpster fire when he got here. He got him into the playoffs.

I don't win championships like magic. Magic inherited Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yes, Isaiah had a Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly. You look at all those other point guards. Stockton had Jerry Sloan. Isaiah had Chuck Daly. Magic had a Hall of Fame coach. Curry's got a Hall of Fame coach.

And Chris Paul's had a lot of different coaches. Some good and some not so good. Many fired. And his legacy is complex because of that. But when he shows us. up, he makes mediocre special, and when he leaves, special disappears into the ether. Remember how much we used to talk about Blake Griffin? He was like KD now. He was on every show. And when you talk about the top five point guards of all time, this weekend, Chris Paul,

at 37 years old, had 30 points and 10 assists. And Phoenix is the best team in the league. And here's an interesting stat from Tom Haberstro. Here are Chris Paul's fourth quarter stats in the playoffs. Since the Rockets traded Chris, it was at a time called the worst trade ever, remember? They traded Chris from Houston to OKC. And since he's been to OKC in Phoenix, his fourth quarter stats, he shoots 56% from the field, 54% from three, and 89% free throws. and he's turning 37 in three weeks.

Wow. But again, it's complicated. It's not a nice, happy ending. The good guy does know is win a championship. It's messy. It's layered. It's nuanced. I always laugh at the,

this guy doesn't have any championships. Yeah, he didn't inherit Kareem or have a Hall of Fame head coach at every stop. And he had to bounce around because, you know, let's be honest about this league. Even Jordan ended up with the Wizards. LeBron has bounced around. A lot of the smarter players have bounced around to find the best fit for them. But when he got to Oklahoma City, they were tanking. And when he got to Phoenix, they had been a mess, a talented mess, but a mess for a decade.

And now they are and should be favored to win it all, and his game one performance was typical CP3. Here's Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line. news. Well, Colin, I don't know if you heard, but I'm going with Miami Heat to win the championship this year. Oh, did you pick him to win? I did. I don't know what to make of this team. Well, they smoked the hawks in game one. They did. Now, Duncan Robinson, by a huge role in that, he came off the bench, led the way making a franchise postseason record eight three-pointers.

Did he miss one or did you miss just one? He was eight of nine, yes. So he missed one of his three-pointers. He had 27 points. He was one of four players, score in double digits for Miami, but they also played great defense. They came out aggressive. Trey Young had just eight points on one of 12 shooting on the way to their 115-91 win. Now, I expected the heat to make quick work of whoever they matched up with in this series, but that is a rough stat line for Trey Young, who I don't think will have that kind of performance again in this series. Well, when you're a shooter, Steph Curry has bad afternoons. Like shooters have, this is not, we're not talking mid-range jumpers where Jordan had few, you know, like clunkers. Like when you live off that three in the long-range shot, you live and die by it.

Yeah. And you have bad weekend games. And if it's not dropping and it did not, then you're also dealing with a very spicy Miami Heat team. And pretty early it got a little chippy. But game two is Tuesday at 730 Eastern. Jimmy Bellar also had 21 points. And Kyle Lowry added 10. So good performance by the Miami Heat to start the playoffs.

The Mavs, however, could not overcome missing Luca for game one against the Jazz. We said last week, he plays they win, he doesn't, they lose the series. Yeah, I mean, he's just too big of a star to be without. And the Jazz are not a bad team. So this is not a team that you're going to be able to, you know, clobber without your star. So Utah was only up by two at the half, but they never fell behind the rest of the game. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 of his game high, 32 points after the break. And Dells did get within near the end of the fourth.

Royce O'Neill hit a big three-pointer with another minute to go. Jazz 1,99-93. So it's not as if it was a blowout without Luca, but you just need your guy to get you over the edge against a good jazz team. Now, Luca is also expected to be out with the cap strain for game two tonight. So they're going to have to have a big performance tonight at 830 Eastern. Spencer did when he had 22 points.

Jalen Brunton at 24 points. Well, it's not that they don't have the scoring, but Luca is just an factor that you can't overcome being without. Yeah, I mean, and if he's not available for game two, which is a must-win game, it tells you they may shut it. I mean, if not shutting it down, they're not even playing him 16 minutes. They're not playing him anything. Right.

Like, he's clearly too injured to be out here for these playoffs games. In the biggest game of the year. Right. So, I mean, I would not force him back at this point if he's going to miss game one in game two. Obviously, he's a young player. This is going to be kind of interesting, though, because they haven't made out of the first rounds with Luca. He's injured now. if he comes into the season again next year, out of shape again,

you know, now it's starting to pile up into injuries. That's a real concern if you're the Dallas Maps. Obviously, Luca is incredibly talented, but there is another side of this as well if you want to have a long and successful career, which is you got to come into the season in shape. Right. That's the thing. So the USFL kicked off this weekend,

and fans are showing how excited they are about spring football. The league projects there were 3 million viewers across Fox NBC and the streaming audience for the opening game. The Birmingham Stallions, 2824 victory over the New Jersey Generals also peaked with nearly 3.5 million viewers during the broadcast. The camera angles are incredible.

They have all these really cool different elements. They put microphones in the pads so you can hear what Moose called the crunch. So you can hear the crunch sound when you hear the hits. They're showing some of the different angles. Now they have the cams. in the helmets. It's really cool, all the different elements that they're using.

Well, I've told you, I've been wrong twice, but I absolutely believe spring football will work. One, now it would legalize gambling. It gives us something to gamble. And we do as a country gamble football. Two, there's just a lot of good quarterbacks out there. The high school quarterbacking is sensational. If you have quality quarterbacks and you can protect them a little, it'll be watchable. It'll be consumable. And the other thing is all these spring football leagues, they know, they're not going to duplicate the NFL. They take big risks on their TV product, and some of it's just fascinating to watch.

So you get football, but kind of a zany, weird, like artificial intelligence. Is this what football is going to look like in the NFL, or it's pads everywhere, and you can see everything, and there's new technology. And the XFL did this years ago with Vince McMahon, and everybody mocked it, but it was like the NFL stole stuff from it and should have.

So spring football, to me, is going to work. It's like any other business. it's going to work. You're going to need the right capitalization. So you've got Fox and NBC now. We've got networks with real money. And the other one I think would have worked, but COVID hit. Yes.

Yeah. So, I mean, because the quality, if you look at the numbers, now the numbers will come down from the opening week. But if you can average a million, that beats like regular season hockey and baseball and MLS. So that's a real number. Well, also, it just, you know, it takes consistency to build brands up. And, you know, he could become attached to players and the, you know, new teams and

everything. I automatically have a team in the Pittsburgh mallers who played tonight at 7 Eastern on FS1. Oh, they do. They were supposed to play last night, but it got postponed because of the weather. So that will be the end of week one tonight with the Tampa Bay bandits taking on the Pittsburgh mallers tonight. Tonight at 7th, 7 Eastern on FS 1. I get jazz maps tonight. Yes. And then I get a USFL game. What else do I get tonight? We also have Raptors Sixers. Okay, I'll watch that too. All right. I got good money night. Warriors nuggets. What am I complaining about? You got a full day of sports. That's fantastic.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. A football story I saw this morning. Debo Samuel, 49ers, receiver, kind of, I mean, he does everything. A.J. Brown,

spectacular young talent-wide receiver for Tennessee. And a Terry McLaurin for the Washington commanders. you know, there's a lot of reports out there. They're not going to go to minicamp. They want new contracts. And this is a classic example of, I have three different opinions on all three. So with Debo Samuel, I would strongly consider, and it would be hard, I would consider trading him. And I like him.

But he's banged up a lot. His style is not built for longevity. He once came into camp out of shape. He is incredibly valuable. I'm not sure you can duplicate him in the draft. But again, the Niners spend a lot of money on offense on Garoppolo, Trent Williams, George Kiddell, and if you add Debo Samuel, those are bodies not build the last forever and with some injuries.

So as much as I like Debo Samuel, and I really do. I mean, he is just a unique talent. I would test the market. Secondly, Terry McLaurin for the commanders, I would pay him early. First of all, he's massively outpaid, outplayed his contract, his draft status. He was drafted like third round. He's been fantastic. Secondly, it's a lousy football operation, and he has risen above it and succeeded despite

the complete nonsense. Carson Wentz now's there. He's got to have a number one wide receiver. I believe he's the best wide receiver in the entire division. So I would pay Terry McLaurin. A.J. Brown is different. I like him a lot. I'd play chicken. I'd let him sit out.

First of all, this culture is built on Derek Henry. They go as Derek Henry goes. It's sort of a tough physical culture with a defensive head coach. A.J. Brown has had a few injuries. It's a good wide receiver draft. He's a good young wide receiver. I would, let's see how long he's willing to go. And if he doesn't want to get paid, don't want to get paid.

But three different receivers and three different solutions or outcomes to me, because they're three different personalities and they're three different body types. Debo Samuel may be as valuable as any of them, but the Niners are well run. The Niners make, with Kyle Shanahan, they make a lot of six-round picks work. I would probably be willing to move him because I know I pay Kiddell and Jimmy G and Trent Williams and I'm going to pay Bosa. So I would consider moving him. It hurts you'd lose sleep, but I'd do it.

Tennessee Titans culture is built on the running game. Let's play chicken. Washington's not built on anything other than nonsense and McLaurin's been fantastic. So he I would pay. Another thought over the weekend, Colin Wright, Colin wrong, top of next. hour. So there is a time-honored tradition in the NBA by fans. Whenever you lose, blame the officials. And I've been saying this forever. There's two NBA seasons. There's the regular season. And then there's the playoffs. And in the playoffs, here's what happens. The

refs let stars decide the games. They don't want to have a free throw shooting contest. And so it benefits older teams, smarter teams, veteran teams, established teams, physical teams. So in Chicago, I cannot believe the officials in this game. Oh, that's interesting because I went to the box score. The Bulls shot 32% and then 18% on three point shots and scored 86 points. But yeah, by all means, it's the refs. Yeah, because the NBA was sitting there thinking, you know what we want?

want a small market Milwaukee to win this series. And we want it to be a sweep. And here, late in the second half, Chicago's outplayed them. This would make the series more interesting because it has the chance to be a sweep, which is TV ratings poison. But let's just kill their chances now because nobody in Chicago like sports. And that won't change the ratings at all for a Milwaukee team that, by the way, the league gives them lousy time slots because they're just not that appealing to the masses.

Chicago fell behind 9-0. They had seven points in the first six minutes. Yes, the refs, that was the refs. It's a big plan. The league's got a big plan to eliminate major market Chicago. Oh, give me a break. DeMarre Rosen was 6 of 25. You mostly couldn't shoot.

You weren't ready to play. You fell behind 7-0 in like 21 to 6. And Bulls fans go 100% victimhood. Folks, refs blow call. sort of like DeMarge Rosen had an awful game. And coaches make, I mean, nothing against Steve Nash.

But what in the hell was that at the end of the Brooklyn Boston game with like KD and Kyrie? Could somebody set a screen? Did they have a play? It was like a bad version of ball hog at the YMCA. People make mistakes.

Like refs butcher calls. It happens. Listen, I've said this in the history of sports. I've only watched one or two games in my life that I literally thought, not series. Because if it's a seven game series, the refs aren't deciding the series. But I watched the college football game about 10 years ago between Florida, Florida State. I think it was in Gainesville. There were three egregious calls within like the first 10 minutes.

They all went against Florida. Florida State won. And I remember sitting watching this game and thinking, okay, this is the exception. The officials were awful. I don't know what happened. Did somebody miss their flight? Did they grab somebody from the Florida State road crew? It was awful.

But the refs didn't decide that game. De Rosen was bad. You weren't ready to play. You couldn't shoot. You couldn't hit threes. At the end of a game, there's a call that goes Janus's way and not the Bulls way. It happens. They're imperfect, just like your favorite basketball team.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody? it's me three-time Pro Bowl of LeVar Arrington and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up On Game. What is Up On Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right.

Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arrington. Hushmanzada and Plexicoke boris on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm 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. 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 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's 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.

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 Hard Way 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 Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. The CFOs that get it, get it. The CFOs that don't, don't. Go to netsuite.com slash herd, H-E-R-D for one-of-a-kind financing. So NBA, full slate of games tonight. Colin right, calling wrong, top of next hour.

And let's bring in Rick Buechers, Fox Sports NBA analyst, covering the league since the early 90s. So I was saying, you know, if you want to be a villain, that's fine. I mean, in wrestling, you had rowdy, Roddy Piper was a wrestling heel. That's, you know, the greatest wrestling heel ever. I'm all for it. But if you choose that, there is shrapnel with it. And, you know, KD left a great culture. Kyrie has been difficult, anti-vax.

And it's funny. I said they're succeeding almost despite themselves. What did you make of the Kyrie sort of meltdown with the fans, or was it a meltdown to you? No, I don't know that it was a meltdown. I think it was up to character. I mean, look, he had issues and has had exchanges with the fans in Cleveland. This is not the first time that he's had an exchange with the fans in Boston. What I don't understand is, and it gets to sort of your villain theme,

is, Kyrie, if you want to be a villain, be a villain. Embrace being a villain. K.D., same thing. What is off-putting or confusing is that they don't really don't see themselves as villains. Or when Kyrie is like, hey, you know what, I'm not going to take that. And I'm going to look them right in the eye. And I'm going to give it right back to them. And I'm like, okay, well, then what is putting, you know, giving them the double bird behind your head without turning around?

what is that that's not villainous that's like that's like the home alone villains like it's joe pesci and pesci and daniel stern like you got all these tricks that you're trying to pull and you're not quite pulling them off and that's the other part if you're going to be a villain you got you have to win and you have to win pretty consistently and that's where karee and k d are coming up short you don't they don't really scared you as villains. I don't know that the Boston Celtics fans, particularly after game one, are looking this and going, oh, man, we better not give it to Kyrie again. We better not get his feathers ruffle because we could end up, what, not losing the game. So I would expect

there's going to be, there's going to be more here. But Kyrie confuses me. On one point, he says, you know, wants to tell us he's enlightened and he's all about the, you know, the common man. and then he gets in the gutter with the lowest common denominator, and that doesn't equate with the way Kyrie, I think the way he wants us to perceive him overall as a human being. So the Warriors are interesting. You know, I compare them to the L.A. Rams in that smart GM, smart culture, smart head coach, and they just make a bunch of stuff work.

They draft and develop, clays off an injury, Steph can come off the bench, Jordan Poole was a 28th pick in the draft, Dremont's better this year than last. And everything just kind of works. But it is an expensive team. It is an older team. Clay's coming off an injury. And Phoenix is rolling.

You're somebody in the Bay Area that sees them. You tend to be probably more critical than most of us because you see the warts. Now, they look great this weekend. But what do you make of their small lineups? What do you make of this whole operation right now? Well, one, the reason for that culture and the heart of it is the chemistry, and the coming up together of Draymond and Clay and Steph. And that has just infused everyone else who comes into that organization.

And Steph coming off the bench is much like Greg Popovich and the way Steve Kerr bringing with bringing stuff off the bench as much like the way Greg Popovich would handle Tim Duncan. And he would do things and you'd think, well, you can't treat a star like that. And yet it's set the example that, no, first and foremost, we're going to do what's best for the team. Now, you talked about the warts and you talked about how good they looked in game one. You're right. What I saw was that Steph Curry was, is not anywhere close to 100% and that Clay Thompson is not the same. And ultimately, it did not matter because of the job that they did collectively, particularly defensively. They came into this game and said, you're going to have to,

Denver, you're going to have to beat us shooting the three. And, We're going to take away the back cuts, so Yokic isn't going to be the same playmaker. And through the first three quarters, Denver shot 20% from three. Now, they are a middle of the pack three-point shooting team, but they're better than that. And if they don't, I expect that they would shoot better than that in the upcoming games. I don't know if it's going to be enough. But looking at the way Steph and Clay played, I don't know that it's going to be. be an issue in this series. But they're going to need to be healthier. They're going to need to be

able to move better physically than they did or than what I saw in game one for me to believe that they're capable of knocking off the sun. So in this Eastern Conference, you have Brooklyn's getting a lot of attention because they're, you know, they're villains and the bucks are getting attention because they're defending champs. And then in a regular season, Miami played so good. And Boston got hot. So we're kind of strangely overlooking M. Bied and Harden. They're kind of like under the radar, which I think is great for them as they pull off that trade. Now, Maxie, Tobias Harris, it's a work in progress, but I picked them over the Raptors and I said, in the end, the Raptors will not be able to pull away from them. So you're going to get close games with five minutes to play,

and I'm going to take the two best players in that spot. Do you think they take a two-0 lead over the Raptors and what do you make of kind of a work in progress with Philly? I would fully expect that they will take a 2-0 lead, but this is the thing with the Philadelphia 76ers is that you're right. When you look at them on paper, you think, well, they have everything they need. And yet we've seen them, you know, take a night off or lose their way or not play with the same consistency or efficiency. You know, suddenly Hardin becomes passive for some unknown reason or just can't hit a shot to save his life.

And so that's where it's, I would expect that, but the 76ers have demonstrated to us consistently, whether it was last year or at times this year, they're their own worst enemy. So that's where, again, on paper, M. Bede is a handful. Hardin should be that guy that if you're giving too much attention to M. Bid, he's going to take care of you. But if you're telling me, I'm relying on Tyrese Maxie, any more than I'm relying on Jordan Poole, I haven't seen enough of those guys making deep playoff runs to play that kind of role to believe that that is going to be the answer. At some point, it comes back to the stars. Steph and Clay, Embed and Harden. And can they work, in this case, can Embed and Hardin be efficient at the same time playing off

of each other? That's what we saw with Boston. And that's not what we saw with Brooklyn. And ultimately, in winning a championship and making a deep run, it's not just having the talent. It's having talent that fits and meshes. And the jury is still out on that when it comes to the 76. I thought an interesting was, and I don't see these as title teams, but everybody was falling in love with Memphis over the regular season. And I said, first of all, they're just way too, they're way too young. I said, second of all, heck, their offense is almost better without John Morant. So you've got to work your way through that when he comes back. Yeah. And because he's very ball-centric and ball-dominant, and he's great. And you stand around

watching him perform, and I've seen offenses like that. But I thought it was interesting. thing. They thought they're going to walk into this thing with Minnesota. It was like Minnesota had such a chip. And are we looking at a massive upset? Because I think Memphis is better. And I think though in the series, but it's almost like they came in cocky in game one. Yeah. Well, and cocky not ever having been in the, I mean, the franchise has never been this highly regarded going into playoffs. That's right. That's right. They went to the conference finals back in 2012 when Robert Para first bought the team. They were the fifth seed.

They've never been the favorite. And so last year, like I did not expect them to fall down the way they did in game one. But I suddenly realized, you know what, they've never been here before. They're the favorite at home in front of a fan base that's like, we're the second. We might win a, we could win a ring. Skip Bayless has them in the finals. Like, everybody is telling the Grizzlies, you're all that. And they forgot who they were and how they accomplished that regular season record.

And compounding the whole John Moran thing is the fact that he missed, what, 10 of the last 13 games. And so Dylan Brooks had to step up and be that star. And what you saw is when Minnesota came out, feeling good about having beaten the clippers and with a chip on their shoulder, because you all talked about us celebrating that victory too much, that you saw John Morant trying to be the star, and then you saw Dylan Brooks trying to be the star, and again, that's not going to work.

First of all, they need to put all their energy in the defensive end of the floor and let the offensive offense take care of itself. Anthony Edwards going off, got Dylan Brooks going, got Joe Morant, all trying to answer. Carl Anthony Towns going off, got Jaron Jackson Jr. trying to answer. It all became an individual thing. And that's not what makes the Memphis Grizzlies great.

I would expect they're going to win the series. I would expect they're going to be a completely different team in game two. Yes. But they've given Minnesota confidence. There's no doubt about that. Yeah, that's good stuff. Rick Buecker, good to see anybody. Same, Colin.

Yeah, there's a lot of different storylines. I will say this, is that college basketball, March Madness, got huge ratings. The officiating is not very good. good. I mean, Kansas, Carolina played for the championship. They were shooting in the 30 percent. The coaching's okay, not as good as the NBA, but there's an urgency to college basketball, one and done. I'll say it again, the first round, I thought these games were already fun. Can you imagine if these were all three-game series? I mean, can you imagine if Kyrie and KD are a game from being out in the first round? Like, the numbers would be fantastic.

So college basketball's quality isn't great, but in a more distracted. society. We're all on our phones all day. You've got to bring people in with urgency. The quality of college basketball. It's not stupendous. The officiating is really bad. The NBA officiating, despite what Bull fans think this morning, the officiating in the NBA is better. The coaching is mostly way better. The stars are way, way, way better. You know, I miss game two, game three. Like, can you imagine if Memphis's season was on the line tonight, urgency matters. NBA should adopt. shorter first round series.

Colin right, Colin wrong and a Monday, hour two next. 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 acapella 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 It's Michael 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, 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 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 I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok 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 Jay. 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. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.