The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Kevin Durant, USC/UCLA, Rick Bucher

Episode Date: July 4, 2022

In Colin's return, he notes that there is nothing weird about Kevin Durant wanting to leave the Brooklyn Nets. USC and UCLA are on their ways out of the PAC-12 and heading to the BIG 10. Rick Bucher then joins the show to talk the possibility of Golden State re-acquiring Kevin Durant.See 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. 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 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 IHeard 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go.

It's Independence Day. It's 4th of July. We welcome you in live in Los Angeles. I'm back. Alex Curry joining. It's the herd, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1.

Took a little siesta. Went down to Turks and Kekos and hang out with my kids in the sun. I'm back. I'm ready to go. A lot of things unraveled or were created in my time away. Just a few. Just a few things happened while you were gone. But you came back glowing.

You literally walked in, you got the tan. You can tell you're relaxed. Just what you needed. Well, it's good to be here and good to see you as always. Joy will be back in a week. So I saw a headline this morning, the weirdness of Kevin Durant leaving. I don't think there's anything weird about leaving Brooklyn in that tire fire. I think it's weird that he left the Warriors and Steph Curry.

Now I'd leave Brooklyn. Ben Simmons? Kyrie Irving, that ownership, young head coach. I don't think there's anything weird about it at all. Kevin's a hard guy to figure out. I'm not a psychologist. I'll let somebody else do the work there. But he's a superstar.

And in the NBA, superstars make demands, and they get their way all the time. And so he's going to get traded. Of course, we all know the best place to go. I mean, in terms of the best team where you'd win the most games, it's Golden State, the champs. They won before him. They won women. They won after him. That's the best place to go.

They have the most assets easily. They could make a deal this morning. James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, guard, wing, big. And the nets would be off and running and fun to watch. They could rebuild their team one way, one deal. That's it. Phoenix and Miami can't make that deal. But KD.

left Steph Curry, never felt loved. Could he go back? I would. I said this with Baker Mayfield. I'll say it with Kevin Durant. Winning solves virtually everything. Winning in sports is like money to a lot of people. If I told you your commute was going to be two times longer,

but you could make three times as much, most of you would suck it up and do it. You win in sports, Baker Mayfield, going back to Cleveland and Kevin Durant going back to Golden State. The laughs are longer, the snide comments go away. It's more fun. a lot of plane trips. It's a lot more fun with trophies in your hand making those

plane flights. He's looking, Kevin's looking for the perfect place to land. It doesn't exist. Oh wait, it does. Golden State. Owner. GM. He was there before. Familiarity. Winning culture. Steph Curry. It's the perfect spot. But I don't think he'd go because he's prickly and he's sensitive and he'd get pushback. All public figures get pushback. It's called social media. But Kevin's more sensitive to it.

Would Golden State take him? Well, Marcus Thompson, the person I trust most covering the warrior, says Golden State has contacted Draymond Green, Steph Curry, and Clay Thompson. They are in the loop, and they've been told KD's a possibility. I would do it if it was a steal. Wiseman for Wiggins, Wiseman Wiggins for KD. I would do it tomorrow. But KD's a lot of work.

KD is older now. He's had a few more injuries now. I'm not selling the farm to get KD. I'm not a desperate franchise. In fact, and everybody knows this, Kevin Durant needs Golden State, far more than Golden State needs Kevin Durant, and he knows it, and I don't think he likes that.

This is the place to go, right? Like they won before you, they won with you, they won after you, you're an enhancer, they're not building around you. I don't know if he can handle it, but it's the place to go. Kevin Durant to Golden State, the odds in Vegas, would dramatically change tomorrow as probably the biggest favorite since he last got there or Kobe Shack. He goes to Miami. He goes to Phoenix. I'm not sure they're favorites. They're better. I'm not sure they're favorites. But I don't think he's got the stomach for it. I don't think Kevin Durant has the stomach to get the pushback.

He just signed a four-year deal. He's going to be 30, what, four years old. It's probably the last big deal. And I always think professional athletes should leave on top. The John Elway style, the Derek Jeter style. You could argue, you know, you win that last championship in the NBA, LeBron, bubble, Los Angeles. You could have signed off right there. Warriors will make this deal if it's a screaming deal.

If it's Wiseman Wiggins, no draft picks, no Jordan Poole. They'll make that deal. I don't think he could stomach it. But I'll give him credit for this. If you make a mistake in life, don't grab a shovel and keep on digging. Like, get out of it. Move on. He's a superstar.

They have the ability to do that in this professional league. So for that, I give Kevin Durant credit. But I would not sell the farm for him. I saw this morning. They're reporting in Phoenix. Phoenix would like him. They're not giving up the farm for him. Folks, injuries, age.

He's hard to wrap. kind of your arms around. He doesn't like that. He makes sudden impulsive moves. I mean, he left Golden State. We were like, what? He left Brooklyn. People said, what?

I'm not building my franchise around that. It can enhance it, but it can't be the soul of the team, and I'm not giving you all my assets. I know it sounds crazy, right, because he's so good. But Phoenix today won't. Golden State won't. And I don't think Pat Riley and Miami would. Okay, so, you know I love college. football. I think it surprised a lot of people that USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. I was not

surprised USC joined the Big Ten. I was surprised UCLA went for it. USC has been unhappy for years. The PAC 12 does not create the revenue they need. When they got Lincoln Riley, they sold them on big things are happening. USC's been unhappy for years. They've considered selling their games to a network. So they're almost having an indefinitely. independent TV deal. They've thought about going independent. I've talked to their athletic director multiple times in the last years. They weren't happy. They felt they were treated no better than Washington stayed in their own conference. And USC and UCLA are almost half the revenue, the TV revenue for the conference. So here's five questions I hear. What about the PAC 12? Well, it was dead five years ago.

That's somebody else's problem. Will Big Ten football and Big Ten schools add other schools? I've been told Notre Dame, they would add. They're not interested in anybody beyond that. Notre Dame adds the kind of value, financial value, that would be worth splitting the pod a little more. What about all the travel? Well, it's bad for Olympic sports, but it's actually easiest for football. USC and UCLA will play their out-of-conference games to start the season in September at home, and then they'll have their 10 conference games, five on the road, maybe an occasional back-to-back, I also hear this. What about the weather? Time out.

I've been to Madison, Wisconsin, and Ann Arbor in the fall. I've actually been to both in late October, early November. It's beautiful. 90% of Big Ten football games are finished by November 16th. And there's any realistic belief going forward is that USC and UCLA some years will play their last conference game of the year at home. so they won't even be in the Midwest past November 16th. December, January, February, get icy, windy, cold, and slushy every day in the Midwest. Mid-November, they'll be able to handle a 42-degree day with a little wind.

I also hear this. Lincoln Riley must be upset. No, when they pitched him, and I know everybody on that call. When they pitched him on coming to USC, they said we're having the Olympics in this city, We have Super Bowls in this city. Be aware that we're going to take moonshots here. We're going big. Big.

Folks, once Texas, Oklahoma decided to go to the SEC, what are you going to sit around and do if you're the Big Ten or USC? USC is a top 7-6-5-4 brand of all time. What are you going to do? Some of you would be bad business people. I mean, seriously. Tradition, Rose Bowl. Seven years of attendance and ratings declines.

College football has a big game problem. I'll give you an example. Over the Labor Day weekend, I counted this morning, there's about 95 college football games. There are exactly two that you have to watch. Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State. 95 games, two I have to watch. The following weekend, there's over 95 games.

And there's exactly one game you have to watch, Alabama, Texas. Every single weekend in the NFL, there may be a single game, usually the Jaguars or the Texans. I don't want to watch. Outside of that, everything is consumable. College football is a litany of ugly, unwatchable, blowout, uneven games. USC and UCLA to the Big Ten solves a lot of that problem. What's it going to look like in 10 years?

Who knows and who cares? College football's got a today problem. The NFL's getting bigger. College football feels smaller and more southern and more insular. This is good for Fox. It's good for USC and UCLA. It's good for college football. Oh, some of you are so beholden to 1934 and 54 and 74 and 74 and 88 and 97.

The Rose Bowl has not felt as big since the college football playoff began. I remember years and years ago I was watching, I grew up on the Rose Bowl, watching Vince Young and Texas play Michigan in the Rose Bowl. And I remember it was one of the great Rose Bowl's of all time. It was like 35, 34. And I remember thinking, you don't have to have the Big Ten in the Pack 12. I couldn't remember a Rose Bowl that was that good. In fact, the best game I've ever seen collegiately live was, you know, USC Texas. Now, it was for the national championship, but it was in Pasadena.

What does it matter? Give me the best teams and the best coaches and the best rosters and the best players and jam them in two or three conferences. Winners all around. What about the PAC 12? What about it? USC made $30 million a year from their TV contract. They'll make 70 to 75 first year in the Big Ten.

And when Big Ten football renegotiates, they'll make over a hundred million. I'm sorry. It was a no-brainer for both the Bruins and the Trojans. All right, Kyrie Irving and the Lakers. Also, as you know, on Monday, 50 minutes from now,

where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, at the top of next hour, been gone a while, real good, and plenty of both. If you want exclusive insight from the biggest names in the sports game, what's good? This is national champion and former pro baller Chris Johnson.

And let me tell you a little bit about my new series, KJ Live. KJ Live is the only show featuring me going one-on-one with the brightest basketball minds on the planet to get the real. And when I say real, I mean that real. I got legendary Hall of Famers, elite coaches, and the top basketball insiders bringing you a unique perspective on all things hoops culture that you will not find anywhere else. So make your next move, your best move. And tap in with me on KJ Live, wherever. You get your podcast from. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd

weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 what 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 Jay. 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. 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, Keer Gaines, is 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. All right, the story that is unfolded, don't forget in 40 minutes where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, top of our number two. LeBron James reportedly wants the Lakers to add Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie is in Los Angeles, and I wouldn't be shocked if he and LeBron have connected. LeBron reportedly is very interested in having him on the team. So let's start with this. For even the best basketball players in the world in my life, winning championships is really

hard. It was hard for Jerry West. Carl Malone never won a ring. Either did Stockton or Charles Barclay. It was hard for wilt. Michael Jordan took a physical beating retired twice. Magic, retired early, Bird retired early. He fell apart physically, did Larry.

It's hard. De Wade, he needed multiple stars to help him. LeBron, Bosch, Shack. I believe LeBron is out of the title business. I don't think the Lakers, from the executive space to the ownership space to the roster space currently, I don't think they have championship material, even with Kyrie Irving. They don't. but he makes them interesting and relevant.

And LeBron, I think, is a smart enough player that he knows that even with Kyrie and AD, can you trust either physically? Can you trust Kyrie emotionally? Can LeBron trust his body? He's averaging 55 games a year the last three years. I don't think it's a championship team. But LeBron at this point wants to remain relevant. Chasing Karim's scoring title, that's relevant, potentially playing with a game.

his son, that's relevant. Making the playoffs the next three years, that's relevant. You can't get there. LeBron's got plenty of great basketball left. You can't get there with Westbrook. And I'll give you an example. So LeBron is one of the great passers,

maybe second to Magic Johnson I've ever seen, at driving and distributing. Those great passes, Westbrook misses that shot. Kyrie hits it. It's great statistically for you. Kyrie and LeBron are fun to watch and will be discussed.

Even the star-focused media in the NBA checked out on Westbrook and LeBron. And I also think LeBron and A.D. and Kyrie, you can talk yourself into that team winning a title, though I wouldn't trust them. Nobody really in the building, including Darvinham, the new coach, thinks AD, LeBron, and Westbrook is a championship team. literally Westbrook can't play off the ball and can't shoot, has no self-awareness, does not defend, and won't listen. You're not going anywhere with Westbrook. I don't think the Lakers are in the championship window anymore. But I do think with Kyrie Irving, they're in the playoff business again and they're in their relevant business again. And when you have a brand as big as Duke or Notre Dame or the Yankees or the Braves or Ohio State football,

football, Kentucky basketball, or the Lakers, you can't not make the tournament. You got to be relevant. It's embarrassing. You have so many geographical, so many historic, so many in the Lakers case, Mediterranean weather advantages. You got to make the playoffs. You've got to be in the discussion in May and June. And so I think Kyrie, with all the issues, is a no doubt about it, slam dunk move.

I think LeBron wants it. I think Kyrie wants it. And once again, an athlete, a pro athlete, I know, you watch cable news, nobody wants to live in Los Angeles. But I think once again, it's a pro athlete that has a choice and they're interested in Los Angeles, even when the team isn't right. Alex with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, all the talks surrounding the Nets have been about Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, leaving Ben Simmons as the odd man out.

And last week, just before Durant's trade request news dropped, Simmons posted a picture on his Instagram story of himself in front of his Nets locker room with the caption, feeling incredible. But now he's taking a different approach on social media, and he has actually deactivated his entire Instagram account. Now, you have to imagine, Ben Simmons is not feeling great right now. He forced his way out of Philly to go play with this new big three with the Nets.

And the moment you get there, Katie wants out, Kyrie signed, but he's already got one foot out the door. And Ben Simmons has been very open, especially last season, about his mental health struggles. Right. So personally, getting off social media, I think this is probably the best thing for him. There's not going to be any positivity coming his way. But it's a big sign. They did not think he was good enough or big enough to make it happen with the Nets.

Yeah, I mean, people can complain about Kyrie Irving, and I certainly have. But Kyrie is not, he's still, if you look at statistically, Kyrie is still elite and he's not eroding as a player. Now, is he always available? Ben Simmons, I mean, has not only plateaued, but the NBA people I trust that I've talked to, they don't want him near their franchise.

So there's a reason he's in Brooklyn. Brooklyn tends to be a desperate franchise. But, yeah, I mean, I don't know. I think one of the things in sports is, even if a player is limited, I like to know what I have. With Ben Simmons, I have no idea. see it today what I have. And think about KD, you already have one teammate, Kyrie, missed majority of last season.

You can't have two. You can't have two of your top three players be unreliable. So I think that was probably the final piece of breaking up this new big three. But let's move on because it's going to be an important offseason for the Lakers trying to improve their rosters with limited cap space flexibility. And Jeannie Bus got fans buzzing with her latest tweet last night. It started as a simple post about missing Kobe Bryant, but it also seemed to be sending out a hidden message. She tweeted, I miss KB. He would understand and explain everything

that I'm not allowed to. Honestly, he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self, meaning your reward would come. If you value team goals over your own, then everything else would fall into place. All can reply. Now, this can be interpreted in so many different ways. And there's obviously a lot of different levels. When I first read this, obviously first, a love letter to Kobe Bryant, but then I took it as a shot to LeBron James. James and Magic Johnson, LeBron for the Westbrook situation, and then Magic for bailing on the front office. But then also another layer, it could be a message to Kyrie that if this trade goes through, you come here. It has to be about the team and not yourself.

Yeah, I don't think it's a shot at LeBron. I don't. I think Jeannie's too smart to do that at this point. I think it's more of a message to potential Lakers. I mean, because let's just say the Kyrie deal happened in the middle of our show today. And everybody would explode. Yeah. And the argument is when healthy, LeBron, Kyrie, and AD are three of the top ten players. Oh, yeah. Only Golden State would have that kind of talent.

Now, they don't have Golden States coaching or bench or culture or executive suite. So that stuff. Yeah. But the talent would take the Lakers from unwatchable to a top four team in the NBA tomorrow. And so with that, if the deal happened today, the expectations are massive. And so what is Jeannie doing, in my opinion, she's setting the table up saying, listen, if this thing happens, just know it's going to be about team not self. Because just think of the deal was done today. Yeah.

The explosion, the story for the next 48 hours. It's going to be all love and it's amazing. And she's trying to temper it and saying it's all about team, not self. And I don't think it's a shot at LeBron. I don't. I mean, they had a pretty shaky relationship towards the end of last. We don't know, but from the two camps with all the stories that were coming out, LeBron, ownership, front office.

I don't know. It's a cryptic tweet. It can be taken a lot of different ways, but hopefully, as a Laker fan, I'm hoping it's for the future and they get Kyrie. All right, switching gears. All eyes are on the 49ers to see how Trey Lance performs in his first season as a team starter. There have been plenty of questions this offseason about how ready Lance is to take over the job, but Jerry Rice has total confidence in Lance's abilities. Rice said, Trey Lance, I think he's ready to go. And I think he's incredible because he has that one

aspect that Jimmy doesn't have. And that's the threat of running with the ball and stuff like that. So his mobility, his strong arm. And this guy, he's before his time. He's a young kid, but he's very experienced. And I think he's ready to go. Now, last week, when you were gone, we got a report from Peter Shreaker that he's actually winning the locker room, Trey Lances. And so people are, the teammates are starting to buy in, follow him. And he is stepping up as that leader. And I think what really helped is Jimmy G not being at minicamp or OTAs. He didn't have that veteran to fall back on.

And he was forced into that leadership role. And what we're hearing and what we're seeing is that everyone's finally on board. Yeah. It's almost unfair to Trey Lance. If Jimmy Garoppolo's this good looking alpha who tends to have sort of guy qualities, Every guy liked him. Many of his best friends were in the locker room. And if he's hovering over Trey Lance, you have no shot to win the room.

So to me, I've always thought the Niners don't get greedy. You gave up a second round pick and got a quarterback that won 70% of his starts, got you to multiple conference championship games, I believe. Didn't he get you to do it? Yeah, no, he got you to get one or two conference champion. He got you to two conference championship games and led Mahomes in the fourth quarter at one point in the Super Bowl. So I would get Jimmy out of the room.

I'd take a fifth round pick and maybe an interior old lineman. But I don't think it's a knock on Trey Lance. If a popular person is in the room and you're only starting one quarterback until that popular person leaves the room, you can't own it. It's not possible. Good stuff. Alex for the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The herd line news. So I always find this interesting. And this is where I disagree. I separate from a lot of NBA fans. NBA fans think talent makes you franchise player. I'm not building my franchise around John Wall, Russell Westbrook. They're talented.

There's a big difference. It's not about talent. That's not it. Talent matters. But Steph Curry is reliable and fairly egosless and plays well with others. that's a franchise guy. So I was thinking about Kevin Durant this morning. Kevin Durant's great.

But when he was with Golden State, two titles, MVP twice, and there was no question in the NBA. The two best players were considered to be LeBron and KD. That was not arguable. In fact, many of you, I wasn't one of them, but many of you believe Katie was better than LeBron. And I've always thought LeBron's just,

has been the most valuable player for 15 straight years in the league. Everything about LeBron is distribution, his defense, his coaching, his intelligence, his dependability physically. I think LeBron's the better. Now, now, there are nights, Katie's better, and there are stretches, Katie's better, and Katie's a better shot maker, usually, especially from distance. But to me, LeBron's always been the guy day in and day out. But I think what's happened to Kevin Durant, I feel like the NBA right now is becoming

a league, and I'm just talking about your top 15 stars, of franchise builders and franchise enhancers. And the second one's where KD is out. Janus, the best player in the league by most, you build your franchise around him. He's dependable emotionally, productive wise, physically. And he's not going anywhere. Steph Curry, I can build my franchise around. Luca is the game's next great score for the next 15 years. those are franchise builders.

I'm a build around them. I believe Kevin Durant, because of his quirkiness, has become Kauai Leonard and Anthony Davis. He's a franchise enhancer. I'm not selling the farm for them. That's why Golden State and Kevin Durant worked because he was a free agent. He was a cherry on top. You didn't have to give up the farm to get him.

To get him now, I don't think Golden State should give up the farm. he's not somebody I'm going to build around. It was still Steph Curry's team when he was there. He's a franchise enhancer. He's AD and he's Kauai. He's got titles. He's the cherry on top. But emotionally, physically,

I'm not building my franchise around him. And that's the difference between my opinion on the NBA and 90% of fans. They look at your triple double and think, I'm building around. Westbrook has no self-awareness. You can't build around Washington. Westbrook. I said this when he was winning the MVP, you can't build around that. He doesn't

make other players better. He's hard to coach. He plays one way. He can't play off ball. John Wall's similarly, great talent. Going to be a Hall of Famer probably. I'm not going to build around him. You've got to be dependable emotionally, dependable physically. Are you coachable? Do you have multiple ways to beat me? Can you play on ball? Can you play off ball? Are you good in crisis? That's why James Hardens a guy can't build around. He's too quirky. He's too weird. It's okay. I don't believe in the word normal, but the closer you can get to normal and personality like Luca and Janice and Steph, the more willing I am to build around you.

And I think KD at this point is all these moves, I mean, leaving Golden State, frankly, was really bad judgment. And then pulling out of Brooklyn after three days earlier saying, I love it here, and I'm happy here, and it's all good here, is I can't build around him. That's why Phoenix this morning has come out. there are reports inside the building in Phoenix and I'll read you, the sons are very interested. They're not going to gut the team for him.

That's John Gambadoro. There's no movement. Brooklyn wants a hall and a half for Durant, and they're in total control of the situation. They determine where he goes, not KD or Phoenix. The sons are interested, but they don't want to gut the team. And by the way, this is why KD work with the Warriors. They did not have to gut the team.

He was a free agent. So, and this is not a shot at it. KD. But that's the downside to constant mobility and like Kauai Leonard's personality. He's not healthy. He doesn't talk. He's not verbal. He doesn't elevate others. He can elevate the team briefly. I always said with Kauai Leonard, he was great in San Antonio because the culture was already there. And he was great in Toronto because they already had a great coach and a great culture. The minute he goes to the Clippers and you're building around Kauai Leonard doesn't work. He's not that kind of personality.

And by the way, that's Kyrie Irving. When he was in Cleveland before LeBron, nobody liked him. He wasn't dependable. You build around LeBron and then is Kyrie a series enhancer? A team enhancer, absolutely. Boston tried to build around Kyrie. Didn't work. Duke tried to build around him for a year.

Played eight games. Didn't work. Cleveland tried it. Didn't work. So don't confuse talent with franchise guy. There's very few players in this league. I would just pay the max money. Always trust it.

They're always there. They're grownups. I can bring them into the office and yell at them or coach them up. I can be tough on them in front of other people. They've got a confidence that it doesn't go into the absurd or delusional. But I think Katie's moved into that. He's an enhancer. He's not a guy I'm going to build around.

And so if I was Phoenix, I wouldn't give up the franchise. If I was Miami, I wouldn't give up the whole franchise. If I was Golden State, I'd take him if he's a guy. give to me for Wiggins and Wiseman, but I'm not going to give you four draft picks and Jordan Poole and Wiseman and Wiggins. I'm not doing it. They won without him. I'm not doing it. And that's probably seen as a shot at KD. It's not. But that's the downside to be in the, you know, the quirky and the wanderer and the independence. It's like if I've said this with Aaron Rogers is, is he doesn't have a three-year contract with the Packers. He's got three-one-year contracts.

The Packers admit that. Brady, I know where he's at. For 20 years, I know he's working in the offseason. That's the downside to being the artist and the wander and the intellect and the independent person. I'm not building around you. You can enhance me. I'm not giving up my franchise for you. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. 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 is. 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, Cliver 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 a little kill? 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 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you 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. Thank you 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 Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in

possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth? Are you a good person because you're free? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Pacific. Happy 4th of July. Thanks so much for choosing us.

next hour where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong on a Monday. I was just talking to a buddy the other day. He goes, I love when you bring Bucher on because he's got all that insight on the Warriors. He knows them very, very well. And we bring Rick Bucher on, Fox Sports NBA guy.

So, we both know Marcus Thompson. He reported that you know, Steph, Clay, Draymond have been given a heads up on, you know, the Kevin Durant stuff. They've communicated with him. I do think, I do believe, if you gave him a screaming deal and I could do Wiseman and Wiggins, you'd have to explore it.

You'd have to look at it. But I don't think, I'm not blowing up the franchise. I'm not giving you moody, Wiseman. I'm not doing that. Where do you think the Warriors and K.D. Rick, in your opinion, are at this moment? The Warriors would explore this. There's no question. They don't leave any door closed.

even after the relationship went sour with Kevin Durant, but it went sour on KD's end of things. It's not as if the Warriors didn't want him back and didn't want to continue, but you're right. It's like, where's the price point? But this really is a non-starter, because it, as has been reported, initially in terms of the interest, yes,

the interest is from the warrior side of things. But Kevin Durant is not looking for a reunion with the Golden State Warriors. And while certainly there's no trade clause in his deal, the Nets aren't sending him to a place that he doesn't want to go. So would the Warriors explore it? Yes. Is there possibly the best deal that could be made

coming from the Warriors for Kevin Durant for the Nets? Yes. But the chances of it happening are highly, highly unlikely because you'd have to convince Kevin Durant that he should break bread once again. with the Golden State Warriors, and I don't see that relationship being resoldered on KD's end of things. So where works? I don't think Miami is equipped to, they could give you enough in return because they're not giving up Jimmy Butler, and I don't want Tyler Hero. And BAM's not a true

score. So, I mean, who's equipped to make this work, in your opinion? Boston is the ideal spot because they have the requisite talent to give up and still be solid. They have the culture. And they're one step away. And that is also appealing. Miami is too for the same reason. And I throw Phoenix in there as well. It's going to a place that needs that last piece, much like Golden State looked when KD came on board,

except for one important distinction. Warriors had already won a championship. So the argument could be made and was made in hindsight that, well, they would have won even if they hadn't gotten KD. Boston, Miami and Phoenix being on the doorstep, they all offer the idea that we couldn't win a championship and KD could walk in and be the closing piece. But if I look at the Boston Celtics, everything that they have in terms of culture, coaching, and most important, being able to get a lot of, give up a little bit of talent and still be able to play. Now, Miami, to your point, I don't know that they can make that deal. Phoenix, I'm concerned about where Chris Paul is health-wise. Yeah. I would say the same for Kyle Lowry with Miami. Boston, for the most part,

is a very, all their important pieces are young or in their prime. Yeah. Yeah. And so you could flip a Jason Tatum and a Derek White and a couple of future picks and still be whole and still have your culture. Yeah, no, I agree. So, you know, I was saying this, people confuse talent with franchise player. There's some guys that are just talented. I would never build my franchise, even in his prime around James Harden. He wasn't trustable. But I think he's a great player. He's a Hall of Famer. Same with Westbrook. I felt that even when he won the MVP. I'm like, he just, he plays one way, head down. He's going to age poorly. He can't shoot. But he's a great statistical player. And I said, you know, three years with Kevin Durant, two strange moves, leaving Golden State was strange.

And then suddenly bailing on Brooklyn's odd is that I feel like he's more in the AD Kauai class now. He's a franchise enhancer. Yannis I'll build around. Steph I'll build around. Lucas I'll build around. I'll still build around Jason Tatum. But it's not all talent to me. And I think there's a corkiness with Kevin Durant that he's more now.

Have basketball will travel. 28 points a game will travel. I think he's more enhancer than franchise player to me. Your thoughts. What Kevin Durant is unpredictable. He's a great player, but he's unpredictable. And to your point, I don't know that I want to build around someone who is unpredictable. Oklahoma City did a great job.

of first of all, containing everything that went on in Oklahoma City. But those of us who have covered KD and the league since he was in OKC knows that this was always an element to him. There's a saying anytime you talk to GMs around the league or executives or your sources in terms of trying to find out what's going to happen with KD, they're like, who did he talk to last? Because that's going to be the influencer on what he's thinking in the moment. And when you don't have an independent thinker, if you have somebody who was always influenced by the last influence, then it makes it very tricky to predict exactly what they're thinking or what they're going to do.

But both Oklahoma City and the Golden State Warriors were very good at being able to contain everything that was going on. And so it didn't get out to the level that we're seeing with the Brooklyn Nets. because the Brooklyn Nets simply don't have that kind of infrastructure to be able to contain it. So I'm with you. And this is the challenge with Kevin Durant because I respect everything about him as a player, how he's developed himself as a player. But it's that unpredictable person's side of him where I can see it's very challenging to try to build something that's sustainable with him as the centerpiece.

So Kyrie Irving, Jeannie Bus had a tweet. I don't think it was a shot at LeBron. I think she was sort of setting the table up for Kyrie Irving. What do you make a Kyrie to the Lakers? I think it's fascinating. I'll watch it. What do you make of it? Well, those around the Lakers that I know agree with you that this was just a matter of setting the table for Kyrie coming in.

Kyrie's already in L.A. Now, he's worked out here before, but indicators I'm getting is that he's here and he's not leaving. and eventually that deal is going to get done. One, it troubles me that Jeannie would tweet this because it makes her look weak in looking at, I wish Kobe was here, I wish there was someone that could say what I can't. It's, you're the owner of this team.

You're the leader of this franchise. Don't give anyone the impression that there's something that you can't do or that you're not able to do. This is a situation that you can't solve, that you wish that Kobe was here to solve. Well, Kobe's not here. You are. It's your responsibility. And in general, things that are this complex, I don't like anybody.

I don't think it serves anybody to be tweeting subliminal messages, but certainly not the owner of a franchise is storied as the Los Angeles Lakers with where they are. Now, the problem is because this can be interpreted in many ways. But the heart of it is I have a selfish team and we need to eradicate some of that selfishness. Now, is it a shot at LeBron? Is it a shot at Russ Westbrook? Who's it a shot at? It's a shot at somebody subliminally.

And not knowing that is the scattergun that an owner or anybody, quite honestly, in a position of authority, can't afford to have. So I wish I could tell you exactly who it's aimed at. I just, in reading it, it's aimed at somebody. Something is that, and I would, in one respect, I believe it's aimed at her fan base and Lakers fans to say, I'm struggling, I'm not happy with where we are. And I wish that Kobe was here to explain what it is that I'm not happy about. Rick Buecker, happy fourth, have a great day with your fam.

Good senior man. Happy fourth. Figuring out what KD's going to do is almost as hard as figuring out where Collins's going to be next vacation. I can't wait to find out. World traveler. Good seeing him, my man. Yeah, I was actually flying back with my family.

We took the kids and the kids' friends, and I got a call at 8 in the morning Eastern Time, because Turks and Kekos is on Eastern Time. There's going to be a major Big Ten announcement, and here's what it is. And so I was cutting video in a small airport on an island, telling people don't run this don't run this video for a long time

and it's I I've said this before I like change I like new stuff I get bored easily it's my personality I can remember years and years ago when I lived in Connecticut I had a neighbor and he was a he collected clocks and so I went down

we were over at his house once he goes come on downstairs and look at my clocks and he had like 6,000 clocks and I thought to myself there's nothing in the world that interests me less than collecting clocks. But he was a collector and he loved baseball and he loved the history. And, you know, from the way he dressed, the way he collected, he wasn't exactly a culture setter.

No. But there are people out there in America, they take great comfort in tradition. And they take great comfort. They go to the same school. Their dad did and their kids will go to the same school. And it's the same drive to work. And we can't mock these people. They love America.

They love the country. and they're very comfortable in tradition. But sports is changing. We see it with a live tour and PGA. It's good. Well, it is for me. I'm comfortable. Not everybody is.

Colin Wright, Colin Wrong 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 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 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 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 here, 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. It 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. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills 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 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.