The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - LeBron does it again

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

Colin looks at LeBron leading the way to a 21-point 4th quarter comeback and why his career is no longer comparable to Michael Jordan There's interesting NFL grades going out to teams that may surprise NBA reporter Rachel Nichols joins the show in studio to tell you if the Lakers are prepared to contend for another championshipSee 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The HARD podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRedio.com or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Thursday.

I'm keeping track these days. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for Meganas, part of your day. So I had one of those sort of things I have to go to occasionally, like a sales dinner last night, like a business thing. So I didn't get to watch the first half Lakers Clippers. So I kind of tried to get out of there fast, drove home, no traffic L.A. at night. and I got there for the second half Lakers Clippers and Lakers really, it was a dud for a long time.

It was a dud. It was a dud. Yeah. But it didn't end. And I was almost, I was on the couch. And I was thinking, I'm going to go to bed. Lakers down like eight. They just don't have it tonight.

Paul George wasn't even playing on it. I'm like, it's a dud night. And then LeBron did something. And I can say without hesitation. Without hesitation. What LeBron James did last night has never been done, especially by a player in year 21, to literally take over a basketball game and be significantly better than anybody on the floor.

Do you realize, and there's 22 games left in this regular season, LeBron has scored more points in his 21st year, this year, than all other players, and most are Hall of Famers, all other players combined in year 21, KG, Moses Malone's an all-timer, a Dirk, Robert Parrish, Vince Carter, and there's 22 games left. You know, like the people, I think there's always been this, and mostly in sports, you have standings. You know who the best score was, the most touchdown passes, but we argue about LeBron and MJ. We got to stop. Michael played 1,200 basketball games a little more than that.

LeBron surpassed that seven years ago, and he's still top of the league now. I don't think he's as good nightly as a yokeach or maybe a Janus, but on any given night or any given quarter he is. I mean, Michael Jordan at the end, seven years before LeBron quit, and LeBron's got three to four more years. He's going to sign a two to three year deal. So Michael at the end was just selling tickets for an unwatchable team in D.C. LeBron scored 34, 19 in the fourth to overcome a 21-point deficit. Do you know LeBron's the second best score in the league in the fourth quarter to Janus? Like, Michael at the end wasn't vertical.

now Michael may have been cooler and for a six-year stretch seven-year stretch the best ever but but you can no longer compare the two it's like comparing sandy cofax who maybe had the greatest three-year stretch ever in baseball like comparing him to justin verlander who's been a dog who's been an ace for 17 years dude just won the siang like three years ago you can't compare the two apples and oranges different career you just verlander body of work, it's different. It's, you know, it's like, I think Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor. The Avengers, Oppenheim, great actor. You can't compare him to Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro won an Oscar, Godfather 2, 1974. Two years later, taxi driver, top 10 movie ever. This year nominated for an Oscar in A Killer

of the Flower Moon, haven't seen it yet. Pretty long, I'm told him, not sure if I will. That's 50 years. Robert Downey's had a hell of a nine-year stretch. but I can't compare the two. Longevity matters. And it's not like, you know, these baseball guys that everybody stumps for them to get to the Hall of Fame. And they play like 16 years. And, you know, one year they led the league in doubles. And then one year they led the league in hit by pitches.

And they're on base percentage. And they may have taken steroids. You're not really sure. No, no. I mean, LeBron's been great. Day one, first game ever. Cavalier in Sacramento, great. And he's great last night.

I mean, like Michael Jordan in D.C., I mean, if you really remember, I've always said the best 30 for 30 that was never made, the documentary, is the Michael Jordan Wizard years. His teammates couldn't stand him. The team was awful. I saw him play twice live. Michael was good once, not so good another time. But I mean, Michael was like, like, like at the end, it was like going to watch your favorite classic rock band at a state fair. Oh, my God!

You guys! Blue Oyster Colt, Oreo Speedwagon this weekend, original bassist. Weigh, wow, we'll... LeBron is you two at the Sphere in Vegas. $700 bucks a ticket. Standing room only again. It's completely different. They don't compare.

It's Kofax to Verlander. A lot of things are fun and boutique and amazing and they make good movies. What he's doing here is silly. I mean, it's... You know, I remember years ago when people were saying Aaron Rogers better than Brady and maybe his best year was, And maybe for a two to three-year stretch, Aaron threw a prettier ball,

but you can't compare the two. It's two different careers. One guy has a trophy. Room, not a trophy. Here's LeBron after last night's performance. For me, I just kept it, I kept a consistent. I wasn't taking ill-o-eye shots. I stayed in the course of the offense.

So my teammates did a great job and continuing to find me. And then I just tried to dictate the tempo, dictate the game. You know, it was just a zone that you can't really describe it. I wish you could stay in it forever, but obviously it checks out as the game ends. All right. So I'm one of these people. I go to work, and then literally when this show is over, Jay Mack and I, maybe grab a smoothie, wipe the makeup off,

and we're out the door in five minutes. I really do appreciate that we have excellent coffee machines, and the Murdoch family's put a lot of money into the facility, and it's nice. There's no question. But I'm here to work. They pay me to work. Come in, 6 a.m., grind, go on at night.

Pacific, done at noon, smoothie, out the door. That's what I'm paid to do. I can appreciate facilities, but I saw this yesterday. NFL player 1,700 voted on teams, survey of working conditions. And it is pretty embarrassing that the commanders are dead last, and they had the worst NFL owner, in my opinion, ever in Dan Snyder. And one spot above them is the Kansas City Chiefs. That's kind of embarrassing. And the report card, the treatment of families D plus, the food, C minus, nutritionist, F for the chief.

Locker room, F, training step, F, ownership, F minus, team travel D, head coach A plus. So they like Andy Reed. So Clark Hunt, and they are putting, I think, $800 million into the stadium and facilities, he pays his people. his head coach, highest paid coach in the league, his quarterback, highest paid quarterback in the league. His defensive coordinator, Chris Jones probably will be the highest paid defensive lineman soon. His defensive coordinator, top two or three pay in the league. Quarterback, general manager, head coach, he pays his people.

A lot of owners skimp on that, struggle with that, but they have beautiful facilities. Miami's owner was the highest graded owner, Stephen Ross. Seriously? he's a real estate magnet from New York shocker his Miami real estate is amazing and he loves to show it off to

all his billionaire friends that's what a lot of owners do i.e. Jerry Jones look at my facilities I'd rather you take care of the players and the coaches I'm sorry I'm not a big facilities guy I don't want him to be a dump but a stadium is a workplace

facilities are a workplace the cowboys have lush facilities and they've been a soft franchise for 25 years seven of the last 10 Super Bowl winners the owners graded a D so there is absolutely no correlation in fact the inverse is closer to the truth that great facilities equal lots of winning years ago when I was a young cub sportscaster with a lot of promise and more hair all of it brown I worked in Las Vegas Mike Tyson was ascending into a superstar. Mike Tyson used to work out at a gym called Johnny Toko's ringside gym in Vegas.

I was there at least once a week. I fell in love with boxing. I'm not sure it had air conditioning. It smelled like the bottom of a boat. It stunk. It was hot and muggy. There was top rank, gym. It was shiny and beautiful across town.

Mike Tyson liked to train at Johnny Tokos. hot, dark, uncomfortable, and gave him an edge. I used to cover Oregon football. They built a new stadium. It got quiet. Old Yankee Stadium, intimidated players. New Yankee Stadium has better restaurants.

I'm not a facilities guy. I appreciate nice coffee machines. But there's a peach around the corner. All right. Well, Colin, Why can't you have everything? Why can't you have it all? Because it's not the NBA.

You don't get everything. Average players don't get great money. That's the NBA. You don't get 12-year contracts. That's baseball. The Patriots, you got trophies. You didn't get the most money. Now, college facilities are often better than pro facilities because of recruiting.

You want to show off to kids. But even today, if you talk, and Texas football, by the way, has the bougieusie a facilities for the last seven, eight years in college football. Show me the titles. Aren't they a little soft? Cowboys, longhorns, great facilities. Boogie, a lot of money. Wow, look at us.

Where's the toughness in primetime games? I don't know. I think there's a correlation between beautiful, amazing facilities and players feeling good about themselves and the owner's showing off. But you don't get it all in the NFL. When you were getting trophies in New England, you had to sacrifice pay. Tom Brady did for years. That was the deal.

If you want the most money at quarterback, Broncos paid Russell Wilson. How they doing? Now, in Kansas City, Mahomes does get the big money. And so does Andy Reid, and both deserve it. But this is not, this sport is different. It's not college football where facilities lure people in. in Green Bay, Aaron Rogers always got a great offensive line

and no chaos. Bet they have cooler facilities in New York with the Jets. How's that working out for you? They've gone cheap on the offensive line. It stinks. Four plays he's out. You cross your fingers he doesn't get hurt again this year. I'm sorry, but it's not the NBA.

You don't get everything. Average players don't get massive contracts. You don't get guaranteed deals forever. Tom Brady and his prime could have been cut. Now, Kansas City is adding $800 million to it. And listen, not everybody can be Joe Lekhov of the Warriors. Those facilities are a cash cow, a revenue machine. But the Bay Area is a lot wealthier than Kansas City.

28-year-olds in Silicon Valley are pulling down seven figures, and they'll pay $19 for a cocktail and $17 for a beer, and $1.50 for popcorn the size of my small coffee cup. It's different. But one of the things I like about the NFL is there's no correlation between that stuff and winning. Seven of the ten last Super Bowl winners, their owners got D's. But hey, we love our, we love our guy in Miami, the real estate magnet showing his facilities off, a real estate guy to his friends. Congratulations.

I'd take a better old line in Miami. J. Mack, I'm all fired up on facilities. I do. We have here at Fox amazing upgrades and coffee machines. Right now, Verit Bluestone Lane, excellent. But what I like most of all is my staff is twice the size of the former place, which, by the way, I continually lost people because they wouldn't pay them a reasonable salary to produce a radio show and a TV show. They pay the people.

They build the staff. You have support. It's a team. It's a community. I like that I have a parking garage, but I'll park across the street for a better staff and people being treated. Years ago, I worked in local news. And I'm not going to name the news director, a very fine gentleman. He loved equipment.

And so our staffing was small, but we had a great helicopter. Oh. Oh, you should have seen our editing bays, but we never had enough people. Our vans were the best in town. Pay the best people. Spags, Andy, Mahalms, Kelsey, Reed, Sneed the corner. They're going to franchise tag him.

They're going to pay McDuffie in two years. Rishie Rice is going to get it eventually. Like, they're paying the people. Their scouting department, by the way, is outstanding. For years and years, like the Cincinnati Bengals, by the way, for years and years, don't have a general manager. The owner does it. So the priorities, and everybody's going to say,

why can't you do both? Because nobody gets everything. And Kansas City is great. Their weather's no good. Their summers are hot. Their winters are brutal. If you want perfect weather, come to Los Angeles. But the chargers have been dysfunctional.

You don't get everything. You don't get perfect weather. Most pay, best facilities, longest contract, all guaranteed. It doesn't work that way in the NFL. The cap is harder. Do I sound like an old commotion? No, no, not at all. I mean, if you kept on, you know, pumping up Michael Jordan as you were earlier, maybe you would.

But I had a reasonable take by you, yeah. I like a good cafeteria. I'm not going to lie. And we do, and we have them. The food options here at Fox, sir. Yeah. Awesome. You see what I eat for lunch, okay?

I don't do breakfast, but... You literally do, on average, a pork loin, garlic mashed potatoes, and a chef salad for lunch during the show. Yeah. Smells like I gotta doubt that back. Zaget rated restaurant downstairs. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not. 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-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. 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 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 Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're now entering the no bull zone sponsored by credible great rates, none of the bulls. So according to sources, college football, I thought they were going to have a 12-team play

if I thought it was all set in stone. I'll be happy for anything more than four. Apparently now there's a new 14-team model to include three automatic spots from the Big Ten and the SEC, two ACC Big 12. So 10 spots get. I don't have a problem with it. A lot of people listening to this show are into sports tradition, the rearview mirror of sports. Coins, baseball cards, memorabilia.

Knock yourself out. It's not me. I like to stay current. Not my thing. All I want is more big games. I would give you the holiday bowl, the citrus bowl, the Pop-Tart bowl. I'd give you every single bowl. You can take all of them, and I watched and loved all of them for years.

I don't anymore and I don't care. I'm good at quitting stuff. Maybe that's it. Maybe not a good, great quality, whatever. I just, I can quit the holiday bowl. I'll be fine. It was sponsored by a credit union for a while, may still be. I think we'll be fine.

I didn't even know they existed. I want the SEC and the Big Ten week one conference play. I don't need Bama against Mercer or Ohio State against Youngstown State. But Colin, that's how Youngstown State survives. Well, then maybe they shouldn't have a program if that's what they need to survive. seriously Georgia, Western Kentucky, that's bad for the sport. Week one, I want Bama, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Michigan, Washington, Penn State, UCLA. Give me big games.

I don't need to warm up. That's tailgating. We need more big games in college football. So if that means going from 12 to 14, I am for it. I want big games week one, week eight, and at the end of the season. That's why I've said the SEC getting Texas, Oklahoma, I'm for it. I increasingly struggled to watch 63 to 58 big 12 games. It was flag football.

Pack 12, I love it. Fans didn't care much. Look at the attendance outside of Washington and Oregon. I would eliminate every ball game and be totally cool with it. For a 12 to a 14 to a 16 team playoff. 14 team playoff works in the NFL. So if we go to a 14... Playoff, and we had to eliminate all the Pop-Tart bowls.

I'd eliminate the citrus, outback sugar, whatever it takes. If you give me seven big brands against seven big brands, you eliminate all this nonsense that litters the sport. College football's quality at the highest level is great. I love the playoff this year, Texas and Washington and Michigan and Alabama. But the sport is too often a menu, and 75% of the stuff on the menu, the 19 pages is inedible. Go to a good restaurant.

They have a sheet. Eight things. All good. That's what the NFL does. Even their bad or competent. There's no reason ever to see Mercer on my television. Ever. Never.

I'm not interested. Nobody is. Bama, the dynasty for 10, 12 years at one point, was struggling to sell home seats. Why? Western Kentucky. 38, 6 at half. More big stuff. And if that means 12 teams,

14 team playoff, eliminating bowl games, sign me up. I love the windshield of sports. I got no interest celebrating the rear view mirror at all. Maybe that's a me problem. Maybe it's a you problem. That's where I feel about this.

Adapt or die. And I love the idea. I thought it was all finalized. They're still tweaking it. To this hour, tweaking it. Just get me more big games. J-Mac with the news. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the

Heard Line News. 14 is fascinating. I mean, the breakdown of like, would 14s get by? Just reading it, I'm like, I like it. The more the merrier, right? It just give me, right now college football, you get the Big Ten championship

game or something, like late November, first week of December, then you take a month off. Yeah. Let's make December count. instead of these bowl games, which increasingly nobody's going to, and I see the ratings, nobody's watching. So, like, stop clinging on to stuff that nobody really deeply cares about. Like, we all got rid of our Rolodex. Like, I know it was on our desk for 30 years, but nobody woke up and said, I love my Rolodex. iPhone, you'll get rid of it.

Alarm clocks, it's on your phone, you got rid of it. If you can get rid of stuff that's average and elevate to great games for four weeks in December, 14 to give a team or two a buy, and it's big brand against big brand. December and college football is games in Shreveport in bad weather that nobody wants to watch. Like, I'm over it. All right, let's get started with the NFL here. Nicole Hardman, we talked yesterday about his calling out of the Jets, took some shots on somebody's podcast. Well, inside New York, there was a belief that Hartman was frustrated with his usage and leaked the team's

game plans to the Eagles and Chiefs when the Jets face them. Sauce Gardner hinted at it, but then deleted his tweet. Another player kind of hinted at it. So Jet players think that the Jet players also thought they were going to be good this year. Listen, settle down, settle down, okay? Hartman was very unhappy that he wasn't being used a lot when they weren't throwing the ball, special teams. Listen, I find it hard to believe he would leak a game plan to the Eagles.

The Chiefs, maybe. but they leak it to the Eagles. What do you mean he calls Andy Reed and lays out what they're going to do? I watched the Jets offense. There wasn't much to leak. There were a lot of leaks in the offense. There wasn't a lot too leaked. The Jets started out horribly against the chiefs that memory serves

and then storm back and made it interesting. Okay. I don't know. That just seems like, I mean, Hardman seems like a joke move. McColle Hardman came out and based on experience, said something that appears to be reasonably true, which is there's a standard with the chiefs that I didn't see with the Jets. That's fair. The Jets protecting their brand, a punter comes out and rips him, and now there's these.

We think he, I said yesterday, because McCall Hardman, game winning touchdown Super Bowl, isn't a great player. Doesn't mean he doesn't have great access or honest opinions. Okay, so two things can be true. A, the Jets cannot have any of the traits that you need to win a championship, the helmet's on the ground, All that stuff can be true. You know what else can be true? Hardman was salty that he wasn't playing, that he got bypassed in the rotation for punt returns.

But that's... That can also be true. Yeah, but that's a big claim that McColl Hardman's giving a game plan to a team. That's a whole different claim. Well, by the way, did McCall Hardman shoot that down in any way, shape, or form? After that came out, I mean, a credible reporter.

You know, people have said things about me. I don't give it oxygen. There's no reason to even discuss that if he believes it's ridiculous. Don't give things oxygen and get into a battle. Don't punch down to some punter. How about this? Don't start something you can't finish.

Hardman started this by going on the pod and taking a dump on the jets, which is fine. A lot of people take shots. But when they start firing back, you can't just duck and run for cover. That's not how it worked, Colin, right? I think if you're a Kansas City Chief and had the game-winning touchdown,

punching down is a waste of your time. Let inferior people say all they want. Don't hand them your IG account. Don't hand them your audience. Don't hand him your relevance. He's a relevant player. The Jets are not relevant.

I can't wait for the Jets Chiefs playoff game next year. And... Okay. Soscar. All right. They're not going to the playoffs. Fine. Next up, the Bears, the number one pick in the draft.

GM Ryan Poles did not rule out the possibility of trading it. But a radio host in New York, Boomer Asiason, disagrees with that strategy. He said that the Bears if they pass on Caleb Williams, then polls should be fired. I'm not going to take shots at Boomer Sison like I did last time,

but I'll let you take this one, Colin. Firing the GM if they pass on Caleb Williams? No. I mean, if they drop to number two, they think Drake May is good, and they also get four number ones or whatever. You can't, no, that's over the top. First of all, I don't like...

I mean, Brandon Staley was somebody infrequently, I'll be like, That's not working. And I don't know if Ryan is good at what he does. There's a couple moves I like. The Chase Claypool. I didn't like the Montez sweat. I loved.

And we loved it before he played well. We said the day they made that move. That's a great move by him. So he's like every GM, he's made great moves and he's missed. And the DJ Moore trade with Carolina. He stole that. So he's made some good moves. The Veles Jones third round pick.

I did not like it all. Set it at the time. So I don't know. I don't, that feels a little hot to me. I mean, it is, again, let's just play pretend. So all of a sudden, they come out and they go to the number three pick and they can get, let's say, Jaden Daniels. And they end up getting from, you know, New England or something, they end up getting two firsts and two seconds. And you're getting somebody who you, your scouts say, we think he's a franchise quarterback.

I'm not saying I would do that. I would take Caleb, absolutely. But if your scouting department comes in, I mean, these scouting departments come in and they say, listen, we can get 80% of Caleb and four elite picks to go on with our picks. You know, so I think I always, you know, do this or be fired is a little hot for me. Yeah, that's typical, you know, shock-jock kind of guy. Well, let's come on.

I mean, not shock jock. I mean, listen, that is shock-jok. That's drive-time rate. You love to take shots of guys in Topeka. No reason. shot at Boomer. Come on. I have no interest in... Okay.

Yes. All right. Final story. Luca Donchich. My guy. They're 25 years old this week. And led the Mavs to a dominant win over the hapless Raptors with a trip-dub, 30-11 board 16 assists. Looks a little heavy to me.

Stop it. Come on. This is his 11 triple double of the season. The first player in league history to record a 30-point triple double on his birthday, Colin. By the way, most 30-point triple-point triple-tribble. triple doubles in NBA history, Luca Donchitz is already third in the history of the league. He's 25 years old.

I know people don't want to hear this, but there are very few players in NBA history who have accomplished as much as Luca has by the age of 25. He is, I mean, he's on a different level. Look at some of the guys he's around. A lot of trophies there. Yeah, they didn't win trophies before they were 25. I mean, how many trophies for James Hardin?

Oh, that's right. I like, I think. Oscar Robertson got one like at this career. didn't stop at half court and played a little defense. Oh, stop. So, honestly, who do you like less? Luca or Jason Tatum? Jason Tatum plays defense.

Luke is a better offensive player. Jason Tatum's a winning player. Luca's a sensational offensive player. Well, he's number one in ball usage in the league, meaning he's got the ball in his hands all the time, which if you look at the history of guys who are number one in ball usage, Harden, it doesn't translate. It's exhausting, and by the time you get to May,

players don't have a lot of juice. So I think his ball you should come down. I think he should play better defense. I think he's a great score. I've been watching this league since 72. A lot of guys score a lot of points. Who's hoist in the trophies? When Michael Jordan when Bill Jackson and his

brilliance told Michael, you want to win scoring titles? Or do you want to score a little less and pass a little more and win trophies? 16 assists, I guess it's not passing enough. Well, I mean, if you have the ball in your hands all night, 16 assists, you start the game. with nine. He's having the guy.

What can't he do it? Don't say don't play defense. Some of the numbers this year. Some of the numbers say he's been, I'm not even, I know you're laughing, but some of the numbers, Mavs fans have pulled them up,

the analytics crowd. He's like a top 10 defender in the post against certain players. Now I know he's guarding weaker. He's a top 10 defender in the post against certain players. Again, I'm not, this is not made,

that Mavs fans have pulled the stats in there, they track. Now, he's not guarding. One of the Plumley brothers? I saw him over the weekend, one of the Plumlies. Tried to recruit him to my basketball team. I was like, if you want to win a real banner, come join the Foxes. You're not winning with the...

Jemak with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. We've got a lot of stuff today. We do. I probably should never wear a gray shirt with this big head of white hair. But, you know, sometimes you just got to roll it there.

Did you guys win last night? Do you post a big dollar in? Game tonight. One of your favorite restaurants last night. A lot of herd fans there, should we say. For the record, tonight Warriors play the Knicks. I'm not sure if Jalen Brunson plays, but that's an interesting game. I'll tell you right now,

Celtics Nuggets, best teams in the league. No dispute. And everybody loves Minnesota OKC, but I think OKC is too young to win the West. And Minnesota is a team that I like a lot of it. I don't know if I trust Aunt Edwards and Cat in the playoffs and Rudy Gobert. Keep your eye on the Warriors.

Keep your eye on this team. playing. I watched them play Denver. They outplayed them for three quarters. They don't match up with Denver at all. It's a very good game. Golden State is very good. I have an incendiary take on the NBA playoffs. I don't know if you want me to save it for next hour, third hour. It's spicy. You're probably not going to like it. Just FYI. It's next level thinking, so you definitely won't like it. Don't get that here much. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays and Noon, Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches. We talk to players.

We tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 celebrating.

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford. and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, it is, it is, I've said this. I always appreciated this. Like, I think there are certain comps, and I understand the LeBron Michael stuff, but it is weird.

It has a Sandy Kofax like Justin Verlander feel. Like Verlander's been great for, it's a De Niro, Robert Downey Jr. Both great, one won an Oscar in 74 and may get another one here in 2024. LeBron's doing stuff. And I've said this. He's not the best consistent player in the league. But there are nights like last night. He's easily the best player on the floor of two really good teams.

Did it feel like that? 100%. I mean, LeBron is a transcendent player, and that was a transcendent performance last night. He has never done anything like that before. That's crazy. When LeBron, who is in year 21, gets to something he's never even done before, you know it is a very big deal. So that is just phenomenal what he did last night.

Obviously, offensively, hitting all those threes was terrific. But the fact that he played great deal. defense. He bothered Kauai on that last shot. And when they started doubling him and just kind of made it impossible for him to get to the basket, he had all the right passes to all the right teammates who he had given a ton of confidence to. So, you know, I've been saying it's like the Toby Keith line. You know, I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was, right? I mean, that's what LeBron is right now. He cannot be the LeBron of his MVP seasons in Miami every single night for 82 games plus three months of the playoffs. But

man, when he puts it out there, nobody can match in the league what he does on the nights that he is as hot as he is. Because they have players on the roster, the Clippers that have had, Kauai's had some great post seasons. But Paul George, I think to some degree unfairly has been criticized for his playoff performances. I think he's better than people think. James Harden has run out of gas. Westbrook's been very hot and cold. Nobody necessarily, myself included, trusts the Clippers in the postseason. is last night an indictment.

Is there anything you watch and think, man, that felt like a playoff game at the end and they didn't have it? I don't think so. I'm not spinning out a much larger judgment. Look, nobody should be up 21 points in the fourth quarter and lose, no matter who you have out on the floor. But you do have to remember two of their five starters were out, right? And Paul George in particular, he is a backbone of that team. He is a plus player in every game, not even by a little bit. And 21 points is not what it used to be in the last few years alone.

The Clippers themselves have been down more than 30 points and come back to win games. And other teams around the league have done it too. So you can't look at this and be like, man, they can't handle anything anymore. But I do worry about the Clippers handling length. There are some other big teams in the Western Conference, Minnesota, Denver, and the Lakers with AD. And in LeBron, and I just think that this would have been a good win for them, especially without Zoo. But it didn't happen. They didn't have Zubach.

I mean, we'll have to see what happens. but they do have to figure out that how to play length problem before they get to the playoffs. One of the things I've always liked players like Drew Holiday because we talk about stars and mobility in the NBA a lot. But the truth is LeBron's been mobile and successful. KD's moved around. I probably should have never left the Warriors. We also talk about stars a lot. Or should have gone to the next.

I'm just going to keep being in that drum. But there's also players in this league that are wildly valuable and they don't get discussed a lot. So really one key player changed the bucks on Celtics drew Holliday. Milwaukee is not close to the same team, and Boston looks like, I mean, significantly better than the rest. I think the Celtics are much better than the rest of the East than even Denver is against the West. I think there are teams that could give Denver. I don't think anybody plays with Boston. The Milwaukee situation, they had a coach with a winning record.

They got rid of him. Yeah. Like the doc thing. I know ESPN was unhappy. He just jettisoned them. What do you make of Milwaukee in Boston now? Is it a Drew holiday thing? Should we be worried in Milwaukee?

I mean, Janice, Rachel, he's gotten a little westernized. He was such a nice kid. Now he talks about, get me this, fire this. If Milwaukee is a one and done, is Janus there? I mean, look, you don't win anything in professional sports by being nice. So I have no problem with Janice, knowing what he wants, asking for what he wants. That is the modern NBA. And look, I personally would not have fired Adrian Griffin with that record.

But we all know that playoff wins are different than regular season wins. And if they felt within that organization, if in the locker room among the players, they felt this guy is not a playoff coach. And we are trying for the finals. We are not trying to have a nice showing in the second round. That is, I assume, why they felt they needed to make a change. And we've seen so many teams, right, who are good regular season teams, and then they just cannot handle a playoff environment.

I am curious to see if the bucks turn into sort of the opposite. They have Damien Lillard. They have Janus and to Tocompo. They have other good players. And in Doc Rivers, obviously, everyone has talked about his record in seven-game series, et cetera, et cetera. But he is a championship coach who has won a title. He's won big games in a lot of really hardcore playoff situations.

And I'm curious to see if when the rosters are, you know, the bench is shortened and all the other stuff, whether that team performs better in the postseason than we have seen so far. But I will say I agree with you on the Celtics. No matter how much better than Milwaukee Bucks get, the Celtics are so clearly the class of not just the conference, but... You can watch them on any given night. They go to Philadelphia, now obviously Embed's not there. But when you watch them on a consistent basis against eastern teams... They just destroy...

Home or a road. Everyone. So with Boston, to me, the question isn't really, are they coming out of the east? anything can happen and the people in Milwaukee, I mean in Miami right now, I hear screaming at their televisions, but wait, there's us, never forget us. We've beaten Boston a couple times when it counts in the playoffs.

But I really think the question for them is can they beat a Denver? Let's say if that's who they match up with in the finals and those are the most likely teams to get there. And I just, I don't know. I think for the Celtics, it's not championship or bust because obviously they're a young team. If they don't

win this year, they're going to be able to come back next year. I do think for the psyche of that, Boston team? Absolutely. Right? They lost to the Warriors in a finals in a series. In a home game, they had controlled a series and got yes, and they got dogged at home. Yep. And then even that series against the

heat last year. And again, no disrespect to Miami because that team we've seen just comes alive in the postseason. But they should have Boston should have won that series. And the fact that they didn't. So if they do make it to the finals again this year, I think for their sort of mental, who are we, what can we be? Are we in championship

group? They kind of need to win this year. Otherwise, I wonder if they'll do a little tinkering over the summer. Yeah, that's what I feel as well. So New York tonight plays Golden State. Warriors are a fascinating team, usually after a dynasty, Michael Jordan's team, the Heedles. You kind of bought them out for a few years. They have kind of pivoted. They hit on a draft pick, kind of the next clay, Comingas Pop, Chris Paul back. They're actually really, Draymond has been great. Wiggins, who was bad early, now has found his role and his groove. So I like Golden State tonight in that game. As somebody that

is a Nick fan, I thought they would, now they've had injuries to Julius Randall, but I do feel it's pretty obvious when you watch them and you see a Denver or even a Lakers or a Golden State or you see a Boston, I feel like they're missing a piece, an

offensive piece. Were you surprised that didn't make a move at the deadline? I wasn't only in that there wasn't something out there that felt like to me, oh my God, we have to have this. I think the Oceaninobe move, which was what, a week and a half before the deadline or two weeks before the deadline, whatever it was, was their deadline move. I think that they have more to do, though. I agree with you. They have a missing piece

to be a championship level team. Fortunately, they have the assets to do that. So whether it's the summer, whether it's before next year's trade deadline, I expect them to do something big, and I expect it to make a big impact. So finally, I think Victor Wambayama's fascinating. Man, he's so fun. Yeah, there's a little Sam Bui. It's, you know, these guys now, these European players, come down the wing at 7-3, put it on the deck. I mean, it's just a whole different ballgame.

You can't, bottom line is you can't hand-check, so everybody gets to the basket, and there's no bigs at the rim, because they're all out in the perimeter shooting. When you covered him, when you've been at games, what's the atmosphere like with him?

Yeah, I saw him just a couple weeks ago at a game, and he is just, I mean, people's jaw drop. On TV, he looks great, but I promise you, in person, it is an entirely different experience. It looks like he can do anything he wants. He was playing against the Lakers. He made Anthony Davis look small.

I mean, LeBron said, I looked over, and Anthony's looking like a regular-sized person over there. If he played on a better team, I think he would be a strong candidate for defense of the player of the year. Right now as a rookie, and he still has more progress to go. I said, as he entered the league, I said to me, if he is able to stay healthy, he already has displayed he has the drive. if he is able to maintain that, he could be a top 10 player of all time, and that is not something you say about guys who haven't played a bounce yet in the NBA,

but to me, it seemed obvious, and I got to say, nothing has changed my mind in the last three or four months. Yeah, Chet Holmgren, similar body type. We worry about Wemby, but more Chet Holmgren, will they be pushed around? I heard a lot of scouts say pushed around, but you watch the offensive game of Chet and Wembe, and you're like, these kids,

I mean, these guys, you're talking seven-footers that can put it on the deck can beat you off the dribble. It's insane. And remember what Janus looked like as a rookie, right? He's the before and after pictures. I mean, he looks like a totally different body and a totally different person. Get Victor Webbenyama in an NBA Strength and Conditioning Program.

He's already started to put on some muscle. I expect that to continue. Rachel Nichols. All right. Great seeing you. She got a good one last night as the Lakers came roaring back from a 21 point deficit. I was almost turning it off. People were leaving and LeBron did a LeBron. Hour two, we go

to NFL Combine, which there's A lot of stuff. Justin Fields. My wife said, Colin, be nice to the Bears. Can you rip another team, please? 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with, And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.