The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Little White Lies

Episode Date: July 4, 2024

Jason McIntyre sits in for Colin on the 4th of July. Jason Reddick tells a little white lie about Bronny James and Jason breaks it down. Mark Medina joins the show to discuss NBA free agency - did Klay Thompson make the right choice taking the Mavericks over the Lakers, is Paul George going to work in Philadelphia?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. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which 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,

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From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Care Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit are? 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 to 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 SportsRadio.com.

Or stream us live every day on the IHartRadio app by search. Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Happy Fourth of July, everybody. It's me, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowher. This is The Herd. We are celebrating July 4th, very patriotically today. A lot of fun, interesting topics.

Great guests. I'm joined, as always, by Alex Curry. Alex, happy 4th of July to you. Happy 4th. Happy birthday, America. It's always fun to, I don't know, There's a different energy in the air on 4th of July. Even this morning, where we lived, South Bay, was already buzzing.

They had the Iron Man going. I think I explained that yesterday where you run a mile, you paddle a mile, you pound a six-pack of beer. And then you start the 4th of July. It was one of my favorite holidays growing up in Manhattan Beach. Like, it's, yeah, it's special. Yeah. Be safe with those fireworks, folks. You know, they can be dangerous.

I know everybody thinks they're tough guys. I got a good fireworks story I'll tell later in the show. But I do want to start here. Listen, what I fill in for Colin? I got to make it all about me, right? I have to. And I have to be honest with the audience today. I mean, it's July 4th, national holiday, everybody watching TV.

Sometimes I tell a white lie, guys. It happens sometimes. Listen, I got kids, you know, they play sports, and maybe they'll have a bad game. They'll come off. Hey, dad, can we go get ice cream? And I should be the dad who says, hell no. You were awful. You botched this play.

you weren't locked in here. No way, we're not going to get ice cream. We're headed home. But sometimes I'll tell the white lie and I'll say, you know what? You did your best. Yeah, sure, let's go get ice cream. Let's celebrate. And you have to do that as a father.

And sometimes there's a husband. You've got to tell white lies to the wife. I'm sure that if you ask the producers on this show, sometimes they tell me white lies. Now, in an unlikely scenario where I have a bad segment, again, not likely to happen, they might say, yeah, hey, good stuff, Jay. when I know that wasn't my best effort. They don't want to ruin my confidence for the next segment, right?

So sometimes you've got to tell white lies. And that brings me to JJ Reddick, the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, I hope he doesn't get upset for my engagement farming of his name in the Lakers and Bronny James here on July 4th. But J.J. Reddick was asked a tough question at a press conference this week, and he had a choice. He could tell a little white lie or he could be a truth teller. and here's what went down at the Lakers press conference. Rob and I did not give Brony anything.

Brony has earned this, right? Brony talks about his hard work. Brony has earned this through hard work. Oh, boy. Here we go. Listen, I'm rooting for Brony. I'm happy the Lakers drafted him at 55. I think he's going to be a solid NBA player.

10, 12 year career in the rotation. I think he's going to be fine. but don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining, okay? Everybody who watched college basketball, everybody who pays attention to the sport, Ronnie didn't earn this. I mean, the guy averaged 4.8 points per game. He started like six games.

I know he had the cardiac arrest, which obviously hindered his season, but don't tell me he earned this. Like that, you just can't do that. But this is what JJ Reddick signed up for, right? Hey, man, it's the Lakers. Every question you get asked, you got to be careful.

You're under the spotlight. They are coming after you. The ink-stained wretches who follow the Lakers around, they tweet out everything, every soundbite has a chance to go viral. And this one is going viral for JJ. Not in a good way. Everybody said, oh, he didn't earn it. Well, we know it's not always what you know.

It's who you know. And let's be real. Ronnie was drafted. His dad is the greatest player in the history of the NBA. He is an all-NBA talent still. He's running the Lakers. Why shouldn't they have taken him? 55th overall, you're taking a flyer on somebody at 55.

It's not the end of the world. But this is what JJ Reddick can expect. And the real question is, JJ, are you ready? Come November, December. Lakers, bit of a slide. Bronny hasn't played in a week or two. It's not unheard of that a rookie wouldn't play in a week or two, but he's sitting on the bench.

And the media comes up and, JJ, hey, Brony's not playing. Are you thinking of sending him to the G-Lie? league so he could get some reps. And then what happens with the white lies? Is Reddy going to keep it up? Now, for Brony, he's in a tough spot. The way he handled some of these questions I thought was phenomenal. But he is in an extremely difficult spot because everybody knows the deal.

His dad got him drafted. And there's nothing wrong with that. But here's how Brony answered the question. And you can see a little laugh here. Take note. For sure, the amplified amount of pressure. I've already seen it. stuff, media and stuff on the internet and stuff, talking about, I might not deserve an

opportunity, but, you know, I've been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. So it's, it's nothing different, but it's, it's more amplified for sure, but I can get through it. I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. But I never really had a thought of, you know, me going to play with my dad, but that's all always, you know, there to, you know, take part of it. But it wasn't the main focus amount of it. I got to say that's a pretty great answer for a teenager. I expect Reddick to be flawless at the mic.

I mean, he was a player for well over a decade, handled the media all the time. Then he transitioned into announcing and podcasting. He's going to be great. I think he's going to handle it okay. Bronte is the one I'm worried about, but he's 19 and he crushed it. That answer was perfect. but this all leads back to my next point, which is that LeBron is still running the Lakers.

Any way you slice it. And there was a column in the L.A. times this week, which kind of crucified the Lakers for the way they're letting LeBron handle things, and it goes back to the end of the Kobe Bryant era. For Laker fans and the Los Angeles audience, you know what happened. Kobe wanted a big, fat, thank you, contract from the Lakers, and he got it at the end. The problem was, giving Kobe all that money and all that power,

led to a quite bad roster. At this point, Powell Gassol's gone, and they were in the wilderness, a total train wreck, the worst, I believe, five or six year run, the history of the franchise. It was brutal. And the concern from Bill Plashky at the LA Times

is that, well, giving LeBron all this power, I mean, he gets to pick the coach, he gets a two-year max deal, he gets to draft his son. We're seeing Kobe Bryant all over again. And I pumped the brakes on that, and I disagree with the column, largely because LeBron at the end

is playing in an all-N-B-A level. The Lakers won 47 games last year. I know they lost in the first round to the defending champion Nuggets 4-1. It wasn't the closest 4-1 ever, but the Nuggets did win two of those games almost at the buzzer thanks to Jamal Murray. One was at the buzzer.

So it's not like they got absolutely destroyed by the defending champions, who, oh, by the way, were the favorites to come out of the West. It's a 47-win team last year. And let's be honest, guys. They're bringing back pretty much everybody. They add Dalton Connect, who I don't know if you saw this, he's going to wear the jersey number four.

And his last name is Connect, so his nickname is going to be Connect 4. I mean, amazing board game. I hate to brag, but I'm really strong at Connect 4. Anytime we go to like a hotel, a resort, I see Connect 4. I'm playing. I'm inviting randoms to play me. Come on, step up. Anybody want a piece.

Connect 4 is an awesome nickname. But Dalton Connect will help in the rotation. I think Brani's probably going to play a little bit, maybe not immediately. but the Lakers should be again in that 47 to 50 win range. I think J.J. Reddick's probably worth four to five wins. That's how low I was on Darvin Ham. So this isn't like the Lakers are in real deep trouble because LeBron's running the franchise. I understand the concern, though.

Remember, everywhere LeBron has gone and then left, it's been really, really bad. He leaves and the cupboards bear because, oh, by the way, he's phenomenal. And everywhere he goes, he wins championship. Remember, the first time he left the Cavs, they fell off a cliff. And they ended up with Kyrie Irving. He couldn't get them past like 30 wins. It was brutal. He goes to the heat.

They win two titles. They go to the finals four years in a row. You know how they did in the five years after LeBron left Miami? One playoff series win. It was rough. And that's with Pat Riley running the show, who's an all-time architect in the NBA, just a genius. So then LeBron goes back to Cleveland. They win a title with Kemp.

Kyrie Irving, and then LeBron leaves, and how have they done in the post-Lebron era? Not good. Now they're starting to rebound with Donovan Mitchell, but it takes a while. So there's now the concern that, oh, well, if we just give LeBron everything he wants, he's going to leave here in a year or two or three, and we're going to be left hold in the bag, and the Lakers are going to be back in Kobe Bryant time. But we're forgetting Anthony Davis is one of the 15 best players in the league. And I know after yesterday's chat with Chris Bussard, you guys are hot for my list.

top 10 players in the league. AD did not crack the top 10, but he's close. He's certainly top 15. He was outstanding last year. He's still in his early 30s. I know he has an injury history. But we talked about the Lakers roster yesterday. This is a team with two players over the age of 30.

Two, that's it. They've got a young nucleus. I'm probably higher on Austin Reeves than many. I know Collins is not the biggest fan. He likes Austin Reeves. I think Austin Reeves is maybe not a buildaround guy, but I think ultimately he is a great number three. And then you kind of reboot things.

I don't think that LeBron is going to totally shaft the Lakers. But to Bill Plashky's point in the column, hey, guys, do you remember what happened when Kauai left the Spurs? Oh, that's right. The Spurs were a train wreck until they landed Wembe Nyama in the draft. I'm talking they couldn't win a playoff series once Kauai left and demanded out of San Antonio. I talked yesterday.

Michael Jordan. At the end of the Bulls saga, they had a great run in the 90s. Do you know how bad that franchise has been since? They had the brief blip with Derek Rose, but otherwise, the Bulls have been irrelevant for 25 years. So yeah, when Stars leave, it doesn't end up well. I am optimistic because I do believe LeBron is going to get the Lakers right on the fringe of contenders. I don't think they're contending for a championship, but they weren't two years ago. and things fell into line, injuries happen, and boom, they're in the conference finals.

I mean, guys, you can't tell me right now that you don't see the potential for a Phoenix Sun's implosion, the Warriors being like a 37-win team. The Clippers are stepping back. I mean, hell, Denver Nuggets are not getting better. And if Jamal Murray goes down for any stretch, we know that that's not like a top five team in the West. So there is a world where the Lakers are right back in the mix, and they've then gotten a young nucleus,

Max Christi's playing, and oh my gosh, Ruehachi Moore is still valuable. And all of a sudden, wow, would you look at that? The Lakers are not totally barren when LeBron leaves. So I'm optimistic for the Lakers this season.

Yes, I'm a bit of a Laker homer and a Knicks Homer. It happens. I'm allowed to do that as a media member. So I just would push back on the narrative that giving LeBron too much power is a bad thing. By the way, guys, he did bring you a title in the bubble,

just a few years ago. So Alex, I'm optimistic on the Lakers. I don't know if you are as bullish as I am on the upcoming season. Oh, you know I'm a half-glassful kind of a person. But just imagine what would motivate one of the greatest players of our time more than just wanting to win on his own, wanting to make history and win with his son. So he hears all this.

LeBron sees and hears everything that's going on in the media. He is a media mogul. He knows how to work it. He knows how to listen to it. knows what to give us what we want. He's hearing and seeing all of this, and he's just using it as motivation. This is what I'm hoping for.

This is my prediction. This is only going to push and motivate LeBron even more than before. Prove everybody wrong. Braun and Bronny must see TV this season. All right, coming up next year on the herd, oh my gosh, you guys don't have a Jets Homer as well. But my goodness, I'm not picking on the Giants,

but they keep opening their mouths and saying the dumbest things possible. I mean, putting Patrick Mahomes in the same sentence as Daniel Jones, guys, I got to call you out. That's next year on The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I heart radio app. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

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

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush go? 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 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. You are now entering the no bull zone, sponsored by Credible. Great rates with none of the Bull. All right, let's get to the NFL. Oh, yeah, I love that.

You guys are going to love this. Yes, let me just start out. Yes, the New York Giants have been a hot mess for a good five years. I would call it a dumpster fire, but that might be a little too strong. So Hard Knocks is a pretty great franchise that HBO has had, and they used to just do the preseason, and then that kind of got stale. So they started to do like an in-season, and now they're doing an off-season hard knocks. and Hard Knocks is with the New York Giants.

And you guys know the Giants were terrible last year, one of the worst teams in the league. And there is a sense that the head coach, Brian Dable, who everybody likes, he's probably fine. But the GM, Joe Shane, is definitely under some heat. And I know they're kind of a package deal with being Buffalo guys, but Shane seems to be a little nervous for his job. And how do I know this?

Because he's saying totally insane stuff in front of the cameras are in hard knocks. There was a moment about Brian Burns where he is like kind of almost like a goofy middle schooler going up to girls asking if they want to dance. And he's like, oh, oh, how about a trade? What can I get Brian Burns off your hands for? Ha, ha. It's like, dude, stop hamming it up for the cameras. But he goes further and it becomes about Sequin Barclay and then Daniel Jones. And, you know, we couldn't get the, we can't get the video for you.

But I have the quote. And this is just mind-numbingly stupid, okay? Joe Shane is defending Daniel Jones to his coaches and actually had the Cajonese to utter the reality is facts, three serious injuries in two years. We need to protect ourselves. Jones didn't have much of a chance this year. That's legit. Four guys, the core guys that were going to play together played less than 60 snaps together. He's talking about the offensive line.

Miami, we got effing three practice squad guys playing for us. like nobody could, bad word, you could have Patrick Mahomes and he couldn't win behind that. I'm not giving up on Daniel Jones. And listen, yes, there is some facts there. They had offensive line injuries. What do they damn do? Who does it? Welcome to the NFL, Joe Shane.

Is this your first run? Like, everybody has offensive line injuries. You got to cry about it and that's the reason Daniel Jones isn't great. And Patrick Mahomes couldn't win behind them because Patrick Mahomes struggled without his tackles in the Super Bowl against a historically great Tampa pass rush. Like, this is embarrassing. I mean, I just want to remind people. I had to look this up.

This is almost a, you can't believe this stuff. So Daniel Jones has played in 60 games. He has 46 fumbles. 46 and 60 games. He's had one good, and I'm going to use air quotes, good season. That was two years ago when they went to the playoffs, beat the Vikings. They were 9, 6, and 1. You know Daniel Jones threw 15 touchdown passes that season?

That's his good season. Why can't you just admit that he's not the guy? Ah, it's because you gave him the big fat contract. You paid Daniel Jones instead of Sequin Barclay, when everybody, everybody knew that that's a terrible mistake. And I'm just telling you, I will not forget anytime soon. Cowherd and I on this show talking about the market for Daniel Jones. And there was no market.

The Giants were literally bidding against themselves. If Daniel Jones said, Daniel Jones said, hey, I don't like what you guys are dealing me here. I'm going to go test the market. And the Giants said, go for it. Daniel Jones would not have sniffed the contract the Giants gave him. So they gave him $40 million.

I remember instant acrimony in the locker room, all sorts of. Sequin Barclay is now unhappy? He's our best player. Oh, there's more. Here's what Joe Shane said about Sequan Berkeley. You know, they lost him, and now it's embarrassing because it's like he got stolen.

by your division rival, the Eagles. And the Eagles are like, oh, we're all kidding. We got Sequan Barkley. I read an article this week that someone actually compared the potential of Seacquan Berkeley joining the Eagles to what Christian McCaffrey did for the Niners offense. Yeah, that's how excited people are on Sequin. Now, that might be a bit of a stretch. But Sequan Berkeley is really, really good.

And here's what Joe Shane said about Sequin Barclay and Daniel Jones. We have to upgrade the offensive line. and you're paying Jones 40 mil, and it's not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back. My plan is to address the offensive line at some point in free agency. We're sitting at six. There's a chance you get it off weapon. Offensive weapon there.

This is the year for Daniel. So they got that weapon, the receiver from LSU, I believe, neighbors. And now you have no Sequin Barkley. There's no threat of a run game whatsoever. Defense is line up. Go ahead and run against us. Good luck. Your offensive line stinks.

don't have a running back that scares us. Okay, good luck. Daniel Jones, I don't know how he's going to succeed. And that's when this gets really, really interesting. At what point do they, I don't know, bench Daniel Jones. Remember, they brought in Drew Locke, Drew Locke, who was looking great. Anytime you hear back up looking great, it's like, ooh, putting pressure on Daniel Jones. I know they really badly want him to succeed.

They're desperate. Would they fire Joe Shane if this is a five or six or seven win team, which I think it is? Vegas is not high on this team at all. They're definitely not first or second in the division. At best, they're third and keep an eye on Washington. I just don't have any faith the Giants can turn this around. I'll just say this. The Giants are also struggling with the amount of good coverage,

and just coverage in general, that the Jets are getting. We've seen sky-high expectations for the Jets. They're favored in more than, I think, something like 12 games, maybe 13. Jets are exciting. And I know Aaron Rogers is catching some heat, but this is a Giants franchise. It's basically a blue blood in the NFL, right? I mean, I think they have four Super Bowls in my lifetime.

The Jets have, yeah, zero. Zero appearances in the Super Bowl. And I've got a fun stat for you. I'm just going to throw this chum out in the water for Giants fans. I had the staff call up. Last five years, you know, Jets versus Giants. This is the dregs of the league, folks. It's bad.

It's bleak. At least we can say we didn't pay Zach Wilson. You know, we drafted him, but we didn't pay him. You guys paid Daniel Jones. This year, obviously, the Jets climb out of this, but I don't think there's any hope on the horizon for the Giants. Now you've got to, I mean, if you're the Giants, you almost want to be like a three or four win team so you can have your pick of the literate quarterback because they're going to need one. Daniel Jones ain't the guy. Sorry about your luck. Joe Shane. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. I'm sorry, J. Mack. That, that

That stat board right there was just brutal. It's tough times for New York. At least Aaron Judge. At least Aaron Judge is having a monster season. Yeah, you got some positives. The Knicks. Some positives. Yes, there you go.

Okay, well, let's start in the NBA because Clay Thompson is done in Golden State after 13 seasons and four NBA titles. But the writing was on the wall all last season about his time there coming to an end. He was reportedly miserable in his final season with everything from his declining role on the team to how contract negotiations went.

He also reportedly felt disrespected after the team did not offer him a contract extension after their 2022 title run. Now this is tough because you can really, you can understand both sides of this argument and how both are feeling. Like Clayside, he gave so much to this team. Four titles, he battled back from two major injuries, missing two full seasons with his ACL and his tour Achilles in 2020. But at the end of the day, this is a business.

And the team is a business. And Clay wasn't putting up those same numbers of the Clay of the past before both of those major injuries. And they weren't willing to give them a thank you for what you did for us contract. Alex, it's tough for me. A guy makes $43 million last season and he's miserable. Okay. I was like, what do you what? Like you're like, I thought you were going to go the other way.

You don't understand why they didn't give him more money. Well, I mean, listen, it's a tough spot. and I just don't want to hear that you're miserable making 43 million. You know, 90% of America will never see that cup, maybe 95, I don't know. I would go even more. Let's settle down with it. It was not a fun year in the locker room. Say that.

But I mean, he got benched, right? He got benched at one point. He was pouting on the sideline. They weren't great. They did end on like a 27 and 12 heater at the end of the season or something. The thing is, is like, dynacies come to an end. And we just are slowly seeing. we slowly saw after their 2022 title,

kind of the breakdown of the most recent dynasty that we have seen in the NBA. And this happens. And you move on and it is hard and I loved all the heartfelt stories of everything that he meant to the city and to this team. We shared Draymond Green sharing that they had like a member Berries where he called him and they were just telling him,

reminiscing on all the great times and great great things that they did together. So you're always going to have that plus. Like Golden State announced that they can't wait to retire his jersey one day. So they're going to retire his jersey. He's probably going to have a statue outside. He helped create this dynasty. He's a huge part of that. And you can't take that away. But all good things have to come to an end sometimes. And it was just his time. If he wasn't happy, the team wasn't willing to give him what he wanted, this was the right thing that needed to happen. I mean, remember, Scotty Pippin had issues with the Bulls and he had a hole. It's holding out. Like, is anybody really? Is anybody really?

really happy towards the end of such a long run like that. It was a great run. I get it. And he was unhappy that Wiggins got four years and Dravon got four years. But it just feels a little, like they were a little disrespectful to him. I read an article, Ramona Shelburne, Good Reporter. At least I think it was her. It might have been another outlet.

But that Joe Lacob, the owner of the Warriors, like in the last two months called Clay and was like, hey, let's go golfing at like this swanky golf club. Yeah. And I'm sure if you're Clay, and the big and the owner says let's go golfing. He wants to talk turkey. But Joe Lakey had a policy where he doesn't talk business on the golf course. So they didn't talk about his contract at all.

And I'm sure he knew at that point, damn, it's over. He called me to play golf, 18 holes. I had a blast, but we didn't talk about my contract. Damn, it really is over. Yeah. I mean, again, he gave so much to this team. They gave so much to each other. Like, this team created Clay.

Clay created the Warrior Dynasty. And it was great. His jersey's going to get retired. He's going to get a statue. And I was going to try somewhere else. All right, let's move to Philly because Paul George is headed to Philly to join the 76ers on a four-year deal. The move creates a new big three with George to L.M. B and Tyrese Maxie as the team hopes to finally get that NBA title. And Maxi made it clear that he's very excited to welcome his new teammate.

He's a guy that you can kind of pick up and plug into any system because of his talent. He's 6'9. This guy can shoot the ball, he can rebound the ball, pass the ball row, play all right? play on the ball, play off the ball, play off handoffs, playing transition, like, you know, the sky's limit. Jamek, you know I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. You hope for someone as great as Joelle and B that Paul George will be that missing piece that he needs

to just get to the Eastern Conference Finals because he's never even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul George has gotten to the conference finals, both in the East and the Pacers, and the Slippers. And the 76ers has had, they've had other big names with Joelle and B to try to, make that push and get over that hump to get to the conference finals.

James Harden didn't work. Ben Simmons didn't work. Do you see this working with Paul George and Philly? So I know people don't like answering a question with a question, but Alex, I'll ask you. So when the Sons added Bradley Beal for a big three, everybody was all excited. I think I was dopey enough to pick them to come out of the West. How'd that work out? Not great.

Last year, the Bucks. Remember when they got Damian Liller? Oh my goodness. Yonis got Dame. Holy cow, they're going to win the East. Remember? But he also said he came in like not in shape. Fair.

Right? And they fired their coach mid-season. I don't know why you would do that when your job is to, is like physical activity. I just, I get the off-season excitement about adding a star. Yeah. But as I said yesterday, I think the era of the three stars is done. That just doesn't work anymore. Now, I'm not saying.

Do they have chemistry? We won't know until we see them on the court. Yeah, now listen, they got a good coach. Nick Nurse is the guy. who I'm pretty, yeah, he was the coach in Toronto when they added Kauai. Remember and everybody's like, what's the Kauai? Oh, Raptors, what? And it worked out great.

I don't think this is going to be easy, but I think certainly top three in the east, better than the bucks. But again, it's going to come down. I know it stinks to say it's going to come down to health. It is. But Embed's always hurting the playoffs. He played 39 games last year. 39.

Yeah. If he plays, I don't know, 50 this year, they're not going to be, you really want the one or the two seed this year? Because home court advantage, somebody, either the Celtics or the Knicks is going to have to face Philly. So I think that one or two seed is going to actually be important. So is Embed going to log heavy games in minutes? Because

the Knicks are way better. He's going to have to. If they want to make it and they want to make a deep run, he's going to have to. Your star has to be healthy. So he did that to get the MVP award. What happened in the playoffs? He kind of lost his seam, ran out of gas against the Celtics. So then the following year, last year, he gets hurt 39 games

in. His body's just now built for this, I don't think. I don't know. I mean, but you kind of see that with like all big stars too. Like this kind of ran out of steam in the finals. He still pushed through. Everyone was dealing with injuries. Yeah.

I feel like he had like a handful of injuries throughout the entire playoff run. Listen, they're just managing. Can you learn how to manage your injuries and your exhaustion once you get to that point? 50 wins, third in the east, and losing the conference semifinals to the Knicks. Yeah. That's my prediction. Whoa. Okay.

Yeah. in-depth prediction. You are just so high on your next. Let's move to the NFL, you guys. The Patriots drafted Drake May third overall this year with the hopes that he would be their quarterback for the future. Now, he is reportedly showing a lot of improvement in practice and his timing, footwork, and accuracy have all gotten better.

However, Jacoby Brissette is still expected to start the majority of the season while May continues to develop. And honestly, I think this is a smart move. You know, we've seen a lot of these rookies just get thrown into the fire immediately. I mean, they did that with Mack Jones, another first round pick who started week one. How did that work out? Well, he's traded to the Jags after three seasons. And, you know, the positive is that they're saying Drake May is improving, right?

But if you have time to develop him, let him develop. Like, it's not like the Patriots are in their, like, old years of Super Bowl or Bus mentality. They have so much work and improvement that they need in a lot of aspects on their team. plus a completely new coaching staff. Like, it's just, there's a lot. If you have time to let them develop, let them develop. I mean, the Patriots have not figured out their quarterback situation since Tom Brady left.

They've had one playoff, like, appearance, no wins. And they've just kind of been a, yeah. I don't know. I'm a firm believer in you've got to, you got to just do it. You know, like watching, okay. Sure, but the best learning experience is going to be on the job when the bullets are really firing. Right out of the gates? Yeah.

Right out of the gates. Jane and Daniels is starting for Washington. With their O-line? Bo Nix is starting. Yeah? In Denver. Yep. We don't know about McCarthy yet.

We don't, Pennix obviously won't. Caleb Williams is going to start. Like, I don't know. Alex, you start a business. A little different of situations, though. Different, like, each of them. Stronger teams. Like, there was the argument for the Patriots, should they trade that top pick?

and get a haul because they need improvements everywhere on their team. So they just got rid of Mac Jones, get Drake May and think everything's going to be okay? No, it's the exact same situation. They have so many holes that they need to fill on this team before they can get back to the Patriots of Old

if they could ever get back to that dynasty form. I don't think they will. But you know this. If you want to start a business, the best way to find out if you're going to make it or not is to actually do it. Yes. As opposed to like shadow someone or

workshop, the idea of it. You just got to get out there and do it. Just start the business. You're going to sink or swim. And it's going to happen. Like, listen, some guys are not built for this. I like Drake May probably more than most people. I don't know if he gets succeeded in New England.

Like, you know, I'll pull a giant's joke out of my rear end. Hey, I don't know if Patrick Mahomes could win with these jokers on the Patriots. Like, they're that bad. Patrick will be fine wherever he went. The skill position players are putry. He is the go. But yeah, it's going to be a tough one. and, yeah, if I see the Patriots on my early season schedule with Jacoby Perced,

I'm just counting that as a W. Rookie coach, career backup starting week one, no skill position guys. I think the Patriots are a fade team early. I'll be betting against them. Yeah. Early and often. Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. All right, coming up next, why did Clay Thompson pick the Mavs over the Lakers? guest Mark Medina. He's got the answer. He'll tell you next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along

the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place. for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. 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. 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. 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 put on 10 I was having trouble

stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Then you're 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. Hey, it's Ben. Host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallor. It would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mallor show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen?

Picture, if you will, a world when we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports, and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Back here on the herd on July 4th, very exciting time for basketball in California. Lakers drama, Warriors drama, to help us sift through all of it. Mark Medina, NBA writer-reporter, joining the show. Mark, great to have you in on July 4th. Yeah, Jason, happy 4th of July.

I love that you got the pitcher out of colors, try to do my show. part as well. I'm trying. I don't know if this peach qualifies. But anyway, let's get to the good stuff. Clay Thompson, nearly picked the Lakers. You spoke to Clay's dad who put in a big pitch to Clay. Hey, come to the Lakers. I call games. You've got to come home.

How was the conversation with Michael? Was he distraught? Well, Michael was definitely disappointed, but I think that when I talked to him, he was processing it, and he was saying, hey, as long as Clay is happy, then I'm good. But no doubt, he wanted Clay to go to the Lakers, because this is the team that he played for during the showtime.

is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's backup. So he laid out the stops. He went into Showtime Laker memories, bringing up Kobe Bryant. That was Clay's idol growing up. The idea of how Clay would fit well with LeBron James, Anthony Davis gained a lot of open looks. And then he even tried Jason to sell Clay on the idea that in L.A.,

there's just so many harbor, so many ports, you'd have so many places to park your boat and also ride in it. None of those things work. Clay chose the Mavericks, because they got to the NBA finals last season. They could make a push to get even to a greater level with contending for a title. I'm just curious, do you think that he's got a better chance at a title with the Mavs? Or would he have with the Lakers, assuming the Lakers didn't have to give up too much to get him?

There was no way they were parting with Austin Reeves, right? That, it's not clear on, but I think the challenge that the Lakers had with any sign-in trades specifically is that they don't have a lot of assets. that other teams want. Whether they drew the line in the sand in Austin Reeves isn't clear, but no doubt if Clay went to the Lakers, they would be a dramatically different team, even though he's not the same injury as players pre-19 injuries. But there's no doubt Dallas is more equipped to make an NBA finals push

than the Lakers are because Luca Dantz is playing at a MVP level. Kyrie Irving's been playing like he was in 2016. they have a better supporting cast. And even with last season, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, being mostly healthy, being most effective, you can't always think that's a guarantee because where LeBron is at in his career

as well as 80s injury history. So you were at the Lakers Press Conference with Reddick and Brony, I'm assuming, and Reddick told, I called it a white lie, but he essentially said, Brony earned his way. And of course, everybody freaks out about it.

Listen, man, Kendall Jenner didn't earn her makeup Empire. You know, Paris Hilton, kind of a big last name. You know, like a lot of people didn't earn it, whether it's movies, music, TV, sports. I mean, how many NBA coaches have hired their sons who didn't have experience? Front offices.

This happens everywhere, right? It's not that big of a deal, or is it? Well, I think you hit a really key point in using the term white lie. There's no doubt that obviously relationships matter in the NBA and LeBron's influence plays a factor. But in fairness, Jason, Before the NBA draft even took place, there were outside executives that I talked to that really downplayed the LeBron component as far as would the Lakers feel pressure to select Brony just because of LeBron.

As well as any potential teams drafting Brony just in case they could get LeBron. Those executives certainly have question marks about Brony as far as does he have a defined skill set? Their conclusion is right now, no. but they did give him a lot of credit for overcoming the cardiac arrest, having the kind of mental resiliency to overcome that, and also show at least relative improvement from a limited workload to the beginning of last season at USC till the very end. So again, he's obviously at work in progress.

There's a reason why he was drafted at 55 and could have gone on drafted, but there is some optimism, even among people outside of the Lakers, that he could carve out a long career as a... role player. Yeah, and listen, I think you, I know I've had jobs. I don't know if you have, or Alex, but like, you know, you maybe aren't qualified for the job, or they don't have you in a defined

role, and you just get it, hey, get me in the door, I'm going to make stuff happen. I will figure it out, right? Isn't that, doesn't that kind of sort of apply here? It does. And look, the Lakers are saying this, but most importantly, people outside of Lakers are saying this, the work ethic and the character

are real, and the improvement is what he's shown as a play shooter and defender are real. Now, again, there's executives I talk to to to say, okay, he's not elite defender, elite shooter, or elite really at anything. But to your point, he's young

and they feel that whatever deficiencies he has, he can show ongoing improvement because of those intangible qualities. Now, again, what is his ceiling? No one's projecting that he's going to be like his dad, but there is a pathway for him to at least

have a productive MBA career. I love how these guys just poke holes. Well, he's not this. He's not this. We don't know what he is. He can be what we want him to be. And Jason, I think the bottom line is all these questions are fair to bring up, but I think it's a much different conversation when we're looking at what

the Lakers did. They selected Bronnie at number 55. A late second round pick. Usually second round picks don't have a long career. It would be a much different component, but the Lakers use their 17th pick to pick Bronny. Or they traded picks to move up higher in the second

round. No, they used a 55th pick on Brody. So just for the meatballs out there, I know a lot of people, I saw it on social media, how they're like, oh, look at the other 55th overall picks. They got two-way deals. Did you see Trace Jackson Davis's rookie deal with the Warriors? He was taking 57th overall. He got like as much money as Bronny. It's like, let's pump the brakes on some of the money, right? People are overreacting because it's LeBron, right? Well, the terms of his deal are in line with all second round contracts. Now, I know that some people put some memes out there

of the comparison of Nicole Yokic's second contract or rookie contract. It's apples and oranges. It's up because the salary cap went up. So those kind of conversations, again, there's a lot of legitimate questions about just what his fits going to be, what his role's going to be, how the dynamics are going to play out with LeBron and the Wakers.

But that part, it's irrelevant because, again, his contract is in line with other second round picks and comparing it to previous second round picks in an earlier area. It doesn't make sense because the salary cap number wasn't the same number. All right. Let's go to the east. Give me your top three teams in the east as of right now. Okay. So this is my on paper top three teams.

No doubt it's the Boston Celtics. They won the championship. They have their whole core back. Now here's the difference. On paper, I would put the Philadelphia 76ers second because they got Paul, George now. He's a great two-way player. Joel Embed's back. Tyrese Maxi, I think, can still play at a really good level, even being that third guy. But can Paul George and or Joel and Bede stay consistently healthy? Their track record has shown that that's a challenge. And so with that, you have to pay

attention to the Knicks. They got McKell Bridges. They have most of their core back. Isaiah Hartinstein's departure is huge. He was a great rebounder, great pick and roll player with Jalen Brunson. But the fact that they got the Villanova crew still back, Tom Tibado's identity as far as having that blue-collar work ethic, that goes a long way. So I think it's really between Philadelphia and New York for that second spot, and it really comes down to hell. Yeah, I got it.

I'll take the Knicks, obviously. But what about role players? We saw them playing a huge role for the Celtics, whether it was a Derek White game, Porzingis against the Mabs. Obviously, Drew Holiday. You look at the Mavs. Derek Lively came out of nowhere. Gafford had moments.

the Sixers don't even have 10 guys on their roster right now. Like, I just, I'm not, like, I mean, again, Mark, last summer, Damian Liller joins the Bucks. Oh, Bucks, they're the best in the East. Bradley Biel to the Suns. You're not buyers of Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond. They got those players. Could Eric Gordon guard me?

You know, and I'm kidding, obviously. But, like, yeah, Kelly Ubre, I just, they don't even have nine, I don't even think nine guys on the road. They're going to have, like, three or four minimum dudes, and we saw what happened with, like, Phoenix, when that, When that kind of thing happens, you have an injury in the bucks, and all of a sudden you're playing, like, guys on two-way contracts in big, pivotal, high-leverage spots.

Does that concern you at all? It very well could because of the injury history. From a basketball standpoint, I don't have any concerns. I think that fits going to be great. And from what we saw with Paul George with the Clippers, even though, obviously, the Clippers didn't live up to the expectations about getting a championship with Kauai Leonard and Paul George, that all came down to health.

If the basketball standpoint, Paul George was really effective in adapting his game as either the number one, number two, and even last season, the number three options. So I think from a basketball standpoint, aren't going to be any issues. But like what you mentioned with the Phoenix Suns, if there's injury concerns, this can all fall apart pretty quickly. We got 10 seconds. Who does the U.S. beat in the gold in the Olympics for the basketball? Do they be France or Canada? I think it'll be France. Oh, that's going to be good.

I mean, look, they've had so many new players. in this draft class represent. They are the real deal, but the U.S. will prevail. Mark Medina, great stuff. Coming up next, I rank the top 10 players in the NBA. You're not going to want to miss it. 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 IHeart 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 offers. 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 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. Well, 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows 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 to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.