The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - The Celtics Should Be Happy But The Heat Were Impressive

Episode Date: May 30, 2022

The Celtics should be happy, but aren’t gifted enough to shut you down offensively The Lakers choose Darvin Ham as their head coach, but it shouldn’t have been that hard to decide on him Guest: FS1 Analyst Ric BucherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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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For 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. 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. for listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go.

Memorial Day. Thank you so much for joining us live in Los Angeles. It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. High Heart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor looks like an elected official today, so proper. Yeah, I got my, you know, my American flag pin. Happy Memorial Day. I hope everyone is being safe as we remember our heroes.

And it is the official start of. summer. Oh, is this to kick off to summer? Well, I don't know if it's like the official like calendar day start of summer, but Memorial Day is usually like, all right, summer's here. Yeah. We've made it through the winter. The freeways in Los Angeles are rarely open. Yes. There's no one on the roads today. Nobody. So thank you so much again for joining us. So what a series. Oh, I'm going to have some grades from that one. Yeah, that, you know, the Celtics, the Celtics should be happy. I think how that was a seven-game series. I have no idea. Hobbled, no second dependable score. I don't know what to make of it.

They were down 13 with three and a half minutes left. How was it close after getting overwhelmed in the first quarter? I think I'm more impressed right now with Miami than I am with Boston. And it's a reminder that great basketball teams, the great ones, that's the Steph K.K. D. Clay, Draymond Warriors, the Kobe Shack Lakers, Showtime Lakers. The Heedles, I think, qualify as that. They have a huge knockout punch. I mean, they go in a 20 to 4 run, a 17 to 2 run, and they do it quickly, and they overwhelming, overwhelm you.

They bury you. Lights out. See you tomorrow. Thanks for Flying United. Boston can absolutely, this Boston team, dominate you for a quarter. and you hit a couple buckets to open the next quarter and it's like a nine-point game. They're just not gifted enough offensively. That's why Boston is a really good basketball team. And there are moments when Marcus Smart, their top defensive player and the NBA's top defensive player, when Marcus Smart is adding offense, and that's not a regular occurrence.

That's about every third or fourth game, Marcus Smart gives you offense. then Boston's hard to beat. But that's not a regular occurrence. I mean, Boston outplayed Milwaukee without Chris Middleton. It went seven. They outplayed Miami that didn't have Tyler Hero and Jimmy Butler was hurt and it went seven. Again, if Marcus Smart scores 20 plus, Boston hasn't lost in the playoffs. That's when they're really, really good.

So they have moments when they can be great. but it's not normal. It's not who they are. They are defined by defense and will now play a Golden State team, which isn't defined by any one thing because they do everything well. They defend. They score. They shoot threes.

They drive. It's going to be a handful for them. I honestly came away from this series, sort of blown away with Miami, physically hobbled, lost the sixth man of the year, who let's be honest, once he was hurt, he was playing at 50%. Tyler Hero, groin injury, you can see him in pregame warmups. He was grimacing. They have a very limited offense.

Bam out of Bayou is there too, but he was shut down in most games. He's more of a three or a four on a championship team. Jimmy Butler's got an inflamed knee, which he's been dealing with for several years, because he's played a lot of games. And the fact that he played, you know, last two games all about four minutes, I don't know, this team was all on will and fight and passion. That's the story. This game will, 10 years from now, this Miami team, the memories will disappear into the ether.

I think I was more impressed with the heat. How was this series close? It was just on guts and guile and metal and moxie. And that's why what I really want to hear about after that win is not from the Celtics. I want to hear from Jimmy Butler and the coach. I thought it had been an incredible storyline, you know, Jimmy to pull up and hit that three. And I thought it was, I love that about Jimmy. That was the right look.

And I just thought, as it was leaving his hand, I thought for sure that was going down. Good, clean look. It's definitely better than anything that we could have designed. And that's just a shame that it didn't end that way. I didn't do my job. Stats don't mean anything. as I say over and over again, the Boston Celtics did what they came out of do in this series. And I learned that I have to be better and I will be better.

So I think we had enough. I think we do have enough. It sucks because you don't know who's going to be on a roster any given year. You know what I'm saying? So we had enough. Next year, we will have enough. And we're going to be right back in the same situation. and we're going to get it done. They shot 20% on three, 66% from the free throw line, only 42% from the field, and with a minute left, after being clobbered in the first quarter, Miami hung around.

It's not a shot at Boston. They're a very good basketball team. They're a better basketball team than Miami. But sometimes the guy who wins the fight is not as impressive as the guy who loses it. And I come away looking at Miami. I said all year, on this show, multiple times. I don't get Miami. I don't get it. I don't have a second score. I get it now. I mean, that was one of the great efforts ever by a team. The fact that Miami won in Boston in

Game 6 makes no sense. And one of the most heroic performances from Jimmy Butler, I ever recall a player having as a losing player in a series. I would have given the MVP to Jimmy Butler. That's not an on conjection Tatum. He's well-rounded. He's one of my favorite young players in the league. I thought the MVP of the series, the fact that it went seven is unbelievable. Jimmy Butler may not be an elite score, but what's interesting about Jimmy Butler on an inflamed knee, look at the minutes he played in the last two games, like played virtually every minute.

And I mean, that's a guy that plays both ends of the floor. Too often, we don't know and can't interpret what the word valuable means. This is something I complain about all the time. Most valuable. Most valuable player in the series was Jimmy Butler. That's not even arguable. Most valuable player was Jimmy Butler. Take Jimmy Butler off the heat.

They don't win a game. They don't win a quarter. You take Jason Tatum off the Celtics. It'd be competitive. They could push back. So I don't spend a lot of time talking about the team that lost a series. But tip of the cap to Miami. It took me the final game of the season to figure,

you guys out. I did. You'll go home. You'll retool. You'll reboot. You don't have to rebuild. And congrats to the Celtics. Going to be an interesting series against the Warriors. Now let's shift gears to this on Memorial Day. The Los Angeles Lakers have hired a new coach, and his name is Dharvanham. Two words. Good luck. Here's where the Lakers are as an organization. I called one person over the weekend that's in the league as an executive, and he echoed a sentiment that many are saying, I can't believe the Lakers hire the right guy. That's where we are. People are surprised the Lakers went out and didn't go for a big name. Yeah, I would have taken Doc Rivers. I'm not anti-Darvon Ham, but he is the sixth coach in 11 years.

And I was thinking about this. So the Lakers, even in Los Angeles, forget nationally, even in Los Angeles, they get beat up by the media. This is not a small town. It's a big city media. They get clobbered by the media. And a lot of it's because USC now has a right coach and the Dodgers are always interesting and the Rams on the Super Bowl. So there's a lot of winning in this town right now.

And the Lakers aren't six coach in 11 years. A lot of chaos, tire fire on the 405. It's kind of a mess. But I was thinking about this. They're almost better off. Not every mess you can figure out quickly. Okay, the biggest way to make a mess, a second mess, is to get impatient. And that's not one of my virtues.

So I'm speaking not from an area of strength. I'm not an overly patient person. But I think you can make an argument. Keep Westbrook for a year. It'll be awful and toxic like it was last year. And LeBron won't like it. That's true. And the fans won't like it.

That's true. And it's probably not great for the brand. And that's true. and you'll get ripped for another year, and that's true. But then you'll have space. Because in the NBA, the way the contracts work, it's not like this in football or baseball, in order to trade a bad contract,

you have to inherit bad contracts. They're trying to avoid tanking. Silly, but that's the way it works. It's for competitive balance, though the league rarely has it. And so my argument is, why not just go into this year? it's absolutely awful. Darvinham's not going to get fired.

The Lakers are not going to have a seventh coach in 12 years. They have been so criticized, so roundly mocked that Darvindham's first year could very well be year two. Inherit the mess. Don't make rass decisions. Keep Westbrook's contract. He'll take the hit.

So will the franchise, not you. Yes, LeBron may not like it. He's in year 20. Where's he going to go? He's doubled his net worth in Los Angeles. You want to go back to Cleveland? Want to go play in Philadelphia? Join Katie with Brooklyn?

I don't think so. LeBron likes it here. His family likes it here. It's great for his business here. His friends like it here. He's got a social net. He's got a massive business net. Where are you going to go?

But when I look at this situation, I think, how do you succeed? Clear the books. As much as possible, clear the books. that's the only way I can see it succeeding because literally the reaction around the league is, wow, they got it right. That didn't used to be a question for the Lakers. The current uncertainty throughout the world,

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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 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at Tickford. 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 taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

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

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. Here's the story today for the Warriors. Gary Payton, the second, who was injured, is now being integrated back into practice for the Warriors. He'll be available. Andre Iguodala banged up, being moved back into practice for the Warriors who have had a week off.

He should be available. Otto Porter, it's kind of had a bad foot, if I recall. He's being moved back into practice. So the Warriors are going to be very, very rested in this series. So we have two teams in the finals, two very different paths. For Boston, they are climbing the mountain. It has been an arduous task. And the Warriors are on the ski lift.

Hi, guys. We'll meet you at the top. That's what we have. An experienced rested team. Game one is Thursday. My only concern for the Warriors is rust. they're moving a bunch of new pieces back into the rotation. They will not have played in a week.

Could be a little off, especially in the first half. The Celtics are unquestionably better than the Dallas Mavericks, who the Warriors easily disposed of. But the Warriors have something, and they used it against the Mavericks. They have multiple defenders, elite defenders, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and they made life for Luca difficult. to stop great scores. Tatum's going to get his, but Lucas shot 48% against the Sons and 41% against the Warriors. And that's why I pick Golden State to beat Dallas, and it's why I think the Warriors

and five or six beat the Celtics. The other thing is, Boston's assignment defensively was much easier against Milwaukee when Middleton got hurt. Stop Janus. And it was much, much easier against Miami because this is how they're currently constructed. Try to slow down Butler. The truth is, some nights, they couldn't even do that. Golden State has multiple players who can drop 30. Wiggins. Clay just did.

Steph, Jordan Poole. There's just too many players for Golden State that can score. And if Marcus Smart doesn't deliver offensively in at least three games, I don't see them winning. The other thing is, Boston is, Boston is, is viewed as the league's best defensive team. Every one of their starters got at least a vote for all defense. They're the better defensive team.

But the Warriors were top three. And now they're bringing Gary Payton the second back, elite defender, Iggy, super savvy defender, Otto Porter, Condi, Wiggins can D, Clay can D, Draymond can D. So the other thing to add to this, which is obvious, is one of these teams has no final experience. the other has in the 100 plus games of finals experience. I think Boston, and I saw this against Miami and Milwaukee, Boston could outplay Golden State in four to five games in this series and get beaten five games. They don't necessarily play well in the last couple of minutes.

They don't play necessarily well at the end of quarters. They're young. They don't have a ring and they play tight. The other thing to add on to this, and Boston's got a puncher's because they can be suffocating defensively, is that Golden State is easily the best team in the league at home. Boston, last couple series, they've lost four home games. And we talked about this earlier. A lot of Celtics fans, not that they're not loud, but the Celtics have been so good for so long, some of the fans are older. In the Warriors' place, the Warriors were terrible

forever. And usually, the younger the fans, the louder the fans. They lubricate more, they drink more. That Warriors crowd is really, really young and really, really loud and really, lubricated. They are 9-0 at home in the playoffs. And in many instances have been outplayed at home in games and find a way to win. So I think the deck is stacked against Boston, but it was stacked against Miami in game six and they won. And you've got to have some guile to get to the finals. This was not an easy road for Boston. It was a much easier road for Golden State.

That's because they're better. They're deeper. They're better. They've got a nine to ten man rotation and they can, they do multiple things well. I still don't know if Marcus Smart's not scoring. I think Boston's incredibly, eh. Ah! They could lose if Marcus Smart's not scoring

at home as an 8.5 point favorite to a hobbled Miami team because I just saw it. So I think Golden State's the clear favorite. But, and I said this about Golden State in the Dallas series, what I worried about was overconfidence. Players are smart. Like, it's hard to be as good as Alabama year after year because Alabama knows they have better players. And the fact that they rarely play poorly is a testament to the culture

that Nick Sabins built. The Warriors, and we've seen this even in the KD days, they have mailing games. They lost by 50 to Memphis. They got crushed by Dallas, at least for three and a half quarters. So I think Golden State knows they're better. They've been here. Boston's the new kids on the block.

And they're going to be, the Warriors are really rusty in the first half of game one. And that is Boston's opportunity. Boston's opportunity in this series to shift it is have a great first half. then hold off the Warriors and win narrowly. Then it'll be interesting. Then we have ourselves a series. But if you can't beat the Rustry Warriors up a little bit in that first half of game one, it could be quick work.

Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, it's going to be a very pivotal offseason for the Mavericks as they try to build on the success that they had this past year. Jalen Brunson stepped up. proved he's a very important piece, but he is heading towards free agency,

and GM Nico Harrison said that re-signing Brunson is the top priority for the team. Mark Cuban also added that he's confident Brunson wants to stay in Dallas, and they can pay him more than anybody else. Now, he averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game during the season, which were all career highs. In the postseason, though, 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. So he stepped up with the scoring and the rebounding in the postseason, which players have played better in the postseason when you are a team that is trying to build for a championship are very valuable to have. Obviously, this is a piece that they would like to keep in place.

I also like the continuity of having him there. But they also really need to add some defense. Yeah, no, this is what you and I talked about. So Lucas is your one. Jalen's probably your three. Can you go fine? You know, a Bradley Beale can really defend, although he's older. I've said, watch what Golden State's done.

They haven't always, they felt Steph had a little bit of a hole. You have to protect him defensively. I don't think Luke is great defensively. So I'm not, I don't think it's a terrible move to just go get a great wing defender as you're two. There's not a lot on the market. Well, that's the thing. There aren't a lot on the market. Like everyone would love Chris Middleton.

Everyone would love Clay Thompson. Everyone would love a healthy Bradley Beale. You know who would be great? Bradley Beal. Paul George. Oh, yeah. Everyone would love Paul. George is, yes, but Paul George is not available. You're talking about what are realistic ways to build your team.

You have so much scoring in Luca. You know what you're going to get from Jalen Brunson. You have another guy. He doesn't have to average 30. That's right. You have a guy that can really play defense and give you some level of offense. You can balance your team out. You're not going to get a Paul George.

You're not going to get a Clay Thompson. So what's actually available? I want to see their draft. I want to see the next couple years because we've talked about this. There's no perfect player. Now, LeBron in his prime was darn close. Yes. Really close.

Magic, Michael. But Luca is four years in now. You can keep telling me he's going to come into season in great shape and he's going to be a better. He's not going to be a plus defender. So I want to see them. I think there's an argument to be made that you've got enough offense with Brunson and Luca and Spencer Dinwiddie if you kept him. Right. What you need now, you've got to be able to stop somebody because the warriors are not going anywhere.

And you start looking at the West. Denver's got multiple offensive players. Like the Pelicans now are surging with multiple players who can score. You got the best score in the league. Let's get better on the other end. Well, I think that should be a big learn from everyone this postseason, is that it's great to have high-level stars, and you do need them. I mean, the heat needed another strong number two.

But defense is still very important. Even with the NFL, we talk about the offensive swing and the need for high-level skill players. What did it come down to in the Super Bowl? Really two big defensive stops. So you have to still have a balanced team. And if you have somebody like Luca, stop trying to make him play defense. As long as he's not a defensive liability, like if he can just stay in front of someone, that's all you need from Luca.

Let him do what he does best. Stop trying to smooth them out, you know, as a player. Let his highs be highs and balance the rest of the roster around him. So Josh McDaniels is getting his second shot at being an NFL head coach with the Raiders. He obviously learned from the best in Bill Belichick for most of his career, but he said he's not going to try and copy what he saw Belichick do in New England. It's hard for anybody to leave there and try to replicate everything that happens there. And it's probably true across the board in all the sports, you know.

And I made the mistake of trying to do too much of that the first time. I think you just got to be able to be yourself. And, you know, I think we have a, you know, we have a good thing going in terms of the direction that we've started things in. I'm not Bill, you know, and I don't, I can't be. And so I'm not going to try. And I just want to try to be myself. And hopefully I can be a good leader for our team. I'm going to give him credit.

I found him totally unlikable in Denver. I find him totally likable. He is brilliantly pivoted to, and what's he done? Totally owned it. Yeah. I didn't. I was over my head. You're allowed to make mistakes.

No, I mean, and again, Lane Kiffin's done this. Like, disaster at USC, home run at Florida. Now he's crushing it at Ole Miss. Like, the key for young people watching, if you make, if your first big gig is a disaster, no, it doesn't have to define you. It will if you don't own it. Correct. But if you have a bad experience in your 20s, what's really impressive is what Josh McDaniels

is done. I was not ready. I was overwhelmed. I didn't let anybody coach. I find the Raiders and Josh McDaniels, like I am rooting for them. I haven't rooted for this team in 20 years. They were so ridiculous as a franchise. You know me. I can't root for poorly run. No, no, me either. I can't do it. I find the Raiders. And Mark Davis, not my cup tea all the time, but I will say this. That's a likable team now. That's an easy team to root for. Self-awareness goes very, very far. All of us learn it at different points in our life. Well, that's not true. Not everybody does.

But most people embrace self-awareness at some point in their life. When you do it is very important. To your point, don't double down on mistakes. If you messed up, it's fine. Everyone does that. But this is also a good example of why you need to be prepared when you get your big opportunity. And sometimes it comes early. And if it does, then be smart enough to put the right people around you.

I think Sean McVeigh did an amazing job of this. Got his first gig, youngest guy in the league. Yeah. Let me not try and take this all out of my own. Let me bring in some veteran coaches who've been coaching for 30 years. So if I have a question on just how to do something in the building, what's the procedure for this? I can go to them and lean on them as opposed to messing up stuff that has nothing to do with

the X's and O's. These are huge jobs. It's not just putting together game plans. You have something to do every second of the day. And it never stops. And when you're doing it as a dysfunctional place, that's another layer of stuff. So I like it. I'm really looking forward to watching and seeing how this particular division plays out.

I think it's just going to come down to health because obviously Andy Reid, you know, is in the best situation, but it's just so close. So we got a USC story for Colin today. Time out. You didn't give me a heads up on this. Wide receiver Jordan Addison decided to transfer from Pitt to USC. Why? To continue his cultural football career. Well, he's he has talked about what led him to his choice.

He said it was a gut move. I was looking for a great coach and a good football opportunity. I'm still figuring myself out and what I want to do, and I feel like I have a great opportunity to do that where I'm at now. They showed me that I've got a lot of improvements to do within my game, how I need to get better, and how to maximize my game. So you know what's interesting about this. It's not a frustration.

It's a reality. Is that people, you can give them information, and they don't care. No, facts are irrelevant to people anymore. Post-true society. Yes. I know this for fact because I'm fairly close to the USC program. They didn't pay them. It's not an NIL deal.

Now it can become that. Sure. This was not a paycheck. I know that because Caleb Williams, his dad, created his business. USC wasn't organized enough at the time that Caleb was coming. Right. I mean, they had Lincoln Riley coming. They're losing a staff.

They're gaining a staff. USC just didn't have enough hands on deck to get this great, fascinating NIL. They didn't. Caleb's dad's a smart guy. Caleb is they broker their deal. Jordan Addison, you can go. ahead to your Reddit board and fanboy board and think they just bought him.

They didn't. Now, do they think he's going to get some NIL money? Absolutely. This is a star-driven town. He's an amazing player. But this kid, from when I was told, Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams, and they said, it's Los Angeles, it's USC. Your ceiling, you're not

close yet. And it really moved him. And credit to Jordan Addison, by the way, even if he'd gone to Bama, is Nick Saban's not paying nearly as much as other schools. He's not. So the idea that kids always go for the most money, that makes you comfortable when your program loses. But Nick Saban's not paying the most money for players. And USC is not. So like these kids are, you always say this. Kids are a lot smarter than we think.

Yeah, I don't even like calling them kids. They're young people. Are they like kids to us? Because we're old people, sure. But they're not kids. They're old enough to go to war. They're old enough to go buy a home. They're old enough to like legally decide to get married. They're open a business. They're not children. They are young adults. Caleb, Williams has good family structure around him. He's not just going around, running around, signing for anything.

Like this is not just total anarchy. So what if he did give him money? So what? He had 100 catches in over 1,500 yards last year. He's probably one of those people that should get money. Yeah. If he used to transfer. But I like what he said. And yes, there's still always going to be panic. And I love the University of Pittsburgh. Like it's, it's no shit. obviously, but you're going to want to go where someone will make you better.

If you're a player that wants to get to the next level, it's not all about loyalty. Loyalty is for fans. Loyalty is, it's not a reality in professional sports. And guess what? College football is basically a professional sport. Get over it. Well, it is actually. It's starting being paid.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. the NBA, it's always been understood that there's seven or eight players represented often by one or two super agents. Clutch sports now has a lot of power. David Falk, when he was Jordan's agent, had a lot of power. Art Tell him, Arn Tellum, was a really popular agent, very powerful, is that a handful of powerful agents and seven or eight or nine players, you don't want to lose

access to those players. So in the NBA, the media is very rarely. Peter Vessi was kind of a unique New York outlier. You tend to kind of soft pedal it with your stars. In the NFL, it's the shield more than the players. You can rip players. You lose access to Mahomes. You don't want to, but you could live without it. There's another 10 big quarterbacks. So the NBA media tends to be a little cozy and does more supporting than reporting. But in the end, there were very few of us, and I include myself in this, that said when KD left the Warriors for Brooklyn, he was making a ridiculous decision. If Patrick Mahomes would have gone to the Chiefs and said, I want to go to the Jets because

one of my friends plays there, we would have rolled our eyes and made fun of him. KD, though, he's powerful. Nobody wants to lose access. So everybody just said, well, it's what he wants. wants to do. Do you realize the finals now between the Warriors and the Celtics are KD's former team against Karee's former team? That's embarrassing.

What it tells you is availability and coachability are big. And in both instances, KD is coachable and he is available. But he went from Steph who's both to Karee, who's neither. and look at him now. Don't tell me he's okay with it. I don't want to hear about it. KD. has DMed enough reporters I know. He's not sitting there celebrating Golden States win.

Nobody wants to get divorced and the other person flourishes and they sink. Privately, it's not a great time for KD, who I think is an amazing player. He chose Kyrie over Steph, and I said it at the time. One is totally committed and self-aware. one is neither. And so today, Steph is surrounded by a great coach, a championship coach, emerging young players, and hardworking coachable veterans. KD. is surrounded by a young coach who I like, but is he great. Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, the chemistry is not good,

Kyrie's regularly not available. Ben Simmons in the last year and a half is never available. Let's be honest about this stuff. We treat NFL players much more harshly in the media than we do NBA superstars. That doesn't mean I'm here to rip Kevin Durant. Love him as a player, one of the all-time greats. I think he's got some self-awareness. I think he's a good guy. He just didn't want to go toe to toe and sit down and hash it out with Draymond. Hey, he's a sensitive guy. I get it. I like him. But let's be honest about this. It's a disaster. And there's no easy way out. The Warriors now, they're bringing three guys back, who are injured, they go nine deep.

There are nights regularly that Brooklyn doesn't go too deep. So sometimes when you watch the favorable coverage of NBA stars, understand this is the backstory. There's a handful of agents and a handful of stars, and the NBA media never wants to lose access to that handful. It has generally been a league that has run by two or three players. The good news for the NBA, though, it's not now. This finals is going to get a big number. The ratings have been up, and LeBron's not in it, and KD's not in it.

So the NBA is slowly becoming a bit more like the NFL. Broad competition. The international basketball talent has really helped in this process. There's a lot of players. You don't need access to one or two. And the good news is the one or two you'd like to talk to. Janus is easy. Steph's easy.

Luke is willing to talk. But let's be honest now. This finals is Katie's old team and Kyrie's old team. And it's an awful look for both. Rick Bueger is around the corner. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app.

Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVore Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up On Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris.

You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

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

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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, filtered 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 Cliverts 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, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking

Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

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

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, it was a good series. I don't know if the teams were great, but Miami Boston was really fun as a sports fan. I still can't figure out Friday night. I mean, that is just one of, talk about get off the mat for the Miami Heat. I know I started my show today talking more about Miami than Boston, but I was just blown away by the effort, totally blown away. Rick Buecker covered the league since the early 90s, Fox Sports NBA analyst. I will say this.

We always look at the team that's more arrested, having a big advantage in a series. And I think that I think it can backfire in game one. So the Warriors are moving in multiple new. Iggy's going to play a little. Peyton's back. Otto Porter. So you got some new guys in the rotation.

You haven't played in a week. I actually feel like game one's a steal. It's an opportunity for Boston to be like, Remember, most rested usually means ugly first half. So I'm going to start with that. I do think Boston can steal game one. Am I nuts in your years covering the league? Am I nuts?

Yeah, you're nuts. I do believe you can paint a picture where you can convince yourself that the opportunity is there. But there was nothing about the Boston Celtics and the way. Did they take advantage of opportunities in this? Miami Heat series. I felt like, no, they had to be sort of cuddled into playing their best basketball. Being in the series and having a chance to go to the finals wasn't enough. They had to be embarrassed at various times to get the best out of them. And honestly, I felt better about the Boston

Celtics and their chances against the Golden State Warriors. I had them winning this series, but I had felt much better about them going into the Eastern Conference finals than I feel about them coming out of it. They just don't look quite ready for this stage. Every time it came to closing a game or in a big moment, their best players

looked uncertain. It was a collective effort, but I feel as if they outlasted Miami rather than put their foot on their neck and said, we're the better team, and we're moving on because we have bigger and better things to get done. So,

um, Steph Curry's interesting. So I roll my eyes at the shade at Steph Curry. He is not a great defensive player, but there have been a lot of wonderful NBA stars who are not great defensive players. Yes, MJ was. Kareem was obviously. LeBron in his prime, Duncan. We all know that. Larry Bird wasn't more of a team defender. But I look at, I look at Steph Curry, and I think his legacy is formed. Change the game. Greatest shooter ever. Unbelievably, self-relevant. selfless, high IQ.

Like, I don't think you can change it. But he doesn't have a finals MVP. And for a lot of NBA people, Rick, that's a big deal. Not for me. It is to a lot. So how do you view this with Steph and the importance of the finals? I do believe that he can change it, and I believe that it will be damaged if he doesn't win it

against these Boston Celtics. If Jason Tatum in the Boston Celtics or whoever it is who leads the charge for the Boston Celtics, wins the championship in his finals MVP. By comparison, you're going to say, okay, Steph has all these accomplishments. He's all of this. But he's been to the finals all these times,

and he's never won finals MVP. He was never good enough to win finals MVP and win the championship. On the flip side, that for all that he's accomplished, that not having been the biggest player, the best player on the final stage is the one thing that holds him back from, at least, not everyone, but a good deal of people out there that don't put him in that LeBron, KD,

Michael, Kobe, Akeem, like guys that won multiple championships and had a finals MVP. And I think at this point he just needs to win one. I've always said he's a very unique superstar. in that he has this, he has the utmost confidence, and yet he is egosless in terms of inviting everybody into the party. Generally, the Kobe's and the Michaels are like, no, get out of the way, let me get it done. Steph's like, oh, I think you might be able to help me here.

I'll utilize you, and I don't have a problem if you're the finals MVP. I truly think he thinks that way. But from the outside, when we're measuring them against the all-time grates, it's a little bit different, just because that's the way we look at things. And you mentioned his defense. And I honestly, I think his defense is as good or better

than it's been right now. I don't know how much of that is because Clay's has slipped, Dremont's has slipped. And so it isn't so much that Steph has improved. It's just that he's maintained and some of those other guys are not the same defensive players

that they've been. And that is the one caveat that I have, the one question. that I have about the Golden State Warriors is whether they are capable of playing defense to the level that the Miami Heat did. How much of what we saw with the Celtics and they're stuttering in those big moments is really a credit to the Miami Heat and how stout they were defensively. About 45 seconds here, Darvin Ham, your reaction, Lakers coach. It's a holiday. What are you talking about 45 seconds? Okay, go ahead. So what do you make of it? Darvin Ham, I would have taken Doc, probably

wasn't available, what do you make? Yeah. No, look, I like Darwin Ham as a coach. I think he can be a really good coach. I think among all the candidates available, he was the best choice, but a first-time head coach, you're handing him the expectations of the Lakers

and you're handing him the massive egos with the resumes that they have. It's just a recipe that is going to be a major challenge. I just hope he survives it and is given an opportunity to coach a team that's more fitting for a guy who's just starting out in the job. Yeah. Everybody likes him. That's something. LeBron said he likes him. That was 45, right? I got that in. Buecker, for the first time in your life, you left us time. I know. I really appreciate it. I know. Oh, really? You know, I love you. I left time to say a happy Memorial Day to you and joy and

everybody out there. All right. Thanks, buddy. You got it. My friend Rick Buek Our friend Rick Buecker. Yeah, I'm going to go Warriors in six, maybe five, but been proven wrong before. It's funny, the Miami-Boston series didn't make a lot of sense for me anywhere. I thought Boston, the first three games, I thought Boston was clearly the better team that had one horrible quarter. And by the end of it, I'm like, I think Boston's better. And I'm not really sure. They have more offense.

Defensively, I think they're basically even coaching-wise. I mean, but honestly, shout out to IMEA. Incredible job. First year head coach. Yes. In the NBA finals. And also, it points to, A, people aren't perfect. Jason Kidd struggled, his first coaching job.

Secondly, young people experience can be overrated a little bit. You don't have to have a ton of experience to, now Boston was really clunky. Those players didn't buy into them or couldn't figure it out for the first two months. They were not a good team at Christmas, but they are now, and he gets a lot of coach, a lot of credit for that. Colin right, calling wrong next. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert 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 it. 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'll say it.

Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, 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 IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

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

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.