The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Warriors, Curry, Tatum

Episode Date: June 17, 2022

This Warriors team is an enjoyable dynasty to watch Steph Curry didn't have to win Finals MVP to validate his career Jayson Tatum needs more help around him Guest: Antoine WalkerSee 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.

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

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Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a championship Friday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be. However you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, every time anybody doubts the Warriors, they make you pay. Fourth title, eight years, a Kyrie Irving shot from five titles in eight years.

falling apart against the Raptors could be six titles in eight years and Joy Taylor is joining me gotta be honest I find them incredibly easy to root for I do not find all dynasties easy to root for but I was sitting there last night really happy for them

It's the Warriors invitational Colin It is so funny Let me just start with this Are they a dynasty It doesn't really matter Right like They're going to be remembered as game change Here's why they're a dynasty, not just because of the four titles in eight years,

but because they are the essence of what you want your basketball team to be. You want your college basketball team to play like that, that fluidity, that ability to shoot, play defense, that kind of chemistry and leadership. They are what you want your AAU team to be, your international team to be. They are the envy of the league. They're smarter than you. They're more selfless than you. human than you, play better defense than you, develop their players better than you. They are a dynasty because they are the essence of the sport. They are the standard, not just the winning Stanford.

That's not it. They have the best owner and the best GM and the best coach and the best most selfless star, selfless star, not about him. The Miami Hedels were bought, the spurs were boring, and the Lakers were great briefly. I find them the easiest dynasty in basketball in my life to root for. I was rooting for Steph last night, for some reason still has to validate his greatness. I was rooting for Clay last night, who's had to overcome as one of the nicest professional athletes in the country

to devastating injuries. I was rooting for Wiggins last night, a really nice kid who was labeled a bust, though he never was. And yes, I was rooting for Draymond. Because nobody's ever quite understood outside of Steve Kerr how valuable he is. Yeah, Steve Kerr's putting him on the floor for 40 minutes. You don't think he's any good. I'm going to go with Kerr's judgment.

Kevin Durant bailed on them. They suffered multiple injuries and were the worst team in the NBA two years ago. And now they're back. That is really easy for me to root for. New England, Alabama football, the Yankees in the early 90s. It got repetitive. Congrats New York. You bought yours.

Yes, this is. the highest payroll, but that's because they continue to pay people they found in the second round. Steph Curry, the second guard taken in a draft. Clay Thompson out of Washington State. Yes, they pay the guys they drafted and develop because they want to create a core, a community, and loyalty. There's so many storylines overcoming injuries, KD.

bailing. We've seen them fail. We've seen them awful. Maybe it's because it's three different eras. There was the Splash Brothers. from Washington State and Davidson, Draymond Green to second rounder, I don't even remember him playing at Michigan State.

And then they were the super team that everybody hated. That guy left, more about him later, and then they've rebuilt it from the studs. I find them incredibly easy to root for. And as LeBron tries to speak, playing for the Warriors into existence two times in the last six months, Steph Curioa says, we're good here.

Not about mobility. You're welcome to join, but you will not be the soul of the team. You will not handle the ball and you can leave and will win without you. That's what's great about them. Is that not only are they the best team in basketball, but they're ready to go in another run. They do need some length. Oh, they've got 21-year-old James Wiseman about to play next year. They could use another wing defender.

Here comes Jonathan Cumminga. You know, Steph's getting old. Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, ready to go. They do it the right way. And smart wins in sports. Their owners A-plus-plus. Their GM's A-plus. Their coach is A-plus-plus.

Their star is A-plus-plus. Their revenue is A-plus. Their arena is A-plus. And the promising young stars on the bench have a chance to be A-plus. plus plus and knowing the warriors, they will be. The longer this series went, the longer this series went, the more lobsided it felt. That's not to say the Celtics were a pretender. They weren't.

They were the best the Eastern Conference had. I still contend if Chris Middleton is healthy. Milwaukee is here and loses from what I've seen. But I think what you saw from the coaching and the experience, the longer the series went, we thought so many things early in this series were holes for the Warriors, their size. They solved all of them. But the thing Boston was, they hid their biggest flaw early, half-court offense. And once again, the smartest team in the league exposed it.

Those last three games for the Celtics against the Warriors, they could never break a hundred points. Listen, I'm a capitalist. I like to see hardworking people succeed. but even I would acknowledge I'm over Alabama football and I was tired of Brady Belichick and the 90s Yankees were amazing. But there's something about, instead of buying a mansion, buying a house that needs work and fixing it up yourself.

It feels more special. And the KD Warriors didn't feel like this. The pre-KD and the post-KD are different. Stefan Dremont talked after their fourth title in eight years last night. This one is definitely different because of just the three years of baggage we carried coming out of that game six in 2019. And I mean, I can say it now, but I don't know how many teams could carry that for as long as we had with the expectations of, you know, comparing us now to teams of past and make it to the mountaintop again. A lot of people in that locker room that are enjoying this to the fullest and they should.

It's winning is the most important thing. And that is always the goal. That is always the main focus. For us, it's just about getting back to these moments and winning. And we know what that feels like. And we know what that takes. And we rely on each other. We depend on each other for, you know, for if I may struggle in one area,

Steph just isn't going to go try to do it. You know, we rely on each other for what we're great at. and it still has not been proven when we hold and anybody can stop it. By the way, it sounds so simplistic, right? It's about winning. It's amazing how rare that is. As sports has gotten so profoundly beneficial

to professional athletes and college athletes now, there are a lot of things that pull at you, fame and money, your Instagram page, The Warriors have always kept it about winning. The Patriots always kept it about winning. Congrats if you're stylish. If you get records and awards, it's not what matters here. What matters is the W, the fourth in eight years.

Let's shift gears to Steph Curry. He won the MVP. It's always been remarkable to me. how sports fans, not all of you, I think a lot of you actually watch the games and have some nuance and you understand the complexities and the contextualization of sports. Many of you do. I don't want to lump everybody in.

But how awards really validate. Phil Jackson has 11 titles. He won coach of the year once. Give me a break. LeBron has not won an MVP in nine years. Stop giving out the award. It means nothing if LeBron hasn't won an MVP in nine years. If Phil Jackson has won Coach of the Year award, it means nothing.

Steph Curry's MVP doesn't validate anything to smart sports fans. Here's my validation. In the history of professional basketball in America, the Mount Rushmore to me is indisputable. It's Michael Magic LeBron and the greatest center of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But just down the road, maybe five, six miles, there's the mount rush a little less. It's that second mountain range. And it's Russell, Bird, Kobe, and Steph. And I don't think it's even remotely arguable.

You really think Tim Duncan had the impact and the influence of Steph Curry? Steph Curry is what every basketball coach at every level is looking for. As good as Jason Tatum is. look at the gap after this series of Jason Tatum and Steph Curry. One's a two-way player. One can initiate offense. One can elevate others. One can shoot.

One can always get his shot. One is always great. Scores in the paint, though he's smaller. Can shoot from further out, though he's not quite as strong. I don't think there's anything close. The only mystery to me is why that it takes so long for everybody to figure this out? five years ago, you'd all taken Westbrook over Steph Curry. And I think one of the great strengths of Steph Curry is he's normal.

He's never gone weird on us. That's what money and fame does to a lot of athletes. They get weird, even though they grow up good parents, humble beginnings. It becomes about stuff that doesn't really matter in the big picture. To Steph Curry, what's always mattered to him is people. He could have bailed. He could have bailed last couple of years. Get me out of here.

Everybody's hurt. I need more people around me. I talked about that wrongly on this show. He's normal. He's humble like most Americans. He cares about people beyond himself. He wants to be part of a community. It's not just about him.

It's about us. And Steve Kerr talked about that after. The thing with Steph is, you know, without him, none of this happens, you know, and that's not taking anything away from Joe and Peter's ownership, because they're amazing owners, built an incredible organization. Bob Myers, hell of a GM, and, you know, our players, we've had so many great players, but Steph ultimately is, you know, why this run has happened. I'm happy for everybody, but I'm thrilled for Steph.

To me, this is his crowning achievement in what's already been an incredible career. Tip of the cap to the Warriors and most of all to Steph Curry, who remains a lunch-pail guy in an industry in a sport of stars and distractions everywhere. He still feels like he punches the clock, and I think that relates to a lot of people, including everybody inside this organization. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 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. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different. levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So good to have you in. I don't know if you noticed, Joy, I was another California championship last night. I did notice that another California team won. 20 months. We've had Warriors, Rams, Dodgers, Yeah. And there's a lot of people complaining about how much money they spend too, which

I'm very interesting. You got it. You got to spend it. Anyway, Jason Tatum's a really good player. And I do think they're very dependent on Jason Tatum. And, you know, Steph, as we saw throughout the series, he played a lot of minutes, but he didn't always have to initiate the offense, though he's great at it. With Jason Tatum, he had 100 turnovers in this series. That's the most ever for a playoffs in the history of the NBA playoffs. He's not a good ball handler. We talked about this when the series started. We said his flaw is he's not a great ball handler.

But Marcus Smart is not a true point guard. He's a better defender than a skill point guard. And Jalen Brown is a better athlete than he is just a true score or shooter. And so they don't take the pressure off Jason Tatum. The perfect compliment to Tatum was Kyrie Irving, an initiator, a brilliant ball handler, so Jason wouldn't have to do that because he's not great at that. I mean, you could really see, for all of those who like Tatum, and I'm one of them, I like him a lot.

The gap between he and Steph Curry is a mountain. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron, LeBron James, Kauai Leonard can always get their own shot and always make something happen. That's not Jason Tatum. He's an excellent two-way player. but he needs an initiator of offense, not Marcus Smart there. Smart has tremendous value. That's not what he is.

I said yesterday, go get Mike Conley. Go get a likable guy, been in the league forever that can initiate offense 10, 12 minute to half and let Marcus Smart be what he is, a tremendous defensive player. But Tatum's flaws all become Steph Curry's strengths. He doesn't initiate offense. Steph is great at it. He's not a natural great shooter. Steph's great at it.

He doesn't necessarily always finish great at the rim. For his size, Steph is amazing at it. I mean, Tatum did not have a single free throw attempt last night. And that is the problem. I think Boston, you can win a championship, absolutely, with Jason Tatum as your best player. I absolutely believe that. But Boston better not just bring this group back.

They have got to get a better pure shooter somewhere on the wing to take pressure off Tatum, who's not a pure shooter. he's just a great athlete and a great two-way player. And they've got to get somebody to handle a ball because that's not what he does. And Marcus Smart's a defender over a skilled basketball star. So you can't just run it back and say,

you know, we almost won this thing. Because I got news for you. Golden State's going to be significantly better next year because Wiseman, Cominga, and Moody, and Pool are ascending quickly. And it doesn't look like Steph and Clay are going anywhere. And I thought Draymond last night for more than a few moments was the most valuable player on the floor.

Like, not for a couple minutes. For like 15, he was the most important catalyst on the floor. So Golden State's going to be a notch better next year. Boston has got to take some pressure off Tatum's ball handling, and they've got to get another shooter. Here's Jason after. You know, this is tough. You know, getting to this point and not accomplishing what we want to, it hurts.

and, you know, we all could have did things better. You know, I feel like I could have done a lot of things better. But, you know, like we said, we competed. We tried all season, all playoffs. I think one thing that was true, Jason Tatum, and I don't have the number in front of me, but Marcus Thompson had it last night, a great writer for the athletic who covers the Warriors.

One of the great NBA writers, maybe the best in the country. Tatum played like 900 minutes. And they asked so much of him on both ends of the floor. So as the series went on here, he got beaten down. And I know everybody's got a lot of days rest. Folks, the intensity, seven-gamer against physical Milwaukee, seven-gamer against physical Miami,

seven-gamer against arguably the best defense in basketball. I don't think it's all Tatum. You've got to help your stars out. Matt Stafford's really good. He got Cooper Cup and he had OBJ and he had a great left tackle and he has a top center. You got to get your, in the NFL, we all understand. You get a quarterback. What's the second thing you got to do?

Protect him. Third thing, get him weapons. You got to help Jason Tatum out here. We're going to all bury Jason Tatum today and I love him. But just look at the numbers. The minutes he played, what was asked of him. By the end of that, you could tell the podium. Like he's got nothing left.

Like that kid has nothing left. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the Celtics lost game six last night at home. We both kind of thought falling to the Warriors. After six minutes, I felt really good about mine. Well, yeah, they got out to a 14-2 run.

I was like, whoa, I might be right about this little prediction. And then Golden State. Although we did both say we had no conviction about what we thought would happen. I thought Tatum would have a huge night in Boston would win, but I definitely didn't feel any confidence. in that prediction whatsoever. Well, they were plagued with turnover issues all nights, gave the ball away 22 times,

which was the one thing that they could not do, which we discussed all day yesterday, is give Golden State extra possessions and play sloppy basketball. I saw something last night. The Warriors had 13 more shots in the first half of steals and Celtic turnover. Now, think about that.

The better shooting team had 13 more shots in a half. Yeah. Can't win it. Sorry. You're not going to win that. not going to win that game. But for Eme Udoka, the finals appearance, was only the beginning of a bright future. You know, it's going to hurt, and it'll hurt for a while, and probably, you know, that stuff never goes

the way. I've lost one before, and so that was part of the message. Let it propel us forward, the experience and growth and progress that we made this season. Obviously, getting to your ultimate goal and falling a few games short is going to hurt, and there are a lot of guys in there. Very emotional right now. Yes, I cannot imagine the emotion of the Boston Celtics, obviously losing in your home court. But you did lose to the dynasty of the decade.

Yeah. I always wonder about that. Like, does it hurt less if it is a dynasty that you lose to? Like, if you feel like you had a moment. So in this situation, you lose in six, which means you never really went the distance. Now, it was a long series, obviously. but you didn't go to seven. I mean, a loss is a loss is a loss.

Like you put your heart and soul into this and, you know, it's season after season, you fall short. How about this? If you lost to Tiger Woods at the Masters in his prime on the last shot, you'd be like, hey man, it took the king to beat me. If you were Greg Norman and had a lead on Sunday and lost it, you live with that humiliation forever. Boston came in an underdog.

Almost nobody had the Celtics winning. So I think you do feel terrible, but you wake up in the morning. and you're like 20 years from now, yeah, Steph beat me. Well, if this is your only finals you ever make it to, then, yeah, I think the sting lasts. I think Boston will be back. I do think that they need to take an honest look at where they are and what they need. It was pretty obvious where they were lacking throughout this series and particularly last night.

Like, you need more offense. Yes, we saw throughout this postseason and even in this finals how important defense is and being able to disrupt the game. I mean, that was a huge part of why Golden State won last night because they capitalized off of steals and turnovers, disrupting what Boston does offensively. But you've got to have somebody who can just go out there and get buckets. You're good on the defensive side of the ball.

If everyone's healthy for Boston, you don't have to worry about that. So, you know, I think that Boston is a smart organization. They are well run, and they had an unbelievable run this year. EMA is clearly the guy. He took them over the hump to get to the finals and go six with the, the dynasty. So I don't think they, they have anything to hang their head about. I think what would bother me if I'm Boston is we lost because we didn't take care of the ball, which is something that we can control. Also, remember, they had Kyrie, who was a perfect compliment, that didn't

work chemistry-wise. Right. They had Kimball Walker. That did work chemistry-wise, but his knees fell apart. Yeah. So they see their problem. Like, they know what their issue is. They've tried twice. One was chemistry. One was age. So I think Boston and Brad Stevens will go out. I mean, I think if I can figure it out, they know what's going on. They have got to get an elite ball handler to take the pressure off. Jason Tatum. To initiate all the office. To your point about how much she's played and how exhaustity was,

he was the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason. Yeah. And he's not a great ball handler to begin with. And a lot of that is him just trying to do everything. Everything. Listen, he had help. No one saying Jalen Brown was unbelievable this series. I had a great argument for winning finals MVP.

He had the Celtics gone on to win it. you have the defensive player of the year, you have Al Horford, like, you have great pieces. It's not like Jason Tatum was out there doing it alone. That's not the picture that should be properly painted here. But they do need a little more offense. And that was the issue with this series. So yesterday, FIFA revealed the 16 winning host cities and venues in the United States. This is exciting.

Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. Very exciting. Kansas City! 11 of the 16 host cities are. in the United States where we will host 60 of the 70 possible games. 13 of the 16 cities selected are homes to MLS markets. So some of the hosts include Dallas, L.A., Miami, New York, and San Francisco. And for the first time, the event will include 48 nations from six confederations.

It's usually 32 nations. So it will be a much bigger World Cup as well. So we're showing the graphic of the host cities. It's Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City. L.A., Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle for the U.S. host cities. Canada is Toronto and Vancouver and Mexico has three host cities, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterey. You know, a lot of these cities are obvious. They're soccer hubs, their coastal economies, or they're great global cities like Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. go. The real winter in here, or they're great soccer cities.

Like we all know Seattle is a tremendous soccer city. Miami. There's certain cities that we just know. Kansas City is the big winner here. So the local mayor and the local politicians deserve a ton of credit. Because you start looking at that group and you're like, what cities kind of, it doesn't feel like it would be a global city. But Kansas City did a great job politically to activate their fans, to activate a campaign. and it is awesome that they're part of this.

It really is. It speaks to, you would not have guessed, like I would have thought of a Nashville because that's kind of a, it gets a lot of publicity and a lot of celebrities. But the fact that Kansas City got it, I think, is amazing. It's also a great location in the middle of the country. Yep.

So it connects the coast. So it's an easy place for fans in the middle of the country to get to. It's a huge, great stadium, obviously, a great environment there. This is really exciting. And I'm going to have to get to one of these. I've always wanted to go to a World Cup. I've never been to a World Cup game. I cannot wait.

So think about this in the fall. It's going to be unbelievable. We have college football here at Fox. We have the NFL at Fox. We have the World Cup at Fox. I've already told the bosses, I'm just taking weeks off and watching TV. I'm not coming in. The quality, there's never been a time, I think, ever, where a network has had,

if you looked at our Thanksgiving weekend games, Friday, it's us against England. United States men's national. Forget shopping on Friday, guys. Forget it. I mean, there are four and five day stretches where you will not be able to leave the television. It's incredible. Have you ever done that Black Friday shopping?

You know, I'm not a shopper. That's why I'll always defend Amazon because I'm on that puppy all the time. I am not participating in that. I'm a huge Cyber Monday person, though, because most of my family is not here. So take advantage of those deals come fall. So Mike McCarthy was fined $100,000 yesterday and the Cowboys lost an OTA in 2023 after holding practices deemed too physical by the NFL. This is the second straight season that McCarthy has been fined for a violation of the offseason rules. A year ago, he was fined $50,000.

The Cowboys $100,000 and the team lost an OTA this season for the same offense. So this finds comes after the whole top golf thing. He took the team's mini camp down from three practices to one and took teams to top golf on Wednesday. So it's a very weird contrast of having practices that are way too physical and then giving them time off to go to top golf. Who turned them in? I don't know. Does the NFL have a representative? I mean, I'm sure that there are NFL representatives at all of these camps, NFL PA representatives or whatnot.

I don't know how they determine what's too physical or not. Is it one of these players that called their rep and said, we're hitting today or something? I don't know. Maybe. and then maybe he's doing, make them do the Oklahoma drill or something. I don't know what's going on here. I just, look, I know Cowboys fans are very mad at me. Why?

Because I don't think they're going to be as good this year, which I don't think is a particularly hot take. But apparently if I don't say that the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl, it's dramatic, even though they haven't won a playoff game, three playoff games in the last 25 years. I don't, yeah, I think it's a hot take if you claim they're going to be a Super Bowl contender. I just don't know how they got better this offseason. They didn't. They got worse and they had a weird draft. And I did not like the way that the season ended last year.

Oh, it was awful. And DAC has never been my question. I love Dak. I love Dak from day one. I thought DAC should have been paid. I thought they should have paid him earlier than they paid him. Dak is not my question with the Cowboys ever. I don't think that they're well-coached.

Or highly, I mean, they're always doing weird, unexplainable stuff. Not terribly functional. I thought their draft was weird. There's no evidence of winning with the Cowboys. If I'm actually a Cowboys fan, I would want to hold my team to a higher standard than that. yeah that makes sure i don't know i'm always i'm always banging on the dolphins and i think the stealers are being complacent and lost their window with big ben and the when they had levy on bell and Antonio brown but i don't know i don't guess you know just whatever whatever they tell

you i guess is the way it goes down there yeah listen sorry just calm down cowboys fans my mom is a cowboys fan all right so i hear it from her every time i do it too joy with the news well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd line news you know it is funny is that y'all all want to put everybody, Nick Wright, my guy, he's got, he calls it club superstar. And yesterday I said, club superstar, there's a table superstar. There's four guys that are superstars in this league, LeBron, KD, Yonis, and Steph. And there's a table open for Luca. There's a chair open for Luca, but he's not there. He was exposed. He's not, he's not there in terms of shape, in terms of the defensive end of the floor, his ability to elevate others. There's a chair there. There's a chair

there for him because I think he's really close. But the club superstar, all you need to know, think about the gap after this series. Two good defenses. The gap between Tatum and Steph this morning. You think they're in the same club? What?

One guy led the playoffs in turnovers historically. One guy is exhausted. One guy doesn't really initiate offense. And then there's Steph. You think they're in the same club? That's why I always say about the Hall of Fame. Be very careful about the Hall of Fame because Dan Marino's in it. So don't dilute Dan Marino.

John Elway's in it. You can't dilute the Hall of Fame by putting in a guy who's on the cusp. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I watched Dan Marino play. That's the standard. I don't care if he doesn't have titles. That's the standard. I saw Dan Marino throw.

I love John Elway. Nobody threw like Dan Marino. That's the standard. So you start from there, and the further you get away from Dan Marino, and that ability to throw a football, you dilute the quality of it. So I don't want to hear about, I am the landlord for a club superstar, and the rent is due for Nick Wright. Some of those tables, we're pulling the tables,

because I don't think there's a club. I think there is four superstars in this league that literally can carry franchises, initiate offense, culture creators. And I think Luca is the next one. I think he is the next one. But he's not there yet. He's not there yet. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet the truth. Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Facts only. Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed.

We keep it 100. This is where real conversations happen. Listen to the Rights or Wrong podcast on the IHeart Radio Apple, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast is.

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

A win is a win. I don't care what 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 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 to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in

the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Welcome back. He's our guy, Antoine Walker. very painful loss for him.

He played for the Celtics for eight years. Okay, what? Let's start with this. You have a nice smile on your face. The longer the series went, the gap between the teams felt greater. To me, the inability to generate offense with a true point guard,

an offensive point guard. Like, Campbell Walker, I think, was the answer, but his knees fell apart. I mean, that to me was the series. The half-court offense was just, they just didn't have fluidity with it. What, what to you is the biggest issue the Celtics faced? I mean, obviously the game five and six, the 40 turn there was in two games, it speaks values. But, but also, if you really look at this series, and I said this before the series started, and the reason why, one of the reasons why I picked the Celtics is I thought

the depth and the physicality that the Celtics can play with, would overwhelm Golden State. But instead, Golden State, others, got better as the series went along. And obviously Andrew Wiggins was terrific. But I'm talking about Jordan Poole, Gary Payton 2nd, Otto Porter Jr.,

Looney. Those guys got better as the series went along. Well, Boston, others did not. Derek White, after game one, was unheard of. Payton Pritchard, non-existent in the series. Grant Williams had moments where he played well, but he was not very good.

this series. So I thought the others for the Golden State was terrific and their defense. I mean, we talk about Boston defense. We forgot how good Golden State is on the defensive end. They guarded tremendously against Tatum and Brown, one-on-one situations digging, double teaming to force those 40 turnovers in two games too as well. So I was surprised that Golden State rose to the challenge and you saw a team that had been there before take control. Were you surprised how valuable, Andrew Wiggins was. I mean, I guess you bring the team back. I would bring the whole team back next year. He became so, I mean, his defense on Tatum, his rebounding. You know, when the series started, Antoine, we all said, boy, Golden State looks small. Like Wiggins helped solve the rebounding problem. They out rebounded Boston the last three games.

How surprised are you is not only the fit, but how important he was in this series? I mean, he was huge, and I'm going to take you back to 2015, Colin. Who was the MVP for the NBA finals? Andre Aguadol? Doesn't he look like Andre Ike Dalla for Golden State? He's playing that same role, making open shots, guarding the best players on the wings, doing all the little things defensively that's needed to allow Steph and Clay to operate on the offensive end. I just think he's a baby, Andreine McAdala.

He was tremendous this series. All-Star this year, went into a little low at the second half of the season, but got his confidence back and played tremendous. It probably was the X-factor and then winning the NBA championship. I said one of the things I like about Steph is he's normal. When you're young and you get hundreds of millions of dollars in fame, guys can go sideways fast. They can get weird.

He's kind of a lunch pail kid. And part of me feels real sadness for Kevin Durant because I think Kevin now is surrounded with less reliable personalities. And I think KD is a completely committed Hall of Fame player. And I do wonder a little bit as I look at this warrior team and they got Cominga, Wiseman and Moody and Pool, they have another wave of great players coming. Do you think deep down privately KD would offer, he would be honest about some regret watching this beautiful core of players

reestablish their dominance without him? No question because he obviously went to Golden State to win titles, and he did that and played at the highest level. He was two-time finals MVP, and he's playing, and the commitment that the Golden State players with, they're all about winning. And that's what he, that's what Katie is about winning championships. So he took itself out that situation to go to a situation with other players where maybe winning is not as important. Carri already has won. You'll know if winning another one is that important to him. seems like Ben Simmons is in a different world right now.

So you'll know where this guy's hit at, basketball-wise, missing the whole year. So he put itself in a tough position playing with guys that maybe championships are not important. Where in Golden State, they are important, not only to the players, but also to the front office. I mean, Colin, we talk about the Golden State and stuff and give them all the credit, but you've got to get the ownership of Golden State a lot of credit. They kept that big three together.

and went through the rough years with them guys not being healthy, not being hurt, and did not trade them and did not waver. And then also made sure every last one of them got paid there just due. You don't see that a lot in sports. And they didn't succumb to the pressure and look at the reward they got. They got another NBA title. Well, I do think they put so much pressure on Tatum to initiate the offense, and he's not a great ball handler, and that's not what he is.

So they do need to find, to me, a slick, point guard, Marcus Smart's a defender. He's not a guy that's going to initiate offense. I think they could use another shooter. You know, I mean, if you're going to beat Golden State, you've got to have a reservoir of shooters. Is Boston get back?

Can you get to the championship and win it? As Tatum being your best player? I think you can, but they do got to ask them a piece or two. I would like to see them with a point guard, a materialist's point guard. And they'll say they have to have a superstar point guard. they can have a point guard that can be serviceful, that can make shots and they can make plays. I think about Indiana, and just to throw one name out, I think about Michael Brogden.

I think he would be a great fit for them. He's the one guy that stands out in my mind that jumps off the board to me. And I also would like to see them when maybe another athletic wing, a guy to come off the bench and give Jalen and Jason the break from time to time at the wing spot. And you've got to think about it. They may have to add another bid because Alan Horford is. It's a little older now. You don't know how much more he has left in the tank. But they're right there to keep the core together.

Everybody's under contract. But I do see them add a piece of two and maybe looking at a guy like Malcolm Brogner, they can come in and help him out. I know you're a Celtic, but isn't it easy to root for the Warriors a little? They do it the right way. Isn't there a little smile beneath that sadness today, Antoine?

No, I like the Warriors. I like the ownership to keep this group together and allowing it to develop. I think that's what I'm excited about. We got these teams and organizations that want to break situations up right away. You're one of those guys. You want the Lakers to break their whole team up because of Rest Brook and all that. You've got to give these things time and let people figure it out a little bit.

And I like the fact that they waited on superstars, Hall of Fame guys to get healthy, to get back. And now they get rewarded with a championship. So, yes, I do feel good for Golden State and their organization. and the way they waved this process out to get back on top. All right. Well, I know this weekend's going to be tough for you. So don't just, you know, sleep in tomorrow. Just understand there'll be another day.

I mean, you've only got one title in 35 years. You only have to wait, you know, a little bit longer, and maybe you'll get another one in 35 years. But I do hope you have, you can get through the weekend with this one. It's 85 and sunny in Chicago. I'm okay. I'll make it. I'll make it.

All right. Good seeing, you, Antoine. All right. You know, it is, you know, we talk about on this show is that, you know, the NFL, because there's not that many games, the same with college football. College football and NFL, regular season urgency, you know, it looks similar to playoff urgency. Guys are playing hard every place. Same with hockey. You can't go on the ice in hockey and not compete on your line, like you get your head knocked off.

But in the NBA, it's different. And in baseball, by the way, I think regular. regular season baseball. It's so individual. Batters go to the plate trying to get hits all season long and the playoffs. But basketball is different. It is completely different. Is that it's long, the travels arduous, is that regular season basketball is a lot of teams get into the playoffs and, you know, teams want to get in healthy and they want to get in rested. And so kind of just forget the regular season. if you'd only seen the playoffs, how much better does Golden State?

They took apart Dallas. I mean, just discombobulated Dallas and Luca, discombobulated the Celtics. So if you're in the NBA and not the Warriors and you're like, they got Cumminga, Moody, and Wiseman coming, Clay's going to be better. Like the gap between Golden State and the second best team looks pretty large.

I mean, we love Phoenix built for the regular season. The minute you get into the post, season and often have to play behind, don't have the shooters, not built for it. So to me, the gap feels bigger now than in a long time. It's the herd. 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 it. 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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.