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

Episode Date: May 27, 2022

The Warriors are a joy to watch, they do things the right way The differences between Luka Doncic and LeBron James Steph Curry changed the NBA Guest: Jim JacksonSee 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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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.

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We'll bounce in my step. Live in Los Angeles, which of course is in California where the Warriors are. It's the herd. However you may be listening. Wherever you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. I wish the Celtics and the heat, the very best of luck going forward. I'm sorry, Joe.

I'm a little obnoxious this morning. The old band got back together. They look pretty good. Yeah, they are. They are in fact not washed. It is, in fact, not over. I mean, that's what we expected last night, but it's a dynasty. Right?

If they go on to win the championship, it's a dynasty. I mean, think about this. Think how great Kevin Durant is. He's all-time great. I have him on my all-time teams. I have him on my third team. you can consider him for second. I love KD.

They won before him. They won during him. And they go in after him. That's, that's, I mean, Brady leaves New England. The dynasty's over. Like, you're pretty special. So I want to start with this. I'll try not to be annoying.

What a pleasure it is to watch Golden State. They're everything I love about sports. They care. They're clever. They're smart. They defend. They get in your face. They got a little flare.

I'm watching that game last night against Dallas, and Dallas is good. And I'm thinking, not only are the Warriors a completely different level of basketball than the Mavericks, how much better are they than Phoenix, who is the best team in the league? The ease in which they score. The depth of how they score. I mean, how many guys were in double figures, six, seven, the flexibility on both ends. The young warriors, always ready for the moment. The old warriors still got it.

I was talking to Matt Barnes last night. Super smart guys got a great podcast. We were talking about the Warriors. And he used to play for them briefly. And I said, what's the secret sauce? And he said, you get all these guys are rich and all these guys are successful. And there are yet no egos. All they care about is winning.

All they care about is winning. You know how rare that is in sports? The new guys come to the Warriors. They buy in Andrew Wiggins. And the old guys stay in. which is why KD. leaving is so mystifying to me. I still don't get it. Why would you want to leave this? Whatever. But New England dominated for 20 years. And there was a lot of reasons, but they were never the most talented team. I thought the Randy Moss team was close, but they were never the most talented

team. They were talented. They were smart. And they had the right guy, the right star facilitating it. Like Tom Brady would take a pay cut. Tom Brady were. that hard. You got to have the right guy. It's not about having a star. It's about having the right star. I've said that for years. Carmelo's a star. I never thought he was as committed on the defensive end, committed to teammates. LeBron, to me, is the right star. Tim Duncan, the right star, Brady. That's Steph. Steph's a star and he acts like one of the guys. A lot of stars in the NBA, when they don't have the ball, they just sit over there and wait for it. There's not a single player in the league that moves like Steph without the ball. I'm not talking about backups.

eighth guy, seventh off the bench. I mean, seriously, or fifth off the bench, nobody moves like him. It's a constant perpetual working to get the ball, working off screens, cutting to get open, elevating others, breaking people down, finding the next guy. It's always about the right basketball play. And the other thing to remember is the other three teams in this are good. But think about all the questions you have with all these teams. Like Dallas, you got Luca, but there's questions about Luca.

Will he ever defend? There's questions about who's the number two? There's questions about if you re-sign Jalen Brunson, well, he's not a great defender, and Luca's not a great defender. Dallas is good and we got questions. Miami's very, very good, but they don't have a number two score. Bam is probably a better three to a four. And Jimmy Butler, inflammation of the knee thing, not going away.

He plays so hard, that's here to stay. And then Boston, they've never proven they can win the big one. They're good. But if Jason Tatum's not hitting, usually he is, but when he's not, they have bad quarters and bad games. With Golden State, I got no questions. I get all answers. I got the right facilitator. I got the defensive guys.

I've got the culture. I've got the scores. And then Clay Thompson decided last night, hey, everybody, I'm back. Old Clay is back. Good luck. So championship teams don't have a lot of questions. They got a lot of answers. I get the other thing about Golden State, all these guys are still hungry.

Think about it. Steffs never won a finals MVP. He's got something to prove. Clay, and I think he did it last night, wants to prove, hey, I've had a lot of injuries. I got eight more years and don't you dare give up on me. Draymond Green. Oh, Marcus Smart's the defensive player of the year. Well, why don't you come playing the finals?

We're going to see all their stars have something to prove. Andrew Wiggins, I'm not a bust. I am absolutely not a bust. I will go and defend Jason Tatum or Jimmy Butler. We know that's not going to happen, but I said it just to cover my you know what. The point being is their stars all have something to prove. And Steve Kerr is sitting there thinking, sure be nice to win after we got dumped by KD. Do you know how rare it is when you have all the ingredients?

And instead of like the end of Shaq and Kobe, which was they were the dominant team, they had nothing to prove. and they irritated each other and they just, the band broke up. These guys all have a chip. It's a KD chip. It's a my injuries aren't going to define me chip. It's a Steph Curry. I can win a finals MVP chip. It's Draymond Green.

How classic Warriors is it? That Draymond Green gets to face, Marcus Smart probably in the finals, the guy that won the defensive player of the year. You know Draymond Green is going to use that. He's going to talk himself into, oh, nobody respects me. Oh, okay.

Let's see he's going to play defense. All I get with them is answers. And so I do wish whoever plays them next, the very best. But I swear this morning, I wake up and I think they're actually peaking now. Like this last series, I think I had some things to work on in Memphis. Clay wasn't, last three or four games, I'm like, oh, my Lord, Loney's better now. And now they get Peyton back. Here were the Warriors after.

This is a blessing. Obviously, it's a team ever to get back here what Draymond said for us to be out the mix for the last two years and to be where we belong back in the finals. It's a special. Our fan base to do it in this new building. We know this isn't the ultimate goal, but we got to celebrate this because all we went through these last three years. No one has proven that they can move us off that spot. And that's the mindset that we come into this thing with.

We understand what it takes to win in championship. we understand the process and how you have to get better throughout the course of the season. I can't say that I thought coming into this season, like, yo, we're going to win championship or we're going to be in the NBA finals. But I always believe with us three that we have a chance. What a pleasure.

Good luck. Everybody else. So, Luca's out. And there's a lot of talk about Luca getting in better shape and Luca being a better defender. So, Luca has four years in the books in the NBA, and LeBron, we compared it after his four years in the NBA. And it's unbelievable how similar they are. It's like the same guy.

And actually, their team success in year four is the same. Luca, year four, finally takes his team in a long run. LeBron in year four, that long run got him to the finals. Now they got swept. but they finally in year four, these young men could put the team on their shoulders and just through will and determination and talent take them. To me, though, that's where it ends. Because LeBron was built to work well with others.

And so I bought into LeBron very early. I mean, even in high school, his average points per game is junior year and senior year were like one point. He could have scored 50 a game in high school. That's not who he is. LeBron's game is about elevating others. In fact, the knock on LeBron early, I thought it was unfair, but it was a legitimate argument was he doesn't want to take the shot. That's the opposite of Luca.

Luca's got flaws, but he's going to take the shot. He'd been taking that shot since he was 12. He wants to take the shot. He's not as much about, I mean, he'll pass to others, but he's going to be the score. and there's nothing wrong with that. That's Carmelo's game. That's Hardin's game. That was Kobe's game mostly.

LeBron's not. LeBron's more magic. I said this for years. He's not Michael. He's magic. He can give you 40, but LeBron wants to elevate others. The second thing is LeBron is not only a great athlete. Luke is a great basketball player, but LeBron is addicted to working out.

I don't think you can convince guys to do that. Guys either like to lift weights, like to do the cardio. LeBron wakes up in the morning from what he eats to the weight. to the weight room, he is addicted to it. Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, they're addicted to it. I think that's in you or it's not. And so four years in, I keep hearing this from the media. Well, they're just kids.

Not really. Four years into any pro athletes career, I know what I have. You can tweak it. I mean, three years into Mahomes, I knew exactly what you had. A wildly talented kid that mechanically can go sideways, and you're going to need a veteran coach to stay on his butt. That's exactly what he is today. It's exactly what he was year two.

You got to stay in him mechanically because he gets really loose. I know what Matt Stafford, if you go look at his career, even with Detroit, big arm, super talented, not overly emotional, sometimes take some risk you don't love because of his arm strength. But it's the same guy. He's just got a better culture around him. Lamar Jackson's never going to be a great thrower with the football. It's gotten better, but I knew what he was by year two. You go look at the NBA. Four years into LeBron, I knew exactly what I had.

Totally committed to winning, totally committed to body, was about making the right basketball play, not taking the final shot. That was a criticism for years. But that's always been what LeBron's about. Winning, taking care of his body, committed to the elevation of others, and make the right basketball play, which he got ripped for, but he's like, that's who I am. Four years in, I know what Luke is. It's never going to be an elite defender.

He's going to be one of the great scores of all time. He can absolutely offensively carry you a long way, but he has to have the ball in his hands. His ball usage rate is not going to shrink dramatically. He's never going to be a great defender because the way he plays offensive basketball, it is physical. He needs the ball in his hand. He needs the bump and grind. And that will, unless he's in great shape.

And I don't think he's got that devotion and obsessive nature about being in shape. It's going to wear him out. There's a lot of hardened and a lot of mellow here. That doesn't mean Lucas not great. It doesn't mean I don't like him. It doesn't mean they won't win a championship. He's better than Dirk and Dirk won one. But this idea that you can just show me stats,

but there are flaws in most players' games. LeBron's flaw early was he couldn't hit a three-point shot and he worked on it. He's still not staff. He's still not great, but he's worked on it. Luca will become a better defender. I think he'll try harder. But four years in, folks, NFL, baseball, your game is your game. And so when I look at Luca, I think instead of being paralyzed by making him a better defender,

he's going to be an offensive guy. What you need to do is draft and develop versatile athletes. He'll be the score for the next 10 years. That's where you get your points. He's going to win a lot of scoring titles. Draft and develop flexible, versatile defenders around him. If you're going to give him another score, he should probably be a score that doesn't need the ball a lot. Clay Thompson would be literally ideal.

Of course, Clay Thompson would be ideal for a lot of players. But, I mean, that's probably what he is. Players, people, child psychologist, kid is what he is by nine. Players are what they are. Four years is a long time. Magic only played, what, 12, 13? Michael was with the Bulls for what, what, 12, 13? Like, four, that's a third of that.

So I know what these guys are. I knew what LeBron was. I know what Luca was. I think the key to Luca is acknowledging what he's not. and building around what he is. Get him some versatile defenders. If you do find another score, he can't need the ball a ton. Lucas is not going to sit and watch guys.

That's not his game, man. Kobe wasn't going to sit and watch guards. Kobe wanted the ball. Michael wanted the ball. So what did they surround Michael with? Michael was not a great three-point shooter. So Paxon, Koo-coach, Kerr, Phil Jackson, realize. Sometimes we've got to have a dead-eye shooter beyond Michael because it's trapping and

doubling. So you got to know what your star isn't because 99% of these guys aren't something. Steph's not a great defender. LeBron's not a great three-point shooter. Either was Michael. Luca did acknowledge, though. Do we have that? Luca did acknowledge afterwards. He admits he has to work in his defense. Here it is. Defense, I think defense has got to be way better for me. Honestly, I think I made a huge step this year defensively, but there's so much room for improvement, and I've got to be way better there.

So I think that's one spot that can take us to the next level. Yeah, he got better, and he was still awful in the second half last night. All right, we got a lot of stuff today. Very, very exciting. Genuinely happy for Clay Thompson, because you talk about athletes who have to go through rehab, And it's not a physical thing. It's all upstairs.

Like anybody that's had an, I have had one little accident in my life, motorcycle accident years ago. I know. I know. It's like Steve McQueen out there. It's not the physical stuff. It's the psychological stuff. And for Clay, the physical stuff is not what happened last night.

It was the mental stuff that happened last night. And it's when you put in the time these pro athletes do and you get hurt twice, it is so debilitating to go through that for a professional athletes. It's just awful. I hate watching athletes hurt. When I see these gruesome injuries happen, I never watch the replay. I never watched the Joe Thaisman thing a second time. I feel so bad for them.

And for Clay, he had two, not Thaisman injuries, but two serious injuries. For him to come back, like last night was like, it was just a wonderful sports moment for a really good kid. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio, Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

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

from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

To be clear, 84 was 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 And 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. I'll never really understand the shade that Steph gets. I'll never get it. I don't get people who don't get Steph.

He's the most influential player ever. Michael Jordan had influence in marketing and style, clothes, winning at all costs. I'm not saying Michael did not have influence. He didn't change the game. He was just the greatest player for a long time in the game. literally all of basketball is different because of Steph Curry. High school, AAU, college pro, international, Steph Curry. And three years ago, if you'd have taken poll of NBA players, not just fans, like players,

over half would have chosen Russell Westbrook over Steph. I know, right? Like, what? Players. Over half would have taken Hardin over Steph. Those guys aren't winning players. Sports is about winning games. It's not about your Instagram following.

It's really not. It's not about your shoe brand. Kevin Durant doesn't win anymore. Steph still wins. I get the style. I get the brand. I get the stats. He gets to be rich.

But with Steph, it's about winning. He won before KD. He won with KD. He won after KD. Michael Jordan never won before Pippin. And he didn't win after Pippin. Do you understand that that it's about winning? I know you've got a really cool social brand and you're making a lot of money off the court.

That's great. But it's one of the things I always appreciated about LeBron James is that he wins. It's about winning. It doesn't mean you win every year. I mean, the last couple years, the Warriors, Clay Thompson, wasn't available. He got hurt. They had to make a deal. Get Andrew Wiggins.

You were developing and drafting young players. But, you know, the winning thing seems like a big deal to me. I've said this for years about Aaron Ronchers. If you really want to win, then you can't be paid $50 million a year to be a quarterback. Brady's about winning. All about winning. He's got a good brand. You can do both, by the way.

You can win, take a little pay cut because you'll make it up. This has always been so obvious to me. If you take a little less as an athlete, I'm not saying you have to, but it allows your front office to go get good players. You'll make the money up in your brand, your social, because you'll be a winner. I mean, Kevin Durant's an unbelievable. player. But you know what we've been talking about in the last month? Luca and Jason Tatum and Steph Curry and Kevin Durant's arguably more talented than all of them, but he's not winning because he made bad choices with teammates. So when you get into a culture that's all about

winning, and they're not, they're not. When you do, this is why I respect Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes makes over $100 million annually out of football. He takes over $100 million annually out of football. he takes less than he could in football knowing he's going to be playing Buffalo, he's going to be playing. Patrick Mahomes going to be playing those games in January where all the other stars like Aaron are watching them. Like the bottom line with Steph, and I'm not saying he's taking pay cuts here, but his game and his brand is about winning, the way he cuts, the way he passes. In fact, I saw a stat the guy showed me this morning.

In the history of the NBA, there's just a handful of players. in NBA playoff history, 25 points, five rebounds and five assists a game. Michael, Jerry West, LeBron, Janice, and Steph. That's pretty good company. And you say to yourself, well, the rebounds, he didn't get those rebounds because he's strong or long. He gets them because he just has instincts. He knows how the ball's coming off. He out hustles people.

And I've never, ever understood the shade. Like, if you don't get certain things in life, if you don't get it, I'm not going to argue with you. Like I'm done arguing for Steph Curry. Here he is after the series win. Again, all the pieces fit. Our personalities fit. There's so much trust in each other. But we are all just so competitive at the end of the day.

And that's carried us. I think the ability to set the table for pretty much anybody to come in and be a part of the fold and find their way and elevate their game and, you know, take that next step wherever they are in their career. I think we pride ourselves on that as more than what we do individually. We found a way to create that culture where it starts with us, but then everybody else gets to eat too. Yeah, KD worked, Iggy worked, Bogut worked, Wiggins works. Just give a little. You'll get it back.

Just give a little. Take a little less. Give a little more. you'll get yours. You really will. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. God, how good was Jerry West? Look at that graphic?

It's on, yeah. You know, we're going to talk about eras in just in a second. You know, it's also... You look at the other play. Look at this. Jordan, LeBron, Janus, and Steph. And Jerry West. And Jerry West. Here's the thing. He played with Gail Goodrich, who was a big score. So it's like, it wasn't like Jerry's team. Gail Goodrich, they were the best back court ever until Stefan Clay. And he also played with Wilt. So it's not like this was like a Luca situation where it's like Jerry is going

to get his. Jerry was, he didn't win a lot of finals. He was getting to him. And that was from 1960 to 1974. A completely different era of basketball. He wasn't shooting three. Yes. It's really, well, the reason he's the logo. So the heat in Celtics face off in game six tonight. It's feeling very bleak for Miami. Feels like the walk in Game of Thrones, the shame walk. They're not the heat. You know, I always said you should be able to say, my Emmy.

They're yours. They're yours. They are Miami, Miami Heat. Look, they got a chance. They have an 18% chance of making it to a game seven, making it to the finals. They can force the game seven tonight. Are they a seven and a half point dog?

They are a eight and a half point dog. Oh my. That is a number. Yeah, the Celtics are favored by eight and a half. But it is a number, but when you look at the way that the heat have been shooting, it's not really surprising. And I don't know if Tyler Hero is going to play. He's questionable.

He's questionable. He has a groin strain. That's not one of those things you can rush back from. So I wouldn't expect to see him. I don't think he's going to play. Kyle Lowry's been struggling since he returned from injury. Jimmy Butler says he feels fine despite the knee inflammation, but he scored 19 points over the last two games on 7 of 32 shooting.

They shot an NBA best at the heat 38% from three-point line during the regular season, but they're shooting 29% in the conference finals. They just can't get points. They cannot score. So when you combine that with the fact that Boston has a great defense and is scoring, these games have been ugly. It's been difficult to watch. Yeah, it's a classic.

great defensive team, struggling offensive team. It's a bad matchup. Right now in this moment, it's a bad matchup. By the way, this was Milwaukee. Chris Middleton's out. Great defensive team with an offensive team without their best shooter. That became a very bad matchup for Milwaukee in the end. Yeah.

And look, injuries play a role in everyone's run throughout the postseason. So the heat aren't using that as an excuse. The guys on the floor should be scoring more than they are. There are bodies on the floor that have shown the capability of putting up points, and no one's able to do that. So injuries play a role. It's not an excuse. The Celtics have had injuries as well, so as everyone else throughout the playoffs.

But I'm going to hold out a little hope. Hold on hope. Not because of culture, not because of coaching. Just they have the capability of forcing a game seven. Boston looks like the better, more complete, healthier team right now. But we'll find out tonight if there is going to be a game seven. So speaking of eras, we were just talking about Jerry West. Today's NBA is a different league than it was before for many different reasons.

And there are critics over which era was better and, you know, some of the changes that have occurred over the years. And Hall of Famer James Worthy is the latest former player to call out the current generation of stars. And I think because of the, you know, the rush of guys not going to college. I mean, Kareem had four years with John Wooden. Michael Jordan and I had three years with Dean Smith. You know, Isaiah had some years with Bobby Knight. So you learn the fundamentals. Not only that, you'd learn how to live.

You learn how to balance your freaking checkbook in college. You know, there's a lot of things. So when you don't get that, guys are coming to the NBA. They're not fundamentally sound. You know, so all they do is practice threes, lift weights, get tattoos, and tweet and go on social media. That's it. Well, I will say this.

he's right about the threes. It's become like it is, it's a little old, old guy. It's very good off. The first part of it, he has a really strong point. No question. So it's kind of two quotes, but we play the whole thing. But the last part of it is very get off my lawn guy. Yeah.

But the first part of it, he's not exactly wrong as far as the development of the fundamentals. I mean, we talk all the time that there are players who come to the league. They're very young. Their bodies aren't completely developed. they don't have the fundamentals down. It's just the game of basketball and especially the speed that it picks up and the men that are clashing into each other on the NBA level is so different from one year of college or coming out of high school. So from that perspective, he's right. And the college game was better when guys stayed longer.

You got to learn the players more. That is a benefit that the NFL has with college football. But things change. And the game is never going back to that. It's not going to adjust back to that. So to me, NBA teams need to do a better job of really putting together strong development coaches for young players and programs. Listen, basketball would be better at all levels if there was legislation that said you can't come out for three years. But the world changes, so I'm not going to fight it.

Listen, we'd be a lot better in America. If an 18-year-old couldn't buy an AR-15, we're trying to change that. Good luck. I mean, there's a lot of things in society. I just don't like. I think basketball was better when college basketball was better when it wasn't so transactional. And I do think it's better. Even if you're great, if you had to stay in college for a couple years and you were kind of hard coached a little bit,

I think you'd come into the league more fulfilled, more. But that's not the way the world is. It's kind of a waste of a conversation because it's not going to change back. It's not happening. That stuff doesn't go backwards. Right. And it is what it is. And the college game is fine.

It's been what it's been for 10 years. We watch it during the tournaments. And that's that. Now, the other part of it is, you know, obviously, like, that's kind of cranky, like, getting tattoos and being on social media. I will say, though, the balancing the checkbook thing I would push back on as well. We have mountains of evidence that these teams, these college teams, we're not setting guys up for success when it comes to how to manage money. Like, we have whole documentaries on how bad that was. So I would really actually argue that today's players,

and now with NIL are way more equipped to manage their money, set up businesses outside of basketball, and because of guys like Magic and LeBron and Michael, for that matter, showing how much wealth you can acquire by taking care of your money and putting it in businesses in the right places and having the right people around you, you can create an entire industry around yourself. Yeah, I mean, life cyclical. We saw so many stories on pro athletes going broke, that athletes watch those documentaries too and thought, I want to get my stuff together.

So, you know, I can, I mean, they used to run stories regularly on NBA and NFL players out of money. I haven't read one of those in a while, and I'm sure they exist. You can send them to me. Sure, there's outliers with everything. But kids are learning now. Yes. Let's put money. Like, there are actually, there's a trend.

Gronk and KG were kind of legendary for it. They don't spend any of their money. Yes. There are guys now that are like legendary frugal and cheap at pro athletes. Yeah, they live off of their endorsements and don't even touch their salary. So I would say that that is definitely changed. Kevin Durant tweeted in response, my midi is sharp, but James is right.

This ain't the old days. So we're at week seven of the USFL, and all eight teams are still in contention for the playoffs. But this weekend, two teams have a chance to clinch their spot. The Birmingham Stallions will secure their place with the win over the Pittsburgh mallers and the Tampa Bay Bandits and a Tampa Bay Bandits lost to the New Jersey Generals. And the Generals would clinch their spot with a win or with losses from both the mallors and the Michigan Panthers.

The inaugural USFL playoffs will begin Saturday, June 25th, as the top two teams in each division will face each other in the league's semifinals. So the final two teams will play in the USFL championship game on Sunday, July 3rd. So this is the USFL schedule for week seven. The generals and Tampa Bay Bandits, breakers and Michigan Panthers at 9 Eastern on FS1 tomorrow. And then Sunday on Fox, the Birmingham Stallions, and the Pittsburgh mallers at two Eastern on Fox

and the stars and gamblers at 6 Eastern. Good stuff, Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie New. 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. Hey, it's Ben Maller, host of the fifth hour with Ben Maller,

along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascon, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly. auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 podcast. podcast. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence.

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. Rising oil prices, supply chain issues compounded our inflation mess. Gold provides a hedge.

Go to LegacyPrecious medals today at legacy p.m.investments.com or call 866674. Jim Jackson played for a decade and a half in the NBA. A lot of teams. Fox Sports NBA analyst played a lot of basketball and a lot of cultures. You know, it's interesting when you watch the Warriors. usually in sports, you see something that works and you copy it. Right? And then you watch the Warriors and they don't even look like anybody else. Like why don't people just copy it?

Well, I mean, why didn't people copy the Showtime Laker? One, they didn't have magic. They didn't have dream. They didn't have worthy. You know what I mean? They didn't have Michael Cooper. So a lot of teams have tried to emulate the style in which Golden State plays, but you got to have the right players.

Even if you look at what, I get funny story, Chicago Bulls. Now, early in my career, my second year, Quinn Buckner was a coach of us at the Mavericks, and he attempted to run the triangle. Well, let me tell you, we didn't have the guys IQ-wise that were able to run the triangle. We played the Chicago Bulls. I was like, man, all this looks nothing like that because our personnel didn't fit the system. So despite what other teams want to do, Steph, Drayman, Clay, Pool, other guys before them living, Stead, Igo Dahlia.

Those guys were perfectly fit that tailor-made for that system. You can maybe take little short iterations of what they do, but to get the complete package, you're basically going to have to have the same kind of players that Coton State have, and that's virtually impossible.

You know, I was talking about this earlier, I said, after four years in the NBA, regardless if he came out of high school, international, or college, your game is your game. You can tweak it. But I knew four years into LeBron's game. I knew he was obsessed by being in shape, really good.

He wanted to elevate others. He made the right basketball move. He didn't have sort of the Michael, I'll take the shot. He got criticized for it, but I knew what his game was. Now, he's become a better three-point shooter, but I knew what it is. So four years in when Luca, he's still bad defensively. He was awful in the second half last night. And he's not obsessed by being in the greatest shape.

What he is is a great score. I keep hearing all this Well, he's got to get in better shape And he's got to be better defensively And I think, Jim, maybe you need to draft and develop guys around him That can, you know, pick up the slack defensively

I don't think he's ever going to be a great defensive player I think he's always going to be a great score And this idea that after four years He's going to change his game Like he needs the ball in his hands, Jim, that's just who he is. Yeah, you know, but here's the thing too I think defensively, maybe he's a better player

off the ball. I think there are players in the league and in the past, present, you lose, you kind of look at Larry Burton from that perspective where he's really good off the ball. Chris Paul, really good player on the ball, maybe not the quickest, but he understood angles that he can get steals off the ball. I think Luca has

the high IQ enough to understand that. He's not going to be your best defensive player. We know that. Step wasn't your best defensive player, but he's gotten better because he worked at it. Okay, they still go at step. So there's ways you can work within that. Here's Here's the thing, dilemma that you have if you're the Mavericks and your Jason Kidd.

You don't want it to be a James Hardin situation where it's Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca, pounding the basketball, you got guys standing around. Hence is why Jalen Brunton is very important. Spencer Dinwiddie is very important. Now, this is the first time they've all three played together. So to get to the Western Conference Finals and still try to figure out how to make this thing work, you know, post their trade, I think it's a great start in a great direction for this team. But you're going to have to add another playmaker,

another guy that can go get it off the dribble, i.e. what Golden State did when they developed Jordan Poole. Dynamically, that just makes your offense that much tougher. Okay, so you're in a good position. Now, Luca is going to have to also understand and trust his teammates and the willingness to give up the ball, which I think he's done a lot in the second half of the season, because then you're going to be able to, I think, manage your load.

And what I mean by that is that the smart players understand that I need to be fresher down the stretch of the game. And how can I do that? Get the ball up a little bit. I can still go get my points, but I have to be able to be fresh when they need me to be down the stretch of a game. But again, Luca is still young. You know, we got to understand that, Colin,

that he's still a young player that's maturing to understand who he is as a player. again, how to develop his basketball game at the highest level and how to win at this level. So the Celtics are going to win tonight. They're going to win the series. It's a bad matchup, a great defensive team and an offensive team that's falling apart. So they're going to win this thing. I really do think Golden State has one big advantage over them. Experience matters. Like before you've won your first title, you can get really tight in those big spots. So that's a big advantage. The other one that I think is an advantage, Andrew Wiggins, they don't need his office. They can just go say, Drey, Andrew, just go defend Tatum. We don't need your offense.

Whereas Tatum has to defend, but they need his offense. Andrew Wiggins, Jim, could be a huge factor. He is a wild card in this series. So to me, Golden State has something that Boston doesn't if they meet. Your thoughts? Well, first of all, I can't believe that George is just sitting there letting you get away with that. Talk about Miami's stuff. Yeah, first of all, that right there.

joy. I'm going to take up for you. I really love this Miami team. So I'm pulling for him because I want more games. Okay. I just want more games. I'm rooting for more games. I'm a little defeated right now, Jim. But you know what? You're kind of, you're right from this perspective. Wiggins doesn't have to score, but he does have to score in particular if they play in Boston because he has to put the ball in the basket. Now, the advantage is that when, you know, gold state, as we see against Dallas goes small, they understand. how to play that game better than anybody. But I will say this.

A lot of stuff they're getting on Dallas, they're able to get to the basket because Dallas doesn't have a rim protector. That's a lot of difference with Robert Williams. That's where I think it skews a little bit towards Boston and even Al Horford a little bit more is that Al was in better shape. I think they year off when he didn't play.

Really basketball allowed him to get his body in mind, right? Robert Williams can guard on the perimeter as well. And I'm hoping that, the two do meet because I think the intriguing storylines of a Tatum and Brown Young trying to figure out how to knock off the Wiley veterans in Golden State. They both have their advantages on some aspect. The experience is one thing that you're right, Colin. It bodes in favor of Golden State. But I say this, Marcus Smart, Horford, those guys know how to play, man. Those guys are tough-minded individuals.

And, yeah, they may not have won a championship like that, but the experience of being deep in the playoffs I think will help this Boston team. Yeah. It is interesting. It's a really good matchup. It's the great offense against the great defense. The veterans against the kids. If you're doing a movie poster,

it really is an interesting one. The size of Boston download and the speed of golden. One's hard-nosed Boston, one's super cool, innovative Cali. I agree with you. It's a better movie poster.

No. You got a lot of storylines, too. Think about it. I mean, if you're the NBA, it's the Boston Celtics, okay? Getting back to glory. And then it's the Golden State Warriors who we thought, okay, is there run over? But yet and still, here we are in a situation where Steph, who I think a lot of people have some fatigue with a little bit, and I don't know why because greatness, I love to watch it

all the time. Clay, who's still trying to get his legs up underneath him, still think he needs another year to get back to Clay, the development of their young players. And then you got Jason Tatum and Ime Adoka. And then you have Jalen Brown, the situation that happened earlier the year. Could they get along? Should you break them up? All these little storylines we can play with during the course of a championship series if these two happen to meet, you know, that I think is so intriguing and captivating for the national audience. Because you have Boston on one side who has a tremendous fan base.

Then you have the Golden State Wars who also have a tremendous fan base. And a following that picks up. So for the NBA, you can't lose in that scenario. Yeah, I totally agree. Jim Jack, great seeing you, man. Have a great weekend. Get the sticks. Go out there and try to go under par once in your life. All right.

Yeah, all right. Hey, Joy. Yes, Jim. Thank you. Pull it for you. All right. We've got like an 18% chance. All right, one more. Hey, that's better. Hey, 18% is better to zero. I agree. It really is.

I mean, the warriors are California a little bit. A little cocky, a little innovative, kind of unique, have their own culture, and a little California feel to. Boston feels like, that's Boston. Tough. Balls on the floor. Battling for rebounds. Going to get in your face defensively. And they're a little, you know, they're a little doubted.

They've had to make some adjustments. Boston's got a chip on its shoulder. He's done an incredible job, though. Oh, it's great job. And, you know, if I recall, The beginning of the season, am I wrong? I could be wrong on this. Didn't Boston struggle for about a month or two?

I remember the first half of the season we're like, I don't know, this young guy, you know, it takes time to get buy-in from the players, especially when you're asking them to play defense every night. Yeah. Not everybody does that. Hour two live in L.A. next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay and I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.