The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Being a better leader

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

Lamar Jackson says he needs to be a better leader Thoughts on Myles Turner spurning Indy for rival Milwaukee   Guest: Jovan BuhaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Hour number two here on the herd. Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd jet setting. I don't know. Where is it, Ibiza? Is that where he is right now?

I have no idea. You tell me I love Abiza. I haven't been there. We honeymooned in Abiza. What a life, Alex Curry. Alex Curry joining me. We got Yovon Bouha coming up in, I don't know. Five minutes.

Listen, Lakers fans are like on the edge, Alex. Right now, they're on. We're breathing. We're okay. Okay. I'm not as concerned,

I think, as everybody else. As we talked about last hour, LeBron knows how to get the conversation going. This is what he does. What does his hat say? Welcome home? Welcome home.

Yeah. It's a message. But he is back home. Well, I thought Yobon would be in Ohio with LeBron, like hanging around. See what the hell's going on, but he's out here.

No. Anyways. All right, real quick, before we get to Yovine, I just got to talk about it. I like Lamar Jackson. I know people think you don't like him, Jay, you're critical. That's what we do. We're critical of everybody. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hertz, LeBron, everybody.

And Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP. He's a dynamic player. When he's on, you're watching. He came out here to SoFi to play, I think it was the Chargers. Even last year or two years ago, I was at the game. He's electrifying. You can't take your eyes off him. He's unbelievable.

And he keeps coming up empty in the play. which is fine. You know, not everybody wins right out of the gate. But Lamar went on some, some digital show with Kevin Hart and need to take a quick time out. Kevin Hart, for my money, is the funniest guy going. I know people like Theo Vaughn and all these other comics. Kevin Hart's a man. I'm a huge fan, his movies, his stand-up. I've seen him live. He's great. Kevin Hart also does like an ice tub thing where he invites people on and talks to him. And here's what Lamar Jackson said to Kevin Hart about the one thing, okay, One thing he needs to improve on to get the Ravens over the hump.

Just being a leader. Okay. I'm going to say being a leader because I'm really not outspoken, like being vocal with my guys like, oh, let's do this and that. Got a great motivation of speech. I don't have that. You know, I just pretty much lead by example. I go out there, I'm going to work hard. I expect that out of you.

But as I've been growing in the league, it's like, nah, you got to talk to the guys. Coaches and stuff, like to them. I talk to them one-on-one. Now I talk to him one-on-one, but certain things I'm seeing, I got to voice it more. I guess what's my opinion more to those guys? Yeah, I don't know. It's like when you're in a job interview and, you know, they ask you one of these questions, like, what's your biggest weakness? And you give one of these answers that says, like, I don't have a weakness, you know?

Not having a weakness, that's my weakness. Like, something like that. And I'm like, really? Leadership? You either have that or you don't. I don't think, like, five years in the league, something's something. snaps and you're a leader. Like Justin Herbert is quiet and just doesn't say much.

That's who he is. He's not changing. You know, Patrick Mahomes is a fiery dude. He was that way at Texas Tech. He's that way in the NFL. He's not changing. Lamar Jackson's a quiet guy. He doesn't say a lot.

Tom Brady, remember him on the sideline with the Patriots? He would F-bomb people and dog cuss him. That's who he was. Fiery. Everybody's different when it comes to leadership. If Lamar was given truth serum before the Kevin Hart interview, What's the biggest? Hey man, I've had some rotten playoff games. Going to Buffalo, I couldn't do anything. This past year in Buffalo, I started slow, fumble, interception.

I got us in the hole. I can't play like that. On the road, I haven't delivered in the playoffs. And it's like, yeah, I get it. Mark Andrews. If he catches that, it's a different discussion. But look at the game log of Lamar Jackson. He has not been great in the playoffs.

And yeah, I see the drops on the screen. And that's not always on him. obviously. What's his name against Kansas City when they were at home had the fumble, the young receivers, Zay Flowers, had a brutal game. But right out of the gate, like Lamar Jackson wasn't awesome. Teams have seen him. They don't know how to game plan for him. He needs to become a different quarterback in the postseason. And that's not a knock. It's just a reality. Right now, that's the only kryptonite he has. The calendar turns to January and all of a sudden Lamar Jackson, oh, shoot, what are we getting here? Are we in trouble? I mean, look at the numbers. Three and five in the

complete your percentage down, passer rating down. It hasn't been great. Now, you're playing the best of the best, but for a two-time MVP, that to me is his weakness. I don't want to hear this leadership nonsense. All right, let's go back to the NBA and bring in Yovon Buha, who covers the league. He covers the Lakers closely.

Let's welcome in. Yovan, who's, listen, the last time he was here, absolute fire. And now the pressure's on. Yovon, obviously, not just because you're a free agent. But also there's some pre-agent stuff swirling around. And Lakers fans want to know right now, what is the status with DeAndre Aitin and Los Angeles?

My understanding is he's likely going to make his decision today. He clears waivers at 5 p.m. Eastern time. There's a bit of a DeAndre Aiton sweepstakes going on right now for a guy who's on a $35 million contract gets bought out, and now is going to be in that probably $8 to $14 million range. So you got a couple of options. with the full non-taxpayer MLE, Golden State in Indiana, both need starting centers. Indiana just lost Miles Turner. They also have a relationship with Aiton. They offered him a

max contract offer sheet back in 2022, which he signed. So there was a second there where it looked like he was going to be their center of the future. Then you got the Lakers who only have $8.25 million because they split part of that MLE on Jake Laravia. So I think the Lakers probably provide the best opportunity. You're going to be in the spotlight. You're going to be starting playing with Luca, potentially playing with LeBron, and theoretically being on a team with some contending. Right. So I think that's the best opportunity for him, but also like money talks and other teams

can offer him more money. I mean, he got a number one pick money. He got a second contract, which is huge. Yeah. I mean, $14 million versus $8. If it just comes down to that, Lakers are going to lose out on that. And he's still getting the $25 million from Portland. So he would be taking like, I guess, a $1.7.

million shaving off of that 35 if he goes to the Lakers. Actually, if he goes to the other teams, he can technically make more money on top of the 35 because it would be an offset of like four extra million dollars. But I think right now that they're weighing their options is my understanding, him and his camp. But it sounds like around the time of him clearing waivers, we should have a better idea. From just a fit perspective, I got to ask, like culturally, did you read the article about him where it's like he was late to flights and practice. He couldn't make it to a game because of icy roads.

There was a lot of stuff that apparently trickled out in Portland. They were like, we got to get this guy out of here. And now the Lakers want to bring him in? Yeah, I mean, that's certainly concerning. But if you look at the center options right now and free agency, the alternative is a 39-year-old Al Horford, who I think. I would go Al-Horford. I like Al-Horford.

I just think, you know, in comparison to like rebounding, rim protection, I think Yon-Dreaton as a 26-year-old is just out of day. different level than Al Horford right now. Like they were load managing Al Horford and Boston, right? And I don't think he's a guy who can hold up over the course of an 82 game season. So I think the Lakers need a legit starting center. And Aiton is one. Okay.

There are some flaws and there are some drawbacks. I think he's very talented. He's very skilled. Of course, there have been times where it seems like the motor or the motivation have not always been there. And I think that's something that, you know, he's in a contract year effectively. So he's going to have to prove himself. He doesn't really stretch the floor.

He doesn't get to the foul line. He's not, I mean, I saw the video of him catching some lobs, but he's not like the lively Gafford type. He's more of a throwback, a back-to-the-basket guy. All seven years, he's averaged a double-double. So, like, you are getting a baseline level of rebounding with him, shot 80% at the rim last year, which I think, you know, that's not all dunks, but he's got a soft touch with hook shots, floaters.

I think the offensive skill is there. I think he's arguably the best. like realistic offensive option they could get. It's the defensive end that I'm interested to see. But some of his rim protection numbers are good, good defensive rebounder. Like you could certainly do worse, which I would argue the Lakers did last year with their center. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

So, so Aiton, let's say Aiton picks the Warriors or whoever. Oh, wow. They're just sending me some breaking news. Are you ready for this? Sure. It's not Lakers related. The Knicks are expected to land Mike Brown as the next head coach of the franchise. So not a huge surprise.

And we'll come back to the next to the second. He was the favorite. So if the Lakers don't get Aiton and then Al Horford, is there anyone else out there? I mean, Luke Cornet got way too much money. He would have been the starting center of the Lakers. Yeah. I mean, Jackson Hayes is still out there. Alex Lenn.

Can I sell you? Can I sell you? There's precious Achua from New York, who's an interesting name. Yeah. But I think at that point they have to pivot. it and make a trade. Really, at that, like... But then who do they have to trade? Rui or Austin Reeves? Depends on the salary for the player.

Like, a guy like Walker Kessler who is like... I don't think they're getting Walker Kessler, but like that, he's on a rookie scale contract so you could do something, like the Mark Williams package of Dalton Connect, a first, a swap, something like that, where you're not really giving up much in salary and you're trading a bench player for a starter. So like, that's probably the optimal trade. Oh, if they could get Walker Kessler for $2.00. I don't think they're getting Walker Kessler, but could they get a Nick Claxton

from Brooklyn? Could they get a Gafford from Dallas, Circle the Block with Nico? Let's quickly talk about Dallas. And there's a LeBron. There's so much stuff. Actually, I'm sorry, let me go back to Jake LaRavia. A lot of Laker fans are outraged. And there's all these memes around what the hell is Jake LaRavia,

but you told me something that I hadn't seen online about Jake Luravia. What's a connection of the Lakers? Shares an agency with Austin Reeves. And he actually did an interview this summer, and at the end of the interview, he pans, and he's in the car with Austin Reeves. So they were spending some time together this offseason.

So assuming Austin put on his recruiting hat and told him about his experience in L.A. and what it's like to be a Laker, and that was a selling point for sure. But I will say, I've been in the lab diving into the Jake La Ravia film. Okay. And it's impressive for a 23-year-old. Here we go. Look, this guy is a former first round pick from, you know, he's played three years. And he played in Memphis and Sacramento.

So though, like, he's not a household name. He's playing in two small markets that don't get a lot of attention. He was a bench player. But they're counting on him to, in some ways, be the Dorian Finney Smith replacement. And, like, watching his film, I have a film breakdown coming out on my YouTube channel later. And, like, he's guarding Yokic and he's doing the caruso of fronting him, deflecting entry passes. He's switching on to Tatum and Kauai.

Like, he's, I think people will. look at him and they don't expect him to be good defensively, but he is actually pretty good against wings. And then 43% three-point shooter last year. So like, I think he can actually do some things for them. And $6 million, like we're talking about, you know, not even half the mid-level. Like, I think that's pretty good value. So when you said La Ravia shares an agent with Rief, I instantly, you know, I'm going next step, they're not trading Austin Reeves. He's sticking around. You don't do that move with Reeves's agent. You clearly like the agent and you trust him and you like Reeves and the work ethic for Loravia. So they're not moving off.

Boston Reese. Can we just put that to bed or no? I think so for this summer. Of course, we'll see how next season goes. And now there's this talk of them having this 2027 plan and trying to keep the cap sheet flexibility to go get a second superstar in the summer of 2027 or maybe trade for one going into that summer. So I think depending on how this next season goes with him, how he fares in the playoffs.

And then also what type of contract he gets, I think all those are factors that could determine whether he ultimately gets traded at some point in the playoffs. the future. But for this summer, they've been telegraphing it. Like, they've called him a pillar of the franchise. They offered him the max contract extension that they could. It was below market value, so he didn't take it. But I think he is someone who is going to be a part of the Lakers for at least next season. And then we'll see ultimately with the next contract.

Okay, so let's go to the breaking news here. So the Knicks move off Tibbs last month and now bring in Mike Brown. I'll bring it to LeBron in a second. First of all, I'm curious. Do you think Mike Brown is an upgrade over Tibido? I think it's close. I think from a personality perspective, he is, and that's always the variable here that is hard to quantify

of just Tibbs can be grading on people. Like we have enough of sample size of that. Some players just don't mesh well with that. And I think that old school style of coaching has kind of gone away in the NBA. So I think from a personality perspective, especially going to, it feels like Golden State is the place as a,

retread head coach you want to go to join that assistant coaching staff and learn from Steve Kerr kind of the modern way of coaching which I think is a more player-friendly approach. So I think from that perspective, he will be in terms of X's and O's defense, like it tips is pretty good in that regard. I think he'll play a deeper rotation. So I think that's probably an upgrade. Sometimes you just need a new voice. Tibbs was there for five years and does feel like with the coaching cycle now, guys get three

to five years and you got to try to maximize that. So I'll ask you about Mike Brown dating back to his early, Brawn days. Can you really judge Mike Brown from coaching LeBron 150 games, 150 lost in the conference finals, 1-6th? I don't really count that. So then you've got one year with the Lakers, and then he got fired the next year, like five games in.

And then he was pretty good in Sacramento. I don't really know. But what some of my Knicks friends are saying, Jay, there's one potential landing spot for LeBron. And that could be the New York Knicks. The Cavs would probably have to give up too much. Mike Brown knows LeBron. What about LeBron getting traded to the Knicks for an OG Mitchell Robinson, whatever?

Do you think there's any world where LeBron gets traded? I think there's a world, but I think it's, I would put the odds very low right now. I mean, he has not asked for a trade. There's been no discussion between Rich Paul and the Lakers about a potential trade. It's hard to look at that statement and not read into it and then see the subsequent actions by the Lakers of not retaining Doreen Phine Smith and then signing a 23-year-old in Jake La Ravia, then having this report come out that they're looking at 2027 as the summer to really get that second star build around Luca.

So the moves they're making are trending in a younger short-term window and not necessarily win now maximize LeBron's 23rd season, maximize LeBron's potential 24th season. So if I'm LeBron, and I think they kind of put it out in statement, like it's been a good partnership that they've had seven years together. He won a championship. He benefited from the Lakers brand. They benefited from him coming there, bringing AD there, winning a championship. So like, it's been a mutually beneficial partnership. I just think at this point, if you're LeBron, it's hard to, like, I think right now they're probably

the fifth best team in the West. And that's not a spot that LeBron. Wait, who the top? Let me guess. Houston, Denver, OKC. Who's the other one? Minnesota. Back-to-back conference finals. I mean, they lost, nah. But that's a big loss. It is a big loss. But, I mean, I think. They just beat the Lakers in five. You could argue the Lakers are currently worse than they were. I thought you were going to say Golden State? I mean, Golden State's in the mix.

The Clippers are in the mix. I really like the Brooke Lopez signing for them. So the West is tough. And then you got Dallas just looming. So Dallas. So you see on the screen, 14s have required about LeBron. Everybody says it's Dallas. After the Luca trade, I cannot envision a world where they're doing another deal.

I'm part of the everybody because I put it out there. Like I heard over the last couple weeks that if LeBron asks out, which is an if, right? That Dallas would be among the teams. That would be on his list. Let's just humor me. Who the hell are they getting for LeBron? They're not giving up.

I've been on the trade machine. They're not giving up Cooper Flagg. No. So I think Cooper Flagg, A.D., Kyrie, Derek Lively, those four are off the table. I can't get lively? I don't think so. I mean, maybe, but. Yeah, I think it's Gafford, PJ Washington, Clay Thompson,

Max Christie, those four work financially. I don't even want picks from Dallas. Throw in a pick. No, I don't want picks. They're going to be good. You could get the Lakers. They could get their pick back from the Luca trade, potentially. Yeah.

Can I get Super Max Christie back? No. Yeah, I mean, it's not, yeah. So Dallas is one. Cleveland is another. And it just so happens. But they're a second apron team, so that's, it gets tricky. Did you see the Instagram today of LeBron in Ohio playing golf wearing a hat that

says welcome home? Yeah. Okay. Go ahead and give me your thoughts on it because he loves to play these games. He does. From the statement from Rich Paul, the Lakers seem to counter with their own, 2027, and now LeBron countering with his welcome home. Part for the course, aha golf analogy.

Or is there something more here? I think there's a little bit more here just because the finish line is in sight, right? So again, going back to LeBron. Because LeBron has done this before, right? He's at various points of his career, held his team, their feet to the fire with the one plus ones and some of the cryptic things he'll do. and he went to the Cleveland playoff game. And like, so there's been a little bit of smoke with that, right?

But it's different to actually ask out, right? And demand a trade. He's never been traded. I think that's been a point of pride for him that he, you know, look at all. Even though he's bounced around a little bit, it's always been him making the decision, him being the driving force behind it. He's never been traded, which not every star, especially stars that have been on multiple teams can say.

So I think that's a point of pride. But again, the finish line's in sight. It's one year left. It's maybe two years, three years, if you really wanted to stretch it out. And if he wants to get that fifth ring, you could argue there are several teams that would make more sense. Are you tossing in like Atlanta, Detroit or anything? So I think it has to be a big market. I don't see it because people have floated Denver, which now it's a little trickier.

Like I think MPJ would have had to have been the salary and they just trade for Cam Johnson. But that one, I'm just like, I don't see LeBron living in Denver and playing for Denver. So that's why the four I mentioned on my show were Golden State, New York, Cleveland, Dallas. Cleveland's the one small market, but that's obviously home. And you got the homecoming narrative for the second time. But then Dallas, Golden State, New York are all big market teams. Yeah. All right.

Let's go from LeBron to Luca Donchitz. So I opened the show defending Luca. The disrespect is getting a little out of control. Yeah. Have you heard the Avery Johnson sound about he was asked, who would you rather have Cooper, Flag, or Luca Donchich? I think we can play it for you. Here's Avery Johnson. Give me Cooper flag.

Really? Cooper flag in this team. Yeah, give me Cooper flag, man. You're talking about a team when they're healthy. Got three future Hall of Famers with Kyrie A.D. and Clay Thompson. So this is really exciting. The Mavericks, their future is bright, but they have a window when they're healthy if the next two to three years with this roster has currently constructed.

Okay, listen, Avery Johnson is a smart guy. He probably knows more basketball than you and I combined. Yeah. This is just crazy. Is his back poop crazy? Yes. Correct. Correct.

Why are people waiting on Luca? Like, one bad season. And by the way, hey, if he had rushed back from his calf like Nico Harrison wanted, would he be Tyrese Halliburton now? I don't know. Yeah. I mean, maybe it's the jersey he's wearing now. Oh.

I think that comes with some, some extra criticism sometimes. I mean, I do think the way, like, I think some of the stuff that came out from the Dallas side has been taken as gospel, right, with the conditioning and their concerns. And it almost was like, we cannot believe that this trade is real.

So we have to validate anything that's coming from their side to even make it plausible that they would consider trading Luca. And now, of course, Nico's still gotten his fair share of jokes and he's been roasted and, you know, we'll probably be roasted forever. But I think there has been like a tarnishing of Luca and his image and just his status in the league. Because I think for a lot of people, he was like a top two or top three player pre-Lakers trade. Now he's being talked about in like top five, top seven, top ten.

First of all, he's slipping. Would you take SGA over Luca going forward right now? I think you asked me this last time I was on. I'm asking again because he's now finals MVP. I think I would. Oh, come on. But more so, it's, it's a. It's more of the defense, I think.

I think that's the real knock on Lucas. You have to build a particular lineup. And now we have the proof of concept with SGA of like, I think previously I had some concerns. Could SGA be the best player? We hadn't seen it yet. That was one thing we had discussed of talking about him versus Hardin. It was like, can he get over that hump? Can you get to the finals?

Can you win a championship? He did it and he was awesome. And so I think for now, I think Shea deserves his props, MVP, finals MVP. I think both were deserved. But, you know, I think I'll say it's close. Like, I think Luca's probably the third or fourth best player. It's right there with Yannis. So I was going to ask you this, but now it probably hurts your chances.

So your background is Eastern European, right? It's because I follow, you know, in Serbian and stuff. Right. What's Luca's background? He's Slovenian. But they're close Balkan region, former Yugoslavia. And then his dad has some Serbian roots. When he's going back this summer, are you headed back there to maybe?

So he is actually going to be in Serbia in August. They're playing a friendly against Serbia. We were actually talking about it at the end of the season. Luca and I, after the Lakers were eliminated, we're walking to... Was that in a different language? No, we were talking in English. We have done a little talking to Serbia. I speak a little bit.

I wish I spoke fluently. Got to brush up on that. You know, walking to the car area, you know, doing the sideling. We were chatting. And I was saying, might be going this summer. And he was saying when he was going to be there. So maybe. It's TBD right now.

Well, it would have helped your chances to say, of course, Luca over SGA. Yeah. Welcome you and do it. No, I mean, I've spoken very highly of Luca. Yeah. I, you know, I think he's, again, I think Luca over Cooper Flag, 10 out of 10 times. Obviously. Like, we'll see with Flag, right? He could develop into that type of player. But I think Luca is clearly the engine of you can win a title with him as your best player, your number one option. Cooper Flag, I think, like, maybe he's more of number two, but could be, because he could do so many other things, and he's like, like a defensive player of the year type defender like, I don't know, more like a Kevin Garnett

or something like that where, you know, I don't know if he's the number one option, but he can do so many other things that it makes up for it. All right, last one. I thought the Lakers would be in the mix to get some, not ring chasers, but oh damn, I could play with Luca and LeBron. And then I see like Tim Hardaway's going to the Nuggets. I mean, that's got to hurt, right? Those guys could have been huge for the Lakers to get just shooters. Yeah. So with that, I would say right now there's just the hold up with the Aiton situation. and what they do with their non-taxpayer MLE. They have the biannual exception, 5.1 million.

So I think there are going to be some guys that, you know, Chris Paul. I don't think he's probably one of the Lakers. It seems more like the Clippers. Oh, gosh, Chris, what the hell? But, like D. Anthony Melton is a name I like who, a former. Wasn't he hurt last year? Trojan, yeah. He tore his ACL last year.

So that's the reason why he's available. But is a defensive energy guard, I think a good guard off the bench. Gary Payton II is still out there, a mere coffee. Clipper bench wing who is athletic score. So there's some names that I think the Lakers could sign depending on what they have available. But I think you'll see them get, like right now

it's just being held up by once they have the clarity with Aiton, then they'll move forward. A hot, super hot take just hit me. Why the hell not? Celtics don't have Tatum next year. It would never happen. But what if there was a, hey, Jalen Brown, let's get them off our books.

We'll take LeBron for a year. He can do his victory lap with the Celtics, lead us to, I don't know what, in the East. And you guys can have Jalen Brown, because they're not going to be able to pay Tatum and Brown $65 million each and build a team. That's pretty clear. Any shot the Celtics get involved for LeBron?

I think LeBron would rather retire and play for the Celtics. Well said. And he's got the no trade clause, so he would block it. He could fix it. All right, I had to fire it out. Why not? Right, coming up next, wait until you see what Shohey Otani did last night for the Dodgers. Alex has the latest in Herd Line. That's next.

One more Herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hi, this is Jay. I'm the producer of the Pauli and Tony Fusco show. Usually in these promos, they ask you to listen to the show. I'm here to ask you, please don't listen to this show. The host are two absolute morons who have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable. Don't listen to this show so it can get canceled. Whoa, what the hell are you doing in our studio?

Get him, Paulie! Ignore that fool. Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco show on the IHart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. He's still moving. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news.

We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey, Jones?

guys. I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. We were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas.

And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remember. that guys listen to hey jonas on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast just listen we don't care where you hear it another podcast from some s nl late night comedy guy not quite unhumor me with robert smigle and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odin kirk to davidler help make you funnier this week my guess s n l's mikey day and head writer streeter sidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter where does your group perform. We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's

telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source. athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral

moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12. and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness.

So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive?

The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back.

Great stuff from Yovan Buha on the Lakers. I know you guys are a little fed up. A lot of Lakers content today, but they're in the news. What do you want me to do? Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News.

Jayback, I love our head NBA coach breaking news street that we have going. It's now three for three because according to several reports and Nicks are offering Mike Brown, their vacant. head coaching position. Brown most recently coached to Sacramento Kings and has been named Coach of the Year twice. Brown also won championships as an assistant coach in Golden State and

San Antonio. I mean, he has quite the impressive resume. Do you like this fit for the Knicks? Is this your team? Yeah. I mean, first time they were in Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.

This was a record-setting year for the Knicks. shocked everybody what they did, but now makes more sense as more is coming out, I guess. But is this the right fit? In a word, yeah, I like it. You know, you never want to go too overboard, Alex. But I walked into the morning meeting this morning, even before the Mike Brown stuff. I was like, you know, I had a good night sleep last night, not to channel cowher doing it.

But I woke up and I'm feeling the Knicks going to the finals next year. I like a couple small moves they made, fortify their bench. I like the bright Mike Brown move. good coach he won with lebron uh he's been in the golden state system i thought he they showed well in sacramento where nobody can win michel malone couldn't win in sacramento yeah and and i just i like mike brown a lot i think this is really good news for the nix okay i'm calling it the nix will be the NBA finals for the east next season whoa i don't even know who their competition is orlando cleveland let me see belive land yeah i mean calves i mean celtics not going to be the same team

Pacer is not going to be the same team Bucks. We have no idea what to expect. So, yeah, I think it's Knicks and Cavs. Definitely a top two teams in the East. I mean, the Bucks, to me, are a play-in team. I don't even think they're good. Detroit's going to be good. It's going to depend if Yannis is there.

Yeah. Like, we can't really make any kind of prediction until you know who's going to be on that roster. They can have their star player. I mean, they're going to be healthy. Paul George, Embed, M. Maxie. I like their pick.

They got a lot of stuff. Sixers are sleepy, maybe four or five. They're going to go from, what, 13th in the east? to four, five, six? Yeah, I think that's reasonable. That's a good job. So the Knicks went to the conference finals, lost in, I think, six.

Pacers aren't going to be as good next year, lost two starters. Knicks staying put, add a good coach, and add two reliable bench players. Like, they're gonna be real, you guys can, remember, it was year one with adding bridges and towns. Yeah. Like, can we just let things bake? Is it the right fit?

Is it the right personality fit? Is it the right chemistry fit? We've seen this happen with a lot of top players and coaches. It really can turn a franchise around. Is this the right? Brunson loved tips. They had a deep history dating back to like his childhood. That is probably a sting there.

But, you know, Brown, you got to win the locker. He's a winner. Yeah. But he's a winning coach. It's good. That's a, I think the first big step. Yeah. There.

Okay, let's move to the NFL. A wide receiver, Chris Godwin, turned down, turned some heads when he decided to stay in Tampa and free agency after the Patriots reportedly offered him more money. Now, Baker Mayfield wasn't surprised, saying the Bucks have a great culture full of guys who don't need the spotlight. Mayfield went on to Abbe that the Bucks are a bunch of good guys who just want to win. Now, we've seen almost all of the Bucks tough guys take less money to stay and try to win another Super Bowl, something that Tom Brady kind of did when he came in and set the culture there, very similar to what he did in New England, because Tom always took less money in order to build the roster around him

and be able to go out and win Super Bowls. If you think about it, since Brady left, New England kind of went downhill. The Bucks have controlled the NFC South. They've won the NFC South the last four years. And it's always a question you ask these athletes. It's like, do you want the bag or do you want the ring? And there's no wrong answer here. Because as an athlete, you have a very small window to make your money, but you usually can't have both.

So this Bucks franchise and what we're hearing from all their top guys is they want to try to go. They want to try to go for the chips opposed to the bag. I don't see. So that's a good discussion. The NFL shelf life, you know this. NFL stands not for long. I think you absolutely have to get the bag in the NFL. There's no, there's no wrong.

There is no wrong answer for an athlete here, okay? Because you don't know, your career could be three years, could be ten years. Really only quarterbacks and top, top tier players that are above that ten year mark. Yeah, most positions, you get early thirties in the NFL and it's probably over. Your body is done. NBA less so. I think you have a little longer runway. So I would say, well, I mean, do rings really matter that much?

Legacy. Yes. Yes. Alex in the NFL, do we? But again, what's important to you? This is a personal question to an athlete. Give me generational wealth, end of story. Like, what?

Okay, then there you go. You're going to take the bag. Yeah. That's where you would go. I would want to go championship. Well, at what age? At 25, give me the bag. At 35, give me the chip.

Yeah, but if you take the bag at 25, that's going to affect your career because you're not going to be on a team that's probably able to compete for the championship. So then it's just it term view, Alex? Not really. Like, okay, do you think, let me think of a guy. Like, well, not Dan Murray.

Like Mark Clayton, who played wide receiver for Dan Marine on the Dolph's way back. Do you think he's like ever just around and somebody's like, oh, Mark, what's up? Man, you never won that Super Bowl. Like, he's not thinking about like, oh, yeah, I got generational wealth. My family's set. I can travel anywhere I want. If you are like a hardcore athlete, yes, you're thinking about that concept. Constantly, yeah, never won that chip.

That was the one ding on my career. Like, that's why you play the game. That's why everybody, that's what you dream about as a kid. You know, whatever sport you're going into is hoisting that trophy, getting that championship ring. That should be your number one goal always if you're playing a sport. And then obviously you're going to make millions of dollars. You're sacrificing your body and your life and everything else.

But it's okay. Again, it's so different. for every athlete and there is no wrong answer. Because this is your life and your career. Well, I definitely, I, you know, I would like the bag and then I set my family up for generations. Okay. But I would love a championship later in my career. I know this is small potatoes and don't laugh.

I tried to have your cake and eat it too. I want that too. You don't. You don't. You don't. And you look at the goat. Look at Tom Brady. He always took less money.

So always took less money. Well, he is, remember, Jazeel was making $500 million or whatever is. It helps. She made more than him. So in these men's leagues I play in, you know, Matt Liner was all my team's pastings and we won the championship. So we're at a banner in the gym, so everybody knows it's us. But then you play in the tougher league and I'm like, I don't need to play minutes, guys. I just want the championship.

But in the 35 and up league, I'm jacking, you know, like I'm shooting a lot. So like I want my cake and I want to eat it too. What's wrong with that? There's not. But in this scenario, you're most likely not going to get both because you can't build a around when you have so many big contracts. And if you're Tampa Bay, it's going to be very tough. No.

Yeah. They're at best fifth in the NFC, maybe. Yeah. Eagles, clearly better. I think Niners are clearly better. Lions. Oh, yeah. I'm calling this up.

Washington. Yeah, like the Packers probably. Rams. It's going to be tough. Rams. So like, it's going to be very tough. It's going to be really tough. But I mean, that's the attitude you have to take if you want to compete.

You got to keep. Keep all of your top guys. And they're like in an easier division. So you're able to take the NFC South. Yeah. All right. Let's move to baseball. Wrap things up with baseball.

Another day. Another Otani home run. Shohei leads the National League with 30 home runs. This is Otani's third straight season of hitting at least 30 bombs before the All-Star game tying Kang Griffey Jr. For third most all-time and tied Coley Bellinger for most home runs before the All-Star break in Dodgers history, that 2019 season Beliger went on to win the NL MVP. What I love right now is that we're seeing the two reigning MVPs, Aaron Judge and

Shohei Otani, tied right now with 30 home runs. Like they are both just going off. Still not as much as the big dumper, Cal Raleigh, who's the catcher in Seattle, who is leading all of baseball in home runs, which is absolutely phenomenal. But, Otani, I try to remind people, just appreciate greatness when it's right in front of your face. This kid is a unicorn and a gift for the game of baseball. We are never going to see a player like this again. He has already cemented his name in baseball, in these record books. And this one, this is a very, I think, unbreakable record that Otani's setting right now.

He has the most home runs in a season with multiple pitching starts. No one's ever going to be able to break that record. You don't think a pitcher is going to hit 46 home runs? No, absolutely. I don't think we're going to see another two-way power hitter pitcher. I don't know about that. Like we're seeing Otani. Seeing an ace on the mound and a power hitter?

So you think we're going to see another. No one's going to be able to beat this record. I think young kids are going to see this and be like I can do both. motivate, but it's different. It's, O-Tani has a different, he had a different upbringing mentality. He went to like a baseball boarding school. Baseball was his life. And how, how strict he is with his training and his time management.

Like, before he started his family, like, it was all baseball. That's all he did. He would eat, sleep, breathe baseball. Even out on the road, you wouldn't hear him being out with the other guys. just be in his room, watching tape. Literally, he is, baseball is life. If you ask my wife, she would say,

that's my husband for sports. Basically, that's what I was, you know, in my 20s. I was like, I need to build this website, do all this. Anyways, we have sound, Alex, of Otani's home run last night. Here we go. AM 570. Otani awaits the 3-2 pitch from Shane Smith. Here it comes.

He swings. It's a high drive to right field. Way back it goes, and this ball has gone. A home run. Joe Hay O'Tonnie with a blast. His 30th of the season. Decent 1-16 exit below. Like, he just makes it look so easy.

And he has so much fun. And he has so much respect for the game. He's one of the only batterers that goes up says hi to the umpires every time. Oh, I love that. When the benches were clearing, he got. hit by the pitch when they're playing the Padres. He's the one that went over and like calm the dugout down both dugouts. Like guys, stop.

This is a part of the game. Like, it's just, he's so good for the game and the face of baseball right now. I just, it's so fun to watch. All right, Alex, with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. All right, so coming up next, I got a loyalty rant to go on.

And I'm telling you guys, like, listen, these new NBC. rules. They are not good and loyalty. It's out the window. That's next year on The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news,

huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we, how do we, actually come up with a name hey Jonas guys

I honestly don't remember I think it was on a call about what we should call it and well we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was this is how you guys remember it going down yes I have a very different memory of this

we were talking about a thing a bit for the podcast people could call in and say hey Jonas and then I wrote down on my little notepad hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth.

He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across.

When Jacob met Levant, this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life.

Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs,

the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Alex Palo looks to continue his legendary season and hold off award, New Gordon, Kirkwood, and the rest of the pack as the IndyCar series roars into Mid-Ohio, Sunday at 1 Eastern on Fox.

All right, let me talk about this loyalty thing I just teased. It's weird. We don't really have this in the NFL, but it's a thing in the NBA. Fans of that team, really want guys to stay. And I totally get that, right? Owners, when they find good players, they should do everything in their power to keep them.

So yesterday something weird happened with Miles Turner of the Pacers. Out of the blue. And I mean, just totally, nobody saw this coming. He leaves the Pacers for the Milwaukee Bucks. And all these Pacers fans are scratching their heads. Wait, what? All signs during the playoff run pointed to him staying. You guys might have remembered, like a month ago, early in the playoffs,

I said, man, Miles Turner would be a great fit with the Lakers. If they could get him on the cheap, oh, that would be such a heist. And of course, the playoffs go on, and Turner's very, very good. And there's like, yeah, there's no way they're going to get him. He's staying in Indy. The Pacers, during the NBA finals, even made a move telegraphing. They want to keep Turner. They traded their 2025 first round pick.

They don't want it to pay somebody, so they got a 26 first. So they're paying Turner. And then Tyrese Halliburton gets hurt. in game seven. And Turner was, he was okay in the finals. He wasn't great. He averaged like 10 and four. And it's not great when you're six foot, 10 center,

seven foot, whatever you want to call him. He's averaging four rebounds a game. That's like less than knee Smith, OB Topin, like it wasn't great. But it's tough to find guys like that who can stretch the floor and hit threes, be a rim protector. I know he's a no-time All-Star.

But all signs point to the Pacers keeping him. And now reports are coming out that the Pacers, cheap owner, did not, want to go into the luxury tax because they don't think they can win a championship next year without Halliburton. And according to reports, the Pacers only offered him three years, $20 million. I'm sorry, 60 million, which is 20 mil a year. So the Pacers, to keep a guy who they've had for 10 years, the longest tenured Pacer on the roster, a guy who dealt with trade rumors for the last five years, they offered him three for 60 mil, 20 mil a year. The buck said, whoa.

We can offer for an extra year for 107. So that's like $26 million a year. Of course he's going to take more money. Of course. And I just, this whole idea of loyalty, hey, attorney, you should have stayed with us. No. The Pacer's owner cheaped out. Now, there are reports he hasn't been in the luxury tax in over 20 years.

He don't want to cut that check, except things have changed. You went to the conference finals. And now you're in the NBA finals in game seven and you lose your star until you lose the game. And all of a sudden you get cheap. All these new rules for the second apron and the punitive taxes, that's to prevent the big markets and the super teams from dominating the league. Isn't it not supposed to prevent small market teams like the Pacers from keeping their guy? Or the Memphis Grizzlies who pretty quickly realized, shucks, we can't do this with Jay. J, Triple J, Bain and Job, we got to get off Bain.

We don't want to have to pay the luxury tax. So what all these owners wanted is now starting to hurt them. And you can't do this on the cheap where you got no loyalty. He's just saying, hey, Miles, sorry, man, Halliburton got hurt. We can't offer you the big bag anymore. What? I'm stunned, folks. Pacers fans should be outrage.

So should Pacers players. Coming up next. Luca, USA Soccer, Big Weekend. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy. 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 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. Winning on Clay is an art.

the rallies are relentless, and at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no-nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French name. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lennarabakhina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcasts on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get.

Get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.