The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - NBA, Warriors

Episode Date: June 21, 2022

Colin lists the most important players in NBA history The Warriors parade and their validation after winning without Kevin Durant Guest: Mark FewSee 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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Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

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

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go.

Hour 2. Live in L.A., it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. The draft is Thursday, by the way. So one of the top players, Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga, their coach is going to be on a couple minutes. So it's the draft this Thursday. It is considered a very strong draft. I told you the player that I watched that jumped out of the TV set to me.

I told you this a month ago. Jaden Ivy, the guard from Purdue. I think he's a better shooter potentially than John Morant, although I don't think he has sort of the point guard feel quite of John Morant, but he can be very jaw-like, jaw-dropping, that he just jumps out of a television set he played for Purdue this year. He's the guy that if you get him on your team, he'll sell tickets.

It's a little combo of Westbrook and John Morant, and he's a shooter. He can score. He is wildly athletic. and I watched some big 10 games on FS1 this year, and it didn't take you long one or two times up the floor. Jaden Ivy is electric. Homegren's a good player. Duke's got a star.

Auburn's got a star. You're seeing more SEC basketball players go up in this draft. So it's considered a very, very strong draft with five or six, fairly dynamic, marketable, interesting players that will play a lot early and will star early. You know, we saw Jaws starred immediately. Zion starred immediately. Anthony Edwards starred very quickly. So, you know, you do get the occasional 19-year-old that walks into this sport and boom.

We also have young teams, Houston's picking three. So Orlando, OKC, Houston, Sack, and Detroit. These kids are starting. Yeah, some teams that are going to have them out there right away, along with some other young players that they brought in recently. So, you know, kind of what happened with John and Memphis was they were young and were able to develop together. So it'll be interesting to see how it goes. So, you know, there's been a lot of debating, and we don't do a debate show here about, you know, who are the 10 best basketball players of all time? And I thought, you know, what does best mean? It's easier for me to get my arms around impactful and important. You know, my wife's the most important person in our family. That's an easy one. Best? What does that mean?

is best points, is it MVP's? I mean, if you're going to put best in, you can argue that Bill Russell wasn't as talented as wilt. Russell won 11 titles. It's the most ever. It's almost double Jordan. So I thought, I'm going to tell you who I believe are the most important players in the history of the NBA for a variety of reasons, but I don't think you can argue their importance. And so in no real order. I just think I'm going to go in like chronological order in terms of eras. So the first one I would mention is Bill Russell. Not only did he win 11 NBA championships, so he's the winningest player in league history.

He was a coach. He was in a broadcaster when I was a kid growing up. He defined what it was about. It wasn't about blocking shots. It was about blocking the ball to a teammate. Russell was all about winning. And that is still what we love. most about players today.

Bill Russell, one of the 10 most important players in league history. I would follow that with Jerry West, the logo. Not only was Jerry a great player. I don't know if you knew this. He played 14 years in the league. He was an all-star every year. He then became an architect for arguably the most popular team in league history, the Showtime Lakers.

He built that puppy. and he's also part of the winning time movie we're seeing right now. Jerry West is so important to the history and marketability of the NBA. Third, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was in the early 70s when he won a title in Milwaukee and then told the team privately, trade me. I'm not going to go public. He became the league's all-time leading score.

He's the only player in league history with six championships and six MVP's, 20 years 19 All-Star Games. He was in the movie Airplane, often stoic and prickly. He's the greatest score ever, the most unstoppable shot ever. And again, in the history of the Lakers, there have been more popular players, never one is dominant. Then I would go Dr. Jay. The term posterized, he added flare to the league. He also legitimized the ABA, which remains one of the great sports stories of all

time. He then was the best player in that league, came to the NBA, and was arguably the best player in that league. He had one of the early shoe contracts, if I remember, with Converse, scored over 30,000 points between both leagues. To me, he's arguably the most memorable player from my childhood, Dr. Jay. I'll put magic and bird in together. They joined the league together in 79. The league was in trouble. There were several broke franchises. It wasn't terribly marketable. The championship, the finals was on tape delay after the late news. They had a college rivalry briefly, Indiana State and Michigan State met for the championship. Later became friends, but it was the Celtics, it was the Laker, it was hard-nosed Larry Bird,

it was Showtime Magic, hugely, hugely valuable to the domestic product. Then Michael Jordan that made the sport global, arguably the greatest player ever, the most marketed player ever, made over a billion dollars from Nike. According to Forbes, his brand is now worth $10 billion, 10 times LeBron. Now think about that. Ten times scoring champ. And I would argue the most memorable and dynamic player in league history. After that, Kobe Bryant, do you know Kobe's shoes this year were worn by 90 players?

they were the most worn shoe in the league. All-time leading score in the most noteworthy franchise in this league, the Los Angeles Lakers. An 18-time All-Star closest thing we've ever seen to Michael with the same level of artistry. LeBron James, second most points in league history, popularized mobility, empowered the players, has opinions about politics, which are polarizing to some, but has never backed down. He has won championships Miami, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. Still remains a top five player in the league two decades in. And finally, Steph Curry, who literally changed the game.

It looks different at the high school, AU, college, and professional level. From G League to international, we play basketball differently, analytically, because of Steph Curry. Four titles in eight years. I also think he's made it incredibly cool to be selfless. Always an underrated facet at all levels of basketball. Ten best, I don't know. Ten most important players in professional basketball history.

That's my list. Make of it what you will. Mark Few doesn't think of himself as important, but he does have the winningest percentage all time in men's basketball head coaches. All time. 83%. That's a lot of Ws. I bet he doesn't remember half the Ws.

He remembers every loss because I know, Mark, the losses eat him alive. So the draft is Thursday. And you obviously have a tremendous player, Chet Holmgren. And it's interesting because when I look at drafts, Mark, I always look at comps. And I'm like, well, he can dribble. Like, KD, you coach KD at the Olympics. He's not KD, maybe the score. but he's got some skills.

He's uniquely skilled for his size. Is it Dirk Nevetsky? Is it KD? What is your comp? Is there a professional comp to him? Gosh, Colin, I don't know if there is a comp to him. I mean, he is really, really unique in so many aspects. As you mentioned, he's incredibly skilled.

Got a great feel for the game. It has that great ability to take the ball off the backboard and lead a break. And either he can pull up from three or he can take it all the way to the rack or he can create for others. The interesting thing about him and talking with a lot of the GMs and coaches is he is really, really, really tough. I mean, he is physically tough, even though maybe his body doesn't, you know, belie that and look like it really really tough he doesn't shy away from physicality

and and extremely mentally tough he's got a belief in himself and a conviction in what he can do and he was a great teammate too I mean we all you know we all knew what he was going to be here for a short period of time he was just a wonderful wonderful teammate to everybody you know mark in basketball today, not that it's completely positionless, but if you were to use him at the professional level, and again, you've bridged that gap. You've coached college. You've coached with Coach Kay and Greg Popovich at the Olympic level. How do you use him? How would you use him as a professional player? Because you've coached both. I mean, I would do, again, those guys are as good as they get in the coaching world. They'll figure it out. But obviously, the same way we did against

We put the ball in his hands in a myriad of places, like I said, in transition or space in the floor. He also, his numbers around the basket finishing were exceptional putting him down at the dunker spot. He worked extremely well with Drew Timmy. And obviously, you know, you can put him in the corner and space at the three. because I think it'll end up being a guy who shoots over 40% from 3. Wow.

And then Colin, we haven't even talked about the other end of the floor is probably where he's at his best. I mean, from day one, he's going to go in and alter shots. And if he's not blocking him, he's changing him. And what I came to find, if he's not changing him, he's literally deterring people from even running plays around the rim. They don't even try. And so unbelievably gifted on the defense of it. I just watched his ball handling. I can't believe how fluid.

You know, there's the old story about Anthony Davis, that Anthony Davis for years and years was a guard, and then he grew like seven inches in a year so he could handle the ball. I don't know Chet's backstory. Apparently, I'm just kind of blown away at his ball handling. Were you blown away? I mean, the backstory is he, He basically grew up in the same program as Jalen Suggs, the great guard we had last year.

Yeah. Who's with the Orlando Magic now, and Jaylon's dad saw him and was the coach of that team and grabbed him and basically coached him like a guard. Yeah. And brought him up to handle it and to shoot it and to do things that guards do. And then, you know, me and Jalen and Jalen was kind of like his big brother. and that's basically the development piece. And we were blessed enough to get him both at G.U. And he's just a very, very, very unique entity.

I mean, obviously people have questions about his strength. I don't worry about that because there's not one ounce of him that's soft. Yeah. And he's incredibly durable. I don't know that he spent more than 10 minutes in our training rooms this entire year. In this day and age, that's pretty impressive too. You know, it's interesting, Mark.

You've been doing this long enough where, you know, I used to worry about one and done kids coming in, and boy, they're not, they can't even drink at the hotel. And then you see Anthony Edwards and John Morant. And they're, boy, they just feel like they come into the league and they're on social and they're funny. and Anthony Edwards is in a movie. And I used to worry about, I'm like,

what do these guys do at the team hotel? Go to their room and high? They can't go to anywhere with the other teammates. Have you seen kids grow emotionally in your time that they're just ready for the professional ranks? They're ready to play. They're ready for marketing. You've obviously, with NIL, you take in transfers.

These kids now are more mobile. Your kids travel more. My kids are on planes more going. Do you think kids now are more ready than ever to be pro? I do in all those aspects that you just mentioned. And again, think about it. I mean, Chet's played in so many big games before he got to Gonzaga. You know, these big giant recruiting showcase things.

And he obviously played for Team USA on the under 18s. And so he's been on big stages and been a focal point of everybody. everybody's talking about being a number one pick. And they are. They're more prepared for all those things that pop out there. But I would also add that because of all that, you know, there's an incredible amount of pressure on these guys. And I think what we're seeing across the board in all realms of athletics is,

you know, people are having problems processing that with some mental, you know, just processing that. And we actually spend a lot of time with that at G.U. And again, like I said with Chet, I mean, he's incredibly mentally strong. And really, really focused. You know, I find kind of what you were alluding to, Colin, these guys are really focused on their career at a lot earlier stage than you and I were, I think. Yeah.

Yeah, Eastern Washington. I was having too much fun. Exactly. Exactly. Focus on it. Hey, I want to ask you about you have always, You're ahead on this. You're comfortable with guys leaving after a year.

You've always taken transfers. Is that a lot of coaches have struggled with transfer portals in the NIL. Now, I have said this. I'm for it. But I do think for the integrity of the season that in football, you shouldn't be able to transfer from Labor Day to the end of the season. Even the NBA has a trading deadline. And I do worry about the NIL.

You know, nobody makes money and one kid makes all of it. you have always put your arms around transferring and player empowerment. What scares you going ahead with any of this? You know what? You and I are exactly on the same page. I think the concepts are great. The problem is implementing those and not letting the bad parts of human nature take over. You know, transfers, we ought to be able to allow them to transfer.

transfer, but I mean, we have leagues and we have teams and we have to be organized enough to be able to finalize our rosters at a certain time. We can't have guys just jumping from team to team and not really knowing what a team or a roster is going to look like. So we've got to get that a little more under control. And then, you know, with the NIL, the NIL is great on the surface if it's truly just named image and likeness, but the problem is now it's not, people and fan bases and things like that have turned it more into pay for play now

where it has nothing to do with name image and likeness and it just has the threat to turn into just basically buying players. So, you know, we need to get our arms and hands and everything around it. We have great input from everybody in the sporting world, but the problem is it's well-intentioned, but a little bit misinformed. And I think we need to get back to listening to those of us in the profession for kind of getting it back under control, making it out positive. All right, Jay Wright retired, Coach K retired.

You're not retiring anytime soon, are you? What are you going to keep coaching? I hope not. Yeah. Have you heard something? Or do you mean, are you? Just want to make sure you're around. I woke up today feeling pretty good, but I don't know.

Maybe you'll tell me after this. Mark Fugh, Gonzaga. Congrats on getting Malachi Smith in your program. That's going to be a great fine. I know the Arkansas lost hurt, but they were a good club, and we'll talk soon. Have a great summer in Spokane. You got it, Colin.

Thanks. All right, Mark, few. Well, he loves Chet Hongren. Boy, that was a good sales pitch. He's tough. He plays defense. You know, it's just, it's fascinating. What's the comp?

I see 10%. You know, when Zion came in, I said, I see 10% Barclay, 10% Blake Griffin. You know, with Chet, I see like 10% Dirk, 10% KD. There's, I mean, that kid is seven whatever and puts the ball on the deck and can defend. I do worry sometimes, I've talked about this with scouting friends.

I'm like, if he doesn't get hurt, it's going to work. He can shoot. Well, he's going to develop. I don't look at any of these guys coming into the draft at their, you know, their bodies as if that's what they're going to look. like in two to three years when they're certified pros. Like they're still literally growing. Right.

They're going to, their bodies are going to completely change. Remember Lonzo Ball? Everyone was like, Lonzo is too skinny. He's not able to do it. He's not able to hang. Like,

he's going to put on weight. He's going to put his man body on within the next couple years, being in that NBA system and playing against NBA players and in those weight rooms and that type of nutrition. So I don't even think he's going to look the same in a couple years, which is kind of exciting, especially when you consider that he, according to Mark is capable of playing defense, which has become such a big deal now.

Oh, absolutely. Length, the ability to switch off and, yeah. Like one thing you can't be is a liability on defense. Yeah, I mean, it's in the end, you end up being a bounce around player. You got to commit to the defensive end, especially if you're a star, because the message, the messaging when you don't like harden, when you don't commit to the other end or mellow, you're sending a message. You got to, at least in your prime, you got to defend in your prime.

Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand-new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you here on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. The inaugural USFL playoff kicks off this weekend on Fox as the Philadelphia Stars face off with the New Jersey Generals for a birth in the title game

from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. It's the USFL playoffs Saturday at 3 Eastern on Fox. So I think this is interesting. An anonymous NFL coach told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Mac Jones of the Patriots was, quote, way too protected as the Patriot starter last year. Now, he was efficient and, you know, he was accurate. But it is interesting. People would say, well, Brady was protected for years. that was 25 years ago, 23 years ago. It was a different league. I always, when you look at Mack Jones, there was a game this year that said it all. It was at Buffalo, there were 40-mile-an-hour wind gusts. Here's how the two teams felt about their quarterback.

Josh Allen was 15 of 30 for 140 yards and a touchdown. Mac Jones threw the ball three times for 19 yards. That told you everything. They had bubble wrap on Mac Jones. That's very Kirk Cousins, and that does not win. safe and protective and bubble wrapping your quarterback doesn't win. Here's an interesting stat. The league average now for points is 23.5 per game.

The Patriots and Mack Jones were 0 and 6 last year when they allowed 25 or more. So he has no shot to win a shootout. Now, I know he's a rookie, but they really bubble wrapped it for him. And what's more concerning is that Matt Patricia, as of this morning, will be calling plays. a defensive coach. You think he's going to push the envelope, be super creative and progressive? No.

You could argue he wasn't that as a head coach or a defensive coach. He won't be it as an offensive coach. So, you know, you start looking at the last 10 Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. It's a lot of Manning. It's a lot of Brady. It's a lot of flaco. It's Russell Wilson.

It's big arms. It's Patrick Mahalms. It's big arms. It's playmakers. It's pushing the ball down the field. and the Patriots don't have that kind of play caller in Matt. Patricia, they don't have that kind of personnel, and that's not the kind of quarterback he is.

The game has changed. And the teams that are moving in the right direction, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, they let it rip. They're okay with some mistakes. They do not bubble wrap their quarterback. So again, this franchise was 0 and 6 when they allowed 25 or more. 25 points is becoming.

the league average. This year, with more good quarterback play, we're probably up to 24 points a game per team. That's the league average. That includes the lousy offenses. You know, the teams in New York. That's the bad teams. The good teams are all over that now.

Your Rams, your bucks, your Packers, they're over that. And that's the class New England's always been in. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Adele Beckham, Jr. remains a free agent, mostly due to the fact that he's recovering from an ACL injury. And ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that he could wait on making a decision since he's expected to miss the beginning of the season anyway.

He said Beckham could take his time here because he's talking to teams. They don't expect Beckham to be healthy until October or maybe even November as far as full go back from the ACL. So Beckham can take his time, maybe even wait until the first couple of weeks of the season, see who's hot, who needs a receiver, and we'll likely go with a contender. Now, the Rams remain optimistic that they can sign Odell to a deal. He'd likely be the third on the wide receiver depth chart behind Cooper Cup and Alan Robinson. He's entering his ninth season in the league, and he tore his ACL in the Super Bowl. It tore his same ACL in 2020.

He also missed four games of the 2014 season and fractures ankle in October of the 2017 season, required surgery, and missed the rest of the season. He's not been the healthiest player. No. But when he is healthy, he is very productive. And he played a big role in the Super Bowl, two receptions 52 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Who knows how that came would have gone had he stayed healthy throughout it.

I think that the Rams is the best situation for him. But this is kind of an interesting strategy if you are Odell, who seems like he at this point will be on shorter deals and probably can offer his services in various ways. because you don't need to rely on him to be the number one receiver. That was what was interesting about the Rams move to begin with. You didn't need O'Dell to be what they wanted him to be in Cleveland. He's just not in that space anymore.

But you don't need him to be. If you bring him in and put him in the proper role, he can be wildly effective. You know, for me, this is one of the rare instances. I would take less as a player. He has a house here. He loves it here. He fits here. He's needed here.

He's loved here. Like, he really fits. And the other thing about him, at this point in his career. There's no pressure on him. They've got the volume receiver. They've got the star quarterback. Well, that's what I mean.

He can fit into that role where he's not the volume guy. He's not the number one guy that you expect all kinds of production from. Could star in a playoff winning, you wouldn't be surprised. He could do an Andrew Wiggins where at the end of a game, you're like, guy, we couldn't have won the Super Bowl without him. This is one of the rare. He likes it. The city fits him.

I wouldn't be shocked if I, I, and the other thing is, let's be honest about this. They have two really high-end receivers. There's a lot of teams now that have three. It's nice to have... I mean, the one thing, Matt Stafford... I mean, Brady's got three big-time receivers, usually. You know, Patrick Mahomes had him for years.

Buffalo keeps adding receivers. It's okay to have a third star. Well, and when you have the luxury of Cooper Cup, and you know what Alan Robinson is, so you can imagine his production is going to go up being with Matthew Stafford, because he's had that production, take a look at who he's had to catch balls from over his career. So I think he'll end up back with L.A., but it also, you know, it benefits him to be patient in the situation because he's not going to be available until probably October or November anyway.

So, live golf snags another one. Four-time major champion Brooks Kepka is the latest golfer to leave the PGA tour for LiveGolf, according to multiple reports. According to the telegraph, Kepka received a similar seven-figure deal as, the one received by Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeShambo, and Dustin Johnson. Now, last week, Kepka was upset when he was constantly questioned about LiveGolf during his U.S. Open press conference. He is the second highest ranked player to have joined the league.

Dustin Johnson is currently ranked 16 in the official World Golf rankings, while Kepka is number 19. And he is the 10th major champion to leave the PGA tour for Live Golf. Now, you talked about this last week that if someone like a Brooks Kepka or Rory McElroy were to leave, then it's going to get very difficult to not watch this. Well, I mean, Brooks Kepka is my favorite watch. Dustin Johnson's in that class. Phil.

Those guys get me to a TV set. Bryson DeShambos got a rivalry with Kepka, so that's fascinating. So they have the best rivalry on the tour. They're probably not going to get Tiger because he doesn't need that kind of money. I mean, he's made, so he's worth a billion dollars. And Rory McElroy appears to be really dug in. He's very loyal. I'm for that.

I am not criticizing those who, stay. I am defending those who as independent contractors leave. That's my take, is that independent contractors in any field, these guys were going to leave to Apple, Amazon, it just happened to be Saudi Arabia, who, by the way, is our third biggest trade partner in the U.S. So before you get to angst-ridden, remember, we are in trade deals constantly with Saudi Arabia, despite 9-11, and despite a murder journalist for the Washington Post, we remain in very strong. economic connection to that country. Yeah, I know that's the number one pushback on it.

I do wonder, had the PGA tour been more flexible and accepting of the golfers wanting to, you know, have the option if it would be as controversial as it is with everyone, the PGA tour definitely chose this as their PR push that this is evil. Yes. And it's blood money. They're bad people. Bad people. and in a lot of ways it's working.

That has been the public reaction to it. I'm with you. I don't care if you stay. I don't care if you leave. I think you get into very interesting waters when you start digging up where your paycheck comes from. I think you might find you're not very happy with exactly where your money comes from or for that matter where you spend a lot of your money as well.

I've heard the Live Tour is also contacting musicians, top end musicians, willing to pay them 10, 20, million to perform at many of these events. Musicians are, I can't go there. They're waiting for the first musician to go, I'll take the money. This is the beginning, not the middle or the end of this. This tour is going to go all in and try to legitimize itself and make this work. They are so financially pledged to Dustin and Phil and Kepka.

They got to make it work now, right? So this is, the PGA has already reacted this morning. I read a story where suddenly the PGA has found extra money down in the closet, and they're going to pay some of their top golfers for some certain events. Well, some of the benefits that LiveGolf has over PGA is each week, the winner will receive a $4 million check with last place receiving $120,000. Players are split into teams for each tournament. The winning teams get an additional $3 million in prizes,

and the team rosters change each tournament. They're also crowned an individual champion with a bonus pool of $30 million for the top three performers of the season. Caddies get a commission of the purse and have all expenses paid including travel, lodging, and food. That's amazing. So the PGA prize money is dependent on the tournament.

Caddies say they receive second class treatment. They've stayed in dirty rat-infested hotels. The PGA gives insurance and benefits and retirement benefits and there's a 15 event minimum to maintain membership every single year. So there are some benefits that the golfers

like for their caddies as well, that Liv is offering. And listen, it's a lot of money. Live is found, it's very well funded. That is why all this is happening. I, again, can't get into the moral grandstanding of it because I just, we could sit here and pick apart probably most of your employers

if you really got down into it. And at the end of the day, these are professional golfers. They're not the Avengers. They're not our politicians. Those are the ones, well, we don't have Avengers, but the politicians are the ones that should be held responsible

for dealing with public policy and international policy and holding countries responsible for their atrocities. There's nothing that those golfers are going to do to change that. That's right. Nothing. That's not their responsibility. They play golf. So Charles Barkley recently said that Kevin Durant needs to win a championship as the bus driver

if he wants respect from former players. KD clapped back at Chuck on Twitter. He said, all this leap is nasty. Another terrible analogy from a hate. old head that can't accept that we're making more bread than them. It's just timing, Chuckie, don't hate the player. Barclay responded last

night on the coverage of the Stanley Cup final saying yeah, but NBA players tweet about me, hockey players just want to win, they don't sit around and tweet. Look, I don't know both. I don't think that it's, I don't think it's about the money. I don't either do. I think

Charles has made a lot of money. Charles has made a lot of money. And so is KD. I don't think that it's about money. I think that Charles gives his opinion for a living, and that's his opinion of it. I don't agree with his opinion to what you said earlier. Someone had to drive the bus. So it was either Steph Curry driving that bus, in which case there was no need for him to win another championship or this finals MVP because he was the catalyst. Or KD drove the bus. But it was one of those two. One of them was driving the bus. Doesn't it concern you that for three years there

was a bus all over San Francisco with no driver? Seems very dangerous. Very dangerous. Very irresponsible the Golden State Warriors have this bus. The Warriors need to be called out. It's very hilly in San Francisco. You've got to have somebody steering that. You've been there. Parking break on when you're, stop the bus. You've got to be a good driver to get around San Francisco. Very concerning. Forget

the other issues in the Bay Area. There was a bus for three years with no driver. I do not. I get it. Everyone hated KD. going to the Warriors. I kind of like it now. I am not. I am not one of those people. I think KD. very much earned the rights to take control. roll over his career after nine years with the Sonics and the Thunder.

He didn't just show up there in his rookie year and say he didn't like the weather and ask out. That's right. He earned the right to make a decision about his career and he chose to go somewhere. That was awesome. And he made them better. And they did need him because he was the best player on those teams. I never understand this argument.

If you do decide to leave, are you supposed to go to the Orlando Manch? Yeah, yes. You are supposed to suffer. We need to see the suffering. Should I have gone from ESPN to a cable channel that's now defunct because that would have proved, oh, maybe I can't carry a channel. Like, KD, give him credit for having the courage to go, I'm going to get heat for this. But that's like a really well-run organization. I want to be hard coached and play with great players. What was he supposed to choose? Was he supposed to choose struggle after struggling? and for that matter the Warriors.

Why are you mad at the Warriors? Be mad at your cheap owner and your terrible front office for not drafting and developing players and then their personalities being the way that they are that they could take the amount of money to fit someone like Kevin Durant in a team with the core of Jemond Green, Clay Thompson,

and Steph Curry. By the way, I think Sam Presti's a smart guy, but Oklahoma City would not confront Russell Westbrook's style. So there was a stat years ago when he was with Oklahoma City that I remember showed that KD got the ball during a possession

later in the clock than any other star in the league. And it's like, yeah, because Westbrook was dribbling the air out of the ball. So KD. had gone to the front office and coaches and been a little disappointed. They never acted on it, so he left. And for that matter, you can't hold the great players to the standard of,

well, you didn't win a championship, well, you never won this, well, you never won that. And then when they go somewhere that they can win, You're mad at them for going to a place that they can win. What is it? Are they supposed to aspire to greatness? Or are they supposed to just, you know, they're supposed to just deal with average

because that's what you accepted your life? These are the greatest athletes in the world. These are legacy men whose names we will speak for generations. They have a right to go somewhere where they can win. We celebrate high school players that go to Ohio State, a dominant program. We celebrate NFL players. Randy Moss goes to play with Brady. We celebrate players.

going to New York or the Dodgers, the Yankees or the Dodgers with all these championships, we just don't like it. We like transfer portal. You all defend the transfer portal. Just think of KD as the transfer portal. And he transferred to like Duke. And then, inexplicably, he then went to like Creighton. But here's my issue with it.

Everyone talks about like he took the easy way out. If he took the easy way out, he was suffering. like he was dealing with a bad situation. So it's like he didn't earn that. He didn't put the time in. He wasn't in a situation where he couldn't win. I don't understand. If he went from Duke to Kentucky, okay.

But he did not go from Duke to Kentucky. He went from a not good situation to a great situation. But he put the time in. Like he earned the right to be able to do that. Yeah. People that have never been offered great options, sometimes complain about those who get it and what they choose. How about it's like when Elon Musk said he was going to buy Twitter

and Hollywood said you could spend your money on better things. It's his money. I wouldn't buy Twitter. I think it's 90% bots. But in the end, it's his money. He earned it. Stop telling people what to do with their money. Stop telling stars what to do with their choices.

There you go. Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line. 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 app. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.

We talk to coaches. We talk to players. We tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast'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, 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. 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 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 you 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. Then you're finishing that sentence.

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games.

And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now.

The Dollar Shave Club 6 Razor Blade noticeably smoother shave. Go to Dollar Shaveclub.com or in stores. That's where the razors are sold. So, you know, I was watching yesterday, Joy, I was watching the celebration. I loved how the warrior players were right in the middle of the fans.

I think it's amazing. And all cities love their teams. Milwaukee, Los Angeles. I mean, they used to get 350,000 people to a Lakers parade, MJ's Bulls. So they love their players. But I do love Steph, Clay, Dremont. Like, they're in the fans. They're drinking too much and in the fans.

And it's fantastic. But it's interesting watching because you can tell it was such a validation for them. Steph gets the MVP, Draymond proving you can do a podcast and win the championship. Clay proving, the band's back together, and I matter again. And I thought to myself, you know, once you get the validation of greatness, that can often be the enemy. I mean, Michael Jordan and Brady have literally made up enemies, made up villains. Because it's not that you lack talent. It's that you start lacking drive.

Tom Brady talked about it. He's like, I'm competitive. I can feel that coming to an end. I don't care as much. But what's interesting about this team is that it validated so much. Steph now is overwhelmingly viewed as a top 10 player, influence, impact. Draymon is an automatic lock to the Hall of Fame, and you can no longer dispute how valuable he is. One of the great defensive gems players of all time, arguably the most skilled defensive great player ever.

Steve Kerr now has been knighted as an all-time top five coach. the Splash Brothers, again, validated many years to go, the entire organization. And I sit to myself and I think, where's their motivation? And one of the things I thought of is LeBron's got four rings and Steph's got four rings. And that'd be a nice one. That'd be a nice one. Steph ends up with five or six because Steph could say loyalty over mobility, family over just finances.

I might not be a billionaire. there. I might not have the business you have from bouncing around the country. I do think that is a little bit of motivation that for Steph, maybe that four ring thing, which I don't think it drives him to work every day. Now, this is a team that doesn't have a bus driver, so be careful if you're in the Bay Area. But I do wonder, like, it validated so much watching them. They were so happy. When you win the argument and everybody sees you in the argument, it does feel, yeah, You puff your chest out a little bit more. You got a little bit extra spice on that trash talk.

The interesting thing, though, is what breaks up dynasties in the NBA can be money. That's not an issue. Egos. That's not an issue. So a lot of the things that have broken up dynasties, the money and the egos are not in play here. Complacency could be, but I don't see it. Hour three. Coming up 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, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast 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. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. Eighty-4 was big to me. Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. Before it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the fourth. 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard 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. an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human.