The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Right & wrong, LeBron

Episode Date: February 28, 2022

Where Colin was right and wrongLeBron James was seen yelling at fansWhat the Lakers could do with LeBronGuest: TJ Houshmandzadeh Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 Cliver Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

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Here we go. It is our number two on a Monday. Live in L.A., it's the herd, wherever you may be. However you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. All sorts of good stuff today. Joy Taylor will have an update on two stories, including the video with LeBron and fans going sort of toe-to-to-to-to.

It really was a mess. So I watched NBA. I flew in from Utah, so I watched the Sixers game on TV. Then I got home, watched the Suns game, second half of it. And I watched the Warriors meltdown. Then I watched the first half of the Lakers. Start of the third, I said, I'm out of here. This is just, I think they're a hard watch.

They're not fun to watch. And as Joy knows, we've seen this before. The Westbrook stuff is, it's really getting bad. I mean, there's a lot of layers to this Lakers situation. A lot. I maintain, as I have all season long, you don't have Anthony Davis healthy. So what the Lakers are mostly a victim of this year. I don't know if victim is the right word, but it's what I'm going to choose, is expectations.

Yeah. Disappointment is bred from expectations, and that's where we are. Yeah. All right, every Monday throughout the year, at this time, second hour, top of it, Colin right, Colin wrong. Here we go. Where Colin was right. James Harden, I know it's two games, but good Lord, does he look happy? productive and amazing for the Sixers.

I said, I think it's easy to bring in a Hall of Fame player to a really good team. That's much easier than bringing five new guys to the Brooklyn Nets. Hardin looks great. Most of all, he looks happy. 29.16 assists and 10 rebounds yesterday. I know it's the Knicks. But did you watch his personality on the floor? When he's engaged and he's into it, he's Kobe level great offensively.

He is just insane. And his passing over the last two years is really gotten good. He can distribute. And I think James is smart enough to know. Listen to my, if I'm going to have the ball this much, I've got to elevate others beyond myself. But I think he and M. B are going to work. Like Darryl says, he's got a little basketball savant to him. And the Sixers look fantastic, as we predicted.

Where Colin was right. For years and years, I said, Aaron Rogers and the Packers don't fit. They tolerate each other. but they don't fit. You've got to be honest, how right I was last week. Aaron is now putting up cringy, mushy, Instagram photos about his love life. I know what his feet look like. He talks about his VAC status.

In the last year, he's gotten increasingly odd and public, and that's the opposite of the Packers, who are sort of grateful, private, quiet, and they have smaller Midwestern egos. I mean, if you've watched Aaron in the last month, between his weekly YouTube hits, throwing the teams, you know, his feet, he's gotten so removed from what they are. But let's be honest, it's a small town. They need him to win games. And that's all Packer fans care about.

But this has become what I always thought it was, a weird, odd relationship that doesn't truly fit. Where Colin was wrong. Listen, when Westbrook came to L.A., my takeaway is, Listen, he's going to be productive and Anthony Davis can't stay healthy. So 30 minutes, 25 points, but I'm wrong. He's not even productive anymore. He didn't score over 20 points in February.

His free throw shooting's bad. His turnovers are up. Listen, I didn't love the deal. We all know he doesn't play off the ball. But I thought he would remain productive. He's no longer productive. Last night he took shots at fans after the games. This is a bigger disaster.

than his previous stops in Washington and Houston. Where Colin was right? Albert Breer, respected NFL reporter, confirmed last week that Tom Brady was frustrated with the looseness of Tampa Bay's culture. And this was always my number one concern. Arians can coach, you can win games, but having lived in Tampa and cover this team, it's different.

It's not as academic as New England. It's not as progressive as the Rams. It's kind of old school, prep, let it rip. And I think Ariens is a great fit for Tampa. But I never thought Brady was a great fit. I just thought he would win because the weapons were so outrageously gifted. But Breer acknowledging is that coming from New England and that intense academic, detailed culture, strict culture, that Tampa was a little loose for Tom's taste.

Where Colin was right? First Joe Montana came out. said, uh-oh, Joe Montana's saying he doesn't like Trey Lance. And then Steve Young came out and said, I don't think Trey Lance is ready to play. And I said, there's a reason they're coming out with it. They got info. And then it was confirmed last week when Adam Schaefter, very connected to the 49ers, came out and said, Trey Lance may not be ready. Stuff gets out when people want it out. And when Montana and Steve Young, not publicity hounds, not guys who like to start fires, both came out questioning Trey Lance.

It led me to believe there's some concerns in the building. Now, you can make an argument. They're just trying to manipulate the market. But when Schaefter came out and said the same thing, I do think there are some concerns. And I also think Tray Lance deserves every single snap until the start of next season. I don't think he's refined. I think his windup needs work.

But the only way to get better is snaps, all of them. Where Colin was wrong. I understood that Zion Williamson had an interesting. injury risk and had weight issues. I got that. I never thought he would be a personality problem. But JJ Reddick from Duke played with him in New Orleans said he's detached as a teammate. For that, I'm wrong. That's the last thing I worried about. I thought his personality was amazing and engaging and joyful and fun. But he's now rehabbing in Portland across the country. He didn't even text a new teammate until he was prodded C.J. McCullum. Now, I just got done reading a book by Ian O'Connor on

Coach K. And in that book, they do state that Zion and his family are really, really private. And I didn't know that before. But I will say, this Zion, I did not see coming. I thought the personality would carry him even through injuries, but he sort of removed himself from the organization. Where Colin was right? We never thought Sean McVeigh really wanted to be a broadcaster. reports coming out today that Amazon offered him $100 million for five years and he turned it down, which is what I said, he's 36. He's an ex-athlete. He loves coaching athletes.

He's a guy's guy. He's an athlete's athlete. He's not giving this stuff up. He loves building a culture. He loves being around athletes. He loves standing in front of a room of great athletes and preaching his Zen. This is a coach. It's not a broadcaster.

For the record, there's no guarantee he'd be a great broadcaster. Though he's a smart dude, I'm sure he'd be fine. But I never thought that he's going to go, take a check, rip players and coaches for two or three years, then go back at 40 and coach against him. It never felt right. And a story today confirms he was offered significantly more money to broadcast than coach. And he signed up for another five years of coaching. Where Colin was right?

Well, when Joanne Howard took a swing in an assistant. coach, I said, that's a five-game suspension. I would not fire him. I did not like what Greg Guard did at Wisconsin. I would have suspended the Wisconsin coach for a game. But listen, man, when you're making $5, $6 million a year, you're coaching Michigan. You're in a Power 5 conference. There's a responsibility to sometimes step away from jerky behavior. And even though Greg Gard, in my opinion, was too aggressive, you want to take that big check to coach Michigan or Ohio State or Wisconsin or Arkansas or Oregon. You got to step away from stuff. You can't want to drop hands just because somebody is a little aggressive.

And I thought Joanne Howard was out of line. And of all the actions here, and I thought several were bad, this to me was non-fireable, but a five-game suspension felt right. And that's what it was. And for the record, Joan Howard deserves credit. He did apologize for it. In the heat of the moment, he didn't after the game immediately, but he did, I think, the next day.

Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong on a Monday. It is nice to have you in. Yeah, some video about... LeBron James barking at fans. You know, one of the things, and you're seeing it, frankly, with this Ukraine situation, you know, the phones now, everybody's got a camera. And so you're getting access to stuff that would have been just rumors years ago. Oh, LeBron's yelling at fans or this and this is happening.

You're seeing stuff now. These cameras are unbelievable. By the way, it's also, we've seen more UFO sightings. Of course, most are Frisbees and, you know, stars or whatever. But you just get more video. So there is video out there. LeBron kind of barking at fans. And I think what's happening is fans me in Los Angeles fear feel more emboldened because

they know, I mean, listen, fans watch these shows and they read newspapers and they listen online and you don't have to subscribe to a newspaper or the LA Times to know. The Westbrook move was LeBron's move. And it's failing. And it's empowering fans, emboldening fans in L.A. who are barking at LeBron and he doesn't like it. But did I set it to start the show and I'll say it again. This is Jeannie Bus's team and this is LeBron's mess.

This is not what the organization wanted. They did not want Westbrook. The analytics told you. LeBron's going to have the ball. Westbrook doesn't play well off the ball. The only thing shocking to me is Westbrook's no longer even productive. And his entire career, I mean, in Washington, it was brief, but he was productive. He's no longer productive.

So that and more coming up. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, 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 Jek. 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy. see far, far away, such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sunday, the NASCAR Cup series heads to Las Vegas, where the best drivers on the planet

look to strike it rich and grab a win. The engines fire Sunday at 3 Eastern on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Good weekend of sports. I watched a ton of NBA. yesterday. NASCAR ratings have been up, so there's a lot of stuff going on. So the big story today in the National Football League is Eric Burkart, who is the agent for Kyler Murray, came out with like a restaurant menu demanding commitment from Arizona, which is pretty transparent. He wants to get paid a year early. Just say it. We're not dummies. We get it. And with that, T.J. Hushmanzada, Fox Sports analyst, 11 years in the NFL. You know, listen, I've generally sided with Kyler, he came, the organization was a mess, the coach they hired Wift, the quarterback didn't work,

Kyler kind of saved the franchise. Now that said, he's not winning the division. He's not one in playoff games, and he is getting paid five and a half mill this year. So he's, you know, I mean, it's not like an unreasonable contract. But this is a touchy situation because here's what I worry about, because I would pay him, because I think he's special. I think the division's brutal, and I think you have to have a playmaker, and I think he is. So I would pay him.

but could I push back and say, hey, listen, this public stuff, we're not going to play this game. We have no interest. You going out and taking shots and doing all your business publicly. And also, in the playoff game this year, TJ, he clearly, Kyler made a decision that I'm not going to run. I'm not going to, I'm not going to be. And it was obvious. It was the fewest rush attempts of his career in a game. So I do have some concerns that he's just making decisions out on the field that I'm not comfortable with.

And he's taking everything public. Does any of that bother you? It bothers me somewhat. He was in a self-preservation mode in the playoffs. Yes, yes. And this is my take on it. What I pay, Callow Murray, I would pay him. Three-win team prior to him getting there and consistently they've gotten better.

But this is the thing, Colin. This is a business first. Do we want to win? When I say we're talking front office and ownership, of course we want to win. If I can pay Calder Murray $5 million, which he is for a starting quarterback in the league, there are some backups that make more than him. So he is underpaid. I'm going to pay him $5.5 million because I can surround him with better pieces.

Don't give me this. Oh, if you don't sign him to this contract, it shows you're not committed. the agent, it was like some manifest, like, dude, what are you doing? Like, I don't think he realizes how bad he made himself and Kyler Murray. Look, when he put this out, and he's supposed to be his advisor giving him advice, and I think it was bad advice. He's going to get signed. It's just a matter of when.

But what has happened is these quarterbacks have been put on a pedestal so much now that they feel they can do and say anything, and there's no consequences or repercussions. He's going to get paid. It's just a matter of when. was in charge, it wouldn't be prior to this season because I want to surround you with better players to see if I can win with a Ricky quarterback on that Ricky contract. Not a Ricky quarterback, but on his Ricky contract. Yeah, do you think he would sit the season out?

Because there's some that are suggesting if he doesn't get paid, he won't play. No chance, Colin. He will play. That's just the agent trying to threaten the team and you put stuff out. There's no way. Why didn't he go play baseball? because he knew he would make more money in the National Football League. Yeah, it's more risk and more injury concerns come with that.

But you don't have to go to the miners. You don't have to take bus rides. Baseball might not even have a season this year. He's not sitting out. He's going to play football. Will he be pissed off? Probably. He won't be the first guy and won't be the last.

All right. Two other questions that you're connected to. Montana, Steve Young, Adam Schaefter, all come out. Stuff gets out when people want it out. They all come out and say, I got my reservations about Trey Lance. Is that a decoy to get more for Garoppolo in a trade market?

Or do you think they're genuinely concerned about Trey Lance? It's a little bit of both. They want to maximize Jimmy G's status and try to get as much as they can. But I've heard that once Trey Lance got hurt, he started to go backwards in what he was doing early on, just his mechanics. Yeah.

That will be fixed here, Colin, very shortly and very soon out here in Southern California. And so one thing Trey is going to do, he's going to get out here, and he's going to put that work in, and that work is going to be starting ASAP. And so I don't have the concerns that, oh, he's not going to be ready to play. He's going to put the work in.

Will he have some bumps along the way? Absolutely, because he just hasn't played a lot of football since high school. Yeah. He didn't play a lot of snaps in college. He set out the last year and he played two games. You played a little bit last year and then you get hurt. He's a young kid. If Trayland stays in school, where would he get drafted in this year's draft?

Number one. Probably be top five again. So the 49ers, they have a good quarterback that would probably be the number one quarterback in this year. year's draft. Yeah. And so they're trying to drive up Jimmy G's value. And do they have concerns about trade? Because I believe they do because the way he looked when he got there and then the way

he started to look at the middle of the season was not the same guy. That will be fixed here shortly. Yeah, I'm with you. I don't think it's a big concern and I'm not shocked that he's not ready. It concerns me that Jordan Love, who started for three years at college, he's not ready. That concerns me. Let's pivot to Sean McVeigh. offered reportedly this morning

100 million, turned it down, wants to coach. Surprised? I'm not surprised. He's too young to give up coaching. And this is, you're going to spend, I would guess, 16 to 18 hours a day coaching once the season starts. You might spend 10 hours a week preparing for a game.

And so the time commitment obviously would be a huge difference. But McFay is too young to stop coaching. He hasn't been coaching a long time. I've heard when they lost to New England in a Super Bowl, he felt he over-prepared. He burnted himself out. He started hypotheticals. If I do this, they do that, then I'll do this.

He was overthinking it. And so I think he has a better handle, a better grasp on. If I'm burning myself out, I know how to step back and somewhat take a break. I know how to get out of the facility a little earlier today because I've been in here too much. He understands that. If he was in his mid-50s, ah, he's going to go to TV. Matt McVe is in his 30s. They have a great team.

He's in the best city you can play football in. I'm not surprised at all that he came back to coach because this is what he loves to do. You can't get this time back. Time is one thing you can never get back and you can't buy it. And as long as he's able to do this with the excitement, he's going to be coaching football for a long time. Yeah, he's an ex-athlete, by the way. Athletes like to hang out with athletes, not broadcasters. So I think he made the right move.

Let me throw this out finally. You've always been really good. Maybe it's your sources, all the guys you know, you're pretty good at, I would call it. And it's not guessing because you have too many sources to call it guessing, but you're good at telling me what's going to happen before it happens. So the Aaron Rogers thing, Joy is like, oh, that love letter, that gushy love letter, that's a goodbye. And I'm like, how does he leave the Packers now if he told everybody on Instagram how much he loves him? You don't tell people you love him and bail on him. So that whole Instagram post was Star or hearts and love and all the public stuff.

If I ask you today, is Aaron Roger staying or is he leaving? What's your answer? To what piece? Deuces. He's leaving. He's out of there. When he did what he did, that was his way of saying, thank you. I enjoyed our professional relationship.

I enjoyed our friendship. All good things must come to an end. And I want to put this out there to show you guys how much I appreciated that brotherhood that we had. I believe he's played his last snap with the Green Bay Packers. Where does he go? I truly, truly think Denver, I just don't see them hire and hack it without it being a great chance of Aaron Rogers being to Denver. it's run its course. Number one seed, two years in a row,

you're knocked out in your first playoff game. He's really, really good in the regular season in some reason in the playoffs, I don't know if he tries to play too perfect of a game that he overthinks it. But Aaron Rogers, I believe, is done as a quarterback at the Green Bay Packers. By the way, when you give me that sign,

that peace sign, so I like to be, I just learned what lit means, so I want to be cool. What does this mean? Tell me what this means. I thought it meant fight on. Hey, well, Colin, for you, for you, yeah, that's what that's, that's USC, huh, fight on, right? And so for me, he's deuses.

He out of there. See you later. Deuces out of there. Joy, did you know that? Yes. I don't like being last on stuff, always. I don't like it. You've never, you didn't know that this means by, like peace, like peace out?

No, people come up to me all the time. Heard. And I was like, peace, love, fight on. It also means that. It also means fight on. It also means deuses. It means new defense. defensive line recruit signing with the Trojans.

That's what it means to me. You know what? TJ and Joy, you can. I was with some of your USC recruits yesterday at the rivals camp, man. They got some good kids coming in there. That's right. They got some kids coming in.

That's right. Fight on, baby. It's not too late. Join the club. Good seeing you. All right. Take care. TJ keeps me young.

See, this is why I surround myself with young people. Otherwise, I'd be out there wearing dockers at a hardware store. story yelling at clouds. Instead, I got all the hip references. Ryan, did you know what that meant? Deuses. Colin, I'm pretty sure. Just about everyone knew that that could also mean goodbye.

Seriously, what's happening? You never heard the term like, peace out? Like, peace. Okay. Listen, I never said I was cool. I mean, I don't think it makes you uncool to not know things. Last week, I used the word lit and got the bag in one sentence. I'm going to tell you something.

People looked at me like, whoa, the guy is, what are you, what are you got a Instagram account? I said, yeah, I got that too. TikTok. Don't you wish? Oh, my bad, joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Well, it was a rough, rough night for the guys. The guys. The Lakers were booed on their home court last night. 123.95 loss of the Pelicans. Russell Westwick was asked about it after the game, the fan's reaction. Brewing, like, you know, pretty loud, especially at the end of the game. Does that stick with you? Like, how do you handle that into that?

Nah, no. You don't take that home with you? Take it home? For what? I don't think about it. Take it home? Man, well, I got three beautiful kids at my house. My wife, I ain't take it home.

They take their booing naked, take their ass home. I ain't worried about that. It doesn't bother me none. It's not, it's not what I would have said in that situation. It's not what I would have said. But there was also video that just surfaced today of LeBron kind of going back and forth with fans. It's really hard to hear the audio what's actually being said. And you mentioned this before the break.

Everyone has cameras now. So normally these things we just talk about now we can see them because everyone is recording everything. The bench sort of got into it with some fans as well. I got to say I'm a little sad about how things are turning out. No, no, it's what you're getting now. And I don't like this. I'm not a, you know, we all know, anytime fans engage with players, there'll be an idiot in the fan group that will say something completely inappropriate.

I've gone to a lot of NBA games and sat in good seats. Players will converse with you. Chris Paul talked to me during games. Like, I would, if I was there on the floor, now LeBron doesn't like me anymore, but if I was on the floor, I would talk to him. You can talk to guys. The players kind of like to it, but people abuse it, and people get talked. And so I don't like this.

I don't think it's good. I think Laker fans, I've always kind of held them in a higher regard. It's like Yankee fans in baseball. They'll rib you, but they love you. But it's so bad right now. It's bad. I will say this. I have a lot of respect for fans.

And we saw this, especially during the pandemic, just how important fans being in the building on the soul of sports is fans. I do not like when fans engage negatively with players. It is an unfair advantage to the fans. These players cannot say what they really want to say. They can't get to your level. They can't physically get into an altercation with you. So it's essentially the same as a Twitter troll,

only you're in real life looking like an idiot to everyone around you. Nobody thinks you're cool. You look like a moron. If you're wondering if you look or feel cool, everyone thinks you're lame. Everyone, everyone in the world. But fans do have the right to boo. They have a right to voice their frustration.

I personally feel it's a little ridiculous. You just want a championship. You want a championship because of LeBron James. Don't get confused. Him coming to the Lakers, and we remind you what you were before LeBron came here. It actually was a risk for LeBron to come here because the Lakers were so bad.

So keep things in perspective when you are a fan. But that's what I think is happening with the Lakers and LeBron. That's why it kind of makes me sad. I don't want the end of LeBron's career to be remembered as he was a great individual player on a bad team. that he pretty much put together, and the fans turned on him, and it ends in this kind of salty way. I do think he's going to finish his career with the Lakers.

I think he wants to stay in Los Angeles. Oh, no, he loves Los Angeles, and it's doubled as net worth. L.A. has been great to LeBron. And by the way, this is why it's a cautionary tale. Be very careful about drafting or signing who your star wants to. There's usually a selfish reason for it. It is hard enough to be a general manager in any sport. Baseball, football, hockey.

For a player to say, I want this guy. I'm not saying you can't always do it. I mean, Joe Burl wanted Jamar Chase. So, like, they, and by the way, Jamar Chase is great, and everybody knew it. But I do think this was LeBron saying, hey, Westbrook's my guy. Hardin said Westbrook's my guy. That doesn't mean you play basketball well together. You have to be very careful about that.

It's a bit of the deal that you make, though, when you bring in a vocal star like a Kevin Durant. No. Like a James Hardin. Like a LeBron James. You're going to have to submit sometimes to what it is that they want. That's the deal you make. But what I do think is happening as we move into a new chapter of the NBA, things happen that are extreme, right? And then in some ways, it corrects itself.

Everyone's freaking out about NIL and the trade portal or the transfer portal. It'll come back to the mean. Like, guys will figure out an offensive line for a massive SEC team is not worth $5 million. They'll figure it out. It's going to correct itself. And now I think the player empowerment that LeBron created when he went to Miami is now starting to correct itself because you are seeing stars demanding things that are somewhat unreasonable or not playing out well. And then handicapping teams. Now, this is really important.

What you're saying is, this is my take on Kyler Murray. let's not overreact that all quarterbacks now are going to release menus. Right. And I do think you're right. LeBron initiated a mobility movement in the league. But like Dame is like no. And Bradley Beal's like, no. We're seeing enough.

Janus. Yonis is like, no. We are seeing, there's an argument to be made that the Yonis thing, people are looking at and think, no, that works. So what happens, though, Joy, with social media, people overreact to everything. And I do think LeBron ideally wishes

we got to solve this thing. I don't want to be a bounce around guy and end up with the Orlando Magic. No, I don't think he's going to leave L.A. for multiple reasons. I don't think he is. Now, I do think that there is some leverage plays and this is current situation, it's a mess.

But at the end of the day, whoever's fault it is, and you and I are the same in this. I don't care who's fault it is. Solve it. Solve it. Solve the issue. Hash it out, put it all on the table and fix it.

I don't want to keep your name. This person's fault. and this and that. By the way, I'm going to throw something at you before the end of the show. There is one team if you did trade LeBron. You're not going to believe the team. That it kind of works. Well, it's a mess in L.A. right now, and I think it's just a little bit of accountability and realistic expectations from Lakers fans. I understand you guys have a lot of banners. We know. But you have to keep it in perspective for the roster that you have.

And once again, I remind you, as I feel like I've said every single week this year, Anthony Davis is not healthy. So how are you even evaluating this team without your second star? So the Nets traded for Ben Simmons at the trade deadline on February 10th, and many people are wondering when he's going to make his debut. The Athletic Sham Shcherania said that Simmons is dealing with backsorness and there is no timetable for his return. Woj then reported that Simmons is unlikely to make his debut at the team's March 10th matchup with Philadelphia in Philadelphia.

And he said the Nets don't want to making his debut in what promises to be a hostile environment for Brooklyn when they play the Sixers in Philadelphia. It's called competing, isn't it? Well, Simmons has yet to play this season, and the Nets are 32 and 29th in the Eastern Conference. I don't think this is the year for the Nets. Katie is supposed to come back next week, but Ben Simmons hasn't played. Think about it. Like, it's not just that he hasn't played yet this year.

You had the whole off seasons. He hasn't played since that playoff game. It's been a very long time since he's played basketball. So aside from the obvious mental health situation that's going on to Ben Simmons, he is not in basketball shape. He is nowhere near in basketball shape. So what did he do? for the last six months.

But training and being in shape is different than being in mid-season basketball shape. Can't you play him seven minutes a half, eight minutes a night? I think they are gearing him up. And this is why when the trade happens, the Sixers got the better part of this trade. Both teams got better in that Ben Simmons left. The Sixers got a player that's not on the court. The fit is better. But I think this is a next year situation for the Nets.

they have to get on the court together. So Derek Jeter and the Miami Marlins are parting ways after five years. Jeter stepped down as CEO, effective immediately. This happened today. I thought he was an investor, too. He is. He is a part owner and CEO. He released a statement about the movie, he said, today I am announcing that Marlins and I officially are ending our relationship,

and I will no longer serve as CEO or as a shareholder. I've been proud to put my name and reputation on the line to make our plan a reality. That said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. so now is the right time for me to step aside and a new season begins. He joined the Marlins in 2017 as part owner, part of the ownership change from Jeffrey Loria's purchase sold the team. He owns a 4% stake. So their only winning season, 31, 29 during the COVID year was 2020.

The team is the least valuable in the MLB in 2021, according to Sportico. And they went 218 and 327 under Jeter. It feels like this is a bit of a. surprise, but also, you know, the Marlins are still struggling. So Jeffrey Loria was one of the worst, he's one of the worst owners in the history of sports. Bad. Like an absolute had to go. It's a big jump to go from that to turning the Marlins completely around. But I do think part of this might be they're struggling. They haven't fixed things. Obviously, there's a lot going on with baseball right now. So maybe the direction that he sees it going is not something he wants to be a part of. Obviously,

Derek Jeter has a cemented legacy as well. If things aren't going well, we're just talking about this with a brawn, at some point you have to figure out how is this affecting me and my legacy and what I've done in this sport long term if I'm forcing a situation that's not working. Now, this just happens,

so I'm sure we'll get more information about why exactly he's leaving, but it's pretty big news for baseball. And with a lot going on with baseball right now, now the Marlins are going to have to figure out who their new CEO is going to be. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

Thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line News. If the Lakers did trade LeBron, it would not be what I would want to do, but if I had to completely restart, you'd get more for LeBron than any other player, obviously. There is one team that matches his skills, salaries, and I just don't think the Lakers would have the stomach to make it work. And I'll talk about that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, 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 ever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, CliverTaylor 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 what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy. seat far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Car shortage? What car shortage? Go to driveway.com today. Shop. More than 25,000 new and used cars. They have nationwide inventory. Driveway.com. Car buying delivered on your terms, on your turf. So we had Rick Buecker on today and last week, I think Thursday or Wednesday or Thursday.

And he had said an anonymous general manager had told Rick Buechre, LeBron's still great, but he can't carry a team. And that made the rounds all over the internet this weekend. I don't agree with that. He can't carry this roster. It's just not good enough. Nobody could carry this roster, including Janus. This is not a championship roster. Bad chemistry, weak bench, blah, blah, blah. Here's LeBron's dilemma, because I do think he could carry a roster, and I'll give you the roster in a second. But all the teams that we think are kind of like championship that are percolating, they've

all got somebody at the point, and LeBron needs the ball. He's a great passer. He's an unstoppable force off the dribble. He needs the ball. That's why Westbrook and he don't work, because Westbrook needs the ball. LeBron does, and LeBron's way better with it. But in Milwaukee, it's kind of Janus's ball. In Phoenix, it's Chris Paul.

In Golden State, it's Steph. In Philly, now it's James Hardin. In Memphis, it's John Morant. Chicago, it's Lonzo. Think what you want of them, but it's working. They're a top seat. In Dallas, it's Luca. You're not going to say, hey, Luca, step aside.

It's not going to work that way. LeBron's like in Year 19. So the teams we all kind of like, Utah, it's got kind of a Donovan Mitchell thing. The teams we all like, and LeBron could be, you know, go-to, I do think he could lead them to a championship. I think you put him in Milwaukee, they'd win a championship. Would Yonis lead?

Would LeBron lead? The problem is LeBron and half the ball? Yonis would get it less. He'd be less effective. It'd screw with chemistry. There is one team that works. Now, think about this. They're in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers don't want to trade him in their division or in their conference. Get him over there. If he's going to win championships, we don't want him coming right through our building, right? And they have a Laker connection. But that's probably the issue. It's Miami. I don't think Miami is good enough or dynamic enough at point guard with Kyle Lowry. I just don't think that's going to work.

If you put LeBron in Miami with Jimmy Butler and Bam, I think they win the title. And LeBron would lead them. He'd have the ball. Jimmy Butler doesn't need the ball as much. You can put him on a wing. Bam's a big. Well, Colin, what would the Lakers get? Well, Kyle Lowry plus Tyler Hero, plus.

Duncan Robinson and three first round picks. Salaries match. Now, I don't think it's enough because I would not trade LeBron James for Tyler Hero, although he will win six man of the year, Duncan Robinson, down year, but 40% three-point shooter, and Kyle Lowry, smart guy 13 a game. And three draft picks. Number one, I wouldn't do it.

The Lakers would probably do it. I think Pat Riley thinks the same thing I do. You're not getting through Milwaukee. you're not as dynamic at the point as Philadelphia with Maxie and Hardin. Kyle Lowry's solid. But to me, Miami and Pat Riley have been dealmakers. And they have Laker connections. But Pat Riley left the Lakers.

It wasn't ideal. And I think the Lakers would go, no. So publicly, Pat Riley would never, ever say this would happen. And I do think they'd have reservations because they had LeBron. But Pat Riley admitted a couple years after LeBron left, I'd bring him back. He admitted that publicly. That's the fit. Kyle Lowry, Tyler Hero, Duncan Robinson, bunch of draft picks, go for it.

But the Lakers would want Bam. And they don't want to give up Bam, and Bam's really good. He's not Janus. He's not Embed. He's not that. But he's really good. And so, and he's pretty reliable. He's healthy.

He matters. But to me, that's the team that works because I think that team lacks sort of a dynamic person with the ball in their hands. I think Lowry's fine. 13 a game, but he's an older player. You know, there's a ceiling there. I've seen it. And the Lakers could start over with a bunch of draft picks, a couple of good shooters,

Tyler Hero, Dungan Robinson, a veteran presence for two or three years to lead him. That would all match up. And by the way, LeBron wouldn't be necessarily against it. He'd be in town. A city's been in. D-Waids around the corner. He knows Riley. Listen, he made up with Dan Gilbert.

He couldn't make out with Pat Riley? Miami's Aquasawater makes you make up for a lot of. people in no state taxes. You may have a lot of people. But I don't think it's going to happen. But that to me is the one I'm like, different conference, have a relationship, good for business, salaries fit. Lakers get something back.

Because right now the Lakers, they just don't have any young players. Like they have Malik Munk. Like that's it. That's the young guy I really like. Reeves is okay, but he's not a difference maker. Malik Munk can start in this league for a lot of teams, a lot of good teams. So there you go. There's my, there's my crazy listen, I'm not going to ever be, you know, make up a trade on the air guy, but I'm just saying, if there was one that looks like it would kind of work, salaries could match, Lakers get something

back, it'd be Miami. But the Lakers are, they're a little bit, there's a little Manchester United Yankee thing here. Riley was the Lakers, then he left. He's had success. There's, you know, the Jerry West, Phil Jackson, Riley dynamic. Lakers probably don't want to, you know, they'd never. never want to give LeBron more titles. It would look like the Lakers failed. They win big. He wins again in Miami. But if you're asking me, LeBron, Jimmy Butler, Bam, yeah, that's a championship

team and Lebron leads it. That's a great fit. That's a perfect fit. You got the big. You got the guy that distributes. You got a wing score. You got a great spolsters to me is, I can make an argument. Spolster is the best coach in the league. I think he's brilliant. Nick Wright was on the show talking about Ben Simmons. We talked about Ben Simmons earlier. I'm not going to spend a ton of time on this because I think Ben Simmons is so unlikable. it is interesting. I just want to read you this from Shams Sharanya, who comes on this show, Storybreaker. Ben Simmons is dealing with backsorness in reconditioning process that requires further strengthening of the area over a period of time before returning to action. The team is

treating it as a day-to-day process. This is so odd to me. So he re-injured it as he's working out to get ready to fully engage in practice. Here's the thing that worries me. If you go back and look at Ben Simmons pre-draft scouting report, the one thing that jumped out to me, he's not always competitive. That game against Atlanta, playoffs, not competitive. According to a story, they want to keep him out of the Philly game because it's too hostile. Michael Jordan lived for those games.

Kobe lived for those games. Bird lived for those games. I think even LeBron lives for those games. The great players want that hostile crowd. They don't want it to be the home crowd, but they love going into a place and silencing the crowd. Ben Simmons wants no part of it. That would worry me.

Hour three. Next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and 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.

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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever, you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve

to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford 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. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.