The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Kevin Durant has thin skin, Lakers turmoil, Pelicans ineptitude and NBA trade deadline news

Episode Date: February 7, 2019

Colin discusses the latest tantrum from Golden State Warriors F Kevin Durant and why he will never be on the level of Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James, the current problems of the Los Angeles Lakers, why the New Orleans Pelicans are a horrible franchise, and the latest NBA trade deadline news. Guests include LaVar Ball, Chris Mannix, Chris Broussard, Richard Jefferson, and Jason McIntyre. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 iHeart radio app by searching herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Trade deadline herd day. It's a Thursday. In Los Angeles, we are live, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We are on IHeart Radio. We're on Fox Sports Radio, and we are right here on FS1. Chris Mannix, Richard Jefferson, a LeBron teammate. Chris

Bruce Sard, LeVar Ball later next hour, and Joy Taylor is joining me. We've got, this is kind of a trade deadline show today. This is what it is. Yes, it's a trade deadline preview show, and maybe we'll have some news as the day goes on. Yeah, it will be. The trade deadline ends at about the end of our show. So the next three hours, we're going to give you the very latest stuff. I do want to start, though, with late, late, late, late, late, last night, Kevin Durant went to a microphone,

and he's just tired of hearing his name out there with the Knicks. There was an article written by a young person named Ethan Strauss, been covering the Warriors forever, some speculations, some discussion of Kevin Durant, and he just didn't like it, and it set him off last night. Here you go. We've noticed that you hadn't talked for a while. Why do you care? Has anything to do with conversation about free agency? That's the conversation you're going to have.

I don't think about that type of stuff. That's your job. You got to do Ethan Strauss who come in here and just give his whole opinion on stuff and make it seem like it's coming from me. And he just walk around here. Don't talk to nobody. Just walk in here and survey and then write something like that. And now y'all piling on me because I don't want to talk to y'all about that.

I have nothing to do with the Knicks. I don't know who traded Porzingis. They got nothing to do with me. I'm trying to play basketball. Y'all come here every day, ask me about free agency, ask my teammates, my coaches, you rile up the fans about it. God, let us play basketball. That's all I'm saying.

And now when I don't want to talk to y'all, it's a problem with me. Come on, man. Grow up. Grow up. Yeah, you, grow up. Come on, bro. We're talking. So?

Who are you? Why do I got to talk to you? How are you playing? How is a team playing in the last couple of weeks? I'm done. You know you don't. care about that. I just asked you. Grow up are the

perfect two words for Kevin Durant. So Kevin, you want the money, the power, the fame, and the worship. But don't ask me a question. Well, excuse me, but when LeBron James signs a one-year contract, when Kevin Durant signs or a one or a two-year contract and it's up soon,

that begs for speculation. That demands the question. Your boss will tell you as a reporter, you got to ask KD about this. And then Kevin Durand had gone silent the last eight days, wouldn't talk to the media. That's their first opportunity to talk to him. I am pro player. I've always been pro NBA player. But if you want the power and the fame and the money and the leverage, you got to

answer a question, especially when you like playing the one-year contract game. You can't get a one-year deal. You make a decision as a star player in this league, as a difference maker, which LeBron is, Kevin Durant is, those are difference makers and they're superstars. When they sign one-year deals, you're toying with your team and you're playing with your fans. And then the media, we're going to play a game too. It's called the speculation game. Steph Curry's on this team.

He never deals with this drama. Why? Because Steph Curry's totally committed. long term to the warriors. Therefore, the media doesn't poke and prod and ask questions. We're not digging here just to dig. There's a gold bar underneath the surface. Okay.

I, as a reporter, I don't like making athletes uncomfortable, but I would have to go and answer the question and ask the question because Kevin Durant's got a contract that demands and begs that I ask the question. the funny thing about Kevin Durant. Like, he's telling everybody to grow up. Dude, you're the one that wants to be LeBron. Okay, LeBron

and Michael Jordan are on this elevated plane. And Kevin Durant wants to so desperately be in that plane. We know that. We know it bothers him. That's been reported multiple times. You can tell in his responses when he said everybody is a suck up

to LeBron and everybody worships LeBron and everybody's got a man crush on LeBron. Clearly, it bothers Kevin Durant, right? That's why he talks about it. He wants to be on this Michael Jordan LeBron plane, but the reason he's not, he can't handle it. Michael Jordan brilliantly played the media forever on his terms. He was playful and fun, poked and pronted. LeBron, by and large, he just kind of has fun. Goes to social media, pokes and pronds. He didn't melt down. Michael wasn't mess down. Michael wasn't. Melting down. Kevin Durant's melting down like six times a year. You've got to be able to handle it. Part of being a superstar. And this is a big part of it is handling being a superstar.

Samuel L. Jackson's a superstar. He can handle it. Russell Crow could not. He threw phones at people behind a desk at a hotel. Russell Crow couldn't handle being a superstar. He's just a good actor. By the way, Jay-Z can handle being a superstar. Kanye melts down about three times a year. LeBron can handle it. Michael Jordan could handle it. Magic could handle it. Kevin Durant can't. He wants all the...

He loves being talked about. He criticizes us when we do shows that are very LeBron leaning. He's noted that it bothers him. He calls us fanboys and suckups. So it clearly bothers him. then handle the questions about your future because you sign one and two your deals. That's the game. And by the way, this is why Kevin Durant can't go to the Knicks.

Golden State is perfect for him. He's insulated. He's protected. Steve Curry used to be a broadcaster. He's incredibly media savvy. So he deflects a lot of the KD stuff. Steph Curry, the world's greatest teammate, got a star next to him. flex a lot of the stuff.

If the Warriors lose, Kevin Durant doesn't take all the heat. Sometimes they blame Draymondon. Sometimes they blame Clay. Golden State's perfect. They insulate Kevin Durant, who can be incredibly insecure. This is another example. Lecturing people to grow up when it's really, Kevin, bathrooms have mirrors. They still work.

Use them. This is about you wanting to be the superstar, wanting to be LeBron, wanting to be M.J.' but you can't handle questions at a press conference and speculation on blogs and the internet. That's really keeping you up at night. That's aggravating you. What Michael Jordan had people chasing him around the country. LeBron James has helicopters flying over his house, and you can't handle an article from a blog?

The warriors are built for Kevin Durant. He's protected and insulated. Can you imagine him going to the New York Knicks, where if they lose, it's on Kevin. where if they don't advance to the second round, it's on Kevin. That's not the issue anymore. When I hear he's going to go to New York, I just roll my eyes and think, you've got to be kidding me. They've got the savviest head coach in the league with the media, Steve Kerr.

They've got Steph Curry as a teammate. It's a world-class organization, and they win the title every year. They're barely even, they run unopposed. They're like a politician, and the Democrat drops out. I mean, they run unopposed. So if you want to be a superstar, part of being a superstar is being able to handle, oh my God, a question at a press conference. LeBron has had people helicopters. Michael Jordan couldn't get married.

Helicopters. I mean, they had to literally buy security and buy islands because people are hovering and chasing and stocking. And Ethan Strauss is wearing you. out? You're not LeBron. Example number 28, while you're not LeBron. All right, let me shift to this. Trading deadline. It is interesting that a New York Nick, Christopps Porzengas got traded to Dallas. I didn't hear a word of it before it happened. Involved a star and involved a big city. Of course, this thing has been a nine-day three-ring circus. Let me just ask you a question. I don't think Anthony Davis, who I support wanting to leave, is going to end up a Laker by noon today.

And what is going to happen if he doesn't? There's some losers in this. There's some carnage in this. There's some shrapnel in this. First of all, the biggest loser is going to be Luke Walton. I mean, every teammate knows now they are just a pawn in the bigger picture. I think you're going to have a very messy second half. I think you're going to be a borderline playoff team.

that's distracted. LeVar Ball will be on our show next hour. He's got issues with his son ever having to play in New Orleans. I think Luke Walton is in big, big trouble here. This is going to be a very messy second half, and the Lakers are going to be a borderline playoff team. Secondly, I don't think the Lakers look good here. I think it's a bad look for the Lakers.

At one point, it was reported they were giving up seven players and six draft picks. Are you kidding me? What are you? the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns, you look desperate. There's a story out, Brian Winhorse said the Pelicans never intended to move Anthony Davis to the Lakers. They instead wanted to leak things to sabotage the young Lakers as revenge for what New Orleans saw as tampering. Can you imagine that? The Lakers being manipulated by the Pelicans?

that's like the United States going into a trade war and getting worked by Trinidad at Tobago. That's a bad look. And third, I don't think it's great for LeBron. He's got a deal with his current teammates who probably just aren't mature enough to handle being mentioned as trade pawns. They should be able to handle it, but I don't think they will handle it. Also, I think it's hard for LeBron now because is he getting a reputation as the Lakers' struggle? as kind of a coach killer. I think Luke Walton's dead man coaching.

Also, Kauai doesn't appear interested. Paul George didn't. I saw a story yesterday that Anthony Davis, he wants to be a nick. I mean, this is not a good look for Luke. It's not a good look for the Lakers. I don't think it's a terribly good look for LeBron James. The Lakers have been worked by Del Demps. Do you remember what David Stern said a year ago?

was no longer even the commissioner. He talked about Del Dempson, the New Orleans Pelicans, and he said, he doesn't know what he's doing. He's a lousy general manager. If the Lakers, at 1201 Pacific, if they get nothing, they have been worked by the worst franchise in the NBA, a franchise in New Orleans where they're having NFL people run their NBA team. This is just not good. And this is another reason. Don't leak. Don't talk. Don't rush to blogs. Poor Zingas got traded. Nobody liked it in New York, but it was a one-day story. This is going to be a nine, ten-day story, and it's a cautionary tale for the Lakers. Be careful when you get into business with the worst franchise in the NBA. I mean, the Pelicans aren't real smart here. Once the summer hits, my argument is, I don't think the

Pelicans are getting more, I think they're going to get less. The summer changes things. Anthony Davis is going to have less time to sit out. I think Anthony Davis has the every day this goes on, Anthony Davis can look in the mirror and go, I'm just going to sit out the season. Now it's like a year and a half. I mean, this is just, it's just bad news. I don't think it looks good for LeBron.

I do not think it looks good for the Lakers. I think it's a really bad situation for Luke Walton. We'll keep you on it. Chris Mannix is going to join us in less than 15 minutes, the update on this thing. Boy, I was on the phone a lot last night. On the phone a lot last night. Some more updates on Anthony Davis and LeBron. And I will say I will defend Anthony Davis on this, among other things on the back end.

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We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

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I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us.

Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Pelotons are game-changing indoor cycle. bike brings the energy alive studio classes to your home learn more a peloton bike one pelleton dot com visit your local showroom otherwise um you know we there's an old saying you know like be careful who you get into business with the more successful any of you would get anybody listening to me you have to be careful who you do business with because if it goes wrong and you choose a crazy person it's going to land on you know if tom hanks does a movie with a goofy director who has a history of bombs and it bombs, nobody's going to blame the director. They're going to say,

Tom Hanks was in a terrible movie. The bigger star you become, be very, very careful. The bigger brand you become, be very, very careful because it's always going to land on you because you're the person everybody knows. And the Lakers got into business with the Pelicans, because the Pelicans have the star they want. Well, the Pelicans are a dysfunctional mess. You got a GM who David Stern publicly criticized. They were going to give Chris Paul away. They've had multiple trades. Free agent moves. They haven't worked.

Anthony Davis has played in seven years with one all-star, Boogie Cousins, and now he's gone. It's been a mess. But this is going to land more poorly on the Lakers because they're the bigger brand. And Chris Broussard brought up something on undisputed this morning in regards to Anthony Davis and the Pelicans and they should be patient. Here it is. I would wait to see what Boston offers.

Maybe it's better, maybe it's not. See what the Knicks offer if they get a top one or two pick. Maybe I want that. And if not, I can get this Lakers deal. Maybe we start the season. If Boston doesn't blow us away with an offer, maybe we start the season with AD. He can't go anywhere.

It gives me more time to analyze these Lakers pieces. And maybe LeBron gets hurt again. And AD no longer wants to go there. I mean, I've got too much time left with him under contract. to be rushed into a deal right now. What's interesting here is so far for the Lakers, this has just been an optical mess. It's not a disaster they don't get him by today.

That's not a disaster. It's an optical mess. It was sloppy and they don't get him. It could become a real mess if Chris Broussard is right. And what's interesting is LeBron's injury actually exposed a lot of things about the Lakers. It was LeBron's first major injury. First, it exposed, ooh, LeBron's human.

15th year, he gets hurt too. It exposed their young players as, wow, they really are lost unless LeBron's on the floor. It exposed currently the front office that can't get a player. And then, frankly, Luke Walton didn't look good optically. And now, unless AD comes out and says, I will only play for the Lakers, which I don't believe he is going to say. In fact, I read yesterday he likes the Knicks 2. What is plan B?

Right now this is just an optical mess. What happens if it becomes a complete mess and they don't get him? And Chris Broussard is right. And you start the season. I mean, Pelicans still have the rights to their star. Pelicans have several suitors for their star. They've got the leverage. I mean, Kevin Durant, look at the free agent market next year,

outside of Anthony Davis. Kevin Durant. He's not going to play with LeBron. Kauai Leonard. I'm told he doesn't want to play with LeBron. Kyrie Irving. I don't buy that he wants to play with LeBron. I think he'll stay in Boston. I don't think he's going to be a Nick.

Clay Thompson, please. The Warriors are going to max him out. They're going to give him everything they can. And then there's Jimmy Butler, who's, let's be honest, now on his third team. And even now there's some musings that it's not ideal. and he can be a little disruptive. So right now this is just an optical mess. I mean, it's still, I mean, let's be honest,

when this season started, we didn't think they were going to get Anthony Davis at the trade deadline. We thought this is going to be the year. LeBron feels it out, probably a five or a six seed. That's what we all thought. That's what we all thought. You know, it was going to be, there were going to be,

you know, maybe win a playoff series. And nobody thought three months ago they were again getting Anthony Davis. It's just now this. this is just an optical mess because they're not that far off track. But if they start next season and still don't have him, then you got yourself no plan B that I can see. And it is also a cautionary tale that, you know, the pelicans are kind of a dysfunctional mess, NFL people all in their NBA office, a GM that David Stern called out, a star player who

wants nothing to do with them. And Lakers got into business with them. And all the last nine days, stories now, they're just manipulating the Lakers. The Lakers look bad in this. Pelicans just look like the Pelicans. This is the way the Pelicans do business. Lakers are a glamour franchise. They're the Yankees.

They're the Red Sox. They're the Cowboys. They're a glamour franchise. The Patriots. Hey, they look messy. Joy Taylor with the News. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the Herdline News. So, Nick Bowles, is another hurdle. and the Eagles plan to franchise tag Nick Foles in the hopes of trading him. There's several reports that that's the Eagles plan. And a tag-in-trade might actually violate the CBA. Mike Floreo of Pro Football Talk dug up Article 6, Section 8 of the CBA, which says a club extending a required tender must, for so long as that tender is extended,

have good faith intention to employ the player receiving the tender at the tender compensation level during the upcoming season. So basically, they have to, they're going to franchise tag him, they have to then be working towards a long-term contract. Oh, and they don't want to do that. So this prevents teams from doing exactly what they're trying to do, which is make him a valuable piece in order to trade, rather than letting him go into free agency and walk free. So, yeah, this is going to be a problem if they end up actually a franchisee tagging.

Again, I feel very strongly about this. This is unemotional, but a lot of athletes in the NFL become like stocks, and you buy them low, you sell them high. You know, the Patriots got everything they thought they could get out of Randy Moss, and then, you know, you move on, right? This is the way the world works. Patriots have done this over and over. They find a player. They refine him.

And then they move on here before they get it. Right, right, right. Nick Foles has topped out as a stock. He is not a $50 stock. He's a $28 stock, and he's about at $26. Sell him. No, I mean, I don't think that Nick Foles was going to get better than he is at this moment. But he is a starting quarterback in the league.

There are several teams around the league who need a sales. solid starting quarterback. While the Eagles may want to get something for him, and it may seem like fair, it's also fair to Nick Foles that he'd be able to choose where he goes and not be traded there. Now, I'm not saying that the Eagles are going to, you know, do him dirty, but this is an important thing that he actually has some flexibility.

So it would be interesting to see what happens there. So after Kevin Durant spoke out against the media last night, Seth Curry spoke in support of his teammate. Honestly, I think it's him not be able to control his own voice. What he can't control is BS that happens in the media or people making a decision for him or all this other stuff. I'm sure from his standpoint, frustrating. So he's, again, the way he plays basketball and the way that he's as a teammate and all that

type of stuff, that's all we're worried about. And I think he's doing a great job of that. You know, everyone is going to be coming at Kevin Durant for his reaction last night. But I got to say, I'm kind of on his side. I mean, at one point or another, and listen, I'm in the media. I understand we have questions that we have to ask. And there's a relationship there and they need to speak to the media and, you know, all of that goes on. But at one point or another, we're asking questions they literally can't give answers to.

So while we feel like, okay, we need to give the story that the fans are looking for, the fans want to know what he's thinking. There's no win for him. He can't give an answer that wins. If he gives a vanilla answer, it's just going to continue. It's not just the question. he doesn't like the speculation. Well, this is a speculative story. Exactly.

It is a speculative story. It's the state of his contract is going to open that up. So while he needs to be aware that this is a thing, and obviously NBA free agency has its ups and downs like everything else does, it's great for players to have flexibility. It was great for him to have the ability to leave and go to Golden State and win two championships. And with that comes the responsibility of people want to know where you're going because it changes the course of NBA history and changes the course of it.

It also helps. Entire franchises and jobs. It makes them money. People speculated about me moving companies. That's great for my brand. It makes people aware of me. Now, would I get tired of the same question over and over to press conference? Yeah, yeah, I get that.

But it's more than him, though, I think. I think the reason why he's getting frustrated is not just coming the same question all the time. It's exactly what's going on with the Lakers. It takes away from what you're actually doing in that moment. NBA Free Agency has become bigger than the actual games during the regular season. The only thing bigger than NBA Free Agency, in the NBA is the NBA playoffs. But if you speculated about my movement,

it doesn't affect my show. I come in and put my head down. It might not affect you and your show, but it might affect everyone else around you. Well, I mean, Kevin Durant's job is to go, head down, put your phone down for a few hours, play. Well, that's what he's saying. But even if he puts his phone down,

he still has to go talk to the media again, ask the same question 15 times. I get the annoyance with the question, but speculation is the business he's in due to his contract, and he could go all in on the Warriors, I mean, LeBron signed a four-year deal with the Lakers, so nobody's going to ask about him moving. Well, I don't agree with him doing that because that takes away his leverage from a franchise, and the franchise has no obligation to be loyal to him in that spot.

So I am fully for controlling your own destiny. But that's not true. There's no escape. That's not true. He is now a veteran. They can't just ship him off to the crudiest franchise. So if he goes all in on a contract, players do have rights once they've been in this league for a long time. Now, again, if he was a second year in the last,

league. I support players on this stuff always. But when superstars are getting what essentially is having, and I'll ask Chris Mannix about this, when superstars are getting dusted up about speculation talk? No, I don't, I think it's, that's what I'm saying. I think it's bigger than that. I think he limited it to that one thing and that one story. But I think it's bigger than that. And you were seeing that's what's happening with the Lakers. So finally, one of the weirder moments in NBA trade history occurred last night. Harrison Barnes was traded mid-game. Now, following the game, Paul Pierce said in ESPN that Barnes was aware that he was being shot by the Mavericks. And that there was a possibility he could be moved that he asked to play anyway.

Yes. So the original story was he had no idea what happened. And it was like this shocking moment in the middle of the game, which is very understandable why you would be upset if that was the case. So it's not that he had no awareness of this was happening. But LeBron wasn't happy with the way it happens. He posted a picture of Harrison Barnes and said on Instagram and said, let me guess this is cool because they had to do it was best for the franchise. Right. traded this man while he was literally playing the game and had zero idea.

I'm not knocking who traded him because it's a business and you have to do what you feels best. But I just want this narrative to start to get real change and not when a player wants to be traded to leave the franchise that he's selfish, ungrateful. But when they trade you, release, wave, cut, et cetera, it's best for them. I'm okay with both. Honestly, Julianne just call a spade a spade. Yeah, no, no, no. LeBron is wrong that Harrison Barnes chose to play. But I will say this.

This is why I defend players. So he was, Harrison Barnes was in Golden State. about to be part of a great dynasty, and they ship him to cruddy Dallas, and then Dallas then gets Porzingis. It's very exciting. And then they ship him off to Sacramento. And it's like, this is why I always support players. Now, I don't support players whining about speculation, but I'm always going to support players

because I'm Harrison Bard's twice now. I've had a chance to be part of this growing cool team, and I get shipped off. Well, yeah, I mean, the story does change your, I think it should change your opinion. At least he was aware that it was happening, so it didn't come out of nowhere. but it's part of the business that like LeBron's saying. It's kind of a little bit like LeBron, you got your own

stuff going on right now and nobody believes you don't have any say in what's going on with all the trade rumors that are happening with your own team. So it's a little weird. Yeah. Joy of the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News.

Okay. I want to go to Chris Manix. He's a senior writer Sports Illustrated, knows the NBA. It's trading deadline day. and he's going to join us via the Coward Global Satellite Network, Chris Manix. Let's start on the Kevin Durant thing before we get to the other stuff. I am very pro-player. I get a lot of hate on social media because I have moved in my career. I'm always supportive of the player.

And the Harrison Barnes thing is why I'm supportive of players. But Kevin Durant is upset with the speculation business. That's part of being a superstar. Is it not, Chris? It is. first call it, I would hope that you, like I, embrace the mute button as much as I do. It's the greatest thing Twitter ever invented. Yeah.

Look, you kind of touched on it. Kevin Durant could easily quell all this couple of different ways. One, signing a long-term contract. I have no problem with how he's conducted his business. It's given him a lot of leverage. It's granted him a lot of power. But the fallout from that is that you get questions like this every single year. And those questions are compounded by incidents like they had early in the season involving Draymond Green.

He also could have handled it differently by not avoiding the media after the Porzingis trade. Because if you're avoiding the media after the Porzingis trade, that's all anybody's going to try to connect it to, even if it doesn't have anything to do with it. So Kevin easily could have come out and said, look, guys, I'm trying to win here. I don't want to talk about free agency. And after a question or two, that probably would have ended it. instead it snowballed and we got what we saw last night. I'll say this. I think it would be the biggest mistake in free agent history

if he left the Warriors for the Knicks. And that's nothing against the Knicks. But you're talking about Steve Kerr and Steph Curry insulate Kevin. I mean, it's literally a perfect organization. It's Silicon Valley. There's stars out of basketball. Steve Kerr insulates you. He's media friendly.

Steph's the world's greatest superstar teammate. Boy, if they lose a game with Kevin Durant in New York, the avalanche is completely on him. I think it would be a disaster. Do you think he goes to New York? Do you buy that? I think there's a realistic possibility. I think everything can be turned on its head in the offseason.

But I also don't believe that the Knicks didn't make this poor Zingis deal without a belief, whether it's a head knot from somebody in Durant's camp or something else that Durant was at least going to strongly consider them. The narrative the Knicks spun out there. about Porzingis not buying it and wanting out. I'm not buying that at all. What we don't know, Colin, is what does Kevin Durant want out of the next five years of his life? Does he want to run his own Southern California big market team?

In that case, the Clippers matter. Does he want to grow his brand? Look, in the last couple of years, if you've noticed, Kevin Durant has started to dabble in some outside interest. Does he believe the marketing power of living in New York and playing for the Knicks is valuable? or does he see more value in chasing, you know, that six championship ring threshold, which he could conceivably, you know, catch up to in the next few years with Golden State? So the great unknown is what, where does Kevin Durant rank his priorities as he goes into the offseason?

Let's shift to Anthony Davis. We'll start with this. You don't think the deal is going to happen now, right? I do not. No. Okay. Do you believe Anthony Davis is a Laker at season's end? I do not.

I'm still of the belief. And look, we've seen Anthony Davis go from, I only want to go to the Knicks. I'm putting the bucks on the list. I read a report earlier yesterday that he's not going to sign an extension with anybody or agree to come to extension with anybody until 2020. It sure sounds like there are a lot of games being played.

Now, if it comes to fruition, Anthony Davis is still a Pelican, that's when the Boston Celtics have to get to work. That's when they have to really start selling Anthony Davis threw back channels, through his representatives on being in Boston long term. Look, Colin, one thing Anthony Davis has said, first through Rich Paul his representative, and then at that media gaggle after, he wants to win. And Danny Ains said this recently in a radio interview.

He said, our way of selling star players is to showing them a path to success. And the Celtics, I don't think anyone can argue if they make a deal for you, they're probably going to represent your best chance to win championships over the next few years. years. Also, I don't believe Boston's going to get outbid. It may be Jason Tatum. It may be something else. But for the last 18 months, Anthony Davis has consumed that front office. I don't believe that when we get to July, the Celtics will be outbid for Anthony Davis. So Paul George passed on LeBron. Kauai reportedly not interested. Anthony Davis, in your opinion, goes elsewhere. Is the lots of guys don't want to play with LeBron narrative, which I initially.

I initially rolled my eyes at. Is there some truth in it that he is not now in his year 16? He is not the be-all, end-all to success in this league. I don't think that you can put all those guys into one basket. I mean, Paul George passed in a large part because the connection he made with Russell Westbrook and the comfort level he felt in Oklahoma City. If he had stayed in Indiana, I firmly believe Paul George would be a Laker right now. Kauai Leonard still hasn't made a decision yet, so I don't know what Kauai Leonard really wants.

And Anthony Davis, look, he wants to be playing with LeBron James right now, we believe. Maybe that doesn't happen. I don't, I think there are certainly players that don't want that experience for whatever reason, but I don't think it's a referendum on LeBron James that he struck out in getting guys to pair with him. If I said to you in this whole Laker public, I mean, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and Tobias Harris all left the clippers, and we didn't know about it one minute before it happened, this Laker AD thing has been front page for nine days. If I said to you, in this whole TMZ world of LeBron, Lakers, Clutch Sports, Pelicans, Del Demps,

who looks the worst? Who does it really stain on? I think it blows back most on clutch sports and Anthony Davis's representatives. Look, the Pelicans, I don't think. they ever were going to make a trade like this before the deadline. They, they're a powerful people, influential people in that organization that for logical reasons wanted to wait for the trade deadline to pass to see what the lottery shook out, who got the number one pick, and to see what Boston could offer on July 1st. But I do know from talking to people close to that situation that how this has been handled has rubbed people internally the wrong way. Anthony Davis,

they knew that at some point a trade for Anthony Davis was going to become their problem. They assumed that Anthony Davis would just reject their contract extension on July 1st, and that would be a de facto trade demand. They were surprised that Davis came to them and said, I want to be traded before the deadline, two weeks before, and they were upset by the fact that this became public. So Anthony Davis will most likely not get what he says he wanted, and that being a trade to the Lakers.

and will also look pretty bad. And it was his agents that kind of came up with this idea and pushed it on him. All right. I'll address that. Chris Mannix, great stuff. Thanks for dropping by and keep busting it because it trade deadline got a few hours left. Thanks, man. You got it, Colin.

Okay, I got some thoughts on Kevin Durant wanting to be LeBron and why he won't be, and I'll respond to what he just said. That's coming up. In L.A., it's The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of the HARD weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. By the way, cold and flu season, Vicks Synex nasal spray. Works up to 12 hours. Vicks Synex nasal spray.

Unclogs congestion. Use only is directed. Joy Taylor joining me. Levar Ball next hour. He'll be stopping by a lot of questions with LeVar. I talked to him earlier today. I'm fired up to talk to him. Lonzo Ball, it appears, is not in the long-term future plans for the Lakers.

And I do think he's an asset. And I think his injuries are hurting him as an asset. But I still think Levar Ball is a good starting point guard in this league. and I don't think he's long for Los Angeles. So his father, LeVar Ball, will show up, and I can't wait for that. So about eight or nine days ago when all this Anthony Davis-Laker stuff started happening, Anthony Davis came out and said, listen, man, I'm not going to do long-term resigning with the Pelican, so you might as well trade.

He's represented by Clutch Sports. And Clutch Sports is run by Rich Paul, who happens to be close friends with LeBron. You know, Clutch Sports doesn't want to be seen as LeBron's guy or LeBron. LeBron's company. They're representing a bunch of players. So there's, you know, they do not want to be seen as, hey, we just do whatever LeBron tells us. LeBron doesn't want that. He distances himself, and they distance themselves, although they are close. But Clutch Sports is a separate business, run by a separate guy, Rich Paul. And so Charles Barkley came out when the story broke, and Charles Berkeley said this, and it kind of freaked everybody out.

Adam Sever need to block that trade. Why? I don't like what? what the Lakers are doing. I don't think it's right. What the Lakers are doing? Yes, I don't think what... What did they do? We're collusion. And you know it's collusion. Let's tell you something.

Rich Paul got mad at me because I said a month ago, Oh, the fix is in. Anthony Davis going to the Lakers. He didn't like me saying the fix was in. The fix has been in. I think Commissioner Stern, who I like a lot, he'd come out and says, hey, we can trade out to Davis, but he cannot go to the Lakers.

We cannot have players and agents colluding including the stacked super team. Now, I don't think it's collusion. I think it's player empowerment. It should be noted. Let's be fair here. Let's be fair here to Anthony Davis and Clutch Sports. We have to be fair here.

David Fulk was far more powerful, far more powerful than Rich Paul and Clutch Sports. David Fulke, along with David's turn, David Falk ran the leak. He had Ewing. He had MJ. then it was Arndellum. So why is everybody upset now

with Clutch Sports? Well, I mean, they're close to LeBron. You don't think David Falk was close to Michael Jordan? They were golfing buddies. They were whining cigar buddies. They were private jet buddies. They were vacationing. Come on. So let's not pretend the world's now just evil in Clutch Sports is going out. They got a player in Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis has given his

busted as you know what for seven years. He wants out of It's a dysfunctional franchise with a GM that was called lousy by the former commissioner. Commissioners don't call general managers lousy? And it's a franchise that's butchered all sorts of trades and paying average guys way too much money. Seven years he's played with one All-Star, Boogie Cousins, and then he left. So let's just, we got a star player who wants to get out of New Orleans, a franchise that has their NFL people running their NBA franchise. Now, should they have waited to the year was over? Did they get impatient?

That's fair. I mean, it probably would have been easier if Anthony Davis just sucked it up and played another year for a dreadful franchise. But, you know, I mean, these players get frustrated. LeBron got frustrated in Cleveland. You know, you're a star player. You're only one, you know, bad fall from ripping your knee up and not being the same player.

Look at John Wall. His career feels like a done today. Now, they're not done paying him, but his career feels. like it's pretty much not the same. Look at how Russell Westbrook, league MVP in a couple years and a couple surgeries later, he's not the same player. So let's be fair to the player here and fair to clutch sports. The optics may not be good, but they're not doing anything new. I mean, I'm not some 25-year-old blogger here. I watched David Falk.

They called him the invisible, this is what he was called, the, you can look it up, the invisible hand of labor negotiations. He was just moving the whole league around with David's. Michael Jordan left the league. They lost 50% of their ratings. I mean, Michael's the only player in my life that's bigger than LeBron. In terms of impact on the league, I think if LeBron left, I don't think 50% of the ratings would go away. I think probably 18%, 20%, not 50.

I mean, Michael Jordan left the league. Half the audience left. You don't think David Volk had power? Arn Tell them? Come on now. So sometimes, you know, this is funny joy people think what we do for a living i'm just in the hot take business i find more than ever i'm the wet blanket of the hot take i'm always telling everybody to chill out when kevin

durant went to the warriors it ruins the world i'm like chill out it'll be fun let's watch it well once you see dramatic things that everyone freaks out about happen and then over time they end up going exactly how you thought they would and not being so dramatic and not being the end of the world, not being the end of the NBA, or the end of the NFL or the worst thing it ever happened to the league. You kind of tend to... Yeah. Let's simplify the Anthony Davis story.

Star player, yep, given seven years to a cruddy franchise, yep, and then tells his agent, I want out of here. And oh, by the way, appears to be interested in big market teams. Ooh, that's never happened. Come on. That is the NBA. That's exactly what the NBA is. I got LeVar balls around the corner.

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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. Hour 2, this. is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're live in Los Angeles on Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. LeVar Ball is going to join us in about 12 minutes to talk about the Lakers situation.

He doesn't love Luke Walton. He loves his son, and I don't think his son is long for the Lakers. So that's going to be very interesting. 15-minute interview with LeVar Ball. I'm looking forward to that. And I brought LeVar on three or four or five times, and he always is interesting. And actually, I don't agree with everything he's done sometimes with his kids, but, you know, Lonzo's turned out to be an unbelievable young kid and a very good player.

I want to talk, though, for this. So Kevin Durant blew up last night. He's upset with all the speculation about him being traded. And it was an article written by Ethan Strauss, who's a, I don't know, but he covers the Warriors. There's a quote in here where it says, Durant believed beating LeBron in the 2017 finals would get him hailed as the game's top player. KD, who was tired of being second way back in 2013, was still stuck there reputational. But in the end, even though Durant was a superior defensive player and hit the game winning shot in the series in LeBron's face,

there was no grand reordering of the rankings. Nor should there be. Kevin Durant will never catch LeBron. It doesn't matter if he wins four more finals. He will not. He will not. Kevin Durant at some point, and he's not there yet, maybe better than LeBron on the floor.

Better. He will never be greater than LeBron. Folks, if it was all about titles, then Bill Russell's the best player ever. He was excellent, and he's got 11. Michael Jordan was excellent and has six. Titles are not everything. He's got almost double Michael Jordan's.

We never consider Bill Russell in Michael Jordan's class. Ben Hur, the Titanic, and Lord of the Rings have the most Oscars. Nobody considers them the three best movies of all time. Kevin Durant has acknowledged, has admitted. He just wants to play basketball. LeBron has never just been about playing basketball. LeBron is a global icon. People, you know them, they've got one name.

Oprah, Hanks, Obama, LeBron. Kevin Durant's not even the biggest one-name guy in his own team. That's Steph. Durant is a great basketball player. LeBron's an icon. Andrew Luck could win the next four Super Bowls. He'll never be bigger than Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning changed the game.

Peyton Manning's iconic. Andrew Luck's just a great quarterback. The totality matters. The mythology matters. There's a reason that Wilt's better than Russell. Wilt has two titles. Russell. Russell has 11.

But Wilt had a hundred-point game. Wilt was an urban legend. Wilt changed teams multiple times and changed the league and changed the rules he was so dominant. He was also a statistical monster and Wilt had enough titles. It wasn't like Russell had 12 and Wilt had none. Magic will always be bigger than Bird. You know, magic's got more titles, but magic was always a bigger story. Magic mattered more.

magic changed the game. Magic changed the way kids on the street played. That matters in the NBA. That matters in life. It matters in sports. It matters. We've had presidents who during the recession, during wars, whether they're not they're the best president,

they're viewed as simply more impactful and more important. Kevin Durant's living in this tunnel of more titles. I'm better. LeBron is way past that. and every time Kevin Durant says, I just want to be about basketball, he shrinks his profile. He shrinks it.

At some point, Kevin may be better than LeBron on the floor, but he'll never be greater than LeBron. I'll put their numbers up on a screen for our television audience. It doesn't even really matter that LeBron has 10,000 more points or 6,000 more assists, or four times the MVP's. or even one more title and six more finals appearances. It doesn't matter that LeBron is statistically significantly greater.

Go ahead, add four more titles. LeBron has enough titles. Peyton Manning has enough titles that even if luck wins more, Manning will always be bigger. Because Peyton changed the way football was played at the line of scrimmage. Peyton Manning was his own coach. The coaching staff largely gave them. team offensively to Peyton Manning.

He would go to a line with two, three, four audibles. Nobody else did that. That's not a knock on Kevin Durant. He is a great, great basketball player. But the three most important basketball players of my life, Magic Johnson made the league popular, Michael made it global, and LeBron made it mobile.

And in fact, if you asked me who the fourth most important NBA player ever is, it would be a Kevin Durant teammate, Steph Curry. Steph Curry is, in my opinion, the fourth most important player in NBA history. He eliminated centers. Nobody goes back to back. He eliminated the mid-range jumper. He basically changed the way kids play basketball. I hear parents all the time now. They say my kid goes into a gym.

All they do is hoist up threes. College basketball coaches now recruit bigs, and their parents say they will not go back to the basket. They've got to be facing the basket. So Durant has to just come to terms with this. He is a great, great basketball player, second best over the last 10 years. Better than LeBron some nights.

Better than LeBron maybe in the next five years. he'll never be greater than LeBron, and it does matter to him. As Ethan Strauss and others have said, he doesn't want to be number two. Well, he is, and he is always going to be when compared to LeBron James. And that is not a massive criticism. Let me also say this before I get to LeVar Ball. Let me say this. Is that I think it would be a massive mistake for Kevin Durant to go to the

New York Knicks. I think it would be massive. That would be like John Elway in his prime saying I want to go and play for the Detroit Lions. That would be like Derek Jeter in his prime saying, you know what? I want to give the Seattle Mariners a try. Isn't

what all NBA stars, aren't they all looking for the same thing to win titles and play with great players? Joy, I'm checking in on the Warriors. Do they do that part really well? Yeah, they're pretty solid. They're pretty solid when it comes to that. I think it would be idiotic.

I mean, could you imagine Tom Brady leaving Bill Belichick in his prime for the Cincinnati Bengals? I would say, what are you doing? Even Tom Brady would get criticized. What are you doing? This is Bill Belichick. Nobody willingly, willingly left the New York Yankees in 1998. Nobody willingly left. David Wells was shipped off and he was pissed.

You don't leave dynasties. And especially when you have Steve Kerr, the player-friendly coach. Steph Curry, the world's greatest superstar teammate. Organizationally, the best franchise in the NBA. The city's cool. The title potential is basically uncontested. This would be a massive mistake. If you're a superhero, the goal for superheroes is to be an Avenger.

You team up with other superheroes to save our planet and protect our planet. You don't work all those years as a superhero to get to the Avengers and then go, you know, I'm going to take off and go to a small planet in the middle of nowhere and protect the plants from, you know, the harsh air of the galaxy. No, dude, once you're an Avenger, that's the top. When you're in a, when you get to that league, you don't leave it. You don't go to another league, smaller planet to worry about less crucial things. Kevin Durant will be making a massive, massive mistake leaving. And the fact that he's suggesting it that gets prickly about it, I think it would be a disaster.

Elway doesn't leave the Broncos for the lions. Cheater doesn't leave the Yankees for the Mariners. Robert Downey worked his whole career to get. get to be Ironman. If he wakes up tomorrow and goes, you know what I want to do? Low-budget indie films. Then shame on Robert Downey.

You work your whole life to get on the Warriors, the 98 Yankees. You work your whole life to do that. You don't bail on it or you're goofy. LeVar Ball, right around the corner. A lot of things to talk about. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the trauma, triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, 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, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Clifford Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clivert show on the, I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us

on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, I say,

you figure it out. real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, welcome back. Third, fourth, fifth time on the show, I lose count, founder, CEO, Big Baller Brand,

father of course, of Lonzo. Another son right now is playing at a high school, a prep school in Cleveland. That's Lamello? Yes. A LaVar Ball is joining us, along with Joy Taylor. All right, let's start here. I don't want this to feel like an interrogation, but I'm going to ask, I'm a journalist. I'm going to ask probing questions now.

That's fine. Okay, there are some people today, and many people that feel like, you know, you kind of got a little comeuppance. Lanzo may be traded. Lithuania thing wasn't ideal. There are people, you were a phenomenon in the country. You were discussed weekly. There are some people applauding that it hasn't gone perfectly. Do you sense that?

Does it bother you? No, it doesn't bother me. Everything goes perfectly for me. It's just the way the media, particularly. crazy. It's just like people saying, oh, we haven't heard from Levar. Yeah, you ain't heard from me because I'm in another country. You know, if I'm traveling, I'm not going to be stuck on one

thing just like, I have three boys. My ultimate goal is to get all them in the NBA. The second goal is to make sure all them play on the same team. And it's going to happen. And like I said, it can be done and that's one of the reasons I kind of like said, okay, Phoenix

is good. They got some players, but I'm not trying to be a one-hitter quitter. What I mean by that? Like the Lakers are trying to do. Get all these players try to get you one ring. I want to build a dynasty, a ball dynasty from the bottom on up. So go to the weakest team. Nobody ever wants to go to and go there and make it grow. Did the Lakers tell you when LeBron got here to pipe down? No. Lakers can't tell me anybody. Nobody told me anything on the fact that they can't. You can't come to my house and knock on the door and be like, hey, LeVar, don't say nothing. I'm not going to go up there.

But you did talk less. You were less vocal. I was less vocal because I'm in Europe. I'm in Belgium. I'm in London. Do you feel that the Lakers have been honest with you? I read all the trade speculation this week. I don't believe the Lakers been honest with me on the fact that we had some discussions on things that should have been done. It wasn't done. It's just like

saying before the season is start, I ask what you need from Zoh? You know, it's got to be stronger. Okay. We got that. Yeah. How about giving my other son a chance that you said build around the family? They're not. They should have

The Summer League, come on. Summer League, you can throw him jello in the summer league just to see what he can do. That's not a big deal. They ain't even given that opportunity to play with his brother at least one time. Let's see what they can do together. But no, but if you tell me you're going to do something

and say you're going to try to build something around a family and we don't take no steps, it's just like all these guys you get. You got four and five guys rippling the ball up the court. What you need Lonsor for? If you say he's the face of the franchise, but you don't relate that to the coach. And now it makes magic seem like he's just the face. Maybe they didn't want to set a precedent that maybe if Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart's father come in and they say, hey, LeVar's son, he got Lamello.

Maybe the Lakers just didn't. Their father can say that. Why? Why would they? These fathers not like me? Well, they don't want to set a precedent. The Yankees don't want to give. Well, why they don't want to, it's not even about sending a precedent.

You know what? Fathers can say what they want about their kid. Look at Darren Fox Day. He said something, but it's not relevant because you know why? You don't have a brand. Don't put me in the same boat as these guys. I have a brand and I'm not just one son. I got three sons.

Lonzo Ball does not appear if you read what you read to be part of the Lakers' long-term plans. How does your son think about that? My son is like this. Lonzo, he goes with the flow because he's cool like that. What I'm saying is he's not going to have an attitude. He won't have his own feeling, but he's not going to speak out like me. He going to do whatever you all want to do with him. It's just like this.

When Luke takes him out, he goes sit at the end of the bench. I'm like, okay, he took me out. But in his mind, he's like, I need to be playing the whole game. Let me finish this. But he's not going to show no attitude. He's not going to do like that. I'm a guy.

He pulled me to the bench. I might stop at the coach and look at him and be like, for real? That's just how I am. But Lonzo is different being raised in Chino Hills. The attitude is not there. They've been cool and sheltered by me for a long time. So it's like they're never going to come at that. So Lonzo's like this.

If you got me here and you want me to play, I'll do it. If you ship me off, okay, that's fine. I'll go to my next step. do you believe it's inevitable he will be traded he's going to be traded or if he's not traded Luke is not going to be there because him and Luke don't mix so it don't matter if Luke came and said Lonza you're going to start every game

I'm going to play you 45 minutes Lonzo's like okay but the loyalty is gone okay give me clarity on don't mix what does that mean they don't mix because he don't he didn't use Lonzo the right way so don't people talking about Lonzo was getting better on the fact that everybody on the Lakers was hurt So now you've got to play Lonzo more minutes.

And all we said, playing 35 plus. And start him in the fourth quarter and let him go get these victories. But if you don't start him in the fourth quarter, that means you don't have no confidence in him. If you let him wait until the last five or six minutes to say, hey, go in there and see what you can do? You miss a shot of something like that. Come on out of there. I mean, he would play Lonzo the first six minutes. And regardless of good or bad, first quarter, you're coming out?

For what? So now you're telling me, we're not trying to get this victory. Three fouls? Oh, sit down, sit down. It's three fouls. Too many. You get six. Well, Luke has won a lot of games in the NBA,

won a lot in Golden State. And he's lost a lot of games. He's been losing for three years. And that's the mentality when I told people, they changed my son into a loser, talking about you'll get it. You're a rookie. You got time.

I don't want to hear all that. Go out there and do the job. But Lonzo has been, and I think this is fair to say, he's become a little injury prone. Lonzo's been hurt multiple times. Lonzo's been hurt multiple times on the fact that Lonzo was used to play in all.

whole game. But don't have him go out and be 100 miles an hour, set him down for 12 minutes. Every time he's coming back in the game, I see him doing all this extra stuff stretching and trying to get back in the game. It's like going in to fight and say, you're fighting and stuff,

and they say, hey, come on out and sit down for him and take a breath for a long time. You're not even got to sweat no more. So now you're going to get hurt if you go. If you drive your car 150 miles an hour, and as soon as you get off the freeway, just turn it off, some hoses and stuff is going to bust because you've been going so fast.

But if you let it cool down like this, no problem. Could I make the argument, and I think this is something we discussed, LeBron and Lonzo are not a perfect fit because LeBronzo, Alonzo, needs the ball in his hand to control the court. Well, that's LeBron's game. LeBron works well with shooters. Chris Bosch, big guys with LeBron, not necessarily great,

but he's great with shooters that once LeBron came here, it was over for Lonzo. This was never going to work. It was never perfect. LeBron needs the ball. You know what? It would work if they were played the right way, which is together. Their IQ, which makes them both great. You've seen Lonzo throw the ball head a lot.

If Lebron just leaks out and runs out, if you don't get a rebound sprint, we're going to give you the ball. Same thing with Lonzo. When Lonzo leaks out there, LeBron's the only one who ever threw him alive. He's the only one that throws the ball early to Lonzo. So they're going to mess in that if you have the right system. Everybody's worried about the players. There's nothing to do with the players.

It's the system and the coach. You can get all the players. in the world. But if you don't have a coach that can coach them, it's not going to work. If you don't have a system, it's not going to work. The last nine days we have seen Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, your son, Lonzo Ball,

picks, Josh Hart, we've seen all these players on the internet on newspapers being told they are basically pawns. They're just in the furniture business, they're end tables. Right, right, right. How do you believe that affects the chemistry

the rest of the year on that roster. Well, it's going to affect the chemistry if none of these guys get traded. Because now you got them stuck in there in LA, but you've got them understanding saying patting folks on the back and saying you good and you this and that. And then all of a sudden you're out of here. So do you sense chemistry is an issue now? The chemistry is definitely going to be an issue on the fact that whatever happens, if they go, fine. But you don't give up all these young players for one guy. Because what's going to happen after this year goes by? And like I said as far as A.D. is a good player. LeBron's a good player. LeBron ain't the LeBron. He used to be. He got

injured just falling down on his growing or whatever. You're getting older. And your mind might have you thinking that, oh, I'm taking care of my body. I'm doing this. But you still getting older. And the same thing with AD is a good player. But he's never been a guy where you say, you know what? You're the man. You're going to take us to the promise land. He doesn't have the alpha. There you go. But he's a great player. He's a great player. No, no, no. No doubt about that. But he's not what I would call the classic. Yes.

He's not a vocal guy. He's not a floor leader. Not a floor leader, but he can't even, okay, if you don't have a ball in his hand, somebody got to give him the ball. And the thing is, it better be on the run for a clearout. He's not heavy enough to just go sit on that box and do what he do. Biggie Cousins goes to sit on that box.

Joel and B, they can sit on that box. He go down there and sit on that box, they can push him out because he still got that thin frame. But long as you running like this and giving him some shots at the, you know, face in the basket, He's going to be wondering. He's going to do his thing. Do you worry that your criticism of Luke affects your son going forward? No, no, no, because I believe this.

Who's ever going to believe in my son? That's who's going to prosper the most. What if he goes to New Orleans? And they believe in him. And they believe in him, and you get my other two sons, we'd be there. But here's the thing that I was talking about New Orleans, it's a cold place. My son don't want to play. You don't want to get up and see the snow and don't want to go to work.

You know what I'm saying? These are unrealistic. expectations. I've had to move. I'm old. Right. I've had to move a bunch. I had to live in a state where it snowed in one time in October. That's as you're coming up. Well, you're where you at now, you don't have to do anything. Well, no, I still have to. You do what you want. Basically, but you still got to, I'm shoveling snow here every day. Yeah, you can't just go out of, you talk crazy like me. But anyways, you're kind of, you're saying your son didn't want playing snow. He didn't want to play. But here's the thing. Go somewhere where you want to be.

And New Orleans, I mean, they, they got some guys that's already. that's already playing point guard. Right. They do. Phoenix, you don't have you. We're in a warm area. Go somewhere where nobody who's talking about, but who's saying, hey, I want to go to Phoenix. Nobody.

So if you have somebody who's good and wants to go to Phoenix, that would work. But do you believe the Lakers now with your public criticism would do any favors for Lovar Ball? I mean, I can- They haven't done me any favors anyway. So what's the deal? They haven't done me any favors anyway.

So it's not like, oh, okay, I'll be quiet and the Lakers will do what I want. They haven't done what I want. Do you think LeBron is in your son's corner? I think LeBron is in my son's corner. LeBron, I've never had, and I hold this true to what I say, I've never seen or heard of a person that doesn't want to play with my son. On the fact, he's just a heck of a player to play with

because he makes everybody around him better regardless of who's there. And so LeBron can, only do so much, you know, as far as say so here or there. You don't think LeBron's controlling all this. Oh, LeBron is not controlling all this. Magic is. Magic's not controlling all this. Magic is just a face.

I don't know. Some other things going on. As far as you can tell, magic's not controlling it on the fact that Jeannie Bus just said something in the paper where it said, magic wanted Fox, but she told him to get Lanzo. I don't know where that came out from. but it had to come from somewhere. So a lot of times, magic is just a face to get things, but he's not actually the one making things happen.

Elsewise, the orders would have been down. Okay, Lonzo's our guy. He said he was the face of the franchise. How you go from the face of the franchise and getting ready to be traded? That means you don't have those say so. You're just a face. Do you get along with magic today? Do I get along with magic?

I used to get along with magic. You don't anymore. I don't get along with Magic no more on the fact that I haven't talked to him, and he said some things he was going to do and didn't do. So now I'm like, okay, I know where you at, so it's all right. So it's okay for people to change their mind and do things, but then I go about my business and do what I'm going to do. Would Lonzo, your son, if given the option today?

Uh-huh. And I said, Lonzo, you can go to somewhere like Phoenix and start over and be the man, or be part of the Lakers, the third or fourth guy in the Lakers. LeBron, Anthony Davis, if they brought a Jimmy Butler in, what would be better for him? Starring for the Sons or being a component, a part of the Lakers. Here's the thing. If Lanzo is starting for the Lakers,

under a different coach that lets him do his job, be third, fourth, fifth, whatever you want to call him. But you call him a winner. I think the Luke stuff is odd to me. Luke is likable? That's what I'm saying. Who's on the market? You fire Luke.

who's on the market now. Brad Stevens. Brad Stevens, no, you don't want him. It's somebody up. Brian Shaw is the guy. Anytime you fire a head coach, that assistant coach, he got a good rapport with that team. He knows what's going on.

He just has to wait his opportunity. I'll give you an example with Blatt at Cleveland. Tyrone Luton, he knew what to do, but he's not going to give this guy the insight that head coach and let him look like he's doing the right thing. So he's just going to sit back and be quiet. Brian Shaw, man, I'm watching coach a game. after Luke got thrown out, it was night and day.

It seems to me that Luke, you know, they were winning 48 games this year before LeBron got hurt. They were on page. They were going to win more than that if you play Lonzo the right way. You can't have. Is it fair to say sometimes you're a little unrealistic? No, I'm not unrealistic. I'm very realistic.

That's what makes it seem like I'm unrealistic. People were telling me about, oh, you know, all your sons playing on the same team, it's a billion and one. Shoot, it's four billion and one. of me coming in the league with my own brand. That ain't going to stop me from doing things, but things seem not realistic to people that don't understand me or don't like me. Now it's not realistic, LeVore, you're talking crazy.

But people don't understand me, but I mean, you know what? That's true. Like I said, I'm in a building a dynasty, and you have to start from the bottom and build something solid. You can't. Lakers had too many number two picks not to keep them all and let them jail and get something out of this. As opposed to before somebody's about to take off and do some things,

that's what's going on. Think they make a deal today? I think they'll make a deal today. You do? I think so. I think it'll happen. I think it'll happen. I think it'll happen.

But if it doesn't, two things happen. You trade my son. We get started somewhere else. Or you get rid of the coach and you get a new coach in there. Like I said, the perfect coach would be Brian Shaw. All right. LeVar, appreciate you coming on the show. Man, I appreciate seeing you guys again.

And like I said, man, it started out, a little reckless with me and you as we kept going up. But time is going by, and we both evolving. And it's good to see you guys again. It's definitely good to see Joy in a different spot. And it's just good, man. Appreciate it. So bless all you guys and stay safe. All right.

All right. When your son starts for the suns, you're welcome back. We can talk about Phoenix. Yeah, we'll talk about that. Yeah. I like Phoenix. Yeah, I like it on the fact that if they can get all my sons, that's what I'm trying to say. Let's slow down on that.

I'm not going to slow down on that because that's part of my thing going to Phoenix. I need help. I'm just trying to, you know, help you. I feel like he just gave us the scoop. Yeah, he needs help. I mean, Jello's going to be ready in the summer. They got at least let him try. Lakers never gave him a chance to play with Lanzel.

All right. Thank you. LeVar. John with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. So the Lakers play the Celtics tonight,

which could have made for some interesting storylines, but the conversation that shoot around this morning was all about the drama of the trade deadline. And when LeBron was asked if he's pushing to build a championship contender around him quickly, LeBron scoffed. He said there's nothing I need to get in this league that I don't already have. Everything else for me is just like icing on the cake.

I love the process of everything I go through to be able to put teams in a position to compete for championships, but there's nothing I'm chasing or feel like I need to end my career on. I honestly think the only thing, I agree with what he's saying. I don't think the only thing to me that elevates him. His career can't go backwards at this point. I'm not going to think, I mean, Michael Jordan, once he left Chicago, the Wizards were irrelevant. He was the best basketball player I'd ever seen.

Magic was second. So Michael had an ugly minorly experience, an ugly other team experience. LeBron's legacy's been shaped. Now, I do think if he won a title with the Lakers, that would move it up about 8% to 10%, but it can't go backwards at this point. If Tom Brady loses the next three Super Bowls, he's the goat. You can't go to the baby goat. He's the goat. We don't know about that, Colin.

He won those three championships in the East, which is a big knock. I mean, one of the criticisms of Tom Brady is that he played for the Patriots in the AFC East with mostly dysfunctional teams. Right, but we still call him the best ever, even despite that. Yeah, because he's won six championships now. So LeBron did leave Cleveland's and go to L.A. to the West. So if he plays four more years, and they make the playoffs, but they don't do anything, do you downgrade him?

I don't think he can go down. I do think that it's going to... I do think this being the ceiling if he doesn't win a championship with the Lakers, I do think there's still going to be people who can make the argument for Jordan more about it. Yeah, maybe it may... But it should be...

For him to say he's not chasing anything at this point, it's like, huh? What are you doing then? It's just like riding off into the sunset in an insanely difficult situation with a ton of pressure. Why don't you just stay in Cleveland? where you had all the control.

Yeah, I think he's... He was being a little... Disingenuous there. But I don't think... I don't think his career goes backwards at all at this point. I do think he can get a little icing, but the cake's already made. The LeBron cake is made.

I just think there's another level of pressure being in L.A. I think this first year, mostly everyone is kind of giving the Lakers a pass, even though this situation has gotten a little sticky. I do think it will... They'll have something to do with his legacy if they don't get the championship here. So we could probably agree the NICS have not been the, well, they're certainly not been the winningest or best run franchise in the NBA for a while now.

But James Dolan's Nix, top Forbes magazine's list of most valuable NBA franchises. They're valued at $4 billion. Actually, more than the Lakers, the Warriors, the Bulls, the Nets are actually $2.3 billion. The Rockets, Clippers, Mavs, and the Heat round up the top 10. Does that surprise you that the Knicks are the most valuable franchise? No, that's the power of New York. I mean, I think that's the, that's kind of expected. Even without the winning?

Yeah, I mean, again, the New York Giants, if you did, if you tallied that most valuable, it'd be Cowboys Giants, it'd be like over Pittsburgh, even though Pittsburgh is a great friend. Well, yeah, I guess the, you know, the Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in the world, and they haven't won a Super Bowl. Everybody wants to tell you that market size doesn't matter. Yes, it does. It's always mattered in everything. If New York's, I mean, everybody's now, like in the NBA, market size doesn't matter.

Well, then why is Kevin Durant rumored to be going from San Francisco to New York? He's not rumored to be going to Sacramento. Big cities are very, very attractive to these big athletes with massive brands because all the big ad agencies and the companies are there. Listen, guys aren't fighting to get to OKC and they're not fighting to get to Cleveland when LeBron wasn't there. Market size does matter. And how about this for an investment? Joe Lakeb and his ownership group brought the Warriors for $450 million in 2010, and they're now worth $3.5 billion.

House money. I mean, if you got $450 million laying around, it's a good investment. Finally, John Gruden's decision to trade Kaleel Mack and Amari Cooper will be discussed for some time now, but it's more than just the absence of Mack's past rushing skills that hurt the Raiders. According to Donald Penn, Mack's departure hit the team particularly hard. No matter what nobody says, you know, we tried to overcome it. But when you trade your best player away at the beginning of the week, it takes a toll on guys whether they say it or not. You know, we fought through it.

We try to stay together. I'm it was a tough season, man. It did feel like it started the Raiders off on a bad foot. Like this is just automatically a rebuilding year from the very beginning. Well, this league, pass rushers have become bigger because the way the, I mean, what was the Super Bowl decided by? It was decided by New England getting pressure on Jared Gough. when you have a great quarterback, somebody told me this years ago, when you have a great quarterback, you generally lead games late.

That's why Aaron Rogers leads in the fourth quarter, and then he sits on the bench for the next seven minutes, and somebody drives down and beats him. That's why when Peyton Manning got drafted by the Colts, the Colts went out and drafted your Dwight Freeney's. They always had a great pass rusher. So once you get the quarterback, first thing you do is protect him. Then you go get somebody that gets their quarterback

because you're going to be leading late in games on passing downs. It's pretty much all surrounding the quarterback when you're building your team. But the Raiders have lots of issues and lots of spots to fill. But he does make a point. It felt like really at the beginning of the season. It's like Gruden's coming in on this high note and all this expectations. And then, okay, your best player's gone.

Where do you go from here? Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie news. Richard Jefferson, a former LeBron teammate and NBA champ is joining us. And that is coming up next.

It's The Hurd. Be sure to catch live a day. of the herd, weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. In 10 days, the greatest event in motorsports is back. The Daytona 500 kicks off 2019 NASCAR season, February 17th on

Fox. Try VicSynex nasal spray. A couple of sprits up there, 12 hours. clears up that congestion. Richard Jefferson was a champion in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They don't have many of those, so that's fairly memorable. 17 seasons

in the NBA. He'll be joining. Oh, there you are. Is he coming up? So he's getting miced right there. It sounds like I'm just, I'm reading here on my phone like everybody else is doing today, that the Anthony Davis to the Lakers is dead. The Pelicans have no interest returning calls picking up the phone. Let's bring in Richard Jefferson. It doesn't appear they have any interest in doing anything.

Oh, wow. How are you doing? All right. Thank you. So what do you? It does look like, Richard. The reports that the Pelicans were just ticked off. at the way Anthony Davis, clutch sports, happened,

that they just wanted to make the Lakers look bad and put a bunch of crap out there. What do you make of that? What do I make of that? If that is true, let's start with that. If that is true, I think that is one of the most reckless, immature things that you can do, right? Part of the reason why they're in this situation

is because they haven't really been able to sign free agents in New Orleans. And you want to go and frustrate a bunch of young players and send a message to all of these young. The young players for the Lakers did nothing to you, right? And eventually, Lanzo Ball could be a free agent. Kuzma could be a free agent, right? Eventually Brandon Ingram could be a free agent. And you will bring none of those guys will even look at New Orleans, right?

So even though you want to get back at the Lakers and you want to cause problems to the Lakers, you're winning the battle, you're losing the war. You're losing the war, right? Like, yeah, that's fine. That's cool that you did it and you did, right? You caused some problems inside that organization. but ultimately, is that going to help your franchise? Is that going to help you long term? Is that something?

Is that a big picture move or is that a little picture move? And I just feel like if that is true to me, I think that was disappointing. Now, look, a lot of things have been disappointing, but if we're going to focus on New Orleans and kind of that narrative and that story, how are you going to sign free agents? You're going to have to overpay for him and you can end up with like a Solomon Hill situation who went to Arizona, that's my guy, but you had to overpay to get a young player in there. That didn't work out.

It's a wild earth. Would you go and just make a bunch of young, talented players, a bunch of pawns in this scenario? Why would you do that? Yeah, I think it's seen as a dysfunctional organization, and this is petty and juvenile. If you don't want to make the move... Just say it.

Just say, we're not going to make a move. Don't leak stuff. And that's what I'm hearing is they're doing a ton of leaking. And to your point, when I look at them, I've always seen an organization that's using football people to run their NBA franchise, so I don't love it there. But they just come off as kind of Bush League. How do you think it's landing with your friend LeBron?

Well, I think overall the construct of this team from beginning has really struggled, right? I think Bron's kind of on an island. I think he's a little bit on his island. If you look at every great player in NBA history has had a formula to what made them successful. I agree. Shaq always needed a high-level score and a wing player. So Shaq will get you three and a half. quarters, he needs a closer kind of next. I'm not saying the Shaq can't close, but he needs that

Kobe, that Penny Hardaway. That DeWate. Well, you didn't want Shaq at the free throw line. No, you did, but you needed a killer. And he had that when he got Deweigh. He had that when he had Penny Hardaway. He had that. For LeBron, it's always been he needs another score, and he needs tons of shooting around him. And he also needs to have people around

him that he feels comfortable with, right? Whether it's a James Jones. It's people like that that can kind of be in his ear in a positive space. And I don't think that this team had any of it. This team had no shooting, right? This team didn't give him any other veteran that he was familiar with. It was basically LeBron and a bunch of young players or mercenaries that they brought in on one-year deals with the best player in the world. So I think it kind of

put him on a little bit of an island. So I'm not surprised that he was trying to facilitate or people around him were trying to facilitate getting him a second superstar. So he needs a second superstar. He needs shooting, like high-level shooting, and he needs people around him on the team that he trusts. I don't, Richard, I don't think Anthony Davis, I think he's terrific, but I've seen what LeBron does to Bosch and love. He can kind of, just because the way his game is played, he's a ball control guy, he's a quarterback. He needs the ball. He's got a Russell Wilson. He can throw it. He can pass it. He can run and score it. And there's certain receivers that work with Russell Wilson and a certain style and offensive line. And I see that with

LeBron. Is Anthony Davis actually a great fit with him? I think it is. I think because there's different ways to kind of kill a bear, right? And for me, I view Anthony Davis as like a Swiss Army knife. He's got a lot of different tools. He's going to do a lot of different things. But you don't necessarily want to go kill a bear with a Swiss Army knife. You want a hatchet. And Braun is a hatchet, right? Guys like that, Kobe Bryant's a hatchet, but you need guys that can do a lot of things also around him. And I think Anthony Davis can block shots. He and rebound. And so Braun looks at it from a standpoint of like, hey, if I got to throw the ball to him 25 times and let him do jumpers or post-ups or whatever it is, so to make sure he's averaging 25

points a game and then I'll go do what it is, whatever it is that I'll go do, I think it can fit because Bron will make the best of whatever the situation is. But I don't know if you want AD to be your number one guy, right, to carry you all throughout the postseason. I don't know if he's there yet. I think he will be. But I think it would be a good fit if it got to that spot, mainly because I think Braun is, he's that guy that's just but he needs someone around him that can do a little bit of everything. Chris,

Bosch, Kevin Love, they can post up, they can shoot, they can do that, but there was also a third superstar, which people forget. Now, if Kevin Love was the second superstar, if Chris Bosch was the second superstar, it's not the same thing. It's not the same thing. It's when they became the third superstar that they had to make those sacrifices,

but I think Anthony Davis, and this is no disrespect to Kevin Love or Chris Bosch, is a far different player than both of them. Luke Walton is a college teammate of yours and a friend. LeVar Ball, believe him or not, says he just doesn't think he's done a very good job, that he doesn't, he hasn't been honest with Lonzo Ball. What do you make of the criticism, not just from LeVar, but many have criticized Luke for it not meshing. I think that is, if you have half a basketball brain, I think that is one of the most ridiculous things that you can say.

First, let me say this. what are LeVar's balls credentials to give us this information, right? Now, is he thinks he's not the best coach for Lonzo? That's fine, right? You're a dad. You should act like a dad. But we don't sit here and interview dads across this lead, right? You had Anthony Davis's dad say, I don't think my son should go to Boston, right?

He openly said that. And so it's like, yo, we don't focus on dads. And I think for Luke, I think it's been a very, very difficult situation in the sense that, you know, he started off with a young team, and he's been growing that young team. Brandon Ingram, in three years, he's been in this league. He doesn't have one player on his team

that started with him three years ago, right? So that means that there's been an overhaul to this lineup every single year. And every year they've gotten better. Every year from Luke Walton's beginning, their win count had improved. Like, they didn't get eliminated from the playoffs last year until about six games to go, right?

And even this with injuries and all this other stuff. meshing, is there a person on this planet that looked at this roster and said, oh, this roster was going to mesh? And people keep talking about the LeBron James injury that happened on Christmas Day, but people forget that Rondo got hurt that same day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That exact same day, Braun and Rondo both went out. So you lose those two veterans, right? And you lose those two guys that control your team. And then it falls on to Lanzo.

Then it falls on to these young players. And even in that stretch, there was a few guys, Levar Miss, Alonzo missed some games, Ingram missed some games. and Cozman missed some games. So there was three of those guys missing. Richard, I could talk to you all day. It's The Herd. 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. Hour 3 live, L.A., this is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, live in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, F.S.1, one more hour with Joy Taylor, the NBA trading deadline.

You know, I'm just thinking about this joy. You know, we've talked about so much Lakers, Anthony Davis. Here's the irony of that. Toronto is going to add, according to Woj, Mark Gassall from Memphis. Mark Gassall's been healthy all year. So he's a veteran center who gives you about 16, 17 points, 8 or 9 rebounds. No question. Toronto, already a good team, already capable of winning the East, got absolutely better today.

a couple of days ago, the Sixers, M.B. Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, added Tobias Harris from the Clippers. They can win the East, and I think the Celtics should be favored to win the East. So as we're talking about the West, Milwaukee, excuse me, Toronto, good got better, Philadelphia, good got better, Celtics really good. I mean, the Eastern Conference at the top now, we have three teams, I believe. And Milwaukee is very good also. The honest is unstoppable around the basket. I think there's limitations. I know everybody loves.

They're the Denver Nuggets. I think they'll be a little exposed. They'll win a playoff series. But, I mean, the irony here is there's no question. Toronto was good, got better. Philly was good, got better. And the Celtics are good. You've got three teams now that can win the East.

Now, before the season started, I said, I'm going to take the Celtics over the Warriors. I'm not probably going to tweak that, you know, in a few months. But the point is, the Eastern Conference. right now is, you know, LeBron left. It is wide open. It is, I don't even like the baby dinosaurs. Joy likes the baby dinosaurs. I like Philly a lot now.

So do I. I like, I was a good move for Phil now. Yeah, Tobias Harris are real players. So they got four good players. Coming up in 15 minutes, Chris Broussard's going to update us on all of this stuff. Boy, it was Richard Jefferson good. And best for last, we have our deadlines, headlines with Jason McIntyre. Well, well, well.

So Kevin Durant, uh, After the game last night, was not in a very good mood, was not simpatico with the press in the Bay Area, so take a listen. We've noticed that you hadn't talked for a while. Why do you care? Anything to do with conversation about free agency? That's the conversation you're going to have.

I don't think about that type of stuff. That's your job. You got to do Ethan Strauss who come in here and just give his whole opinion on stuff and make it seem like it's coming from me. And he just walk around here. Don't talk to nobody. Just walk in here and survey and then write something like that.

And now y'all piling on me because I don't want to talk to y'all about that. I have nothing to do with the Knicks. I don't know who traded poor Zingis. They got nothing to do with me. I'm trying to play basketball. Y'all come here every day. Ask me about free agency. I ask my teammates, my coaches.

You rile up the fans about it. let us play basketball that's all I'm saying and now when I don't want to talk to y'all is a problem with me come on man grow up grow up yeah you grow up

come on bro we're talking so who are you why do I got to talk to you how are you playing how is a team playing in the last couple weeks I'm done you know you don't care about that

I just asked you grow up are the perfect two words for Kevin Durant So, Kevin, you want the money, the power, the fame, and the worship. But don't ask me a question. Well, excuse me, but when LeBron James signs a one-year contract, when Kevin Durant signs her a one or a two-year contract and it's up soon, that begs for speculation.

That demands the question. Your boss will tell you as a reporter, you've got to ask KD about this. And then Kevin Durant had gone silent the last eight days, wouldn't talk to the media, that's their first opportunity to talk to him. I am pro player. I've always been pro NBA player. But if you want the power and the fame and the money and the leverage, you got to answer a question,

especially when you like playing the one-year contract game. You can't get a one-year deal. You make a decision as a star player in this league, as a difference maker, which LeBron is, Kevin Durant is, those are difference makers. superstars. When they sign one-year deals, you're toying with your team and you're

playing with your fans. And then the media, we're going to play a game too. It's called the speculation game. Steph Curry's on this team. He never deals with this drama. Why? Because Steph Curry's totally committed long term to the Warriors. Therefore,

the media doesn't poke and prod and ask questions. We're not digging here just a dig. There's a gold bar underneath the surface. Okay. I, as a reporter, I don't like making athletes uncomfortable, but I would have to go and answer the question and ask the question because Kevin Durant's got a contract that

demands and begs that I ask the question. Here's the funny thing about Kevin Durant. Like, he's telling everybody to grow up. Dude, you're the one that wants to be LeBron. Okay, LeBron and Michael Jordan are on this elevated plane. And Kevin Durant wants to so desperately be in that plane. We know that. We know it bothers him.

That's been reported multiple times. You can tell in his responses when he said everybody is a suck up to LeBron and everybody worships LeBron and everybody's got a man crush on LeBron. Clearly, it bothers Kevin Durant, right? That's why he talks about it. He wants to be on this Michael Jordan, LeBron. plane. But the reason he's not, he can't handle it. Michael Jordan brilliantly played the media forever on his terms. He was playful and fun, poked and prodded. LeBron by and large, he just kind of

has fun. Goes to social media, pokes and pronds. He doesn't melt down. Michael wasn't melting down. Kevin Durant's melting down like six times a year. You've got to be able to handle it. Part of being a superstar, and this is a big part of it, is handling. being a superstar. Samuel L. Jackson's a superstar. He can handle it. Russell Crow could not. He threw phones at people behind a desk at a hotel.

Russell Crow couldn't handle being a superstar. He's just a good actor. By the way, Jay-Z can handle being a superstar. Kanye melts down about three times a year. LeBron can handle it. Michael Jordan could handle it. Magic could handle it. Kevin Durant can't.

He wants all the, he loves being talked about. He criticizes us when we do shows that are very LeBron leaning. He's noted that it bothers him. He calls us fanboys and suckups. So it clearly bothers him. Then handle the questions about your future because you sign one and two your deals. That's the game. And by the way, this is why Kevin Durr,

Grant can't go to the Knicks. Golden State is perfect for him. He's insulated. He's protected. Steve Curry used to be a broadcaster. He's incredibly media savvy. So he deflects a lot of the KD stuff. Steph Curry, the world's greatest teammate, got a star next to him, deflex a lot of the

stuff. If the Warriors lose, Kevin Durant doesn't take all the heat. Sometimes they blame Draymond. Sometimes they blame Clay. Golden State's perfect. They insulate. Kevin Durant, who can be incredibly insecure. This is another example, lecturing people to grow up.

When it's really, Kevin, bathrooms have mirrors. They still work. Use them. This is about you wanting to be the superstar, wanting to be LeBron, wanting to be MJ, but you can't handle questions at a press conference and speculation on blogs and the internet. That's really keeping you up at night.

That's aggravating you. What Michael Jordan had people chasing them around the country. LeBron James has helicopters flying over his house, and you can't handle an article from a blog? The warriors are built for Kevin Durant. He's protected and insulated. Can you imagine him going to the New York Knicks? Or if they lose, it's on Kevin.

Where if they don't advance to the second round, it's on Kevin. That's not the issue anymore. When I hear he's going to go to New York, I just roll my eyes and think, you've got to be kidding me. They've got the savviest head coach in the league with the media, Steve Kerr. They've got Steph Curry as a teammate. It's a world-class organization. And they win the title every year.

They're barely even, they run unopposed. They're like a politician. And the Democrat drops out. I mean, they run unopposed. So if you want to be a superstar, part of being a superstar is being able to handle, oh, my God, a question at a press conference. LeBron has had people helicopters. Michael Jordan couldn't get married. Helicopters.

I mean, he had to literally, they have to literally buy security and buy islands because people are hovering and chasing and stocking. And Ethan Strauss is wearing you out? You're not LeBron. Example number 28. Why, you're not LeBron. 45 minutes until the NBA trade deadline. Rappers making a big deal.

for Mark Gassau, Baby Dinosaurs, Joy's team, just got better. Your team, did she guarantee that would win the Super Bowl and the NBA finals? Yes, all of those things are accurate. Chris Broussard's right around the corner to give us 10 minutes, 12 minutes of the very, very latest. 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. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

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

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

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

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. 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. What's up, guys? This is Cliver Taylor the Fourth.

And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, my mama wants you to wave at her.

What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? This Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast. cast point game is about defying the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series

because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard you. Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying.

He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, Discover Card key matchup tonight. Get your free credit scorecard today, even if you're not a Discover customer. Learn more. Discover.com slash credit scorecard limitations apply.

NBA guy, Chris Brousard, the voice of the NBA on this network joining us. Let's start with this. I was very critical of Kevin Durant. I think he's the second best player in the world and has been for about a decade. But he is, I mean, he is just killing me. You know, when these stars have one-year deals, you're in the speculation business. if you can't handle some poking and prodding as a player LeBron's got helicopters hovering over his life.

He can't go to a restaurant without TMZ chased him down. What do you make a KD? Well, you know what else? Quickly, don't go to New York. Just take the Knicks off your list right now. If you can't take criticism, scrutiny, any of that, if you go there with Kyrie and you guys are going to be really good,

okay. You don't even think about going there by yourself because you're not going to be that good. You're not going to win the East. winning championship, and they will eat you to shreds. They'll boo you in the garden. So don't go to New York if you can't handle scrutiny. He just doesn't handle.

No, and look, we get it from a human perspective. It's tough when you're constantly being written about, sometimes negatively, constantly being criticized, constantly being psychoanalyzed and speculated about. And sometimes it's just wrong. But if you can't handle that and don't understand that, Do not be prolific, especially in a public sphere. Because everybody that's in the public eye, you, me,

everybody at this network, actors, actresses, politicians, the presidents, you get criticized constantly. And if you can't handle it, it's ironic that Katie said grow up to the media. Because growing up is understanding if I have a job in the public sphere, I am going to be criticized. it also is understanding who you are as a person. A guy like Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, they feed off the public criticism, right?

Brady wants it. Don't call me the goat. Say I'm trash. I love it, right? Some guys are indifferent to them to it. Some guys are such people pleasers, and they're so sensitive that when they read this stuff and hear about it gets in their head

and the voices are in their head. I think LeBron James recognized that. After the Dallas series, that's when he started going zero dark, 30, 23, whatever he calls it. No social media during the playoffs because I can't have this, I can't have all these voices in my head. And I think that Durant needs to do the same thing. His advisors need to be like, look, I get it, you're a millennial. But for your own good, it's not your game. You still play great.

But you're miserable. And part of it is because you pay too much attention to what everybody. says about you in the media on social media so get away from it let it go that's what he needs to do i feel bad for him because he's just making mountains out of mole hills you got to mature enough to understand you are one of the greatest basketball players to ever play handle it this is part of it if you just want to play basketball go to the rucker go to the ymca and be a guy playing open gym every day don't get the millions don't get the fame don't get the business connections don't get the women, all that, and just be a guy playing basketball.

Come on, man. Yeah, it's funny because there's clearly part of him that wants to be seen as superior to LeBron. And I said it earlier, there is a moment where I think on the court he'll be better than LeBron in a few years. He'll never be greater than LeBron. Yeah, he's thinking legacy. Right. Andrew Luck could win the next four Super Bowls. He'll never be Peyton Manning.

Patent's a global icon. Luck's just a great quarterback. You really think so? I think Peyton Manning changed football. He changed the division. He changed the conference. He changed football the way he audibled. Saturday Night Live.

He's a global brand. There's a lot of truth to that. Luck could win three Super Bowls. You'd say luck's the top ten quarterback. He would never have the gravita. I think Andrew Luck would be the first to admit. Not Peyton Manning. Okay.

I didn't I see where you're going. So Durant is already losing the statistical battle. LeBron, four guys in this league have changed the league. Magic kind of saved it. Michael made it global. LeBron made it mobile. And Steph began the three-point revolution. So I don't even think he's the most impactful guy mythology.

Why in his own team? Well, he's not. There's no question about that. And maybe that's a bothersome too. I think it probably does. Most people recognize, yeah, Durant's the better player, but it's Steph's team. And Steph's the iconic figure. You're right.

I talk to somebody, I will say this. I talk to somebody not in the Warriors, but of the Warrior team. And he said, I'm in practice every day. This is Steph's team. Oh, yeah. No question about it. Look, to your point, when I watch them play, LeBron at his best, KD at his best, LeBron is just, to me, a better player and to most people, right?

However, if Kevin Durant, and he's, if he's really obsessed, with being viewed as better than LeBron James. Like what I think he should do, and he may be out of there this summer, but assuming they win the championship this year, I think he should stay for the fourth year and see if they can win four straight because Magic, Michael, Bird,

Karim, Duncan, Kobe, Shaq, nobody other than Bill Russell has won four straight championships. If Katie could say that and then go elsewhere and win again, What better place? We're talking about the Knicks and KD. Don't throw out the clippers. Because Jerry West, we know it's with the Clippers.

Jerry West had a conversation with KD before he went to Golden State. And it was a very convincing one. I'm not saying he wouldn't have went without that conversation, but it was a very convincing one to KD. He's obviously with the Clippers. What better place, if you're that obsessed with besting LeBron James, what better place to do it than in his own building? When everybody was like, LeBron in L.A., he's going to resurrect the Lakers and the Los Angeles basketball.

And KD. comes and does it with the clippers in the Staples Center. Like, that could be huge, especially if he goes with Kauai, because they will be the best thing. And, oh, by the way, you could dethrone the warriors in the same conference. So I think all that has to be in play for him. Yeah, win it this year. One more year. That's what I would say. No, you should be his agent because that's exactly what I would do.

Well, here's the thing, too, Colin, that, you know, even if he, if he, again, I think LeBron's the better player when I watch him, but if Durant gets four or five rings and you say he won those on LeBron's watch, this is not after LeBron. This is during LeBron's era. I wouldn't say it necessarily, but I just think people may begin to make that argument. You're drunk people at a bar. Maybe. That's all I'm saying. Okay.

80 to the Lakers. Going to happen in half hour? No. Okay. I don't think New Orleans ever, ever, ever considered it. All this four first round picks, I think the Lakers could have gave them 20 first round picks and they weren't doing it. They were doing this to make the Lakers look bad. Well, I mean, if you're telling me that, that's all they were doing it for.

They're upset. They're upset. I don't have a problem with what Anthony Davis and his representation did because LeBron made a good point. This has been LeBron's whole MO. Sure. Right? Teams can build franchises. teams can put together big three's teams can trade away and, you know, break contracts.

Why can't the players? I get it. But Anthony Davis is well within his rights to do that. However, there's another side. And the other side, if I'm in Dale Demp's shoes, I'm upset. I'm like, man, you're wrecking our franchise. So he's not going to make it easy on it. Dale Demp's wrecked the franchise.

Look at all their bad trades. Look at their pants Solomon Hill. I'm not saying Del Demp's has been Jerry West. I'm just saying, in his mind. He's thinking, wow. Now they're going out and they're leaking stuff with all these trades to make Lonzo look bad and Coosma look bad and Ingram look bad. I'm telling you. It has hurt the Lakers.

There's no question. The Lakers have looked kind of dysfunctional. You tick off Jerry Jones and the Cowboys or the Yankees and Red Sox. There's a price to pay. The long game here, Del Bemp's is making a mistake. Do you think he should do this trade? No, no. If I ran that franchise and Anthony Davis said it,

I would sit down and say, not this year. I'd say, Anthony, not this year. At the end of the year, I'll let you out a year early. I'm not getting into a three-ring media circus here in nine days. That makes sense. The Pelican said, we're going to make this hurt. We're going to stick it in the Lakers face. Okay, that's petty.

And you're throwing all these young kids' names out there. Well, all they have are petty victories. They're not going to win anything big. So he's a little petty victories make them feel good. I get it. But they're also, Colin, is some growing resentment around the league toward LeBron and the Magic. I'm sorry, and Magic Johnson. Because they feel like they're trying to admit, whether it's right or wrong, whether it's true or not.

The feeling is they're manipulating this thing and trying to steal him from him. I get that. And if I was upset with somebody, I don't go public with it. I mean, I can be upset with my neighbor because he won't mow as long. Right. I'm not calling up TMZ. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Like I think the Pelican said, let's make it public, let's make it hurt, let's make it petty. And I think in the end it looks bad. And they did make the Lakers look ridiculous. It's going to be the second half of the season is going to be very interesting. For the Lakers. Remember I said yesterday. Luke Walton. These young guys have to, you have to be tough.

And everybody has to play under the rest. I get it. It's uncomfortable, but you have to go and show your medal. And LeBron has to play his best too. Like he can't go into a shell And I don't think he will But he can't go into a shell Because hey we're not going to be able to win it

I got these guys No go out and play your best And see how far you can go By the way Toronto added Mark Gassal Sixers added Tobias Harris Celtics are already good Milwaukee will at least a series

Is the east now better than the West I think that after Golden State Take the Warriors out The second and third best teams in the league are Milwaukee and Toronto And arguably fourth is Boston We both like Philadelphia.

I don't. I've been on this show. I don't know how many times I've said how much I love Ben Simmons and Joel NB. But right now this season, I don't think those two are mature enough to win at the highest level yet. They don't execute well enough. They just, that team to me right now lacks the intangibles to win the East. They don't lack the talent. They lack the intangible.

Okay, look at this. Look at this just came down from Adam Himmels. Bach. I don't know who that is, but he's got a blue check. I'm going to read this to our radio audience, too. Hearing that some within the Pelicans organization want an AD trade now, partly to get the PR mess out of the way, but that the owner, Gail Benson, and the vice president Mickey Loomis are more focused on the Saints. They're unfazed by the noise.

Of course they are, because they're not on Twitter. They're NFL guys. They don't give a rip about this. So the Pelican, so this organization's a mess. It's the only organization in the NBA run by NFL people. Well, and one thing, look, and the players understand it's not a well-run organization. That is part, look, Anthony Davis is, it is not Lakers or bust. It's Lakers number one, I believe.

But the Knicks are right there. Milwaukee was a legitimate conversation for Anthony Davis because Janus would be there and they'd be a really good team. So there are other, like, it's not just, I got to be with the Lakers, it's that I don't think this organization is well run enough for us to win championships. And I'm told actually that AD with his teammates, his teammates really aren't resentful toward him, even after he made the request, because they understand that it's not the greatest run franchise either.

Good stuff. Bruce Sard bringing it today. How about this? Here's another one. Woes. Clippers are trading Mike Muscala to the Lakers for Beasley and Zubotch.

Zubach. I don't know much about Mike Muscala. Yeah, you know. But Zubach, that's, to me, that's the most intriguing in that group. Look up Muscala right now. Me, he's all right. He's, you know,

wow. I'm surprised they get, Zubach is their best offensive center. That's what I. think, yeah. Yeah. Good stuff, Chris. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So, Kevin Durant spoke out against the media last night, and Seth Curry spoke out in support of his teammate.

Honestly, I think it's him not be able to control his own voice. What he can't control is BS that happens in the media or people making a decision for him or all this other stuff. I'm sure from his standpoint, frustrating. So he's, again, the way he plays basketball and the way that he's as a teammate and all that type of stuff, that's all we're worried about. And I think he's doing a great job of that. You know, I think if I was Kevin Durant's because I think it's unfair to ask him to do a long-term commitment contract-wise with the Warriors in order to just avoid questions.

from the media. I think as a media, you have to be aware that there's no right answer from Kevin Durant or any of these other guys. If they say they want to go somewhere, they're going to get crucified. They have to be careful what they talk about when it comes to tampering. So really in a lose-lose situation, if they say they're going to commit to a team and then they leave, then they get criticized. So there's really no way for them to win unless they say they're going to stay and they actually

stay. So if I'm him, I'm just saying I'm not taking any more questions about free agency or where I'm going to go or anything related to my contract, period. And if you ask it, then I'll leave. And then just leave when they do. Like, that's, if that's really how he feels and he feels like he doesn't want to have those conversations and it feels like it's distracting to what's actually happening during the season.

And to be fair, it is distracting from what's happening during the season. NBA Free Agency is bigger than the NBA regular season. It's much more discussed. We follow every single breadcrumb, every like on Instagram. Everything is a big deal. Every trade rumor is discussed. it's definitely distracting. I still say if I was on the free agent market

and people were writing about me on like blogs, it wouldn't affect my show. Now, would it affect other people? Well, I'm here with a mic. I'd still do my show and pray. Right, but after every show, we don't then walk into a scrum of reporters who are shoving their phones in our face,

asking us questions about which, you know, network we're going to go to next. That would get annoying, but I don't think it would affect my game. But I would probably after a while be like, oh, here come to these goofy. I mean, I think it's exhausting mentally. And that's not, we're in the media. So I understand there's, we all have jobs to do. I just feel like I'm, I'm sympathetic to his frustration is all I'm saying.

And I get it. Like maybe he, you know, he snapped not to the liking of some, but. I think I'm less sympathetic to his play. You're more and I'm less. We just disagree. So one of the weirder moments in NBA trade history occurred last night. Harrison Barnes was traded mid-game. Now, following the game,

Paul Pierce said on ESPN that Barnes was aware that he was being shopped by the maths and there was a chance that he could be moved, but he asked to play anyway. So the original story that he had no idea what was happening and then it was just shocked and he was yanked out of the game is not true. He did know that there was something in the works. But LeBron was apparently not happy about how it happened. He posted on Instagram. So let me guess this is cool because they had to do what it was best for the franchise, right?

Trade this man while he was literally playing in the game and had zero idea. I'm not knocking who traded him because it's the business and you have to do what's best. I just want this narrative to start getting real and change that when a player wants to be traded or leave a franchise, it's that he's selfish, ungrateful player. But when they trade you, release, wave cut. It's best for them. I'm okay with both. Honestly, truly am.

Just call a spade of spabe. I get his overall point. Now he is wrong and he didn't have any knowledge that this trade was possibly going to happen. But it's the old big picture. Big picture, he's right. But I've been saying this forever. There is no loyalty in professional sports. Yeah.

It's just an idea. It's not real. It's a profession, which literally means there's no loyalty. You have no obligation to only shop at one clothing store. You have no obligation to stick with one electrician your entire life. It's a profession. People change jobs. They work for different companies.

This is what they do for a living. We as fans get conditioned into thinking that there's some sort of obligation of loyalty because we buy season tickets and we buy jerseys and we support our city and this is our team and we don't flip-flop just because one player moves from one team to another. But that's not reality. And it shouldn't be reality for these guys. And they really should not be criticized for having to go somewhere, especially with LeBron's point.

Organizations have no obligation of loyalty. Did everyone forget what happened with Isaiah Thomas? We're just not talking about that anymore? Yeah. It's not real. Well, Isaiah Thomas had a hip issue. Okay, but it's not real. The loyalty obligation is not real.

Yeah, I'm not. They're loyal as long as you're great. Right. But that's not reality. So finally, the Lakers play at Celtics tonight, and every conversation at Shooter Round this morning is about the drama of the trade deadlines instead of the game. And LeBron was asked if he's pushing to build a championship contender around him quickly.

He said there's nothing I need to get in this league that I don't already have. Everything else for me is just icing on the cake. I love the process of everything I go through to be able to put teams in position to compete for championships, but there's nothing I'm chasing or feel like I need to end my career on. Well, I think what he's saying is, there's nothing I need. Need and want are different.

Does he want a title? Yes. Does he need a title to have a great career? No. Right. But want and need, like I'll give you an example. There are a lot of things I want. I would love to have my own private jet,

but I don't need to have my own private jet. Like my life will be no less complete if I don't win Powerball. Boy, I'd like it. I'm going to Utah after the show. I'd love to have my own. Hey, pilots, pick me up here in 15 minutes. But I don't need it. My life, I'm happy.

If you were off the air in the next five years, would that, like, would it mean that you didn't have a great career? But it would certainly affect you. Yeah, I think, well, that's different. I got kids going to college. Okay. I mean, yeah, you're not making LeBron money. But I'm just saying, like, he does need to win a championship in L.A.

For this thing to have been worth it. I think it would be the ultimate crescendo. If he wins in L.A., it's like, dude, drop the mind. might get the hell off the stage. You just, it's over. But I don't think he needs that. What was the point of coming to L.A.? You could have just sailed off into the sunset in Cleveland.

It's just challenges. What's the, what's the, why would the rich guy buy another building? It's just being in the game. It's fun. It's fun. It's fun coming to work for us. Oh, we are not giving LeBron a pass like that. No, he needs to win a championship in L.A.

That is. There's not no cruising into the sunset situation, okay? That is very hard. Yes. You get the pass this year, one year. Then it's crunch time. It's not very forgiving. No.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd-Ly News. NBA deadline headlines with Jason McIntyre. This will be fun. Plus, I have this NBA All-Star draft has happening tonight. If you could pick five guys, you're starting five in the NBA.

Who would it be? I said this this morning. I won't give it away. There's one guy I continue to say as the most underrated player in the NBA by a mile. Be sure to catch live editions of the NBA. Heard, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Don't let your age beat you. Buy MDrive.com.

Today, refine your prime with MDrive, by MDrive. com. Chris Manix, LeVar Ball, Richard Jefferson, Chris Broussar, Jason McIntyre. By the way, Woj, says Orlando's trading for Markell Fultz. What's so funny? Markele Foles. What are you going to get for that guy? Can't shoot mentally

a mess. 20 years old. All right. So tonight. Tonight is the NBA All-Star draft for the All-Star game. It's a lot of fun. and you pick your starters and stuff. And I said, if I, the way the game has played today, the way the game is played today, if you gave me a starting five in an all-star game, I'd take LeBron, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kauai Leonard, and Clay Thompson.

Clay and Kauai are two of the best two-way players in the game. They are. Steph's the best shooter. Durant's maybe the best late game score in LeBron's LeBron. And I know everybody freaks out about Clay Thompson, but if you have Steph as a guard, he doesn't defend much. you'd have to have a good defensive guard. I'd take Clay Thompson, who's a great two-way player.

It's weird. Clay's having his worst season as a pro, 38% on threes. That's the worst he's ever shot. I don't know how you could take Clay over James Hardin. I just, I don't understand. Ball-centric. Ball-centric doesn't play any defense. All right, I would go James Hardin and then Janus, for sure, over Kauai Leonard.

Come on. Kauai Leonard, really? Has he even been that good in Toronto? So you think in today's game, guys who don't shoot threes or handle the ball are more valuable than guys that do both. Well, I mean, the Milwaukee Bucks have the best record in the East. They have the best point differential. A lot of the advanced stats love them.

And they've got Yannis, the MVP candidate. I mean, you don't have to just shoot threes to win. So basically, I would just lay off Janus, and I'd say, just cover four guys. Because Yonis can't shoot a jumper. I'd pack it in. Pack it in with whom? Like, defensively, none of those guys can come close to stopping Yannis on the block. Yeah, our teams are pretty good.

I just like seeing a Milwaukee buck logo up there. I do like that. Fear the deer, baby. Love it. Hey, bet on the bucks last night they covered with ease. Do you know I once hit a deer and try? It was one of the scariest moments of my life in college. I had a deer before. I was driving a back road in Cheney, Washington, and I had to get somewhere, and a deer jumped out, and I was driving my AMC pacer, and it hit the corner of the corner.

Yeah, you should say the deer jumped out. Yeah, the deer jumped out in front of my car. It was going across the road, and its butt hit my, the fender, totally freaked me out. And we made eye contact. I mean, the deer literally looked at me like, bro, slow down. It was my exact experience, except for I wasn't going slow because anytime you see one deer, you know, there's more. Yeah, they roll in packs. So I started slowing down and he still ran out.

And from that point on, I've never gone to a Milwaukee box game. And he's just really effective. Malcolm Brockton. Come on. I thought you'd have him as a all-star reserve. A couple of year ago, rookie of the year, one. Yeah, indeed. All right.

Deadline headlines with Jason McIntyre. What will the headline about the Lakers be? Colin, remember, this is a team that was fourth in the West on Christmas. night after they beat the Warriors, but the headline tomorrow, purple and fold. Listen, I got to, the Lakers were on track. If everybody had stayed healthy to be right there in the West. Now they're out of the playoff race.

The schedule is backloaded. It's brutal. It is. They can't stay healthy. The Lanzo balls out for another four weeks. I don't know, Colin. I got bad news for the Lakers, man. This is not looking good.

First of all, just to recap, they were on pace to be right there in the West. They were on pace to win about 50 games. And now everybody's hurt. And the trade stuff has messed everything up. I'm telling you, the L.A. papers, now that they're not getting Anthony Davis now, it's looking like no playoffs for LeBron. And just to put this in perspective, he's made the finals forever and carried NBA TV ratings. Colin, I know people are excited about the bucks and the nuggets and the Raptors.

No, if LeBron's out in the first round or doesn't make the playoffs, There is no question. It's a massive story. The NBA. Listen, the NBA is a story league. It's been a soap opera league. It's got great stories. LeBron out of the playoffs is a massive non-story.

People who watch this segment every week, no, we talked about this. Ratings are down 22% on TNT. They're down like 8% on ESPN. And now no LeBron for the playoffs? What are you building your campaign around? Like the NBA, I don't want to say Adam Silver needs to step in, but this is a bad look. when, by the way, the Pelicans have six national TV games in the next 30 days.

No Anthony Davis, right? Because they're not going to play him. If Anthony Davis gets hurt, like you can't trade them. Drew Holliday pulls me in every time. And they just traded Meritage. So they're tanking. By the way, a third of the NBA is tanking right now. To get Zion Williamson. Like the Dallas Mavericks are going to be tanking.

Luca Donchitz, a great story. They're going to be sitting him because they need to keep their pick because it's protected. Like the NBA has a lot of problems when LeBron's not in the playoffs and everybody's tanking. But nobody on the. internet will say it because the internet, Twitter is pro-N-B-A. They love the NBA. The NBA, there's going to be some problems here. All right.

What will the headline be about the Pelicans? Deadline headlines today. I don't want to beat this franchise up too bad, but I believe the headline tomorrow will be from brow to low-brow. I mean, this is ugly. Honestly, I believe tomorrow people are going to be talking about, do the Pelicans even deserve a franchise? Should we just get them to Seattle?

Yeah, I don't think you're wrong on this. I honestly, Seattle. You got NFL people running the Pelicans saying, oh, we don't care. So about the Saints Free Agency. Like, that's where the focus is. They don't care about this. No, no, no. It's a mess.

It is David Stern, Del Demps. And I don't know Del Demps. I know of him. He's in over his head. A lot of people think that. And Adam Silver, honestly, Seattle wants a franchise badly. New Orleans, their bottom 10 in the league in attendance.

And now know Anthony Davis you're tanking. Nobody's going to those games. Nobody's watching these games. And Seattle's sitting out there deserving of a franchise. Look into it, Adam Silver. All right. Number three, Kevin Durant's outburst is a sign of something big. Deadline, headline Monday.

Okay, so we have the audio. We're going to play that in a moment. But I got to just say, I am Team Durant. You know that I believe tomorrow's headline will be, Durant's acting angry and rude. He begins acting like a New Yorker. I mean, in that press conference, he was so disrespectful to the reporter, whoever was.

He was very New York. It was. He's starting to get. Okay, here's the audio. Tell me we got it. Here we go. All right. We've noticed that you hadn't talked for a while.

Why do you care? Anything to do with conversation about free agency? Y'all come here every day. Ask me about free agency. I ask my teammates, my coaches. You rile up the fans about it. And now when I don't want to talk to y'all, it's a problem with me. Come on, man.

Grow up. How are you playing? How is a team playing in the last couple weeks? I'm done. You know you don't care about that. I just asked you. That is very New Yorker. Salty, angry, rude.

I mean, like, you know, New York cab drivers will flick you off. Yeah. And he's starting to get that mentality. Listen, I am Team Durant. I do believe the Knicks are the heavy favorite at this point. I don't agree with his decision. I don't know if that will be the move. But I kind of like what he's doing.

Listen, he can't win, Colin. You know that. If he says nothing, oh, it's a sign. Kevin Durant wants out. If he talks, every single word is going to be parsed to the point where it's like, He said that. Maybe it means this. I don't know.

Durant, I got a side with him here. Finally, what's been the most underreported story last few weeks? Deadline. Headlines. We do a lot of fake headlines here because they're funny. The audience loves it. There's a real headline that everybody missed about three weeks ago. This is a real actual headline, Colin.

Are you ready? Yeah. Former Spur. Kauai Leonard buys a house in California. $13 million. Somehow this got unreported. Now, he did go to play college. state. He bought a house in the San Diego area. Big house.

You know he's been missing some Raptors games. He's just sitting out fatigue. LeBron gets killed for it. Nobody says anything about Kauai Leonard. I think it's a formality. He's going to the Clippers. Broussard is with me on this. Like nobody's talking about it. Kauai Leonard, he bought a house in California. You think that's for his health? You think it's for his mom of $13 million house? I mean, he's not going to commute from San Diego to the Clippers. Philip Rivers just commuted from San Diego to down here Carson.

Well, yeah, but doesn't Philip Rivers have 10 children? I think he's 11, maybe. Something like that. A lot easier commit from Canada. That would be a tougher commit every day. You know he's not staying with Drake and the Raptors. Come on. I got to you.

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