The Herd with Colin Cowherd - NBA, Raptors, Warriors, Steph Curry, and the Lakers

Episode Date: June 14, 2019

Colin discusses the NBA Finals and explains that injuries were  the major factor. He believes the Golden State Warriors dynasty is over and G Steph Curry will need help. Colin also has more on New Orleans Pelicans F Anthony Davis, and where the NBA is most likely headed. Guests include Chris Broussard, Tom Tolbert, Ric Bucher, and Frank Caliendo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Two Warrior Stars rush back from injuries. both get uglier injuries. Set it all week. The body punishes you for impatience every single time. I know a lot of sportscasters drive into work today. They don't want to say it because they feel bad. I was driving into work today and I can hear it all the radio guys' voices. They don't want to say what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it.

Toronto won because of injuries. Sorry how that lands in Ottawa. They did. I'm not in the credit business. I'm not giving your team credit. I'm in, that's Visa. That's what MasterCard's in. I'm in the honesty business.

Injuries decided the series. I don't care how that lands. Kevin Durant's the best player on the planet, 12 minutes. Clay is a top 12 player. Missed a game. Out last night. Kavon Looney. First, second guy off the bench.

One of their bigs played at 50%. And there's seven best players. best player played 12 minutes, their third best player missed a game in last night's fourth quarter, their fourth best player, Boogie Cousins coming off a major injury, Iggy's their six best player, left a game early, and Kvon Looney missed a game, and let's be honest, he was in pain on the floor. This was the injury finals. Five of the top seven guys didn't play, did marginally, I'm sorry. I'm not in the credit business. That's why it's the injury finals.

Now, there's things Toronto deserves credit for. Canadians are not known as aggressive people. They're nice. And they went aggressive. They fired the coach of the year. They went and got a rental letting go of their most popular player ever, Demar de Rosen. They made a massive move at the trading deadline.

They were aggressive and Canadians aren't. They're not. The Blue Jays, they go with their farm system. Yankees Red Sox overpay for people. In the NHL, we've had five different champions fire a coach and win the same year. L.A. Kings, Penguins, Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues. Well, that's what we do. We fire coaches. Ah, bad month.

Here's a ticket. Thanks for flying United. We're aggressive. Silicon Valley, Wall Street. We fire coaches. Canada turned into us. By the way, your most popular broadcaster is Don Cherry, hyper-aggressive. Canada goes against your natural DM. A. Sometimes you've got to be a jerk. It's really good. It's therapeutic. It feels great. You were aggressive and you won. But this was all about injuries. You can't take Michael Jordan, Tony Kookech, Horace Grant, and Luke Longley and say, yeah, they're all banged up. Michael didn't play but 12 minutes. Yeah, Utah would have two rings. That's the way it works. I'm sorry. If Brady doesn't play in the Super Bowl, the Rams are champs. I'm sorry. Here's the second thing. said it yesterday and I truly believe it. The dynasty's over. And you can actually look at San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants, they won three titles in five years. Then they got old,

injured, and they were forced to overpay people. They wanted to take care of the people that took care of them. And you wake up this morning and they're like the Dodgers' double A farm team. They're terrible. Warriors are getting old. They're injured. Sometimes I think they're tired of each other and frankly, now they're forced to overpay. Going to have to give Kevin Durant the max if he does stay. You got to take care of Clay. You got to take care of Clay? They'll be good.

They won't go off the cliff quite like the Giants, but look across town. Even if they sign Clay, Katie, Draymond, and Stephs on the Max. They're going to give Clay the Max. Katie will get the Max. Drayman's a year out. You'll have 130% of your cap and four guys. you'll be old, injured, no bench. I mean, that's what you'll be.

And everybody on your roster on load management playing 64 games. Injuries matter. Nobody wants to say it. We feel like jerks. We feel guilty. But you take MJ, Kookech, Rodman, Horace Grant, Ron Harper, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns have titles. That's the way the world works. Golden State is, I've never seen a finals like it.

I've never seen anything like it. I mean, Steve Kerr is the ultimate, you know, win with class. Steve Kerr is the ultimate win with class guy. Even he said this last night. It's amazement that we're sitting in this position. And you just think how, how is this group of guys put themselves in position to do it? When Clay goes down and is out for the game, it's just, you know, sort of a, you've got to be kidding me. Like, this has to stop.

But it's just the way it's gone. I don't know if it's related to five straight seasons of playing 100 plus games and just all the wear and tear. But it's devastating. Sorry if this is offensive in Vancouver, BC, beautiful town, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, medicine hat. I'm sorry, but the injuries decided the series. Kevin Durant played for 12 minutes. Warriors looked unbelievable, scored 34 points. They were in Canada.

They looked great. He changed the dynamics. He changed all the matchups. Now Mark Gassal becomes a massive liability. When Katie's not there, he becomes a big, massive strength. And my prediction is the NBA is going to enter a substantial run, four to five to six years of parity. The clippers are going to get Kauai.

Lakers will have LeBron and AD and not much else. Houston, Portland, Philly, Boston, Golden State, Milwaukee, Denver, all with a shot to win. Pretty fun, pretty even, lots of parity, and however that falls, it falls. But the dynasty is over. And these dynasties all last about five years,

and this is no different. We're headed to Parodyville. Now, Draymond Green doesn't think so, but Draymond, who was an odd box score last night, a lot of activity, much of it not good, but he thinks they have a substantial

back end of this run. Yeah, I think everybody thinks it's kind of an end of us. That's just not smart. We're not done yet. You know, we lost this year. Clearly just wasn't our year, you know. But it's how to cookie crumbles sometimes. But, you know, I hear a lot of that noise.

It's the end of a run and all that jazz. I don't see it happening, though. We'll be back. You will. You'll be back. But Clay won't be back till like mid-March and KD. won't play and may leave the city. You'll be back.

By the way, all the teams will be back next year. But you won't be the Warriors. Let me shift to this. Pelicans prefer to trade Anthony Davis to the Celtics over the Lakers. That's what the headline reads. It doesn't really mean anything because the Pelicans are leaking stories because they have no leverage

and Anthony Davis has already said I'm going to be a Laker and so the Pelicans are leaking stories all over the place. Of the many teams next year that I think can win it and I don't think we'll have a great team in the league. Milwaukee may be the favorite

Golden State will be hobbled you know Philadelphia is talented Lakers will be in the running despite all their dysfunction Remember this. Money and brands allow you to make a lot of mistakes. The Jacoby-Elsberry contract for the Yankees is as bad as any baseball contract. But that's okay.

Seeing the Yankees last couple of years? Pretty good. When you have $500 million a year in revenue from your cable TV package, Cincinnati Red, Seattle Mariners, A's, Orioles, twins, you can't whiff on a player. with a massive contract. Yankees paid Jacoby Ellsbury basically to watch them play for six years. Doesn't matter. By the way, Google, you ever heard of Google Glass?

Yeah, it was a whiff. Google takes massive swings. They have an apartment called like Google X, where they just have an apartment of big swings, and they almost all whiff. And Google and Facebook have officially won the Internet. The Lakers have made a series of mistakes. guess what?

They're probably going to land AD. And with LeBron and AD, two of the top four players in the league, two of the top five, they'll be a top two team in the West. I mean, Apple, Steve Jobs left, chaos, bad products, 90 days from bankruptcy.

Got the right guy in, turned it around, dominate the world. McDonald's. Folks, do you remember? remember McPisa or McHodog or McDonald's Spaghetti? The Meatless Hula Burger? Do you remember McLobster that came with its secret McLobster sauce?

It comes with a side of salmonella. They used to give you that with a vomit airline bag so you could yak after eating it. McLobster. I'm not joking. Look it up. It has not dented profits. in the NBA. Let's be honest about this.

Of all the teams next year, of all the stars that line up, LeBron's going to be the first or second best player in the league, and Anthony Davis, the only big who you trust late to hit a free throw, is one of the top five or six. If they don't give up the farm, meaning keep Kyle Kuzma. Vegas this morning has him his favorites to win the West. And they've been in utter dysfunction for 12 months. that is the advantage to the massive brand.

That's the big advantage. Apple, McDonald's, McLebster, Google, Yankees, you can screw it up a lot. I mean, Alabama, before Nick Saban ran through some, like, hysterically bad coaches. Oh, Sabin's in. Year and a half later, you don't want to mess with them. And so it's, you know, I kind of look. I kind of look at, I mean, if you look at the teams next year in the NBA, the six teams will have multiple stars.

Warriors will have Steph, Clay, and Draymond. But Clay won't play in the regular season. Sixers have Embed, Simmons, and Butler, Lakers, LeBron, AD, Rockets Hardin and an old Chris Paul, OKC, the flawed Westbrook and Paul George, and Dallas has Porzingis and Luca. And then Denver, Milwaukee, Portland Clippers will all have one star. Lakers probably end up the highest-rated TV product

and the co-favorants to win the title with all this mess for the last several years. I mean, LeBron and AD will be the best star duo in the NBA. They will be. And they're going to make that deal in five days, maybe sooner. You know, LeBron's a top one or two player, rested and healthy. AD is the top five or six player, rested and healthy. So, you know, the Lakers, give the Lakers credit.

They've done one thing pretty well in their dysfunction. They've drafted well. Lonzo can play. Brandon can play. Kyle Cusma was a 27th pick, Josh Hart, a 30th. You know, even DeAngelo Russell, they traded away, made an all-star team.

They didn't trade Julius Randall, but had him, he went underscore 19, 20 a game this year. They've drafted well. So they do have assets. I mean, it's been, the front office is a barnyard musical. But they got Kyle Cusma 27th pick. That's good. He's 19 a game at 23, plays defense,

It's never hurt good leadership qualities. So, you know, it's, if AD comes to the Lakers, Vegas this morning says, you're co-favorites. It's not crazy. Apple, Google, Lakers, Yanks. You can make whiffs. And it doesn't bury you forever. All right.

You know what, man? Got to be honest with you. That mixed spaghetti? I am hungry just talking about it. Lord. McPisa. Delicious. Coming up next. The best player in the world, I think is Kauai Leonard, because Katie's out next year. Is that actually going forward kind of not great for the league?

That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, F.S1 and the IHeart 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 triumphs,

the moments that never make the high. highlight reel. 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 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, 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, 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, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth.

And on my podcast, The Cliver 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 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the clipper. 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, 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Great news. Quick and easy way. You can save money. Switch to Geico. 15 minutes. Could save you 15% or more on car insurance. Go to Geico.com.

See how much you could save. We are in the premier radio network studio in Los Angeles, the most important radio studio on the West Coast. Rush Limbaugh started here. Casey Kasem did his show from here. Jim Rome, I think, started his, you know, career, his syndicated career up here. And it's real pleasure for me to be here. I'm a radio guy at heart.

So I'm kind of honored to be here. There's a legends, pictures all over the building of people who have worked in this studio. And maybe there's a studio in New York where a bunch of, you know, iconic radio figures work. But in the West Coast, this is the studio of note. And I'm a radio nerd at heart and just real fun to be here for the next couple of days. So Kauai is the first player to win the finals MVP in both conferences. I never had an NFL guy do that. He's a remarkable player.

I think you can make the argument. He's the best player in the NBA. KD will be out next year. And, you know, LeBron is getting older. I think LeBron will be very good. But Kauai is the best player because he gives you both sides of the floor. He plays defense. And I don't think it's great for the NBA.

I think we're moving into a parity stage, which has never worked. And listen, Brooks Kepka has no. personality. It's hurting golf. Mike Trout's great, very quiet. Not great for baseball. It hurt tennis when Pete Sampras and Yvonne Lendell were number one, and it hurt NASCAR when Jimmy Johnson won five straight titles. It hurt the sport.

You know, Tim Duncan and the Spurs, people forget this. That was a dud for ratings. Guys like me did not talk the NBA when Tim Duncan ran the NBA. We didn't. I mean, I talked 10% NBA. I now talk 28% NBA. Kareem being number one, the NBA was in trouble. Magic arrived. The NBA exploded.

MJ, Shaq, Magic, Kobe. Basketball is a star-driven sport, and when you're leading star is basically the equivalent in Hollywood of Daniel Day Lewis. I'm super talented, but doesn't get me to a theater. Not embracable, not relatable. You know, Daniel Day shows that every couple years doing a great movie that I don't watch. And he's great. I mean, he's got three best actor Oscars. Nobody's ever done that.

Kauai's got two different teams, finals MVP. Nobody does that. I mean, it's incredible. Embraceable, relatable, fun, interesting. I've never gone home and say, you know, I got to watch my left foot again tonight. It's just not the way it works. So I think the NBA is moving into seven to eight to nine teams with a parody, with a shot to win it. LeBron A.D. would be the new one.

And, you know, I mean, Bama and Clemson, I've said this before. USC Texas playing for the national title got a 23 rating. That's an NFL playoff game rating. Bama Clemson again next year is going to get a 15. There's fatigue. It's very

southern feeling, which is great if you live in Nashville. But it's an interesting time. The NBA, their number one player is a guy that is it beats Ampros. Who, for the record, was unbelievable. But the sport was bigger

when it had McEnroe, Borg, Agassi, and now, you know, Serena and Fedder. It drives it. It's more interesting. So I will tell you this, though. I do a segment on Monday's called Colin right, Colin wrong. And the reason I keep doing that segment is the wrong part. Is if I did a segment every Monday called Collins Right, it wouldn't get a number. You'd get tired of it.

But, I mean, yeah, I mean, yeah. John's like, that's what the rest of the week is called. Awesome. But Nick Foles recently beat Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. Think about that. The Raptors, known as the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL, the biggest chokers, one star beat the Warriors dynasty. The Raptors are the first NBA champs without a top 14 pick in the modern era.

Patrick Mahomes, who couldn't win at Texas Tech, is now the next great quarterback in the NFL. Tiger Woods career is over. My bad, he won the Masters. March Madness, Texas Tech, Virginia. I mean, this was the strangest finals of my life. Generally, in the NBA, best team wins. Not only did the Raptors win, but Fred Van Vleet hit the biggest shots. Out of Wichita State, I believe, undrafted.

Fred Van Vleet, if I had told you a year ago, okay, Listen, this is going to happen. Raptors not only beat Boston and the Sixers and Milwaukee. They go to the finals. Every warrior except Steph gets hurt. And Fred Van Vleet outperforms Steph.

That's like, he got an MVP vote. Oh yeah, the expansion, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Stanley Cup finals. Worst team in the NHL in January, St. Louis Blues, win the cup. What? Huh. Exquise me. I mean, there's a reason we do Colin right and wrong.

Sports is unbelievable. Fred Van Vleet was money. Was more trustable in the fourth last night than Steph Curry. It's just incredible. Just absolutely incredible. Veteran newsman John Goulet. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. So Colin in the third quarter last night, Clay Thompson landed awkwardly on his leg after a dunk attempt, immediately writhing in pain. After going to the locker room, came back out, shot his two free throws, and then tried to play defense. Now they committed a foul to get him out of the game. The amazing thing is we learned a few hours after the game. He did all that with a torn ACL. Yikes. And Steve Kerr talked about the injury post game.

Clay being clay, he just turned right around and came back. and shot the free throws. And, you know, we committed the automatic foul to get him out of the game. And he came back and he told me just two minutes. Just, you know, I think there was, you know, two minutes left in the third. He said, just a two-minute rest, I'll be ready. And next thing I heard was he was done for the night from crew Yoder. I have no doubt that if they had let him, he would have played on a torn ACL and just tried to ignore it

because that's just Clay Thompson. He was shooting almost 60% from three in the series. Any doubt if he plays game three or is able to stay in that game last night, that we're playing a game seven on Sunday? Yeah, I thought you could kind of sense for a couple of minutes. Toronto was getting a little tight until Van Bleet hit that three. You know, nobody just wants to hear this. But God, of course, injury.

It's the injury series. Now, I will say, Nick Nurse, I thought, had a great series. Van Bleet shocked everybody. You know, and Kauai emerged as the best two-way player. They had no answer for Clay. Even last night, they started putting Kauai on Clay. He still, he had 30 when he got hurt. Yes.

And he was on fire. For a guy that shoots that many threes to be at almost 60% for a series is crazy. Yeah. So according to ESPN's Adrian Orginowski, the Wizards are making a big push to steal Raptors president of basketball operations, Maasai, Eugene. How are they going to do that? How do you lure a guy away from a title team? Because they're going to offer him $10 million a year.

If Kauai ends up leaving, the Raptors are kind of trapped. They're a good team that probably can't win anything. Do you think $10 million is enough to pull Maasai Ujiri, one of the most respected basketball guys in the league to pull him out of Toronto? Yeah, I mean, what's the loyalty to Toronto? You won a finals. Like you buy low, sell high. If I'm the guy that runs the Raptors, I'm like, okay.

Especially if Kauai walks, I'm out. And the Wizards, for the record, this guy's real sharp. You know, John Wall's been a disaster. He can't win a second playoff series. Now he's hurt. Bradley Beale doesn't like him. They're often better when he doesn't play. The thing he's got to do is, can you build through the draft?

And can he lure one free agent? Because Bradley Beal's a really nice player, but he needs a guy with Sigh. He needs an Anthony Davis. If you gave Beal Anthony Davis and Draftwell, you got a real team. That's a tough rebuild, too, with that wall contract. It's the worst contract in American sport. But it feels a little Theo Epstein like. He got the Red Sox.

He got the title. Okay, I'm going to move on to the next challenge and he went to the Cubs. I mean, it's something that could happen. One quick NFL story for you. Do you remember a few weeks ago when Baker Mayfield criticized Browns running back Duke Johnson for wanting a trade? Yeah, I didn't love that. You were critical of him saying that. It turns out you may have been right because you didn't say it would play well in the locker room.

I thought it would. You don't mess with the guy's money. Tom Brady would just, you don't. Baker was trying to win the moment and be cool. And, you know, that's kind of Baker's DNA. And I thought it would play poorly. So according to Mike Silver of NFL Network, several Brown's veterans approached Baker to express their displeasure with what he said. Now, Silver did say they hashed out their differences.

is and it's all good now. Remember Johnson wants a trade because he wants more touches, which is reasonable for a player to want to play. And he's a good player. He's a good player. He also showed up to camp while asking for a trade. He's not sitting at home. He's doing what he is obligated to do. He's working out with the team.

He's practicing. When he asked for it, he's never a jerk. Duke has been like, listen, man, I'll be here every day, but I'd like to play. They had it. They already had Nick Chub ahead of him, and they signed Corrieh Hunt. So all of a sudden, a guy who's a good number two back, maybe a one, if he's splitting is a number three.

Totally understand. He's not pouting at home. Yeah. Won't this always be an issue, though, with Baker? When you have a leader that speaks his mind, this is going to come up again. Young people need to win the moment. As you age, you can, it just doesn't, your testosterone level drops. You don't have to

win every argument. You don't want to battle everybody on Twitter every day. Like Baker is, that's his DNA. That's who he is. A veteran newsman John Goulet. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Heard Lye News. Chris Brouss, my buddy, former New York Times sports writer, odd couple with Rob Parker, weekday, 7 to 10 Eastern. It's a great listen, by the way. All right, Clay tears his ACL. Kevin Durant's out for the year. They're going to have to max everybody. I said it yesterday, Chris. If they lost, it felt like the end of a dynasty.

And that was before Clay tore his ACL. I didn't think I was being hyperbolic on it. I think they'll be really good next year, but I don't think, I think the dominant Kobe Shack level dynasty stuff is over. Your thoughts? Well, it's certainly over for next year, you know, as far as them being this team, this Goliath that, let's face it, just about everybody in the league was afraid of, and nobody thought they could be beaten. That's over. Now, I saw Westgate, had them, you know, the favorites to win next year.

That has to be some sort of computer glitch. that they haven't fixed yet. I mean, really? There's no way. Like you said, KD's out all year. Clay will be out most of the year. Now, I'll say this.

If Clay comes back and he gets back to 100% by playoff time, I will give gold to stay the shot. Like, I think they'll be a contender. Yeah. But they can't be the favorite. You know, I think you obviously got the Lakers as a favorite if they get AD. I think wherever Kauai goes, whether it's Toronto, or the Clippers, and then Milwaukee will be in the hunt as well.

But look, they are still going to be a very good team. They bring back Clay, really, let's look ahead at the 2020, you know, 2020, you know, 2020, 21. With Steph, Clay, if they bring back Draymond, they're still young. I think the thing to watch is this too, Colin. I think Boogie Cousins needs to go back there next season. I don't see any team giving him $20 million, even for like one year. I don't necessarily see a team doing that.

I think Boogie can play in Golden State next year. He'll be the second option until Clay gets back. He'll be the third option when Clay gets back. He'll average over 20 points a game. They'll win. They'll be a good team. It's a good chance for him to really show people what he can still do and resurrect his image fully.

And I think that's a good move for him, and I think that'll help them as a team. Well, yeah, there was a lot of winners last night. Toronto won last night. The Clippers, I could argue, won because Kauai won't feel any guilt leaving. He gave the city what they want. Boogie Cousins could have won last night because they now really, really need some size without Kevin Durant. To your point. I actually thought LeBron won a little last night.

Katie's out for the year. Clay's hurt. If they land AD, I mean, of all the duos in the NBA, next year, Chris. AD's the fourth best player, LeBron first or second. I think the Lakers are sitting there this morning thinking, despite our dysfunction, we could wake up in three days and be co-favorants in the West, could they not? No question they could. And LeBron, assuming they get AD, and I think they will, he will win next year. And you're talking about winners. I don't think he was a winner last night, though, because LeBron has created this. They're just,

narrative following LeBron now that he created that he can't win without superstars. Well, why can Kauai win without superstars? You know, look, Kauai showed, in my opinion, the power, the beauty of buying in, the beauty of playing the card you're dealt. So that's what I want LeBron to do next year. Now, if they get Anthony Davis, he'll obviously be happy with the cards he's dealt. But what if they don't? What if they don't get AD?

Or what if they get AD and they'll. don't get another big free agent. And it's A.D. LeB. LeB. and a bunch of young kids and some of the guys, some, you know, mid-level guys that they sign. Buy in. I want LeBron to buy into Frank Vogel, buy into whatever their team is and say, I'm the best player in the world.

I can lead us to a championship. Don't be out there publicly recruiting and publicly trying to get other guys on your team during the season. Buy into what you have and make your team. teammates feel like you're with them 100%. That's what Kauai did. Because, Colin, you never know what could happen. Like injuries, obviously. What if LeBron had not gotten hurt? If he buys in this year, is it completely out of the question to think they could have been in the Western Conference finals and maybe beaten a Golden State team without Kevin Durant? So that's what I don't think

LeBron was a winner last night, but he could be next year. You know, people will bang on Steph, he missed that open shot. He did not have good fourth quarter three-point shooting numbers. In fact, let me look at them really, really quickly here. He shot 43% in the second quarter on threes, 42% third quarter and 32% in the fourth. And, you know, frankly, he looked exhausted by the end. There's a hardened Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Steph, where they're unbelievable, but they need a big guy next to them. And, you know, I've been saying this for years. Point guards are fun and flashy and talked about, but they don't lead you to championships. Kairi's career without LeBron is mostly average movies, injuries, and nonsense.

I mean, what do you take from Steph in the series? Do we think less of him, more of him, because he didn't have good fourth quarter stuff? Well, personally, I loved Uncle Drew, so just a little correction there. But, no, look, you're right. There only been two normal-sized point guards. I'm taking Magic Johnson out of this. normal-sized point guards that have led teams of championship. That's Isaiah Thomas and Steph Kirby, you know, in 2015.

I still consider Steph a top 20 player of all time. I still think this narrative that he doesn't show up and play well in the finals is overblown. I still think he should have won the finals MVP in 2015. That said, there is no question. There's no denying that he has yet to take over. an NBA final. He just hasn't done it. And this was the year.

Now, when Clay goes down, I don't expect him to lead them to the title without Clay. I think he could do it without KD, but I don't think you could do it without Clay. And that shot at the end of the game last night, it's a tough shot. I mean, you know, most guys don't make that. But we've seen guys step up in those moments,

Ray Allen, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, and others. And the best shooter of all time, Steph, it was a decent look. Yeah. I know Ibok was flying at him, but it's a decent look. And Steph did miss. You read the numbers. His shooting in the fourth quarter did go way down. So it is a bit disappointing from that standpoint for Steph.

But look, he's still writing this narrative. And if he can, you know, but he does need to have just that total final series. where he owns it. Chris Broussard, we'll talk to you. I'm going on vacation next week, but when I come back, it'll be all sorts of free agent signings. I love you, you and Robert.

Great on radio, Fox Sports Radio. Have a great weekend, buddy. All right, my man, see it. Yeah, actually, we've got, this is going to be an incredible weekend of sports. U.S. Open. United States women's national team will play twice in the next week.

You've got draft coming up. Free agent. signings. In the next month, NFL camps open up June, July 17th, 18th, potential Anthony Davis trade. So, you know, I know a lot of people are like, all right, the NBA season's over. The next three weeks to a month is all sorts of good stuff. Baseball All-Star game, sandwiched in there. There's a ton of good stuff. So I think the U.S. Open this weekend is going to be absolutely fascinating. In fact, that was last night I went to a party with a friend.

And after about an hour, you know, I went downstairs. I said, love you guys, but I got to watch the game. because it was like eight minutes in. So I missed the first eight minutes, which, you know, it's NBA game. So then I watched the next two and a half hours sitting down there. And then everybody at the party came down and surrounded us. And it was just a zoo. You never seen people in L.A. root harder for a San Francisco team. It was just screaming and yelling and social lubrication with vodka and wine.

It was just a wild scene. NBA season's over and the Raptors are champion. Coming up next. So transparent, so obvious. Lakers, I hope you can see this. I hope you can see this. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 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 Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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, 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 here on earth?

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is 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 hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. 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, 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 of 42. Hey, ref, Mom, I want you. you to way better. What? Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcast presents Soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. This is my best friend, Janet. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip, just a little bit bigger hips wider. This is a podcast we're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drinks. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? Just take it.

What are y'all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you move? I would buy it. Cut through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You're lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh.

Listen to soccer moms on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. Discover a Miles card. Automatically match the miles you earn into your first year, $35,000. become 70,000 limitations apply. Go to discover.com slash travel in the premier radio network studio

in Los Angeles. Sherman Oaks, though I did not see any oak trees, and this is called the valley. So I'm in a valley by Oaks today. It still feels like Los Angeles. Lots of people.

So Brian Winhorse reports, the Pelicans prefer to trade Anthony Davis to the Celtics over the Lakers. Well, yeah, They'd like to get Anthony Davis out of the West. I don't think there's any question about that. Generally, when you trade a superstar player, and Anthony Davis is great. Doesn't handle the ball, doesn't shoot threes in a ball handling three shooting league, but he's 25 and 13, plays defense, can switch on the pick and roll, can hit a free throw late.

He's a great player. And unlike Embed, I trust his health. He does something's better than Janus. though I think Janice is a little healthier at this point. But the pelicans are leaking this to pressure the Lakers. That's all this is. That's why stories get out. I only break stories when somebody wants them broken.

I'm not, you know, I'm not, this is not the firm. I'm sneaking into file cabinets at night getting information. This is so transparent. AD is not staying in Boston long term. So he's not going to Boston because Danny Aange, you really think Danny Aange going to roll the dice, give up Jason Tatum, who he loves, who he still takes great pride in, getting not at the number one slot or the number two slot. Jason Tatum.

Philly Lakers passed on him. Jason Tatum. He's going to give him up forever for a one-year rental to a player Anthony Davis who has said, not interested in Boston. Boston's not a real player in this. But the Pelicans are leaking they are to put pressure on the Lakers who now have all the leverage. Okay, Rich Paul came out and said, you can make the deal, Boston. We're not staying there.

When the agent and the player say that, Danny Ainsch is over. cautious on trades, has to win them. You're not giving up Jason Tatum in parts. You'd have to give up Jason Tatum, Al Horford, and probably one of your better young players. Not going to do that. So this is just the Pelicans leak in the story. And hopefully the Lakers, I think they know that.

Because according to various reports, the Lakers don't want to give up Kyle Kuzma, and I don't think they should. The Lakers have the most assets. They have young talent and picks. The Knicks only have picks. It's AD's ideal city. The Lakers in AD have all the leverage.

Rich Paul wants AD in Los Angeles. And so how do you get leverage? Leak stuff. The Pelicans are actually in a situation where they don't want to start the season. Zion, AD, guy didn't want to be there. Now, similarly, the Lakers don't want to start the season and then add AD. But here's the concern for the Lakers, and I think it's a real one. And I think too many Laker fans, too many people in the press in L.A. are like, just throw Kyle

Kuzma in. Folks, no Lonzo, no Ingram, no Cusba, and number four pick. It's not a title team. Anthony Davis and LeBron and a bunch of nobodies is a good team with no depth, no bench, and a head coach who struggled in the playoffs for Aunt Vogel. And by the way, your two guys, Anthony Davis and LeBron, are both going to sit out about 12 to 15 games because we now have a trend in the NBA called load management. So there's 30 games where only one plays or none plays.

It's a 46-win team. No bench, no depth. can't sell the farm. And the other thing, it's remarkable. It's as if the Laker fans are not watching the games. So Kyle Kuzma, I'm going to describe what Kyle Kuzma is, and you tell me how many of these exist. He plays 80 games.

He's 23. He averaged 19 a game. He plays defense. For the next two years, they're paying him nothing. And, oh, by the way, he has shown actually excellent leadership skills. How many of those do you have in the NBA? 19 point a game. I'm paying him nothing.

Doesn't get hurt. Plays defense. And for a young guy, pretty good leader. Like he feels like a real leader. Most of these young guys want to be boys. They want to hang out. Kuzma's kind of his own guy. This is a game of chicken.

Lakers, don't budge. Because you go, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma. I drive to the arena every night with 70, 75, points. I feel pretty good about that. That's a pretty good basketball team with KD out for the Warriors and Clay out until March. I feel pretty good about James Hardin and old Chris Paul. I feel pretty good

about that. You know, everybody, just throw him in. LeBron's going to sit out 14, 15 games. AD's going to sit out a dozen to 15 games. Frank Vogel, no bench, no depth, no shooters.

Kuzma's a really good young player. I I don't think he's ever going to be a superstar in this league. He's one of the more talented guys, 23 and under in the league. Top top 30, definitely. I'd argue probably closer to top 2021. As I said yesterday, negotiate everything.

Don't give anything away ever. Negotiate everything. Every player, every draft pick. It's why the Patriots are filing a tampering charge against the Texans for interviewing a GM. They want a draft pick. Fight for everything. It's sports.

Hour two coming up. Third. 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. 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 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 SportsSlic 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, 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 rapid. 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 Clever Taylor the 4th. 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, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42 Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. This is my best friend, Janet. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later

We're still joined at the hip Just a little bit bigger hips Wider This is a podcast we're recording it as we tailgate Our youth soccer games In the back of my Honda Odyssey With all the snacks and drink Sidebar

Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer Oh they had a bogo Well then you got it Do you want a white color or something here? Just hit it Oh what are y'all doing? Microphones are you making a rap album Oh I would come on

Can you pull I would buy it Cuts through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic.

You are. I'm lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ah, this is The Herd. Hour 2, live in L.A. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,

we are on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio. Great to be here. From the radio studios, formerly of Rush, Rome, Casey Kasem, Seacrest, most noteworthy studio on the West Coast. Ricky Fowler playing very well at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. I think Fowler is in second place, five back. Justin Rose leads at minus seven through six. six holes. All right, there's where we are. Five under. Excuse me. Fowler's second place,

five under. And Rose, Justin Rose, leads at seven under. It's an overcast, but beautiful picturesque day. Tiger Woods at two under. So he's got a fighting chance here. Certainly make the cut. Good stuff. Good weekend. So Steph Curry last night missed more important shots than an anti-vaxxer. All right, that's my bad friend. Friday joke. Listen, Steph got a pretty good look. Eight seconds left and missed. After Clay Thompson left the game in the third quarter,

Steph scored just four points, one for six on field goals, drew the collar, 0 for four from three-point range. He was outscored by Draymond, Iggy, and Cousins. For the record, all six games, teams that had more threes won the game.

Steph is a small guy, took a beating. I think he looked worn down and generally did in the series. later in games. You throw bodies at him, especially when Clay gets hurt, Durant gets hurt, Iggy's hurt. You can throw more bodies at Steph. He shot 43% in the second quarter on threes, 42% in the third quarter on threes, and 32% on the fourth quarter on threes. And that's why he recruited Kevin Durant. And that's okay. Steph needs KD, a big athlete next to him. And that's okay. And Kyrie's career without LeBron is a bunch of nonsense. Magicians need a

The Art of Distraction. And that's what KD is. Oh, got a double KD. Steph's more open. The art of distraction. When KD and Clay are out, you're just throwing too many, too much length and too many people at Steph. And he's a smaller athlete.

Single guys die sooner than married guys. Companionship helps. It's okay. Point guards do not win titles. It's why I like Zion over John Morant, bigger, stronger guy. Steph Curry, Westbrook, Hardin, wear down. And Steph is generally, I would say the exception of what we think of point guards.

But he really isn't. He's a smaller guy and like Hardin who looked tired this year and like Westbrook who unravels. And like Kyrie injuries. Look at his career without LeBron. The magician assistant is the art of distraction. And that's what the big next to you does. That's why I like Zion over John Morant. If you go look, this is an interesting stat.

18 years, we went back and looked at go-ahead field goal attempts in the playoffs in the last 24 second to the fourth quarter overtime. So last shot stuff. You know who shoots the best percentage? LeBron James, 43%. Also in there, Durant, big guy, Paul Pierce forward, Kobe Bryant, big guard. You know who's last? Westbrook's 0 for 7. Oh, wait, Curry's O for nine.

Oh, wait, Hardens 1 for 9. I get Slam Magazine doing pieces and I get them selling shoes. And I get John Morant's exciting. But these seasons are long. And little guys look worn down. Little guys need a big guy. Kauai doesn't need a little guy. But little guys need a big.

They need the magician's assistant. They need distractions. You know, I don't want to use the term luck, so I won't with the Raptors. I will use good fortune. These things had to happen for the Toronto Raptors to win the championship. LeBron had to leave the East. Kyrie Irving had to implode the Celtics. Leading two to one, Philadelphia's Joe L.M.B. got hurt and then sick.

they needed four amazing bounces to beat Philly in Game 7, and the Warriors had to fall apart physically. I won't say luck, I will say good fortune. But I will give the Raptors major credit for something that is not in Canada's DNA. They were hyper-aggressive. And we think a lot of things at Canada, we're the aggressive country. They're the nice country. We're the landlords.

They live in the apartment above us, and they're really nice. They bring his fresh-cut flowers all the time and bake cookies. They're really nice. Toronto wasn't. They fired the coach of the year. Fired him. Here's your award. Here's your pink slip.

Dermar Derozen, beloved in the city. Sorry, out. Can't win with you. That's harsh. Let's go get Kauai better player. Trading deadline. Mark Gassal, move in pieces. Cadet, They were rewarded for being aggressive, cold, and calculated.

And by the way, it works in hockey. St. Louis Blues, L.A. Kings, Jersey Devils, penguins, fire head coach during the season win the cup. It works. American League East, Red Sox, Yanks, aggressive. Blue Jays. We got a nice farm system. Doesn't work.

Aggressive wins. It wins in politics. I mean, it's like, I was talking to somebody last night. I'm not a big Trump fan, but I was talking to somebody last night, and he said, you know, Trump figured out there's a big swath of people in America most in the middle of it that feel overlooked. He connected with him, put on a red hat. He's aggressive, to a fault, turns off the media, but I got news for you. You better find somebody aggressive on the Democratic side, and my guess it's Biden. Not all these super young, cool, lit.

You better get the old aggressive Biden who will take shots at him. it works everywhere. By the way, here's a very American move. The Raptors have a great GM, Messiah, Ujiri. Washington Wizards are offering him $10 million a year to come rebuild their franchise. That's very domestic. That's very American. And it works.

I was reading a story the other day about cannabis production. America's dominating North America. Canada, too nice. Lots of regulations, protecting everybody. Overregulated. America's like, yeah, people want to get high. it. Get aggressive. Toronto went against their natural DNA and they were cold and harsh and abrupt.

And it worked. It worked. I mean, they even went to a box in one. Let's just go shadow Steph Curry. This is an obnoxious high school defense. Now, I like it. By the way, it is last night's rating. Can we double check on this?

Got a 13.2, which is, it's fine. You can't count Toronto in the ratings. So just not to bore you with this, but you can't count any city in our ratings in Canada. So the overall average of this series, not counting Toronto, you can't, was 11-2. You know, if Boston's in, Philly, Milwaukee, you get a 12. For the record, the NBA finals generally average somewhere between an 11-5 and a 12-5 and a 12-and-a-half, and this landed at 11-2. the Four Warrior Cab Series averaged about an 11-5, and this was an 11-2, counting only one U.S. City.

So that's fine. No LeBron, Katie, 12 minutes, and boring Kauai. So it's right where it should be. If I had to guess where it was going to average, I'd have said 11-5, and it got this morning in 11-2. So the doomsday crowd is going to be disappointed. By the way, it out drew LeBron in the finals in last year's clinching game. So, you know, when it comes to all these ratings, it has never really changed in my life. To be honest with you, not much.

Baseball is not as popular as it used to be, but it's still lucrative. But the first tier of sports in America is NFL, World Cup, and the Olympics. Those dominate ratings. The next group is college football, NBA World Series. Very solid, but not in the first class. And the third is kind of niche stuff, hockey, motorsports, tennis, golf, majors. those are the three rungs. And college football, the NBA and the World Series,

the middle rung are very dependent on who's playing. USC, Texas gets a huge number of college football, two southern teams not as big. World Series Cubs, Yankees, monster numbers, Cleveland against somebody else, not as much. NBA, a Canadian team, you know, is not going to get a number that the Boston Celtics and the Warriors would get.

That'd be 12s 13s. So none of this stuff ever changes. There's always the doomsday crowd. I do think going forward you are going to see. I don't think it's great for the ratings, but the league will be fine. It's a global league. You're going to see more parity over the next seven, eight years, potentially. I don't see a super team.

I do think if Golden State, I mean, here's what could happen. For a year, Golden State will be good. But if they did decide, let's just sign KD to a max for five years, then in one year, Katie, Steph, Clay, Dremont, not much of a bench, but they'd still have four stars, three and a half stars. I don't, you know, according to reports, Katie's leaving. I still think it's a mistake. I'll say it again.

I think Kevin Durant taking less money, going to a worse owner, and a bad roster is a terrible mistake. As his agent, I could never, ever. It's not just one thing, less money. It's less money, worse owner, bad roster. Three for three. There's no way if I was Katie, I'd go. No way. So if Katie resigns with the Warriors, if he decided to do that,

next year would be bumpy because he doesn't play. But the following year, then the Warriors would kind of, you know, stay on track. I do think the injury really, it's crazy. I never felt Kauai was coming or going based on a title. Kauai, you could make the argument, Kauai this morning, never easier to leave Canada. they're still in this fog of the title. You could just leave the back door, announce tomorrow I'm leaving,

and they're celebrating for six months. There's no guilt at all. Everybody said if they win, he'll stay. It's just the opposite. I mean, it's literally it's just the opposite. If you were going to divorce somebody, wouldn't it feel better and be easier? If the week before you were going to divorce them,

you won $10 million in a lottery and you could give her five or give him five, and you're like, no guilt, I'm out. I mean, wouldn't that feel better? Instead of you're both going to struggle? Like Kauai won. It's like, congrats. I'm a California kid. I think there's no guilt.

I think it's harder if you lose by a point and you know your return everybody. And Kevin Durant's hurt and you know warriors won't be as good. Then I think it's tough. Then I think it's wait. We lost in game seven by a point. Clay won't be back till March. Katie won't play. I'm coming back and winning a title.

That's tough. This is easy. it is always easier because there's always, you know, there's natural guilt. I mean, Kauai Leonard would announce it today. He could announce it this morning. But, you know, there's a guilt. Canadians are nice. They treated you like gold.

It's easier walking away, giving somebody something. Here, I'm getting a divorce. I just won the power ball. Here's $100 million. I'm leaving. You don't feel as bad. So, but the Durant thing, so I don't think Kauai winning or losing means anything. The Durant injury, I just can't imagine hobbling to New York to a bad roster,

crossing your fingers, they can get a second star. What an awful way for him to end his career. That's just, that's, I mean, look at how much LeBron struggled, and that's with Coosma, Ingram Lonzo, three guys that can actually play. Lakers have actually drafted well. You had Porzingis, you let him go. Now you got Kooky Dennis Smith Jr., who nobody wants to play. play with. That Nick roster's a mess. They got picks, but they got no players.

You know, it's good that you switch your analogy from 10 million to 100 because otherwise, basically you admitted your wife is worth $5 million to you. That's right. That's a little low, I think. It is. That is not respectful. She's worth at least 17 million. Minimum. We are in the studios formerly of Casey Kasem, Rush Bo, Rush Limbaugh, who saved AM Radio. They say. Roamy? Seacrest? Seacrest did shows from here? That's what somebody told me. This building. Did a few from here. Seacrest. It's been right next to this mic. This is a big, big studio. Of course, those guys all have posters outside. I'm nothing. There's a framed picture of a tomato in the hallway. I got nothing.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 trouble. 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 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, 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth.

And on my podcast, The Clivert 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 42.

Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverd show on the I Heart Radio. app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah.

This is my best friend Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey.

With all the snacks and drinks. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? They had a bogo. Well, then you got them. Do you want a white color or something here? Just take it. What are y'all doing?

Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. How did you put? I would buy it. Cuts through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious.

Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky. I'm not an alcoholic. You are. I'm not a killer. I love this team, and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh.

Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Great to have you in. Crazy finals. You know, I said earlier, it'll upset people. But, you know, if Michael Jordan, Tony Kooch, and Luke Longley didn't play in a finals, the Utah Jazz would have rings. Katie plays 12 minutes. Clay misses a game.

Looney's misses a game. Iggy wasn't healthy. Boogie came off a major injury. I don't think their excuses. I just think it's one of the... I will remember this finals as Canada's finals and all the injuries. It's not a shot on anybody. As I said, I'm not in the credit business.

MasterCard is. I'm in the honesty business. And I think if you take Michael, Jordan, or Shaq and Kobe, without Shaq, is not the same team. And I think, you know, Toronto was veterans long, well-coached. Kauai's playing as well as anybody in the NBA. and Tom Tolbert for NBA or Warriors Magic Clips Hornets.

K&BR, great host with Tolbert Lund 3 to 7. You know, Tom, I don't feel bad saying it. It does feel weird. It does feel quirky. I've never seen a finals like that. I do think Katie changes everything. I think he changes the matchups. What do you make of all the injuries and how it affected the finals?

I just think they're lucky they didn't win game six because what would have happened is that it went to Toronto, lost game seven, and the locker room would have fell on them. That's the way the series is going. I mean, it was a joke. It was ridiculous. But look, if you're, look, you can play that game all the time. I mean, you can go back. Cleveland can say that about the first Warriors championship.

Hey, we wouldn't have, well, we split in Oakland and we lose love. We've gone early in that series. And then Kyrie gets heard in that series. And we would have. We could have. We should have. Yeah, of course it changes this series. I mean, you're talking about two Hall of Fame players.

And Kavanaugh is a, you know, a top eight guy. Yeah. on that team. He's a rotational player, but it doesn't matter. I mean, they get the rings, they won. The only thing you can ever do is an athlete is play with them the uniforms across from you. That's it. So you show up, you play. No one's going to give excuses. Nobody wants any excuses. They deserved it. They played really, really well. They were deserving champions. And it's a pretty cool story. I mean, it really is. If I wasn't, you know, tied to the Warriors, I certainly would have been rooting for Toronto. I thought it was a really neat story.

story. I love the way Kauai goes about his business. And they're, I mean, they're, they're, they're a pretty fun team to root for. You know, the San Francisco Giants, five years, three titles, and then they felt obligated to pay older guys who were starting to get hurt, and then they fall into the abyss. I mean, you kind of feel obligated. Clay, you're going to pay Max. Steff's on a Max. Dremont will get one. You know, I don't think they're going to become the Giants, but this is sort of how dynasties erode. You feel obligated to pay people. I mean, if, if, if, Do you think they would just max four guys, and that's 130% of the cap and not worry about the bench and depth and any of that stuff going forward? Boy, that's a great question.

I don't think there's any doubt, though, do it with Clay. Clay will get max for sure. Max money, max years. I don't know if KD. well, they might offer a max. I don't know if it'll be max years. But it wouldn't surprise me if they do. I mean, the problem is you start getting guys, as you say, start getting a little bit older.

They're not that old yet, but he's getting a little bit older, and you can't really have much of a bench if you're going to max all those guys. Oh, God, you can't at all, yeah. So you just, I mean, you have, you know, you have what you have. So do you want to go with, you know, their strength in numbers slogan, which really was the kind of epitomize that team the first couple years to strengthen stars. And that's what they've been the last couple years. I mean, it's hard to turn down superstars that want to come and play for you.

But what happens is if one or two of them gets injured, I mean, you still have a few of them left, and look, how many teams in the league could lose a guy of Katie's stature and so have a chance to win a championship? Not many, if any at all. I mean, and they lost him, and they lost Clay, and they were still managed to hang in there to the very end in game six. So that's a great question. I don't know what they're going to do. He wouldn't surprise me either way. Clay would shock me if he didn't get max years, max money. The rest, I'm not sure. You know, when KD got injured, I said the next day, I'm not playing the blame game because we love Kurt Gibson Dodgers. We love Tiger playing hurt, winning the Masters.

We love the flu game MJ. We love T.O. playing broken leg in a Super Bowl. We put our arms around those moments. Those are iconic. So you can't be a hypocrite and tell me you get goosebumps with that and your outraged KD played. I mean, we ripped Jay Cutler because he didn't play hurt. We ripped Ladanian Tomlinson for that. But I do feel like there's a guilt inside the organization.

Steve Kerr, the minute it happened, said go talk to Bob Myers. Are we sure now this morning that Joe Laca, Bob Myers, Steve Kerr, team doctors, is there a little infighting there because of the KD situation? That I don't know. I do not know that. I think Steve put it best when they asked if he'd do it all over again and he said, damn straight I would. And I'm assuming he meant not knowing the outcome.

He would do it again having the information that he had. I mean, let's be clear, the doctors check the box, the trainers check the box, independent doctor, which you might as well say is KD's doctor because it certainly wasn't the Warriors doctor. They checked the box. KD. checked the box. His business partner checked the box. Bob Myers checked the box. Steve Kerr checked the box.

Then he went three on three. Then he went five on five and he was cleared and he got hurt. Look, it happens. It's sports. People get injured. They do. It sucks so you can't blame anybody, but everyone wants to blame somebody. I doubt with them anybody's pointing fingers. I think they all felt good about the decision they made and the information they had at their fingertips. And look, athletes want to play.

We all want to play. When you get to the highest level, and this guy's of the highest level, playing in an NBA finals, of course you want to play. I mean, we all grow up and we don't dream of making millions of dollars or Jimmy playing in the NBA or the NFL or Major League Baseball. When you get a chance to play, you want to play. And when you're not playing, you feel like you're letting your teammates down. And you feel like, God, I'm missing something special. This is something I worked all summer for, 31 years of my life for, whatever the case may be. I want to get out there and play because this is the most fun part of the season.

So it infuriates me that all the time people want someone to point the finger at. I don't know if it makes them feel better or what the case. may be. And look, sometimes there is somebody to blame. In this case, maybe it comes out later and maybe I look stupid. But I think everything was done right. And it just had so happened that he got hurt. And again, it sucks, but it's sports. It happened. By the way, Boogie Cousins, interestingly, without KD. I thought Toronto's size was a big factor in this game. Yes. Long. And I said going into the series, I like the Warriors and Six, but I said, listen, they got a bunch of smart veterans, they got a superstar, and they got tons of length.

you could make an argument that for a year you could pay boogie some money. No KD. Clay's a long, great defensive guard. Would it be the worst idea to pay boogie for a year to stick around? You know what? We didn't look. We didn't do the best of him this year. Right.

And we can't judge him on six games because he came back and played six games. I mean, he set out two months, a month and a half, whatever it was, and then came back into the crucible that is the NBA final. He didn't come back in October. He didn't come back in January. But I just wonder if in the last couple years, the league started to pass him by a little bit in that he's still super skilled, but he's not very quick. He's not super athletic.

And you see the way the league is going with these super long, super athletic guys. And those are the guys that really give him trouble. And the league's becoming a switching league. And you saw what Toronto did. They tried to isolate him as much as possible. on those high pick and rolls. And look, it's just not his thing. You can't ask him to go out there and say in front of Kyle Lowry or Seacum or

Kwai Leonard. I mean, that's just not who he is. So, okay, I mean, if you're going to use him, you're probably going to use him midpost, maybe some threes, maybe down on the block. But I don't know. I don't know if his skill set, even if it's as good as it was before the Achilles injury is a skill set that's as valuable as it was four years ago. I could be proven wrong because the guy is still super.

talented. There's no doubt about it. I just don't know how valuable he is to a team. Like if he can be a centerpiece to a championship team, does he need to be a third player, maybe even a fourth player? I don't know. Yeah, because Anthony Davis better defensively can switch off better. Like Anthony is just more athletic. And with Anthony, you don't get some of the baggage that boogie brings to the table, although I think he's been a pretty good, he's been a pretty good, you know, scout on this team. People like him. Tom, it's a pleasure. Tom Tolbert, K&B.R. Tolbert John Lund, who I worked with years ago. I always appreciate. you stopping by.

Colin, thank you very much. Have a great weekend. You too. By the way, I was thinking about this this morning. Last five NBA titles. Tyloo, Nick Nurse, Steve Kerr of coached all of them. Five for five first-time head coaches. Now, Kerr obviously won as a not a first-time coach,

but Kerr, Nick Nurse and Thai Law were given jobs. Tyloo, excuse me. Tyloon, Nick Nurse, Steve Kerr, last five titles. So, you know, there was a long, long era of kind of recycling guys. But Nick Nurse, quite a story. They did that thing where they would drop in. You know, they'd show the pregame talk with Nick Nurse and he'd have the hoodie on and the hat.

And, you know, he always kept his messages really simple. Pete Carroll told me that years ago. The more you complicate stuff, the slower athletes get. Keep it simple. Recruit great players. Give them simple messages, simple assignments. Let them run. Let them hit.

Jordan Speath just missed a putt. He is two under, so he's a ways back. Justin Rose leads the U.S. Open, a seven under. Ricky Fowler tied with several others at a five under two back. Veteran newsman John Goulet. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram,

Dak Prescott's agent has broached a deal in the range of, are you ready for this? $34 million a year. Now, we don't know if that's just the opening offer that they're going high so there's some room to negotiate, or if that is what they actually expect. Cowboys legend Michael Irvin said the Cowboys need to get this deal done now. If it means you wait, it's costing money. This is an asset that's turning in the right direction. You've got to pay him this money.

That's agents are not going to let you come in under Carson wins. I love Michael Irvin, but that's insane. By the way. His skill set is not a $34 million. No, it's a $24. Let me throw this at you. They have two great linebackers, a lockdown corner. Still three top offensive linemen and a superstar running back in Amari.

Cooper. Could I make an argument? It's the best quarterback draft in some time coming up. You go to one of those teams and say, we'll give you one of our linebackers. We'll give you one of our offensive linemen. We'll give you Amari Cooper. And we'll take the number one pick in the draft. And you keep Dak and you draft another quarterback. Well, it's not crazy. Although I don't know that you want to give up the court. The question would be, how tough would it be to find a guy who can do what Dac does in the draft. I mean, he was a fourth round pick. I thought they should have drafted somebody last year,

made him a backup for a year behind DAC, and use it as leverage in negotiation. Oh, you want 34? We're just going to start this guy that already knows the offense. I think there could be something to that. But at 34, I'm going to let you hit free agency, because no one else is going to give him 34 either. So then he's going to come back to you with a more reasonable offer.

This is one of these you just be patient. Just don't be crazy. Just be patient. Again, also, what's the value off the field of being the Cowboys quarterback? We've brought it up before. He has a sponsorship with Oikos and with Chunky Soup. No state tax in Dallas. They don't do that for the Bengals quarterback.

They do that because he's the Cowboys quarterback. There's some monetary benefits off the field as well. No surprise that Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals MVP last night. This is the second time he's won that award. he is one of 12 players to have multiple finals MVP. This is a hell of a list. Michael Jordan, Magic, Shaq, Duncan, LeBron, Willis Reed, Kareem, Larry Bird, Hakeem, Kobe, Kevin Durant, and now Kauai.

That's a good list. I think he goes into the next year as the best player in the league. I do. Very possible. He is now one of only three people to win the NBA Finals MVP with multiple teams. Kareem and LeBron were the only other two. He was not the unanimous. finals MVP.

Hubie Brown thought the MVP should have gone to Fred Van Vleet, who averaged a whopping 14 points a game in the finals. My question was going to be, is he now the best player in the league? Offensively, he's unstoppable. Okay, I would say this.

Who, Red Van Bleet? I would say this. Top five players, because Katie's not going to play next year, so let's take Katie out. Sure. Kawhi Leonard 1, LeBron 2, Yonis 3, and Anthony Davis for James Harden 5. I think it's fair. I think the question would be, is Janus, LeBron, was LeBron declining this year? Or was he maybe not trying as much.

Well, Janus is a much better defensive player, but LeBron can handle a ball. Well, the shooting is a difference, too. So, Kauai won, LeBron 2. And that's mostly because Kauai gives you a great defensive effort. LeBron doesn't. LeBron decided a year ago, I'm not going to play defense. Right. So that's not 50% of basketball, but it's 25, 30%.

So Kauai 1, LeBron 2, Giannis 3, 84, and Hardin 5. That's my, who would you do 6? By the way, I would just do a half dozen. Who is the 6 best player? Steph. Steph is going to put up a hell of a year statistically when he's playing without KD and Clay. He's going to have a lot of James Harden-like games where he scores 39 points. I may do Steph 5 and Harden 6, but that's my top 6.

I like it. I think it's fair. And finally, I'm assuming you have heard of the Madden curse. NFL players on the cover, they always got hurt or had a bad season. There's also the SI cover jinks. That's been a thing for years. There now may be a Gotham Chopra curse. Now, he's been on the show a couple times.

In 2017, Chopra made Tom versus Time on Facebook, which ended that season they followed Tom Brady around, ended with the Patriots losing the Super Bowl. This year, he made Stefan versus the game, which ended with Steph Curry losing the NBA finals. This is a Facebook series that's, you know, Steph versus the game is season two. So it's something you assume they're going to continue. Would you be a little weary of the next athlete featured by Gotham Chopra?

Well, reality shows in general are distracting and equal divorces. Sure. I don't think cameras around your family is a good call. Ever. I don't like it. I know every, you know, Brady did it as well as anybody can. But I understand why people do it. You know, it opens Tom up.

People feel more connected to him and it's good for business. I get why you do it. Yeah. I just don't want cameras around my family. I mean, I don't know that it's fair to assume that had Steph not had a camera around him in October, they would have won the title. Yes. Probably not. But I wonder if Chopra, like I said, is, I mean, I know you like his work.

He's been on the show a couple of times. He's one of my favorite guests. That's, I'd be a little scared. If you were, if you were Gotham Chopra, you did Tom, you did Steph. Who would you do next? Whoever you want to lose the championship. That's who you do. No, but I mean, who's fascinating?

Tom, Steph, who would be your third? I've seen enough of LeBron. I don't need, you know. Rinaldo is the consensus of the room? Probably, yeah. That would be interesting. Go global. Tiger would be obviously incredible.

Oh, I think Tiger would be really good. I think Tiger would be good. So if that happens, then in the Masters bet Tiger to lose. A veteran newsman, John Goulde. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. How good is Pepple Beach?

So beautiful. See Joel Clats out there doing sidelines? The Clatster. Played college baseball. Minor League baseball. College football. Heck of a golfer. Yeah, he is annoyingly good at everything.

It's annoying. Wrong a lot. but annoyingly talented. 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 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 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. SportsSlice 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 Slic 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,

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

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. 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 hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th.

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, 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 42. A rep. My mom, I want you. you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedo menopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How

How Hard Can It Be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squad. from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden I'd had hanginess happening on my... I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive... Wait, what sex? Dating at 45, how can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy?

That one's kind of hard now. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish it. but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public.

Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back, Godavian. Just a pleasure. I just found out the young man who is filming me today. Elijah does not eat till noon every day. I don't even understand that, Elijah.

It's not physically healthy. Elijah's going to pass out here in a second and then knock the camera over. We're all deeply concerned about Elijah here just doesn't eat. I can't got. I met guys like that. Eric Dickerson once told me, I don't eat. Some days I don't eat. At all?

No. That's smoothie. That's not eating. That's drinking. Yeah, I feel so lucky to do this. It's funny. People, you know, like when the NFL season's over, we don't. really in my life. That's why the

XFL's coming in now, so February March is a little slow. But people think now the NBA season's over. We're going to sit around and wait until Labor Day for college football. But just think about this, starting today. So starting today and this weekend, U.S. Open.

Fantastic. Lakers A.D. trade will happen the next five days. Women's World Cup, two United States matches in the next week or two. NBA draft next Thursday. NBA free agent signings, June 6th, World Cup finals, July 7th. Excuse me, NBA final

signings June 30th. World Cup finals, July 7th. NBA All-Star game, Major League Baseball All-Star game, July 9th, NFL training camp, July 17th. So that's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 8 things I'm interested in in the next month.

And this is the dead part of the year. You get a baseball, all-star game, you get NFL training camps. You're going to get a lot of World Cup, U.S. Open, agent signings, NBA draft, Laker AD trade, U.S. Open this weekend. Sports is amazing. I do think, you know, Kauai Leonard is, you know, it is an interesting situation. I do think the NBA is going to go in for a couple years here, a few years into kind

of Parodyville. And Kauai Leonard's the best player right now, and he is the R.C. Cola of sodas. Coke was the real thing. Pepsi was the choice of a generation, and R.C. Cola was on sale. I mean, he doesn't have a big personality. Nobody in the world his age says, I got to wear new ballots. I mean, he's not a fascinating guy. And also, this is one thing I think the NBA is going to have a little battle with,

and every league's got its issues. You know, NFL, CTE, college football is very southern. You know, everybody's got like their issues, right? And the NBA, Kauai Leonard's bad news for two reasons. Number one, he's the star and he doesn't talk much. Number two is he is part of the load management issue the NBA will face next year. The Warriors fell apart. Guys around the league are watching Kauai going, guy took 20 games off.

That's why he was fresh or late. So what is that going to make for the regular season? The Warriors closed out the Rockets on the road. Portland closed out Denver on the road. The Raptors closed out the Warriors on the road. The Warriors closed out all three series before the finals on the road. Does seating mean anything? Does playing mean anything?

Does the regular season mean anything? We know the NBA is not the NFL. It's not that popular. I mean, just look at how big the NFL draft is. It's like four days. And look at the NBA draft next Thursday. It's four picks. I mean, literally it'll be 25 minutes and you're out.

And the number four pick, Darius Garland, Vanderbilt. I've never seen play. I had to go to YouTube. He really talented guard, but, you know, he played five games. So I do think, Kauai offers a little bit of a challenge that there's a Mike Trout, Brooks Kepka, Daniel Day Lewis, doesn't get you to a theater, doesn't get you to a ballpark. Angels are like second to lowest road attendants. You know, you want A-Raw.

You know, I grew up with Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, you know, George Brett, personality, you know, controversial. You know, that Nolan Ryan got into a fight with Robin Ventura, a country strong. You know, that's kind of what you want. You want Andre Agassie, not Pete Sampras. You want McEnroe, not Yvonne Lendell and Sampras. You know, he's a little bit of a challenge. And the second part of Kauai is load management. He's, Harden looked tired, Steph looked tired, Clay's body fell apart,

Katie's body fell apart. You know, and all of a sudden, Kauai's like I took, you know, I took 22 games off and it worked. By the way, a buddy of mine just texted me. He brought up a good point. Here's something else I didn't include. The Zion Summer League, June, July 5th of the 15th. That'll be gigantic.

That'll be gigantic. Let's send a camera to that. Let's send a camera to that. We'll send a camera out there. I guarantee you, Zion likes me. Goulet, you do not get to go out there. You step behind that smelly board and push buttons. But, you know, we've always known that the Major League Baseball regular season,

kind of a schloid, and the NBA regular seasons, you know, you've got to play. But between the load management thing and the seating thing where these teams are all, God, this NBA finals, a home team won one game. That sends a message to players. Don't worry about seating. Just stay healthy. And I always felt that was the, it's funny, we always banged on, you know, Michael Jordan, six for six, six for six, six for six.

I'm guilty of it. Fans are guilty of it. We've put us such a priority on championships. We've marginalized anything beyond championships. Like if you don't win a championship, you're a bum. It's like, well, Carl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Dan Marino. I don't know. Jim Kelly, pretty good.

So it's going to be, does the regular season now, is it completely a dress rehearsal? load management won. It won. Seeding, irrelevant. Health, everything. Don't play that many games. And I know there's the constant, well, you know, Michael played 82 and everybody plays 82. And back in the old days, it's not the old days. People, there's comfort everywhere.

Maybe it's just our minds. But, you know, when you have the money you have now in pro sports, people don't want to retire and just be broken down messes. They don't want to do that. you're seeing more and more NFL players. You know, instead of signing that third contract, they're 30 years old and they're like, I'm out. I got $16 million in the bank. I got a home paid for.

I want to watch my kids play soccer. You know, I mean, so players, you can't blame players. They don't want to get beaten down. You know, it's like the psychology. Once you make some good money, it's hard to go backwards. Making $80,000 a year is great. But if you made $200,000, then $80 doesn't seem like anything. Once you make $200.80. I'm not going to work for $80,000.

Well, $80,000 is double the national average. Comfort. We get soft. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. This hour three is the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio. Justin Rose now, 8. under, three-shot lead on Ricky Fowler and others at 500. Tiger is 200.

That's funny when I was, Rick Buecker is going to be joining us in about 10 minutes. Buehker apparently has all sorts of good stuff on Kevin Durant. It is amazing about, you know, you would never think in the NFL, Russell Wilson, I'm out of here. Tom Brady, Drew Brees. Once you get the perfect situation and the right coach and the right money, you would never leave an NFL team. I mean, Aaron Rogers, patient in Green Bay. luck, patient, even though he was taking a beating in Indianapolis. Just think about Kevin Durant.

It'd be one thing to leave Golden State for more money. No, no, no. He'll make less money in New York. It'd be one thing to leave if you hated your owner. No, the Knicks owner's trash. It'd be one thing to lead because you're going to a better roster. Oh, it's a far worse roster. Why the hell would you leave?

Is it all ego? I can't even imagine going up to my wife and saying, hey, we're going to move cross country. Oh, more money, no way less. Better company, way worse. A better radio support group? Oh, no, awful. Why? I got to be the man. She'd say, I'd like a divorce. Grow up. Like, Kevin Durant, frankly, needs to grow up. Like, this is a horrible decision. Well, but, you know, people want to see if he can win a championship by himself. The answer is no, because nobody can. Michael Jordan was one for nine in the playoffs without Scotty Pippin. Can all you, can you idiots out there stop saying he's got to prove if he can win it by himself?

Nobody ever has. Michael Jordan couldn't before Scotty Pippen. What did LeBron do? LeBron won in Miami with stars. Then LeBron won with Kyrie Irving, a great closer in Kevin Love. You know what I mean? It's like, who's winning them by themselves? People say, Kauai, Dirk Novetsky.

Do we think Dirk Novitsky's as good as Michael Jordan? When Dirk Novitsky won it, has it changed how we think about Dirk Novetsky? No. We don't suddenly think Dirk's better than everybody because he won by himself. It didn't change any narrative. We think Dirk's a top 25 player ever, maybe the best European. Kauai Leonard. Do you think Kaui Leonard's better than Michael Jordan?

Oh, so him winning by himself didn't change the narrative. Because you don't think he's better than MJ. And MJ didn't do anything without Scotty Pippin. So this idea that, A, Kevin Durant goes to New York, A, he has no chance to win a title. I'm not sure they can win a playoff series. And B, even if he won it, you wouldn't make him better than Michael. He's statistically not better than LeBron. I'm not sure you'd call him better than Quay Leonard.

This idea, he needs to prove he's what? Let's say he goes to New York and won, which there's no chance he can do it by himself. None. You've got to remember what Kauai Leonard had. A bunch of KG veterans who had won games in the playoffs. Sergei Botka. Mark Gassal's a multiple time all-star. Kyle Lowry, a great young player, Pascal C. Ackham. Danny Green. These guys are all finals, conference finals, veteran guys. This was not just rolling him out there with nothing. wasn't Toronto the number one or two seed in the east this year? It's a good team.

It was a really good team. Now, they didn't have a dependable number two score, and they would not have won this finals if Kevin Durant was healthy. But, you know, they won due to circumstances, obviously. Circumstances, obviously in life changed results. Car crash in front of you, it's going to take you two hours to get to work, not 40 minutes. That's the way life is. But this idea that Kevin, the idea of leaving makes.

no sense. Less money, lousy roster, worse ownership. But he'll prove, A, he won't, and B, it wouldn't prove anything. Because Kauai Leonard just won a title, quote, by himself, and you don't think he's better than Michael Jordan, who never won anything by himself. Magic needed Kareem, Byrne, Baird needed McAil, MJ needed Pippen, LeBron needed Kyrie, Wade, Bosch, or Kevin Love. it's unbelievable. Can you imagine Andrew Luck with that general manager, that offensive line, Andrew Luck today,

best offensive, young offensive line in football, and the best GM, and a very good coach, and nothing but young talent. Can you imagine him waking up? You know, I just want to go play for Cincinnati. Oh, better owner, no. Roster, no, coach, no, why?

I want to be the man. You'd be like, are you on meth? What? What? What? Go to your wife today and just go to your wife or go to your boyfriend or husband or whatever and say, I want to move cross country, less money, lousy operation, and you'll work with worst people and see what the reaction is.

And say, I just want to be the man. Your wife's going to punch you in the forehead. What are you talking about? Family, kids. God, it's like my whole life, my whole career. I've been very lucky. I worked at good companies. But the idea, I finally land at Fox, where I've got a company that's just, we do live

sports, live news, and live politics. No goofy movie stars. We don't have any, you know, it's just we do sports and we do politics and we do news. That's my background. That's what I like. And then I got great management and a friendly management. and I inherit this great staff and I get to live in the city I want to live in and saying I'm going to move to Sheboygan

because I want to show in Sheboygan, I am... What? Excuse me. I beg your jargon. What? What are you doing, Kevin? Let's just let's just let's put this out in the yellow sheet of paper. Less money, lousy roster, worse owner.

Well, it's New York City. Oh, can we stop? Yeah, like San Francisco, Silicon Valley is the new Wall Street. What are you talking about? Silicon Valley can buy and sell Wall Street. It's the new Wall Street. It dominates the media. You can make more money faster.

They're cutting bonuses. They're cutting bonuses in Wall Street. They're tripling bonuses in Silicon Valley. The future going forward is not paper money. It's digital. It's Apple, Google, Facebook, whatever, Oracle. I just look at it and I think to myself, Kevin, shake yourself. And by the way, now you've got an injury.

Take the max at Golden State. Come on. I'd be his agent. I'd be like, listen, we got to meet. And I would literally send him down and go, we're going to meet. And I'm going to allow you to fire me. But I get eight minutes with you. And I'd grab a yellow sheet and go, money less, roster awful, owner goofy,

teammates, Kevin Knox. And I'd say, fire me. I can't let you go. I can't. Boy, by the way, let me circle this in a big red marker. Injury. So you're not going to play next year. And when you come back, we'll demand 80 games with kids.

No help on the other end. Yikes. This sounds like a terrible move. It's just, wah, ye, wah. I don't get it. I just, I don't get it. And it's so funny to me. He just wants to prove what?

He can win it by himself? Nobody can. And who's he proving it to? Bloggers? Brian Winhorst. Who's he proving it to? Who gives a rip? I mean, seriously.

I just don't, I can't fathom any of this. It makes no sense to me. Your whole world, you want to get paid more, be surrounded by a really great support system, and have an awesome boss. check check that's what that's what it's all about like we're all I finally got it in my 50s like the bosses like my supporting cast the money I need the city I want now once you get that you're trying to get happier than happy what are you doing I don't get it at all I just

but you know I'm I'm sure I'll be wrong because everybody telling me Rick Bueger's next Everybody tell them he's done. And it's just like, it's almost like the injury. I'm not religious, agnostic, but it's almost like the injury was God saying, yeah, I'm going to give you one more hint you shouldn't go. Calf strain. He wasn't even around anybody. It wasn't like it was an injury.

You ran, got a surge of vodka elbowed you in the retina. It was literally your by yourself, God tweaked it and went, boink. Ow! And then you were still thinking, I'm going to come back, go to New York, and then he got out there again, Achilles. Twink, ow! I'm going to sit you out for a year, let you think about it one more year. Like now, somebody upstairs is like, listen, I'm giving you hints. I don't know what else I can do.

A hundred-year flood. What do you want me to do here? I can stop flight travel for a year so you can't get on a plane and go to New York. What do you want me to do? but it's just like Kevin write this stuff down it's just oh my god maybe i'm wrong i mean maybe it's one of the things i'm looking through the wrong end of the telescope here and i just can't it's not wouldn't be the first time where i'm just missing everything but god your whole life as a man i'll speak for men you want career success you want to live in a cool city you want to be surrounded by good people you want to have an

awesome boss isn't that what we're all trying to get happy? He sure looks happy every time he holds up that MVP finals trophy. He looks really happy. He's not going to be that happy losing to Milwaukee in the first round. That doesn't feel happy to me. Rick Buecker, good stuff next. Summer is here. You know what that means? Barbecue season. If you're like me, you'll be serving friends and family, the grill, the incredible meat from butcher box. Organic chicken, grass-fed beef, wild-cott, sock-eye salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska, 20 different cuts of meat. customizable boxes. They work with the best farms closely.

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You're not going to get a piece of salmon, heritage breed pork. You're not getting that for under six bucks at a restaurant. Salmon's 24, 28 bucks everywhere. And now butcherbox.com slash herd. If you sign up, you get 20 bucks off your first bucks and free bacon for the life of your subscription.

Butcherbox.com slash H-E-R-D. Tiger Woods is putting for birdie minus two, 20-footer passes right. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-HuH Hard Radio app. I'm just reading this where Drake is buying a new plane calling it Air Drake.

It's a massive 767. Could cost more than $187 million. Love Drake and everything, but that's not a great, yeah. Just go lease a private. That seems like a little bit of a, do you know how much money you'd have to pay, just not for the plane, but just to have three crew. You'd have like 12-person crew on short notice. Private jets. are really a rip-off unless you have like sick money. By the way, I have, you know, I've known people that use them. I've had been on one before, but it's, you're buying one, unless you have a big company and they're paying the bill, buying a private jet.

Tell me where they're great money unless you're Warren Buffett. Just lease one. You can buy them for a trip, but buying a plane. Is Bukes there? Buker, Senior Writer, Bleacher Report covering this league since the early 90s, not just the Warriors, but all over the NBA. Bukes, I'm told you have some intel on KD. Yeah, what I'm being told is that he's out of the hospital. He's moved into a hotel for the time being in the New York area, and he and Tyree have met.

I don't know whether Kyrie went to see him at the hospital or at the hotel, but they've met, and they've continued. their discussion about potentially playing together next season. So take that as you will. And my understanding is that Katie is not – he's moved all his stuff. He's planning on spending the summer and the foreseeable future in New York. He's not going back out to the West Coast. So take that for what you will. But every indication, if we're Tilly reading at this point,

is that Katie's making plans to be. elsewhere because obviously Kyrie is not going to be joining the Warriors anytime soon. Well, the only movement I'm sure of or feel very good about is Kyrie to the Brooklyn Nets. Does that mean KD would go to the Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie?

Well, yeah, I mean, so this is the conundrum for me and I've had people tell me that KD's not sold on going to Brooklyn more than playing for the Knicks. Kyrie wants their partnership to continue with the Nets.

If I'm reading things correctly, KD. would like to see that happen with the Nix, and that's the rub. Do they ultimately stay with their plan to play together, or their desire to be in two different places, does that end up sending them two different places? And they're both in New York. They're just not on the same team. I don't know the answer to that, and I'm not sure that they, or at least KD knows the answer to that at this point. Were Katie and Karee close for years, or is this a newly formed relationship? No, my understanding is they've been close for years,

and they've been talking about something like this for years going back to the National Team Days, that that's where they forged their friendship. They were always hanging out together, always playing one-on-one, and that was the birth of their wanting to play together. So it has been going on for a couple of years, my understanding is that on some low level, the planning for this has been going on for a couple years. You know, even if you put Kyrie and Katie together,

they wouldn't have much of a bench. It's two max guys. They traded away picks in Brooklyn. I still don't think they're as good as Milwaukee. I don't know if there's good as Philadelphia. Kyrie gets hurt a lot. Katie's not playing next year. I mean, I'm not saying it's not fascinating to watch.

I'm not sure. I'm not sure Kyrie doesn't want to play defense. Kevin may never quite be as good. I think it's fascinating for the lead. Is it a great team? Like LeBron and Anthony Davis feel more solid, less prone to injury than Katie and Kyrie going forward? I would give you that as far as the nucleus, but I think the first part that you mentioned is what's key here. And it's why it depends on and why New York is not willing to give up a bunch of asset to get Anthony Davis.

because they're looking at it as Oklahoma City and any number of teams. They're looking at depth being the important element here, the versatility and the depth. And ultimately, that's what made the Golden State Warriors, certainly, they have great players up top. But it was their depth and their versatility that really distinguished them. When they lost that, they quickly became vulnerable. What put Toronto over the top was they didn't have that nucleus of superstars.

but they had eight, nine guys that could present difficulties in particular matchups. Sergei Baca, Tosco Seacum, Fred Van Vleet, Kyle Lauer. I mean, we're talking about all guys that aren't necessarily, quote, unquote, stars, but that played vital roles in the Raptors ending up winning a championship. And I dare say that with what we're seeing now, the physiological wear and tear of the game being played, as fast as it's being played, with as many possessions as it's being played,

that having depth is going to be that it's a little bit, a little bit like the Patriots in the NFL. You know, depth is what's going to be the distinguishing factor. Yeah, you need a star that can bring you home, but your ability to deal with injuries over the course of a season and still have a team at the end is, going to be the thing that is going to be the new hallmark of championship teams. And I'm not sure that we're ever, Colin, that we're ever going to be talking about a team three feeding again.

I just don't believe that at least the way presently constituted, unless they expand the rosters, are they short in the season, that we're going to be talking about a particular team making this many runs consecutively to the finals. So I'm going to put, I'm going to connect the dots. Katie's out. Clay's not there until March. Boogie doesn't have the defensive aptitude that Golden State wants. The dynasty's over. They'll be good, but the dynasty's over. We're about to find out just to how many light years Joe Lakers is ahead of the rest of the league

because they are in a bad way. They don't have flexibility to sort of rebuild on the fly. I would fully expect that Clay will re-up. but you are not going to have him for the better part of next year, presumably. And Katie leaves doesn't mean that you have the cap space to spend that money elsewhere. They're still going to be capped out. And so now you're looking at a team next year that is going to have to ride Steph and Draymond and the existing quality pieces even harder in a sixth year because you don't have the latitude,

to rely on other stars. So they are in a, they're about to pay the price in a big way for the last five years. I think so too. Let's update. We imagine the Lakers would like to get the deal done before the draft because the number four pick has more value.

When do you think that AD, because I don't buy Boston's in it. I just think that's the people leaking stuff to get leverage back from the Lakers who have all the leverage. That's what Danny Ains does. I mean, he's always, he's always poking his head in on other deals, especially if somebody says, oh, a guy doesn't want to go to Boston.

It's almost like Danny goes, watch me. Like, I'm going to get in this conversation whether you like it or not. Does he ever actually pull the trigger fewer times than not? But, yeah, that does not surprise me. I fully expect that the Lakers will get a deal done before the draft. It doesn't make sense for either side not to do that. New Orleans wants to be able to move forward, knowing what they are going to do with that number four pick.

And everything that I'm hearing right now, it's a matter of can they pry Kuzma out of, or get Kuzma added to the deal along with everything else. It's a little bit like the Carmelo thing. And I think the last piece in the equation was that Denver wanted a second first round pick or if you can't, and they didn't have one, they had to get one. They said, okay, well, if you can't do that, then give us Moskaw. And at that time, Mosgaf was a certainly more valuable piece than he is now.

But that was, I feel like it's going to come down to the same thing. It's going to be the Pelican saying, okay, if you really want to get this done, you really want to get this done before the draft, add Kuzma to the deal, and we see who blinks first. Rick Buecker, the pride of Dartmouth. I'm not so sure about that, but thank you. It is the party school of the Ivy League. You are well of...

Work hard, play hard. That was our mantra. And it took me a couple of years to get that out of my system. Work hard, play hard. Rick Buecker, great talking to you. Always, Colin. So Katie and Kyrie met in New York. Katie has moved his stuff all out of the bay.

Katie is moving. I don't get it. I don't, but maybe if I had $300 billion in the bank, At that point, you just don't care. You're like, I'm just over this group. They have no flexibility, man. Boogie doesn't really fit. Clay's out the entire season.

Kevin Durant's leaving. Steff's good, but he gets worn down. And Draymond, you can't count on Draymond in the regular season. He's a 7-7 guy in the regular season. They feel like they're a four-seed to me. Four to five. That's what they feel like next year. It's a five-seed team.

And I'm not even sure when Clay comes back in March, How do we know? Is he going to play? Not going to be 100%. Torn Achilles? I don't know. And I also don't know if it's, it feels like it's right, but that all these games have just added up to fatigue for athletes. You know, fans will say, yeah, years ago, guys used to play real defense, but the pace of the games was significantly slower. You're burning 7, 8,000 calories a night now, getting on a plane, smoothie bed, up, hotel. like guys are struggling to keep weight on, the cardio in the league. It's a fast, fast league now. It's like the NFL, no huddles.

You've got to be in better shape. You can't have 340-pound offensive linemen. It's harder. You just fast, fast, fast, no huddles, go, go, go, defensive linemen. That's why Aaron Donald's so valuable. It's not he's the biggest. He's the most nimble big guy in the league.

Veteran Newsman John Goulet. No, no, no, no. This is the Herd Line News. So this just came out a few moments ago. Connor Laterno from the San Francisco Chronicle. He's their Warriors reporter. He said, just spoke to Clay Thompson's father, Michael, who said there is no question Clay will resign with the Warriors

when they give him a max deal. Not huge news, not that we didn't expect that, but fairly official from Clay's dad. Clay and stuff will the Jerry Westgale-Goodrich back court of this generation going forward, that's the warrior. He's so much safer than a lot of players because they're shooters. Clay will be able to shoot threes until he's 50.

So you know you'll at least get some value out of them. I have some new 2020 NBA title odds from Caesars. They have changed dramatically since we talked about this this morning in our prep meeting. Do you want to take a guess as to who the favorite is? Well,

now that Clay's out, it's probably the Lakers. It is the Lakers. Plus 400. That is number one. The Bucks are plus 600. Get this. The clippers are also plus 600.

So that tells you they are fully expecting Kauai to become a clipper, although the raptors are plus 800. So it feels like they're hedging just in case because Kauai has the personality of cardboard and you can't get a read on him. The Warriors have dropped to plus 1,000, which is tied with the rockets for fifth. I'm not sure what changed in the last few hours. We knew they were injured. Maybe people just thought about it a little more and realized like, oh, that's right. Clay has a torn ACL and it's not going to come back all that quickly. But big changes.

Big. Anyone you'd like, you won some money last night. A thousand dollars, not some money. You took the Raptors money line, which I know at one point you had to be sweating a little bit. I was until, when Clay got hurt, I thought, you know. The Warriors gave you a great effort I mean the whole night was crazy But think about it this way

If that three from Steph goes in Yeah You would have if you had not taken a money line Had you taken the Raptors getting the points You still would have covered But instead this morning I am walking on hundies Yes

So I A few weeks ago You were very critical of Baker Mayfield Yes Went after Duke Johnson a little bit Because he wanted a tray That's the Browns Kind of second or third running back

your point was that it doesn't play well in the locker room and you were right according to Mike Silver of Enneville Network several Brown's veterans approached Baker expressing their displeasure with what he said I guess not a big deal they've hashed out their differences It's not a deal breaker it's just As I predicted I said

This is not going to play well This is not going to play well in the locker room and it didn't He's an outspoken player and he's their team leader However he's also in his second year in the NFL, he's a kid. So you're going to run into problems where he's acting like a 23-year-old. But that's... You know, in the mob, there's a rule.

Don't play with drugs. That used to be the rule, right? Don't mess with drugs. And in the Godfather, that was his thing. And in foot sports, there's also a rule. Don't talk about another guy's money. You just don't do it. You got to know that, Baker.

Sam Darnold's never going to talk about anybody's money on his team. You just don't do that. Also, remember, Duke Johnson's still on the team. So they still have, you know, they're in the backfield. together, you know, you don't make that comment when he's still a teammate because for all you know, the Browns may never get rid of him. You may play together for a couple years.

Brown fans are bizarre. Like, it's, they have such low self-esteem because they've been beaten up for years that they just, they're delusional. They really think a team that was one, six and one because they added OBJ and Olivier Vernon, who was. Against playoff teams there are once a year. Yeah, by the way,

Olivier Vernon and OBJ, the Giants were five and 11 with those guys. You added those two to your roster and you're just going to be, nobody'll beat you. Are you crazy? Olivier Vernon and OBJ didn't win games in New York. They didn't win on the same team. It had no impact. You think they're going to add to this team, one, six and one. By the way, Ravens are better. Steelers have less drama.

They'll be better. Chiefs, Colts, Patriots, Texans, I mean, the AFC Chargers, it's loaded. And finally, the next quarterback that could be going to give a big contract extension, depending on when Dax signs his, is Jared Gough. Remember, he's from the same draft as when, so the Rams could extend him now or they could wait until next year. Their head coach, Sean McVeigh, though, made it pretty clear to Mike Silver of NFL Network. It's getting done, he said, quote, whether it ends up happening this year or next year, there is a zero percent chance this guy's not going to get an extension he's worthy of. Golf's very good, but we've all acknowledged McVeigh kind of made him.

You know, he wasn't good before McVeigh got there. Could an argument be made if you're the Rams? why pay the quarterback huge money if McVeigh can turn people an entire level up? I'm not saying golf isn't good. I think golf is good, but I think you would agree, and you're a fan of golf, there's a ceiling on how good he can be, correct? I don't know. I think Goff's pretty good.

I think he's somewhere between Brady and Matt Ryan. I think he's pretty – and Matt Ryan, by the way, I think he's good. I think he's a better armed talent than Matt Ryan. And Matt Ryan's top 10 quarterback in the league. I think – I'm kind of high on – It's the same thing with Deshawn Watson. We're like, well, Deshawn Watson, when Deshawn Watson with that offensive line is productive, what happens when he gets a good offensive line?

Just give Goff and Watson. Just give him some time. They're kids. I think Goff is very good, and he has a lot of weapons around him. The problem is, is he that quarterback that can win? Because when you pay him, you have to give up the weapons around him. Yeah, no, I think Jared Goff is a better version. He's a better armed talent than Matt Ryan.

And that's a really top 10. I think he has top 10 armed talent in the league. I really do. I don't think he's my home's armed talent. But I think he's, I think he's really good. Veteran newsman, John Goulet. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd lie news. Ian Poulter is wearing a lot of lavender and pink at the U.S. Open today. Very stylish. That was a bad shot. Took his wedge. right next to the green and hit it afoot. Not great. All right.

Love watching the U.S. Open, especially when it's at Pebble Beach. I'm going home today and watching some of that. I've been saying this all week. I am in the premier radio studio. Home of Casey Kasem, who we honored yesterday. And Rush Limbaugh, Romy did his show here, Seacrest. It's a radio studio.

I do the show usually in a television studio in, you know, near Beverly Hills, Pico and Motor, West L.A. Today, the last couple days, the next week a couple days, or excuse me, a week after that couple days, I'm doing a radio show. And I thought in honor of how I got into this business, not a TV guy, I got in as a radio guy, I will, I don't take calls because when you're doing a TV show, you know, PTI is not taking calls, Hannity's not taking calls, Rachel Maddo's not taking calls. It's a TV show on radio. But today I'm just the radio show on radio.

So I don't normally take calls, but I'll take a few of them to round out our week. That's coming up on a Friday. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I've been saying this all week. I'm a radio guy at heart, kid, my small town, Washington State, sat in the roof of our Frank Lloyd Wright House, AM transistor radio, heard Vince Sculling when I was seven years old, and then listening to Larry King. So I was always a radio guy, and it just so happened in my radio business. I went syndicated, and then syndicated became simulcast. And so now I do a TV show and a radio show simultaneously, but because it's simulcast on TV, I don't take calls.

but last couple of days I've been here. I'm taking next week off. Following week I'll be in the studio for a couple of days, and it's a pretty amazing place. I'm a radio nerd. I've read every book on radio and Casey Kasem did his shows here. We honored him yesterday. Rush Limbaugh did shows here.

Romy did shows here. And I thought I don't take calls anymore in honor of kind of the radio station I'm at, the headquarters of Premier Radio Networks here in Los Angeles, you can make an argument this is the studio of note for the radio company of Note in America. And I was not just a radio fan, I was an AM radio junkie. A lot of people were listening to music.

I was listening to AM and some Casey Kasem. So I thought my last segment today, this week before I go on vacation, I take some calls just to sort of kind of give my respect to radio. And, you know, just feel like, a radio guy once again. So let's go to Jim in Orange County, California down the road and hour from here. Jim, go ahead. Hey, Colin. It's the fast smack, the pin me in the box, ready to go. How great is this? The herd in the jungle where everything in radio originally

started. How is that? Without me, radio doesn't exist. Think about that for a second. Now, I know you're doing a big show on a Friday. You are packed, but that's just about every show for you. It's incredible. I know you talk 28% about the NBA. That's a great number. 62% about the NFL. But college football is regional. Dude knows exactly how to go by the numbers.

Great job. You know, you're branding. Colin, I wasn't done. That was just a pause. You might be one of these guys who tries to fill the air time and talk. incessantly, but I'm the type of person who need some time to turn the page to get to my next note. Come on.

Stop it. Huge. Huge facts showing this bit is fairly old. Okay. Maybe it's an email that I printed out. Hold on a second. Dear Colin, I don't know how I get your emails, by the way. Dear Colin, what is up?

with using callers to carry your show. Come on! That is not cool. You should not stoop to that level. Coward, I'd make fun of your name, but it's already there. All right, let's go to our next call. John in Oakland, California. What up, John?

I'll tell you what, man. I've been listening to the show a little bit. You think I'm a TV personality. Well, I'll tell you what, man. I love television. I love football. and I love what's going on. It's hard knocks, man.

We got Vontes Perfect. We got Richie Incognito. We got more dangerous guys than they do on Oz, man. I'll tell you what. A, B, D.C. You know why we skip to see Derek Carter, Antonio Brown? Because we're an A-level organization, man. That's what it's all about.

You're going to see it happen. Hard knocks behind the scene. It's going to be even better than you imagine, man. You know, the thing is, John, I do. I thought you were a great TV personality, but you took 10 years off. You seem a little disorganized. Tell you what, man. What I like to do is set the table.

I'm kind of like a ninja. You don't know what's happening all of a sudden, bang, I'm right in there and we're going to be scaring the league. We're going to be running Spider 2, Y, Banana, Spider 3, Y, Banana, Spider-4-Wy-Banah. We're going to do a four-quarterback, five full-back set. You're not going to see the likes of anything like this before. We're changing the offense in the NFL, man. And then we're going to trade everybody.

We're going to trade everybody. Then we're going to trade back for other guys. And then we're going to spend more money, man. I've been listening to the show. I know exactly what you're talking about. John in Oakland, I do appreciate that. One more call. Let's a couple more.

Charles in Atlanta. Charles, go ahead. Listen, I don't know what's going on right now, but I've been listening to the last couple of callers, and these guys are crazy. What's even crazier is that the NBA is now Canada's game. That's ridiculous. when you think about everything that's going on.

Kyle Lowry became a superstar. You're looking for guys to step it up, and that's exactly what happened. And now the biggest star in the NBA is basically a mom. That's crazy. When your biggest pitch man is a guy who doesn't talk and has a funny laugh, that's going to be very scary for the league.

Might as well go back to silent movies, because this is going to be very, very, very, very, interested and it's going to be changing the league to be quiet and carry a big stick. That's what I think is the NBA is going to be very, very special as you here. Charles, you are, you sound so familiar. You know, what are you doing, Atlanta? What do I do? Anything I want.

I own this city. All right. Well, that's, let's go to one more call. Let's go to Frank in Los Angeles. Frank, what's up? Hey, Cohn, been listening to the show. I think everybody's kind of figured it out by now. We've had to run through the classic.

Oh, Frank Calliando. Yeah. Oh, hello. Hello. How are you? I almost started the Jim Rome segment. Or if it were, if it had been me, if it had been me doing it. I almost would have started with the, oh, this is the hurt.

By the way, you're going to get me in trouble because. I don't know, Jim, and I've met him twice. He's been very gracious. He's been very kind, and he really opened the door for a lot of schmucks like me. So if Romy hears this and is pissed, I'm going to throw it all at you, Caliando. You know, I blame it 100% on me. I have no problem with it. I actually think he's one of the greatest and most fun.

I used to travel around the country, and he was at the time, one of the guys who was on every radio. Yeah. Like you were talking about AM. And he was one of those guys that, for me, me was on every station around the country, even in the smaller market. But, yeah, that's what I do. I make fun and be silly with people, and then people call me short, so it's all good. Hey, now, by the way, pump some stuff up, because you were very gracious to take time today.

Where, give me your sets, your dates. What are you doing? Frankonstage.com, gets you all the information for shows that are coming up. This week, I'm doing a show on Father's Day in Columbus, Ohio at the Funny Bone. Monday will be Cincinnati Funny Bone Tuesday is Cleveland hilarities that's sold out already

and then Wednesday is the Toledo Funny Bone So that's this coming week Frank onstage.com for tickets And also in July The West Palm Beach Improv Oh yeah

Around middle of the middle there That's one of the best clubs In the country All these are really nice I only play the best I almost went Trump on you I only played the best clubs Colin

They're tremendous clubs And have the tremendous performance And dude did not get political with that. So don't get worried audience. Colin does not talk politics. He talks about sports because that's what you're looking for. Pay attention.

Frank Caliando. Let's hear it for Frank Calliando. Thank you, Frank. We love you. Appreciate it, man. All right. Very, very funny. We do love.

Gruden, who I know, Barclay, I don't know Jim well, but all out of respect and love and admiration. and even my bad Casey Kasem impersonation yesterday. It's been a really fun week. And, you know, I always feel about impersonations. It's actually the greatest, I impersonate Keith Jackson and Vin Scully because I listened to them and they were so unique that you, they can't, you can, I can hear Vin Scully in my sleep. So always done out of admiration, love, and respect. And we hope you have a great weekend.

It is, let me give you a little update on this. Justin Rose eight under is three ahead. Ricky Fowler, Aaron Wise, Xander, Sheffel, I don't know much about him. What was his name? Zander Shoffley. I don't know much about him. All right.

I'm going to watch a lot of U.S. Open this weekend. It's just a great golf tournament. I'm telling you, man, it's art. It's a beautiful course. Absolutely beautiful course. and U.S. opens are just enough trouble that you can really blow a lead. You can have a three-stroke lead and you end up in that hay. And if you don't have a goat to clear it out for you, you're done.

You can get in all sorts of trouble at the U.S. Open. All right, next week I'm taking off. Gottlieb's in for me. Lakers will trade for Anthony Davis. That'll happen during the course of the week. So Doug Gottlieb's in for me. I'm going to take my summer a week. off with my son and some friends and go whitewater raft and intertube and do fun stuff.

This is the hurt. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

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on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. 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 lineback coach is.

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Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game. the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season.

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