The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR 1-Damian Lillard, Chiefs, Tom Brady

Episode Date: August 14, 2020

Colin talks about people not understanding how special Damian Lillard is, the Chiefs spending their money wisely, and Joe Montana's comments on why Tom Brady left the Patriots.Guest: Ric Bucher Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, live in Los Angeles. It is a glorious Friday with actual sports. This is The Hurd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio, and right here on FS1.

I will be on Bill Mars show tonight, HBO. Joy Taylor is joining me. How are you, Joy? I'm great. Spide. sports. So nice. Life feels a little bit normal. Kind of. Kind of. A little bit normal. That's all I asked for in life.

My life's a little bit normal. It's great to have you in. You ever have a wedding and you invite people, but there's like one person or one couple, you're like, no, no, I just kind of keep them off. You ever go with the boys to Vegas for a weekend or Miami? And you invite like four people, but there's that one guy like, You know, I mean, he makes a good living. He's funny. You don't invite him.

You're having a party. You and your girlfriend, you and your boyfriend, whatever, having a party, and you're setting people up. And, you know, you invite your friends. But there's this one couple. It's just not, let's not invite him to the party. They're agitators, not lubricators. They could be attractive. They could have good jobs.

Something about them. rubs you, rubs other people. I mean, they're with you all the time, but you just don't think they work quite at the wedding in the Vegas weekend at the party. That's often that's often the interesting

couple. Kyrie Irving's an interesting player, but when I watched Portland last night beat Brooklyn, forget about Portland for a second. The Brooklyn Nets have now shown you three different times, even though they lost. How was it that close? How was it that close?

Seven of the top eight players were for Portland, including the MVP of the bubble. Three different times, Brooklyn, has won without Kyrie. They made the playoffs before he got there. Then pre-bubble, he got there. The record was better when he didn't play. And in the bubble, they were five and three. How?

How are they five and three? How did they beat the Bucks? How did they beat the Clippers? How did they? They could have beat in Portland last night. Because there is a massive difference between a friend and a friend you can invite to big parties. There's a big difference between a great basketball talent,

Damien and Kyrie are both at, and a winning basketball player who lubricates, not agitates the room. Dame Lillard this year, six-game stretch, had to sit. They went two and four. He missed eight games this year for Portland. They went two and six. Damian Lillard, Steph Curry,

Chris Paul now in Oklahoma City are not just great. they are winning basketball talent, not just great basketball talent. This is what I've said about Kyrie and Westbrook. This is what I've said about. Houston's winning percentage went down this year with Westbrook. Oklahoma City, last year with Westbrook, was a sixth seed. This year without him, they're a four seed.

It's not a talent thing. It's just like you can have friends. But the friend, you're a little gun-shy inviting to Vegas. or the party with you and your girlfriend or the wedding, it doesn't mean you don't like them. It doesn't mean they're bad people, but they're agitators, not lubricators. And when you watch Damien Lillard last night,

everybody can get involved as he's scoring 30, 40, 50, others can get involved. This is the difference, and it drives me crazy. When the basketball media fawns over Kyrie and Westbrook and gives them significantly more love than a guy like Dame Lillard. Not all basketball talents equal. I've said this before. We watched the documentary on Michael Jordan.

He can wear guys out. He's the greatest basketball player of all time. But Magic Johnson and LeBron James, real lubricators of a basketball team. They kind of elevate everybody they play with. Michael didn't elevate everybody he played with. He's just the best basketball player of all time, probably, right? So last night was not just about Damien Lillard in Portland getting to the playoffs, which we thought they would do. But did you notice how hard it was?

Because passing matters and spacing matters and chemistry matters, it was the third time I've watched Brooklyn. I mean, Boston got better when Kyrie left. They got better. Boston was better before he got there. Duke was a number one seed, Kyrie's final year in college, when he played eight games. And they were good the next year when he left. Cleveland got to a finals again when Kyrie left. Nobody's saying he can't make a shot.

He's a great shot maker. But we spend so much time fawning over the wrong players. Basketball is about winning games. It's not just about style, though style matters. It's just not about culture, though culture matters in basketball. It's about winning. And when you got this guy over my shoulder, who you're looking at, Damien Lillard, he should be getting far more press.

so should Chris Paul than Westbrook and Kyrie. Because they're all great, but two of them are lubricators. Two others are talented but often agitators. And it does matter who you invite to the wedding. There are friends you won't invite to the wedding. There are friends. There are girl weekends and there'll be a girl you won't take to Miami or Vegas. You know it.

I've talked to girls. Come on, Joey. There is that girl. Absolutely. Everybody's got a guy. I've gone. I went on a whitewater ratchewater. trip 10 years ago. All decent people married successful. One guy shouldn't have been invited.

Well, I mean, because everybody doesn't work in every situation. That's right. Whereas Damien does, Steph does, Chris Paul won in Clippers. They're lubricators. Some people are great. They just need their situation to thrive. That's right. So this is funny. You know, Joy and I have often laughed about the math of the NFL. The math is funny in the NFL. So the Chiefs Pay, Travis Kelsey, 57 million. So, this is funny. So the Chiefs are not going to be, they're going to pay Patrick Mahomes, $500 million, Chris Jones, $85 million, Travis Kelsey $75 million, Honey Badger last year got $42 million,

Tyreek Hill 54, and the Jets can't afford Jamal Adams. What? And who do the Patriots play? It's unbelievable. What bank are the Chiefs using? But I will say this. I've got a couple of rules in the NFL. Only pay, only pay,

great players, great money, and where do they play? The Chiefs are doing it right. They're paying their quarterback and the two players that elevate him, a star receiver and a star tied end. And then they pay a defensive tackle. Check. San Francisco. They pay Garoppolo and they pay the guy that helps him.

Trent Williams, a left tackle and George Kittle the tight end. Then they pay a couple of defensive tackles. Philadelphia does this. They pay Carson Wentz. and then they've generally paid a lot of money. They just off-season paid for a couple of offensive linemen, a couple of defensive linemen, and now a corner. So I'm not anti-pay.

I pay the big money to either the quarterback or the people who help him and then a handful of defensive stars. The Rams got in trouble because they paid a number three receiver, Brandon Brooks, Brandon Cooks, excuse me, way too much money. They paid the wrong guy. Then they paid Todd Gurley early. And this brings me to Dallas. Dallas makes the mistake.

They pay Zeke a fortune, but he's a running back. They pay Amari Cooper $100 million. He's good, but he has struggled against really good secondaries. They paid Demarchus Lawrence, huge money. He had five sacks last year. Frank Clark of the Chiefs, a great defensive tackle who's well paid, had five sacks for Kansas City in the postseason. That's the problem with Dallas. They're paying great money for the wrong position or good players.

So Kansas City, Frank Clark, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones, right position, right guys, and they're great players. Because when you look at the NFL, it is funny sometimes. You look at San Francisco and you look at Kansas City and you look at Philadelphia. They're paying everybody. The Jets problem was they pay a running back of fortune. C.J. Mosley struggles to get healthy. They pay him a fortune, and they were about to pay a safety of fortune. This is why I defended the New York Jets moving Jamal Adams.

If somebody's going to pay me twice for my house, even if I love my house, I'm going to let it go. The Jets made the right move. You can't pay a running back, an often injured middle linebacker, and a safety of fortune. That's the wrong people to pay. So big money can be handed out in smart organizations. Pay it in frequently and who are you paying? And I think the chiefs are getting it right. All right.

So, you know, I talk from time to time about like I was divorced, you know, and stuff. And I always think who you remarry tells me what matters to you. and Joe Montana spilled the beans on why Tom Brady left New England. I don't think Brady knows why he left or he does, but he's not willing to admit it. Because I think Tom Brady has told us the two reasons why he left. And Joe Montana yesterday kind of spilled the beans on what Brady told him. I want to discuss that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd

weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. We pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

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

and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, 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, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So whenever you leave a job or you get divorced and remarry, the choices you make after that determine what matters to you. If you get divorced man or woman and you marry somebody with money, that matter to you. You marry somebody that's rich. Money matters to you. If you remarry somebody that's kind of safe and boring,

stability matters to you. If you marry somebody that's hot or handsome, image matters to you. That's okay. I'm not judging here. You will find out when I left ESPN and came here, you know, I've thought a lot about this. You know, I left?

I was bored and I wanted more control of my career. They were less, they were more restrictive, and Connecticut bored the hell out of me. That's why I moved to Los Angeles. I was bored. You know, my wife's an artist. L.A. is more fun than Bristol. We were bored.

Out of our minds. Same three restaurants over and over. Same town, same street. We were bored. And that's why. So Tom Brady has never really talked about exactly why he left Tampa. But he talked to Joe Montana during the Super Bowl. And Montana yesterday talked about the discussion he had at the Super Bowl with Tom Brady.

And he spilled the beans on why he left. Here it is. I think that was one of his piece up there. he told me that, you know, they ask my advice, I tell him, and then they don't do anything. So I think he would like a little bit of input, and I think they'll probably let him have that, especially with the success he's had. So think about that. He's telling you the coaches warm out.

Two things matter to Brady. Okay, Tampa's a losing franchise. That didn't matter. It's a tougher division, better quarterbacks. That didn't matter. There's better coaches he'll go up against. That didn't matter. He's not a fear-based guy.

Two things matter. Joe Montana just said one. The coaches wore him out. He wanted a more fun coach. Remember when Giselle said that? Tom just wants to be respected. He told Joe Montana the same thing. He wanted to be respected. Yes, for my advice, take it. So that's Belichick and Josh McDaniels.

That's the big one. The second one is, we also saw Tom last year during games twice, yell at wide receivers. Get open. That's the second one. I'm tired of working with average co-workers. We have it now. We have it on tape.

We have it from Montana. We have it from Giselle. We have it on the sidelines on a hot mic. He's told us the two reasons he left. Coaches weren't any fun in New England. It wasn't fun. He chose Bruce Ariens. Bruce Ariens doesn't have as many Super Bowls as Belichick.

Tampa Bay doesn't win as much as New England. The division's much tougher. He wanted more fun from the coaches, more input, more fun. And he was tired of carrying average co-workers. We've got all the proof now. Those are the reasons they're not because what the decisions you make post relationship, tell me what you care about. And now we know, Joy with the News.

No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the sons beat the Mavs last night, 128102 to finish 8 and O in the bubble. Great story. Great story. It didn't end up making it into the playing game, but before they were officially eliminated, head coach Monty Williams told his team just how proud he was with their performance in Orlando.

This was therapeutic for me to be around the group like this. I got to tell you guys, man, I love you. I do. You've been through a lot. You've been through a lot. And it's hard to play the way you play every single night and not get the respect that you deserve. Guess what? You got it. You gain the respect of the league, okay? Now we got to build on it.

We got to get to the point where we control them. I'm saying that? You guys understand that. You want to be the kind of team that controls your own destiny. Okay? That's our next step. All right. Love you guys.

Bring it in. Eight and O in the bubble, though. I know. Eight and O in the bubble. It's a great story. It really is. And I know people were upset yesterday because obviously the net's lost

and that eliminated the sons from the playing game. But what Monty said is right. Like you want to be in a situation where you control your own destiny, destiny and you're not relying on someone else to lose in order to get in and that's a reflection of what you did during the regular season before play stopped so yes like it was an incredible story but that's that's the reason why if they were if they were better before the play had stopped for quarantine then they wouldn't be in the situation but it just for me I like seeing

actual growth with teams especially an organization like the sons who as we know tanked which I can't stand. And they were finally able to get some sort of traction. And like he said, gains the respect of the league. Booker is a star. If he was in a situation where he was able to be playing in June, he would be a superstar because we've seen what he's been able to do in the bubble when all eyes are on these teams that are in the bubble.

And in a situation where they had to win. Like they did everything in the bubble they needed to do to put themselves in the position to get into the playoffs. I'm really happy for Moni Williams. It was clearly the right choice there. for the sons. And, you know, I think they're going to be one of those teams moving forward next year that we actually pay attention to and have real conversations about their growth and, you know, eventually getting into the postseason. So a nice story for the NBA. So Ryan Fitzpatrick said he knows he's just a placeholder until Tua is ready to step in as the dolphin starter. And Tua is really feeling the support from his veteran teammate. In a press conference yesterday, Tua gave Fitz a lot of praise for helping him transition into the NFL. To me, it's kind of mind-boggling how down-to-earth he is. It's one of those things where it's this guy gets it.

I don't know what it is, but he gets it. And that saying goes true. It says, you know, if you want to get some more fast, you go alone, but if you want to do it with purpose, you bring people with you. And I think Fitz has done a tremendous job and trying to help shape and mold me. you know, and Josh as well. By the way. It's been really cool to go through that process with him.

So Patrick Mahomes similarly had a veteran quarterback who helped him. And Alex Smith, yeah. Yeah. Now, it doesn't always work that way. Joe Flacco had no interest in being replaced by Lamar Jackson, different styles, different, you know, kind of people. But Mahomes is the star of the league. He had kind of a placeholder briefly who was there for him.

This is exactly what Tua has. This is not a small thing. This is a massive asset for the Miami Dolphins. A dude. By the way, Sam Darnold, in his growth, had Josh McCown. It's very valuable that first year in the circus that is known as the Jets. So this is not a small story. And especially when it's not just like you said, like someone who's like Brad Farr or, you know,

Joe Flacco, obviously not in the same category, but somebody who's not the same style, not really interested in helping them grow. like Fitz is all in on what his his role is there with the dolphins and has clearly just wrapped his arms around to it. He wore a Fitzgersey to the press conference to had Fitzpatrick's jersey on at the press conference. God, I love this video. Here you go. Yeah, there's a shot though. He's wearing he's wearing Fitzger's jersey. I think it's I'm with you. I think it's great, especially this year, this being the situation is extremely valuable. The charges as well. Like having a veteran now obviously Tyro's a starter. But having

a veteran, when you're coming in as a rookie, when you don't have all the pressure on you, and I think people are going to be much more flexible now that there's no preseason and you're dealing with COVID and, you know, lack of camps and all that, everyone's going to be more reluctant to push Tua out there right away to see him. Like, this could

be something that Joe Burrell really could have used. Now, obviously number one overall pick, I think you should be starting right away, but there is tremendous value to it. We've seen the success of it. Tua also talked about how his hip will feel and he said you never know until it actually happens. You got to get out and do it to know whether it hurts, but everything is going well.

So basically he's saying he's not going to know how he feels until he gets hit. Finally, Tom Brady will get to go against the buck's defense for the first time in practice today. If you can get us practice footage, Colin would greatly appreciate that. Yeah. And even though there's been less time to get up to speed, Ariens says Brady is the least of his worries right now. And the ramped up practices will just get them a better sense of where he is with the offense.

Ariens is more concerned about getting live reps and blocking and tackling for the rest of the team. And he thinks the biggest disadvantage so far has been not practicing in pads and not practicing at full speed. Practices in pads can begin on Monday. So up until this point, they've really only been doing walkthroughs and non-contact practices, which if you watch hard knocks, you know, similar to that. NFL media. Let's not freak out. Okay. It's okay if players do get some COVID positive tests here.

We're not going to shut down the season. Remember baseball? Marlins got it. Next question by everybody. Shut down the season. Strong leaders have to work through crises. Dana White. Roger Goodell. That's what strong leadership does.

The situation three or four years ago with Kaepernick. You don't surrender. You work your way through it. We're going to have a lot of positive COVID tests in football. We're not canceling. the season. I honestly, at this point, if you jump to that conclusion, I just think, I don't really know what to tell you. You have an agenda. There's literally nothing more that the NFL could possibly do other than not have a season than what they're doing. I know everyone is like down on hard knocks or

whatever and like, I'm a behind the scenes nerd. So I like to see how things work. Yeah. Which is why I like that episode because I wanted to see what actual protocols, like, what does it actually look like to get this sport back up and running? They test. every day, every day, even on their off day. Whitworth told us yesterday he has to go in on his off day just to get tested. You can't control a situation more than that. Testing every single day. Look at the bubble.

The players are going to be significantly less likely to get it COVID in football facilities. If they get it, by the way, Andrew Whitworth's family got it at home. Yes. So when NFL players get this, it's not a facility issue. And it doesn't necessarily mean that they're being wrecked. either. Yeah, the Marlins didn't get it hanging

with the fellas. They got it hanging with ladies with other people outside. Even if we do have positive tests, it doesn't necessarily mean that that's what's

happening. Like, they could have just gone to the wrong grocery store and bumped into the wrong person. Like, everyone just, they're doing every, absolutely every possible

thing they can to keep them safe. It's, it's, they're tested, they test every single day. Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news.

Rick Bueker, Fox Sports NBA analyst brought to you by Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing. So, Bukes, this is funny before we get to the game last night. So I'm looking at the NBA playoffs first round schedule. I've got it right here. I've got game times. They've given game times for first four games for all the series. This jumps out to me.

Milwaukee's a number one seed MVP of the league, Yannis. Three of the four games are at one in the afternoon. the worst time slot. You know, people keep saying, Janus is going to be the face of the league. The league is telling me, he's not close. They're putting him three of the four games

that have been announced. I mean, LeBron, when Cleveland was the number one seat, he was prime time. You put LeBron prime time. We know the series is not going to be great, obviously. Either was a LeBron series in the first round. What does this tell you about Janus going forward in the face of the league talk?

Well, he can be the greatest player or the best player in the league. And he hasn't demonstrated that without question and put the MVP aside. But you have to, one, you have to want to be the face of the league. And you have to be in the right market. You have to have success. I mean, not just the best record during the regular season. But you have to be bigger than that. Let's not forget.

Like, LeBron James is now the face of the league or has been for the last few years. He had to win a championship in order to do it. He wasn't necessarily at the very beginning in Cleveland. He was a very dynamic figure. He was a very controversial figure. He clearly wanted to be out there. But I'll put this to you, Colin. Like, what do you know about Janus?

Other than he's from Greece and he's in Milwaukee and he's been the MVP. like what do you know about him from a personal standpoint? He's not particularly active on social media. And I hate to say it, but that is now part of the formula. If you want to be the face of the league, you have to expand and be present and visible when it comes to social media and everything else. No, I mean, listen, Zion's got a better shoe deal than Janus.

And Janus has been in the league seven years. and Zion's played 24 games, but Zion's embracing it. He goes to a big program like Duke. It is one of these things where, so my point on Janus, that's why I think Milwaukee is the most important team in the bubble by far. Because if Janice doesn't win a championship, okay? And this is an organization that's not going to get a ton of free agents to Milwaukee, and he needs a Lakers or Celtics brand.

he does need their brand. Like Anthony Davis, by the way, has no personality. He needs LeBron and the Lakers brand to elevate him, elevate his shoe deal. And by the way, this stuff matters. Kobe made almost twice as much as Tim Duncan, even though they both have five championships

because Kobe made so much money in marketing, shoe deals. So to me, I'll just say this. I think the whole bubble, the future of the league could be Milwaukee. If they can't get to the finals or go and get hammered in the finals, I think Janus,

I think he has to consider leaving, right? Look, from a business standpoint, you are right. But you have to take into account what I said at the beginning, which is, is that what Janus really wants? Does Janus want to be the face of the league? Is he worried about the business aspect of things? And I just, everything that I know about him and have heard about him from people that have coached him and played with him,

He's not that. He's loyal to a fault. And he would never force the hand of the Milwaukee Bucks to send him someplace that he doesn't want to go. And let's be realistic. If we look at teams that he could compete for a championship with, especially as the result of this pandemic, they're financially not going to be able to go out and get him just as a free agent. So it would have to be as a sign and trade. And I was told by one of his former teammates, Janus does not have the personality where he would force a sign and trade in a million years. That's simply not how he's built. So honestly, the league, if you're counting on Janus to be somewhere where he can be the face of the league moving forward, you're going to have to go back to the drawing board. It's going to have to be somebody else. And that, honestly, is where the league is right now, because it's not only Janus, but you look at the clippers, who I have winning this whole thing. Kauai Leonard is the face of that team by default in some ways.

He's a sphinx. I mean, you couldn't ask for a guy who tells you less. And while is a dominant player, I don't know that you can build the face of the league around a Kauai Leonard either. And he's in a major market. Yeah, it's really fascinating right now. We don't have the heir apparent to LeBron James. Hardin's game is aggravating.

Janice isn't it? Anthony Davis. I mean, these guys don't. Ben Simmons doesn't talk a lot. It looks like it's Zion to me, so you just cross your fingers that he stays healthy. Because I think he'd be a great star. I mean, they're already reworking the bubble schedule for Zion.

Yet with Milwaukee and Janus, they put him at 1 o'clock. And he's the MVP, and he's been in the league seven years. And the league's telling you, he doesn't move the needle. Let's put him on the 1 o'clock. game. Okay, let's segue to this. Last night to me wasn't just about Dame who I love. It's about an issue in basketball that drives me nuts. We give all this love to Westbrook and Karee. We don't give as much to Dame and Chris Paul, who are, they're all great, but two of them are winning basketball players, lubricators, not agitators. Last night was the third piece of evidence.

Justin Brooklyn, the Nets are better without Karee. They made the playoffs without him. Pre-bubble, they better when he wasn't on the floor. And in this bubble, they were five and three and should have been six and two. They beat the clippers. They beat the bucks. They had the blazers in trouble. If you're Brooklyn and you're looking at this right now thinking, okay, Kyrie's coming back. This is a little bit of an issue, right? That's got to be discussed a little, right? Oh, 100%. Because it is Kyrie coming back. It's Kevin Durant coming back. and can you mel those guys with Karris Levert? And look, Karris Levert carried the water last night,

and he's been a dynamic player. He's also been an injured player. But this is the danger when we play fantasy basketball with real life people, is the personality and the attitude of a player matters. It can't just be their talent or their fearlessness in the clutch. it matters in terms. Those things don't matter as much when it comes to the leadership. So whoever your best player is, you better hope they're your hardest worker and you better hope that they care

about everybody else. I could make a case where Kyrie Irving and a half a dozen other players are more talented. Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, you've mentioned some of them, Carl Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, I can make a case that all of those guys are more talented than Damian Liller. But they're not in the top 50 or 75 when it comes to leadership. Because what you have to have above all else is consistency and consideration for everybody else around you and how what you do impacts everybody else. If you watch that game last night, Damian Lillard orchestrated it.

He was going to let C.J. McCullough, you get us off to the start. We're going to feed you. NERC, we need to get the ball to you to dominate on the inside because Brooklyn is playing small. He wasn't worried about what his role was going to be, but every time the game got to a crisis, you can follow it by, go back and watch the score.

Every time there was a crisis, and confidence for the Portland Trailblazers, Damien was like, I got this. I'll make a play. I'll get something done. I'll get to the hoop. He was thinking the entire time about how do I lead this team. I just don't see the same consideration and thought process with Kyrie in word or action. And there's no way around it. When a guy is your most talented player, he's a going to take up a lot of space. And if he's not thinking about how he impacts everybody else all the time, then you're never going to maximize what you have. It's going to be interesting. So Houston, Oklahoma City is the story of the year. They were supposed to be a total rebuild.

Chris Paul, I think, should be top five an MVP. Best mid-range shooter now with Kauai in the league. Now no Westbrook for Houston first couple of games. I look at that and I think to myself, would not be shocked at all. If the Thunder young, they've got size with Stephen Adams. A lot of energy, multiple shooters. Does O.K.C. beat Houston without Westbrook. I have them beating Houston without Westbrook. Essentially because, look, the rules have been changed, unfortunately for a number of these teams, Lakers included. The rules have been changed as a result of this bubble. Number one, your depth and versatility, especially when it comes to the playoffs is going to be more important than being top-heavy with your talent.

The second thing, and this is probably the biggest thing, is that I don't know how much experience really matters in the bubble because you're not dealing with the same playoff dynamics that you normally would. Your role players having to go in to hostile environments, having to travel, having to deal with, you know what, we're on the road and people are all over me and I just miss two shots. Man, do I really want to take that third? That pressure doesn't exist. So your team and the chemistry that it's built over multiple years or even over the course

of the season doesn't have the same effect. And I look at Oklahoma City in particular and you have Shea Gilgis Alexander, you have Dennis Schrooter, you have Chris Paul, you have a multitude. Yanila Golanari. It's why the sons were so good. I was making my all-bubble team, and you pick Devin Burke, Booker, and then you go, well, they were so good, eight, and no, I got to pick a second guy. I had like five guys that were all on the same plane contributing in a big way.

I believe that is the model for the teams that are going to go somewhere in the playoffs, which is certainly you need to have a star, but you need to be able to rely on four, five, six different guys to contribute in a significant way because injuries are going to happen. Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook are not the last big names to go down. The schedule is too compact and there's been too short a runway for us to get to where we are right now. Good stuff, Rick Buecker. Enjoy it.

We'll talk soon. Sounds good. Thanks, Colin. Coming up next, there are reasons, multiple reasons, why Janus will never be the face of the league. why Zion is closer to that already. There's a lot of contributing factors, and I think it does matter. I think money matters.

I think Tim Duncan would be happier today if he had more money. He made half of Kobe's money because Kobe embraced being the face. Kobe was a Laker. Kobe's game was charismatic. Kobe made a ton of money overseas. Kobe had a style that got him a massive shoe deal. Duncan never had his own shoe. If he did, I've never seen anybody wearing the Tim Duncan shoe.

So we'll talk about that, the bubble. And Russell Wilson, as close as Russell Wilson comes to criticizing Pete Carroll, that's next. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all.

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

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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

on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to? do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed

crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have age. on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

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Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Good to have you back in. You know, generally with these players, if you, it doesn't even really matter what you were doing for a living. If you were the greatest in the world at something or the best in your sport or the best in your profession, you'd want, ideally you'd want two things. You'd want the money, the respect, the cash, and you'd want to win, right? Dame Lillard is happy with one of them. He's getting all the money.

He's doing that. He's probably not going to win a bunch of titles. Mike Trout is getting a lot of money, but he plays in the second most popular team in Los Angeles. He doesn't have the relevance, and he's not going to win championships down in Anaheim. Yannis could very well be a guy like, hey, listen, I'm not going to be the most marketable guy, but I can win championships in Milwaukee. But he's not going to go 0 for two for the rest of his career. He's going to want to show me the guy that would take both.

He was the best player in the league. He didn't want to at least win or get the money. So that's why winning is so important to Milwaukee. He's not the face of the league. He's not going to get the big shoe deal. There's three reasons why Yonis, by the way, the schedule is out for the playoffs. The league is telling you, we're putting him at 1 o'clock. I mean, they're putting Kauai Leonard, who doesn't talk at 9.

Well, that's the L.A. market. It's the Clippers. And by the way, the Sixers Boston Series, that's in prime time. And those teams aren't as good as Milwaukee. The bottom line here, it's not a coastal bias. It's not a, it is Janus is not a star that way. He's just a great player. And I do believe eventually he's going to want at least one of the two things that matter.

The fame, the money, the respect that way, or the title. he's not going to go over two on that. And that's why I say, if Milwaukee can't get to the finals, watch out. You find me the player in NBA history. You know how many times I heard Brady'd never leave here and Montana'd never leave there and LeBron loves Cleveland and Kevin Durant. God, if I have to hear that nonsense, they all leave.

You got to have it. Now, Stockton and Malone didn't, but at the end, Malone went to the Lakers because he wanted to win a title. You know, Stockton had a different personality. And by the way, they were winning. They were getting to the finals. They were winning a ton of games.

And John made a lot of money. But you got, I mean, if you look at this, the NBA has, it's not a Milwaukee issue because New Orleans, the NBA changed the schedule for Zion and New Orleans, for LeBron and Cleveland. And by the way, for KD and Westbrook in Oklahoma City, they changed the schedule. They made them in prime time.

It's not a city issue. This is not against Milwaukee. I mean, would it help? They're in a bigger city like New York or L.A.? Absolutely. It's a Yonis issue. Seven years, no shoe deal of note, makes less than Zion for shoes. And so, and there's three reasons.

Number one, his game isn't, it's not entirely relatable. It's like he's got superhuman length. I mean, you don't see kids in the playground going, ooh, give me your Yonis move. You know, everybody's got a Hardin. Everybody had a Kobe follow away. Everybody's got the Steph Curry move. That, it's not real that way relatable. Second thing, he didn't come into the NBA with a lot of hype like a LeBron.

I mean, D. Wade was in college basketball. We saw him. I think he was in like the elite aide at Marquette. You know, Kobe came in with hype. KD. came in, you know, Janus didn't. He wasn't a top five pick. He was in Greece. He was a slow build to be great.

The third thing is, it's unfair, but he is an international player. And for whatever reason, international players, we don't watch him in high school. We don't watch them in college. Many of them come over here. I mean, Luke is amazing. but I don't think Luca will ever be half as popular as Zion if Zion gives you 55 games a year and they both get to the playoffs. Whatever it is with that.

It's just something. I don't know how insignificant it is, but it is something. But I do believe Janus will want one of the two things. I'm just speaking as a guy. Maybe women, it's the journey more than the destination. But generally for guys who are great at their profession, you want one of the two. Give me the money and the fame or give me the winning.

you got to get one of them. And so it'd be very, very fascinating. The NBA schedule is, God, they got Milwaukee at one o'clock. One o'clock. That's the death zone. And by the way, it may not matter to Janus to be famous and make a lot of money, but it matters to his agent. It matters to the league.

Yeah, I mean, the league Kobe embraced it, right? So the league put Kobe in prime time. Duncan didn't. Like, it matters. It will double your income. Does money matter? If you're not winning titles, I think it's something. I think it's something.

And I know it matters to shoe companies. Shoe companies want players who get to the finals. They want it. So if you're telling me, Janice is different. You're telling me money doesn't matter. You're telling me none of it matters. Winning championship, something's got to matter. There's something to him that drives him to be this great.

What is it? I say it's either money and elevation or it's titles. So if you're telling me it's not the fame and the money stuff, then it's titles. So he's got to start winning because the contracts, it's winding down here. And Toronto's good and Boston's good and the clippers are good. Hour two coming up. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make

you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the

I-heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football. journey or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast.

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

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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