The Herd with Colin Cowherd - What’s Wright - Best Of - First Things First's near cancelation to Emmy nomination, Wemby's MVP push, Luka's wild disrespect
Episode Date: March 28, 2026All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet. Nick Wright opens up about the history of ‘First Things First’ on Fox Sports, from its start with Cris Carter, to its near cancelation, to now b...eing nominated for its first Emmy with Nick hosting alongside Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes. Next, Nick reacts to Victor Wembanyama stating that he should be the NBA MVP following the San Antonio Spurs' 136-111 win over the Miami Heat and breaks down where Wemby should stand among the other top candidates. Later, Nick breaks down whether we have become numb to Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic's dominance, and why it is absurd that people aren't taking Luka more seriously as an MVP threat. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Enjoy.
Huge news.
Congratulations to you and your show.
First Things First was nominated for Most Outstanding Sports, the Most, the Most,
Outstanding Sports Studio Show Emmy, has Wimby inspired you to campaign for the award?
I'm not going to campaign for the award, but I am going to be a touch self-indulgent here,
but also I'm going to spend a bit of time on this because I think this is instructive
for people in there at any, I think there are lessons.
lessons sounds patronizing.
I think there might be
some
wisdom shared here.
And that sounded
pretty patronizing too.
As far as, yeah,
the story
of the TV show.
And
listen, I don't know if we're going to win the
Emmy, but
I and I know
the maybe the proper thing,
certainly the cool thing,
is to say,
I don't care, but I care deeply about being nominated for this.
Every year when these nominations came out,
I got upset that we were not included
and I thought for some time maybe not even considered.
Now, to be fair, there was a period of time
where we didn't deserve to be considered.
But for people that are, you know,
to this show or first things first I will try as briefly as I can to kind of give the history of the show
because again there are some fork in the road moments that I think are instructive um so
September Labor Day 2017 the show launches
2017, it is me, Chris Carter, and Jenna Woolf.
And in pretty short order, the show was solid.
And I think, you know, it had some documented growing ratings success at a time slot where FS1 had never had a show before.
The show used to start at 6.30 a.m. Eastern, so 3.30 a.m. Pacific and go three hours, 6.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.
And before the end of our first football season, we had an episode where we had more than 100,000 viewers, which I think was way, way beyond what real.
realistic goals were for not only a new show, not only a new show involving someone that,
me, that nobody knew, but a show that nobody ever woke up to FS1, you know, historically,
because we didn't have life programming on that.
And, but that show was very different.
And people that watched it, you know,
know it the I didn't know what I was doing I thought my job was every day to prove to the audience how
smart I was I thought my job was every day to just be armed with all of the data all of the
facts all of the information to win any potential debate that popped up while also
weighing that with the fact that
that my partner and the person fronting the show, Chris Carter,
who was so good to me personally and so good to my family and my wife and my kids
and who I had a real deep personal relationship and friendship with,
he was not really trying to argue.
And so I, and as much as I believe Chris respected my intellect,
to my work ethic, he certainly did not think if he and I disagreed on football or basketball,
for that matter, that I had a leg to stand on.
He obviously was one of the greatest football players of all time, and also had 100 Division
1 college basketball scholarships.
His brother coached in the NBA.
And so I was that first year plus always kind of doing a dance figuring out how to as strongly as I could make my case for something, give my opinion, while never actually entering into a debate which could turn into an argument with Cici because that's just not what he was trying to do.
And it was his show.
And so there were a lot of moments where, and I'm not really a fold your hand guy,
where I had really no other choice but to kind of fold my hand.
But it was still great.
It was on TV every day.
The show was growing.
And we were headed in a really positive direction along with the network when undisputed was
really starting to hum.
They were on after us.
Colin's been great throughout.
The show on after Colin,
at that point in time,
he was still a part of.
He would do the herd
and then also do speak for yourself.
And the network was really rolling.
And then late October of 2018,
so the show's now been on for 14 months.
I get a phone call
that Chris and Fox have parted ways.
And the, you know, I, it's been eight years.
It's something I've never really talked about,
but call it a reconcilable differences.
And I show up to work the next day.
I think the first day was Halloween 2018.
And they're like, well, listen, you know,
Chris Canty has been a great.
guest of ours he's going to do a lot of stuff Greg Jennings will still come in coach
mangeny Greg and coach were there from day one those guys um will you know still be a part of
the rotation and we will just kind of do you know a rotating co-host while we figure out
you know who's going to be full-time what's what and that win
from the rotating co-host thing from October of 2018 to we are now in February of 2020 and there is still not a full-time co-host and while that was to be obviously not the best thing
for the stability of the show.
And Chris Canty did an awesome job
because he was there more than anybody.
We also, during the NBA,
Chris Broussard started being a part of it.
It's how I really got to know Broussard.
And while it wasn't, that lack of stability
wasn't what was really best, I think,
for the show's growth,
it certainly allowed me
to put my stamp on it.
And for, you know, almost by default,
a show that was never supposed to be my show, became my show.
And then in January, February of 2020,
Kevin Wilds, who was, you know, in the running,
and he himself bowed out of being on the show when it launched,
had decided he did want to do it
and they brought KW in
and then of course
when I say February of 2020
we are approaching
COVID but right before COVID
was
the 2019 Super Bowl
which was in January of 2020
or February of 2020
KW is now
you know getting ready to be or is already a part of the show and the Sunday night of
Super Bowl week when we are about to do a three hour live show in basically the middle of the
night um from wherever that Super Bowl was it was Miami I think so it wasn't really the
middle of the night uh but at 630 in the morning we find
out that Kobe Bryant's helicopters crashed.
And we are going to be doing a three-hour show the first day of Super Bowl week
with a live studio audience reacting to this unspeakable tragedy.
And I remember specifically requesting that Chris Rusard
who was there in case any basketball stories popped up during Super Bowl week, could he host the entire show with me?
With the crew. Could he be there for the whole thing?
And Brew, to his credit, said yes.
And we did those three hours together, which were just, I, the impossible in retrospect to think about.
um cobie had lost you know obviously coby died but it was also other adults and a bunch of young girls
including covey's daughter and i remember when that show ended hugging brew and telling him man i literally
could not have done this show without you out here like thank you and it felt like that really
bonded us and then um you know
Six weeks later, the world shuts down.
And we still don't have a full-time co-host.
We still don't really know, you know, exactly what's what.
And COVID hits, and all of a sudden, we're doing the show from our house with no live sports on.
And I might get some of this timeline a little wrong.
And I apologize for the length of this, but there's a reason.
I'm glad I'm finally kind of putting this full thing out there.
And at one point during the first call it 12 months of COVID,
I'm told by folks who would know,
not sure if we're going to continue with the show.
We never landed on the co-host
the, you know, there's no sports on that, if you guys remember, the sports economy and
advertiser economy at that time, like the show was on, what, not thin ice, but it was, I was
given a heads up that it was probably going to be canceled.
Three years and four years into the show.
Again, I don't remember if this is late 2020, early 2021.
And I don't know.
what changed over the next two months other than, you know, maybe I had, you know, the people,
I don't know what changed.
But I know all of a sudden it went from me telling my wife and daughters that I think
we're going to probably move to L.A., that I think that, you know, I've established myself
well enough with Fox that even if they canceled the show.
I think they will have, they'll want to keep me around.
I'm under contract.
And, you know, but I think we're going to have to move to L.A.
I was, I was setting up interviews for my older daughter for L.A. high schools.
I had, my pal Maverick had, you know, made some calls for me.
where, you know, his friend's kids went to school.
And like, this is what was happening.
Like, I had kind of just come to terms with it.
And then something changed and the show didn't get canceled.
And they were adding a full-time co-host.
And it was going to be Brandon Marshall.
And we were still doing the show from our house.
And that was the 2021.
I think football season.
And we did, Brandon, me, Wilds, and Jenna did that show for a year with Brew being our basketball guests,
coaching Greg, still being on the show as guests.
And it was fine.
Brandon and I had a good relationship, but it was also weird.
Brandon and Wilds did a show together for a year.
never once met in person. Brandon was in Florida. He was still COVID. We were still doing it from our houses.
Everything was remote. And then Brandon decided he didn't want to do, you know, renew.
And we're approaching going back in studio. And this is, I gave that whole background,
but this is the moral of the story and the reason I'm telling this and spending a half hour on this.
Um, in that moment, we knew, uh, that Jenna was moving on.
KW's role was going to change a little bit.
And they were discussing with me thoughts on who the person opposite me should be.
And out of respect to all the, to these people, I'm not going to,
going to say who they were all talented all people i like or had good relationships with and all
former um athletes and i knew in my absolute core that the best person for the show the guy who worked
the hardest had the best relationship we had the best chemistry with
and who had the best disposition and was the most reliable was brew.
And I also knew that I had probably one time I could play the card of,
let's not do what you're suggesting, trust me.
and it was i really debated whether or not that was even smart to do because if you do what
you know your bosses or whatever are suggesting and you register i don't know if it's the best
idea but yeah i'll go with it and then it doesn't work or something happens that's not as much
on you it's like well i you know i said but if you say hey
I know this is right.
And I'll take the hit, if I'm wrong.
If it doesn't work, that is on you.
And in that moment,
I knew Wilde thought it should be Brew.
I knew in my core that, because I listen to Brew's radio show.
I was like, these guys think he's just a basketball guy.
He does a daily radio show every night,
talks about football every day.
Plus, I also knew from my own history.
I was like, I am so, such an annoying person to argue with
that there is something, in my experience,
for former athletes, particularly former football players,
that if every single day they got to argue with me,
something in their brain activates a few months,
and they're like, man, I used to put guys like him in the damn locker.
He's telling me who the better court is shut up.
And one of the reasons I think Greg and coach have been so great for eight years on the show
is by around Thursday, certainly by Friday of a week of dealing with my nonsense,
they know, all right, I'm about to get a week away from this idiot.
And they can reset.
And so I just really didn't think going with another.
former athlete was going to work.
And I advocated in the strongest possible terms along with Wilds.
We all agree.
Me Wilds, Brew, let it run.
Just see.
And even after that happened, once that was like agreed upon in the 23rd hour,
they, I was presented with, hey, we got it done.
with Brew, he's going to be on the show, but we think we are going to add a fourth person full-time.
Not coach or Greg, they will still be on the show in their current role, but in every segment,
full-time person, and we think we know who it is.
And I laid down in traffic on it and said, let us have this shot.
And that was August of 2020.
What?
Hold on.
Am I, do I have this?
No, that was August of 2022, right?
Two, three, four, five.
Yeah, we've done four football seasons together.
That was August of 2022.
And I believe by August of 20,
23, me Wilds and Brew, along with Coach and Greg, and the amazing folks who work on the show behind the scenes, have the best show on sports TV.
And that's why being nominated for that award was so gratifying.
I understand there's been a half hour of self-indulgence, but the lesson, there is a real lesson there, which is...
if if you feel ownership over something and I listen I try to be very consistent and I'm being
very honest when I talk about this is a collaborative effort but I feel real ownership over
this show um we are all equal partners in it but I the I it's why when we were moving to the
afternoons, the other thing that I was adamant about is don't change the name.
They were like, yeah, but we named it first things first because it's a morning show.
I'm like, don't change the name.
Let us keep it because I felt a real connection to it.
But if you feel real ownership over something and in your core, you know what the right call is,
be willing to put some stakes to it.
going along to get along can be smart in certain instances.
Accumulating good co-worker, good colleague, not being a pain in the ass chips along the way, is super valuable.
Because I had never once played a let me have this one card.
And I've only played it once really since then.
I mean, that's the only time that I've played it, I should say, since then.
And it's the greatest thing ever happened to the show.
Brew is perfect.
He is works as hard as anyone in the business.
He is funny.
He is never in a bad mood.
And he is just the greatest guy to be around.
The greatest guy.
We've never had a real fight.
Ever. KW is one of the smartest television sports television creators ever
He created really good shows was behind the scenes has all these amazing instincts and then like we've had this this awesome group of people behind the scenes
Matt Katanik was our original executive producer. He then moved on to breakfast ball. He then
moved on to other stuff a couple years ago.
Sam Pepper was the brains behind the show for years.
He then, you know, left and now is the brains behind the Manning cast.
And two guys who have been with the show,
the only people who've been with the show from day one,
as far as producers,
like Christine in Wardrobe and Danielle my wife in Wardrobe been there from day one
but the people who put the TV show together been there from day one are me
guy named Stephen Hubbard and Dustin Waite dusty started as my researcher
and now is the producer of the show and Hubbs started as I don't know an AP
like a low-level producer and now is an executive at the company
and the executive producer of the whole afternoon block we've been working together for
eight and a half years the three of us um and and so i again maybe this is a bad use of time
and maybe people have skipped ahead or they've tuned out um however uh i don't know if we're going to
win. I do know that nominated for that best sports studio show Emmy is ESPN's flagship NBA
show, ESPN's flagship NFL show, ESPN's flagship NFL show, ESPN's flagship flagship,
this is where all the biggest guests in the world go, you know, radio slash YouTube slash TV show
McAfee and Sports Center, the defining sports highlight show of, you know, in television history.
Those four shows and us.
And I am, I'm really, really, really proud of it.
And it is a gratifying thing every day to work on something where so many people work,
hard. And I didn't mention all the behind the scenes folks because I'm terrified that I will,
you know, mention nine of ten and leave someone out. And, but people work really hard and
people care. And it's just really gratifying to work on something that, uh, you feel like is good.
And I feel like it's good. And, uh, I don't think we,
not I don't think I know
the only way
first things first is ever
nominated for anything
is if it's me wilds and brew
out there doing it
and I'm really
really really grateful those guys are my partners
deeply grateful
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Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers.
And guess what?
We have some big news.
What's the news,
huge news?
We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.
We invented a podcast?
Well, we didn't invent it.
We just contributed to it.
We're the first people to do podcasts.
Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts.
We're starting a trend.
But this one's extra special.
So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?
I honestly don't remember.
I think it was on a call about what we should call it.
And we were thinking I'm originally called.
calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.
This is how you guys remember it going down?
Yes.
I have a very different memory of this.
We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast,
where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas.
And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas,
and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast.
But thanks for remembering that, guys.
Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcast.
Just listen.
We don't care where you hear it.
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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,
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Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are
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Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays,
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So Wemby made his case for MVP
after the game and oppressor,
and here's what he had to say.
My first one would be that
defense is 50% of the game
and that it is undervalued
so far in the MVP race.
Second argument would be
that we almost swept OKC in the season
and we dominated him.
My third argument would be that
offense
impact is not just points.
Okay.
So,
Before I even get to the actual merits of his point,
what do you like, dislike, or you're ambivalent,
DeMonse on him stumping for,
I know he was asked the question.
He was asked, what are your three points,
but that he is stumping for himself to win MVP?
I actually like it,
because I feel like some guys probably go the opposite way
and they might feel in them in themselves that they should be MVP
and might not be saying it.
And I think Wimby deserves it.
I like it.
Oh, so you think he is the MVP?
Yeah, I'd say that's pretty fair to say.
And I also just like Wendy.
Yeah, and you don't like the thunder.
Okay.
So let me go through his points.
Because Brew and I got into a more heated than is typical for our show,
argument, discussion, whatever, yesterday about kind of Luca versus Wimby.
And the first point people make is the one he made, which is defense is half the game.
And that sounds smart and that sounds correct, except for the fact that when it comes to winning MVP of the league, defense is not.
and has never been half the game.
And when it comes to individual impact a player can have,
it has never been and should not be 50% defense, 50% offense.
This is evidenced by the entire history of awards voting,
up to and including Demonsé, the awards we have to give out.
we have the all-MBA team, the 15 best players in the league, and then a supplemental
all-defense team.
You know what we don't have?
The all-offense team.
You know why?
Because they're like, yeah, that'd pretty much just be the all-MBA team.
We have the most valuable player award and then a supplemental award called defensive
player of the year. You know what we don't have? Offensive player of the year because that would be
redundant to MVP almost every season. Furthermore, just this century, we have had damn near 10 MVP
seasons by objectively bad defensive players. Yeah.
Both Steve Nash years.
Dirk's year.
Some would argue
Russell Westbrook's year.
Certainly James Hardin's year.
Steff's years.
At least one or two of
Joker's years. Certainly the first one.
So now,
those are all, again, varying levels
of bad defenders.
But they are, at best,
Joker's gotten way better.
defensively, I should say, by the way.
Somewhere from mediocre to a Nash's case,
downright damaging.
Steph's first year,
he was, they were a great defense despite him,
his first year winning MVP.
Now, let me go ahead and ask folks this question.
This century or any century,
how many league MVP's have we had
were their downright bad,
offensive players. The answer is none. It is not how we now, Wimby's saying he thinks that's a
flaw in the system. Yeah. And Wimby's defense is so sensational that maybe it bends the rules a bit
on impact an individual defensive player can have on the game. But his offense, he also affects
the, the offensive side pretty well too, though, right? Does he not? So, so that's what I want to
discuss here because this is where
Brew and I got into it
it a bit. Okay. But let me stay
on the defense just for a second, then I'll get there, okay?
So I do agree when it
comes to a team winning
the championship.
Defense is as
important as offense. And
history backs that up. And in fact,
a truly elite
defense has been as big, if not
slightly bigger, historical
signifier of championship.
chances than an elite offense and so team wise I agree with that take the distinction is one singular
talent can impact a team's offense more than one singular talent can impact a team's defense more than one
singular talent can impact a team's defense and again Wimby might actually be changing those rules
in real time.
Like his ability,
he might be an unprecedented
defensive performer
with defensive impact.
And then we get to Wimby's
offense, which is where
I am not comfortable
for someone we have never
seen do it,
assign them the ability
or the credit
for doing things they don't do.
It's one thing when Kevin Durant goes to Golden State,
if people are like, well, he could be averaging 30 plus.
It's like, well, yeah, we've seen him do it a bunch.
Wimby averages 24 points and three assists a game.
And folks seem to want to say, yeah, but he could average 30.
it's just not how the Spurs do things.
Okay, I'm not, I am not going to say
that you get to have everything
when it comes to your MVP argument.
And by that I mean this.
Folks seem to believe that the Spurs,
as Brew puts it,
egalitarian style of basketball
is what's best for their ability to win games.
Okay, so if Wimby took more shots, maybe they would have a slightly worse record
He shouldn't get the MVP boost from the better record that is caused by the style they play and then also a boost of
But hypothetically he could be averaging more points unless in that hypothetical
We're also gonna draw away a few of the wins that's first point second point is this I don't know
if Wimby would be quite as impactful defensively if they added to his offensive workload.
So what I'm not comfortable with is saying, we know if he were taking way more shots and playing more minutes,
he would be play-to-play as dominant defensively because what we have seen from every play,
player across league history is as their offensive workload increases, their defensive impact
tends to decrease a bit.
Kauai Leonard is a great example.
Kauai Leonard's best defensive seasons were before he became the team's number one offensive
option.
And it is, now, Tim Duncan would be the argument as to a guy who won MVP.
without gaudy offensive numbers,
I would argue MVP Duncan was a better offensive player
than Wimby is at the moment.
But I don't think right now,
Victor Wimbunyama, as great as he is.
And again, I'm not trying to be the anti-Wimby guy,
but it does seem like there's,
the there is a bit of an
one.
I think America's gone too far?
I don't.
A touch.
Just a touch.
It feels like it is an ongoing contest
for Wimby hyperbole at the moment.
And so here is the question that I would have.
And this is where
you know, one of the arguments
Brew and I got in yesterday.
I don't think Wimby
if we are evaluating
just offense, just as offensive players.
I don't think he is one of the 10 best offensive players in the sport yet.
Doesn't mean he won't be.
But I think, and I'm going to do this off top my head, I think Shea is a better
offensive player.
I think Joker's a better offensive player.
I think Luca's a better offensive player.
I think Ant is a better offensive player.
I think Steph Curry is a better offensive player.
I think Steph Curry is a better offensive player.
I think Devin Booker is a better offensive player.
I think Donovan Mitchell is a better offensive player.
I think if we're going to give him, assume he gets back to himself,
I think Jason Tatum is a better offensive player.
I think Cade Cunningham is a better offensive player.
The one I threw out yesterday that Brew lost his mind on,
but I thought was like kind of, I was shocked
there was so much pushback.
I think Tyrese Halliburton is a better offensive player.
And I think we're seeing how much of that offense was relying on him.
But even if you want to take Tyrese out, who am I?
Oh, Jalen Brunson, I think is a better offensive player.
And I am not saying Wimby won't get there.
I am not saying Wimby that maybe he is already there.
and we're just not seeing it.
But what I'm not comfortable with is saying,
he gets credit for things he has not done.
He is not doing and he has not yet done.
And so I think that if I were right now voting for League MVP,
my ballot would go.
Number one, Shea, number two, Luca, number three, Wimby,
number four Joker.
number five, Cade, but Cade's going to fall off for eligibility, so Jalen Brown would take his spot.
That's what my, and again, if we want, so I guess right now technically I've Cade 5, Jalen Brown 6, Jalen Brunson, 7 is how I would stack it with assuming Cades going to lose out on the spot.
but there are people are so fascinated by what wimby is already doing that we're doing some weird
psychological things on so go ahead it is it is most valuable player like you say
wimby's averaging 24 and 3 23 and 3 right now uh shia's averagea's averagea
averaging 31 and 6.
I think it is most valuable player.
I think that with what Wimby does on offense and the amount of shots that he affects on defense,
I think together it makes him the most valuable player.
Like, in my opinion, like, I think that's how I think of it.
So I get that.
And I, and I, and I.
No, no, no.
And, and.
You know, it, no, I, I, you know, no, I, I, I, you know, what, what I'm saying is, I think we have.
Wimby is, but statistically, the exact same guy he was last year.
Last year is 24, 11, and 3.
This year is 24, 11, and 3.
Efficiency is the same.
I guess you can argue he got better defensively,
but it feels like he has been basically the best defender in the league
since the moment he walked into the league.
And to me, the big difference,
is the Spurs team around him has gotten so much better.
Now, we can, now, the Spurs defense, he is the sun, the moon, and the stars for that.
I don't feel that way about their offense.
I don't think like Wimby's presence dramatically makes Deeran Fox a better
offensive player.
Or the Harper and Castle are Blue Chip guys.
And so, and I think it is noteworthy that they're 10 and 5 in the 15 games he hasn't played.
It's not, again, I'm not negging his case, but it's not as if they fall apart entirely without him.
And so if we are, I, the guy who by I test, the team is, team is.
absolutely most relying on to be anything is joker now they actually went on i think they did
decent the time he missed um but it's just watching him it feels like everything revolves around him
entirely and i'm not it just feels like people are pressing fast forward and have been throughout
wimby's career i in the you know my palville simmons yesterday on his podcast
for a reason I still don't totally understand did a Wimby's in year three but I want to
compare him to all of the best year twos ever and part of now I understood why he wanted to
do that um when it came to Duncan and Kareem guys who played four years in
college but like LeBron was younger than
Wimby when he came out of school.
And LeBron in year three was second in the MVP race and average 31 points a game.
And LeBron, when he was younger than Wimby is right now, took a team to the NBA finals.
And so the Jordan in his rookie year, rookie year Michael Jordan, was 28 a game.
Jordan's year two, he got hurt.
Jordan's year three, average 37.
So like I
So you feel similarly about like Josh Allen
You think a similar thing is being done
Just like kind of pushing some
No this is actually very different than Alan
Because Alan was not this feat at phenom like this
This starts for Wimby before he was drafted
This was you know
Woj saying people think by his third year
He can be the best offensive and defensive player
the league. And again,
offensively,
I think he's a real, I don't
think he's a great offensive
player yet. I don't.
I think he's a really good offensive
player, far and away the best
defensive player in the league. And if
that is enough to make him league MVP
on a two seed, so be it.
Like, I don't think it's outrageous to
say he's league MVP. What I
am saying is
this, because a lot of this
has come up in the Luca MVP.
discussion. Well, defense is half the game. And for the MVP award, no, it is not. And it never has been.
And the last five guys to win defensive player of the year did not, you know, got a combined,
the five, five guys who won defensive player of the year got a combined one fifth place MVP vote between the five, five guys who won defensive player of the year, got a combined one fifth place MVP vote.
between the five guys, the five seasons.
If defense were half the game, when it comes to voting for MVP, then they'd be.
So I just, I don't think that is how it's been done.
And so there's my 30 minutes on Wimby and the MVP award.
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Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.
What's the news, name?
Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas.
We invented a podcast?
Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.
We're the first people to do podcasts.
Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts.
We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special.
So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys?
I honestly don't remember.
I think it was on a call about what we should call it.
And, well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.
This is how you guys remember it going down?
Yes.
I have a very different memory of this.
We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas.
And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast.
But thanks for remembering that, guys.
Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
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 I Heart.
radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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.
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,
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And for more,
follow Timbo Sliced Life 12
and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.
So Yokic had a new year 2020 and 20-20 game.
Murray went over 50, where would you rank these guys in the list of duos over the NBA?
So here's the thing.
I mean, if we're talking about like contemporary right now, they're obviously as good as anybody.
Right.
Historically, here, here's what I'll say about Yokic and Murray.
It's hard to rank them anywhere historically because Murray is similar.
not consistently that caliber of player to where he all of the great the truly great duos that we talk
about you have a legend and an all-time great and whether that's magic and worthy berna mccale
Jordan and Pippen shack and Kobe that's two legends there um Duncan and Tony or
and Manu,
Bron and Wade,
Bron and Kyrie,
Stefan Clay,
Katie and Steph.
When Jamal Murray is rolling
like he was last night,
they are,
they look as good as anybody ever.
He's just not consistently that guy.
And it's a testament to Joker's greatness.
And I'm not,
listen,
Jamal Murray scored 50 last night
against the tanking Mavs.
I'm not taking.
anything away from the guy.
But I don't
look at them as
anything close to
an all-time great duo. Now,
maybe
they peeled the title this
year from the four of the
five line. Maybe we look at them differently.
But right now I don't look at them
like that. I know you have
another Joker question. Yeah,
so he's gone 60, 50, and 50
over his last three games. Are we forgetting
about him in the MVP race, you think?
Listen, I think I have him fourth.
I know a lot of people have him third over Luca.
I would like to, just if I may for a moment, make the Luca.
Well, let me talk Joker and then I'm going to pull up this Luca note, okay?
Are we a little numb to Joker's consistent offensive excellence?
Sure.
I think that's fair.
Has, because he has been so, it's not like he's short on accolades.
The guy's got three MVP's, okay?
He's got the same number of MVP's as Larry Bird.
He's one short of LeBron.
So he's not a guy that's like, well, you know, he's disrespected, far from it.
he is to a point in his career where there is not much to do other than win more.
And that's why we are somewhat numb to these crazy numbers.
And speaking of being numb to the numbers,
Luca just averaged 40 a game on a road, a six-plus game road trip.
That has not been done since Michael Jordan 40 years ago.
40 a game over a six-game road trip.
Last guy to do it, Jordan in 1986.
Luca also is going to average 33 plus on a 50 win team
and this is where I will get a little upset so to speak.
DeManzi in the last 60 years
here are the guys who averaged 33 or more
on a 50 win team and their MVP finish.
Wilt in 1966, he won it.
I want to make sure I'm right about that.
Yeah, of course I am.
Wilton 66, 33 and a half a game on a 50 win,
Sixers team, he won it.
Kareem in year two, 35 a game on a Bucks team that went on to win the title.
He won the MVP.
Jordan in 88, 35 a game on a 50 win Bulls team.
He won the MVP.
Jordan in 90, 33 a game on a 50-plus win Bulls team.
He came in second, okay?
James Hardin.
36 a game
on a 50 plus win Rockets team in 2019
he came in second
as the defending league MVP
so Jordan and Hardin
when you first said I was like James Hardin didn't do it
recently no he did it in 2019
he came in second in voting
but he had won it the previous year
Jordan did it in 90 after doing it in 88
and winning MVP there
Joel Embed in
23
average 33 a game
for a 50 plus win
Sixers team
he won it
so we have in the last 60 years
Will Kareem Michael
and Embed
won the MVP
for 33 plus on a 50 win team
Jordan came in second
another time when he had already
won an MVP
Hardin came in second
when he had already won an MVP
and then Luca Danchich two years ago,
34 a game on a 50 win team,
came in a distant third.
Four first place votes out of 100.
Four.
And Lukadanshich this year,
who people think is going to finish third or maybe even fourth,
every other person to do this,
this high volume of scoring,
on this good of a team either has won the MVP or come in second and the guys who came in
second had already won MVP's except for Luca who did it once already before and that year
came in third in MVP voting but it was 79 votes yokech 15 Shea
Four for Luca.
And Luca this year, who people think is going to finish either a distant third or fourth,
probably with only two or three first place votes for.
I think that's, I think we are approaching a bit of lunacy when it comes to
recognizing his utter and complete dominance as an offensive player.
And I think we've overstated.
Here's the thing.
Is Luca a good defender?
No.
Do the Lakers, does the Lakers defense go from an average defense with Luca on the court
to a horrific defense with Luke off the court?
115 versus 121.
They do.
So I just, I,
Lucas can average 33 a game on a 50 plus win team and nobody cares but me.
It's weird.
Hey guys, it's us.
The Jonas Brothers.
I'm Joe.
I'm Kevin.
And I'm Nick.
And guess what?
We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.
We invented a podcast?
Well, we didn't invent it.
We just contributed to it.
We're the first people to do podcasts.
We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.
Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.
Tired and sick.
Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
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,
Street or 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.
Winning on Clay is an art.
The rallies are relentless.
And at the French Open, only the toughest survive.
I'd know.
I competed there for decades.
Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches.
toughest players and the moments set to find
Roland Garris.
She's an outsider to win the French frame.
And she likes Clay.
Listen, Lennar Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world
right now and I actually can win on any
surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis
podcast on the Iheart Radio app.
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presented by Capital One, founding partner of
IHeart Women's Sports.
Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only
legal but encouraged. It's the
enhanced games. Some call it grotes.
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 IHart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an IHart podcast.
Guaranteed Human.
