May 28, 2024 • 42 mins
More on the legendary life and career of Bill Walton
Nick Wright stops by to break down the upcoming NBA Finals
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Foxsports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Welcome in our two live in Los Angeles. It's the Hurd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thank you for making us part of your team your day. Yeah,
I was thinking about this. I've never had a bad
show when I'm on Red Bull. I hear a lot
of things about ah, be careful about Red Bull. I've
(00:49):
never read an obituary. Guy drank too much red Bull.
Never read that change smoking trouble, bungee jumping, dune, buggy
turns over. The parachute doesn't open a lot of ways
to kick it. I've never read an obituary. Sam loved
Red Bull. He drank one too many, hard exploded. So
I'm on Red Bull right now. I'd run through a wall.
(01:12):
I feel like I am powerful and dynamic. I'm aunt
edwards just a little more consistent with my jumper.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
A lot of energy.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Right now feels like this show's heading off the rails.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
I'll just say much of my early years in college,
Red Bull in vodka was like the go to staple
drink because you know, if you're looking to get inebriated
pretty quickly, red Bull and vodka will do the trick. Yeah, yeah,
they go down like nothing. Red Bull ain't healthy. I
haven't had one of like fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You know what, I'll be honest with you. You used
to have a lot more energy I gotta save.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I'm like Leo nel MESSI conserving my energy on the
pitch and then strike when I need to.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
To get the goal.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Okay, well it's about time to strike. I'm not sure
I've ever learned less about a team than I did
about the Boston Celtics in this playoff. And I'm not
blaming them. They're human. They're much better than all these teams.
We've had thirteen playoff series, three sweeps, three gentlemen sweeps,
and probably another tonight, meaning seven of thirteen will be
(02:11):
sweeps or gentlemen sweeps over half. So I was thinking
about this. The two easiest ways to win a Chip
in the NBA. Number One, you know you're part of
a great dynasty, a collective. Now, they're hard to build,
but once you build them, you have great talent. Even
a star can have an off night. And the second
easiest way is as an underdog with no pressure and
(02:32):
you catch everybody by surprise. They're raptors in Kawhi, Dirk
and the MAVs. The Celtics are neither. I don't think
they feel like a dynasty. They're too quirky. They lose
too many home games against sometimes inferior teams, and they're
significant favorites. Draft kings are minus two twenty five, so
(02:54):
they're not sneaking up on anybody. And I also think
they have mounting pressure. This year. They were twenty three
and seven against the West, so we know they're good.
They dominated the East in the regular season and the playoffs,
so we know they're dominant in the East. They were
also very good in the West. They have the deepest
roster in the NBA, in my opinion, the most offensively
(03:15):
skilled roster in the NBA. The Western teams that were
only getting better. And what's interesting is if they lose
this year to the Mavericks and that's certainly possible. What's
the pressure going to be like next year? Because Tatum's
going to sign the max deal, Brown's already got one.
There's gonna be real limitations on what this team can
(03:35):
do with their roster, so they're better to get it now.
We've already seen them fold as a younger version of
this duo against the Warriors. If they folded again against
the more mature team, right, they folded against the Warriors,
and we kind of said, well, it's Stephan is the Warriors,
(03:55):
but what if they fold again against Dallas? What is
next year with the Tarmacs gonna be? Like? So I
think it is this Celtics duo. You kind of gave
him a little bit of a pass losing the staff
and Draymond and Clay and Steve Kurry gave him a
little bit of an emotional pass. Not quite ready like
(04:15):
we view and now not quite ready but jos wait, well,
the just waiting's over. They're the heavy favorite. This duo
has been around a lot longer than Luca and Kyrie.
Here's Jalen Brown.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
We feel like we're a different team than we were
last year and the year before that, and everybody wants
to continue to kind of pigeonhold us to what we
happened in the past. But we've had a different team
every single year, different coaches. We've had like three coaches
in the last five years, and still people want to,
you know, just make it seem like it's the same.
It's the same, it's the same. Time has gone by,
(04:49):
experience has been gained, and I think we are ready
to put our best for four.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
It is interesting, though they are very much symbolic of
the current NBA. Jason and I are not big romanticizers
of the past. You can go back to the thirty
for thirties on the Reggie Miller Pacers. He was the
only guy on that team that could shoot a jumper,
you know. Or you go back to the Knicks where
they tackled people, but nobody, even John Starks wasn't a great,
you know, natural, elite consistent shooter. You start looking, I mean,
(05:17):
just think about the top ten players in a Mavericks
Celtics final. If Lucas won, Tatum's two, Jalen Brown three,
he's more consistent than Kyrie four, Derek White five, Porzingis six.
I mean, then you start getting into Drew Holiday seven, PJ.
Washington eight, Lively, maybe nine, al hor Al Horford had
(05:42):
twenty some points the other night. Al Horford is a
very dependable big offensively at least, so you're talking about
that that the offensive skill in this final is going
to be absolutely sensational if Porzingis plays. I think they're
a little bit the opposite of the team Wolves. Dallas
didn't match up great with Denver, they match up very
(06:04):
well with Minnesota. Minnesota in half court offense is awful consistently.
Boston is sometimes engaged, sometimes not on the defensive end,
but they're almost always good enough offensively to win a game.
So a lot of times Dallas just let Minnesota fumble
(06:25):
over themselves offensively. Boston doesn't do that. Now, if Porzingis
isn't healthy, Dallas could pick and roll him to death.
But my guess is this is the time a deeper
offensive roster, not as reliant on one or two guys.
But historically the two best closers in a series, Shaq
(06:46):
and Kobe, win the series with that. Nick Wright joins
us live. I will say this, you have been I
think I have questioned at times Tatum. You at times
have questioned the Celtics. I said this earlier that history
tells me the alpha wins, whether it's Mahomes in the
(07:07):
fourth quarter, Brady Lebron, Steph, Kobe, mj the Celtics are
more collaborative, They're more twenty twenty four basketball. Is that
sometimes Tatum floats, he's off ball, he doesn't have usage.
And I say to myself, this final is a classic
matchup of modern collaborative basketball and a little old school
(07:28):
Luca Kyrie, Give me the ball, get out of the way,
set me a screen. Do you have a strong opinion
about this series going into it when the MAVs finish
off the te Wolves.
Speaker 7 (07:38):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm biased because going into the playoffs,
I think I was probably one of the only people
in the country that was picking the MAVs to win
the championship. And so yeah, I like how the MAVs
look and I like that they're getting healthy. I know
Lively is out, but they're going to be getting Lively's
out right now, but he should be back for the finals.
They could be getting Maxi Kleeba, who was a big
(08:00):
loss for them.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
They just haven't shown that back as well.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
And your point about going with the alpha is the
best player in the series does not always win. But
if the best player, if you're going to overcome the
other team having the best player, you need to have
a legendary or at least legendary adjacent team, or the
(08:24):
other team needs to be going through significant injury issues
or turmoil. And so the Celtics have the resume of
a legendary team. They have the point differential of one
of the ten best teams ever, they have the record
of one of the fifteen best teams.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Ever. I don't see that when I watch them, yea.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
And maybe part of that is because all of the
teams that are on those lists have a guy who
is a guaranteed statue in front of the arena when
the moment he's done playing guy, and this Celtics team
does not have that. They have a Hall of Famer
in Jason Tatum, an awesome number two in Jalen Brown,
(09:07):
and obviously a very well constructed roster and maybe the
best starting five in basketball. But as you and I
have discussed previously, if Jason Tatum is the sixth or
seventh best player in the league, NBA history tells us
typically that doesn't win the championship in the last forty years.
(09:29):
The only teams to win the championship with the sixth
or seventh best player in the league as their best
player are the four Pistons, where you had the Lakers
lose their entire wing, not wing pardoning, power forward rotation
to injury and they were clearly sick of each other.
The eight Celtics that did it with KG Ray, Allen,
(09:53):
Paul Piers, three awesome players but none best player in
the league level beating Kobe when he was on that line,
and the twenty eleven MAVs those would be the examples,
and the twenty eleven MAVs we attribute to Lebron melting
down as people call it in that series. That's the
entire list of the last forty years. Every other champion
(10:14):
has had a guy like Luca, a guy who is
going to be in the top twenty at a minimum
all time discussion. So that is my hang up with Boston,
and Boston's gaudy record against three middling teams, with all
of which without their best player for part or all
of the series, was not enough to sway me from
(10:36):
that initially.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you know, it's interesting and maybe I shouldn't juxtapose this,
but it just popped into my head. We celebrated and
honored the very unique, outspoken Bill Walton in his passing
yesterday anti war, anti establishment, never anti social sit ins
politically at UCLA, and we celebrated it. Kyrie Irving similarly
(11:03):
pushback on our government in a vaccine. I may disagree
with him strongly and agree with Walton's stance on the
Vietnam War extensively, but it is interesting is that the
NBA has always been the sport that allows for some
social opinion, and there was almost no market for Kyrie
Irving out of Brooklyn. And in retrospect, is that fair?
(11:28):
Is that fair because he took a stance many did
on the vaccine? The Boston thing didn't work, but let's
be honest, not every start to a new team works
in the history of the league. Michael Jordan ran through coaches.
He just stayed in Chicago. What is your view, not
today on Kyrie because it's working, but sort of going
into Dallas, how did you what was your opinion on
(11:50):
how it would work and his career pre this.
Speaker 7 (11:55):
So listen, I have a I don't even know if
it's an just in my opinion so much as I
have new information. The MAVs were my pick to win
the title last season, and then they traded for Kyrie,
and I was so down on it. I said, well,
now they can't win the title because Kyrie had been
(12:15):
a negative when it came to winning for six consecutive years.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That is not who he is now.
Speaker 7 (12:23):
So I think the fair reading of Kyrie's history, if
I may this will take a moment. Is this Kyrie,
before Lebron got to Cleveland hadn't been a part of winning.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Basketball at the professional level.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
He gets to Cleveland, they have this dynamic partnership that
seems to work brilliantly and beautifully.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
In the press conference after.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
The final game they play together in the finals in
twenty seventeen, Kyrie says, basically, put some respect on Lebron
James's name. He just averaged a triple double in these finals.
I can't wait to continue play, play with and learning
from him. Before they set foot on a court together again,
he reportedly said, I so badly don't want.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
To be here. I will have knee surgery if you
don't trade me.
Speaker 7 (13:12):
So that seemed to be a very quick sweat you know,
kind of flip of the pendulum out of nowhere. He
then gets to Boston and it flatly does not work.
His first year there, he's oddly not on the bench
for their playoffs when he's hurt. His second year there,
he demands to guard Giannis in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And they get cooked.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
He then he releases a commercial saying I hope to
be here forever, then demands another trade in that timeframe right,
he scolds the media for saying, how dare you say
Kevin Durant and I were plotting to get together in
that hallway at the All Star Game?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
It was just two friends talking.
Speaker 7 (13:49):
When it turns out they were exactly doing what he
said they weren't doing. Gets to Brooklyn, says, we don't
need a coach, We're all coaches. Steve Nash's co coach.
That doesn't work out. While in Brooklyn. Yes, the vaccine,
but then also the very odd stubbornness about not backing
down about that documentary that he promoted that to this day,
(14:11):
I don't think he actually watched, and I don't think
he believes those awful things that were in that documentary.
I just think he felt boxed in and was like,
I'm not gonna apologize because that's not who I am.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So all of that was the data we had.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
About a player who had dealt with injuries, who hadn't
been a part of winning outside of the three years
with Lebron.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
That's the data we had.
Speaker 7 (14:32):
The data we have since then is getting to Dallas,
teaming up with Jason Kidd, the relationship with Luca, and
his own personal maturation and evolution as a person on
and off the court. You are getting the very best
version of Kyrie Urva, a socially conscious, thoughtful, good hearted
(14:53):
guy who is not letting so much of the other
stuff kind of tear him off the basketball court.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, and when you have.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
That version of Kyrie Colin, he's one of the most
dynamic under six foot four players in league history. And
so I have massive respect for what Kyrie's done. I
have massive respect for Kyrie Irving kind of finding in
the public guy who he wants to be. And the
Kyrie Irving the basketball player when he's been available has
(15:22):
always been special to watch. And so yeah, this is
a you know, into his thirties kind of evolution and reinvention,
and of course he deserves enormous credit for that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. The first
team I fell in love with was probably in my region,
was maybe the Masonics, and then it was the Blazer's
the seventies that was very kind to the Pacific Northwest downtown
Freddie Brown, Jack Sick, MCCUs, Williams, Into, Bill Walton, Jeff Petree,
(15:54):
Dave towards It, all that stuff, Jack Ramsey the legendary coach,
but the league was not televised to the love is today.
I live between equidistant between Seattle and Portland, but I
was in Washington State, so I got sonic stuff. But
I would occasionally hear Bill Shanley, the Portland radio announcer,
who was much more colorful than the Seattle broadcaster. And
Walton was this nineteen seventy four, seventy five, seventy six.
(16:16):
He was this quirky figure, mythological almost because you didn't
see him in the regular season. You just heard about
this hippie in Portland where nobody could stop. And you'd
seen him in college. So this is the really the
beginning of me watching television in the early seventies. And
he was against the war and outspoken and iconoclastic and
(16:37):
all this stuff I said this morning. I believe he's
several generations ahead of his time, not one that he
was jokicch but a better defender fifty years ago. Is
that if the injuries didn't plake place. And this is hyperbolic,
perhaps we would say is the second best center ever
to Kareem. He would never score like Kareem, but the
(16:59):
second best center ever.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Oh, I think that's legit.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
You think so too, Go ahead, I'm sorry, I just
think I think he was on that track. Yeah, I
just listen if I may about because you and I
have oddly different formative experiences with Bill Walton, which I'll
get to, but his playing career I saw none of.
But because I consider myself a bit of an NBA
historian basketball historian, what.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Should be noted is this.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
If you ask someone who is the greatest college basketball
player of all time and they give any answer other
than Leuel Sinder or Bill Walton, they're wrong, right, Those
are the only two eligible answers. Bill Walton did not
lose a basketball game from the middle of his junior
(17:45):
year of high school until the middle of his middle
of his senior year of college.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
He had an eighty eight game collegiate winning streak.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
He was the most outstanding player in back to back
final fours. He played arguably the greatest game ever, the
twenty one twenty two to forty four points. He then
in the National Championship Game. He then walks into the
league and in nineteen seventy seven is the best player
on the champion beating Kareem and then beating Doctor J
(18:14):
when Doctor J might have been the best player in
the world. The next year is the NBA MVP, and
he breaks his foot and the career is never the same.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
So my experience with Bill.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
Walton, Colin and I don't think I've ever told you
this is and you'll laugh at me when you'll laugh
when I tell you this. When I was a little
kid and I told people what I wanted to do
when I grew up, I wanted to be Bill Walton
because I didn't know that to be the color commentator
(18:46):
you needed to either play or coach. But what he
did on the NBC broadcast with Steve Snapper Jones, I
thought was the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
And it is part of me falling in love with
basket ball.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
He's the soundtrack of it, and I'm sad that I
never once got to cross pass with him to tell
him this anecdote. I remember vividly being a little kid
watching the NBA Playoffs, watching a Bulls game, and my
mom's saying, like seeing a look on my face that
I was upset, and she was like, what's wrong? And
(19:21):
I'm like, man, Steve Jones is being so mean to
Bill again, because I didn't know they were like good
friends and they were always giving each other a hard time.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And so he is.
Speaker 7 (19:33):
And for his broadcasting career, the stories that he has,
the stances that he took that were dangerous and risky,
and he stayed true to himself. And oh yeah, by
the way, was the greatest passing big man ever until Jokic,
and maybe including Jokic. A legendary life and a legendary career.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Yeah, it's he was so perfectly connected to the Pacific Northwest,
you know, which when I grew up in the Pacific Northwest,
it's grainy, it's it's a it's got you know, it's
it's a little counter culture, you know what I mean.
There's no question he grew up in California, which has
always been left of center in America, and then he
went up to the Pacific Northwest. That's the only place
(20:16):
more left the California. Yeah, yeah, and uh. And then
he got Jack Ramsey, one of the great teachers. I mean,
can you imagine that your two coaches, he may have
literally had the perfect coaches. John Wooden, the ultimate teacher
who kind of brought him back on the fairway Bill
(20:37):
could get a little sideways, brought him back on the fairway.
And then Jack Ramsey, who was always from his dress,
Jack Ramsey legendary for these wild like disco pants that
Jack Ramsey kind of leaned in to the unique personality
of Bill and the pro game's always been a little
bit more about the player than the coach. But it's
(20:57):
fascinating that Walton loved both the restrictive mentor in college,
the conservative mentor, and then the colorful NBA coach. And
it shows the dexterity of his personality that they both
loved him, and he loved both. It would be like
going Andy Reid to Belichick and you got along with both.
(21:19):
And I just I think that's speak well.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Of one hundred percent.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
And then the one other kind of final act of
his playing career. He wins sixth Man of the Year
for what a lot of people consider the greatest team ever,
the nineteen eighty six Celtic.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yes, great and adds, you know, and.
Speaker 7 (21:38):
Finds a way to fit in with that very unique
culture absolutely seamlessly. This is you and I talked about
this a couple of weeks ago, oddly on your podcast,
that he's one of the reasons why when Damian Lillard
left the Portland Trailblazers and every story written was written
as greatest Blazer ever. I was like, you've got to
(22:00):
be kidding me, Like Bill Walton played for them, and
not to mention Clyde Drexler.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
No, he and he was.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
He more so than Grant Hill, more so than Tracy McGrady,
more so than Derrick Rose. He is the biggest what
if he stayed healthy?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, in NBA history is Bill? Wait, Yeah, that's a
great way to put it in the history. And I'm
trying to think, you know, Roberto Clemena and baseball the
plane crash. Sure, I didn't grow up with Roberto Clementy,
although I love those Pirates teams that were extended beyond
him for years and years and years. But I think
people look at Roberto Clemeny and go, oh, that would
have been maybe the greatest player of all time. And
(22:39):
we've seen this with musical stars who have either taken
their life or there have been tragedies beyond their control.
But I think in sports it's very rare that you
have an athlete and everybody summarily agrees, oh god, if
he would have been healthy, and nobody fights it. Like
every basketball historians like, yeah, Like he was twenty one
(23:00):
to twenty two against Memphis in a national championship game,
twenty one of twenty two to.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Go by the way, by the way after that was
after being undefeated on the freshman team and to finish
his second straight undefeated year for the you know, the
varsity team at UCLA. He had never lost a game,
was going for his second straight title.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Was twenty one of twenty two.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
Yeah, there is a The other athlete that comes to mind,
I guess would be Bo Jackson, where people are like, oh, man,
what would have been? But Walton absolutely was on that level,
and that to me is a testament to the beauty
of his spirit.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And I'm really glad we're spending the time on this.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
Is that he didn't become bitter or jaded because of that.
He and instead transitioned to Okay, I'll make the most
of what's left of my NBA career and then be associated.
He went from calling the NBA Finals to doing PAC
twelve after dark and every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah, and so God bless him and his friends and family.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I went back yesterday and watched thirty thirty five minutes
of Old Blazer and U anything I could get my
hands on. He was on the Clippers, and I'm glad
you gave them credit. The best iteration of that Celtics
team could have very well been the eighty six team,
and he was. I mean, it's just Walton was just
(24:25):
a phenomenal player. And you know, the only positive that
ever comes out of a sudden death or one that
surprises us is that it becomes a history lesson. And
Walton is teaching us so much about getting along, viewing
the world, willing to compromise your own goals, sacrificing for others.
(24:47):
Bill's a bit of a walking history lesson. And when
the more you read about him, the better person you
want to be. Like I read things on Bill yesterday,
I'm like you know, I got to be better at that.
I got to be a better teammate. And I think
that's a great acknowledgment of Bill, is that you read
things about him and think I need to be a
little better person.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And he might be, and I know, we got to go.
He might be the.
Speaker 7 (25:11):
Main character or he is the main character of what
might be the greatest sports book ever written, Breaks of
the Game by Tom Howard Sam And so if people
want to kind of they followed the seventy seven Blazers
around for a year and Walton's at the center of that.
And so now, I mean, goodness, that's a you know,
almost a fifty year old book at this point, but
I don't know that any sports books ever topped it.
(25:33):
It's definitely worth people's time if they want to know
more about that era of basketball.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And also Bill Walton in that Blazer.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
You give that book one more pop because I'm gonna
buy it on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
What's it called, oh, Breaks of the Game? Breaks of
the Game.
Speaker 7 (25:44):
I mean, it's probably the most famous sports book of
the at least I don't know man pre Friday Night
Lights maybe ever. Breaks of the Game by Tom Howers.
How I'm gonna mispronounce the name Havershram. Pardon me is
probably the greatest sports book ever written.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah there you go, free.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Plug Hey great, see anybody?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah you too, see you letter co all right.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Luxury SUVs now come with a luxury of choice. Mercedes
Benz has gas electric plug in hybrid offerings. Learn more
about the E class SUVs your local dealer at mbusa
dot com Slash special offers.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
One more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Hi stand corrected by my staff. Roberto Clemente's life was
cut short, but it was late thirties, so he had
a fully formed career over three thousand hits. But Bill
Walton is one of those great athletes that we saw
his greatness in high school, college and pro we did
obviously back then. He didn't see much of his lamesa
high school stuff, but you saw his greatness. It was
reduced because of injuries, but what a gift. He continued
(26:50):
to be throughout his life as a broadcaster and is
just a really interesting human. And Jmack with a news.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
No No, turn on the news. This is he's a
herd line.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
News from one interesting human to another. Let's go to
Jim Harball entering his first season. Yeah, with the Chargers'
high expectations, but this isn't the first time he's good
to turn around in an NFL franchise.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Remember he went to San Francisco turned that around.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Vernon Davis played under Harball when he was with the
Niners and believes Harball can do it again with the Chargers.
Speaker 8 (27:22):
Harball has the ability to get guys to rally behind him.
His energy, enthusiasm, everything that he brings is like when
he walks in the morning, you know what you're gonna get.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
He's always up beat.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
I mean, he's just the type of coach that knows
how to get guys going. He just has an ability
to be able to do that, and he figured it out,
and I think that's how he's been able to achieve
the ample amount of success that he's been able to
achieve both in college and the pros.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Repetition, motivation, relentlessness, positivity can beat schemes. I think that's
what Harball does. He's got real who's got it better
than us? Let's compete let's be relentless, get everything out
of every day. When I had dinner with the ing
Spanos name Drop, the owner of the Chargers, I said,
(28:11):
you know, he's a quirky personality, and he just said,
every part of Jim has been great. What he does
to our building, the positivity, the optimism, the energy he goes,
there's just no downside to it. You know, when you
when you when you hire a new employee, there are
always things, you know, especially a high profile one, there
are some things you know you're getting, and then there
(28:31):
are additional values that you maybe didn't predict. And I
think that's a lot of it with Hardball, is that
there's a lot of about Jim that you just don't
understand about him until you get him in the room,
and he really does change the temperature for all other employees.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Geez, if I close my eyes there, I thought you
were talking about me with all that.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Fussiness about how I change things. Well a change agent.
But yeah, I'm with you. I'm looking at the roster.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
The Church's roster, isn't remember they had like the best
roster in the league like two years ago.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
Yeah, they're not the best roster.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
No, Well they moved off a lot of skill people.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Yeah, I think they're gonna be Okay, I'm optimistic, but
there's a world where people just say, hey, we don't
trust your receivers.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Now, dare you to throw the ball justin Herbert and.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I think Harbaugh has always been willing to make moves.
I could see a trade deadline move or a camp
move wide receiver. There's no question. I mean he's he
added some additional running backs. They're good enough at tight end,
O line, they would Joe all. They improve. But I
do think I think they'll be I think they'll feel different.
I think you'll feel like last two years with Brandon Staley,
(29:41):
you felt like they were underachieving. I think you'll feel
like this team at some level is overachieving, but won't
have the fire power of other teams on the perimeter.
They're just they're not a special team on the perimeter.
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Yet.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
That's one more free agency period.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
And it felt like they would have to move off
Derwin James or Mac somebody on that defense, and they didn't.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
So I wonder if hardball says, listen for the scheme,
I want to do this. What we want to plan.
We've got the.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
Guy, So something's going on. I think they're one of
the most interesting teams in the league for sure, not
just Harball, but you know, the hype for Herbert. I
was bagging on Lamar earlier. At some point Herbert.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
We need to kind of see it, you know, like, well.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
This is his third head coach in this beast. So
I think I'm almost feel like I'm judging Herbert today
on I think he got blank slate four. Well, I
mean again, when you get Andy Reid is your first coach,
it's amazing how well it works. When you get Kyle
Shanahan or Sean McVay, it didn't work that way. He
(30:42):
got two coaches that one of them was very good guy,
another one was off putting, arrogant and over his skis
and a defensive coach. So I feel like today forward
is how well judge justin Herbert. Not everybody gets Andy.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Yeah, it's weird. I consider Herbert like a top five issue,
but we'll do.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
But then again, like I don't have questions about brock Perty.
I know you do, and a lot of people seem
too on the internet, but I have no issues with Perty.
I've seen him deliver in the playoffs, regular season, whatever.
Like he's a to me, I have no concerns. We've
seen some issues with Herbert, Like I mean they blew
a twenty seven three lead to.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Get or whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Well, remember he didn't play defense.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Well that's like the offense pulled. When did anything else?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
They scored twenty seven points on the road in the
playoff game. You sort of feel like your job is done? Well,
could you add a couple field goals? Maybe that was
a regressing defense. I mean that you can't put that
on Herbert.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
It's not on him. But the job's not done at
halftime of twenty seven any day.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
It's like the NBA, no score is safe, right, I mean, geez,
next up, Brandon and you Colin. This is gonna be
an issue for the Niners. He's a no show at
OTA so far. He's looking for a long term deal.
This is where it gets interesting. Reports indicate the sides
are not close, and Ayuk wants more money than Amara
Saint Brown's four years, one hundred and twenty million dollars.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Ayuk is set to make fourteen million this season.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
So he's looking to double his salary. I mean, we're all,
we're all looking to double our salary. But Brandon, come on, bro,
this is insane.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Well again, this is this is That's why the runway
for this Niner team. They really need their first round
receiver to hit. They really need it because if he does,
they can move off the more chronically injured depot and
keep Ayuk. Although you know Ayyuk is a down the
field receiver. I don't think that's brought purty specialty. I
(32:43):
think it's twenty yards an end.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Well. I know a lot of people say, oh, you
can move off Debo. I'm just saying the stuff I've
heard about that locker room is Debo and Trent Williams
run things in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
They are the Ouphis.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Everybody looks to them the first out on the field.
They're the ones hype in everybody up. You can't we
just move off Deebos. I think that would be a
horrendous idea. Now, Lynch and Shin I had.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
No the locker room better than anybody.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
But this idea that, oh, oh we got Ricky Pursall,
we don't get ready, I would just be.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
A little cautious.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
I'd be more concerned with Christian McCaffrey. I totaled it up, Colin.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
He had over four hundred touches on regular season and
playoffs last year, four and seventeen.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
No, it's like a pitcher who has two hundred and
eighty innings in back to back years. At some point
there's arm fatigue and can only take so many shots
of the running back.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
I know people hate the idea of load management in
the NBA.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
I want to load manage Christian mccafrey next year.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
Honestly, if he has to sit out a game, sorry,
fantasy guys, you're gonna need McAffrey in the Super Bowl
Final story Colin, this one is starting to get interesting.
Bronnie James NBA draft is what like four weeks away.
Well Sham's reports Bronnie has been invited by ten different
teams to pre draft workouts. He's declined all of them
(33:55):
except for two, the Suns and the Lakers. The Sons
have the twenty second pick. Colin, guy average four points
a game in college. He's declining invites.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Left and right.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Don't love it.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Well, something's going on. Does he have a promise from
the Suns or Lakers?
Speaker 1 (34:14):
That's what it feels like. So I mean he's a
late second round pick, so it's you know, fifty to
fifth pick.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
So he's basically pulling the thank you for your invite utah,
and ormal doesn't.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
It doesn't make him terribly likable, so he's already got
his dad's brand hovering over it.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
If you're a top ten guy, yeah, I get it.
Decline the invites anyone outside the lottery.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Well, I mean some guys don't go to the NFL combine.
I get it, But I think if I was brawny,
i'd want to make the league. I still contend. I
read somebody on the internet. I apologize for not remembering
what it was, but they watched his combine and they
said that jump shot is just too slow. If it's
six four sixty five, it's an advantage. It's six foot
(34:58):
and a half, that jumper is two slow. He speeds
it up, or he's not an NBA player.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
To be clear, I'm rooting for him. I think he
is going to be in the league. I think he
could be easily a ten year But it.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Does feel like entitlement. This. I mean, I tend to
be a Lebron supporter. This feels like entitlement. I don't
like this. This would be like, this would be like
a six round wide receiver in the NFL saying, combine
talk to the hand. It's like, dude, you're you're a
six round Yeah, I don't care who Dad is. You're
a six round wide receiver in a good draft. Brownie's
(35:28):
not draftable currently in a good draft.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
This is a devil's advocate.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
Bronnie goes to these private workouts and teams are looking
to kind of expose him. Hey, well we want you
to play this guy one on one. Bronnie gets smoked.
Then it goes to the media, lebron Kid got destroyed
v workout.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
So not a lot of people would would they let
that out.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
There's still a lot of people in the gym, you know,
like this NBA draft stuff is political. I feel like
I'm gonna I gotta fire off some Texas of people
who might have that idea what's going on here? But
Dick Declining invites if.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
You're bronnying, not only declining, just saying two teams get
my services. That feels like something's.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
Like you remember poor Zingis when he was coming into
the draft. The Sixers wanted him and he was like,
I'm not giving you my medicals.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
We're not don't draft me. I don't want to go there.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
They passed the Nicks end up getting it like I
can get that. If you're like a top ten pick,
you want to kind of steer things bron It's not
like he's got a million options here.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
He's not a top thirty five pick.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
Why something's going on?
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Every team in the legal pass on them once, most twice.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Man Sons have the twenty second pick, maybe KD.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
I don't know what's going on.
Speaker 5 (36:39):
It should be a thing that we could get Lebron
if we get Bronny out, I don't see how they
could afford that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
But further record, let me just you know, I don't
do conspiracy.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yes, yes, let's put the tinfoil hat on.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Lebron. This gets leaked by somebody. Why did the Sun
end up in that leak? Certainly benefits lebron.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Leverage at the Lakers for the contract.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Somebody leaks this. I'm not pointing fingers at who, but
why did the Sons end up on that list of
two teams a place that has shown interest in Lebron.
I've got two leaks between somebody with the last name James,
and the sons, the son and Dad. It feels like
something the hell.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
They have three guys taking up all their cap How
can they afford Lebron? Could they get off get off Beils?
He has a no trade bial you want to go
to La I.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Believe he has a house out here with some.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Lebron's not gonna go to Phoenix. That's nonsense anyway, in
La Phoenix just isn't enough.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Are you going Phoenix behind the Lakers in the West.
Speaker 5 (37:51):
That's a legitimate question. Lakers went to the conference finals
last year. They at least got one off Denver this year.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
I was wrong on two teams all year in the NBA,
Allison Phoenix. I was too high on Phoenix and too
low on Ballas. So my opinion is not redeemable on either.
I'm just trying to course correct on the MAVs. Jmack
with the news, Well that's the news, and thanks for
stopping by.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
The Herdline News.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
For hot water that never runs out, go to tanklessmade
Simple dot Com Navvyan tankless water heaters with a fifteen
year limited warranty.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 9 (38:40):
Five all happening in only one place. This League Uncut,
the new NBA podcast with Me, Chris Haynes and Me.
Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound
on everything we're covering. Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 9 (38:59):
On the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
Ten News this weekend on Fox.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
In a regular season finale Saturday, in a playoff preview,
San Antonio Bramas take on the Stlewis.
Speaker 4 (39:12):
Battle Hawks at fort Eastern.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
Then on Sunday the Houston Roughnecks Battle of Memphis Showboats
at seven.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
It all kicks off on Fox and the Fox Sports Act.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Spend a lot of time on Bill Walton. It's so
rare when you get a great player who becomes a
great broadcaster Charles Barkley, or a great coach who becomes
a great broadcaster John Madden. Bill Walton was both. Bill
was so unique. Nick Wright earlier today about the injuries
(39:44):
and what could have been with Bill Walton's already great career.
Speaker 7 (39:49):
He's one of the reasons why when Damian Lillard left
the Portland Trailblazers and every story was written as greatest
Blazer ever, Like you've got to be kidding me, Like
Bill Walton played for them, and not to mention Clyde Drexler.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
No, he and he was.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
He more so than Grant Hill, more so than Tracy McGrady,
more so than Derek Rose. He is the biggest what
if he stayed healthy in NBA history is Bill Walton.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Almost almost all players suffer injuries, even the great ones.
Some it's not even a footnote in their career with
Brady or Michael Jordan. But Walton it was the opposite.
It was just early in his career in Portland, and
it just it seemed like I can remember seeing Walton
at multiple broadcasts during NBA games and I would be
(40:42):
in the arena and just how much difficulty he had
walking around the arena. He had such intense back pain
at some point in his life that he did contemplate suicide.
I read that yesterday, and I think I'd read that previously,
but it just a lot of chronic pain and chronic injuries,
but again, just such a redeemable personality and redeemable life.
(41:04):
And I think it is more than just a footnote
that he was the opposite of stick to sports. And
though many are honoring and celebrating his personality today, if
he entered the sports spectrum today, the galaxy, whether it's
college or pro, many would not view him favorably, which
I think speaks poorly of us, not of Bill Walton.
(41:27):
But I just I love watching I love so much
watching that seventy six er Blazer highlights because that's, you know,
for me selfishly, that's where I started watching basketball in
the seventies, and those seventy six ers teams and Bobby
Jones and George McGinnis and Steve Mix and doctor j
and I think Moe Cheeks was around me. And then
(41:50):
for the Blazers it was Lionel Hollins and Dave towards
It and Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas. Dennis Autry may
have been around Steals at Henry Steele may have gotten
that wrong, Jeff Petree. That was my formative years as
I was grown up with NBA basketball and falling in
love with I collected basketball cards. I had some baseball cards,
(42:12):
but I was more into basketball cards. And I don't
know why, just the personalities and and uh, I think
the Wilt was the first legend. Doctor j was my
favorite player, and the first real quirky personality was Bill Walton,
the late and great Bill Walton. So our final hours
coming up, Logan, Ryan, what a pleasure we get him
(42:32):
in studio today. One of the smartest guys, most thoughtful
NFL guys that's been around. I hope he pivots into
a broadcasting career and maybe you take a couple of
days off here. I can just slide him right in,
all right,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Foxsports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Welcome in our two live in Los Angeles. It's the Hurd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thank you for making us part of your team your day. Yeah,
I was thinking about this. I've never had a bad
show when I'm on Red Bull. I hear a lot
of things about ah, be careful about Red Bull. I've
(00:49):
never read an obituary. Guy drank too much red Bull.
Never read that change smoking trouble, bungee jumping, dune, buggy
turns over. The parachute doesn't open a lot of ways
to kick it. I've never read an obituary. Sam loved
Red Bull. He drank one too many, hard exploded. So
I'm on Red Bull right now. I'd run through a wall.
(01:12):
I feel like I am powerful and dynamic. I'm aunt
edwards just a little more consistent with my jumper.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
A lot of energy.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Right now feels like this show's heading off the rails.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
I'll just say much of my early years in college,
Red Bull in vodka was like the go to staple
drink because you know, if you're looking to get inebriated
pretty quickly, red Bull and vodka will do the trick. Yeah, yeah,
they go down like nothing. Red Bull ain't healthy. I
haven't had one of like fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You know what, I'll be honest with you. You used
to have a lot more energy I gotta save.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I'm like Leo nel MESSI conserving my energy on the
pitch and then strike when I need to.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
To get the goal.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Okay, well it's about time to strike. I'm not sure
I've ever learned less about a team than I did
about the Boston Celtics in this playoff. And I'm not
blaming them. They're human. They're much better than all these teams.
We've had thirteen playoff series, three sweeps, three gentlemen sweeps,
and probably another tonight, meaning seven of thirteen will be
(02:11):
sweeps or gentlemen sweeps over half. So I was thinking
about this. The two easiest ways to win a Chip
in the NBA. Number One, you know you're part of
a great dynasty, a collective. Now, they're hard to build,
but once you build them, you have great talent. Even
a star can have an off night. And the second
easiest way is as an underdog with no pressure and
(02:32):
you catch everybody by surprise. They're raptors in Kawhi, Dirk
and the MAVs. The Celtics are neither. I don't think
they feel like a dynasty. They're too quirky. They lose
too many home games against sometimes inferior teams, and they're
significant favorites. Draft kings are minus two twenty five, so
(02:54):
they're not sneaking up on anybody. And I also think
they have mounting pressure. This year. They were twenty three
and seven against the West, so we know they're good.
They dominated the East in the regular season and the playoffs,
so we know they're dominant in the East. They were
also very good in the West. They have the deepest
roster in the NBA, in my opinion, the most offensively
(03:15):
skilled roster in the NBA. The Western teams that were
only getting better. And what's interesting is if they lose
this year to the Mavericks and that's certainly possible. What's
the pressure going to be like next year? Because Tatum's
going to sign the max deal, Brown's already got one.
There's gonna be real limitations on what this team can
(03:35):
do with their roster, so they're better to get it now.
We've already seen them fold as a younger version of
this duo against the Warriors. If they folded again against
the more mature team, right, they folded against the Warriors,
and we kind of said, well, it's Stephan is the Warriors,
(03:55):
but what if they fold again against Dallas? What is
next year with the Tarmacs gonna be? Like? So I
think it is this Celtics duo. You kind of gave
him a little bit of a pass losing the staff
and Draymond and Clay and Steve Kurry gave him a
little bit of an emotional pass. Not quite ready like
(04:15):
we view and now not quite ready but jos wait, well,
the just waiting's over. They're the heavy favorite. This duo
has been around a lot longer than Luca and Kyrie.
Here's Jalen Brown.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
We feel like we're a different team than we were
last year and the year before that, and everybody wants
to continue to kind of pigeonhold us to what we
happened in the past. But we've had a different team
every single year, different coaches. We've had like three coaches
in the last five years, and still people want to,
you know, just make it seem like it's the same.
It's the same, it's the same. Time has gone by,
(04:49):
experience has been gained, and I think we are ready
to put our best for four.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
It is interesting, though they are very much symbolic of
the current NBA. Jason and I are not big romanticizers
of the past. You can go back to the thirty
for thirties on the Reggie Miller Pacers. He was the
only guy on that team that could shoot a jumper,
you know. Or you go back to the Knicks where
they tackled people, but nobody, even John Starks wasn't a great,
you know, natural, elite consistent shooter. You start looking, I mean,
(05:17):
just think about the top ten players in a Mavericks
Celtics final. If Lucas won, Tatum's two, Jalen Brown three,
he's more consistent than Kyrie four, Derek White five, Porzingis six.
I mean, then you start getting into Drew Holiday seven, PJ.
Washington eight, Lively, maybe nine, al hor Al Horford had
(05:42):
twenty some points the other night. Al Horford is a
very dependable big offensively at least, so you're talking about
that that the offensive skill in this final is going
to be absolutely sensational if Porzingis plays. I think they're
a little bit the opposite of the team Wolves. Dallas
didn't match up great with Denver, they match up very
(06:04):
well with Minnesota. Minnesota in half court offense is awful consistently.
Boston is sometimes engaged, sometimes not on the defensive end,
but they're almost always good enough offensively to win a game.
So a lot of times Dallas just let Minnesota fumble
(06:25):
over themselves offensively. Boston doesn't do that. Now, if Porzingis
isn't healthy, Dallas could pick and roll him to death.
But my guess is this is the time a deeper
offensive roster, not as reliant on one or two guys.
But historically the two best closers in a series, Shaq
(06:46):
and Kobe, win the series with that. Nick Wright joins
us live. I will say this, you have been I
think I have questioned at times Tatum. You at times
have questioned the Celtics. I said this earlier that history
tells me the alpha wins, whether it's Mahomes in the
(07:07):
fourth quarter, Brady Lebron, Steph, Kobe, mj the Celtics are
more collaborative, They're more twenty twenty four basketball. Is that
sometimes Tatum floats, he's off ball, he doesn't have usage.
And I say to myself, this final is a classic
matchup of modern collaborative basketball and a little old school
(07:28):
Luca Kyrie, Give me the ball, get out of the way,
set me a screen. Do you have a strong opinion
about this series going into it when the MAVs finish
off the te Wolves.
Speaker 7 (07:38):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm biased because going into the playoffs,
I think I was probably one of the only people
in the country that was picking the MAVs to win
the championship. And so yeah, I like how the MAVs
look and I like that they're getting healthy. I know
Lively is out, but they're going to be getting Lively's
out right now, but he should be back for the finals.
They could be getting Maxi Kleeba, who was a big
(08:00):
loss for them.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
They just haven't shown that back as well.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
And your point about going with the alpha is the
best player in the series does not always win. But
if the best player, if you're going to overcome the
other team having the best player, you need to have
a legendary or at least legendary adjacent team, or the
(08:24):
other team needs to be going through significant injury issues
or turmoil. And so the Celtics have the resume of
a legendary team. They have the point differential of one
of the ten best teams ever, they have the record
of one of the fifteen best teams.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Ever. I don't see that when I watch them, yea.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
And maybe part of that is because all of the
teams that are on those lists have a guy who
is a guaranteed statue in front of the arena when
the moment he's done playing guy, and this Celtics team
does not have that. They have a Hall of Famer
in Jason Tatum, an awesome number two in Jalen Brown,
(09:07):
and obviously a very well constructed roster and maybe the
best starting five in basketball. But as you and I
have discussed previously, if Jason Tatum is the sixth or
seventh best player in the league, NBA history tells us
typically that doesn't win the championship in the last forty years.
(09:29):
The only teams to win the championship with the sixth
or seventh best player in the league as their best
player are the four Pistons, where you had the Lakers
lose their entire wing, not wing pardoning, power forward rotation
to injury and they were clearly sick of each other.
The eight Celtics that did it with KG Ray, Allen,
(09:53):
Paul Piers, three awesome players but none best player in
the league level beating Kobe when he was on that line,
and the twenty eleven MAVs those would be the examples,
and the twenty eleven MAVs we attribute to Lebron melting
down as people call it in that series. That's the
entire list of the last forty years. Every other champion
(10:14):
has had a guy like Luca, a guy who is
going to be in the top twenty at a minimum
all time discussion. So that is my hang up with Boston,
and Boston's gaudy record against three middling teams, with all
of which without their best player for part or all
of the series, was not enough to sway me from
(10:36):
that initially.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you know, it's interesting and maybe I shouldn't juxtapose this,
but it just popped into my head. We celebrated and
honored the very unique, outspoken Bill Walton in his passing
yesterday anti war, anti establishment, never anti social sit ins
politically at UCLA, and we celebrated it. Kyrie Irving similarly
(11:03):
pushback on our government in a vaccine. I may disagree
with him strongly and agree with Walton's stance on the
Vietnam War extensively, but it is interesting is that the
NBA has always been the sport that allows for some
social opinion, and there was almost no market for Kyrie
Irving out of Brooklyn. And in retrospect, is that fair?
(11:28):
Is that fair because he took a stance many did
on the vaccine? The Boston thing didn't work, but let's
be honest, not every start to a new team works
in the history of the league. Michael Jordan ran through coaches.
He just stayed in Chicago. What is your view, not
today on Kyrie because it's working, but sort of going
into Dallas, how did you what was your opinion on
(11:50):
how it would work and his career pre this.
Speaker 7 (11:55):
So listen, I have a I don't even know if
it's an just in my opinion so much as I
have new information. The MAVs were my pick to win
the title last season, and then they traded for Kyrie,
and I was so down on it. I said, well,
now they can't win the title because Kyrie had been
(12:15):
a negative when it came to winning for six consecutive years.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That is not who he is now.
Speaker 7 (12:23):
So I think the fair reading of Kyrie's history, if
I may this will take a moment. Is this Kyrie,
before Lebron got to Cleveland hadn't been a part of winning.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Basketball at the professional level.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
He gets to Cleveland, they have this dynamic partnership that
seems to work brilliantly and beautifully.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
In the press conference after.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
The final game they play together in the finals in
twenty seventeen, Kyrie says, basically, put some respect on Lebron
James's name. He just averaged a triple double in these finals.
I can't wait to continue play, play with and learning
from him. Before they set foot on a court together again,
he reportedly said, I so badly don't want.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
To be here. I will have knee surgery if you
don't trade me.
Speaker 7 (13:12):
So that seemed to be a very quick sweat you know,
kind of flip of the pendulum out of nowhere. He
then gets to Boston and it flatly does not work.
His first year there, he's oddly not on the bench
for their playoffs when he's hurt. His second year there,
he demands to guard Giannis in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And they get cooked.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
He then he releases a commercial saying I hope to
be here forever, then demands another trade in that timeframe right,
he scolds the media for saying, how dare you say
Kevin Durant and I were plotting to get together in
that hallway at the All Star Game?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
It was just two friends talking.
Speaker 7 (13:49):
When it turns out they were exactly doing what he
said they weren't doing. Gets to Brooklyn, says, we don't
need a coach, We're all coaches. Steve Nash's co coach.
That doesn't work out. While in Brooklyn. Yes, the vaccine,
but then also the very odd stubbornness about not backing
down about that documentary that he promoted that to this day,
(14:11):
I don't think he actually watched, and I don't think
he believes those awful things that were in that documentary.
I just think he felt boxed in and was like,
I'm not gonna apologize because that's not who I am.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So all of that was the data we had.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
About a player who had dealt with injuries, who hadn't
been a part of winning outside of the three years
with Lebron.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
That's the data we had.
Speaker 7 (14:32):
The data we have since then is getting to Dallas,
teaming up with Jason Kidd, the relationship with Luca, and
his own personal maturation and evolution as a person on
and off the court. You are getting the very best
version of Kyrie Urva, a socially conscious, thoughtful, good hearted
(14:53):
guy who is not letting so much of the other
stuff kind of tear him off the basketball court.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, and when you have.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
That version of Kyrie Colin, he's one of the most
dynamic under six foot four players in league history. And
so I have massive respect for what Kyrie's done. I
have massive respect for Kyrie Irving kind of finding in
the public guy who he wants to be. And the
Kyrie Irving the basketball player when he's been available has
(15:22):
always been special to watch. And so yeah, this is
a you know, into his thirties kind of evolution and reinvention,
and of course he deserves enormous credit for that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. The first
team I fell in love with was probably in my region,
was maybe the Masonics, and then it was the Blazer's
the seventies that was very kind to the Pacific Northwest downtown
Freddie Brown, Jack Sick, MCCUs, Williams, Into, Bill Walton, Jeff Petree,
(15:54):
Dave towards It, all that stuff, Jack Ramsey the legendary coach,
but the league was not televised to the love is today.
I live between equidistant between Seattle and Portland, but I
was in Washington State, so I got sonic stuff. But
I would occasionally hear Bill Shanley, the Portland radio announcer,
who was much more colorful than the Seattle broadcaster. And
Walton was this nineteen seventy four, seventy five, seventy six.
(16:16):
He was this quirky figure, mythological almost because you didn't
see him in the regular season. You just heard about
this hippie in Portland where nobody could stop. And you'd
seen him in college. So this is the really the
beginning of me watching television in the early seventies. And
he was against the war and outspoken and iconoclastic and
(16:37):
all this stuff I said this morning. I believe he's
several generations ahead of his time, not one that he
was jokicch but a better defender fifty years ago. Is
that if the injuries didn't plake place. And this is hyperbolic,
perhaps we would say is the second best center ever
to Kareem. He would never score like Kareem, but the
(16:59):
second best center ever.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Oh, I think that's legit.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
You think so too, Go ahead, I'm sorry, I just
think I think he was on that track. Yeah, I
just listen if I may about because you and I
have oddly different formative experiences with Bill Walton, which I'll
get to, but his playing career I saw none of.
But because I consider myself a bit of an NBA
historian basketball historian, what.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Should be noted is this.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
If you ask someone who is the greatest college basketball
player of all time and they give any answer other
than Leuel Sinder or Bill Walton, they're wrong, right, Those
are the only two eligible answers. Bill Walton did not
lose a basketball game from the middle of his junior
(17:45):
year of high school until the middle of his middle
of his senior year of college.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
He had an eighty eight game collegiate winning streak.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
He was the most outstanding player in back to back
final fours. He played arguably the greatest game ever, the
twenty one twenty two to forty four points. He then
in the National Championship Game. He then walks into the
league and in nineteen seventy seven is the best player
on the champion beating Kareem and then beating Doctor J
(18:14):
when Doctor J might have been the best player in
the world. The next year is the NBA MVP, and
he breaks his foot and the career is never the same.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
So my experience with Bill.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
Walton, Colin and I don't think I've ever told you
this is and you'll laugh at me when you'll laugh
when I tell you this. When I was a little
kid and I told people what I wanted to do
when I grew up, I wanted to be Bill Walton
because I didn't know that to be the color commentator
(18:46):
you needed to either play or coach. But what he
did on the NBC broadcast with Steve Snapper Jones, I
thought was the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
And it is part of me falling in love with
basket ball.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
He's the soundtrack of it, and I'm sad that I
never once got to cross pass with him to tell
him this anecdote. I remember vividly being a little kid
watching the NBA Playoffs, watching a Bulls game, and my
mom's saying, like seeing a look on my face that
I was upset, and she was like, what's wrong? And
(19:21):
I'm like, man, Steve Jones is being so mean to
Bill again, because I didn't know they were like good
friends and they were always giving each other a hard time.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And so he is.
Speaker 7 (19:33):
And for his broadcasting career, the stories that he has,
the stances that he took that were dangerous and risky,
and he stayed true to himself. And oh yeah, by
the way, was the greatest passing big man ever until Jokic,
and maybe including Jokic. A legendary life and a legendary career.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Yeah, it's he was so perfectly connected to the Pacific Northwest,
you know, which when I grew up in the Pacific Northwest,
it's grainy, it's it's a it's got you know, it's
it's a little counter culture, you know what I mean.
There's no question he grew up in California, which has
always been left of center in America, and then he
went up to the Pacific Northwest. That's the only place
(20:16):
more left the California. Yeah, yeah, and uh. And then
he got Jack Ramsey, one of the great teachers. I mean,
can you imagine that your two coaches, he may have
literally had the perfect coaches. John Wooden, the ultimate teacher
who kind of brought him back on the fairway Bill
(20:37):
could get a little sideways, brought him back on the fairway.
And then Jack Ramsey, who was always from his dress,
Jack Ramsey legendary for these wild like disco pants that
Jack Ramsey kind of leaned in to the unique personality
of Bill and the pro game's always been a little
bit more about the player than the coach. But it's
(20:57):
fascinating that Walton loved both the restrictive mentor in college,
the conservative mentor, and then the colorful NBA coach. And
it shows the dexterity of his personality that they both
loved him, and he loved both. It would be like
going Andy Reid to Belichick and you got along with both.
(21:19):
And I just I think that's speak well.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Of one hundred percent.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
And then the one other kind of final act of
his playing career. He wins sixth Man of the Year
for what a lot of people consider the greatest team ever,
the nineteen eighty six Celtic.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yes, great and adds, you know, and.
Speaker 7 (21:38):
Finds a way to fit in with that very unique
culture absolutely seamlessly. This is you and I talked about
this a couple of weeks ago, oddly on your podcast,
that he's one of the reasons why when Damian Lillard
left the Portland Trailblazers and every story written was written
as greatest Blazer ever. I was like, you've got to
(22:00):
be kidding me, Like Bill Walton played for them, and
not to mention Clyde Drexler.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
No, he and he was.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
He more so than Grant Hill, more so than Tracy McGrady,
more so than Derrick Rose. He is the biggest what
if he stayed healthy?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, in NBA history is Bill? Wait, Yeah, that's a
great way to put it in the history. And I'm
trying to think, you know, Roberto Clemena and baseball the
plane crash. Sure, I didn't grow up with Roberto Clementy,
although I love those Pirates teams that were extended beyond
him for years and years and years. But I think
people look at Roberto Clemeny and go, oh, that would
have been maybe the greatest player of all time. And
(22:39):
we've seen this with musical stars who have either taken
their life or there have been tragedies beyond their control.
But I think in sports it's very rare that you
have an athlete and everybody summarily agrees, oh god, if
he would have been healthy, and nobody fights it. Like
every basketball historians like, yeah, Like he was twenty one
(23:00):
to twenty two against Memphis in a national championship game,
twenty one of twenty two to.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Go by the way, by the way after that was
after being undefeated on the freshman team and to finish
his second straight undefeated year for the you know, the
varsity team at UCLA. He had never lost a game,
was going for his second straight title.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Was twenty one of twenty two.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
Yeah, there is a The other athlete that comes to mind,
I guess would be Bo Jackson, where people are like, oh, man,
what would have been? But Walton absolutely was on that level,
and that to me is a testament to the beauty
of his spirit.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And I'm really glad we're spending the time on this.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
Is that he didn't become bitter or jaded because of that.
He and instead transitioned to Okay, I'll make the most
of what's left of my NBA career and then be associated.
He went from calling the NBA Finals to doing PAC
twelve after dark and every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah, and so God bless him and his friends and family.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I went back yesterday and watched thirty thirty five minutes
of Old Blazer and U anything I could get my
hands on. He was on the Clippers, and I'm glad
you gave them credit. The best iteration of that Celtics
team could have very well been the eighty six team,
and he was. I mean, it's just Walton was just
(24:25):
a phenomenal player. And you know, the only positive that
ever comes out of a sudden death or one that
surprises us is that it becomes a history lesson. And
Walton is teaching us so much about getting along, viewing
the world, willing to compromise your own goals, sacrificing for others.
(24:47):
Bill's a bit of a walking history lesson. And when
the more you read about him, the better person you
want to be. Like I read things on Bill yesterday,
I'm like you know, I got to be better at that.
I got to be a better teammate. And I think
that's a great acknowledgment of Bill, is that you read
things about him and think I need to be a
little better person.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And he might be, and I know, we got to go.
He might be the.
Speaker 7 (25:11):
Main character or he is the main character of what
might be the greatest sports book ever written, Breaks of
the Game by Tom Howard Sam And so if people
want to kind of they followed the seventy seven Blazers
around for a year and Walton's at the center of that.
And so now, I mean, goodness, that's a you know,
almost a fifty year old book at this point, but
I don't know that any sports books ever topped it.
(25:33):
It's definitely worth people's time if they want to know
more about that era of basketball.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And also Bill Walton in that Blazer.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
You give that book one more pop because I'm gonna
buy it on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
What's it called, oh, Breaks of the Game? Breaks of
the Game.
Speaker 7 (25:44):
I mean, it's probably the most famous sports book of
the at least I don't know man pre Friday Night
Lights maybe ever. Breaks of the Game by Tom Howers.
How I'm gonna mispronounce the name Havershram. Pardon me is
probably the greatest sports book ever written.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah there you go, free.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Plug Hey great, see anybody?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah you too, see you letter co all right.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Luxury SUVs now come with a luxury of choice. Mercedes
Benz has gas electric plug in hybrid offerings. Learn more
about the E class SUVs your local dealer at mbusa
dot com Slash special offers.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
One more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Hi stand corrected by my staff. Roberto Clemente's life was
cut short, but it was late thirties, so he had
a fully formed career over three thousand hits. But Bill
Walton is one of those great athletes that we saw
his greatness in high school, college and pro we did
obviously back then. He didn't see much of his lamesa
high school stuff, but you saw his greatness. It was
reduced because of injuries, but what a gift. He continued
(26:50):
to be throughout his life as a broadcaster and is
just a really interesting human. And Jmack with a news.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
No No, turn on the news. This is he's a
herd line.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
News from one interesting human to another. Let's go to
Jim Harball entering his first season. Yeah, with the Chargers'
high expectations, but this isn't the first time he's good
to turn around in an NFL franchise.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Remember he went to San Francisco turned that around.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Vernon Davis played under Harball when he was with the
Niners and believes Harball can do it again with the Chargers.
Speaker 8 (27:22):
Harball has the ability to get guys to rally behind him.
His energy, enthusiasm, everything that he brings is like when
he walks in the morning, you know what you're gonna get.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
He's always up beat.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
I mean, he's just the type of coach that knows
how to get guys going. He just has an ability
to be able to do that, and he figured it out,
and I think that's how he's been able to achieve
the ample amount of success that he's been able to
achieve both in college and the pros.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Repetition, motivation, relentlessness, positivity can beat schemes. I think that's
what Harball does. He's got real who's got it better
than us? Let's compete let's be relentless, get everything out
of every day. When I had dinner with the ing
Spanos name Drop, the owner of the Chargers, I said,
(28:11):
you know, he's a quirky personality, and he just said,
every part of Jim has been great. What he does
to our building, the positivity, the optimism, the energy he goes,
there's just no downside to it. You know, when you
when you when you hire a new employee, there are
always things, you know, especially a high profile one, there
are some things you know you're getting, and then there
(28:31):
are additional values that you maybe didn't predict. And I
think that's a lot of it with Hardball, is that
there's a lot of about Jim that you just don't
understand about him until you get him in the room,
and he really does change the temperature for all other employees.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Geez, if I close my eyes there, I thought you
were talking about me with all that.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Fussiness about how I change things. Well a change agent.
But yeah, I'm with you. I'm looking at the roster.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
The Church's roster, isn't remember they had like the best
roster in the league like two years ago.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
Yeah, they're not the best roster.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
No, Well they moved off a lot of skill people.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Yeah, I think they're gonna be Okay, I'm optimistic, but
there's a world where people just say, hey, we don't
trust your receivers.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Now, dare you to throw the ball justin Herbert and.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I think Harbaugh has always been willing to make moves.
I could see a trade deadline move or a camp
move wide receiver. There's no question. I mean he's he
added some additional running backs. They're good enough at tight end,
O line, they would Joe all. They improve. But I
do think I think they'll be I think they'll feel different.
I think you'll feel like last two years with Brandon Staley,
(29:41):
you felt like they were underachieving. I think you'll feel
like this team at some level is overachieving, but won't
have the fire power of other teams on the perimeter.
They're just they're not a special team on the perimeter.
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Yet.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
That's one more free agency period.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
And it felt like they would have to move off
Derwin James or Mac somebody on that defense, and they didn't.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
So I wonder if hardball says, listen for the scheme,
I want to do this. What we want to plan.
We've got the.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
Guy, So something's going on. I think they're one of
the most interesting teams in the league for sure, not
just Harball, but you know, the hype for Herbert. I
was bagging on Lamar earlier. At some point Herbert.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
We need to kind of see it, you know, like, well.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
This is his third head coach in this beast. So
I think I'm almost feel like I'm judging Herbert today
on I think he got blank slate four. Well, I
mean again, when you get Andy Reid is your first coach,
it's amazing how well it works. When you get Kyle
Shanahan or Sean McVay, it didn't work that way. He
(30:42):
got two coaches that one of them was very good guy,
another one was off putting, arrogant and over his skis
and a defensive coach. So I feel like today forward
is how well judge justin Herbert. Not everybody gets Andy.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Yeah, it's weird. I consider Herbert like a top five issue,
but we'll do.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
But then again, like I don't have questions about brock Perty.
I know you do, and a lot of people seem
too on the internet, but I have no issues with Perty.
I've seen him deliver in the playoffs, regular season, whatever.
Like he's a to me, I have no concerns. We've
seen some issues with Herbert, Like I mean they blew
a twenty seven three lead to.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Get or whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Well, remember he didn't play defense.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Well that's like the offense pulled. When did anything else?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
They scored twenty seven points on the road in the
playoff game. You sort of feel like your job is done? Well,
could you add a couple field goals? Maybe that was
a regressing defense. I mean that you can't put that
on Herbert.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
It's not on him. But the job's not done at
halftime of twenty seven any day.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
It's like the NBA, no score is safe, right, I mean, geez,
next up, Brandon and you Colin. This is gonna be
an issue for the Niners. He's a no show at
OTA so far. He's looking for a long term deal.
This is where it gets interesting. Reports indicate the sides
are not close, and Ayuk wants more money than Amara
Saint Brown's four years, one hundred and twenty million dollars.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Ayuk is set to make fourteen million this season.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
So he's looking to double his salary. I mean, we're all,
we're all looking to double our salary. But Brandon, come on, bro,
this is insane.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Well again, this is this is That's why the runway
for this Niner team. They really need their first round
receiver to hit. They really need it because if he does,
they can move off the more chronically injured depot and
keep Ayuk. Although you know Ayyuk is a down the
field receiver. I don't think that's brought purty specialty. I
(32:43):
think it's twenty yards an end.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Well. I know a lot of people say, oh, you
can move off Debo. I'm just saying the stuff I've
heard about that locker room is Debo and Trent Williams
run things in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
They are the Ouphis.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Everybody looks to them the first out on the field.
They're the ones hype in everybody up. You can't we
just move off Deebos. I think that would be a
horrendous idea. Now, Lynch and Shin I had.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
No the locker room better than anybody.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
But this idea that, oh, oh we got Ricky Pursall,
we don't get ready, I would just be.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
A little cautious.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
I'd be more concerned with Christian McCaffrey. I totaled it up, Colin.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
He had over four hundred touches on regular season and
playoffs last year, four and seventeen.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
No, it's like a pitcher who has two hundred and
eighty innings in back to back years. At some point
there's arm fatigue and can only take so many shots
of the running back.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
I know people hate the idea of load management in
the NBA.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
I want to load manage Christian mccafrey next year.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
Honestly, if he has to sit out a game, sorry,
fantasy guys, you're gonna need McAffrey in the Super Bowl
Final story Colin, this one is starting to get interesting.
Bronnie James NBA draft is what like four weeks away.
Well Sham's reports Bronnie has been invited by ten different
teams to pre draft workouts. He's declined all of them
(33:55):
except for two, the Suns and the Lakers. The Sons
have the twenty second pick. Colin, guy average four points
a game in college. He's declining invites.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Left and right.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Don't love it.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Well, something's going on. Does he have a promise from
the Suns or Lakers?
Speaker 1 (34:14):
That's what it feels like. So I mean he's a
late second round pick, so it's you know, fifty to
fifth pick.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
So he's basically pulling the thank you for your invite utah,
and ormal doesn't.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
It doesn't make him terribly likable, so he's already got
his dad's brand hovering over it.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
If you're a top ten guy, yeah, I get it.
Decline the invites anyone outside the lottery.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Well, I mean some guys don't go to the NFL combine.
I get it, But I think if I was brawny,
i'd want to make the league. I still contend. I
read somebody on the internet. I apologize for not remembering
what it was, but they watched his combine and they
said that jump shot is just too slow. If it's
six four sixty five, it's an advantage. It's six foot
(34:58):
and a half, that jumper is two slow. He speeds
it up, or he's not an NBA player.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
To be clear, I'm rooting for him. I think he
is going to be in the league. I think he
could be easily a ten year But it.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Does feel like entitlement. This. I mean, I tend to
be a Lebron supporter. This feels like entitlement. I don't
like this. This would be like, this would be like
a six round wide receiver in the NFL saying, combine
talk to the hand. It's like, dude, you're you're a
six round Yeah, I don't care who Dad is. You're
a six round wide receiver in a good draft. Brownie's
(35:28):
not draftable currently in a good draft.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
This is a devil's advocate.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
Bronnie goes to these private workouts and teams are looking
to kind of expose him. Hey, well we want you
to play this guy one on one. Bronnie gets smoked.
Then it goes to the media, lebron Kid got destroyed
v workout.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
So not a lot of people would would they let
that out.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
There's still a lot of people in the gym, you know,
like this NBA draft stuff is political. I feel like
I'm gonna I gotta fire off some Texas of people
who might have that idea what's going on here? But
Dick Declining invites if.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
You're bronnying, not only declining, just saying two teams get
my services. That feels like something's.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
Like you remember poor Zingis when he was coming into
the draft. The Sixers wanted him and he was like,
I'm not giving you my medicals.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
We're not don't draft me. I don't want to go there.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
They passed the Nicks end up getting it like I
can get that. If you're like a top ten pick,
you want to kind of steer things bron It's not
like he's got a million options here.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
He's not a top thirty five pick.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
Why something's going on?
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Every team in the legal pass on them once, most twice.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Man Sons have the twenty second pick, maybe KD.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
I don't know what's going on.
Speaker 5 (36:39):
It should be a thing that we could get Lebron
if we get Bronny out, I don't see how they
could afford that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
But further record, let me just you know, I don't
do conspiracy.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yes, yes, let's put the tinfoil hat on.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Lebron. This gets leaked by somebody. Why did the Sun
end up in that leak? Certainly benefits lebron.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Leverage at the Lakers for the contract.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Somebody leaks this. I'm not pointing fingers at who, but
why did the Sons end up on that list of
two teams a place that has shown interest in Lebron.
I've got two leaks between somebody with the last name James,
and the sons, the son and Dad. It feels like
something the hell.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
They have three guys taking up all their cap How
can they afford Lebron? Could they get off get off Beils?
He has a no trade bial you want to go
to La I.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Believe he has a house out here with some.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Lebron's not gonna go to Phoenix. That's nonsense anyway, in
La Phoenix just isn't enough.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Are you going Phoenix behind the Lakers in the West.
Speaker 5 (37:51):
That's a legitimate question. Lakers went to the conference finals
last year. They at least got one off Denver this year.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
I was wrong on two teams all year in the NBA,
Allison Phoenix. I was too high on Phoenix and too
low on Ballas. So my opinion is not redeemable on either.
I'm just trying to course correct on the MAVs. Jmack
with the news, Well that's the news, and thanks for
stopping by.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
The Herdline News.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
For hot water that never runs out, go to tanklessmade
Simple dot Com Navvyan tankless water heaters with a fifteen
year limited warranty.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 9 (38:40):
Five all happening in only one place. This League Uncut,
the new NBA podcast with Me, Chris Haynes and Me.
Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound
on everything we're covering. Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 9 (38:59):
On the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
Ten News this weekend on Fox.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
In a regular season finale Saturday, in a playoff preview,
San Antonio Bramas take on the Stlewis.
Speaker 4 (39:12):
Battle Hawks at fort Eastern.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
Then on Sunday the Houston Roughnecks Battle of Memphis Showboats
at seven.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
It all kicks off on Fox and the Fox Sports Act.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Spend a lot of time on Bill Walton. It's so
rare when you get a great player who becomes a
great broadcaster Charles Barkley, or a great coach who becomes
a great broadcaster John Madden. Bill Walton was both. Bill
was so unique. Nick Wright earlier today about the injuries
(39:44):
and what could have been with Bill Walton's already great career.
Speaker 7 (39:49):
He's one of the reasons why when Damian Lillard left
the Portland Trailblazers and every story was written as greatest
Blazer ever, Like you've got to be kidding me, Like
Bill Walton played for them, and not to mention Clyde Drexler.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
No, he and he was.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
He more so than Grant Hill, more so than Tracy McGrady,
more so than Derek Rose. He is the biggest what
if he stayed healthy in NBA history is Bill Walton.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Almost almost all players suffer injuries, even the great ones.
Some it's not even a footnote in their career with
Brady or Michael Jordan. But Walton it was the opposite.
It was just early in his career in Portland, and
it just it seemed like I can remember seeing Walton
at multiple broadcasts during NBA games and I would be
(40:42):
in the arena and just how much difficulty he had
walking around the arena. He had such intense back pain
at some point in his life that he did contemplate suicide.
I read that yesterday, and I think I'd read that previously,
but it just a lot of chronic pain and chronic injuries,
but again, just such a redeemable personality and redeemable life.
(41:04):
And I think it is more than just a footnote
that he was the opposite of stick to sports. And
though many are honoring and celebrating his personality today, if
he entered the sports spectrum today, the galaxy, whether it's
college or pro, many would not view him favorably, which
I think speaks poorly of us, not of Bill Walton.
(41:27):
But I just I love watching I love so much
watching that seventy six er Blazer highlights because that's, you know,
for me selfishly, that's where I started watching basketball in
the seventies, and those seventy six ers teams and Bobby
Jones and George McGinnis and Steve Mix and doctor j
and I think Moe Cheeks was around me. And then
(41:50):
for the Blazers it was Lionel Hollins and Dave towards
It and Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas. Dennis Autry may
have been around Steals at Henry Steele may have gotten
that wrong, Jeff Petree. That was my formative years as
I was grown up with NBA basketball and falling in
love with I collected basketball cards. I had some baseball cards,
(42:12):
but I was more into basketball cards. And I don't
know why, just the personalities and and uh, I think
the Wilt was the first legend. Doctor j was my
favorite player, and the first real quirky personality was Bill Walton,
the late and great Bill Walton. So our final hours
coming up, Logan, Ryan, what a pleasure we get him
(42:32):
in studio today. One of the smartest guys, most thoughtful
NFL guys that's been around. I hope he pivots into
a broadcasting career and maybe you take a couple of
days off here. I can just slide him right in,
all right,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.