March 4, 2025 • 46 mins
Colin looks at another historic milestone LeBron James is set to achieve but credits him for something most people aren't aware of. He believes Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been receiving unfair criticisms at the combine and explains why today's NFL should embrace players like Sanders. Plus, Nick Wright from First Things First joins the show to discuss Luka Doncic's impact on the Lakers and their championship chances
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All Right, here we go. It is a Tuesday. We
are live in Los Angeles. It is the Herd. Wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Nick right one
hour from now Peter Schrager giving us some updates on
NFL stories, the Steelers, the Jets, the Giants, all sniffing
around at quarterbacks, Raiders as well. Jmac sad story this morning.
(00:50):
Kyrie Irving tears his acl. He got hurt last night.
Bad news, and so he's out for the year, and
it's over for the Mavericks. Done over for the Mavericks'.
He thought there was a chance if Ad got healthy
and Lively came back. There was a chance. When I
got this news fifteen minutes ago, it made me think
(01:12):
about something. So Lebron needs one more point to score
fifty thousand points. Obviously, he's the most productive player in
NBA history. One point shy from fifty thousand career points.
Nobody's ever done that, right. But one of the things
Lebron has and I've never seen anything like it, is intuition.
(01:33):
If he was a sea captain and he was in
control of the Titanic, it would have never hit the iceberg.
I've never seen a guy that can see problems before
they happen. The biggest mess in the NBA is now
the Dallas Mavericks due to injuries, an awful trade, protests
outside the arena, prices are down forty percent. Fans just
(01:57):
sick to their stomach. Now you add on an injury,
they are You got a head coach that doesn't trust
the GM fans who can't stand the GM. Dallas is
a complete mess. The Kyrie thing just adds to it. Awful, injury, awful,
and yet simultaneously man Lucas Startner really look good and
(02:21):
the Lakers are in the championship bubble. I mean, think
about the timing of Lebron. It's always come in different
forms and shapes. But think about this for a second.
He bailed on Cleveland. He said, I've been here seven years.
You can't get me another player. He leaves. He was right.
He goes, he wins titles, goes to four straight finals,
(02:43):
and Cleveland becomes an even bigger mess. He was right.
Then his best friends d Wade. He gets the four
straight finals, but d Wade is struggling to play back
to backs, and like a good investor, Lebron is always
a year early better than a year late. He leaves
my Miami. They fall off a cliff. He goes to
(03:04):
Cleveland and wins. Then Kyrie gets in his fields. He
carries you know, JR. Smith and some quirky guys hard
to convince other pros to come to Cleveland. He bails.
Cleveland goes into the take again, and Lebron goes to
Los Angeles. And in Los Angeles people say, oh, Lonzo Ball,
(03:27):
Kyle Kuzma, they got the brandon Ingram, but they got
really good young players. Lebron gets them out, gets a
d wins another title. He's right again. And then over
the last couple of years, as Lebron ages Lebron privately,
(03:48):
he did and you know it was concerned that A
D could not get him easy baskets. Ad was a
good teammate. They worked together, but they weren't perfect as
Lebron A and Lebron looked around the league and thought,
who can get me easier baskets? The two best outlet
guys are Jokic. He's locked up in Denver and Luca,
(04:11):
and he gets Luca and the Lakers are now on fire.
Ad immediately gets hurt. The entire organization's a mess. Now
I'm supposed to believe that Lebron didn't know. I find
that very hard to believe. And you can call him selfish,
but here's something you have to call Lebron as well. Right.
(04:31):
He is always right. I've never seen anybody with this
kind of intuition. Everybody told him be loyal to Cleveland.
He was right. How can you bail on your buddy
d Wade? He was right, you're going back to Cleveland.
Cleveland can't win. He was right, Los Angeles to broken franchise. Well,
(04:56):
at least you got good young teammates. He was right.
Ad was the star that just needed help. And then
AD's played a couple of really good years and he
stayed mostly healthy, and you know what that means. It
was time to sell the stock. You got your title.
He was finally consistently healthy. He was older, and Lebron's like,
(05:21):
I'm still a top five guy in the league. And
I think privately Lebron had said he's a good fit.
He's not the perfect fit. And I watched the Dallas
Mavericks become a mess over the last three weeks, and
you know, some of it's just bad luck. But in
my life of watching professional athletes, I'll say it again,
(05:46):
like he's a good investor. He's like Warren Buffett. He's
a year. He may be a little early, but he's
never late. He always knows when it's time to move off.
And it was funny when Luca came here and again
a d was really good for him, but he was
thirty two years old, and every Laker fan would watch
(06:08):
ad and be absolutely honest, weren't you always holding your breath?
Weren't you always holding your breath? Of course you were
now and Lebron does this. When he went to Miami
the first time, people said, hey, it's not gonna work.
It's clunky, you don't have a center, it's not always
pretty for Lebron when he first goes to a place,
(06:30):
it's not always pretty. It's a little clunky, but he
made Miami right. Oh, Kyrie's a boss. Nobody can play
with him. He brings over Kevin Love. He's a stat patter,
not a winner. Took about a year to get it right.
He got it right, then he brings over A D.
Had to get rid of the young kids, little bumpy early,
(06:51):
and then he got it right. So I don't know
if Luke is going to win the first year, But
every time Lebron hits this crossroads, like Wade Bosh and Lebron,
they were still good, and the cabs were still good,
and Lebron and A D were still good. But Lebron
(07:12):
seeks great, and I do believe he may have been
given a day or two heads up, But I think
he had grumbled privately that, as he aged, Ad was
a good fit but not a perfect fit, that Lebron
still had to always be the initiator of the offense.
And Lebron knew I'd rather be a receiver on some nights,
(07:32):
not just the quarterback. So as I watched this just
sad mess in Dallas, it reminds me a little bit
of the mess in Cleveland and the mess in Miami
and the mess in Cleveland, and nobody avoids stepping in it.
Like Lebron, start was perfect, the takeoff can be bumpy,
(07:57):
always makes the landing yah. I mean the Dallas situation
now between ticket sales, the lack of trust. I mean
Mark Cuban, ask yourself this. Mark Cuban a year ago
said I'm gonna sell the franchise. You don't think Lebron
James looked at that and thought Luca may be available.
(08:22):
I really believe this. I absolutely believe this. I believe
every time Lebron was around Luca. Remember when Luca came
into the NBA first year, Go back and look at
the tapes. Kid was twenty games in. Lebron's like that
kid's great. Lebron's like a talent scout. Lebron's like that
(08:44):
guy's great. He just make sure everybody around Luca knew
that Lebron thought you were great. He tried to get
Steph Curry a couple of years ago. Steph's like, now
I'm a warrior. Remember he kept saying nice things about staph.
What Steph do? Steph can initiate the offense. Lebron can
play off ball, Lebron can get easier basket. So initially
(09:06):
he wanted Steph and Steph wasn't available. Steph pushback. Then
he moved to Luca, slowly saying nice things. Keep it
in contact with Mark Cuban. Cuban leaves the Mavericks. You know,
Cuban and Luca, they were tight. What does Lebron see
when Cuban leaves and opening and opening, you lost your
(09:31):
you lost your owner. New people in the building may
not trust him. Lebron saw it, made sure the right
people knew and he ends up playing with him. Uh.
I don't think it's a conspiracy theory. Too much of
this stuff is public and well known. But how does
Lebron end up once again? He tried to go Steph
(09:52):
two years ago. I mean, good god, that was a
two year rumor. He made sure he does hang out
with Steph and see Steph and talk about Steph and
stepf was great that that is what he wanted to do,
and stuff's like, I must stay up here. Then he
moved through the channels and Mark Cuban Cuban sells. Lebron
sees a moment I'm gonna go get him. And it
(10:12):
took a year of working the channels behind the scenes,
but the idea this was a big surprise caught everybody
off guard. I don't buy it. I don't buy it.
Lebron is his intuitiveness. You call it selfish, I call
it right. I've never seen a guy that. I mean,
stuff just implodes and Lebron's like, oh, what happened back there?
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Did I get lucky? Wink wink? I avoided another disaster?
Not it ain't luck man. I think he had this
Lucat thing planned out the minute, Steph said officially, know,
I think he had this Lucat thing planned out the
last year and a half. I really do, I absolutely do.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
So we started hot take happy hour here on there.
It's not even a hot no, no, no, this should
be tinfoil hat Tuesdays because that is deep.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
III.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You're well in your bag here.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I don't hate it.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'll say that.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
How in the world can you go seven for seven
in your career? You know how you do that? You're
working the channels behind the scenes a year early. Do
you think Lebron just woke up in Cleveland and decided
to leave. No, he went to the Olympics. When he
went the first time in Cleveland, he played with those
Olympians and flying back, He's like, the hell am I
(11:28):
doing in Cleveland? I finally played with great players. He
worked that Bosh d Wade thing for a year and
then all of a sudden they get to the finals
and they lose that thing, and pat Riley's getting a
little this, and I won't give you that, and Lebron
starts telling his guys this time, and all of a
sudden he gets a hold of Dan Gilbert. Dan Gilbert
(11:50):
flies and apologizes. Suddenly he finds his way a letter
of Sports Illustrate. You think that thing happened in six hours.
And then he goes to Cleveland, Kyrie. By that time,
Dan Gilbert's like, you got me a title, We're good.
He goes to the Lakers again. Everybody thought he would
go Sixers. Everybody thought he would go Chicago. Everybody he
(12:10):
where's he go? The biggest brand Los Angeles. By the
time he got to Los Angeles, he had meetings with
nine billionaires. Okay, and then the whole time O he
likes Lonzo, he likes Kuzma, Like no, he didn't and
he's working the channels. And by the way, the ad
thing with Rich Paul, who represented ad Rich Paul. I'm
just saying this stuff isn't happen, stands, It's not just random,
(12:34):
and it's not a criticism of it. Lebron is a
great intuitive businessman. He is selling the stock early, never late,
and all of a sudden, once again he's got the
perfect teammate. The Mavericks are swimming.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
In chaos, ability to see around corners, see what's coming
down the pike. Lebron, Listen, you just made a case
that he might be the greatest executive in NBA history.
The way he's pulling the strings and moving around. Everywhere
he goes, he wins everywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
This is not a criticism. No, he bailed on Wade
and he was right. D Wade couldn't play back the
backs anymore. Bosh was having some physical stuff, but it
was mostly about d Wade. His Robin couldn't play. Remember
those games against Indiana. D Wade would be great and
the next day you weren't sure if he could play
in the next game. And I'm all I'm saying with
(13:23):
is Lucas stuff is you look up today and it's like,
are the Lakers the best team in the league after Boston?
I think the answer is yes, and I'm supposed to
believe it's just all happens stance. I think Lebron knew
a year ago he started swimming first Steph for a
year plus Steph turned him down. He said, who's my
next target? Luca? And I think it was behind the scenes,
(13:47):
and send a text and a little emoji, just enough
to let him know. Believe me, Lebron knows everybody in
the league back channel it make sure Luca. And when
Mark Cuban sold that team, Lebron James said, there's my moment.
That is my moment because Cuban and Luca were tight,
(14:07):
and Lebron the great businessman said, I've got an opening.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
In my head.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I see Michael Douglas, remember the movie Wall Street. He
wakes up on the beach and he's got that clunky
cell phone and he calls Charlie Sheen and he goes
Money never sleeps, Winning never sleeps.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
For Lebron James.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
He's always got something in play. The next move on
the chessboard.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
He knows it.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Who call this great.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Start to it?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Tuesday I'm fine.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
I'm just positive it's it's conspiracy theories. Are you have
to basically from soup to notts a conspiracy theory. There's
a couple of loose fits. This isn't a bunch of
loose fits. Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, La Bailon Lonzo, the young players.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
A D.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Luca, This isn't this stuff all happened? And I I
I that this the Luca thing is too perfect. It's
just too perfect. Lebron's basketball IQ. He looked around this
league and he thought, Steph, Jokic, Luca, those are the guys. Well,
Yoka isn't going anywhere because Denver will never give him up. Steph,
(15:12):
I tried it, didn't want to go. Cuban sells the MAVs.
There's my opening, and I'm not heys. I've been called selfish.
People get called selfish if they care about their careers whatever.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
By the way, I invited Colin to hang out with
an NBA coach tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah, Colin gave me the stiff arm. No, I'm busy.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I was like, all right, fine, fine, okay, I got
any your big time, I got things.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, we're talking about the Kyrie Irving injury and what
I mess the Mavericks have been. I guess my overall
arching point is every team Lebron bails on goes into
the tank, and every star he moves off of goes
into a worse situation. And I mean it just Kyrie
Irving injury, by the way, because of all the injuries
(16:05):
and because Luca shared offensive responsibilities, when you took Luca
away from the Mavericks, it forced Kyrie to play more minutes,
so it was very taxing on Kyrie's smaller body. Kyrie
since the Luca trade, I was just told, leads the
NBA in minutes played. So again, like this is another
reason you don't make that trade. So Kyrie, a small
(16:27):
player who's had injuries, You're asking him to put so
much responsibility, so many minutes on his body with the
rest of the team beat up, that Kyrie's body gives
out after a while. So it's just it just it
is crazy how often Lebron's timing is just perfect. I mean,
the minute he leaves a team, they fall off a cliff.
The minute he moves off a star, that star goes
(16:49):
into a worse situation, or his year is bad, or
he's not the same player, or the circumstances are off.
And I just after a while, I don't think it's luck.
I just think Lebron's got an into wish. He sees
problems much better than most coaches or executives in the league.
There's an argument he's the best executive in the league.
I mean, you could make that argument Lebron's the best
executive in the league. He has made that many smart moves.
(17:12):
And I think he knew about the Luca thing. I
think he saw that thing the minute Cuban sold that team.
I think he saw it. There's an opening, Go get
my guy. I prefer Steph, maybe Jokic. They're not available,
and I tried with Steph. So I saw this this story,
this is a big story yesterday, kind of infuriating to me.
So apparently in the combine over the weekend, you had
(17:35):
these Shadeur Sanders, you know, the quarterbacks. They'll interview with teams,
and the report is Schadeur Sanders, who was a little brash.
According to Todd McShay. Two people that I spoke to
left the meeting with Shadur, and Shoudeur was not overly
concerned with what they thought of him. Would you be?
(17:58):
You watch the Cleveland Browns all ten years, so this
idea that he's going to drop in the draft cracks
me up. Tennessee, Cleveland and the Giants all messes that
could need a quarterback, could use a quarterback, and should
draft one These teams one of them, two of them
are all three of them apparently didn't love what they
heard from Shador Sanders. So I want you to think
(18:20):
about this. Let's just take the New York Giants. Go
back to Week twelve, twenty seventeen season. It's kind of
the end of Eli Manning. He has a terrible game
against Washington. The Giants are two and nine. He's awful
until today, March fourth. That is three hundred and seventy
(18:41):
nine weeks that you knew that Eli Manning was washed
until today, and you still are a disaster at quarterback.
And you think Shador Sanders in an interview is supposed
to walk in there and be blown away, and that
you as a team have the leverage. You think Cleveland
(19:01):
has leverage. You think Tennessee has leverage. It's okay to
sometimes admit as a business, the employee may have more leverage. Right.
So this idea that this kid who grew up rich
because of Nil got richer and who's really good and
you're a terrible franchise, either Tennessee, Cleveland or New York,
(19:24):
that he didn't bow down to you because Shador Sanders realizes,
let's say it's the New York Giants or Cleveland, you're
a hurdle to his success. He'll be successful if he
goes to Pete Carroll, Chip, Kelly, brock Bauers and Cap Space.
The Giants are a hurdle, an impediment to success. So
this idea that you're desperate and you think you have
(19:48):
all the leverage. No, Caleb Williams had some leverage, cam
Ward has some leverage. It's over that the employee doesn't
have any leverage in my business. In pro football, college
athletes now, the coach doesn't have all the leverage. And
I think there's executives and coaches. Rick Pattino said this
(20:10):
the other day, Saint John's coach adapt. You can complain
or you can adapt. You know, the late Bobby Knight
would complain about transfer portal, or you can adapt John
Calipari to his credit. It's like, okay, one and done.
That's how I get the best players. I can grumble
and complain about it, or I can like Rick Battino,
(20:30):
we don't even recruit high schoolers. I can complain about
it or just adapt. And so it's kind of infuriating
to me. I don't know. I mean, Shader Sanders grew
up rich andil got rich. Yeah, I'm sorry he didn't
come in desperate. But this idea that these kids, now,
these these quarterbacks and a bad quarterback class, and he
(20:52):
may be the best one and you are a tire
fire of a franchise. And you know he came in here.
I mean the quote from mcsay's actually funny. You know.
The quote is.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Is that.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
They left the meeting feelings should do or was not
overly concerned with what they thought of him? Well, I mean,
they thought Daniel Jones was great, they thought giving Deshaun
Watson a guaranteed contract was brilliant. Somebody drafted Will Levis.
I wouldn't be overly concerned if I was a quarterback
(21:29):
with three teams that don't appear to know what the
hell they're doing. I'm sorry he gets a little say two,
you're bringing your attitude because he doesn't come in and
bow down to you. The business doesn't always have all
the leverage now it's twenty twenty five. Sometimes the employee
has a little bit, you know. Sometimes you know. I
(21:49):
was talking to a friend the other day and uh,
there are two companies battling for him, and one of
the companies was sort of outraged that he wasn't just
totally committed to them, and he said, well, I've got
another company that's a bigger company offering more money. Like
the day, if you're an employer and you think you
(22:11):
have all the leverage, or you're in an NFL team and
think you have all the leverage, I mean, I think
Shador Sanders and cam Ward they would like to be
passed on by Tennessee Cleveland and the Giants. They'd rather
go to a winning franchise. JJ McCarthy bo Nick's best
thing that ever happened to him. He fell to Sean Payton.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
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Speaker 1 (22:40):
You ever heard that saying, it's just a vibe. Some
people are good energy, some people are good juice the
nick right top of the hour, The Golden State Warriors
won again last night with Jimmy Butler. The Butler's not
even playing well. I mean, honestly, that's what's crazy, Lucas
not being that consistently great. He's still playing in the shape.
Jimmy Butler is shooting eleven percent on threes, and the
(23:05):
Warriors are eight and one with him.
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Speaker 1 (24:13):
It is a Tuesday. Welcome in this time. Yesterday, the
great Jimmy Johnson was retiring from Fox after a remarketable football,
pro and college and broadcasting career. This is the herd
I just we taught. We started our show talking about
Lebron James is one point shy of scoring fifty thousand
career points. Nobody's obviously ever done that. There is It's
(24:37):
I said this two weeks ago. I don't even know
what I'm watching, and our staff has this. If you
take Lebron's four MVP season and compare with Lebron since
e turn forty, he's actually a better basketball player now,
more rebounds, Morris sists, better shooter, three point and field
(24:57):
goal he averages two points. That's a game that's insane.
And I think today's defending as well as he did
five or six years ago. So you know, people will say,
what is he on? Well, the NBA tests for hgahs.
They just banned a Milwaukee Buck player for some banned substance.
So you know, I think your body will treat you
(25:18):
how you treat it. And Lebron spends a couple of
million dollars a year in his body. And Lebron is
what happens when you're an all time talent and you
go all in. I've said this, Carmelo Anthony, go look
it up. Started to decline at thirty years old. He
was never in great shape. I mean, hookah, Luca will
(25:39):
not play like this at forty years old. He's not
that committed. And so I mean John Daly was a hoot,
but at fifty eight years old, Gary player is eighty
eight or eighty nine years old, and Gary players in
significantly better shape because Gary Player still works out. I
met Gary Player twice. It's incredible. Eighty nine years old,
(25:59):
he works out ninety minutes today. I talk to about
his diet. It's incredible. It's the healthiest eater I've ever seen.
Your body's gonna treat you like you treat your body.
And Lebron is just an all in guy. So I mean,
you look at James Harden, he's falling off a cliff.
If you look at Big Ben, he aged quickly. So
all these guys, like I always say when people complain
(26:20):
about the Dodgers doing the deferred payments, everybody that owns
a Major League Baseball team is a billionaire. Everybody could
do that. The Dodgers have decided they're billionaires. Dodgers do
not have the richest owners. They don't. They don't drive
the most revenue. Yankees still make more revenue than they
do on an annual basis. So Yankees make more revenue.
They do not now now, Mark Walters is one of
(26:41):
the richer owners, top six or seven, not the richest owner,
but they are totally committed to winning championships with the Dodgers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates owner. He's a billionaire. Two he's cheap,
and so anybody could do it. All these I mean
most of these athletes, most not all. They could spend money.
But you know James Harden, you know his jersey hangs.
(27:03):
I'm not joking in the rafter of a strip club.
I mean he was legendary for being an all night guy.
That's fine with me. I'm not judging it. But that's
why James Harden's falling off a cliff. That's why Carmelo
started declining at thirty. He was never in great shape.
Cam Newton had some injuries, but Big Ben. You know,
you look at Alex Ovechkin and hockey right now, top
ten in goals, Tom Brady in his forties, Lebron James.
(27:27):
This is what happens when you totally commit. Lou Williams
was talking about this on the Fan Duel TV about this.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
Sixty percent of these guys can put a million dollars
in their bodies if they want to, they still get
this result. Yeah, it's just a credit to his genetics
and how he's been able to maintain himself over the years.
So to go through twenty one years of nothing major
to sit you out as a blessing in itself.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Now, Lebron did have last couple of years. He had
about a year and a half where he was just
dealing with ankle stuff and hip stuff. But the numbers
he's putting up, and I will say this, I've said
this about Steph Curry and I'll say it with Lebron.
These guys were on a treadmill to nowhere, and then
you give one Luca and one Jimmy Butler, and it's
as if they're showing off for their new friend, like
(28:13):
you get a new friend in the neighborhood. Hey, come
on over here in my bicycle, let's do some jumps
like they're showing off with their friends. And that's brought
a joy and an energy to Lebron. And what I'm
watching is absolutely once in a generation remarkable. Steph Curry's
averaging seven points more a game with Jimmy Butler, He's
taking one more shot. Efficiency, energy, vibe, juice, analytics can't
(28:36):
measure all that stuff. Nick Wright, co host, First Things
First is joining us down live from New York. You
know need it is. I think Lebron has always known
and this was my rant to start the show. Nobody
has had his intuition. He moved off d Wait at
the right time, he moved out of Cleveland twice at
(28:56):
the right time. He moved off all the Lonzo Ball
guys at the right time. And I think, deep down,
I really believe this Nick that he knew that he
and Ad worked together. But Jokich or Luca the great
outlet passers would give Lebron in his twilight years easier
(29:17):
baskets and they wouldn't be as dependent on him initiating it.
And Denver wasn't moving off Luca or Denver wasn't moving
off Jokic. He tried to get Steph a couple of
years ago, and Steph said no thanks. I think Lebron
the minute Cuban sold Hish primary share of the Mavericks,
(29:38):
Lebron saw an opening and through a lot. I know
you think it's crazy. Lebron has always been a step
ahead of teams, owners, executives and teammates, and he's been
right seven straight times.
Speaker 8 (29:52):
Was one of those steps drugging Nico Harrison, I mean,
I mean, because that's the piece to that that you're
not including. So I don't quite get it. By the
way I'm hearing myself in my ear. So I don't
know if they can fix it, but all power through
in the meantime. Yeah, but it doesn't take a basketball genius,
which Lebron is to be like, Yeah, my life probably
(30:14):
gets easier on offense if we had Luka Daji.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (30:18):
I do think that he probably wanted Luca. I don't
think he thought that Nico Harrison would make that possible.
But you were talking about Lebron scoring fifty thousand points.
Can we stay there for a minute. Sure, So I
know that compiling is not really considered that impressive, and
(30:44):
I understand that, But what Lebron's doing isn't compiling. What
Lebron's doing is continued, sustained excellence, and that's what I
think matters. So there've only been five guys in NBA
history to reach thirty six thousand, thirty six thousand, He's
(31:06):
at fifty career points, and I do think it's noteworthy
to discuss what they looked like when they reached those
final milestones.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So Kareem scored forty four.
Speaker 8 (31:19):
Thousand, it's fixed, Thank you, guys, forty four thousand and change.
When he got his forty four thousandth point Colin. It
was the worst year of his careers, averaging ten points
per game. Yeah, Karl Malone got to forty one thousand.
When he scored his forty first thousandth point, he was
averaging thirteen points a game for the Lakers, the worst
(31:40):
year of his career. Kobe and Michael both got to
thirty eight thousand. When Michael did it, he was averaging
twenty a game on nineteen percent from three and forty
one percent from the field for the Wizards, and when
Kobe did it, he was averaging seventeen a game on
thirty five percent from the field. Lebron James tonight is
(32:02):
going to get to fifty thousand in the season. He
might be top five on MVP balloting and should be
first team All NBA. So it's not so much about
you know, he just was healthy and was able to
put in fifteen a night for twenty five years. It's
that in year twenty two he is still on any
(32:25):
given night, maybe the best player in the league, and
over the course of the season clearly one of the
five best players in the league. Brady is the only
athlete that we have any comp for it too, and
Brady didn't have to play both sides of the ball.
It's really a remarkable thing we're seeing right now.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
You know, I was thinking about this. Jamack was on
this like the first couple of days. He said, Lakers
are a championship team. And I think there's only two
teams in the league right now that are complete, Boston
and Cleveland, and one won't get to the finals. Austin
plays interior defense, wing defense, they have wings scoring, they
can score down low. Boston's a totally complete team. If
(33:06):
Derek White's your fourth or fifth best team player, you're
a great team. I think Cleveland is very very close. Again,
they can defend, they've got size, they've got wing defenders,
they've got a great guard. Those are complete teams. I
don't think anybody in the West is complete. Teams are
either too young, they don't have the depth. I don't
think Denver has the depth. They're bad defensively. I don't
(33:28):
trust Houston can't shoot. Golden State could use another shooter.
So when I look at the Lakers, I think, you know,
I wish they had a rim defender. And my take is,
until you get to the finals, everybody's got a hole
in the West, and I get Lebron and Luca, So
my two stars are better than you two. And I
do think right now I would take the Lakers to
(33:50):
win the West. Oh well, they.
Speaker 8 (33:54):
Are certainly on the very short list. I, knowing myself,
all probably end up picking them.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
It's gonna be hard for me to pick it you
all of us.
Speaker 8 (34:05):
You have my favorite player of all time and my
second favorite player in the league playing together, and they're
both playing great basketball, so probably endo picking them. I
do think you're short changing okay see a bit. The
okay see question is really to me.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
I have two okay see questions.
Speaker 8 (34:24):
One is, well, the non SGA players play better this
postseason than they did last postseason because last postseason Shaye
played well, but the other guys didn't, you know, kind
of play up to their feeling.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
And the other.
Speaker 8 (34:38):
Okay see question is is Shay gonna suffer from something
James Harden has suffered for the past, Joel and beat
has suffered from the past, which is a playoff whistle.
Anyone who gets such a huge benefit from getting to
the foul line, you worry about them a bit in
the playoff.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
What okay see is awesome.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I will let me say that about okay see, and
I've seen this before. SGA will not get the regular
season whistle which Karl Malone and James Harden and SJA
live on. He won't the other thing. And you know this.
Young players and rotational players in the playoffs are often
great at home, but in big spots, in road games,
(35:19):
they can disappear. I think Oklahoma City is still chet
Holmgren is still a year away from being able to
go to Los Angeles in a crucial game and beat
Lebron and Luca.
Speaker 8 (35:32):
So that listen, that might be true, but they also
might not have to win any road games like they
and so I am. I'm not trying to build them
up to more than they are, but I do think
their record and shape playing at the level.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
They deserve respect.
Speaker 8 (35:48):
I also, oddly, when I was in Los Angeles over
when was it over Thanksgiving? I went to Lakers okay see,
I sat right next to the guy that holds up
all the Lakers. That doesn't matter, don't know, we's what
that point is. I good seats Lakers, okay see. Unlike
Colin Coward, they're not given to me. I'd pay from
out of my own pocket man of the people and okay,
(36:08):
see just throws waves and waves of defenders at you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yes, so I will give them respect.
Speaker 8 (36:13):
What the Lakers have going for them that no other
team in the league has is this. They have two
offensive supercomputers at the wings slash point guard position. And
almost every contender has one guy you can throw on
someone like that the thunder f Loudort. The Nuggets have
(36:36):
Aaron Gordon, like you have someone you have a guy
to throw on those to throw on Lebron or throw
on Luca. Only Boston has two guys who you could
has multiple guys.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
To throw at these.
Speaker 8 (36:50):
To throw at Lebron and Luca, like when you are
playing Denver in a series.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
If Aaron Gordon is.
Speaker 8 (36:57):
Guarding Lebron, then who who the hell is guarding Luca?
Like that is the real question. So yeah, I thought
people totally overrated how bad of a fit it was
gonna be.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
It's two of the smartest players ever.
Speaker 8 (37:11):
I also think those of us hand up who the
last few years was like, Darvin Ham is doing a
poor job, and then.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
A lot of people in the media was like, h.
Speaker 8 (37:21):
Lebron knifing Darvin Ham for his podcast Buddy So I'm
if JJ Reddick, who we all know was only hired
because Lebron made him do it Lebron's podcast Buddy.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
If JJ Redick.
Speaker 8 (37:35):
Wins Coach of the Year, does Lebron get to at
least take a picture with the trophy?
Speaker 5 (37:39):
Like?
Speaker 8 (37:40):
How does the Lebron runs the Lakers stuff work? He
made them trade for Russell Westbrook, but he also made
them trade for Anthony Davis. What trading for Anthony Davis
got you a championship and Luka ancis.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
For the next decade. So I don't know like it.
Speaker 8 (37:54):
I just don't know where Lebron's influence starts or ends.
I do know the Lakers right now. I agree with you,
look like a team can win the championship, Sop.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
I've been saying two things about the face of the league.
I only believe. I think there's been three in my life. Magic,
I don't count Bird, Bird didn't want it, French Lick, Feisty,
he didn't have the magnetism of Magic Johnson. Magic and
Bird may have been together. It's like Angel Reeson Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin's the face of the league. Magic was the face
of the league. They just happened to be rivals. Then
(38:23):
I think it's Michael Jordan, the best looking, the best player,
the most relentless. And then I think it's Lebron James.
Steph Curry's close, but in his prime. Lebron's in his Sorry,
Lebron wins. So my take is there's only been three.
Kareem wasn't, Wilt wasn't. Duncan was They weren't. And the
other thing is it's not just about going to Duke
(38:45):
or playing for a big brand. There is c There
are two things that matter, an aura. Jason Tatum doesn't
have it, and yet we can't ever question that. You
shrink in big spots. In the gold medal game, Jason
Tatum had two points game before he was a coach's
decision do not play when he played with the best
players in the world. Secondly, Jalen Brown wins MVP of
(39:08):
A conference finals. In the finals, they traded Marcus Smart
because he was taking the ball out of his hands.
I love Jason Tatum. I think the league thought Zion
could be okay. I thought Zion had a chance, but
he just wasn't because and I don't really blame him,
because they come into the league at nineteen years old.
(39:29):
He wasn't mature enough. Jaw had a chance, he just
wasn't ready for it. That the league mostly doesn't need
it hasn't had it, and Tatum's noted all.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Right, So you threw a lot there.
Speaker 8 (39:43):
One is can I sell you on one other face
of the league in that time frame, right, and that's
the Shaq Kobe duo? Okay, I think that they but
after Michael, before Lebron, I thought the Shaq Kobe collective
with was the face of the league if that exists.
But it's a very very short list. And we actually
(40:06):
I actually talked Tatum because you know, he was a
huge Jason Tatum fan. Is my son Demanse, who co
hosts the podcast I do, and we were talking about
that actually this morning, and about why Jason Tatum online
in particular seems to get so much criticism from America's
Honesty Broker gets so much criticism, and I think there is.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
A feeling, and it might be unfair.
Speaker 8 (40:32):
It is just a feeling of a little inauthenticity that
people don't wrap their arms around. It's the exact opposite
feeling people get when they watch or listen to Anthony Edwards.
So for good or for bad, people watch Anthony Edwards
and say, you know who he's being, Anthony Edwards. You
(40:54):
know what he's saying, whatever's on his mind, you know
what he's doing, whatever he wants. Now there are some
maybe issues with that, but you it's why people are.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Drawn to him.
Speaker 8 (41:06):
If Tatum, I think for a lot of people feels
a little too pre produced. And then there is also
the factor of and this is and people Celtics fans
might not want to hear it. And he is the
best player on the defending champion and a team that
might win again. But will is ja to be the
(41:28):
face of the league. You have to be in eligible
to be the best player in the league, right and
Jason Tatum is not. And people can say I'm putting
a ceiling on him. Jason Tatum will never be the
best player in the NBA. There's no shame to that.
Kevin Durant who has reached heights. Tatum has not, and
(41:49):
I think will not never was the single best player
in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
It's only like sixteen.
Speaker 8 (41:55):
Guys across history who have ever been the hands down
best player at any given more in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
So I don't Tatum's right.
Speaker 8 (42:04):
I check off all the boxes except for the one
that matters, which is what we feel like, what we know.
And so again, the Celtics probably should win another championship,
and if they, if he's a multiple time champion, probably
get a finals MVV.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
At some point he's going to be first, all of
the accolades, all of it.
Speaker 8 (42:25):
But that doesn't mean that you're going to be on
a list alongside of Lebron, Kobe Shack, Michael Magic.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Again, it's a very very short list. So I agree
with you on that.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Okay, So finally, uh Shaduur Sanders, So you know, I said,
most of the time in my life, the corporation or
the organization has the leverage over the employee. But when
you're the Giants or Cleveland or Tennessee. In Shaduur Sanders interviews,
he grew up rich. He's even richer now with Nil
(42:58):
you're awful. He's talent and he would probably rather drop
to a good team. I don't want to hear in
the combine that he came off as you know, a
little standoffish. Well maybe because he'd rather you pass on
him and go to a better team. And my take
is the world changes, the culture changes. I mean, Mike
(43:22):
Krzyzewski's like, I'm not doing one and done, and then
he realized he was getting beat by guys that went
to Carolina that were one and dones, and Mike Krzewski said, Okay,
I'm doing one and donees. The culture has changed. Players
come in now as millionaires. Owners in the NFL are billionaires.
They're more impulsive, They fire coaching staffs. I don't want
(43:42):
to hear that, schatour Shadoor Sanders didn't.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Bow to you.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
These kids come in with sometimes more leverage than the team.
Speaker 8 (43:52):
So I have maybe the most odd should or Sanders
opinion of anyone, which is I have zero off the
field concerns and a ton of on the field concerns.
So like all of the should or Sanders conversation seems
to be about should or Sanders the like the negative
(44:14):
conversation is about should or Sanders the guy. And I
from everything I have seen, from everything I've heard from
people who actually know him, from watching him in the spotlight,
I I'm like, I think this kid has handled obscene fame,
a ton of wealth, and a huge spotlight about almost perfectly,
(44:38):
not perfectly. There are last year when kids were transferring
out a few tweets I think he would want back. Yeah,
but given you know, given where he's at, the scrutiny,
his dad, his brothers, all of it, I think should
Or Sanders the leader, the intangibles, all that stuff is
super high marks. I just worry about should Or Sanders
(44:59):
the quarterback and whether or not he had like what
I saw from him at Colorado, which coach Mangini mentioned this,
I thought it was a good point. It felt like
a lot of the potential red flags you saw occasionally
from Caleb in college. You saw a lot of those
same ones with Shoud or without nearly as many of
(45:22):
the oh my god, what did I just see type
of wow throws? And so I would not be worried
about drafting should Or at all because I think he's
arrogant or character or any of this nonsense, which really
just means confident in this case, rich young black kid.
Like that part I think is ridiculous. I do have
(45:44):
legitimate concerns about whether or not if the quarterbacks in
last year's class were in this year's class, would should
Or be the sixth quarterback off the board, would would
Caleb Aiden, Drake cam wored this year and JJ McCarthy all.
Speaker 3 (46:04):
Go ahead of him.
Speaker 8 (46:06):
Maybe that's that, to me, is far more legitimate than
any of this arrogant stuff.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Nick, right, all right, that was good stuff, my friend.
Speaker 8 (46:15):
How are you celebrating tonight? Colin uh points. I mean
you'll never see it again. No one will see it again.
You know, it's rare than Haley's comment. Literally, you know what.
Speaker 1 (46:27):
Let that percolate, let that bake. I'll try to I'll
try to do something special. Maybe I'll have a listen.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
I know you like going out these days.
Speaker 8 (46:35):
Go to one of your fancy members only LA restaurants,
order yourself, you know what I mean, one of your
you know, double cocktails, and just be like, man, a
billion years of world history. I was a live covering
sports at the same time as Lebron James.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
What are the odds? I mean, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Just talk, just enjoying into it, my friend. Good scene.
Speaker 5 (46:57):
There you go,
Thanks for listening to the Best of 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
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All Right, here we go. It is a Tuesday. We
are live in Los Angeles. It is the Herd. Wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Nick right one
hour from now Peter Schrager giving us some updates on
NFL stories, the Steelers, the Jets, the Giants, all sniffing
around at quarterbacks, Raiders as well. Jmac sad story this morning.
(00:50):
Kyrie Irving tears his acl. He got hurt last night.
Bad news, and so he's out for the year, and
it's over for the Mavericks. Done over for the Mavericks'.
He thought there was a chance if Ad got healthy
and Lively came back. There was a chance. When I
got this news fifteen minutes ago, it made me think
(01:12):
about something. So Lebron needs one more point to score
fifty thousand points. Obviously, he's the most productive player in
NBA history. One point shy from fifty thousand career points.
Nobody's ever done that, right. But one of the things
Lebron has and I've never seen anything like it, is intuition.
(01:33):
If he was a sea captain and he was in
control of the Titanic, it would have never hit the iceberg.
I've never seen a guy that can see problems before
they happen. The biggest mess in the NBA is now
the Dallas Mavericks due to injuries, an awful trade, protests
outside the arena, prices are down forty percent. Fans just
(01:57):
sick to their stomach. Now you add on an injury,
they are You got a head coach that doesn't trust
the GM fans who can't stand the GM. Dallas is
a complete mess. The Kyrie thing just adds to it. Awful, injury, awful,
and yet simultaneously man Lucas Startner really look good and
(02:21):
the Lakers are in the championship bubble. I mean, think
about the timing of Lebron. It's always come in different
forms and shapes. But think about this for a second.
He bailed on Cleveland. He said, I've been here seven years.
You can't get me another player. He leaves. He was right.
He goes, he wins titles, goes to four straight finals,
(02:43):
and Cleveland becomes an even bigger mess. He was right.
Then his best friends d Wade. He gets the four
straight finals, but d Wade is struggling to play back
to backs, and like a good investor, Lebron is always
a year early better than a year late. He leaves
my Miami. They fall off a cliff. He goes to
(03:04):
Cleveland and wins. Then Kyrie gets in his fields. He
carries you know, JR. Smith and some quirky guys hard
to convince other pros to come to Cleveland. He bails.
Cleveland goes into the take again, and Lebron goes to
Los Angeles. And in Los Angeles people say, oh, Lonzo Ball,
(03:27):
Kyle Kuzma, they got the brandon Ingram, but they got
really good young players. Lebron gets them out, gets a
d wins another title. He's right again. And then over
the last couple of years, as Lebron ages Lebron privately,
(03:48):
he did and you know it was concerned that A
D could not get him easy baskets. Ad was a
good teammate. They worked together, but they weren't perfect as
Lebron A and Lebron looked around the league and thought,
who can get me easier baskets? The two best outlet
guys are Jokic. He's locked up in Denver and Luca,
(04:11):
and he gets Luca and the Lakers are now on fire.
Ad immediately gets hurt. The entire organization's a mess. Now
I'm supposed to believe that Lebron didn't know. I find
that very hard to believe. And you can call him selfish,
but here's something you have to call Lebron as well. Right.
(04:31):
He is always right. I've never seen anybody with this
kind of intuition. Everybody told him be loyal to Cleveland.
He was right. How can you bail on your buddy
d Wade? He was right, you're going back to Cleveland.
Cleveland can't win. He was right, Los Angeles to broken franchise. Well,
(04:56):
at least you got good young teammates. He was right.
Ad was the star that just needed help. And then
AD's played a couple of really good years and he
stayed mostly healthy, and you know what that means. It
was time to sell the stock. You got your title.
He was finally consistently healthy. He was older, and Lebron's like,
(05:21):
I'm still a top five guy in the league. And
I think privately Lebron had said he's a good fit.
He's not the perfect fit. And I watched the Dallas
Mavericks become a mess over the last three weeks, and
you know, some of it's just bad luck. But in
my life of watching professional athletes, I'll say it again,
(05:46):
like he's a good investor. He's like Warren Buffett. He's
a year. He may be a little early, but he's
never late. He always knows when it's time to move off.
And it was funny when Luca came here and again
a d was really good for him, but he was
thirty two years old, and every Laker fan would watch
(06:08):
ad and be absolutely honest, weren't you always holding your breath?
Weren't you always holding your breath? Of course you were
now and Lebron does this. When he went to Miami
the first time, people said, hey, it's not gonna work.
It's clunky, you don't have a center, it's not always
pretty for Lebron when he first goes to a place,
(06:30):
it's not always pretty. It's a little clunky, but he
made Miami right. Oh, Kyrie's a boss. Nobody can play
with him. He brings over Kevin Love. He's a stat patter,
not a winner. Took about a year to get it right.
He got it right, then he brings over A D.
Had to get rid of the young kids, little bumpy early,
(06:51):
and then he got it right. So I don't know
if Luke is going to win the first year, But
every time Lebron hits this crossroads, like Wade Bosh and Lebron,
they were still good, and the cabs were still good,
and Lebron and A D were still good. But Lebron
(07:12):
seeks great, and I do believe he may have been
given a day or two heads up, But I think
he had grumbled privately that, as he aged, Ad was
a good fit but not a perfect fit, that Lebron
still had to always be the initiator of the offense.
And Lebron knew I'd rather be a receiver on some nights,
(07:32):
not just the quarterback. So as I watched this just
sad mess in Dallas, it reminds me a little bit
of the mess in Cleveland and the mess in Miami
and the mess in Cleveland, and nobody avoids stepping in it.
Like Lebron, start was perfect, the takeoff can be bumpy,
(07:57):
always makes the landing yah. I mean the Dallas situation
now between ticket sales, the lack of trust. I mean
Mark Cuban, ask yourself this. Mark Cuban a year ago
said I'm gonna sell the franchise. You don't think Lebron
James looked at that and thought Luca may be available.
(08:22):
I really believe this. I absolutely believe this. I believe
every time Lebron was around Luca. Remember when Luca came
into the NBA first year, Go back and look at
the tapes. Kid was twenty games in. Lebron's like that
kid's great. Lebron's like a talent scout. Lebron's like that
(08:44):
guy's great. He just make sure everybody around Luca knew
that Lebron thought you were great. He tried to get
Steph Curry a couple of years ago. Steph's like, now
I'm a warrior. Remember he kept saying nice things about staph.
What Steph do? Steph can initiate the offense. Lebron can
play off ball, Lebron can get easier basket. So initially
(09:06):
he wanted Steph and Steph wasn't available. Steph pushback. Then
he moved to Luca, slowly saying nice things. Keep it
in contact with Mark Cuban. Cuban leaves the Mavericks. You know,
Cuban and Luca, they were tight. What does Lebron see
when Cuban leaves and opening and opening, you lost your
(09:31):
you lost your owner. New people in the building may
not trust him. Lebron saw it, made sure the right
people knew and he ends up playing with him. Uh.
I don't think it's a conspiracy theory. Too much of
this stuff is public and well known. But how does
Lebron end up once again? He tried to go Steph
(09:52):
two years ago. I mean, good god, that was a
two year rumor. He made sure he does hang out
with Steph and see Steph and talk about Steph and
stepf was great that that is what he wanted to do,
and stuff's like, I must stay up here. Then he
moved through the channels and Mark Cuban Cuban sells. Lebron
sees a moment I'm gonna go get him. And it
(10:12):
took a year of working the channels behind the scenes,
but the idea this was a big surprise caught everybody
off guard. I don't buy it. I don't buy it.
Lebron is his intuitiveness. You call it selfish, I call
it right. I've never seen a guy that. I mean,
stuff just implodes and Lebron's like, oh, what happened back there?
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Did I get lucky? Wink wink? I avoided another disaster?
Not it ain't luck man. I think he had this
Lucat thing planned out the minute, Steph said officially, know,
I think he had this Lucat thing planned out the
last year and a half. I really do, I absolutely do.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
So we started hot take happy hour here on there.
It's not even a hot no, no, no, this should
be tinfoil hat Tuesdays because that is deep.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
III.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You're well in your bag here.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I don't hate it.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'll say that.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
How in the world can you go seven for seven
in your career? You know how you do that? You're
working the channels behind the scenes a year early. Do
you think Lebron just woke up in Cleveland and decided
to leave. No, he went to the Olympics. When he
went the first time in Cleveland, he played with those
Olympians and flying back, He's like, the hell am I
(11:28):
doing in Cleveland? I finally played with great players. He
worked that Bosh d Wade thing for a year and
then all of a sudden they get to the finals
and they lose that thing, and pat Riley's getting a
little this, and I won't give you that, and Lebron
starts telling his guys this time, and all of a
sudden he gets a hold of Dan Gilbert. Dan Gilbert
(11:50):
flies and apologizes. Suddenly he finds his way a letter
of Sports Illustrate. You think that thing happened in six hours.
And then he goes to Cleveland, Kyrie. By that time,
Dan Gilbert's like, you got me a title, We're good.
He goes to the Lakers again. Everybody thought he would
go Sixers. Everybody thought he would go Chicago. Everybody he
(12:10):
where's he go? The biggest brand Los Angeles. By the
time he got to Los Angeles, he had meetings with
nine billionaires. Okay, and then the whole time O he
likes Lonzo, he likes Kuzma, Like no, he didn't and
he's working the channels. And by the way, the ad
thing with Rich Paul, who represented ad Rich Paul. I'm
just saying this stuff isn't happen, stands, It's not just random,
(12:34):
and it's not a criticism of it. Lebron is a
great intuitive businessman. He is selling the stock early, never late,
and all of a sudden, once again he's got the
perfect teammate. The Mavericks are swimming.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
In chaos, ability to see around corners, see what's coming
down the pike. Lebron, Listen, you just made a case
that he might be the greatest executive in NBA history.
The way he's pulling the strings and moving around. Everywhere
he goes, he wins everywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
This is not a criticism. No, he bailed on Wade
and he was right. D Wade couldn't play back the
backs anymore. Bosh was having some physical stuff, but it
was mostly about d Wade. His Robin couldn't play. Remember
those games against Indiana. D Wade would be great and
the next day you weren't sure if he could play
in the next game. And I'm all I'm saying with
(13:23):
is Lucas stuff is you look up today and it's like,
are the Lakers the best team in the league after Boston?
I think the answer is yes, and I'm supposed to
believe it's just all happens stance. I think Lebron knew
a year ago he started swimming first Steph for a
year plus Steph turned him down. He said, who's my
next target? Luca? And I think it was behind the scenes,
(13:47):
and send a text and a little emoji, just enough
to let him know. Believe me, Lebron knows everybody in
the league back channel it make sure Luca. And when
Mark Cuban sold that team, Lebron James said, there's my moment.
That is my moment because Cuban and Luca were tight,
(14:07):
and Lebron the great businessman said, I've got an opening.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
In my head.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I see Michael Douglas, remember the movie Wall Street. He
wakes up on the beach and he's got that clunky
cell phone and he calls Charlie Sheen and he goes
Money never sleeps, Winning never sleeps.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
For Lebron James.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
He's always got something in play. The next move on
the chessboard.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
He knows it.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Who call this great.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Start to it?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Tuesday I'm fine.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
I'm just positive it's it's conspiracy theories. Are you have
to basically from soup to notts a conspiracy theory. There's
a couple of loose fits. This isn't a bunch of
loose fits. Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, La Bailon Lonzo, the young players.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
A D.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Luca, This isn't this stuff all happened? And I I
I that this the Luca thing is too perfect. It's
just too perfect. Lebron's basketball IQ. He looked around this
league and he thought, Steph, Jokic, Luca, those are the guys. Well,
Yoka isn't going anywhere because Denver will never give him up. Steph,
(15:12):
I tried it, didn't want to go. Cuban sells the MAVs.
There's my opening, and I'm not heys. I've been called selfish.
People get called selfish if they care about their careers whatever.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
By the way, I invited Colin to hang out with
an NBA coach tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah, Colin gave me the stiff arm. No, I'm busy.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I was like, all right, fine, fine, okay, I got
any your big time, I got things.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, we're talking about the Kyrie Irving injury and what
I mess the Mavericks have been. I guess my overall
arching point is every team Lebron bails on goes into
the tank, and every star he moves off of goes
into a worse situation. And I mean it just Kyrie
Irving injury, by the way, because of all the injuries
(16:05):
and because Luca shared offensive responsibilities, when you took Luca
away from the Mavericks, it forced Kyrie to play more minutes,
so it was very taxing on Kyrie's smaller body. Kyrie
since the Luca trade, I was just told, leads the
NBA in minutes played. So again, like this is another
reason you don't make that trade. So Kyrie, a small
(16:27):
player who's had injuries, You're asking him to put so
much responsibility, so many minutes on his body with the
rest of the team beat up, that Kyrie's body gives
out after a while. So it's just it just it
is crazy how often Lebron's timing is just perfect. I mean,
the minute he leaves a team, they fall off a cliff.
The minute he moves off a star, that star goes
(16:49):
into a worse situation, or his year is bad, or
he's not the same player, or the circumstances are off.
And I just after a while, I don't think it's luck.
I just think Lebron's got an into wish. He sees
problems much better than most coaches or executives in the league.
There's an argument he's the best executive in the league.
I mean, you could make that argument Lebron's the best
executive in the league. He has made that many smart moves.
(17:12):
And I think he knew about the Luca thing. I
think he saw that thing the minute Cuban sold that team.
I think he saw it. There's an opening, Go get
my guy. I prefer Steph, maybe Jokic. They're not available,
and I tried with Steph. So I saw this this story,
this is a big story yesterday, kind of infuriating to me.
So apparently in the combine over the weekend, you had
(17:35):
these Shadeur Sanders, you know, the quarterbacks. They'll interview with teams,
and the report is Schadeur Sanders, who was a little brash.
According to Todd McShay. Two people that I spoke to
left the meeting with Shadur, and Shoudeur was not overly
concerned with what they thought of him. Would you be?
(17:58):
You watch the Cleveland Browns all ten years, so this
idea that he's going to drop in the draft cracks
me up. Tennessee, Cleveland and the Giants all messes that
could need a quarterback, could use a quarterback, and should
draft one These teams one of them, two of them
are all three of them apparently didn't love what they
heard from Shador Sanders. So I want you to think
(18:20):
about this. Let's just take the New York Giants. Go
back to Week twelve, twenty seventeen season. It's kind of
the end of Eli Manning. He has a terrible game
against Washington. The Giants are two and nine. He's awful
until today, March fourth. That is three hundred and seventy
(18:41):
nine weeks that you knew that Eli Manning was washed
until today, and you still are a disaster at quarterback.
And you think Shador Sanders in an interview is supposed
to walk in there and be blown away, and that
you as a team have the leverage. You think Cleveland
(19:01):
has leverage. You think Tennessee has leverage. It's okay to
sometimes admit as a business, the employee may have more leverage. Right.
So this idea that this kid who grew up rich
because of Nil got richer and who's really good and
you're a terrible franchise, either Tennessee, Cleveland or New York,
(19:24):
that he didn't bow down to you because Shador Sanders realizes,
let's say it's the New York Giants or Cleveland, you're
a hurdle to his success. He'll be successful if he
goes to Pete Carroll, Chip, Kelly, brock Bauers and Cap Space.
The Giants are a hurdle, an impediment to success. So
this idea that you're desperate and you think you have
(19:48):
all the leverage. No, Caleb Williams had some leverage, cam
Ward has some leverage. It's over that the employee doesn't
have any leverage in my business. In pro football, college
athletes now, the coach doesn't have all the leverage. And
I think there's executives and coaches. Rick Pattino said this
(20:10):
the other day, Saint John's coach adapt. You can complain
or you can adapt. You know, the late Bobby Knight
would complain about transfer portal, or you can adapt John
Calipari to his credit. It's like, okay, one and done.
That's how I get the best players. I can grumble
and complain about it, or I can like Rick Battino,
(20:30):
we don't even recruit high schoolers. I can complain about
it or just adapt. And so it's kind of infuriating
to me. I don't know. I mean, Shader Sanders grew
up rich andil got rich. Yeah, I'm sorry he didn't
come in desperate. But this idea that these kids, now,
these these quarterbacks and a bad quarterback class, and he
(20:52):
may be the best one and you are a tire
fire of a franchise. And you know he came in here.
I mean the quote from mcsay's actually funny. You know.
The quote is.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Is that.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
They left the meeting feelings should do or was not
overly concerned with what they thought of him? Well, I mean,
they thought Daniel Jones was great, they thought giving Deshaun
Watson a guaranteed contract was brilliant. Somebody drafted Will Levis.
I wouldn't be overly concerned if I was a quarterback
(21:29):
with three teams that don't appear to know what the
hell they're doing. I'm sorry he gets a little say two,
you're bringing your attitude because he doesn't come in and
bow down to you. The business doesn't always have all
the leverage now it's twenty twenty five. Sometimes the employee
has a little bit, you know. Sometimes you know. I
(21:49):
was talking to a friend the other day and uh,
there are two companies battling for him, and one of
the companies was sort of outraged that he wasn't just
totally committed to them, and he said, well, I've got
another company that's a bigger company offering more money. Like
the day, if you're an employer and you think you
(22:11):
have all the leverage, or you're in an NFL team and
think you have all the leverage, I mean, I think
Shador Sanders and cam Ward they would like to be
passed on by Tennessee Cleveland and the Giants. They'd rather
go to a winning franchise. JJ McCarthy bo Nick's best
thing that ever happened to him. He fell to Sean Payton.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
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 (22:40):
You ever heard that saying, it's just a vibe. Some
people are good energy, some people are good juice the
nick right top of the hour, The Golden State Warriors
won again last night with Jimmy Butler. The Butler's not
even playing well. I mean, honestly, that's what's crazy, Lucas
not being that consistently great. He's still playing in the shape.
Jimmy Butler is shooting eleven percent on threes, and the
(23:05):
Warriors are eight and one with him.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 7 (23:20):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm
Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
of course the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 7 (23:29):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop
culture stories that well other shows don't seem to have
the time to discuss.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
twenty years and still work together.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I mean that says something, right. So check us out.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls,
chop it up. As they say, I'd say, the most
interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Most interactive show on planetar.
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
Fox Sports Radio on the iHeartRadio app from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, and if you
miss any of the live show, just search Kobe known
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social media that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It is a Tuesday. Welcome in this time. Yesterday, the
great Jimmy Johnson was retiring from Fox after a remarketable football,
pro and college and broadcasting career. This is the herd
I just we taught. We started our show talking about
Lebron James is one point shy of scoring fifty thousand
career points. Nobody's obviously ever done that. There is It's
(24:37):
I said this two weeks ago. I don't even know
what I'm watching, and our staff has this. If you
take Lebron's four MVP season and compare with Lebron since
e turn forty, he's actually a better basketball player now,
more rebounds, Morris sists, better shooter, three point and field
(24:57):
goal he averages two points. That's a game that's insane.
And I think today's defending as well as he did
five or six years ago. So you know, people will say,
what is he on? Well, the NBA tests for hgahs.
They just banned a Milwaukee Buck player for some banned substance.
So you know, I think your body will treat you
(25:18):
how you treat it. And Lebron spends a couple of
million dollars a year in his body. And Lebron is
what happens when you're an all time talent and you
go all in. I've said this, Carmelo Anthony, go look
it up. Started to decline at thirty years old. He
was never in great shape. I mean, hookah, Luca will
(25:39):
not play like this at forty years old. He's not
that committed. And so I mean John Daly was a hoot,
but at fifty eight years old, Gary player is eighty
eight or eighty nine years old, and Gary players in
significantly better shape because Gary Player still works out. I
met Gary Player twice. It's incredible. Eighty nine years old,
(25:59):
he works out ninety minutes today. I talk to about
his diet. It's incredible. It's the healthiest eater I've ever seen.
Your body's gonna treat you like you treat your body.
And Lebron is just an all in guy. So I mean,
you look at James Harden, he's falling off a cliff.
If you look at Big Ben, he aged quickly. So
all these guys, like I always say when people complain
(26:20):
about the Dodgers doing the deferred payments, everybody that owns
a Major League Baseball team is a billionaire. Everybody could
do that. The Dodgers have decided they're billionaires. Dodgers do
not have the richest owners. They don't. They don't drive
the most revenue. Yankees still make more revenue than they
do on an annual basis. So Yankees make more revenue.
They do not now now, Mark Walters is one of
(26:41):
the richer owners, top six or seven, not the richest owner,
but they are totally committed to winning championships with the Dodgers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates owner. He's a billionaire. Two he's cheap,
and so anybody could do it. All these I mean
most of these athletes, most not all. They could spend money.
But you know James Harden, you know his jersey hangs.
(27:03):
I'm not joking in the rafter of a strip club.
I mean he was legendary for being an all night guy.
That's fine with me. I'm not judging it. But that's
why James Harden's falling off a cliff. That's why Carmelo
started declining at thirty. He was never in great shape.
Cam Newton had some injuries, but Big Ben. You know,
you look at Alex Ovechkin and hockey right now, top
ten in goals, Tom Brady in his forties, Lebron James.
(27:27):
This is what happens when you totally commit. Lou Williams
was talking about this on the Fan Duel TV about this.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
Sixty percent of these guys can put a million dollars
in their bodies if they want to, they still get
this result. Yeah, it's just a credit to his genetics
and how he's been able to maintain himself over the years.
So to go through twenty one years of nothing major
to sit you out as a blessing in itself.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Now, Lebron did have last couple of years. He had
about a year and a half where he was just
dealing with ankle stuff and hip stuff. But the numbers
he's putting up, and I will say this, I've said
this about Steph Curry and I'll say it with Lebron.
These guys were on a treadmill to nowhere, and then
you give one Luca and one Jimmy Butler, and it's
as if they're showing off for their new friend, like
(28:13):
you get a new friend in the neighborhood. Hey, come
on over here in my bicycle, let's do some jumps
like they're showing off with their friends. And that's brought
a joy and an energy to Lebron. And what I'm
watching is absolutely once in a generation remarkable. Steph Curry's
averaging seven points more a game with Jimmy Butler, He's
taking one more shot. Efficiency, energy, vibe, juice, analytics can't
(28:36):
measure all that stuff. Nick Wright, co host, First Things
First is joining us down live from New York. You
know need it is. I think Lebron has always known
and this was my rant to start the show. Nobody
has had his intuition. He moved off d Wait at
the right time, he moved out of Cleveland twice at
(28:56):
the right time. He moved off all the Lonzo Ball
guys at the right time. And I think, deep down,
I really believe this Nick that he knew that he
and Ad worked together. But Jokich or Luca the great
outlet passers would give Lebron in his twilight years easier
(29:17):
baskets and they wouldn't be as dependent on him initiating it.
And Denver wasn't moving off Luca or Denver wasn't moving
off Jokic. He tried to get Steph a couple of
years ago, and Steph said no thanks. I think Lebron
the minute Cuban sold Hish primary share of the Mavericks,
(29:38):
Lebron saw an opening and through a lot. I know
you think it's crazy. Lebron has always been a step
ahead of teams, owners, executives and teammates, and he's been
right seven straight times.
Speaker 8 (29:52):
Was one of those steps drugging Nico Harrison, I mean,
I mean, because that's the piece to that that you're
not including. So I don't quite get it. By the
way I'm hearing myself in my ear. So I don't
know if they can fix it, but all power through
in the meantime. Yeah, but it doesn't take a basketball genius,
which Lebron is to be like, Yeah, my life probably
(30:14):
gets easier on offense if we had Luka Daji.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (30:18):
I do think that he probably wanted Luca. I don't
think he thought that Nico Harrison would make that possible.
But you were talking about Lebron scoring fifty thousand points.
Can we stay there for a minute. Sure, So I
know that compiling is not really considered that impressive, and
(30:44):
I understand that, But what Lebron's doing isn't compiling. What
Lebron's doing is continued, sustained excellence, and that's what I
think matters. So there've only been five guys in NBA
history to reach thirty six thousand, thirty six thousand, He's
(31:06):
at fifty career points, and I do think it's noteworthy
to discuss what they looked like when they reached those
final milestones.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So Kareem scored forty four.
Speaker 8 (31:19):
Thousand, it's fixed, Thank you, guys, forty four thousand and change.
When he got his forty four thousandth point Colin. It
was the worst year of his careers, averaging ten points
per game. Yeah, Karl Malone got to forty one thousand.
When he scored his forty first thousandth point, he was
averaging thirteen points a game for the Lakers, the worst
(31:40):
year of his career. Kobe and Michael both got to
thirty eight thousand. When Michael did it, he was averaging
twenty a game on nineteen percent from three and forty
one percent from the field for the Wizards, and when
Kobe did it, he was averaging seventeen a game on
thirty five percent from the field. Lebron James tonight is
(32:02):
going to get to fifty thousand in the season. He
might be top five on MVP balloting and should be
first team All NBA. So it's not so much about
you know, he just was healthy and was able to
put in fifteen a night for twenty five years. It's
that in year twenty two he is still on any
(32:25):
given night, maybe the best player in the league, and
over the course of the season clearly one of the
five best players in the league. Brady is the only
athlete that we have any comp for it too, and
Brady didn't have to play both sides of the ball.
It's really a remarkable thing we're seeing right now.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
You know, I was thinking about this. Jamack was on
this like the first couple of days. He said, Lakers
are a championship team. And I think there's only two
teams in the league right now that are complete, Boston
and Cleveland, and one won't get to the finals. Austin
plays interior defense, wing defense, they have wings scoring, they
can score down low. Boston's a totally complete team. If
(33:06):
Derek White's your fourth or fifth best team player, you're
a great team. I think Cleveland is very very close. Again,
they can defend, they've got size, they've got wing defenders,
they've got a great guard. Those are complete teams. I
don't think anybody in the West is complete. Teams are
either too young, they don't have the depth. I don't
think Denver has the depth. They're bad defensively. I don't
(33:28):
trust Houston can't shoot. Golden State could use another shooter.
So when I look at the Lakers, I think, you know,
I wish they had a rim defender. And my take is,
until you get to the finals, everybody's got a hole
in the West, and I get Lebron and Luca, So
my two stars are better than you two. And I
do think right now I would take the Lakers to
(33:50):
win the West. Oh well, they.
Speaker 8 (33:54):
Are certainly on the very short list. I, knowing myself,
all probably end up picking them.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
It's gonna be hard for me to pick it you
all of us.
Speaker 8 (34:05):
You have my favorite player of all time and my
second favorite player in the league playing together, and they're
both playing great basketball, so probably endo picking them. I
do think you're short changing okay see a bit. The
okay see question is really to me.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
I have two okay see questions.
Speaker 8 (34:24):
One is, well, the non SGA players play better this
postseason than they did last postseason because last postseason Shaye
played well, but the other guys didn't, you know, kind
of play up to their feeling.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
And the other.
Speaker 8 (34:38):
Okay see question is is Shay gonna suffer from something
James Harden has suffered for the past, Joel and beat
has suffered from the past, which is a playoff whistle.
Anyone who gets such a huge benefit from getting to
the foul line, you worry about them a bit in
the playoff.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
What okay see is awesome.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I will let me say that about okay see, and
I've seen this before. SGA will not get the regular
season whistle which Karl Malone and James Harden and SJA
live on. He won't the other thing. And you know this.
Young players and rotational players in the playoffs are often
great at home, but in big spots, in road games,
(35:19):
they can disappear. I think Oklahoma City is still chet
Holmgren is still a year away from being able to
go to Los Angeles in a crucial game and beat
Lebron and Luca.
Speaker 8 (35:32):
So that listen, that might be true, but they also
might not have to win any road games like they
and so I am. I'm not trying to build them
up to more than they are, but I do think
their record and shape playing at the level.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
They deserve respect.
Speaker 8 (35:48):
I also, oddly, when I was in Los Angeles over
when was it over Thanksgiving? I went to Lakers okay see,
I sat right next to the guy that holds up
all the Lakers. That doesn't matter, don't know, we's what
that point is. I good seats Lakers, okay see. Unlike
Colin Coward, they're not given to me. I'd pay from
out of my own pocket man of the people and okay,
(36:08):
see just throws waves and waves of defenders at you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yes, so I will give them respect.
Speaker 8 (36:13):
What the Lakers have going for them that no other
team in the league has is this. They have two
offensive supercomputers at the wings slash point guard position. And
almost every contender has one guy you can throw on
someone like that the thunder f Loudort. The Nuggets have
(36:36):
Aaron Gordon, like you have someone you have a guy
to throw on those to throw on Lebron or throw
on Luca. Only Boston has two guys who you could
has multiple guys.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
To throw at these.
Speaker 8 (36:50):
To throw at Lebron and Luca, like when you are
playing Denver in a series.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
If Aaron Gordon is.
Speaker 8 (36:57):
Guarding Lebron, then who who the hell is guarding Luca?
Like that is the real question. So yeah, I thought
people totally overrated how bad of a fit it was
gonna be.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
It's two of the smartest players ever.
Speaker 8 (37:11):
I also think those of us hand up who the
last few years was like, Darvin Ham is doing a
poor job, and then.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
A lot of people in the media was like, h.
Speaker 8 (37:21):
Lebron knifing Darvin Ham for his podcast Buddy So I'm
if JJ Reddick, who we all know was only hired
because Lebron made him do it Lebron's podcast Buddy.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
If JJ Redick.
Speaker 8 (37:35):
Wins Coach of the Year, does Lebron get to at
least take a picture with the trophy?
Speaker 5 (37:39):
Like?
Speaker 8 (37:40):
How does the Lebron runs the Lakers stuff work? He
made them trade for Russell Westbrook, but he also made
them trade for Anthony Davis. What trading for Anthony Davis
got you a championship and Luka ancis.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
For the next decade. So I don't know like it.
Speaker 8 (37:54):
I just don't know where Lebron's influence starts or ends.
I do know the Lakers right now. I agree with you,
look like a team can win the championship, Sop.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
I've been saying two things about the face of the league.
I only believe. I think there's been three in my life. Magic,
I don't count Bird, Bird didn't want it, French Lick, Feisty,
he didn't have the magnetism of Magic Johnson. Magic and
Bird may have been together. It's like Angel Reeson Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin's the face of the league. Magic was the face
of the league. They just happened to be rivals. Then
(38:23):
I think it's Michael Jordan, the best looking, the best player,
the most relentless. And then I think it's Lebron James.
Steph Curry's close, but in his prime. Lebron's in his Sorry,
Lebron wins. So my take is there's only been three.
Kareem wasn't, Wilt wasn't. Duncan was They weren't. And the
other thing is it's not just about going to Duke
(38:45):
or playing for a big brand. There is c There
are two things that matter, an aura. Jason Tatum doesn't
have it, and yet we can't ever question that. You
shrink in big spots. In the gold medal game, Jason
Tatum had two points game before he was a coach's
decision do not play when he played with the best
players in the world. Secondly, Jalen Brown wins MVP of
(39:08):
A conference finals. In the finals, they traded Marcus Smart
because he was taking the ball out of his hands.
I love Jason Tatum. I think the league thought Zion
could be okay. I thought Zion had a chance, but
he just wasn't because and I don't really blame him,
because they come into the league at nineteen years old.
(39:29):
He wasn't mature enough. Jaw had a chance, he just
wasn't ready for it. That the league mostly doesn't need
it hasn't had it, and Tatum's noted all.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Right, So you threw a lot there.
Speaker 8 (39:43):
One is can I sell you on one other face
of the league in that time frame, right, and that's
the Shaq Kobe duo? Okay, I think that they but
after Michael, before Lebron, I thought the Shaq Kobe collective
with was the face of the league if that exists.
But it's a very very short list. And we actually
(40:06):
I actually talked Tatum because you know, he was a
huge Jason Tatum fan. Is my son Demanse, who co
hosts the podcast I do, and we were talking about
that actually this morning, and about why Jason Tatum online
in particular seems to get so much criticism from America's
Honesty Broker gets so much criticism, and I think there is.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
A feeling, and it might be unfair.
Speaker 8 (40:32):
It is just a feeling of a little inauthenticity that
people don't wrap their arms around. It's the exact opposite
feeling people get when they watch or listen to Anthony Edwards.
So for good or for bad, people watch Anthony Edwards
and say, you know who he's being, Anthony Edwards. You
(40:54):
know what he's saying, whatever's on his mind, you know
what he's doing, whatever he wants. Now there are some
maybe issues with that, but you it's why people are.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Drawn to him.
Speaker 8 (41:06):
If Tatum, I think for a lot of people feels
a little too pre produced. And then there is also
the factor of and this is and people Celtics fans
might not want to hear it. And he is the
best player on the defending champion and a team that
might win again. But will is ja to be the
(41:28):
face of the league. You have to be in eligible
to be the best player in the league, right and
Jason Tatum is not. And people can say I'm putting
a ceiling on him. Jason Tatum will never be the
best player in the NBA. There's no shame to that.
Kevin Durant who has reached heights. Tatum has not, and
(41:49):
I think will not never was the single best player
in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
It's only like sixteen.
Speaker 8 (41:55):
Guys across history who have ever been the hands down
best player at any given more in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
So I don't Tatum's right.
Speaker 8 (42:04):
I check off all the boxes except for the one
that matters, which is what we feel like, what we know.
And so again, the Celtics probably should win another championship,
and if they, if he's a multiple time champion, probably
get a finals MVV.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
At some point he's going to be first, all of
the accolades, all of it.
Speaker 8 (42:25):
But that doesn't mean that you're going to be on
a list alongside of Lebron, Kobe Shack, Michael Magic.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Again, it's a very very short list. So I agree
with you on that.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Okay, So finally, uh Shaduur Sanders, So you know, I said,
most of the time in my life, the corporation or
the organization has the leverage over the employee. But when
you're the Giants or Cleveland or Tennessee. In Shaduur Sanders interviews,
he grew up rich. He's even richer now with Nil
(42:58):
you're awful. He's talent and he would probably rather drop
to a good team. I don't want to hear in
the combine that he came off as you know, a
little standoffish. Well maybe because he'd rather you pass on
him and go to a better team. And my take
is the world changes, the culture changes. I mean, Mike
(43:22):
Krzyzewski's like, I'm not doing one and done, and then
he realized he was getting beat by guys that went
to Carolina that were one and dones, and Mike Krzewski said, Okay,
I'm doing one and donees. The culture has changed. Players
come in now as millionaires. Owners in the NFL are billionaires.
They're more impulsive, They fire coaching staffs. I don't want
(43:42):
to hear that, schatour Shadoor Sanders didn't.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Bow to you.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
These kids come in with sometimes more leverage than the team.
Speaker 8 (43:52):
So I have maybe the most odd should or Sanders
opinion of anyone, which is I have zero off the
field concerns and a ton of on the field concerns.
So like all of the should or Sanders conversation seems
to be about should or Sanders the like the negative
(44:14):
conversation is about should or Sanders the guy. And I
from everything I have seen, from everything I've heard from
people who actually know him, from watching him in the spotlight,
I I'm like, I think this kid has handled obscene fame,
a ton of wealth, and a huge spotlight about almost perfectly,
(44:38):
not perfectly. There are last year when kids were transferring
out a few tweets I think he would want back. Yeah,
but given you know, given where he's at, the scrutiny,
his dad, his brothers, all of it, I think should
Or Sanders the leader, the intangibles, all that stuff is
super high marks. I just worry about should Or Sanders
(44:59):
the quarterback and whether or not he had like what
I saw from him at Colorado, which coach Mangini mentioned this,
I thought it was a good point. It felt like
a lot of the potential red flags you saw occasionally
from Caleb in college. You saw a lot of those
same ones with Shoud or without nearly as many of
(45:22):
the oh my god, what did I just see type
of wow throws? And so I would not be worried
about drafting should Or at all because I think he's
arrogant or character or any of this nonsense, which really
just means confident in this case, rich young black kid.
Like that part I think is ridiculous. I do have
(45:44):
legitimate concerns about whether or not if the quarterbacks in
last year's class were in this year's class, would should
Or be the sixth quarterback off the board, would would
Caleb Aiden, Drake cam wored this year and JJ McCarthy all.
Speaker 3 (46:04):
Go ahead of him.
Speaker 8 (46:06):
Maybe that's that, to me, is far more legitimate than
any of this arrogant stuff.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Nick, right, all right, that was good stuff, my friend.
Speaker 8 (46:15):
How are you celebrating tonight? Colin uh points. I mean
you'll never see it again. No one will see it again.
You know, it's rare than Haley's comment. Literally, you know what.
Speaker 1 (46:27):
Let that percolate, let that bake. I'll try to I'll
try to do something special. Maybe I'll have a listen.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
I know you like going out these days.
Speaker 8 (46:35):
Go to one of your fancy members only LA restaurants,
order yourself, you know what I mean, one of your
you know, double cocktails, and just be like, man, a
billion years of world history. I was a live covering
sports at the same time as Lebron James.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
What are the odds? I mean, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Just talk, just enjoying into it, my friend. Good scene.
Speaker 5 (46:57):
There you go,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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