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July 2, 2025 • 30 mins

Thoughts on NBA free agency, the Knicks finding their guy, LeBron James' future, and more

 

Guests: Cameron Dicker, Ryan Hollins

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Episode Transcript

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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 Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
All right, welcome back to the Herd, And we got
a special guest here in the studio. He's a kicker
on the Chargers and he's got a great nickname, Camera Dicker, Dicker,
the Kicker.

Speaker 4 (00:37):
How are you, man, I'm fantastic. It is a good nickname.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Huh, it's not bad. Yeah. Well, by the way, who
gave you that.

Speaker 5 (00:43):
Science teacher in seventh grade kind of wild? Is named
mister Gonzalez. Mister g he was a beast. I had
him for six seventh and then eighth grade they gave
me a different science teacher, but he moved into eighth
grade with our class too, and I could have had
him for three years straight.

Speaker 4 (00:57):
But the screw they screwed me at school.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
So you were being you were like a kicker from
like seventh grade.

Speaker 5 (01:02):
Yeah, So I started playing football in China in fifth grade,
so I was from I grew up in China, moved
to the US, and sixth grade didn't play football that year,
just played soccer in seventh grade. Everybody in Texas plays football,
so I was like, we're playing some football here.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Was that kind of culture shocked China to Texas.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
It was weird.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
I thought I was gonna be like riding horses to school,
like very genuinely. It was like this is what I'm doing,
and it turned out that I wasn't.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
I was just living have a good time.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
This was you're so young. I mean this Friday Night
Lights the TV show. Are you familiar with it or no?

Speaker 5 (01:35):
To be honest, I've never watched it. It's really sad.
I've been told I need to watch it all the time.
My girlfriend's on my butt to get watching it. But
I yeah, I'll watch it now.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah. I mean apparently Texas high school football is everything
there growing up, Like, I mean, was it pretty much?

Speaker 4 (01:52):
It's a wild Yeah, it's crazy. So in high school.

Speaker 5 (01:54):
So when I was sixteen, so my sophomore year, our
state championship game was in front of like forty thousand people.

Speaker 4 (02:01):
I was like a sixteen year old, and I was like,
this is crazy.

Speaker 5 (02:03):
Yeah, like every home game is about ten thousand people
and you're just like, what are we?

Speaker 3 (02:07):
And so normally even in the TV show, in the movie,
it's you know, the quarterback is a star. And also
what's life like as a high school kicker in Texas?
Are you being celebrated? Oh? You know, like you're the
homecoming king and everything like are you the man?

Speaker 4 (02:19):
Not at all.

Speaker 5 (02:20):
I was loving life as a soccer player. Oh barely
showed up the football things. I'd show up for games,
show up for the practices when I needed to kick
everything else. I was like, I'm going to be at
soccer practice. I'm going to be doing my own I
never so they have like I don't know if in
California and stuff, you have like football period in school,
but we would do ab schedules.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
We had four classes a day. One of the classes was.

Speaker 5 (02:42):
A sport class, so you'd really had three classes a day, okay.
And I never was in the football period. I was
only in soccer period. Even through football season, it was
all soccer and then so.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
You were soccer first. What position in soccer.

Speaker 5 (02:56):
Center back and then some outside back. My freshman year forcer. Yeah,
I kind of like to be a dick.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
On the field. That kind of works.

Speaker 5 (03:05):
It's like, yeah, it's like, you know, that's the way
I was.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
It was just kind of funny.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
You put on that you're laid back. Yeah, I seem
like a center back enforcer who's gonna mess people up.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
But you gotta have fun. You gotta have both sides.
You got to be the guy.

Speaker 5 (03:21):
Like a guy's walking backwards and you kind of like
bump them and then if they fall over, you're like,
oh dude, let me help you up.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
Like you play both sides of it.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Guy slick, I like that. So let me ask, are
you following USA soccer and the Gold Cup and everything?
Are you know? Are you a little bit?

Speaker 4 (03:34):
A little bit? I've been watching a lot more of
the Club World Cup.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Oh, it's squad for.

Speaker 5 (03:39):
The Club World Cup. I really like PSG. I think
they've been dominant. Who doesn't but Ali Lol is awesome too.
I've been playing with them in FIFA since like twenty
twenty one.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
You played video games. This guy's young.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Yeaheah, FIFA's only one.

Speaker 5 (03:54):
So in college in twenty twenty one, me and my
roommate is one of my best friends. We would play
FIFA and we were like, maybe we'll start streaming, and
we only played with Al Hilal.

Speaker 4 (04:01):
And it was so fun. We would just dominate people.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Wait so you were you streaming or no?

Speaker 5 (04:05):
No, we just realized, yeah, we realized, like we're in college,
we'll probably say something stupid and.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, get you get canceled. So let me did you
see the match against Man City the other Oh yeah,
my family was at that game and they kept texting
me this is insane. I mean, wow, that was an
unbelieving Yeah, that was such a great Let's get to
the NFL. Talk to me about like life as a
kicker with the Chargers, Like, what's it like? I mean,
you guys have Justin Herbert, Jim Harball, big personality, coach,

(04:32):
quiet quarterback. How do you kind of fit into this thing?

Speaker 4 (04:38):
Kind of quiet quarterback?

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Is quiet, isn't he He's more.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
Quiet than others.

Speaker 5 (04:42):
But he we do a lot of stuff together outside
of for you guys, a lot. Yeah, So he's a
he's an awesome dude, very fun, quiet around cameras, but not.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
A quiet person. Oh interesting and.

Speaker 5 (04:54):
So very vocal leader for the team, good person around,
but Jim Harbaugh I think definitely helps bring that out.
But Jim also brings everybody up into like, hey, be yourself,
go have fun, and it kind of has the culture
of like, hey, you're loved in this building, so like
be yourself and have fun.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Which so it's funny you give off the laid back,
chill vibe, right, Jim Harball's not like that. He's kind
of a dunce. So is there a clashing of personalities
at all?

Speaker 6 (05:24):
There?

Speaker 5 (05:24):
No, I think he loves it. He always talks about
how much he loves it. It's so funny. It's I
don't know why. Every time I'm like somewhere with him,
he's like, we were at the World Cup party here
at Fox Studios, y what two weeks ago, and we
were talking to somebody who's like, I just love how
laid back and relaxed.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
This guy is and I just want to be like that.
And I was like, what, yeah, so pretty funny.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
So we don't need to talk about specifically where you live,
but you I found out you lived near me Harball lives.
Dear us. Are you guys are you going to bars
with Jim Marble hanging out?

Speaker 4 (05:56):
Never two hours never we had a rule.

Speaker 5 (05:59):
They brought us somewhere and his he basically in front
of the whole team, was like, when you got when
we go out as a team, you can.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
Have a beer.

Speaker 5 (06:07):
I'd have no more than one beer, maybe drink half
a beer and then leave.

Speaker 4 (06:11):
That's the best way to do it.

Speaker 5 (06:13):
If you drink half a beer, you show your face
and then you get home and go spend time with
your family.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
And I was like, yes, that's a good one.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
But you're a single guy. Does that apply to you.

Speaker 5 (06:21):
I have a girlfriend, and I've had a girlfriend for
a long time, so I'm not.

Speaker 4 (06:24):
Out and about you.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Listen, this guy is so rare your Instagram you got
a ton of followers. I mean that's not normal for
an NFL kicker, right, Yeah, we have fun.

Speaker 4 (06:34):
It's more than a good time.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
Yeah yeah, yeah, he's living the dream.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter not a Empacific.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Hi, this is Jay.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Tony Fusco show.
Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable. Don't listen to
the show so it can get camps.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
What the hell are you going studium? Get him? Ignore
that fool. Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco Show on
the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast.
He's still moving. So I don't know how much you
follow like this show, but I've kind of been bashing
the Chiefs. I think their run is ended. I don't

(07:20):
think they're making the playoffs next year. I'm just curious
about it. Really well too. Their offensive line is a
mess there Kelsey. I don't want to call him watch
but you saw the stats at the end of last season,
not quite delivering. The schedule's brutal, but they find ways
to win.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Well, they got to give it to him. They find
ways to win.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
So they were eleven or zero one score games in
the regular season. There's no chance they're duplicating that. So
if they go five and six, that's now six more losses.
I don't I see they like this eight to nine
win team. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (07:48):
I think our division also is going to be arguably
the best division in the National Football League this year.
I think the way that this division's trending is great.
I think the other teams are coming up, I mean technical,
The Chiefs should are kind of coming down from being
the number one team probably for the last three years.

Speaker 4 (08:06):
So it's gonna be interesting for sure.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Chiefs fans follow the show, so you can give them
all the bulletin board material.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
I'm not saying anything. I'm not saying anything.

Speaker 5 (08:16):
I think better than their kicker. Come on, I like
Harrison Bucker. I think he's a great kicker. Nothing against him,
nothing against him.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
But the division did get tough for Raiders all of
a sudden. They're not a pushover anymore. They got a
real coach, you know, they got a well I don't
know about their quarterback, but they're gonna be like a
six to seven win team. And then Denver kind of
they might have the best defense in the league.

Speaker 5 (08:37):
Denver is gonna be interesting. They're gonna be a good team.
I think the Raiders are gonna surprise people. I think
they're gonna win random games that nobody thinks they should be.
And then I think the Broncos are just Yeah, I
think they're gonna be a tough team to play.

Speaker 4 (08:49):
Yeah, for us and for anybody.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
What's like the mental like the off season regime. You
see these guys Derek Henry running up hills with parachutes,
all these guys working their butts off. What's a kick
doing in the off season?

Speaker 4 (09:01):
Same thing? You know? Same thing? Uh?

Speaker 5 (09:04):
You know in Manhattan Beach they got that Sam Due.

Speaker 4 (09:07):
Are you going there? Never? I actually have never seen it.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
It costs like one dollar to go there for the locals.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
You have to pay to go.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah, I mean you could probably sneak in and just
like tennis, you played tennis, No, you played any pickleball?

Speaker 4 (09:20):
I love pickleball. I'm really good at pickleball. I'll like
challenge anybody where am I looking? I'll challenge anybody to pickleball.

Speaker 3 (09:26):
I got a son who's ready to play tournaments and
he plays against a lot of people, so maybe he
could play you. Well, I mean we went to Chargers
off season mini camp.

Speaker 5 (09:35):
Maybe not if he's playing tournaments. I don't play tournament
fourteen B you could Oh.

Speaker 4 (09:39):
I could take him? Then I feel pretty good.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
So is there like a regimen you need to follow,
like to hardcore in the off season or any of
that stuff.

Speaker 5 (09:48):
Or no, yeah, kind of. I mean, like I eat
decently well. I like ice cream, so I'm always gonna
eat ice cream. That's my biggest we miss. But working out,
I go to a facility and still work out with
our strength coach. I do like four days upper body,
two days lower body a week.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
So for days upper body, yeah, he just splits it up.
Hell yeah, you can't do legs every day.

Speaker 4 (10:13):
Yeah, you gotta look, you gotta get.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
Your sun's out, guns down, you gotta.

Speaker 4 (10:16):
We actually do like no arms. We don't believe in it.

Speaker 5 (10:18):
We do something like one day a week maybe, But
it's not about looks. I'm about function more than looks.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
And that's like.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
I my goal is to be one of the best
pull ups on the team, and then we do neck
workouts and I'm trying to just like destroy people in
the neck world.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
How many pull ups can you do just jumping on
the bar?

Speaker 4 (10:37):
Not that many? Like sixteen.

Speaker 3 (10:39):
I mean, that's probably pretty good for good you don't care.

Speaker 4 (10:42):
That's pretty just for a kicker as wild. That's pretty
good for most people.

Speaker 5 (10:46):
I'd say most dudes in the National Football League, that's
a pretty good if they're doing real pull ups like
I'm doing like full normal pull ups shin above the bar. Yeah,
like no, you go all the way down to like
touch the bar to your chest, all the way down.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
Sixteen it's pretty good.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
Yeah, neutral grip.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
Oh geez, Yeah, he's serious. I would say we'll get
out of a pull.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
We got five grips, but I don't.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
Think I could do six yet.

Speaker 7 (11:07):
No.

Speaker 5 (11:07):
Right now, what we're trying to do is do thirty
second hang, thirty second hold, thirty second hang, thirty second hold,
and I've got thirty thirty thirty And then on the
hold at the top, I was holding it in my hands.
I didn't have the grip strength and my hands fell out.
I still held my arms like this when I hit
the ground and I was at twenty three seconds, seven
seconds short.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
I forgot kickers have to tackle sometimes.

Speaker 4 (11:30):
Yeah, that's why I'm doing the neck workout exactly.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Do you have any memorable tackles from the last couple
of seasons or not? Really?

Speaker 8 (11:37):
No?

Speaker 4 (11:37):
Really just college.

Speaker 5 (11:38):
I got a targeting call on me, stop but I
got run over.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Come on, you got truck.

Speaker 4 (11:42):
Yeah, I'm really targeting. I'm really bad at tackling.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
I do it any kids watching don't tackle how I do.
In my position. All I need to do is get
the guy on the ground. And I know that I
need to learn and do a better job at doing
clean tackles. So I don't hurt myself, but I just
throw my body in there. I'm just like, as long
as this guy hits the ground, yeah, I've done.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
You were a center back in soccer, so you know
how to kind of yeah, all right, so you mentioned Texas.
Obviously what there you were? I believe a two or
three time All American kind of a legend.

Speaker 4 (12:16):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Maybe it wasn't.

Speaker 5 (12:17):
Maybe conference that was good, but like I think I
was good in a bad time with Texas football, so
that's why it like helps me and I made big kicks.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
My stats weren't great. If I'm being honest, I am
doing a lot better now.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
So okay, well come back to Texas. But so if
your stats weren't great, how did you get to the NFL?

Speaker 4 (12:41):
They were good? They were good. They were good.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
But it wasn't like you were three kicking field.

Speaker 5 (12:46):
No, No, I was not. I was not doing that well.
I punted, So I was really good at punting, really
good at kicking.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
So both of those like.

Speaker 5 (12:57):
Probably top five ten in the country in those.

Speaker 4 (13:01):
I'd say.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
Then my first opportunity was actually with the Rams, and
it was mainly kind of punting. But I was like, Hey,
I'm a kicker who can punt, not a punter who kicks.
So through all the draft process that's what I was
telling teams at the combine.

Speaker 4 (13:14):
I didn't punt. I just kicked.

Speaker 5 (13:15):
I went fifteen for fifteen on field goals and then
went undrafted and I was like, this kind of sucks,
Like this is not the dream everybody talks about. Went
to the Rams and they cut me after the first
preseason game and I.

Speaker 3 (13:28):
Was like, geez, did you even get a chance to
kick in that game?

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (13:31):
I kicked and punted, okay, And so I did. I kicked, punted,
and kick off, so iocked. I did all three. Then
the Ravens picked me up after I did five days
of workouts, and I kicked and punted in that game.
Did really well in both games. Probably had the best
punts in my career ever in my life. In the
Rams game it was against the Chargers, and then signed

(13:52):
with the Eagles, and it's just kind of like a blessing.

Speaker 4 (13:56):
You know.

Speaker 5 (13:57):
I think there's a lot of people who are really talented.
They just a door doesn't open for them, or when
the door opens, they don't take advantage of opportunity. So
just kind of taking advantage of the opportunities when God
opens the door.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
What do you think happened with the Eagles to Was
it your performance or just right place right time.

Speaker 4 (14:14):
They needed a kicker? I was available.

Speaker 5 (14:16):
Jake Elliot got hurt that I think it was against Jacksonville,
They like slid into his foot, and so they needed
a guy for a week.

Speaker 4 (14:23):
It was me and another guy and they brought us
in to kick.

Speaker 5 (14:27):
I won that kicking kind of challenge between the two
of us, I guess, and they signed me.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
I sat in their room for like six hours, just
like what am I doing?

Speaker 5 (14:36):
Like why am I here? You guys signing me or not?
And it's pretty funny. I sat in their draft room
and it was just me alone. I called my one
of my best friends and we were just he was
teaching me magic tricks because I was like, I'm so bored,
like I don't know what to do here.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Do you think this was a test by the Eagles
or no, clue. I forgot you were no clue.

Speaker 5 (14:52):
By the time they were like, hey, we're gonna end
up signing you, I'd learned like two magic tricks, and
I was like, let me show you these magic tricks
before we signed these papers, and they let me it.

Speaker 4 (15:00):
I performed two tricks.

Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah that's pretty guy.

Speaker 4 (15:02):
I like that.

Speaker 5 (15:02):
I don't know if they videoed it, but I performed
two tricks and then the third one they brought some
more people in and I just butchered the third one.

Speaker 4 (15:09):
Yeah, I didn't know the trick. I just tried to
do it.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
So there's learning magic on the fly, Like, yeah, I
don't know it anymore. I think by the way, I
hate magic. I think it's, you know, so fake. You
just know that it's it's not real. It's I completely
have you been to the Magic so yeah, we went
there and you think that was fake. It was kind
of cool to watch it, but I just think it's
just dumb.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
It's cool when you know what they're doing, but how
do you I kind of learned some of this stuff.

Speaker 5 (15:36):
But when you know what they're doing but you can't
even spot it, that's when I think it's cool.

Speaker 4 (15:40):
Like these guys are so talented. Their slight of hand
is like so quick.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
So I think of that with like pickpockets. Super talented
people is talent. I completely agree, talent used in the
wrong way. Yeah, Like I'm a backpack in the front
guy when I go Overseas. But who cares. Let's go
back to Texas real quick, obviously, Sarkesian arch Manning, are
you following text football closely? Any thoughts on arch Manning
this season at Texas.

Speaker 5 (16:05):
I'm really excited for him. I think he's gonna do
really well. I've been a big fan of his since
he's been like a freshman there, just because like one
of my first times working out there when I went back,
he walked up to me in the weight room was like, hey, man,
I'm arch great.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
To meet you.

Speaker 5 (16:19):
I've been following your career, like it's cool to see
you do it well.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
And I was like, damn, that's a cool dude. Like
for a quarterback to.

Speaker 5 (16:26):
Come in and like be a big dude, big name
like him and come up and introduce himself to anybody
in the building is like, Oh, okay, that's like a
very normal person and he's just like a normal guy enjoying.

Speaker 4 (16:35):
College and I think ready to go have a good time.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
Dah, that's pretty awesome. All right, let's go ahead. Let's
get a prediction. Oh boy, the Chargers this season? Super Bowl?
What are you? The ANFC Championship? What's is just Herbert
get his first playoff win? Do you hit a field goal?
For what's going on?

Speaker 4 (16:52):
Give me some for sure?

Speaker 5 (16:53):
I haven't get at least one playoff for him, Like
I think, I think we're gonna win a couple more.
But I have no clue. I never actually like set
goals for the season.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
What about you.

Speaker 3 (17:03):
Set goals in life at all? Or No, You're just
like a wake up and this is today, I don't
know it, it's Tuesday.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
I mean, just put your best foot forward and do
the best you can and everything you.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
Do you're almost too laid back. Do you ever get
that from foot people? No?

Speaker 4 (17:19):
No, I mean I don't think so. I can.

Speaker 5 (17:21):
Maybe some people might feel that way, but I don't
really care.

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Man. So the last question, so when you're hanging out
with Herbert and you guys are tight, I with Assumer. Yeah, yeah,
a lot of people will notice him in public, but
not everybody.

Speaker 5 (17:37):
It's it's funny at times, yes. We went out to
dinner the other night with these funny contacts.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
In and uh, what do you mean like color?

Speaker 4 (17:48):
Like, yeah, they're like colored contacts colored. They were like red,
so we looked like we were just like vampires.

Speaker 5 (17:54):
And we went out to dinner and we walked into
the Salt and Straw and we're like standing there and
both of us just eyes red and we were like,
this is incredible, like walking past kids and they were like.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
Did anybody know it was you guys?

Speaker 9 (18:07):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (18:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:08):
When we were checking out, this lady like gave him
a two dollars off coupon that she had on her thing,
and then he didn't even pay for my ice cream.

Speaker 4 (18:15):
And I was like, it's ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
First of all, you got to go to the local spot.
You can't go to saltan Straw.

Speaker 5 (18:19):
Salt was pretty good, but I like Manhattan Beach Creamery
a lot more obvious. But Sultan Straw is like, it's fun.
They have fun funky flavors.

Speaker 3 (18:26):
Never been there.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
I got a really I.

Speaker 5 (18:27):
Guess okay, I had a cricket flavor. There's something with
a cricket in it. One time, it was really weird.

Speaker 3 (18:33):
This guy with a red context. That's what him and
Justin Herbert. I love that. Yeah, I don't want to
hang out, man, I'm going to him all right, Camera
Dicker great stuff, Chargers Kicker, he's a comedian. Also, I
didn't realize that we'll be back after this.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio Appo.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
All right back here on The Herd, boy Cameron Dicker
winning over fans in the building. Everybody wants to come
meet him. Such a good guy. He another good guy
coming up right now, Ryan Hollins joining us to talk
NBA and the Houston Rockets. Hollands, I like, is that
are you wearing a rope there? I like that look
a purple plum. I don't know, but hey, we got

(19:20):
to start here. Your Houston Rockets. They've won the offseason.
That's clear.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
Would you agree?

Speaker 7 (19:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (19:27):
Absolutely, There's there's no question not just hitting the target
in Kevin Durant, but putting the correct pieces around him
and at the same time time maintaining their core.

Speaker 7 (19:38):
And I think that was big for the Houston Rockets.

Speaker 9 (19:41):
When you've seen organizations go out and just acquire the
best names of the hottest free agents or best trade targets.

Speaker 7 (19:48):
At times, they lose culture.

Speaker 9 (19:50):
And one thing you're seeing is Houston is being able
to maintain a culture from em Udoka, which is a
defensive mindset, a group that plays for themselves. And now
you adding Kevin Durant into a situation where you're not
asking him to go out and be a playmaker or
you have to guard multiple positions, just saying, Kevin Durant,
be the best version of yourself. And I believe that

(20:12):
the best version of Kevin Durant was with the Golden
State Warriors and he was asked to go out and
score the basketball and he's arguably the greatest we've ever
seen do that.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
One surprise here is who's the leader of this team
they get in a huddle, fourth quarter, two point game,
who's calling Udoka? Obviously is a very good coach, but
on the court, you need a player to be vocal.
Durant historically has not been that. Is it Fred van Vliet,
is it Shoon I? Don't you know the team? Well,
you're around him all the time. Who's the leader on

(20:40):
the court for that squad.

Speaker 9 (20:42):
It's Fred van Vliet, and one of the other acquisitions
a lot of people aren't talking about is able to
extend his contract outright, if I'm not mistaken about two
more years.

Speaker 7 (20:52):
Because Fred is that vocal leader.

Speaker 9 (20:54):
He's the connection between e May and the players, and
that's why everything's been so seamless. A lot of reason
why a lot of these guys have played career basketball
under imate Udokah, shooting percentages, winning, I mean, just you
have success all around the court. So Fred is a
guy that can step up and be willing to take
that last shot.

Speaker 7 (21:12):
I think what's unique.

Speaker 9 (21:13):
About him is that he can play off the ball,
and I think that that's why a lot of people
when they evaluate Fred van Vliet, they questioned him play
at the point guard position because you won a championship
in Toronto off the ball.

Speaker 7 (21:23):
But that's just how smart he is.

Speaker 9 (21:25):
So even when Fred's not playing, you see him on
the sidelines and we see him he's barking out orders,
He's putting guys in the correct spots. And who doesn't
like to play with a guy who's going to spoon
feed the ball to him. So Kevin's comfortable in that role.
And I think that puts him in the best situation
to be successful.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
You saw OKC in the playoffs up and down. They
did need seven to beat Denver, they did need seven
to beat the Pacers. They got wins over a lot
of teams that were injured in the playoffs. Aaron Gordon
in Game seven Haliburton. Obviously, I don't think the okay
se goes in as number one in the West next year.
I have Houston number one. Who do you have? Do

(22:04):
you think the Rockets have done enough to pass Okase.

Speaker 9 (22:08):
Man, I think it would be great to keep Oklahoma
City number one and for Houston to go out and
earn it. And I think, come on, j Mac, come on,
J Mack, Like me and you both, we disrespected that
group enough and they went out and proved it. And
everybody wants to bark about injuries, Well, guess what, that's
the way you win in the NBA. Now, youth is

(22:29):
taken over. Depth has taken over. You know, once upon
a time that was the Boston Celtics. They would go
you know, nine, ten, eleven deep in the playoffs and
able to keep Jason Tatum fresh.

Speaker 7 (22:40):
Now everybody was saying, well, Tatum's not doing too much.
He doesn't have to.

Speaker 9 (22:43):
As a good team Oklahoma City, you can say, well, well,
Shaden have to do much. They defend it was carus
so with Williams. Of those guys when they're at their best,
they play as a group.

Speaker 7 (22:51):
Souh.

Speaker 9 (22:52):
That's why they at the end of the day, have
been have been healthier, and that's how you win in
those situations. And they just they wear you down, and
they wore down the entire NBA in their youth was
ended up being a blessing and not a curse. So
let's not scoff at these injuries. They survived and they
won the championship.

Speaker 7 (23:10):
Far in square.

Speaker 3 (23:11):
Yeah they did. Sure, Okay, we'll give them that. How
about the Denver sorry I had to how about the
Denver Nuggets? Where are you on that? Their off season
has been really, really good so far.

Speaker 9 (23:23):
I thought that was a team that was that was
one of the war down teams that got tired. And
for Michael Porter Junior, I thought fatigue said it. You know,
he's a guy who can make chance shots. He's he's
as certified as they come. He's huge, he's darning near
six foot eleven, six' ten when you stand up next to.
Him but you get the younger version In Cam, johnson

(23:44):
who's going to be out in, transition who can run the,
lanes WHO i think putting the ball in his hands
as a primary ball handler wouldn't get the best out
Of Cam. Johnson But Cam johnson in a three AND d,
position he's special. Man AND i think he's a guy
who was a part of trade talks for the last
what two or three seasons FOR nba. Teams he was
on everybody's. List so for The nets to make that

(24:08):
move And denver to pull, this all that puts them
right back in the thing of, things swing of, things
and again they Took Oklahoma city. Seven Nicola jokich is
still the baddest man on the entire. Planet so when
you're looking At, denver man they're right in the. Mix
and they got their their guy back In Bruce. Brown
he was the blue. Guy he was, Huge he made

(24:28):
a lot of the little. Plays SO i think That
Denver denver is one of those dangerous teams right, now
and you're gonna have to again put them right with
the top, three not just in The, west but entire
National basketball.

Speaker 3 (24:40):
Organization, wow so team in The. West we have not
touched on The Los Angeles. Lakers they made a huge
move this week Adding Jake laavia to the roster at
six million dollars a. Year trying to get you to, Laugh,
RYAN i know you're down to The. Lakers haven't done a,
Lot lucas taking a. Beating lebron's out here on a
golf court saying welcome home In. OHIO a lot of

(25:02):
interesting stuff. HAPPENING i don't know just your macro thoughts
on The lakers as we head into mid Day july.

Speaker 9 (25:09):
Second first, off whenever you get new, ownership expect. Changes
AND i think what what they're seeing with The, lakers
and Is lebron being proactive, saying you, know how's this
going to affect? Me and he's a guy that is
arguably the greatest player of all, time and he's earned
the respect to kind of like carve out his own,

(25:29):
path you, know to have us say in trades and free,
agencies as he, should as any star player. Has SO
i think For lebron right, now he's putting fillers out
to see where he stands with The Los Angeles lakers
and the new, ownership and they know they got a
young star And Luca doncis that they can build, around
and he's just kind of putting his arms out and

(25:51):
flexing his. Weight, now, ultimately when you Have lebron still
playing at a high, level we've never seen anything like this.

Speaker 7 (25:57):
Before he's forty years.

Speaker 9 (25:58):
Old you don't, know and father time is gonna, hit
you don't, know and we'll knock on wood. Here you
don't know when it could be an, injury and they're
gonna have to find ways to put pieces Around Lebron
james And Luca. Doncis because while we can still say Like,
jam we can still say that pairing is. There you
want the rate right pieces to be. There So i'm
intrigued to see What Los angeles goes out and. DOES

(26:20):
i Think Los angeles as a whole is still a great.
Destination but they're gonna have to find pieces to fit
because you, know My rockets went out.

Speaker 7 (26:27):
And Got phinney Smith. Man so they're gonna need a.
Defender they're gonna need a big.

Speaker 9 (26:31):
Man they're gonna you, know they're gonna have to figure
some things out over.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
There jab they, listen they stole dfs from The. Lakers
it's just a good. Move uh, oh he chose to.

Speaker 4 (26:40):
Go he.

Speaker 3 (26:41):
Go, yeah it wasn't a big need for them though
they didn't need.

Speaker 4 (26:46):
It They.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
Dilling.

Speaker 9 (26:48):
Brooks when you Lost Hiling brooks in the way email
likes to. Play Phinney smith was a top those boards
and he.

Speaker 7 (26:55):
Was a huge.

Speaker 9 (26:56):
Pickup but why they got to that's a lot Of
rockets went out and do not poo poo that that pickup.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
That i'm just upsetting The lakers needed him more Tari,
eathan what about his minutes where they? Going The rockets
have a.

Speaker 9 (27:11):
May wants to get as versatile and as big as
he can at those. Positions Phinney, smith that would not
be surprised if he was the starter during the. Season
you gotta think you lost to two bars that, started you,
Know jalen And dylan started the entire.

Speaker 7 (27:26):
Season you know he can fill in beautifully in that.

Speaker 9 (27:28):
Role he's a selfless, guy he's a hard, worker he,
defends he's what. Wants so that was a huge pickup
BECAUSE i know everybody didn't Is durant coming, In no big?

Speaker 7 (27:39):
Deal you Lost Dylan.

Speaker 9 (27:40):
Brooks Dylan brooks was a huge piece to go, Out
so that's what put any even more On Phinney.

Speaker 3 (27:46):
Smith i'm On thompson's their best. Defender, right they're defined
on wing, defense are they?

Speaker 9 (27:52):
Not the reason the reason The rockets were so good
is because here's the, thing J. Mac when you can
go out and be super aggressive on the, ball because
you know if you get too early, fouls somebody picks
you up and.

Speaker 7 (28:04):
Then the game doesn't get out of.

Speaker 9 (28:06):
Hand Tar easton could come in right behind and Men
thompson could come in right behind or, start so the
aggression in tone can be set without dictating the. Game
Before Men thompson took this huge Leagu Dylan, brooks if
he got two, fouls The rockets. Struggled the struggle wasn't
last year because if he got two, fouls you came
in with another part. Defender and that's for What emay

(28:27):
and the group would like to. Do Finny smith is
important to that aggression in the.

Speaker 7 (28:31):
Defense all, right.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
We'll wrap up with. This Mike brown to The Nick
sabin within the last two, HOURS i like the. Move
we got about a minute your.

Speaker 4 (28:39):
Thoughts Mike.

Speaker 9 (28:42):
BROWN i played For Mike. Brown he's as certified as they.
Get he got a championship excuse me If i'm not.
Mistaken with The Golden State. Warriors it's a safe. Pick
it's safe.

Speaker 7 (28:53):
THERE i like.

Speaker 9 (28:53):
IT i don't like the way That tibbs was. Fired
clearly you saw That New york didn't have a. Plan
But Mike brown is a safe, pick and you know
he can get the job. Done he's a thorough he's
a student of the.

Speaker 7 (29:06):
Game. Uh and you know what you're getting from. Him.

Speaker 3 (29:10):
INTERESTING i have The knicks in the finals next year
against The. Rockets. Uh you know it's a little early
for that kind of. Prediction you like. That that's everybody's that's.

Speaker 7 (29:19):
Safe that's just like. You everybody.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Safe, safe everybody's part in The. East my back.

Speaker 4 (29:28):
Magic All.

Speaker 3 (29:29):
Right Ryan, HOLLINS nba, veteran catch him Every, Sunday Fox
Sports radio Nine Am. Eastern good, Stuff, hollands have a
have a Great july fourth. Buddy All, Right, Yeah Ryan,
hollinds good stuff as.

Speaker 8 (29:41):
Usual, alex that's a fun, show, dude that was a
fun last. HOUR i was just waiting for you to
get up and Challenge Cameron dicker.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
To like a push up.

Speaker 8 (29:49):
Contest when you guys were talking about the pull. UPS
i was laughing so hard over here the entire.

Speaker 3 (29:55):
Interview you, know, listen he's a lot younger than, me
BUT i feel like we could probably HAVE i told.

Speaker 8 (29:59):
YOU i told HE i had just interviewed him at
their golf, tournament AND i was, like you're gonna love this.
Guy great, Personality like he just gets. It it's, easy it's.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
Fun. YEAH i, mean it's just tough for me to.
Envision just as if you wanted to go work out with,
IT i Think i'm gonna.

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Do what did you?

Speaker 3 (30:13):
SAY i just say, yes but let's get that off.
There SO i just have a hard time envisioning AN
nfl Quarterback justine her putting on red contacts and going like.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
Vampire is like a.

Speaker 3 (30:22):
Joke, yeah that is so, funny AND i just THINK
i like. It they have a good.

Speaker 8 (30:27):
Time it's like like easy fun is what it seems.

Speaker 3 (30:30):
Like, yeah it's almost LIKE i forgot what it's like
to be twenty five years. Old, yeah oh, man well different.

Speaker 8 (30:36):
Life, yeah you were completely turn back.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
From damn all, right, listen great. Show Thanks, Landon, Donovan Ryan,
Hollins Jovann, boa, Obviously Cameron. Dicker everybody have a Safe july.
Fourth we are back in a week For alex AND.
I we'll see you. Then
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Colin Cowherd

Colin Cowherd

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