Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (May 12, 2025)

Overview In the "Best of The Herd" episode released on May 12, 2025, Colin Cowherd delves into pivotal sports narratives spanning the NBA and NFL. Joined by co-host J. Mac and guest Matt Hasselbeck, the discussion navigates the potential departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the intense Celtics vs. Knicks playoff series, and critical NFL developments including quarterback dynamics and team payroll strategies. The episode provides insightful analysis, forecasting future team maneuvers and highlighting where Colin's predictions align or diverge from unfolding events.

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1. NBA Draft Lottery and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future

Exploring Giannis’s Departure: Colin Cowherd initiates the discussion by addressing Shams Charania’s report that Giannis Antetokounmpo is considering options outside Milwaukee. The conversation centers on the Bucks' strategic position—holding a trophy, lacking first-round picks, and facing pressure despite Giannis's stellar performance.

Colin Cowherd [07:05]: "Shams reporting this morning. All you Bucks fans so mean to me for years when I suggested this, go ahead, bring the apologies, I'll accept them. Words are hurtful."

Trade Scenarios and Team Interests: The hosts ponder potential trade scenarios, emphasizing the challenges the Bucks would face in acquiring Giannis without significant assets. San Antonio, Houston, and Oklahoma City emerge as frontrunners capable of assembling compelling trade packages, given their depth and strategic flexibility.

J. Mac [13:05]: "Stop. If you'd have told me the Knicks would be Boston both times in Boston I just said you're crazy."

Potential Impact of Draft Picks: Colin underscores the importance of the NBA draft lottery, predicting that teams like San Antonio, with their history of smart draft selections, could reshape their rosters significantly by acquiring top-tier young talent like Cooper Flag.

Colin Cowherd [60:00]: "So the NBA draft lottery tonight. I said I'm kind of rooting just for historical relevance for San Antonio to win it. Wemby. Why do I keep forgetting their point guard, Stephen Castle."

2. Celtics vs. Knicks Playoff Series Analysis

Celtics’ Dependence on Jason Tatum: Colin critiques the Celtics' reliance on Jason Tatum, suggesting that while the team is robust, Tatum sometimes fades, leading to inconsistent performances. He contrasts this with the New York Knicks’ depth and ability to sustain performances without over-reliance on a single star.

Colin Cowherd [04:32]: "If they're clearly the better team, but I was listening to Tatum after and it's his not ambivalence, it's his reality and understanding and self-awareness that he is part of something unbelievable."

Knicks’ Resilience and Celtics’ Vulnerability: The discussion highlights the Knicks' capability to overturn significant halftime deficits, a stark contrast to the Celtics' occasional offensively stagnant performances despite leading by large margins.

Colin Cowherd [85:46]: "If Boston loses tonight, you're looking at a new head coach and we got to blow it up."

3. NFL Discussions: Brock Purdy, Derek Carr, and Team Payrolls

Brock Purdy’s Contract Negotiations: Transitioning to football, Colin and Matt Hasselbeck examine the ongoing contract talks for Brock Purdy, projecting a potential milestone in his career contingent on the finalized figures.

Colin Cowherd [28:40]: "If it comes in at 45 million or less, I will pick them for third place. If it's 52 or more, get the brooms out. Time to clean out the front office."

Derek Carr’s Retirement and Raiders’ Future: The conversation shifts to Derek Carr’s unexpected retirement, assessing its impact on the Raiders. Matt emphasizes Carr’s leadership and the organizational challenges posed by his departure, suggesting a period of rebuilding is imminent.

Matt Hasselbeck [50:32]: "When we got Marshawn Lynch to our team, Pete Carroll did a good job. We killed him with kindness."

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles Season Predictions: Colin shares his confidence in the Cowboys for the upcoming NFL season, particularly scrutinizing the Eagles' early favoritism and predicting an intricate battle for playoff positioning.

Colin Cowherd [31:00]: "I think Dallas is going to make an aggressive move. Could they not make a Giannis package?"

4. Team Construction and Ownership Insights

Financial Strategies in MLB and NFL: Colin draws parallels between financial disparities in MLB and NFL, noting how rich ownerships influence team success through free agency and facility investments. He highlights Steve Bisciotti’s tenure with the Baltimore Ravens as a model of successful ownership.

Colin Cowherd [83:26]: "The team, the league. They were trying to hide all of it from the media."

Cleveland Browns’ Draft Strategies: Analyzing the Browns' rookie minicamp, Colin critiques their drafting strategy, favoring Shador Sanders over higher-pick quarterbacks, drawing unfavorable comparisons to past questionable decisions like drafting Johnny Manziel.

J. Mac [56:27]: "No, you don't. Nobody cool wore them."

5. Browns’ Quarterback Competition and Shador Sanders

Evaluating Shador Sanders: The discussion intensifies around Shador Sanders' potential as the Browns' quarterback, juxtaposing him with historical quarterbacks who had tumultuous careers. Colin remains cautiously optimistic, recognizing Sanders’ leadership but underscoring the organizational challenges Cleveland faces.

Colin Cowherd [25:00]: "He just melts into the fabric. He's just another really good player, the most talented player on that team."

Organizational Dysfunction: Matt assesses the Browns' management decisions, lamenting the lack of strategic consistency and their track record with quarterback selections, which hampers the team’s progression.

Matt Hasselbeck [58:44]: "He was a life preserver for a terribly run franchise third season in the league."

6. Final Takeaways: Where Colin Was Right and Wrong

Areas Colin Was Right:

• Giannis Exploring Trades: Colin correctly anticipated Shams Charania’s report of Giannis considering trade options ([71:12], [77:16]).
• Shador Sanders' Drafting Impact: His prediction on the Browns’ draft strategy and focus on Shador Sanders aligning with organizational moves ([25:00], [44:30]).
• Cooper Flag's Potential: Forecasting Cooper Flag as a significant asset in the draft lottery and his impact on opposing teams like OKC ([60:00], [73:51]).

Areas Colin Was Wrong:

• Celtics vs. Knicks Dominance: Initially doubting the Knicks' ability to overturn Celtics' leads, Colin was proven wrong as the Knicks led the series ([77:50]).
• Derek Carr’s Retirement Impact: Underestimating the Raiders' ability to rebound post-Carr’s retirement ([75:29]).

Colin Cowherd [75:29]: "What do you think the market's like for him? Is it more the Bucks are like, we want the best deal or we want to make Giannis happy?"

Guest Insights: Matt Hasselbeck complements Colin’s analysis with professional perspectives on NFL team dynamics, quarterback evaluations, and ownership strategies, offering a balanced viewpoint on ongoing sports narratives.

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Conclusion The "Best of The Herd" episode presents a comprehensive analysis of critical sports developments, blending Colin Cowherd’s predictions with Matt Hasselbeck’s seasoned insights. While Colin accurately forecasts significant trade speculations and draft impacts, unexpected playoff outcomes and organizational missteps highlight the unpredictable nature of sports. This episode serves as a valuable resource for sports enthusiasts seeking in-depth commentary on current and future trends in the NBA and NFL.

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd [07:05]: "Shams reporting this morning. All you Bucks fans so mean to me for years when I suggested this, go ahead, bring the apologies, I'll accept them."
• J. Mac [13:05]: "Stop. If you'd have told me the Knicks would be Boston both times in Boston I just said you're crazy."
• Matt Hasselbeck [50:32]: "When we got Marshawn Lynch to our team, Pete Carroll did a good job. We killed him with kindness."
• Colin Cowherd [25:00]: "He just melts into the fabric. He's just another really good player, the most talented player on that team."
• Matt Hasselbeck [58:44]: "He was a life preserver for a terribly run franchise third season in the league."

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Timestamp Highlights:

• [07:05]: Giannis’ potential trade and fans’ reactions.
• [13:05]: Skepticism about Knicks’ playoff performance.
• [25:00]: Analysis of Shador Sanders’ role with the Browns.
• [44:30]: Browns’ offseason evaluations.
• [50:32]: Matt Hasselbeck on Derek Carr’s leadership.
• [60:00]: Colin’s predictions on the NBA draft lottery.
• [71:12]: Discussion on San Antonio’s draft strategy.
• [77:16]: Analysis of Celtics’ playoff vulnerability.
• [83:26]: Financial strategies in sports ownership.

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This summary encapsulates the core discussions and analyses from the "Best of The Herd" episode, providing a cohesive narrative for listeners and readers alike who seek to understand the intricate dynamics shaping contemporary sports.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joy Taylor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Rachel Nichols]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joy Taylor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joy Taylor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Autotrader. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon.

[Joy Taylor]

To 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Joy Taylor]

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, here we go. It is a Monday and there is a lot to Talk about live. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. I was thinking about this, J. Mac, one hour from now, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. I was thinking about this. This. That you always want to be the man, right? When you're a professional athlete, but you don't want to be the only man. And you know, the warriors have Jimmy Butler, but they're pretty unwatchable without step. They're playing 13, 14 guys, and you can watch when Jokic is tired for Denver, they can't score. And we always say, stop telling me Jason Tatum is the face of the league. This team is great without him, but the advantage is he doesn't have to be great and they win. And that's a great feeling. And I was thinking about watching game three. Tatum was very good early, but really Peyton Pritchard as the Celtics, who have led New York by 20 points minimum, six of the seven times they've played this year, they have a much better team, a much better roster over the last seven to eight years. Boston's a much better franchise, but when Jason Tatum plays poorly or doesn't play, the net rating often goes up. You watch the warriors without Steph, it's hard. They're unwatchable. You see Jokic is now gassed. Denver can't score. You see the value and the importance. And I love Chet Holmgren, but if SGA is off, Oklahoma City is usually going to lose. And I'm. And I'm watching Tatum with the Celtics. He's just another successful banker at Deutsch. I mean, they've got like eight guys that can shoot threes. Peyton Pritchard in game three was the dog. He was the guy. And you watch the Celtics, you could make an argument. If you're looking for a nickname for Tatum, it's the beneficiary. Beneficiary of Brad Stevens, of Danny Ainge, of a roster that is easily the most complete in the league. That includes. Ok, so you see what Cleveland's having all sorts of trouble. Boston's trouble is sometimes they can't hit their threes. That's like their only issue. Twitchy defenders, size, for God's sakes. They have three point guards. The Celtics are two things. One, excellent front office. Secondly, the formula. And I'm watching. I'm watching Tatum, and he's such a nice guy and he is such a collaborative guy that the beneficiary, sometimes he just melts into the fabric. He's just another really good player, the most talented player on that team. But I as I'm watching them play the Knicks, it's Peyton Pritchard that has the hot hand. There have been moments when Al Horford from the corner has it, or Jalen Brown is the MVP of the Eastern Conference finals last year or the finals. When you look at the Denver Nuggets, when Jokic sits or doesn't play, the net rating plummets. Actually, the last couple years with and without Tatum, playoffs, regular season, it goes up for Boston. And that's not a criticism. It's like when you go to work and there's so much depth of roster and so much excellence at work that you don't get all the credit. Sometimes you don't even win MVP or employee of the month, but you drive to the arena knowing you don't have to carry the team. Because in pro sports you can take all the money you want. Losing stinks and Boston just doesn't lose much. I have a hard time believing after losing the first two games at home they can come back and win the series. But why? They're clearly the better team. But I was listening to Tatum after and it's his not ambivalence, it's his reality and understanding and self awareness that he is part of something unbelievable. And because of that, he'll probably never quite get the credit of the Jokic SGAs, Kobe and his prime or MJ. You understand what comes with being that guy, right? I live a great life. I ain't going live, so I make a lot of money, I take care of my family. I've been able to experience a lot of things. But you also have to accept what comes with that, right? You. I get a lot of praise, I.

[J. Mac]

Get a lot of credit, I get.

[Colin Cowherd]

A lot of accolades. But you know, I'm not perfect. And there's times where, you know, I've needed to play better, I needed to do more. And you know, that's what comes with being, you know, that guy on a team with a bunch of guys. All right, Shams reporting this morning. All you buck fans so mean to me for years when I suggested this, go ahead, bring the apologies, I'll accept them. Words are hurtful. Yet Giannis is going to explore the best fit outside of Milwaukee. I won't demand an apology, but again, it's been very hurtful the last three years. Listen, facts. You got 12 great years from him. If you've had 12 great years outside of maybe your kids, 12 great years from a boss, from a relationship that's, that's, that's a lot of good. That's a big chapter of your life. You're the oldest team in the league. You don't control your first round picks for I think five years. You've been creaky for years. Everybody saw it coming. It's time to blow it up and start. Over the last three years, Giannis has given you 30 points a game, 59% from the field. He's averaging that the last three seasons and 11 rebounds and you don't have a playoff series win. The day move felt nice, but it was desperate. Three different coaches, three first round exits. You have replaced in Milwaukee. Everything under the hood and you're still stuck with a broken down hooptie. That's all you got. Spark plugs and new windshield wipers will not do. You got 12 years out of it. 12 great years in a trophy. Think of those great Sacramento King teams. No trophies. Think about Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. All that money, all those wins, no trophies. Baltimore Ravens have dominated the regular season. It feels like three straight years in the AFC with Mahomes. No trophies. Josh Allen, no trophies. Denver got one. You're right, Denver got one. Milwaukee got one with Lu. Alcindor got one with Giannis. You moved off him and were viable for a decade. You probably won't get everything you want, but if you look at what Houston could provide and what Oklahoma City could provide and San Antonio could give you, all would be interested. And you can learn from the mistake Dallas made. So Dallas, the Mavericks bizarrely, foolishly sent Luca to a Western Conference rival. Sen. Giannis. The three teams that will create the best packages are all west. You're east, okc, San Antonio, Houston, Send him west. If you meet him, it'll be in the finals. You're not going to have seven years of him knocking you out, giving you a visual facial. You're not going to get that. And then you supplement your roster. You'll get four first round picks. Houston could give you three starters. Get younger, get flexible, control some first round picks in the much weaker East. Outside of Boston, everybody else is close. I mean, Cleveland's falling apart, Indiana's beatable. Do you trust Philadelphia? I like Boston a lot, but they struggle to beat the Knicks at home. Everybody outside of the Celtics roster beatable, close. So it's one of those things where. Sell him west. Get your picks in the week. East Biz. I was talking to a friend yesterday. Very shrewd guy in business and he's had clients for years. He does Very well for himself. And you know, I tend to ask this when I meet somebody or a friend. We get talking a little bit of business. And I said, what do they all have in common? He says, one thing I've learned through the years, all my A plus clients, they're all decisive, they know what they want and they go for it. Because as Jeff Bezos has often said, people overestimate how much a missed trade or a deal that goes a little sideways. You over evaluate, you over concern yourself with the bad. That's how our brains work. Milwaukee, you're probably never going to get somebody in the draft that's as good as Giannis. But you got a trophy, you got 12 years. Get four first round picks, one of those four is going to hit. Get three starters, two bench guys, all this is fear. You are a non viable franchise right now, by the way, Golden State and I'll get to this later. Golden State's got to think about doing this because in the west, which is much deeper, much better with Houston, San Antonio and okc, as bad as they'll be now, you do not Golden State want to become Giannis in the Bucks with Steph. But I think everybody in Milwaukee is like, oh, what will we become? Who cares? Niners, Ravens, Bills, Sacramento Kings, they don't have trophies. We don't know if OKC will ever get one. You got one with Lu Alcindor. With Giannis, take a big swing, be decisive. So Seam's reporting he is now going to explore options. I know there's a lot of people that want Giannis. I think most will have to settle for the KD sweepstakes over the Giannis sweepstakes. Because I think you would admit this, it's probably going to take minimum three, maybe five first rounders and starters to get him. And I don't think most teams are equipped. Houston is okc is San Antonio. Could be San Antonio. By the way, the NBA draft lottery is tonight. If San Antonio.

[J. Mac]

Stop.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm kind of rooting for him. No. Wemby Castle, the rookie of the year point guard and Cooper Flag.

[J. Mac]

Well, Dear and Fox also like, there's no chance the spurs are getting it. But regarding Giannis, what do you think the market's like for him? Is it more the Bucks are like, we want the best deal or we want to make Giannis happy? Because this, this is where it could get dicey. Colin, if they say, hey, the best deal we're getting is from Brooklyn. Giannis, you're headed to Brooklyn. He's not going to be happy with that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, my job, once I sell the house, it's not my concern. Once you move him, I'm not in the happiness business. I'm getting. You know, remember when Portland Dame said, well, I won't do this. Boy, if, if you move Dame and he's not happy. Players are selfish. They take care of themselves. Teams have to take care of themselves and their fans and their advertisers. So I don't worry about that. I just don't think many teams are equipped. Like I think if San Antonio, for instance, won the lottery tonight and knew Cooper Flag was coming and they said Wemby, Giannis, Cooper Flagg, then they can move Castle the point guard because somebody would say, okay, I want Castle, I want a seven time all star point guard. I want the next four first round picks. So that's, it's interesting tonight if San Antonio wins the draft lottery, they get a huge leg up on, on getting Giannis.

[J. Mac]

Well, Houston also has like a 3% chance to win the lottery right there in the mix. And I'll just say this. If the Knicks somehow win tonight against the Celtics, I think we need to accelerate the Boston getting Giannis discussion because if Boston loses his series, you're looking at a new head coach and we got to blow it up for the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Record, the NHL draft just had there that the team would like 1, 2, 3%. 1.

[J. Mac]

Oh, wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. No, it happens more than you think. Cleveland years ago got it. It happens way more than you think. Atlanta last year in the NBA. Atlanta had 3% chance. They won last year's lottery.

[J. Mac]

You didn't really want to win.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, you didn't. But the point is this idea, that frozen envelope with Ewing. Cleveland, Orlando won back to back lotteries. Atlanta won. The New York Islanders just won the NHL lottery. They had like one and a half, 2%.

[J. Mac]

We don't need Cooper Flag in the west, we need them in the East. The east has like no good players. Colin, come on. You, you are.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you are the spurs and you win it tonight, Wimby, Cooper Flag. I can give away my, my all and my rookie of the year. That is a, that is as good. That's better than Shen Goon, that's better than Jalen Green. That's, that is a massive benefit for San Antonio.

[J. Mac]

Would you trade Cooper Flag and Castle and whatever else salary for Giannis?

[Colin Cowherd]

Too much? No, you know what? Castle and Cooper Flag can hit those free throws with a minute 40 left.

[J. Mac]

Oh, come on.

[Colin Cowherd]

I like Giannis. He's had three great years. I'm not giving those two guys up. Cooper Flagg could be a 15 year, 24 a game guy. 24, nine and eight, the way I'm giving it up. Okay, tonight's lottery is fascinating because you have a dominant star. Week one. Yeah. Fired up.

[J. Mac]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mack. We got Colin right. Colin Wrong on a Monday. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. 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. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, to take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Ko Vino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

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[Colin Cowherd]

All right, welcome back on a Monday. Colin right? Colin wrong. Matt Hasselback, 45 minutes from now. We were just talking during the break. What if, what if Utah won it and Utah says, listen, we will give up our number one pick, Milwaukee. You can have Cooper Flag, we'll take Giannis. Now you'd have to have, you'd have to give him some stuff because salaries have to match. But in that's a real argument. Would you take Cooper Flag who by the way, he's going to work to the degree. I mean, listen, generally speaking, if the scouts say are like it's going to work like Andrew Luck was a, it's going to work. Tiger woods, he's going to be great. Bryce Harper, it's going to work. Cooper Flag, every scout will tell you he's got 18 points as a rookie. You know, he just does everything well. He's kind of, I would say his comp is Jason Tatum. So let's say he's 95% of Jason Tatum. You have a multiple time all star and you're going to have. He's not going to cost much initially and you're probably remember he's only 18 years old last year at Duke he should have been Cooper Flag should have been a senior in high school last year at Duke. So you are getting a kid where you may get 9 to 12 years of prime. The way athletes are aging Giannis, you got probably three more years of prime. So what if a Utah. I would love to see Utah win it. The economy is great. I think the owner Ryan Smith's a brilliant guy. I have spent a lot of my time off time in Utah. It's an incredibly well run franchise. Super young, smart owners, great city, almost like collegiate fans. If you're asking me who I'd like to win, I think Utah winning would be great and it would be fascinating to watch Danny Ainge between the owner and Ainge and they got some pieces. Kessler's a really interesting player. I kind of would like to see Utah win it and just see if Danny Ainge goes. Okay. We've been building for a few years. Let's go get Giannis. That would be fat. Would you give up Cooper Flag for Giannis? I don't know if I, I don't think it is really something you got to sit and talk about because I do think there are times where, I mean, I love Trevor Lawrence, but remember the quarterback. But remember Greg Cosell came on my show before he got drafted and said, yeah, I don't, I don't think he's nearly as good as Josh Allen. Oh, come on, Greg. Greg was right. I love Caleb Williams, but all my GMs are like, his accuracy is an issue. He's got to clean his feet up. Little emotional, that fingernail thing. Very rarely do you get every scout in GM that guy's really good. Now is he 21 a game or 28? I think he's probably somewhere in between. But when I watch him play, he just coincidentally went to the same college I see Jason Tatum. So if I got 90 to 95% of that, I'm going to get 12 years, barring injury, 12 years of excellent and half of it at a really good price point. You got to think about that. So the NBA draft lottery, one of my favorite non athletic events in sports. It's 4 Pacific 7 Eastern. I can't wait. J. Mac. Go Utah Jazz. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

[J. Mac]

I was gonn we could get an adult beverage together and watch.

[Colin Cowherd]

I would.

[J. Mac]

Unfortunately, I have a men's basketball game tonight. 6:30. Can't drink before a men's league game.

[Rachel Nichols]

Come on.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why not? Come on. When you're coming off the bench. Why not?

[J. Mac]

All right, let's start with the Indiana Pacers. Hey listen, one guy here called the Pacers. You did over the Cavs and topping going Dr. J there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow.

[J. Mac]

And Indiana was up by, let me check this, a 41 at halftime.

[Colin Cowherd]

What?

[J. Mac]

And then it got worse. Colin Donovan Mitchell did not play in the second half. He got to get an mri. Did not look good. They're calling it maybe a calf issue. Colin, this series.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's over.

[J. Mac]

Is over.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's absolutely over. I could not believe what I like when I watch the games this weekend. When I watch, I have this theory on the Denver Nuggets. I was telling Ryan this. I can tell five minutes into every Nuggets game how it's going to go because they have a lot of veterans. If they're tired and lack energy in the first five minutes, it's like, it's just. They may keep it close, but they'll run out of gas if they're energized in warm ups. They're wearing stuff to the game and they give you great energy early. That means they've got enough for four quarters. Oklahoma City, you felt four minutes in, five minutes in. You're like their depth and roster. Denver looks gassed now. Indiana now. I loved them over Milwaukee. You loved him over Cleveland. What they do really well is they played their game way more than you playing yours. If you watch the Pacers, it's like. And Carlisle is a great coach. We're going to do what we do. We're not going to let. That was always Jokic his key. Remember when LeBron said Jokic plays at his speed and you can't speed him up and you can't slow him down. Indiana kind of plays at their pace and does their thing and. And that's Halliburton controlling the pace of their offense.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. And you know, you mentioned Carlisle. He does know. Even up 3, one job's not finished yet for the Pacers.

[Colin Cowherd]

We're going to keep approaching this like we have everything to prove and we know people don't believe in us. And so we're going to just stay in the fight and keep fighting. But we got to stay in the present moment as much as we can. Try to maintain an edge. You know, there's going to be a big haymaker coming on whatever day it is.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Tuesday.

[Joy Taylor]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Caitlin Clark and Halliburton pretty good next five years in Indy.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. I saw some social media activity around how good some sports are in Indiana. I guess the Hoosiers got a new coach. Notre Dame just went to the national championship. Like everything's coming up Indiana right now. I'll say this, the Pacers, if they close out the series in five, Donovan Mitchell may not play. They're going to have probably like five or six days rest while the Celtics and Knicks beat each other up.

[Colin Cowherd]

I feel like Indy doesn't need rest. True. Because they're not an old team. You know, like Denver needs rest. Oh, like the Lakers needed rest. There are teams that need rest. I think Indiana is one of those. Roll the ball out. They can.

[J. Mac]

It's weird. We talked about the Cavs all season. They were 60 something wins total. I think they started 15 and 0. And yesterday's performance was probably the most gutless game I've seen. You're down 41 at halftime. You never see that from like a 60 win team.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, yeah. And that's. That is something. It is okay to lose playoff games. Like you don't want to lose the way Boston did in game two. But at least Boston didn't quit. They just couldn't. Their formula didn't work.

[J. Mac]

They screwed up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Their math didn't work. Cleveland no show. That game was awful early.

[J. Mac]

After dominating game three and winning handily, remember?

[Colin Cowherd]

And they've got youth. It's not like they were tired. They got youth on that roster.

[J. Mac]

Not good at all. All right, let's go to the NFL. Colin Brock Purdy deal still not done, but Tom Pelissaro, NFL Network expects a contract to be completed by the start of training camp. Right around the corner, Pelissaro adds he anticipates the contract to be somewhere in the $50 million range. I don't know that that means 48 or 55, but we continue to do this dance and you love to talk Brock Purdy. I think we're going to be doing this for another few weeks.

[Colin Cowherd]

If it comes in at 45 million or less, I will pick them for third place. If it's 52 or more, get. Get the brooms out. Time to clean out the front office.

[J. Mac]

I feel like you are becoming a politician who just wants to win deals. I would take think Purdy at 45.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, he's my tariff. Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't.

[J. Mac]

Listen, I'm not going to get too worked up. I think it's going to be fine. We've heard no noise out of the Purdy camp. He's not putting cryptic crap on social media. He's handling it well. I think it's going to.

[Colin Cowherd]

He runs the offense very well. He deserves to be compensated. His family probably will not ever watch this show, but numbers matter. If you give me Josh Allen, you're going to win those. If you give me Brock Purdy or Sam Darnold as a team, I need to win those. Okay. You're benefiting greatly. I mean, obviously Sam Darnold's career, Kevin o' Connell was a in the left tackle and Justin Jefferson are a part of it. So these numbers matter. If. If Dak isn't at 60, he's at 42. Dallas has a number two receiver and doesn't have to get Pickens. And they've got a great all probably tight end next to Ferguson. These numbers matter.

[J. Mac]

You know, you're my guy, but you just put Purdy in Sam Darnold's.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's not. Well, he's not as talented as Sam.

[J. Mac]

He went to a Super bowl and they barely lost in overtime. Okay, Josh Allen, who you love, who everybody loves, how many Super Bowls has he been to? I lost track. I'm sorry. I forgot what's the number. Anyone? Anyone? Okay, so let's, let's just not diminish Purdy. He is a great quarterback. I know he went in the seventh round and he struggles in inclement weather.

[Colin Cowherd]

He struggles with clouds.

[J. Mac]

All right, let's just do. I don't want to argue with you. 30 minutes in. Come on. It's a Monday. Colin. Final story is we've got the first game of the NFL season.

[Colin Cowherd]

What?

[J. Mac]

It was officially announced that the defending champion Eagles are going to open as a seven point favorite when they host the Cowboys on Thursday, September 4th.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll tell you right now, I've already bet Philadelphia. I'm going to go online to my DK app in one second at home.

[J. Mac]

Only favored by a touchdown. Hey, that's a win for the Cowboys. They don't have to go to Philly in like December.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm actually. You know what, you know what they're saying? Let's get Dallas on early because by week seven there'll be four games back. That's what that is. That is get Dallas on early.

[J. Mac]

It's not a bad take.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean you want the Cowboys on. People will watch the Cowboys in week one. I'm telling you right now by, by week eight. That is a two or a three win team. But they'll be healthy week one. Schottenheimer's an offensive coach. He can bring some wiggles.

[J. Mac]

I don't have the numbers yet, but I do believe super bowl champs kind of sort of struggle out of the gate. We do have that. They are 15 and 5 in the NFL kickoff game since 2004. But like covering a touchdown against Dallas, who's going to be motivated and healthy, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, it is. You're a big underdog. People are going to say going into that game Dallas is awful and going to get humiliated. You're going to get the best Dallas effort. Remember a couple of years ago Detroit beat Kansas City. The really good teams now with a 17 game schedule like Philadelphia won't play anybody that's remotely dinged up. Yeah, Dallas may because the game means more for Dallas. Dallas knows we don't have Philadelphia's depth of roster. So guys, you steal one here, we need it. Philadelphia can slow grow, slow build.

[J. Mac]

15 and 5 is skewed by like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Like I love Jalen Hurts. I think he's a top five guy. But yeah, you want Eagles. I may go head to head with you on that. I may take the points with the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dallas so excited that it's Already been announced.

[J. Mac]

It's probably gonna be the only game I bet for the.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Wednesday is the official NFL schedule release.

[J. Mac]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Which is we've talked about. This is a great day in America.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. Well, we'll know exactly how the jets are going to be next year because I know that's the first team.

[Colin Cowherd]

You better not go out Tuesday night. Wednesday is going to be a show.

[J. Mac]

By the way, do you remember two years ago the excitement about the jets in the off season when they got Rogers?

[Colin Cowherd]

Not from this microphone, from this one. Yeah, that one over there.

[J. Mac]

Pretty exciting though. I was thinking like Super Bowl, AFC championship. He went down on what play four of the. Oh God.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd line. We, we talk about this all the time. Everybody knows in baseball there's a salary disparity, a payroll disparity and if you look right now in Major League Baseball the rich teams are in first place. Okay. Yankees are crushing, Dodgers are crushing. We know that in football I don't think most fans talk about this or think about this. You think it's much more even. But it does matter that the Rooneys don't have a lot of money and Stan Kroenke and the Rams are really rich. It matters for free agents and facilities and spending. It just does matter. And one of the things that's become very clear since Steve Baschati bought the Baltimore Ravens is that he's the richest owner and he's the smartest owner and for the last 16 years, if you count playoffs, the Ravens are the winningest team with a Flacco with a Lamar Jackson. And I think it all starts with Steve Boscotti upstairs. So I the Shadow Sanders. I want to talk about this. So here's a prime example. Shador Sanders. They had three day mini camp for the Cleveland Browns and now Jimmy Haslam actually has some money. The Bengals owners and the Rooneys are bottom, near the bottom of the league in net worth. But what the Browns have is what I would call the Buffalo Bills used to have this years ago pre Josh Allen low sports and years ago Buffalo, Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo got AFC offensive player of the month and in October they signed him to a six year contract. Oh my God, somebody likes us. So Jimmy Haslam who's got some money, he drafted Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield and DeSean Watson. Those were his calls. Headlines. So Shadour Sanders at the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, three day rookie minicamp, there's a lot of speculation he wanted Shador Sanders. The staff drafted Dylan Gabriel Oregon two rounds earlier. And they were doing that not because they necessarily love Dylan Gabriel, they liked him, but they thought it would stop their impulsive owner from forcing them to draft in round four, Shador Sanders. So that's, that's some of the speculation. I tend to believe it based on Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Browns history, you know, ridiculous to Sean Deal drafting Johnny Manziel. Baker you can live with because Baker can really play. But Baker was a personality and that, that's big for low sports self esteem teams. And so here they went this weekend. And the video, it's just perfect for Jimmy Haslam. All the video out of rookie camp is Shadour Sanders, not the guy drafted two spots ahead. Not the quarterback with a much better college resume of winning. It was all Shador Sanders. I don't blame the kid, by the way. I would have drafted him higher. I think he's a franchise quarterback. I don't think he's great. I think he's a much better version of like a Kenny Pickett. But Kenny Pickett I always thought was a backup. I think Shador can start in this league. I may be in the minority among GMs, I don't like the noise with dad and everything, but here was Shador Sanders again saying the right things. Of course it's day by day. I just find something I want to perfect and just perfect it to the best of my abilities. And that's all I really focus on just being there, just being a leader, being a great teammate, doing what I need to do whenever it is. So I'm just thankful for an opportunity. Things could have been a lot worse, but I'm here smiling in front of you all at this facility right now. My job here isn't to prove people wrong like I prove myself right. That's, that's, that's. And I, and I fully have self belief, you know. And what those people say, that's, that's just their opinions. For the record, I don't think the Browns are going to be any good, but they're going to be interesting. And there's many elements of this team I love. I love the head coach, I love the gm. I love Miles Garrett. There's a lot of things about Cleveland I like. It's the upstairs thing. Look at this division. The better the owner. Cincinnati's is cheap. Steelers owners, Rooney's second poorest. Cleveland's is dysfunctional. Fashion is the richest, smartest and winningest for 16 years. So I don't blame Chadour. To me this has always been an ownership situation, but the owner got what he wanted. Shedeur is all over video all over the country. The most interesting rookie. Whether he's the best rookie or not, I doubt we'll see. Cam Ward apparently was really good with Tennessee. It's rookie Cam. Don't take too much out of it, but when I look at Shador, I all I can think of is Johnny Manziel, Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield and Ryan Fitzpatrick getting a six year deal in Buffalo. After having a great month in September, this is what happens. This is what losing causes. Hey, notice me, pay attention to me. Hope it ends well. I've got my doubts. Colin right? Colin wrong. Top of the hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Joy Taylor]

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[Rachel Nichols]

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[Joy Taylor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joy Taylor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

It is a Monday live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day to be in today. JMac the NBA ping Pong Ball Draft lottery tonight. Very exciting, very exciting.

[J. Mac]

The weather was so amazing out here all weekend I forgot to ask you get any sun? Little sun's out, guns out for you.

[Colin Cowherd]

I worked out, had a great time, sat watched a lot of NBA stuff, a lot of bad NBA basketball yesterday, went and had a beer with A buddy.

[J. Mac]

At Celtics. Knicks game Saturday was unwatchable, kind of watchable.

[Rachel Nichols]

Be honest with you.

[J. Mac]

Why?

[Colin Cowherd]

Because I had, you know, I think Boston's going to win the series.

[J. Mac]

Well, not if the Knicks win tonight. If the Knicks win tonight, I think they got a great chance to win the series.

[Colin Cowherd]

If the Knicks win tonight, they're going to win the series.

[J. Mac]

By the way, Celtics have led every.

[Colin Cowherd]

Game by 26 of the seven games this year.

[J. Mac]

That's not great.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's their formula. All right, it's a Monday, right? Wrong. As always, plenty of both. Here we go. Where Colin was right. Giannis, according to Shams, is going to explore the best fits outside of Milwaukee. We've been saying this for the last last year to year and a half. You got a trophy. You don't control your first picks. You're not close to being in Indiana, a Cleveland, a Boston, an okc, and you're not close to being a San Antonio and Houston potentially after the draft lottery tonight, it's time to reboot and according to Shams, that's what Milwaukee and Giannis plan to do. Where Colin was wrong. If you'd have told me the Knicks would be Boston both, both times in Boston I just said you're crazy. If it had told me Boston would lead by 20 in both games or more and still lose. How to say? Impossible. But the impossible happened. Hard to explain what I watched in Boston is the knicks currently lead 2 to 1 again. Very clearly one roster has eight guys who can shoot, pass and handle the ball. New York is not that roster. But if they win tonight, Boston's in big trouble. Where Collin was right. I said teams didn't want to draft Shador Sanders once he got out of the first round because they didn't want a Tim Tebow circus. And sure enough, even though he was the second quarterback taken by the Cleveland Browns. What were the questions about from the Cleveland media at camp? This will probably fall on deaf ears, but don't look too much into it. There's plenty of reps.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

There's a lot of time between now and September so we'll have a plan.

[Colin Cowherd]

But it's.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

It's an all encompassing evaluation.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's not something that. It's just based on the practice reps. There's a lot that goes into it. First questions, why is she doing not getting the starting reps? You knew it was coming. It's Tebow 2.0. Where Colin was wrong. Derek Carr retired. I listen. I always liked him a four time all probably during the bad L pro Bowler during the Al Davis cruddy years, which is hard to do. He was a life preserver for a terribly run franchise third season in the league. He was third in the MVP vote second round right of Fresno State. I liked him a lot, but there's not much you can do. The Raiders were a mess when he was there and then Dennis Allen is not a head coach, he's more of a coordinator. I thought he was going to have a Philip Rivers coach career where you didn't maybe watch a ton of them in college, but you were going to look at the end of his career and there'd be some hall of Fame votes and he retired yesterday and it never transpired where Colin was right? Well, the Athletic is reporting that NFL teams laughed at the Cowboys for giving up a third round pick for George Pickens, the very talented but incredibly volatile wide receiver. And as we said, when Mike Mike Tomlin moves off a drama filled offensive playmaker, they do not recover. I can give you about seven examples. This is also Jerry Jones. Once again, as the NFL front offices have gotten younger and shrewder, the Cowboys are giving away draft picks like Skittles. The Cowboys to me have one of the weaker rosters overall in the league where Colin was wrong. Julius Randall. Where did this come from? I always kind of liked him, but his assist totals have gone through the roof. He has led Julius Randall has led the T Wolves and assists and and by the way with New York they wanted him to be a one pre Jalen Brunson and that's not what he is. But I never saw him as a 2. I saw him as a 3. He was great against the Lakers. He's been excellent in this series. He had a triple double Saturday and we just got to be honest here. Is it late developing? No, it's probably. This staff Chris Finch has assembled knows how to use him. I don't think he's a better player. I think he is used more efficiently in Minnesota and good for Julius Randle where Colin was right. I did not buy the odds makers who had OKC at minus 800 to bury the Nuggets. I said this is going to be a six or seven game series. Jokic is the best player in the world and even though I love OKC's roster construct and depth, I would take the Nugget starting five if he gave me a quarter to play for the championship again. OKC is built to win the entire thing and maybe Denver with no bench isn't, but it was disrespectful the Odds had this thing being a four or five game series and I'm sorry, Denver's got three great playoff veterans who have been in a lot of these close big games where Colin was right. Well, The Steelers enter 2025 as the only team in the league without their top quarterback, running back, wide receiver and left tackle from last year. I have said this for years, they don't take offense seriously. Once again, third year in a row pro. They are among the league leaders in defensive spending. I'll get to this later. But they become opposite of the Rams with an offensive coach and offensive spending and no drama. But it is remarkable. There's only one team in this league. Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, left tackle. Gone, gone, gone, gone in an offensive league. I like Mike Tomlin, respect the Rooneys, but they just feel out of Touch for 2025 NFL Football where Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong with that. Matt Hasselbeck, 18 years in the league, is now joining us. Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I don't think this is embellishing. Pickens is a, a young player. He's talented. But everybody knows in the league, everybody knew DEZ Bryant was a little emotional or Stefan Diggs. There's players that come with a reputation. If you were, if you're Dakota and, and you know, Pickens reputation, if Mike Tomlin moves off him, a very tolerant guy, there's probably something there. How would you address it? Would you communicate with him early? What do you do knowing you're bringing somebody in the locker room? That comes with a personality and probably some, some demands.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

You're a little grumpy on a Monday calling. Look, I'm listening to you, man. No, listen, I think you kill him with kindness, it's a clean slate. You give everybody a chance. At least that's what I did. You know, we signed guys all the time that maybe had a checkered pass on their previous team and then it's a clean slate. Like I'm going to give you a chance to lose my respect, I guess is how I would think of it. I mean, when we got Marshawn lynch to our team, Pete Carroll did a good job. We killed him with kindness. He basically got, basically got run out of Buffalo. We killed him with kindness. We told him what the standard was at our place. We didn't have a lot of rules. We had three rules, but they matter. Those three mattered. We weren't going to have 10 rules, but we had three of them and that's what we care about. And he got on board and he was a great teammate. Like, he was incredible the entire time that I was teammates with him. And, and then I would even say beyond. So I think if you're dak, you get a, you get a wide receiver. Wide receivers can be a little bit of high maintenance. Comes with the talent level. There's a lot of talent at wide receiver. George Pickens in this case has a ton of talent, huge upside. You give it, you give him a chance. Because ultimately the chemistry between quarterback and a playmaker like that, I mean that's, that's, you could win or lose two or three games just on that alone.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I, I, I look at the Cowboys Eagles is the first game of the year. And my take is the NFL said we don't know how good Dallas is going to be, so we're going to get him right up front and get a Cowboy game early. We don't know by week eight what they look like. Philadelphia, we were talking about this, is that when you play in a Super bowl, everybody wants to get paid. Philadelphia is going to have they moved off some players. But this is a big and there's some ego in this organization, which I'm totally comfortable with. When you are the first game, couple years ago, Lions beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead. When you've won a Super bowl or been in a Super bowl, you're the high profile team. Is off. Is an off season different? Does it feel a little different when you've been in the Super Bowl?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, first of all, I'm surprised by this Week 1 matchup. I'm not sure if you are divisional Cowboys. I mean, the Cowboys will rate well anytime. You don't need the Cowboys week one, you could throw, throw the Chargers, the Bengals or somebody up there. But no, the off season is very different. And I remember, you know, even my rookie year, I came into the Green Bay packers. They were coming off of their, you know, two Super Bowls in a row. I remember when we were coming off of our super bowl in Seattle, Mike Coleman was the head coach. The talking points are different. The coaching points are different. You know, basically you got to come back down the mountain. You know, the whole season you're talking about climbing a Mountain. It's 20 games, it's climbing a mountain. You don't just like start fresh. You got to come back down off that high. And I think that's a hard part. You know, some, sometimes there's a little bit of fat cat syndrome. You know, you're on the banquet tour and on the, you know, vacation Tour, you forget what got you there. But then other times it's in free agency, guys leave, coaches leave, everyone gets promoted. And your team isn't quite the same team. And so no matter, no matter who you are, I think you got to realize last year is last year. And you better buckle your chin strap and come to play in 2025, because your week one opponent, I. You got a target on your back for everybody, but especially that weak one opponent.

[Colin Cowherd]

I swear, this is not a Shador Sanders question, but both the Saints, now with Derek Carr's retirement, and the Browns have an open quarterback competition. You don't get a lot of those in the NFL. Like, you just don't. Were you ever part of an open quarterback? Or at least you went in and there were spots open and how do you divvy up snaps? And how does it work? Because you don't get many. That's a college issue, that's not a pro issue.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Yeah, well, listen, every situation is a little bit different and I always viewed it as it was an open competition. I mean, going back to that rookie year, I remember Mike Holmgren saying to our team, the Green Bay packers, he said, listen, I don't care how much you make where you were drafted, the best players are going to play. Then he said, now, granted, I expect Reggie White to be our starting defensive end, I expect Brett Favre to be our starting quarterback, but the best players will play. I think the great organizations have the confidence to do that. Thinking back to Seattle and Pete Carroll, maybe his year there, they were paying a ton of money to a bunch of other quarterbacks and they had the courage to start Russell Wilson, a rookie third rounder. They played the best player. That's, that's unusual. People don't usually do that. So the reps are usually divvied up. How they expect it to go, how they want it to go, where is their money invested? And so for a late round pick, it's tough. Like, if I'm being honest, you're. There's going to be on rare occasions, are you even getting snaps with the first drink center, like not in a live situation. And so there's going to be all these things. You're going to basically have to make the most of every single opportunity. And I always found it, it was a lot easier when it was clearly defined. Not necessarily to the public, but it was clearly defined inside the building, inside that quarterback room. Here's what you're actually competing for, here's what's open to you. And you know, those are uncomfortable conversations. But I think it's best when those convers conversations are out on the table and they're. And they're actually had.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. So you have to have at least four to five new playoff teams on an annual basis. Now I did very well last year in the AFC because I took the best quarterback in every division. I think the afc, it was almost like during the Peyton Manning Brady years. I got two right. So in the afc my predictions are Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, CJ Stroud. That feels like an easy one. I am going year two of Harbaugh has always been the year at Pops. By the way, I think Vrabel's excellent Burrow and Mahomes make the playoffs. Let's pick apart my AFC playoff prediction. Anything you don't like.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Listen, I love the Patriots but that you're asking a lot. I think you're asking a lot there. I think the Bengals were very, very close to being a playoff team. So I'm down with the. I can get behind that one. But I'd be surprised to see the Patriots over the Dolphins right there. No one's a bigger Mike Vrabel fan than me. I love Drake May. I think they're a year away though, and I think they might actually be okay with that. But, but I think Miami, I would, I would slide my Miami in there. And that Texans division, that's the other one. You know, I just. I don't know that could go any. Either way. I played in that division for multiple teams and I wouldn't be surprised to see Indianapolis be a lot better this year if they can get the quarterback play a little bit better. Other than that, I like your. I like your list here. And I wouldn't be surprised if this was the year that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens make it to the Super Bowl.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. We go to the nfc, which was harder for me, especially the NFC North. Listen, again, I'm going to go with Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Matt Stafford with a great defense. I'm kind of rolling the dice on Seattle. I do think their roster and coach are excellent. I love their gm. I thought two years in a row they've nailed the draft. You're laughing and I bet you're laughing at my Bears, right?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Can you be a homer? And you're not even in Chicago yet. I mean, what the heck, man? I mean either you love o line play. I mean because they've done a great job of. I love what Ryan poles. I love, I love what they're doing. But no, a Wild card team. No, listen, you said it right. You, you met last time you made the picks based on the quarterbacks. It's always good quarterback play in the playoffs. I mean, it's pretty much. That's the deal. Go back to last year. I would think the Steelers may be maybe the exception because they didn't have great quarterback play at the end of the year, but they had good quarterback play during the season. And, And I just, I think that's a huge question mark. I think that's a gamble. I'm calling you out as a homer there. Sorry. That's. Those are the facts. I wouldn't sleep on the Vikings. You know, it's a huge unknown.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

But. But I guess. I don't know. I think the Vikings have so much confidence that it's giving me confidence. And I, you know, like you just said about coming. We were talking about the super bowl coming back down the mountain. That NFC EAs, there's always a new winner. It feels like. Don't count out the Washington commanders as a team that can win that division. And I'm probably just saying that because I love their quarterback so much and now I'm probably biased, but I would, I would kind of. I would say all that. And then the other team, you don't have in there, that usually it's hard to go worst to first, but I think San Francisco could be in that, in that NFC West. I think that's anybody's division as well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Finally, I want to wrap it up. So the staff's giving me crap. I said, when Derek Carr came into the league and made four, four Pro Bowls with the dysfunctional Raiders, I'm like, this guy can play. I watched him at Fresno State. He was third in MVP voting early in his career. But I. Here's where I thought he had a chance to be a Philip Rivers, where we'd be given some hall of Fame votes at the end. But I. The difference is Philip Rivers had more function around him. And I look at Derek Carr and I, we all know that rookies need the right landing spot. I mean, Bo, Nick, Sean Payton, it probably doesn't look like that if he goes to Matt Eber Flute. Not. Not picking on him, but a defensive coach. I always thought Derek Carr and then he went with Dennis Allen. And I'm like, I'm going to be wrong on this. I. It just didn't work. Do you think Derek Carr like a Sam Darnold? Had he gone to a great functional offensive coach? Am I overstating it or is he A classic. He never got a fair shot in this league.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

No, listen, I think, I think his teammates would say he's a Hall of Fame teammate. And I think he was. I think he was cooking with some of the offensive coaches that he had. You know, I don't know. I have the years in front of me, but I feel like the Jon Gruden kind of that offense that he was in. Listen, when I think of Derek Carr, I think of one thing. It just comes. I can't get it out of my head how he left the Raiders. It bothered me. It bothered me big time. Like he got benched and then they told him, don't, don't even come to the building. And the coaching staff that did that, it bothered me because in my mind I was like, derek Carr is going to be a Raider way longer than you're going to be a Raider. And that bothered me. And I really, I feel like I watched him grow up as a leader. I saw the way he handled when there was the tragedy with the wide receiver who ended up going to jail. He handled the terrible situation with the head coach. You know, all these kinds of things. Like I just, you know, it's unfortunate sometimes your body can't do for you what your brain and your heart want to do. And it sounds like that's similar case for him. But I enjoyed watching him play and I was never teammates with him. I don't know him, but I think when I hear his teammates talk about him, I understand what kind of teammate he was.

[Colin Cowherd]

Matt Hasselbeck, great seeing you on a Monday, my friend, as always.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

All right, smile more. Kyle.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin, on heading to the Midwest, I feel just great. Okay, so I'm a bit of a Chicago homer. Hey, I said I was hoping Cooper flag went to Houston or San Antonio because I do think that changes. Can you imagine tonight? I'm just telling you, if San Antonio wins the lottery, they're gonna have the back to back rookie, a point guard, a big and now a wing.

[J. Mac]

They've won enough of these damn things. They don't need another one. You got Wemby, you got David Robinson, you got Tim Duncan.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why would we consider another one? Can you imagine being okc that you've done a brilliant job? Sam Presti has done a brilliant job. You found Harden and you got KD in Westbrook and you get to a final and you never win it. And now Steph's old and LeBron's old and you are poised and the spurs get Wemby in one draft. Castle in the Next. And Cooper flag in the next. And you never win a title. I mean, they have been. Oklahoma City has been so well run and so smartly constructed. If you're an OKC fan, it doesn't matter if Houston wins it. We don't, we don't trust Houston necessarily if San Antonio wins this. And by the way, I've always said San Antonio, no state tag tax. They'll go get some good free agents if San Antonio really, they've gotten so.

[J. Mac]

Many free agents, so many people want to move to San Antonio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Very nice.

[J. Mac]

Beautiful.

[Colin Cowherd]

You, you river walk beautiful.

[J. Mac]

What, what's next for you, Texas? You going to set up shop by Joe Rogan in Austin? What's going on? You're like, come on.

[Colin Cowherd]

The very good lies.

[J. Mac]

San Antonio does not need any more number one picks. You know what does the nation's capital, which is under fire right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Gross.

[J. Mac]

Washington.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, you know, I watch, I watched the documentary. I'm not even going to get into it. How frustrating it was to watch. I watched, watched a documentary. It's called Shooting Guards. It's the Gilbert arena story with his teammate. Oh, it's, it's, I, I, it's unbelievable that an organization would be so dysfunctional that they would allow that to happen. There's like 13 warning signs and the organization couldn't figure it out. Well, that's, I cannot, I cannot root for the Wizard.

[J. Mac]

Sometimes you turn an eye when you got a superstar arenas. What? Hey, you want a fun fact? You know, I like to wear NBA jerseys just for fun. The first jersey I bought ever was Gilbert Arenas when he was in Washington. And I was, I would wear it around the New York City subways, going to men's league games. People be like, wizards. What are you a Wizards? It was a great talking point. I loved Gilbert Arenas. Man, that guy was really good. And then the gun incident.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's a fascinating. But it was impossible to watch that and root for the Wizards. Just, I mean, the, what they allowed on the team. Playing and in the locker room was maddening. I don't even listen. It's obviously, you have to be culpable if you're a player. Yeah, they made bad decisions, but sometimes parents slash. That's the thing about the NBA. These kids come into the NBA at 18, 19 years old. I mean, they, they grow up in Louisiana, then they go to New York or la. Those kids need help. They need guidance. They need support. If 18 years old, you would have shipped me off to play basketball in New Orleans if I had bad guidance.

[J. Mac]

Don't Forget the millions of dollars dripping out of your pockets. Okay, yeah. Some Kwame Brown stories floating around about how Michael Jordan treated him after they took him number one overall. Go read that about Michael Jordan. Guy who punched his teammate in Chicago. Go see how he treated kwame brown.

[Colin Cowherd]

In D.C. i cannot root for Charlotte or the Wizards. I can root for the Pelicans a little because they've done some smart things.

[J. Mac]

Oh, really? What? Name one. The way they branded Anthony Davis.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, the Brandon name Ingram thing wasn't bad. We got some players. I can root for the Pelicans. I can root for almost everybody on this list.

[J. Mac]

What's wrong with the Hornets? Do you not remember the Hive and Alonzo Morning?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't.

[J. Mac]

Those starter jackets? Yeah, because they were super cool when I was a kid. Remember the starter jacket? The teal and purple or whatever?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I don't. Nobody cool wore them.

[J. Mac]

Maybe not in Portland. Wherever you were. Come on. Those things were the jam, trust me. Me, but they were awesome for like eight minutes in the 90s.

[Colin Cowherd]

And so that. Therefore you're rooting for that?

[J. Mac]

That was my childhood, you know?

[Colin Cowherd]

Come on, you need some therapy. You got to get on the couch. I don't think your child was as redeemable as you keep telling us. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app.

[Joy Taylor]

Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan. Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some French fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that.

[Colin Cowherd]

That.

[Joy Taylor]

Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details.

[Rachel Nichols]

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[Joy Taylor]

American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit Apu Apus Edu Military to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu if you own a home, here's an interesting fact for you today. American homeowners are sitting on a record amount of home equity. That's the part of your home you own outright, the value you can tap to fund other life goals. In fact, the average Rocket Mortgage homeowner has about $170,000 in untapped equity available now. Rocket Mortgage can help you understand what home equity is and how to use it wisely for what matters to you. They've made it easier than ever to turn your home equity into cash with Rocket Mortgage. So now the home you work so hard for can work hard for you in plenty of different ways. Home equity can help you fund a home renovation, pay for your kids college tuition, or pay off and consolidate high interest debt from credit cards. To learn more, call 800-4Rocket or visit Rocket.com today.

[Colin Cowherd]

Rocket Mortgage LLC licensed in 50 states.

[Joy Taylor]

Nmlsconsumeraccess.Org 3030 $178,000 average equity is based on Internal rocket. Mortgage servicing data.

[Colin Cowherd]

Data. Kind of a must watch if you're a sportscaster, a shooting guards. It's the javaris Crittenton story, who was initially a Laker.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Yep.

[Colin Cowherd]

And then it's Gilbert.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, players are culpable for their own mistakes. You cannot root for the Wizards as an organization. After watching that, I was so. It is so ridiculous.

[Gilbert Arenas]

They're so not the same.

[Colin Cowherd]

I know.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Organization J. Max says. I mean they just aren't so what was allowed?

[Colin Cowherd]

It's, it's fascinating. Like on planes. This happened on planes.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. Rachel Nichols joining us. Okay. So tonight one of my favorite non game moments of the year is the NBA draft lottery.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Spicy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like a couple years ago we had Wemby. This happens about every fourth year. We get a LeBron or we get a Wemby. So Cooper Flag, who is only 18, but you know the comp, and I think it's an accurate one, is you're getting Jason Tatum but a little more aggressive like Kyle play. So Utah has acknowledged they would consider Danny A if they won moving Cooper Flag. I would not. But they are. And Danny A is shrewd.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Danny A has said he would trade his own grandmother, so I assume he would trade Cooper Flag.

[Colin Cowherd]

So here's my Utah wins it. Are they the front runner to land young?

[Gilbert Arenas]

So if I'm Milwaukee, I am not doing a straight up trade for Cooper Flag and Giannis. Right. Because the Milwaukee Bucks don't have a first round draft pick till 2031. That is six years from now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Don't control any of their first for five years.

[Gilbert Arenas]

If you get a Cooper Flag or some other really outrageous young talent, but no picks back. Including that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Arenas]

If it's a straight up trade, that's no good for you because you won't have young talent talent to put around him. You've got older guys on bad contracts. By the way, you can become an unrestricted free agent in the NBA after seven years. And six years is when they would get their first first round draft pick. So he'd be out of there. So that's not worth it. If Utah can put together a package with Cooper Flag with some other young talent with draft picks that interest the Milwaukee Bucks, sure, they'll have a conversation for sure. The other one to watch with the draft lottery is Houston because Houston has been a front runner for whoever the best free agent on the market is. Right. We've talked about Kevin Durant, we've talked about Devin Booker, we've talked about Giannis trumps them all Right. So if Giannis does become available, the advantage is you're trading him to the west, which is great. Right. And the Milwaukee Bucks have learned their lesson with Drew Holiday. You do not want the guy you just traded in your own conference. Right. They've got young talent that can come and really good young talent that can come to Milwaukee. And they have all kinds of draft picks. And certainly if with the Phoenix pick, which they're in the lottery for tonight, they luck out with Cooper Flag or even anyone in really the top three or four, because these are great players, they then become even more of a front runner.

[Colin Cowherd]

I. I said the most fascinating part is this. So we know Kyle Shanahan has had great team teams, arguably for about a four year stretch. The best roster, no trophy. Right. Great. Sacramento King trades teams way back when, no trophy. So my take is Giannis, you got a trophy. 12 years. Great fun. Here's the team to keep your eye on. So we think Sam Presti is brilliant. They had Westbrook, KD and Harden. They now have Holmgren, SGA and an unbelievable roster. Roster. Yet if San Antonio wins the lottery tonight, Wemby, this year's rookie of the year, the point guard from Yukon, Steven Castle and Cooper Flag.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And my take is, what a nightmare for okc.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Oh, I mean, look, if Oklahoma City or the spurs win this draft lottery, can you imagine Oklahoma City obviously through their other picks, because their own pick is not going to be in the lottery. But it's just crazy to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

Antonio can have the best rookie three straight years.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Yeah, it's crazy to me. And by the way, the Thunder, to your point, they have all these picks, they, if they want to, are going to be a contender for Giannis because the picks that they have aren't just their own picks. They grabbed picks from all around the league. So you're really not betting against Giannis to fail if you're making that trade near Milwaukee. Because they've got this pick, They've got this team's pick and they've got that team's pick. You don't have to worry about it.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I said this with the warriors, they're not there yet, but Steph will be 38 next year. They made the move for Butler because they wanted to squeeze every last win out of Step. Steph, kind of their Jeter untradable player. Their Elway.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And there's very few of those. But Jeter Elway kind of feel like Steph. Yes. Can't trade them. And so I'm sitting there thinking you don't want the Kobe tour the last three years, which was unserious basketball. You don't want to be the Bucks, where you grab, grab, grab, and you wake up and you're like, we're a first round exit team. I look at the warriors, they don't have their GPS system. When Steph doesn't play and he's 38 state, he's running a mile and three quarters to two miles every big game. OKC, Houston, all these San Antonio, you look up and you go, guys, we're going to bring this back. Couldn't I argue Kaminga doesn't work with Steph.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

If they get extinguished here very quickly by Minnesota, my guess, without Steph, they will. What? What do you do going forward? Great coach Steph and great culture is not going forward. You're at best fourth in the West.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Well, if there is a silver lining to the Steph Curry injury, which, by the way, obviously the warriors would rather not have, it's that Jonathan Kuminga has gotten to play more and show what value he brings. Because really the issue is it's not that he can't play with Steph, it's that he can't play with Steph and Jimmy. There's not room for him when there's. Those two other guys are on the floor. Now that Steph's off the floor, it's him and Jimmy, and they can play well together. And also, Kuminga had a great game, right? Even in the loss. So the silver lining if they do lose this series and Steph can't come back is now you have a much more tradable asset in Jonathan Kuminga than you did even a week and a half ago, right? Because in the first round, it was like, ah, he's not even good enough to make the rotation, right? What. What kind of asset is he? Nobody's going to want him. Now everyone's like, oh, okay. It really was just scheme, and therefore he's an asset. I don't think either way, this is going to be similar to the Kobe situation or the Giannis situation, because on both of those teams, you really had one elite guy, right? On this team, you have Steph, you have Draymond, you have Jimmy. Now they're all aging. I get that. But those are all kinds of players that can make a difference in the game the way the guys on Kobe's team couldn't, the way the guys on Giannis's team can't this year. And I don't know when Steph heard that they were making the Jimmy trade. His quote to Draymond was, this is it. This is our last ride.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Arenas]

And I think they all know it and they believe it and they think that with this group they can really make an impact and maybe get to finals again. And by the way, it looked like it, you know, toward the end of the season, season in the early in the playoffs.

[Colin Cowherd]

So the Celtics season may very well come down to tonight. The way they won in blowout fashion, generally speaking, the zigzag theory on the road. New York will be ready to roll tonight. And there has been a question. Boston, from Danny Ains to Brad Stevens, they are proactive, not reactive and they're not moving tables him. But if they lose to the Knicks, there is a sense that they could look up and go, listen, we don't want to be Milwaukee and Denver, right. We've got Tatum, we've got new owners may want to shed. I mean they're, they're, their salary now is like 500 million. If they just signed their first round pick. I mean, Rachel, to me, if the Knicks win tonight and I think it's a three or four point game. J. Mac, find the spread on that. I think, I think they're going to make an aggressive move. Could they not make a Giannis package?

[Gilbert Arenas]

I'm not sure they could with their picks and other situation. And again, if I am the Bucks, I would not trade him within the conference again. Drew Holiday, by the way, can you imagine with the Celtics, can you imagine if they also gave him Giannis? Oh, here is Giannis and Drew. I don't see that happening. However, I do think, look, this is a half a billion dollar payroll with all of the luxury tax and second apron and eighth apron and all of that, that the Celtics are going to have to play under new ownership to your point. And look, if they go back and win another finals and I still think they're the favorite even down to one in the series, it's going to be hard to break that team up, of course, to two titles in a row.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tweak it a little though.

[Gilbert Arenas]

I think you got to pay those guys and just bite the bullet and try to keep winning. But if it's second round exit, it kind of gives you an excuse if your ownership or if you're the front office to say, well, clearly this isn't quite working the way it was before. Now we can, you know, kind of mess with the roster a little bit and certainly cut payroll and we'll just have to see if that happens. I still think the Celtics are going to come out of this series and I think they have a really good chance to win the title. That's no disrespect to New York. I mean, I think it would be great for the league to have the New York Knicks advance.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Because it has been a very long time and I just think the excitement in the garden, we've seen it. I mean it's just incredible. Unlike some other New York's Knicks teams or big market teams where people around the country, you know, they hate the Yankees, that kind of thing, this Knicks team is so scrappy and fun and young.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're perfect for New York.

[Gilbert Arenas]

A lot of people around the country who would say hate the Yankees, Yankees will still really get behind and like watching this New York Knicks team. So if they win, and I agree with you, tonight is just pivotal. I mean, I think it's a must win for the Knicks, certainly. Right. Who knows? But the Celtics point differential throughout the season, they were 16 points ahead on average in the games they played. The Knicks, not only did they win four to nothing in the season series, they won by an average of 16 points points. And in each of these games they've been up 20 points.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, we, we've talked about this. The NBA's willingness to swallow the whistle and let games be physical has absolutely benefited the Knicks OG body type physicality. They, the NBA is allowing less skilled teams to body up and push you around. That's why I thought Denver would give OKC some problems because they're big veterans, physical. So Jokic is great. They have no bench.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

And you know, I think a lot of people look at Denver, I do and certainly thought three years ago could they be the Spurs? Is he their Duncan? But then they didn't keep people. They, they, you know, look at the Michael Porter contract now they paid one too many people. And Jokic looks gassed.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Oh, he looks exhausted.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is this, didn't they draft a big. And he got hurt.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Look, the thing with Jokic is he had to push them through the end of the season. Remember the 60 point games, the this, the that, just to keep them out of the play. Right. There was such a scramble for seeding in the west. He had to give it his all every night and carry this team. Now they played I think seven games in the last 13 days. I mean that is asking too much of him especially. I know they're used to playing at altitude. It's their altitude, but it's still altitude in early summer. Right. And I just think that the Thunder are deeper, certainly. I mean, they won that game yesterday because of their bench and they're the youngest team in the NBA. Let's not forget that. If you look at teams across the league and you say, okay, on one day's rest, when there's only one day between games, who is the best? Not only are the Thunder the best, they're the best by about 17 points. I mean, it's crazy where the Nuggets, when they have one day of rest, they're better than their opponents by about three points. So you just look at this schedule, you look at what Jokic has had to do. This is the problem with having a rotation that is only six guys. And by the way, the sixth guy is Russell Westbrook. You know, I keep saying to you, it's a box of chocolates. With Russ, you never know what you're going to get. Well, yesterday was like when you get one of those, like gross orange cream chocolates or something, nobody likes them. Not good. Not good.

[Colin Cowherd]

So let's put up the NBA draft lottery tonight. I said I'm kind of rooting just for historical relevance for San Antonio to win it. Wemby. Why do I keep forgetting their point guard, Stephen Castle. Castle's great. Stephen Castle. And then get Cooper flag. I think that's unprecedented to get the best player out of three straight classes. So that's fascinating. I'm also rooting for Utah because I think having spent a lot of time there, great facility, great gm, super smart owner, great economy, they fill it. It's almost collegiate feeling. I think that'd be great if he was there. When you look at this, is there something that intrigues you tonight?

[Gilbert Arenas]

Well, look, I'm from Washington D.C. right, and I can tell you that the Wizards, slash Bullets, slash whatever, have not made it to the third round of the playoffs. Not one a title or made it to the Finals. They have not made it to the third round of the playoffs for 46 years. So to me, obviously this is colored by me being a native, but I think that would be a great fit for him for a lot of reasons. It's an international city. If you look at the sort of look at the cities that are top of the lottery, Washington D.C. certainly is the most sort of cosmopolitan of a lot of those places. The fit with the Wizards young players that they've been tearing down and doing this rebuild would actually be excellent and you would see him making an impact right away. And I just think that when you talk about east versus west and you talk about, yes, the spurs, by the way, they've gotten lucky in the draft lottery before. Thank you, Tim Duncan.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's what says.

[Gilbert Arenas]

I mean, all of these big players, Kevin Durant, all of the big players, even Zion Williamson, right. Since the LeBron draft, I can't think of a player who was sort of a surefire. We know he's going to be a success in the NBA that hasn't gone west. So just for balance, I think it would be nice to have an Eastern Conference team win the lottery tonight. And again, I'm rooting for my hometown team.

[Colin Cowherd]

Have you, you watch that documentary, though?

[Gilbert Arenas]

I have. And look, I, I was there for it and I'm very, you know, I, I've covered Gil for a long time and know him very well. I, I get it, but it's just, it's a different team now.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right.

[Gilbert Arenas]

I'm just saying they're hard to root.

[Colin Cowherd]

For after watching that.

[Gilbert Arenas]

I mean, there was. By the way, go back. There's a lot of franchises around the NBA that were permitting a lot of things.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I know.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Back in the day.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's incredible. I mean, it's, it's incredible. The, the, the, the, the team, the league. They were trying to hide all of it from the media.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Look, the Detroit Pistons at the height of their powers, right when they were in Eastern Conference finals, after Eastern Conference finals, after Eastern Conference finals. I used to cover that team pretty regularly. And I'd walk in the same door at the practice facility every day, and suddenly there was a sign that says, no weapons allowed in this building. And it happened overnight. And I just said to the security guard before the. There's a sign. There's usually a problem. He's like, oh, yeah, there was a problem. So it's, it happened in a lot of places at that time.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. Rachel Nichols, great seeing you as always.

[Gilbert Arenas]

Great to see you guys.

[Joy Taylor]

Summer is almost here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm Deliver delivered. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan. Happily, yes. A day of sunshine. No. A box of fine wines. Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Just like how true champs master both offense and defense. The BMW IX masters both ultimate performance.

[Colin Cowherd]

And un unbeatable space. Love mine.

[Joy Taylor]

The greatest legends in sports never compromise.

[Colin Cowherd]

In any aspect of their game.

[Joy Taylor]

So why would you settle for anything less from your suv?

[Colin Cowherd]

What I love about my BMW IX is that it redefines the electric vehicle.

[Joy Taylor]

Experience seamlessly integrates powerful performance.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's bold, daring design, a refined interior.

[Joy Taylor]

Details, cutting edge technology. Basically pushes the boundaries of innovation. Thousands of details went into creating the ultimate electric suv.

[Rachel Nichols]

Compromise. Not one of them.

[Joy Taylor]

Every once in a while you get the chance to make a real difference, and this is one of those moments. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military members and first responders. It's a powerful mission, honoring their sacrifice through the gift of education. But last year, about 7,000 qualified students didn't receive funding, and that number is expected to grow to nearly 10,000 thousand. Don't let financial needs stand in the way of their future. Visit foldsofhonor.org to donate. Any amount helps. Together we can close that gap one scholarship at a time.

[Rachel Nichols]

Interested in investing in Bitcoin but not sure how to get started? Well, with the Gemini Credit Card, you can dip your toes into Bitcoin without even trying. Just spend like you normally do groceries, gas or a night out and instantly earn up to 4% back in Bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos straight to your account account with no annual fee. The Gemini Credit Card is pretty much a no brainer and right now you can grab a 200 bitcoin intro bonus. So go to gemini.com card to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply. Again go to gemini.com card start building your Bitcoin stash now. Terms apply. The Gemini Credit Card is issued by Web Bank. In order to qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 202025 and spend $3,000 in your first 90 days. Terms apply Some exclusions apply to instant rewards, in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts this content is not investment advice and trading. Crypto involves risk for more details on rates, fees and other Gemini Credit Card terms, see Rates and Fees.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.