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Transcript103 lines
- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
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That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Access to the card member entrance not limited to the American Express Platinum card. Learn more@americanexpress.com withamx thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, do we have a show today. Oh, yeah. If you're not bringing your A game, this isn't a show for you. Live in Los Angeles, the home of winners, only winners. It's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be watching or listening, thanks for making us part of your day, J. Mac, I was thinking about this this morning. Had a good night's sleep? I have a good night's sleep. Show cooks. Good to hear. So I'm watch the little of the Warriors. Steph Curry against the Knicks. Here's Steph Curry on a bad ankle. Gonna be 37 in a week. Back to backs goes to the garden. He's now 12 and one at the Garden. And you know the warriors are cooking. And by the way, Kaminga's all banged up. Wait till he comes back. I'm just saying, you. You've been poo pooing Steph Curry forever. I've been hearing this forever, the disrespect. But here's Steph Curry, 37 in a week. It was not that long ago. That Steph Curry dude has had 32 assists in the last three games. 12 and one at the Garden. They finally got him a legitimate star. And every time he's had one clay in his prime, or kd, he wins titles. His legacy is amazing. Titles before kd, two titles with kd, title after kd, with an older Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. And right now, since Jimmy Butler arrived, who leads the NBA in plus minus Steph Curry. But he's had doubters, the SMH crowd, the shake my head crowd. Y'all fall in love with your IG reels and your YouTube highlights and your hops and your handles. I like IQ and EQ and maturity and great off the ball and great with the ball. And he's strangely nuanced that he's flashy, yet nuanced and can be, like, almost on the edge of out of control, but always dependable in the clutch. He is a culture builder. Y'all love James Harden. For years, all I heard about is James Harden. James Harden was in the same draft as Steph Curry. How relevant is James Harden today? Oh, John Wall, the Bullet. He was the first draft after Steph Curry. He's out of league. How about Derrick Rose? Good God, it was just a volcano of Derrick Rose love for a decade. He was a draft before Steph Curry. Where's he? Oh, he's out of the league, too. No disrespect. I mean, Harden can play Derrick Rose. John, Walt, they got game. I mean, There were two point guards drafted before Curry in the draft. Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio. One couldn't shoot, one could barely play. It's been disrespect from draft night on. It's incredible, the disrespect. He had to be a Finals mvp, right, to justify. He's in, you know, all time great stuff. All time great stuff. I mean, there's an argument, and I don't think it's wrong. In today's basketball world, he's the point guard starting in the. On the best starting five of all time. There's only one argument. It's Magic. It's Magic or Curry. Best two guys with a ball ever in their hands. Point guard. I mean, there's only a few certainties in the NBA, all time team. Michael's on it. LeBron's on it. We can argue about everything else. And one of the arguments is think how great Magic Johnson was. There's an argument in today's NBA, Magic, you know, got to be able to shoot. The three would still be good, but the league is more athletic. Steph Curry is just really rare, disrespected, underappreciated superstar. I'm not even sure if there's another one in sports. I mean, because we all love and respect Josh Allen. Maybe Lamar Jackson kind of falls into that category where he's one of the greatest players of all time and still doesn't get the love. But I mean, Curry, think about this. Great knows great. There's an old saying about management. A's, people who are secure in themselves. A's higher A's, B's insecure, higher C's. Go ask the great player. Who did LeBron James go after before he landed Luca? For two years, he was trying to lure Steph Curry to be a Laker or he be a warrior and you go to the Olympics when it's all alphas. Jason Tatum had two points in the gold medal game. Who had four threes in the final three minutes. Who did the stars rely on? Who did the stars go? Hey, get it to Steph. Let's bring in the closer. I mean, last night, games close late. Here comes Steph. 110 run, bad ankle, back to backs on the road. It's unbelievable. Yeah, I'll say this, finally, that show that, you know, J. Mac doesn't like refuses to watch. Wink, wink. Finally, Shaq delivered the truth last night. I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation. I played against Mike, played with Colby, played against him, With LeBron, they're all great, but you go, at some point, we'll have to put Steph Curry in that category. I'm not saying he is, but let's just have the conversation. That's right. That's right. Let's just have the conversation. I mean, it's unbelievable. A basketball team in Minnesota took two guards in front of him. Anytime he's had a legitimate number two. Klay Thompson in his prime was arguably the best. No, not even arguably. He was the best catch and shooter player in the league. So Clay in his prime's a Hall of Famer. Titles, and then he gets kd, couple titles, and then he gets Clays out of his prime. They give him Andrew Wiggins, who's talented, but you can't really trust him in a big spot. Title. And right now, you start looking at these games, you start looking at the way this team is built. Kaminga's banged up, bad ankle coming back. I'm just saying, every single time you've given him a legitimate dude, he explodes. Dude's got 32 assists. And what's amazing about Steph is that for as often as he has the ball and is the centerpiece, he's remarkably unselfish. I mean, for a guy that's so great with the ball, he's arguably the best player in the league off ball. I mean, there's all sorts of nuance to his game beyond. Beyond the obvious stuff, beyond the damn, he's a good dude. Plays with anybody. I mean, he. It's just very rare. I mean, LeBron's got this quality Magic did as well. So good with the ball, but also great off the ball. Finally, LeBron now is getting a little off the ball love. But I'm glad Shaq said it, because I. I just think he's been so disrespected. Had to beat Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the final to justify his greatness. I mean, come on now. What are you watching? The games. So this is a big deal. So sometimes I get on tangents, and I'm not talking for a show or a week. I'm talking for six years. I have been on a tangent for about six years, and I know it's irritating, but offensive lines are really important. The final four teams this year in the NFL all had top 10 offensive lines. The top seven graded offensive lines in the NFL this year all made the playoffs. Seven for seven all made the playoffs. The Chicago Bears had a defensive coach, and the offensive line kept getting worse. Ben Johnson gets hired by the Bears. And I know last year the Bears were doing stuff with wide receivers and oh, front page of the Chicago Tribune. It was on all the websites. Receiver, receiver, receiver. This year, Ben Johnson, offensive coach. First two big moves. Two days ago, guard, Rams. Yesterday, guard Joe Tuney, Chiefs. Two experienced dudes. This guy gets it. The first thing he addresses is the O line. Two guards. You know who else pays Guards? The Rams, the Chiefs, the Eagles. Offensive coaches get it. I like Mike Tomlinson. Eight years now. Offensive line stinks. Go to the Super Bowl. It was all line play. And I don't trust Ryan polls the GM in the draft. He's had too many whiffs. I don't think he's terrible, but I don't trust him. This is easy. Jonah Jackson can play, Joe Tuni can play. Two starters and they'll probably go draft a tackle with their first pick. So it, it's just easier if you're not great in the draft. And the Bears I don't trust. Last year's draft looks like a mess. The Velas Jones picket receiver years ago turned my stomach. Bottom line is great move. And by the way, Jim Harbaugh last year, Jim Harbaugh, everybody was like, oh, they lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams got a receiver. What did what Jim Harbaugh do? Joe Al Notre Dame tackle was great. What did Sean Payton do? First thing he did, he kept Russell Wilson, who he didn't love. He rebuilt the o line. Sean McVay takes over the Rams first big move. Andrew Whitworth, all Pro left tackle, Cincinnati. I mean, I know we all watch quarterbacks, but a quarterback's best friend is protection and push up front. This is a great day to be a Bear fan. I know it's not sexy. I know it's, it's not going to lead sports shows and other networks, but the seven highest graded offensive lines last year all made the playoffs. Joe Burrow was arguably the best quarterback in the league last year. What was his o line? Ranked? 30th. He missed the playoffs. And last year, do you remember this? And, and I understand if you don't, but last year, Washington, we were all caught up in Cliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn and a new owner and a new gm. You remember the first thing Washington did last year? Before they ever gave Jaden Daniels a snap in a big game, they went and got two offensive linemen free agency, Right? So this is, this is what Washington did last year. And those don't make headlines, but the last couple of days, this is what offensive coaches do. It's what McVeigh does. Reed does Ben Johnson. I mean, you start looking at Philadelphia and Detroit. I mean, the Rams were really good last year, and one of the reasons they got good by about Thanksgiving, they got hot before that is the offensive line got healthy. So this is really encouraging. I know it's not. It's not a blaring headline to interior offensive linemen, but when you have a young quarterback time to throw a run game, an extra half second is the difference between doing something like Washington did and, you know, doing something like Caleb Williams had to deal with in his rookie year with a defensive coach. Jmac spitting it today. Steph Curry last night. Yeah, you are on fire. You love. You love Steph Curry. Of course, my favorite player of all time. It used to be Magic Johnson. Right. I love the flair and the passing. And then Steph Curry overtook him. He's been my favorite probably for, I don't know, over a decade. Isn't it interesting, though? So, you know, we kind of looked at the warriors, and their front office deserves credit because we kind of looked at him. It was a treadmill to nowhere. Yeah, it is amazing. I was down on them. Right, right, right. And we were waiting for Wiggins to be a two. He's not. We were waiting for Kaminga to be a two. He's not. When you slot it now Steph Butler's a two. And now Kaminga's like, oh, he could be a three pods, he could be a four. Draymond still doesn't score much, but it is amazing what you do. It's like a pitching staff. When you put a legitimate two with Steph, then the three and the four can be inconsistent, and that's why they're three and fours. It's like when you give LeBron Luke offensively now, you like Rui way more because Rui goes from. Instead of having to be a three offensively now Ruiz a four. And offensively, Rui can be a little hit and miss. But when Rui goes from three to a four, now Ruiz a really good four. Oh, yeah. Instead of a reach at three. So now Kaminga, because we've been waiting for Kaminga for years. You could be looking at a Lakers, warriors, second round matchup that would. That could. That's the kind of game that could break the Internet. Like Luca Butler, LeBron. I mean, Curry, just amazing collection of talent. If that happens in the second round, I'm sure the TV executives would love a Western Conference finals with those two. LeBron and Curry. NBA's rigged, by the way. Zion did you see. See Zion last night? I did not. I mean, he was unstoppable. Well, no, he was. Lakers still won by 30. You're 40 or whatever it was, but. Oh, I mean, looked really good. Yeah, I only watched the first half. Yeah. Fell asleep. Yeah. I mean, the Lakers season's really going to come down to this. It really is going to come down to this. Health. Luca, look. Looks in much better shape. He looks in much better shape. And LeBron's obviously playing with a ton of energy. I. I think at some point, you know, it's like your new best friend, you know, at some point, LeBron's energy and Steph's energy will come down. Honeymoon phase. Yeah, I think. I think. I think we're in the honeymoon phase. I mean, you're. I'm watching last night's honeymoon phase stuff, but there'll be a time when, you know, again, you get about 20, 30 games in with a new teammate. Like. Like the warriors right now, it's the honeymoon phase. I mean, Steph is playing out of his mind. He's playing like. Be honest. If Jimmy Butler's not on the team, does he take last night off? If they're not playing in New York, back to back off Charlotte where he got hurt? Is it. It's possible. Steph's like, I'm not New York is why he played. Jimmy Butler's why he played. It's like, okay, I'm gonna play this game. If they were battling for a 10 seed with no Butler and they're playing in New York first, then Charlotte, he's not playing. So the energy with the Lakers and the warriors and I. I gotta tell you something, just got bits and pieces. Early Lakers last night, because I had a bunch of stuff going on late. Here's what jumps out to me about the Lakers and being an executive in Los Angeles. For any team, including an athletic director for SC or ucla, it's very unique in the country. I don't think there's any city like it. And it. And I'll tell you why. One of the things that makes it really hard in Los Angeles is our weather, because it's Mediterranean and every. I want. I had to do something last night. People are outside, they're having a good time. And it's. Forget the game last night, that game. Secondary. What's really fascinating about the Lakers coming up next, and not just the Lakers, but why LA forces the Lakers to do things sometimes to an area of discomfort, work, sometimes didn't work with Westbrook to LeBron and the Lakers works other times. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. This one's for the food obsessed, for the phone eats first person, for the influencer who knows about a new spot before it's poppin, and for the person who's all in on dining out with AMEX Gold. You can earn four times points at restaurants up to $50,000 and up to $100 back annually in statement credits on eligible purchases at US resi restaurants so you can get rewarded for eating what you love. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms of plan cap applies. Learn more@americanexpress.com With Amex, Omaha Steaks delivers the world's best steak experience and it brings people together with more than 100 years of family owned expertise as America's original butcher. Omaha Steak's legendary filet mignons are extra aged to maximize tenderness and are tested to the highest standards to maintain the coveted distinction of USDA Certified tender. And now during their semi annual sale, you can get 50% off site wide at Omaha steaks.com plus our listeners get an extra $30 off with the promo code Herdherd at checkout. This weekend was a great time to bust open my Omaha Steaks assortment. Pack air Chilled boneless chicken breasts, ribeye and steak burgers Gourmet jumbo franks. They're great butcher's cut top sirloins and for dessert, caramel apple tartlets. It doesn't get better than this. From legendary steaks to classic comfort food, bring home that exceptional handcrafted flavor and convenience of Omaha Steaks. Every steak perfectly aged. Five generations of uncompromising quality. Omaha Steaks has been America's original butcher since 1917. Don't miss the semiannual sale at Omaha Steaks. Visit OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site wide and for an extra $30 off, use the promo code herdherd at checkout. That's 50% off at Omaha Steaks.com and an extra $30 off with a promo code Herd at checkout. You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required card has no cash access and expires in six months. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [21:27]
Rachel Nichols
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.
- [21:34]
Colin Cowherd
Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate. And JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.
- [21:46]
Rachel Nichols
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [21:55]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, as JMac will tell you, the safest bet in the NBA is take the Lakers in the first quarter, got off to a huge lead, blew out the Pelicans. You know, no Rui, no Reeves, no problem. Didn't matter. LeBron was great. Luca was great. But, you know, it. It's funny, when I been in California for eight, nine years, and I really like Los Angeles, and, you know, one of the things I've really learned is you have to be aggressive as a team. The Clippers have become stagnant even with a new arena. Nobody talks about him. The market's too big. There's too many things going on. The beach, the mountains, the weather. I mean, people are out walking around the beach last night. It's just. It's just the way it is in Los Angeles. And I mean, the Dodgers win the World Series and they go spend a $450 million in upgrades to their roster and $100 million in a clubhouse renovation. That's after winning a World Series. Like, that's the way it works. I mean, the Rams considered, hey, we may have to move off Matt Stafford. They moved off golf when he got to a Super Bowl. Harbaugh to the Chargers, Lincoln Riley. They steal Oklahoma's coach. You have to Swing big in this town because there's too many premieres, too many red carpets, too many things going on, and it forces organizations, especially the Lakers, to be hyper aggressive. I mean, they took a big swing on. On Anthony Davis work. They took a big swing on Westbrook. Didn't work. They took a big swing on J.J. redick. Everybody criticized him. J.J. redick, not experienced, kind of an ego. He's been absolutely fantastic. When you watch this team offensively, you can see the game preparation and, you know, I think it's hard in this town that you are forced. You can't be the Cincinnati Bengals and just stay in draft order and don't take a big swing. I mean, LeBron's playing out of his mind. And I do think there's a honeymoon period for a staffer or LeBron. With a new guy, you're kind of showing off, but it's just the status quo doesn't work here. And I think LeBron is completely energized now because if. If. And even LeBron, you can kind of lose him during the football season. You forget about him if you're not viable. And, you know, the Clippers, a desperate organization, they build a new basketball arena, but they're still clinging to Kawhi and James Harden. And that. That story's over. Nobody's interested. And I'm watching the Lakers briefly last night, and it's just. There's such. They've reinvigorated the franchise, the team. And I'll say this, I have been critical of the Lakers front office before because there's been some misses. But I appreciate the effort. Like, you know, even the way. It's funny, you remember when they got Mark Williams, the Charlotte center, in a trade, and then the next day, his doctors, the Lakers doctors, said, nah, it's not going to work here. And Charlotte's like, what do you mean? He's healthy. He just played. I honestly think what happened. I honestly think this happened. I think the Lakers took a big swing on it, and then, you know, they don't have a. They don't have a scouting department quite as big as the Warriors. You know, the Bus family is not as wealthy as a lot of these big owners. I think the warriors or the Lakers did a little digging on it and started making a few calls. A little more digging. They took a big swing. And I said, ah, yeah, well, our doctors don't like him. I don't think that's the craziest theory out there on why they made it. And then suddenly why they. They moved off it. But I appreciated the effort. J.J. redick, I appreciate the effort. And you know, again, you can make big swings that are stupid. Trading away Luka for AD and one first rounder and Max Christie, that's just a dumb move. But there one of the things I've, I've, I've over and over I've said I love the way the Philadelphia Eagles do business. I mean, Carson Wentz was having an MVP season. Yeah, we're going with Nick Foles and Doug Peterson wins the Super Bowl. Yeah, we're moving off him. And Chip Kelly had a winning season. It's not a good fit. And I think in Los Angeles, it's just different. The Dodgers could just rest on their laurels. Nope. They went and spent $450 million more. And they're renovating, which is, by the way, a beautiful stadium. They're going to renovate it, make it even better. And I think it'd be in an executive in Los Angeles. You have got to stay on your toes. I said it with Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers. I said, you just can't do another coordinator. You're getting lost in this. This is not San Diego where people go to the games. Philip Rivers wins 10 games and that's good enough. That is not good enough here. And so the JJ Redick swing, unbelievable. The Luca swing, unbelievable. And even the Westbrook move, that didn't work. It's what LA forces you to do and it's what the Lakers do. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. 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, too. 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 Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. With amex, there's always a new experience to explore from curating the perfect vacation and chilling in the Centurion Lounge before you get there trying out that new trendy restaurant thanks to Priority Notify with global dining access by Resy and getting straight to the action at the big game with card member entrances at select venues with AMEX Platinum, you can experience it all. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Access to the card member entrance not limited to the American Express Platinum card. Learn more@americanexpress.com with Amex, you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six months. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [29:11]
Rachel Nichols
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share and.
- [29:15]
Colin Cowherd
Believe it or not, I have plenty.
- [29:16]
Rachel Nichols
To say and not just about hockey.
- [29:18]
Colin Cowherd
Believe me, he does Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be. Well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the Energy line.
- [29:30]
Rachel Nichols
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has.
- [29:37]
Colin Cowherd
She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to EnergyLine with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Will, do you ever get overwhelmed by how much science happens these days? Constantly. I'm like, ah, there's so much science, I can't keep track of it all. Then it's a good thing. Our podcast, Part Time Genius is counting down the 25 greatest science ideas from the past 25 years. That's right, Mango. We're talking animals in a paper called, quote, chickens prefer beautiful humans. This was actually the title of the paper. They all discovered that, much like humans.
- [30:27]
Rachel Nichols
Chickens are attracted to symmetrical faces.
- [30:30]
Colin Cowherd
Got it. We're talking medical miracles. He's an endocrinologist who found a way to stimulate insulin producing cells using, wait for it, the saliva of a Gila monster. There's no way to make that not sound crazy. We even talked to some of the experts behind these breakthroughs. It's a week full of fact packed stories you won't want to miss. So listen to the Part Time Genius countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years, starting Monday, March 3rd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Good night's sleep last night. No earthquakes. I mean, Luke and LeBron head over, you know, they had 30. There's your mini earthquake. Yeah, so I, I was doubtful for today's show. I had an awful night's sleep, woke up and I was telling the wife, like, I don't want to deal with.
- [31:17]
Rachel Nichols
The traffic this morning.
- [31:18]
Colin Cowherd
I was a little rattled. Deal with the traffic. Well, if you, if you get a late start from where I live, it's like an hour drive and it's just, it was a little boy. That, that's, that is blank privilege or something. That brown privilege. This show's too much fun to miss. Come on. So I thought this, this was interesting. You know, I'm pretty consistent on this. I like aggressive. I just, I just like aggressive. Even if I don't agree with everything like live golf. I appreciate the effort. And if you're sitting around for years and years not treating the best golfers in the world better, they're going to go to another, they're going to know, to another tour. Deal with it. Treat them better. So the Eagles gave Saquon Barkley a fat contract. 41 million, 36 million of it guaranteed at signing. And so this is why the Eagles are elite. They write a huge check with most of the money up front, meaning they can escape by year two. I don't think they'll want to, but running back Saquon's been hurt. They can get out of it. This is what, Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati. That is the space. Those days Those guys don't operate in. They did this with Carson, Carson Wentz. Philly takes big swings and they write big checks up front and so they can get out of stuff. And the Saquon deal is a massive check. And until the Raiders recently got a couple of new investors, they couldn't write these checks. Chicago doesn't write them. Cincinnati doesn't write them. Arizona doesn't write them. I mean, all legendary poker players, every Phil Hellmuth down is they are selectively aggressive. They do not always have the best hand. You gotta be aggressive. And I think the heart and soul remember Howie Roseman. This is a team that want to got to a Super bowl and they, you know, they tend to. They win a Super bowl and everybody wants to bring everybody back. And I'm not a fan of that. I think you got to keep moving the roster in professional football to keep everybody fresh. I think they're going to move off like seven or eight guys. You cannot move off Saquon Barkley. There are three or four players on the Eagles. You can't duplicate that. You can't duplicate Jalen Carter on a rookie contract. You cannot replace Saquon Barkley. Even Derrick Henry's not this. So the soul of the Eagles to me is GM O line quarterback Saquon Barkley and Jalen Carter. And there was this ridiculous narrative that was happening for about a year ago. Running backs, they're going extinct. No, they're not. The most important football games in this league are played in December, January and February. It gets cold and windy, and nobody is more valuable to a quarterback than a great running back. And what I love about Saquon Barkley, among other things, class, quiet, head down. I mean, this guy played battle lines at Penn State, battle lines with the Giants. Never complained a single time. He does it the right way. So I could not be happier for Saquon Barkley. And I know a lot of people out there. Running backs, a dime a dozen. No, they're not. No, they are not. The O line as a collective is really the centerpiece of the team. But when Saquon didn't have a great outline, he was still remarkable. And all the smart people knew it. So, you know, I, and I had said this. People get worked up. Certain positions don't get paid. If you're a great tight end, if you're a great guard. Joe Tuney, he got paid. Guards don't make any money. Joe Tuney got paid. You'll get paid. Safeties don't get paid. Ed Reed got paid. You Know, Ronnie Locke got paid. You'll get paid if you're great. Now, there's other positions where you don't have to be great. You can be Brock Purdy and good and get paid, but that's just the way the game works. There's some positions. If you're a good left tackle, the Rams have a good left tackle. You get. You get a lot of money. Running back, you got to be great. Saquon Barkley is. And with that, our friend Rachel Nichols, Fox Sports NBA analyst, is joining us on the show. You know, I never try to be a homer, but, you know, as a Warrior and Laker guy, it is good living right now.
- [35:47]
Rachel Nichols
Good time to be in California and be a basketball fan, right?
- [35:50]
Colin Cowherd
It is. So I want to talk about Jimmy Butler. So before they made the move, I watched a lot of Warrior games, and I had said, man, when Steph Curry's not in the floor, this team is boring. Yeah. And they're charging a lot for tickets. The standard's very high. And like, you, you. You gotta keep moving. Like the San Francisco Giants didn't. They're kind of irrelevant. Like, you gotta make a move. So I think there were people in the league that thought, you know, Jimmy's noisy. You know, Jimmy's past his prime. And I kept saying, just get his energy in the building. I wonder if the warriors privately are a little surprised how perfectly he's fit.
- [36:32]
Rachel Nichols
I mean, I think they're thrilled. We know that they were going after Kevin Durant that week, so he wasn't even their first choice, but he's turned out to be a better fit. Jimmy Butler says one of the things about me is I fit in everywhere. And I think that is true. And he's been able to fit in there so well, seamlessly, basketball wise. But as you point out, it's also energy and culture wise. He might not be the stereotypical runs on Joy Golden State Warrior, but he is that sort of character, energy guy that this team has been known for. You know, Draymond Green put it this way. Colin, he said we needed another a hole, although it's Draymond. So he did not use the word a hole. You just fill in what he actually said. Yeah, Steve Kerr talked about that, too, last night, that he just has given Steph Curry more energy because Steph knows when he goes to the bench, someone else is going to be out there. He doesn't have to do everything by himself.
- [37:18]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [37:18]
Rachel Nichols
And I think we've seen the effect of all of that. And. And they are a Real force now in the west, which wasn't true at the turn of the year.
- [37:25]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, it. You know, it's. I said this earlier. Los Angeles sort of forces you as a franchise to be aggressive. The Lakers have been aggressive with Westbrook. Didn't work aggressive with ad, and Luca works. The Dodgers win a World series and spend $450 million more dollars on players. The Clippers feel stale and a little tired because it's like, okay, they're. They're stagnant. Stagnant. Status quo doesn't work in la.
- [37:55]
Rachel Nichols
Yep.
- [37:55]
Colin Cowherd
If you're good in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow, that's good enough. It's not here. And so I look at the Lakers and Luca. I do. I think it's a honeymoon period, but I'm watching them the last couple of games without a Rui and a Reeves. I mean, Condo there. I don't think it's crazy. I did this yesterday. I did my NBA Championship bubble.
- [38:17]
Rachel Nichols
Yeah.
- [38:17]
Colin Cowherd
And I don't. I always worry about being like, recency bias or confirmation bias. I think the Lakers, I don't know if they can beat Boston. I think they can win the West. I. Here's my bubble radio audience. I put Denver, Lakers, warriors, okc, Cleveland, Boston, I think are the two best teams. Knicks on the outside. Any problem having the Lakers in it?
- [38:40]
Rachel Nichols
Oh, I don't have a problem having the Lakers in it. I feel, as much as this pains me, because I'm a huge Nikola Jokic fan of just what he can do on the court. I'm not sure the Nuggets are actually in the bubble, but I like your optimism. There you go. I do think you're completely right with your other teams there, and it's just going to be interesting. I mean, Steph Curry playing the way that he is. To your point.
- [38:59]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [39:00]
Rachel Nichols
I would never have imagined Golden State in that bubble just a couple months ago. I mean, they were barely scraping a playing spot.
- [39:06]
Colin Cowherd
Kaminga's not playing.
- [39:08]
Rachel Nichols
Right.
- [39:08]
Colin Cowherd
And the one thing they miss is length.
- [39:10]
Rachel Nichols
Exactly.
- [39:11]
Colin Cowherd
And so Kaminga's got a bad ankle. I think he's back in the next week. So, folks, this team is. The Lakers are getting Reeves and Rui back.
- [39:18]
Rachel Nichols
Right.
- [39:19]
Colin Cowherd
And the warriors are getting Kaminga back.
- [39:21]
Rachel Nichols
Absolutely. I do want to make one Steph Curry point just. And then. And then we can dovetail into the Lakers. You know, I think the control room has the Steph Curry shot from before we've been talking about a week.
- [39:30]
Colin Cowherd
Right.
- [39:30]
Rachel Nichols
That shot before the Orlando halftime against the Orlando Magic. That is a shot that most Players in the NBA run from right. It's the end of the half. It messes with your shooting percentage. There's a thing in the NBA about, hey, pass it to the rookie right before the buzzer at halftime so his shooting percentage can get messed up. Steph always goes for that shot. He always wants that shot. And you have a player like that who always wants to take that shot because he could make it. And that turned into a 56 point performance for him. Those are the guys I want in your playoff bubble, in your Finals contention bubble. Teams that have that, they have that in Steph Curry, which is why you never count the warriors out. As long as Steph's on the court. The Lakers have that in Luka and LeBron. Those guys are not scared. And when it comes to the playoffs, you said you may have recency bias. Recency bias is part of the NBA. It's how you are playing toward the end of the regular season and then going into the playoffs. That are the teams that should be in your bubble. Your recency bias is correct. Because the Lakers have those kinds of guys.
- [40:32]
Colin Cowherd
They are.
- [40:32]
Rachel Nichols
They have the best record in the NBA since the middle of January. Top five on both sides of the ball. In fact, they have the best defense in the entire crazy since the beginning.
- [40:42]
Colin Cowherd
They lose ad they acquire Luka, who's always been a bit of a defensive liability, and they're as good a defensive team.
- [40:50]
Rachel Nichols
And Luka can play defense when he needs to. And there you go.
- [40:53]
Colin Cowherd
So the JJ Reddick hire is interesting because there was a lot of pushback on. He didn't have a lot of experience, which I always think that's a bit overrated.
- [41:01]
Rachel Nichols
He had no experience.
- [41:02]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I mean, he's LeBron's pod partner. But it's, it's, it's hard for me. I can judge a football coach very quick. Sure. Basketball is so fluid and so star driven. I have to watch multiple games to get a feel. Are you a good coach or not?
- [41:16]
Rachel Nichols
Yeah.
- [41:17]
Colin Cowherd
Because a lot of times even a Steve Kerr or a Spoelstra will just let the star dictate the offense. You're not calling plays a lot like you do in college basketball, but the one thing I see with the Lakers, especially in the first quarter, I can see what they're trying to do. I always. They have a game plan. And with Darvin Ham, a lot of times it was. I felt like they were kind of just letting the game come to them. I feel like JJ Redick, this is what we're doing for the first six minutes and I don't know, I just. Is he. I think he's been sensational.
- [41:49]
Rachel Nichols
First of all, I really like JJ personally, and I think he's been popular in the locker room because of that personality. He's super intense, obviously very meticulous, but players like that, they want a guy who cares as much or more than they do. And one of JJ's core beliefs is there's a lot outside of the game that you can control. And since there's so much inside the game that you can't, once you get on the court, control everything outside the game, make it all better. So to your point about being organized, having your rotations down, having the. The guys know where they're supposed to be, when all of that really matters, so that when the stuff happens that you can't control, you already have the leg up of the stuff that you can. And we see that over and over on the court. You also see, frankly, with the way that he is playing Luka at the beginning of games, Luka has so much of the load in the first quarter that LeBron James, at 40 years old, is able to be great offensively, but also defensively at the end of games. And that has been a problem for them the last quarter. Couple years, when LeBron runs out of gas, which he has toward, you know, in playoff games, toward the end of games, the Lakers don't have anything else. Not only now do they have something else in Luca, but LeBron's not running out of gas. And it's the first time, Colin, in LeBron's entire career that you and I have ever seen anyone multiply. LeBron. LeBron is usually the multiplier. He's the guy who makes other guys around him better than they are. Right? He makes things easier, he makes things better, he draws more attention. Luka is making LeBron better at age 40. We've never seen that with LeBron. No one's ever multiplied LeBron or made LeBron better. And Luka Doncic is doing that, that's incredible for the Lakers.
- [43:15]
Colin Cowherd
You know, when you make trades in pro sports, and this. This is really kind of systemic in business as well, is that there are always unintended benefits or consequences that you make a big merger and you're like, oh, we didn't know this would be good too, or the opposite. And so I think when you make the Jimmy Butler move for the warriors, you knew you'd be better defensively and you knew he'd get you the line, but you didn't know that Steph would be playing with a vigor and energy that was like, oh, multiplied. So it's like, you can't guess everything. So here's where the Mavericks. Not only was the trade bad. Yeah.
- [43:57]
Rachel Nichols
But the problem, the visceral reaction. I've.
- [44:00]
Colin Cowherd
The problem giving up Luca, coupled with the injuries they had with their bigs before Luca was traded, is that then Kyrie is your only play initiator now. Spencer Dinwiddie's a good player now Kyrie's got to play more minutes and have the ball incessantly. And my take, and maybe it's a reach, is part of the injury, is you didn't consider, oh, God, we've only got two initiators. We trade one. Kyrie's a smaller athlete with injuries.
- [44:34]
Rachel Nichols
I don't think that's controversial at all. We have heard people say, oh, come on, ACL isn't an overuse injury. Stop talking about his minutes. I'm sorry. I completely disagree. No, it's not an overuse injury. I know that. But when your body is tired, we all know this. When your body is tied tired, you are more vulnerable to everything.
- [44:53]
Colin Cowherd
Rachel, what's the worst run skiing the last run of the day? Like the old saying is, you're most.
- [44:59]
Rachel Nichols
Likely to get injured in the last.
- [45:00]
Colin Cowherd
Run of the day.
- [45:01]
Rachel Nichols
Your body is tired. Everything is less precise in your movements. Every part of your body is sort of compensating for different things and different muscles. And I don't care if something is, quote, an overuse injury or not. If your body is worn down, you are more susceptible to getting hurt. And then, of course, course, is bad luck the way Kyrie got hurt. But you can create conditions that make bad luck more or less likely to happen.
- [45:25]
Colin Cowherd
That's right.
- [45:25]
Rachel Nichols
And a team in the Dallas Mavericks that partly their justification for the trade was that Luka's habits and conditioning was creating poor conditions for his possible future health. If that is part of the reason that you decided, hey, bad luck happens, but we can create conditions to make it more or less likely. Don't trade for a guy, an Anthony Davis, who has an injury history and is older. And don't put so much of a load on Kyrie Irving, who has an injury history and is older. You are creating conditions for bad luck to happen, whether it's overuse or fluke or not. And the Dallas Mavericks have walked right into it. And again, I don't understand it because Jason Kidd is so smart and Nico Harrison is really smart, and I. You don't know what's happening there.
- [46:12]
Colin Cowherd
Well, you know, I had a. I had a discussion with somebody the other day on this in the NBA circle, and I think when the players that CBA where the players like LeBron and Chris Paul had a big say in the CBA where it paid the stars like, seven, it felt like they got all the money.
- [46:29]
Rachel Nichols
Yes.
- [46:29]
Colin Cowherd
C players, all the money.
- [46:31]
Rachel Nichols
All the money.
- [46:32]
Colin Cowherd
So it was great for LeBron, it was great for Chris Paul, Steph Curry, it's great for Giannis. Um, but now the max is 70 million to 75, so Luca qualifies for that. I think it's one thing for a billionaire to write a $40 million annual check when you almost double it. They're going to consider everything, including conditioning.
- [46:52]
Rachel Nichols
Sure.
- [46:53]
Colin Cowherd
Injury history. I mean, I. I mean, like Paul George, good player. Clippers are like, ah, we can't go there.
- [46:59]
Rachel Nichols
But don't you have to consider it in both directions if you're the Mavericks?
- [47:03]
Colin Cowherd
Sure.
- [47:03]
Rachel Nichols
If you're considering it on the way out for Luca, aren't you supposed to be considering it on the way in with the guys that you got coming in? Yeah, I just. I don't think that this was foreseeable in the way of, like, man, we're going to be sitting here three weeks a month after the trade, and, you know, their top two stars are going to be gone, but it wasn't unimaginable. And that's the difference. It's not like you couldn't been like, ah, that's impossible. You had two older stars on the other side of 30 who have an injury history, and it's not a complete. Oh, my God, I could never have imagined this, that this happened. And the question now is, do you even bring AD back this season?
- [47:35]
Colin Cowherd
I'm not sure I would right now that Kyrie's out. I probably wouldn't.
- [47:40]
Rachel Nichols
I don't know. Maybe, you know, and then you have a contingent of Dallas fans online and, you know, they're still feeling emotional. They're in their feelings. But they'd like to trade AD this summer. Because the point is, the thinking goes, this is not my theory.
- [47:53]
Colin Cowherd
They had iron bigs already.
- [47:54]
Rachel Nichols
No, no. But there is a fan push out there to say, hey, Anthony Davis is never going to be more valuable than he is this summer. He's not going to be more valuable the next summer or the next summer. Kyrie isn't going to be there for at least half the season next season. So really, what is the AD Kyrie window that you're talking about? And do you have to Just start again now. I think that Anthony Davis should stick around in Dallas and see what you can do with him next season. But I understand the frustration of people feeling like this is already a loss. Are you already going to tell me a future? When Nico Harrison said, I've got three or four year window, tell me the future. How would it lay out that they could win a championship in the next three years? It's a tough. It's a tough look.
- [48:34]
Colin Cowherd
So I think, I don't think the NBA's had nearly as many faces of the league as people would submit to. Sure, yeah, I think it's been Magic. I don't even think Bird was. Bird was French Lick. He was ornery, he didn't want to do ads. I think Magic sort of pulled him along. Magic was the face. Michael was the best face. LeBron's the face. Curry's close. Some have argued that Kobe and Shaq together collectively for about five years with a face. I'm not gonna. I don't argue. I've argued that Jayson Tatum has a lot of things but kind of lacks a aura or, or a clutch time resonance with people. But, but the other thing that's thrown out there and it's fascinating because I don't know what's right, people say, could an international player be face of the league? Now something that was brought up to me that I think is important is that we knew Michael, Magic and LeBron's story when they were like 18, 19, 20. Yeah, international guys. We don't. Now I do think as international basketball elevates, it is. I mean, we knew Wemby a year before he came. So I don't have an answer. Could an international player be the face of a sport in America?
- [49:48]
Rachel Nichols
I mean, look, we've seen it in baseball right here in Los Angeles. I do think the most likely candidates are a Victor Wembanyama who I think is going to be the, you know, health. Obviously health being a factor. And we saw something just last month, but in the last month, but health sustained. Then I think that he is going to be maybe the top player in the next 10 years. Is he the face of the league? Is that instead going to be Luka because he's here in Los Angeles. Another foreign burn player or is it going to be an Anthony Edwards And Jason Tatum was complaining. You know, Anthony Edwards hasn't done the things that Jason Tatum has done. Not by a mile. By the way Jason done, has significantly more than Anthony has done. However, there is a swashbuckler sort of Sense To Anthony Edwards. To Michael Jordan.
- [50:31]
Colin Cowherd
Right.
- [50:32]
Rachel Nichols
To LeBron in his way that Jayson Tatum just doesn't have. Our guy Paul Pierce also brought up the fact that Jason Tatum plays in Boston and a lot of people around the country do not like Boston sports teams.
- [50:42]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [50:43]
Rachel Nichols
And to your Larry Bird point, it was Magic, not Larry, who was so popular. Boston guy.
- [50:47]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Let's end it with this. I think it's fascinating. I really, you know, I. I had theorized that when James Dolan spent two years on the sphere in Vegas, he got out of the basketball ops.
- [50:58]
Rachel Nichols
Yep.
- [50:58]
Colin Cowherd
And the Knicks put together an excellent front office and have made great move after great move. I love what the Knicks have done. There is an advantage to losing. It creates clarity in the building.
- [51:08]
Rachel Nichols
Yep.
- [51:08]
Colin Cowherd
They can't beat the Celtics. They can't beat okc. They can't beat Cleveland. They probably couldn't beat Luka in a series if they played LeBron. They couldn't beat last night, though. Missing Kaminga. They were missing Cat. But they're not an elite team. They're a good team on certain nights. Very good. But they're not great. I think that's great. I think where NBA franchises die is when everybody in the building is arguing.
- [51:31]
Rachel Nichols
Right.
- [51:32]
Colin Cowherd
I think there were a lot of Darvin ham believers in the building until the very end of the season. And then they all said it's not working.
- [51:38]
Rachel Nichols
Right.
- [51:39]
Colin Cowherd
Knicks needing to make another big move. Right.
- [51:42]
Rachel Nichols
But they're 07 against the top teams in the league. That is not the number that you want. It's interesting. A week or so ago, we heard a report from Shams over on ESPN saying Giannis wants to stay in Milwaukee, but not if they don't keep winning. Those reports, by the way, don't happen by accident. Those are little, as you and I both know over the years, little warning shots to franchises. Oh, gee. We happen to be having the conversation. And there's no secret that the New York Knicks would like to get their hands on Giannis Antetokounmpo. And we'll just have to keep watching. People in Milwaukee love Giannis. They don't like it when people talk about him leaving their team. I get it. I don't want him to leave.
- [52:20]
Colin Cowherd
I don't want to blow the Knicks up, though. Well, OG four draft picks, Carl Anthony Towns. I don't want. I want. You're not moving Brunson.
- [52:28]
Rachel Nichols
I would move a lot in that franchise to get Giannis. Santa to Kupo. I mean, really save Jalen Brunson. I think they're all integral parts of the Knicks and how we know them and they're scrappy and they work hard and guess what? If you had Giannis, you'd go further. And I think in the end it's about winning.
- [52:44]
Colin Cowherd
And let's be fair about this. Luca to the Lakers and JB to the Warriors. You got to have two A's. That's just the way it is.
- [52:54]
Rachel Nichols
Change the franchise, right?
- [52:55]
Colin Cowherd
Right. You can go like that. Brunson's an A minus, and a lot of guys that are Bs, that's just not good enough because I've watched them play Boston twice. Boston comes out eight minutes in, they attack Carl Anthony Towns. It's over.
- [53:09]
Rachel Nichols
But again, I would like to see Giannis win in Milwaukee again. I thought that was so fun when they won that title and the city, the way they embraced them. Your original point when we sat down here of, hey, it's a competitive market in la, in San Francisco, it's not as competitive a market in Milwaukee. That town loves the Bucks. That is what that town is about. And if he can bring them another title, that would be incredible. But if he wants to leave, New York is a logical place for him to go.
- [53:34]
Colin Cowherd
Love having you on the show as always, Rachel Nichols.
- [53:36]
Rachel Nichols
Thanks, cats.
- [53:37]
Colin Cowherd
This is Nikki Glazer from the Nikki Glazer Podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out, and you can learn more by following. Hat's upwithhate. What's up, everyone? Julius Ripps here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go. The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [54:14]
Rachel Nichols
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life.
- [54:18]
Colin Cowherd
All topics are fair game, right? Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.
- [54:22]
Rachel Nichols
By to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [54:28]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get get your podcasts. Hey, Will, do you ever get overwhelmed by how much science happens these days? Constantly. I'm like, ah, there's so much science, I can't keep track of it all. Then it's a Good thing our podcast Part Time Genius is counting down the 25 greatest science ideas from the past 25 years. That's right, Mango. We're talking animals in a paper called, quote, chickens prefer beautiful humans. Right? This was actually the title of the paper. They all discovered that much like humans.
- [55:02]
Rachel Nichols
Chickens are attracted to symmetrical faces.
- [55:04]
Colin Cowherd
Got it. We're talking medical miracles. He's an endocrinologist who found a way to stimulate insulin producing cells using, wait for it, the saliva of a Gila monster. There's no way to make that not sound crazy. We even talked to some of the experts behind these breakthroughs. It's a week full of fact packed stories you won't want to miss. So listen to the Part Time Genius countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years starting Monday, March 3rd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli. The five families did not want us to shoot that picture. This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seals best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.