Best of the Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of the Herd

Date: March 13, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests/Co-hosts: Channing Frye, John Middlekauff
Episode Theme: Dissecting the top sports stories of the week, with deep dives into NFL quarterback trends and narratives, NBA star roles, and headline performances across leagues.

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers Colin Cowherd’s candid, incisive analysis of major happenings in the NFL and NBA. Colin and his guests break down quarterback cautionary tales, the unique late-career evolution of LeBron James, Bam Adebayo’s eye-popping stat line, and forecast franchise futures, all while offering honest assessments and memorable moments from within the sports world.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. JJ McCarthy: A Quarterback Cautionary Tale

(03:03–08:30)

• Colin warns NFL GMs not to overvalue college QBs with “winner” reputations or “game manager” backgrounds.
• He contrasts McCarthy's modest stats with the stacked Michigan roster supporting him (13 NFL draftees), arguing that elite talent should deliver elite production.
• Colin lists QBs from top programs who had to “carry” their teams with high-yardage passing (Bo Nix, Jaden Daniels, Michael Penix, etc.) and points out McCarthy’s sub-200 yds/game as alarming.
• Memorable line:

  “A winner is how you should describe a poker player or a lawyer…We don’t talk about any other athlete and say ‘he’s a winner.’” — Colin Cowherd (06:35)

Insight: Athletic traits and production trump “intangibles” like “winner” labels at the NFL level.

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2. Kyler Murray in Minnesota and NFL QB Market Analysis

(08:30–11:00, 51:22–53:49)

• Kyler Murray signs a one-year deal in Minnesota, reuniting with offensive whiz Kevin O’Connell.
  • Colin believes Murray’s “wow traits”—elusiveness, deep ball—make him a top-10 active QB in touchdowns.
  • John Middlekauff cautions about Kevin O’Connell’s history with pocket passers and doubts Murray’s fit, questioning his post-injury mobility.
  • Both agree: Arizona dysfunction may have hampered Murray more than talent issues.
• They question if Murray would be worth it to Minnesota if he commanded $10–15M, not just $1.3M.

Quotes:

• “Kyler Murray and Sam Darnold have been the two quarterbacks I have always liked more than the market because they have wow traits.” — Colin Cowherd (08:20)
• “He’s had multiple lower body injuries. Is he still quite as fast?” — John Middlekauff (52:07)

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3. LeBron James’ Career Evolution: From Star to Third Option

(08:31–11:11, 34:10–36:28, 43:30–46:51)

• Colin details LeBron’s transformation from primary playmaker to a low-usage, off-ball role, as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves rise.

• Both host and guests acknowledge the challenge and humility required for one of the game’s titans to adapt at age 41, especially as Reeves becomes a breakout star.

• JJ Redick commends LeBron’s team-first focus, even as his shot volume and ball dominance drop.

• Channing Frye points out LeBron’s uniqueness as a third option and suggests LeBron’s reduced role preserves him for playoffs.

• They discuss “mobility” in LeBron’s career—how changing teams limits “family” status but maximizes legacy.

• Memorable line:

  “At some point...I’m going to be the third voice, and I don’t know if I’ll be as good as LeBron…I just think he deserves credit for committing to this kind of basketball.” — Colin Cowherd (11:05)

• Frye:

  “Is there a better third option on a team? Like, I don’t think there is.” (35:11) “Absolutely not [regrets]. He can now say, ‘Look at this ring. Look at this ring.’” (44:53)

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4. NBA Performance Debates: Bam Adebayo’s 83, SGA’s Style, Knicks’ Future

(18:11–22:40, 36:28–43:30)

• Colin vigorously defends Bam Adebayo’s “doctored” 83-point night, noting the legitimacy of racking up points against a faltering Wizards squad.
  • Bam’s and coach Erik Spoelstra’s biting responses are highlighted.
  • Colin views sports, like accounting, as about finding legal “loopholes.”

Key Quotes:

• Bam:

  “First of all, y’all are blaming me. You should be blaming the head coach.” (27:09)
  “I was not the one...Let me go one on one the whole game, until I had 70. Then you started to send a double.” (27:18)

• Spoelstra:

  “I apologize to absolutely no one, period. I’m not losing any sleep over what other people are saying about it.” (27:33)

• Colin (on loopholes):

  “It’s almost like being an accountant. You’re always looking for loopholes and how to manipulate.” (28:25)

• SGA’s “Free Throw Merchant” Critique:

  • Channing Frye pushes back on anti-SGA arguments, citing “creating advantages” as the hallmark of elite players.

  • “Stop complaining and play some dang defense.” — Channing Frye (37:19)

• Knicks’ Potential Trade Dilemma and Playoff Readiness:

  • Frye suggests if Giannis or an equivalent becomes available, you “make the deal—my job is to put the best team out there.”
  • Knicks are gritty, but the East is now “a monster” with top teams reloading.

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5. Colin’s NFL Post-Free Agency, Pre-Draft Top 10

(18:11–23:37)

• Detailed rankings (with rationale) for all ten teams—Rams, Bears, Seahawks, Bills, Broncos, Chargers, Texans, Eagles, Patriots, Lions—with Baltimore and Jacksonville just outside.
• Emphasis on post-coaching-hire, post-free-agency changes and signature offseason additions.
• Key insight: “You don’t have to be great anywhere. You can’t be bad anywhere.” — Colin Cowherd (22:20)

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6. Mike Tomlin as Top Coaching Free Agent

(47:44–50:45)

• Stepping away from Steelers after a storied tenure, Tomlin is praised as “a great underdog coach.”
• Cowherd and Middlekauff agree Tomlin is the likely No. 1 NFL coaching candidate for the 2027 cycle.

• “They were always relevant under Tomlin, which in this league, you can’t say that about...a lot of teams.” — Colin Cowherd (48:24)

• Trend: College jobs become more tenable with NIL; NFL may start pulling more coordinators after Tomlin.

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7. Cowboys’ Defensive Overhaul and NFC East Prognosis

(53:50–56:45)

• Dallas signs key defensive players (Rashan Gary, Quinn, Williams) and plans to address the secondary in the draft.
• Middlekauff expects Cowboys’ offense to remain elite; defense now “solid” and playoff-caliber.
• Giants and Eagles also highlighted; Washington is “the mystery team.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• LeBron adaptation praise:

  “He’s always been a winning player...He deserves credit for committing to this kind of basketball when he could score 24 a night for half the teams in the league or more.” — Colin Cowherd (11:00)

• On Bam’s scoring frenzy:

  “You got 71 points, nine minutes. Everybody knows the Kobe number. I’m going to go after the Kobe number.” — Colin Cowherd (27:33)

• COLIN on NFL team-building:

  “In the NFL, you don’t have to be great anywhere. You can’t be bad anywhere.” — Colin Cowherd (22:20)

• Channing Frye, on LeBron’s legacy:

  “Absolutely not [regrets]. He can now say, ‘Look at this ring…’ Going to LA was like, hey, this time has ended here...It happens.” (44:53)

• JJ Redick on LeBron’s role:

  “He wants to do everything possible to help this team win...I know what I’m capable of still doing as an individual. But what’s important for this team...that’s the only thing that matters.” (11:12)

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Important Timestamps

• JJ McCarthy Cautionary Tale: 03:03–08:30
• Kyler Murray Discussion: 08:30–11:00 & 51:22–53:49
• LeBron as Third Option/Team Dynamics: 08:31–11:11; 34:10–36:28; 43:30–46:51
• Bam Adebayo’s 83-point Game Defense: 18:11–22:40; 27:09–29:00
• SGA’s Offensive Style Debate: 36:28–38:41
• Nick’s Trade Strategy/East Playoffs: 40:31–43:30
• Post–Free Agency NFL Power Rankings: 18:11–23:37
• Mike Tomlin & Coaching Carousel: 47:44–50:45
• Cowboys’ Defense and NFC East Breakdown: 53:50–56:45

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Episode Takeaways

• NFL: Don’t trust “winner” QBs without independent production and traits.
• NBA: LeBron’s willingness to adapt and play off-ball, even as a third option, cements his competitive, legacy-first ethos.
• Bam Adebayo’s 83 points: Not a scandal; a combination of opportunity, culture, and opponent apathy.
• Offseason Dynamics: Power shifts via coaching, free agency, and the draft are in full swing—NFL and NBA titles require savvy adaptation at every level, not just star player accumulation.

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If you missed the episode, this summary offers a thorough breakdown of Colin Cowherd’s sharpest analyses, his guests’ honest perspectives, and the most talked-about sports stories of the week, all in their own direct, conversational style.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Channing Frye]

Now let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's Friday. It is great to be in. We're live in Chicago. It's the Herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening or watching. Busy week Free agency, World Baseball Classic, NBA March Madness Selection Sunday is coming up. John Midkov sitting in for Jason McIntyre today from the volume so John, I'm going to start today with a Kyler Murray topic. Because you live in Arizona, you've seen a lot of Kyler Murray. I used to live in la, so I watched a lot of NFC West. So Kyler Murray assigned a one year deal with the great Kevin o'. Connell. Great coach, great offensive coach. This is where Sam Darnold career was reborn. They sign him for a year. And what does that mean for JJ McCarthy? I think we all know JJ McCarthy and I'm not saying it's easy to figure out first round, second round quarterbacks. I know it's hard. But JJ McCarthy is a cautionary tale for every general manager in the NFL. Beware of two things, the game manager at the college level. And beware of when the number one trait for a college quarterback is he's a winner. That's what they said about Tebow. That doesn't mean anything. Okay. These game managing college quarterbacks usually come from Alabama or Ohio State, Georgia. These football factories where they can turn and hand it off, throw 23 times a game. J.J. mcCarthy, he came from the best Michigan team probably ever. 13 guys were drafted, stacked roster and he only threw for 22 touchdowns. Joe Burrow played on a stacked roster at LSU. He threw for 60. If you're going to play on a roster like that, you don't have to carry the team. But I better see like 45 touchdowns, 55 touchdowns. Every quarterback in J.J. mcCarthy's class, everyone. Bo Nix, Jaden Daniels, Michael Penck, Drake May, Caleb Williams. Every other first round quarterback, every other one. USC, Oregon, North Carolina, LSU. Some good programs they had to throw for over 300 yards a game. J.J. mcCarthy threw for under 200 yards a game. That's the first warning sign and the second and I you know, Pat in the back time, I said, he is the one quarterback coming in this first round draft class. I don't think it's going to work. The other thing was, first of all, he didn't have any great wow traits. Caleb Williams, wow. Horsepower. Bo Nicks, toughness, durability, athletic ability. Jaden Daniels, kind of a Lamar Jackson type player. Drake May, big size, big arm, Pennock's good arm. J.J. mcCarthy's a winner. A winner is how you should describe a poker player or a lawyer. If you tell me a lawyer, the guy's a winner. It's kind of all I need to know. Poker player, guy's a winner, sits down at the table, that's Phil Hellmuth. That's all I need to know. We don't talk about any other athlete and say he's a winner. We don't draft cornerbacks, left tackles, guards, running backs and say, well, you know, production was so. So. But he is a winner. Doesn't mean anything. Same with college basketball players. Nobody's drafting Darren Peterson number one because he's a winner. They're looking at his talent and his traits. So I just, I don't buy the he's a winner thing. Now you could say Fernando Mendoza, Colin. Yeah, he, he won because he's a killer, because he's great. Late because he beat Miami almost single handedly in the fourth quarter. He did the same with Penn State on the road. That's different. He was asked to carry a good roster. That JJ McCarthy Michigan roster wasn't a good roster. It was the best Michigan roster ever. Thirteen guys drafted. That's an Ohio State, Bama, Georgia, LSU level roster. And did he carry it? Yeah, at times he did. He did against Miami late. He did against, you know, Oregon fourth quarter. So there's a difference. And you know, you can say what you want about Kyler Murray again. He and Sam Darnold have been the two quarterbacks that I have always liked more than the market because they have wow traits. His elusiveness a plus. Wow. His deep ball, excellent. And for the record since he was drafted, Kyler Murray among active, active quarterbacks, top 10 and touchdown passes. So he's actually productive with experience and elusive and a great deep ball. He's going to win this job. But it's a cautionary tale. Be very careful about he's a winner or game manager at college. It just doesn't translate to Sunday football. Okay, so Luke had 51 last night and the Lakers beat the Bulls, but that wasn't the story. And this is A real story and it's, it's actually asking a lot of LeBron James. So we talked a lot before the season. I said, this is going to be the strangest year in LeBron James life. Every offense, even last year with heavy Luka and Luka off an injury, LeBron needed the ball in his hands for the offense to be effective. I said, this year is going to be different. The difference between in shape, skinny Luka, stillness, Prime and LeBron. The gap's going to be huge. And LeBron's going to have to learn for the first time in his career to play off the ball all the time. Now he's having a bad shooting year off the ball because his, let's be honest, his jump shot has always been streaky and inconsistent. But what really happened this year that makes it Even tougher for LeBron is that Austin Reeves has popped and now LeBron should probably have the ball as a third offensive option on the Lakers. So to ask a guy that was face of the NBA for 20 years, hey, we not only need you to be off the ball with Luka, but Austin Reaves as well. It is a big ask. I don't think Michael Jordan would have done that. I don't think most all time players are going to do that. And the fact that LeBron's always been about winning and he has, and I've defended him early when he used to not take the big shot like MJ or Kobe and I'd say he's a winning player, he makes the right basketball play. So this is a big ask. And LeBron's entire career was the opposite. He had to ask Dwyane Wade, you're the two he had to go to Chris Bosh, hey, get out of the paint, go in the corner. He had to tell Kyrie Irving, bro, I'm going to carry the ball. You have to play off ball. So everybody has sacrificed for LeBron and should have his entire career, even Luka a little bit last year. But this LeBron's different. His usage rate, lowest of his career by a wide margin. You know, field goals taken per game, lowest of his career wide margin. So this is what we talked about all preseason. This is going to be a weird year for LeBron. Face the league to not only the second option, but net rating tells you the third option. He's going to have to set screens, he's going to have to rebound a little more, he's going to have to do the dirty work. And you know, this year when LeBron shoots more than 20 times, Lakers are 03. When he shoots under 20 times, they're 27 and 15. The numbers don't lie. But I do think it's a big ask. I don't think MJ would have done it. I don't think a lot of stars that can still play at LeBron's level individually would do it, but LeBron's always been a winning player. I just think he deserves credit for committing to this kind of basketball when he could score 24 a night for half the teams in the league or more. And here was JJ Redick after the win. LeBron and I, we talk. We.

[Channing Frye]

We had a.

[Colin Cowherd]

We had a great conversation over the last couple of days. I think, again, he wants to do everything possible to help this team win. And he, he understands the importance of, of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best. And, you know, that's, that's, that's incredible of him. The team is most important. You know, everybody's successful when we win. So, yeah, it is some sacrifice. I know what I'm capable of still doing as an individual. But what's important for this team, I'm able to adapt to what's important for this team. And that's, that's the only thing that matters. And the win is the only thing that matters. It was interesting. I was reading an article yesterday and they were talking about LeBron. I've never seen this before with any LeBron article. JJ Redick was talking about, I'm going to need him to set some screens. I've never seen screens and LeBron in the same sentence before. Not that he's not capable of doing it, But I'm defending LeBron here. This is a big ask. At some point on a show, I'm going to be the third voice, and I don't know if I'll be as good as LeBron. I don't know if I'll pass it, but LeBron deserves credit. Lakers playing well, and Austin Reaves has blossomed, by the way, with Luka. And I think everybody sees it. And fortunately, right now, LeBron sees it. Okay, there's a couple of things. First of all, the Kyler Murray situation, what's happening in the NFL is. And, boy, you're seeing it. I said this yesterday. I think Kyler Murray is going to be our Sam Darnold. I don't think he's going to be that good. I don't think he's going to go to a Super Bowl. I don't think he's going to win 14 games with Minnesota, but I think he's going to be really successful. But the other thing is over the last several years I have taken two teams every year and I'm on a four year heater. Eight for eight. I want to go 10 for 10. So last year I took Seattle and New England. Seattle was my already pretty good. Going to be much better than everybody thinks team got to a Super bowl and then I always pick my double your win total at minimum team that was New England. So last year was pretty good. I have officially picked my two NFL teams on a four year streak. I have picked them as of this morning and I'll give you that next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app Stigatz here. I have a podcast empire.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. It's hour two. It's a Friday. We got good stuff. World Baseball Classic's been amazing. I'm still going to defend Bam out of Bayou. God, did that guy get ripped off apart by the NBA fraternity. I don't get it at all. And he's got a hysterical bite on that Bam. Adebayou is. You know, he reminds me a little bit of another former Miami Heat player, Udonis Haslam. Good guys, low profile, work their butt off. Just perfect Miami Heat culture, guys. And I mean just the NBA savagely went after him and I don't buy any of it. I'm going to get to that in about five minutes. I'm going to support Bama to Bayou's 83 point spectacle in a couple of minutes. But all right, the draft's coming up in April. A draft can absolutely change a franchise if you get the right quarterback. So the Raiders getting Fernando Mendoza, that's going to be a big deal. Okay. But I think really, when I look at teams after a season ends, I look at the coaching hires, I look at free agency, and that's about 75 to 80% of what the new league is going to look like. And maybe I'm being optimistic on some of these free agent signings, but a lot of GMs made moves I agree with. So here's my top 10 pre draft. Draft may tweak a spot or two, but I doubt it does a lot. And Here we go. Number 10. Number 10. I would say Detroit. I thought they had a coordinator issue last year, not a personnel issue. Drew Petzing, new oc. I think it's going to be fantastic. Listen, they've had a top five offense in four straight seasons and last year they had a coordinator issue or Dan Campbell had to take over play calling and they were still viable 9 and 8. So I think they're going to improve by two or three wins. I love their front office. You know, I like Jared Goff. Respect Dan campbell. Lions at 10. Number nine, patriots. Now why do I bring them down? Well, they go from the historically easiest NFL scheme schedule in 50 years to the sixth toughest. They lose to Fon Diggs. They add Romeo Dobbs. That's kind of a wash to me. They add Kevin Byard in the back end of their defense, who's an interception machine. I love the coaching, the owner, the culture. I just think the AFC had a down year. Lamar's back, right, like Mahomes won't get hurt again. The Chargers will be better. Denver, Bo, Knicks, another healthy offseason. So I think New England at nine, number eight. I think Sean Manion, the new OC is going to work. I thought Tariq Woolen grabbing him at corner. I didn't think it was a position of need. The Eagles now have the best cornerback troika trio in the league by a lot. So it's not like they didn't need, didn't have enough talent defensively. Now they added an elite Pro bowl level corner. I think. Man, listen, Nick Sirianni is very coordinator dependent, okay? That's just the reality. He needs a Kellen Moore, he needs a Shane Steichen. I think Manion could be good. I have Philly at 8. Number 7. Listen, the smart bet take the Houston Texans to win their division again. They added David Montgomery, the running back. I think that is a sneaky addition. So David Montgomery and Woody Marks, that is a above average running back tandem and they just couldn't, they couldn't produce consistent run totals last year. Yeah, it's worrisome that CJ Stroud has regressed, but they're still winning their division. AFC south, they're favored to win it for a fourth year. They won 12 games last year. I think they'll be around that this coming year. Number six, probably lower than a lot of people think. I like the Chargers. Listen, they had the worst O line in the league due to injuries and won 11 games in a good division. They're going to win 11 plus this year. They get Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back at tackle. They have a ton of cap space, so they've addressed the interior line. They also added Mike McDaniel who I think is one of those coordinators like Detroit's Drew Petzig. That's going to be worth a win or three. And they, they got a kind of a sneaky Keaton Mitchell, the running back. The speed back from Baltimore comes over with Amarian Hampton. So I, I like what I see. I think this is going to be a team that's offense leads the way unlike last year where defense had to lead the way. I have the Chargers at six. Number five Broncos It People may forget this, but in that divisional round loss to the Patriots, they were missing bonix, their number one back, J.K. dobbins and their number two and three wide receivers. They were banged up at the end of the year, the NFL, as you well know, is a league of attrition. And they just picked a bad week to be playing in the divisional round. Team won 14 games. They don't allow sacks, and yet they led the NFL in sacks. I don't think that changes. Great head coaching, great line play. Denver at five. Number four. I'll put Josh Allen an inch ahead because he's Josh Allen. I think Bradley Chubb, again, kind of a sneaky, smart signing, gonna give you about 9, 10, 11 sacks. And DJ Moore, because the Colston Loveland and Luther Burden exploded last year. At the end of the year for the Bears, people think, well, D.J. moore's not. Numbers drop. D.J. moore is still a number one. Never misses starts. Tough player. So Chubb and D.J. moore, to me, are some really nice B plus added elements. Buffalo at four. Number three, the Seahawks. I think it's almost impossible to win back to back. I think Kenneth Walker leaving is a real thing now. If it was a great running back draft, I wouldn't worry much. It's not. Zachary Charbonnet comes back. They've got kind of a. And that's running back by committee after Charbonnet. Listen, JSN, Mike McDonald, Sam Darnold, Gray Zable, Nick Almond. Worry. They've got really good leadership on this team and really good players, but they had to move off some really nice football players. That's what happens when you win a Super Bowl. Guys want to eat Seattle. I have them at three. Number two, the Bears. To me, first round picks, gonna be a corner. Second round picks, they're gonna go and get a pass rush. I like what I see. Again, a really sneaky stat with the Bears. They were the third best rushing team in the league last year. And you think it's about Caleb in the aerial circus. They ran the ball really well. Now they have to replace Drew Dolman at center. They did with Garrett Bradbury from New England. Not as good as Dolman, but a good solid pro in the middle, anchoring your O line again. They're probably not going to lead the league in takeaways like they did last year. They'll probably drop to somewhere in the upper half in the NFL. But I have the Bears at number two. Number one, the Rams. They solved their dilemma. Corner Trent McDuffie, top five corner teammate Jalen Watson. There was an argument the Rams were the best team last year, but in the NFL, you don't have to be great anywhere. You can't be bad anywhere. And last year the Rams really had Issues in their secondary. So they've gone out, solved it. Trent McDuffie is an elite corner. And there you go, there's my post coaching hires post free agency. Top 10 Baltimore 11, Jacksonville 12. Jacksonville lost a couple of key pieces. Don't love that ETN the running back who's been there with Trevor Lawrence forever. So I got Baltimore 11, I got Jacksonville 12. And that's where we stand today. Okay? So I, I gotta defend Bam Adebayou. So Bam Adebayou is a pros pro, all NBA defense five times, two time Olympian, very much a Heat culture guy, plays on both ends, excellent pro. And a couple nights ago he drops 83. And I defended him, I said okay, got a little doctored at the end. But he had 31 points in the first quarter. He had 62 after three. If he just played a normal fourth, he scores 71. But he scored 83. That surpassed Kobe and people didn't like it. And, and, and the pitchforks and the knives came out and I'm like, guys, this is not a, this is not a random guy that, you know, he scores, he defends, he's an Olympian, he's a legitimate player. And Spoelstra is not a guy that doctors stuff up. Here was bam on his critics after an 83 point performance.

[Channing Frye]

First of all, y' all are blaming me. You should be blaming the head coach.

[Colin Cowherd]

Get that first.

[Channing Frye]

I was not the one. Let me go one on one the

[Colin Cowherd]

whole game until I started, until I had 70.

[Channing Frye]

Then you started to send a double.

[Colin Cowherd]

At that point I got 70 with

[Channing Frye]

like what, nine minutes left to go in the game. You think I'm not going for it?

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean seriously, you got 71 points, nine minutes. Everybody knows the Kobe number. I'm going to go after the Kobe number. I don't have any problem. Spo could be my favorite coach in the NBA. Spo's like, get over it, people. I apologize to absolutely no one, period. I'm not losing any sleep over what other people are saying about it. What's ethical, what's not. All this stuff happened under two minutes. Like I said, like he had already broken a bunch of records and we're going to go for was just an amazing moment, you know, to be a part of that. And I would do it 10 times out of 10. By the way, when people say that's not basketball. Was hack a shack, not basketball. Of course it was. Shaq was a bad free throw shooter. Mike Dunleby, I was in that arena when he began the hack a Shack with his Portland Trailblazer team. They couldn't stop him. They started fouling him. Fans hated it. It's real basketball, okay? When I was a kid growing up, Dean Smith used to get a lead in North Carolina and they would run four corners offense and they would freeze out the other team's offense. There was no shot clock. Was that basketball? It was allowed. There's a lot of stuff in sports that it's almost like being an accountant. You're always looking for loopholes and how to manipulate. I have. I mean, you see sometimes in the NFL you bring in like a third tackle and he's an eligible receiver. Well, that's not real football. Yes, under the rules it is. What they did in the last couple of minutes of the game is legal, by the way. Right now I've defended tanking. Tanking. Today you can say it. It's not allowed. I watched it all year with Indiana, I watched it with Utah. It's allowed. So you can try to shut off accountants. They're going to find loopholes. And I, I just don't have any problem with a pros pro, a great organization, a great coach saying, okay, we got nine minutes left, he's at 70. We're going for the Kobe number. I'm not losing any sleep over that. I mean, James Harden for years was falling down, taking threes. The NBA had to step in and go, okay, that, that's not going to work. I can guarantee Adam Silver is not sitting there thinking, hey, listen, the next time a Guy gets to 70 with nine minutes left, we've got to outlaw what they did. Nobody cares. I was reading this the other thing, because I said I watched it on YouTube. I didn't watch it live. Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, the Heat's other two leading scores, were out of the game. So who's going to shoot? I don't know. The guy was 70. I'm going to probably give him the ball. I love Bam's reaction, and I love SPO's even more. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more atelectric for all.org all right, two truths and a Lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain, I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile. Build to your local Verizon store today, get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best Overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Struggling to see up close? Make it visible with VIZ B I Z Z VIZ is a once daily prescription eye drop to treat blurry near vision for up to 10 hours. It works. The most common side effects that may be experienced while using VIZ include eye irritation, temporary dim or dark vision, headaches, eye redness. Talk to an eye doctor to learn if VIZ V I Z Z is right for you. Learn [e-mail] check it out.

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[Channing Frye]

Huh?

[Colin Cowherd]

I wonder if this can beat the market. Everyone's talking about the NASDAQ 100, but let's get more specific. Software? Actually, too broad. How about software that's already profitable? Companies that beat the last five quarters? Oh, and I want founders who are marathon runners. That's discipline. Yeah, let's see what that looks like.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Love having him on the show. Channing Fry is now joining us live. After Luka dropped 51 last night, you and I were talking during the break, Channing. As I had said before this season, I said, this is gonna be the first time ever where everybody has sacrificed for LeBron and should have. He told Chris Bosh, go in the corner, Kyrie playoff ball, Dwyane Wade, I'm gonna run the offense. And everybody did and everybody should have. And even last year when Luka was off an injury and out of shape, it was kind of LeBron's ecosystem. And I said, this year, LeBron's going to have to play off ball. Well, the problem for LeBron is not only is he playing off ball to Luka, he's playing off ball to Austin because Austin's having the best year for an undrafted player maybe of all time. So, you know, LeBron, I think this is a tough ask to ask a superstar. I don't think Michael Jordan would have said, you know, I'm going to play off ball. It's like, yeah, I don't think that would have worked. You tell me, how effective can LeBron be off ball?

[Channing Frye]

Is there a better third option on a team? Like, I don't think there is. Think about that. It's like your best, your best player has their best defender, then your second best defender, guards Austin Reaves. And now who's guarding LeBron? I think at the end of the day, we're having this conversation because he's 41 and because Luke is great and Austin Reaves is turning into that dude that I think everyone sees. But Also I think LeBron is okay with, you know, you guys take this seat when you need me. I got it here. Like, I think we're he's the older he gets, the less he can sprint, the less longevity he can sprint. So if you give him a playoff series, he might not be so off ball, right? He may be the guy that wins you a series. Think about the impact Andre Guadala had on for Golden State. Right? He wasn't leading them in scoring, he was leading them in almost every other category. Setting up the offense, being an anchor defensively. But I think during the regular season, after doing this for 22 years, I don't know if he really minds it as much. And I think he's learning to adapt. So to me that's what makes him scary. And think about, okay, LeBron had 18 and you're third in the West. Like congratulations. Like, who would have thought, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

So I defend SGA and I say the leading scorer in the NBA in the 80s was not Michael Jordan, it was Alex English. Okay, okay. Now he played in the high powered offense, but he like sga. It was leaning. It was, it was angle jumpers, it wasn't dunks. It was getting to the free throw line. And I think people bang on SGA because it's not aesthetically pleasing. We love watching Dominique and Zion and Barkley and Drexler and not all games. There's a lot of ways to score points. Channing, Kiki Vandaway scored a lot of points. I don't remember any dunks. So a lot of people call him a free throw merchant. He's averaging eight made free throws a game. I'm like for his usage. That doesn't seem outrageous to me. Does it to you?

[Channing Frye]

No. Stop complaining and play some dang defense. Stop it. Every time somebody is great, they're a free throw merchant. Think about this. Joel Embiid, LeBron, SGA. Who else? Luka Jokic. Like every, every single MVP. Think about how many times Giannis went to the free throw line. Is he a free throw merchant? Like when you're great, you create advantage that other people can't stop. And you know who complains? The guys that are the defenders that can't stop them. Right. Look at Jaylen. Jaylen Brown's job is to defend your best player. And when that player, SGA gets to the free throw line, he's getting a rhythm. And so you're trying anything to stop that. But isn't he the most efficient pull up jumper guy we've seen almost ever?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Channing Frye]

Does he not? His consistency over the years garners him to get to the free throw line minimum 10 times. And, and maybe you don't like it, but that's what the greats do. Jordan did it, Kobe did it, Dirk did It. I mean, D. Wade got to the free throw line. It's part of the game. Stop complaining. It's how he plays. Play better defense. It's not as egregious as, like, when James Harden was getting to the line, but they had to stop. But think about what James Harden did to get an mvp like, you got to get to the free throw line. You can't just shoot jumpers and layups all game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So I defended Bama to Bayou. I'm like, guys, he had 31 after the first quarter. And Tyler Herro late in the game, you know, they didn't have their other Norman Powell, Tyler, hero. They're not in the game late. He's got 70 with nine minutes to go. And Bam's like, well, you think I'm not going to go for it? I mean, 70 with nine minutes left.

[Channing Frye]

Again, I don't care if Jesus was on that court. Bam Adebayo was getting that ball. What you allowed. The Wizards allowed him to get 70. I'm shocked they didn't go for 100. NBA players are greedy, Especially a guy like Bam, who averages. What does he average, 22, 24. For him to have the opportunity to go for 70, man, listen, I wouldn't have shot the ball. I would have set four screens for him. Shoot the ball every single time. The minute a team just lays down and dies, like the Wizards did that first quarter, I was there when Kevin Love, at 34 in a quarter, he just didn't have the conditioning that Bam does. And to get. I watched every single shot. 62. I think after three quarters, 71, whatever he had. Yeah, man. Again, I don't care how you got to do it, but the Washington Wizards are allowing you to do this. They've allowed you to think that that was possible because they just laid down and didn't want to play defense they didn't want to commit to. Sometimes you got to take a tough foul. Sometimes you got to. You got to say, hey, we're losing at football or we're losing a basketball. Maybe we're going to play some football. And I know it's dirty, but if you were on a veteran team, somebody would have laid him out. And that's just. Things happen. So congratulations to Bam. Is nothing unethical about that because he had to shoot all those shots. So get 83, get 100. I don't care. Congratulations.

[Colin Cowherd]

The. You know, we've talked a lot on this show about the New York Knicks, and my favorite Knick of all time was Bernard King. It wasn't Ewing or Carmel. I loved Bernard King, and I remember Dominique Wilkins saying, I didn't mind guarding Jordan. He goes, I couldn't sleep at night if I had to guard Bernard King. You could just put 40 points down. There was no way I was stopping him. But I think Jalen Brunson has. It feels like New York, Villanova guy, high iq, little undersized, gritty. He's got a New York feel to him. He's a tough guy. He's a Villanova guy. And I also think, oh, gee, Bridges, Hart, I think Carl Anthony's crazy talented. But there is. There is an argument that they're missing. And once Hardenstein left, like, they lost defense, right? What do you do when the team's really good and how do you go about maybe having to sit Jalen Brunson down and go, okay, do we have to get rid of OG Karl Anthony draft picks to get Giannis? Do you go to Jalen Brunson and ask him privately, or do you just make the deal?

[Channing Frye]

I think you. You lay it out and you say, hey, this is what we need for our future, to get an opportunity to get Giannis. No offense to OG Mikhail Bridges or whoever else you're going to pick. Nobody is going to be Giannis. Nobody's going to be Giannis. But again, are you sacrificing your future five, six, seven years for a chance to win? But if I'm a gm, give me Giannis on my team all day. My job is to put the best team out there. And to me, I looked at, like, who the Knicks lost to. I think they've lost the last four losses are to, like, the Cavs, Pistons, like, they only have one bad loss in a month and a half. And everyone's like, well, your defense is bad and you only lost to the Pacers. I think, like, way back in February sometime for me, I just think this team has really high expectations. They are. I think it looks like they're a little disinterested in the regular season because nobody cares where they are. They are interested in the off season because that is what everyone's going to judge them. I was in New York when they went to the Eastern Conference finals. The whole city was electric. I would be bored of the regular season and couldn't wait till the Garden is rocking if I was a New York Knicks. So right now, are they going to be looking kind of like, how can we win without doing as much as possible because we need to be healthy for the playoffs? I think that's what's happening. So I'm not really taking it too much. More like a grain of salt. I think the Knicks are competing, but the east is turning out to be a monster now because that matchup, you know, they may have the Heat. I think they're third. Let's say they go to. They play 36 of Miami Heat. That's still going to be a tough matchup.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Channing Frye]

And then you look how Orlando's been playing now Boston, holy crap. The Cavs, when they're healthy, you know, all these teams, it's just, it's going to be a monster in the Eastern Conference.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to circle back one more question. Channing Fry for our radio audience. One of my favorite guys. Thirteen years in the NBA, played with Kyrie and Dwayne and LeBron and Grant Hill and I, I threw this out there. LeBron James is still really good individually in the team construct. With the Lakers, he shouldn't have the ball as much. And I, and I do Wonder, you know, LeBron was very mobile and his messaging MJ made the sport global. LeBron made it mobile that you had to at least consider moving. And the downside to that is that you're always like a consultant. You don't feel like a true family member. KD's got this too. You kind of bounce around the league and you did some of this. You bounce around the league and you don't. You miss that Kobe, Derek Jeter, John Elway thing. Do you think going back and looking at everything for LeBron, if you had to get inside his head and say, okay, you wouldn't have gone to the Lakers, you would have stayed with Miami, you would have done Cleveland and Miami. Because I look at LeBron and I think he may not even get a statue in la because eight years, you know, now it's minute restrictions. He's got a Covid title. Do you think LeBron has any regrets in his career about his mobility?

[Channing Frye]

Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Like, look, they traded Luka away in the middle of the night. Did you see the teams? Now this is. We talk about all time great. I don't care if you got him 1, 2 or 3 on your list. Did you see the talent that he was taken to the NBA Finals? So he is, as a player is supposed to just say, I trust you with my career. He would have never been in the conversation. Or that's not true. He might have been in the conversation if he had stayed in Cleveland. Might. If he had never. If he. Because he went to Miami, because he won, because he was on that, that floor, that showcase with those guys. He can now say, look at this ring. Look at this ring. When he came back, it was the right time for him to come back to win a chip and then go to the finals four more times with that team. Right. And only won once. Then going to LA was like, hey, this time has ended here. Because I see the writing on the wall. We're in the cap. Like, we're on the. On the apron now. We have to rebuild.

[Colin Cowherd]

It happens.

[Channing Frye]

Like, look at Giannis right now. Giannis should have left two years ago.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Channing Frye]

And now look at the Bucks. So he's stuck there, basically. And so is that good for him? Think about Giannis on the Knicks. We'd be watching Giannis, what, going for a title right now. Giannis probably already got a jet burned up to go back to Greece. Like, it's not. It's not. It's a different era with the salary cap, with all these things. They traded Tyrese Halliburton, what, the first year, second year of his career, like, what? He didn't want to do that. But think about now, he might get a statue in Indiana when he's done. Unless something happens. And I don't think. I don't think it's as. You should just go to team to team to team. But I think if you're strategic and your team goes to the finals or you're competing for a chip every year, then you're making the right decision, especially if you're an all time great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Channing, as always, it's great talking to you. We're going to bring you back as we get close to the playoffs and into the playoffs. I love having you on the show, my man.

[Channing Frye]

Appreciate you. Thank you, guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Channing Fry, he's just full of wisdom and insight and he's played with great coaches and great players. And yeah, that to me is the downside of kind of bouncing around to the better jobs is you're not like family anywhere. And, you know, a lot of you watching the show have bounced around for jobs and commerce and like, there is sort of that, like that envy of the cul de sac. Like you lived on the same cul de sac you barbecued with the same families for 35 years. And, you know, you don't get that if you're, you know, chasing commerce. And that's what LeBron did. John Middelkoff with the news.

[Channing Frye]

No, no, no, Turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the herd line news.

[John Middlekauff]

Well, speaking of bouncing around, Mike Tomlin spent almost Two decades with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he's going to be a free agent. He stepped away, and since stepping away, we haven't heard much from him. And last night he was at a Steeler event and he had some thoughts on his tenure with the Steelers.

[Channing Frye]

It's often said, you know, we're not here for a long time. We're here for a good time. Like, you have to choose. And, you know, I think our experience here in Pittsburgh and with the great Steeler organization exemplifies that. Man, we were here for a long and really good time.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think that's a good way to put it. I do think at the end it was time for a new voice. Whether McCarthy's the right voice, he is the right side of the ball. But, I mean, Tomlin. I mean, the one thing when I think of Tomlin is he was a great underdog coach because that leaned into his strength, motivation. Like if he went into a game and nobody gave him a shot, that's when Pittsburgh was at its most dangerous. They always. They weren't always great as a favorite. They were very good as a dog. And, I mean, they were always relevant under Tomlin, which in this league, you can't say that about. Outside of maybe the packers or Belichick's Patriots, a lot of teams aren't even relevant year after year.

[John Middlekauff]

Well, think about this. Since 07, he has more wins than guys like Harbaugh, Andy Reid, Sean Payton. What do those three guys have in common? They're all on new teams. You know, Belichick kind of got washed

[Colin Cowherd]

out of the league.

[John Middlekauff]

But those three guys, Sean Payton, just in the AFC Championship game, Andy Reid goes and wins Super Bowls. If you tell me that John Harbaugh, and rightfully so, was the number one target. The Giants went all in. They gave him $100 million. If Tomlin chooses, who knows, he'd go have a Gruden, a Madden.

[Colin Cowherd]

He.

[John Middlekauff]

He could be a TV star. But I think the NFL's better with him in it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[John Middlekauff]

Don't you think he's the clear number one candidate this next coaching cycle in January of 2027?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, and I. Yeah, and I think, you know, it's interesting because John, you and I have discussed this, is that the nil, actually, in most instances, LSU is an exception, firing Brian Kelly. But the NIL keeps top college coaches in. If they're thinking, you know, if Ohio State ever lost their mind and thought, we're going to get rid of Ryan Day, well, you've got 25 million a year in nil payments, facility upgrades. You want to pay 68 million to get rid of Ryan Day. I've said this about Lincoln Riley. In a different era, Lincoln would be in Trouble. They're spending $30 million on the USC payroll this year and 300 million on a facility they're not writing a $70 million check. So the truth is a lot of these college guys who could, you know, be on the precipice of leaving, I think are going to stay in college. They've got big contracts and so I mean, either hire a hot coordinator or you hire Mike Tomlin. And that seems pretty obvious to me.

[John Middlekauff]

Yeah, like Signetti makes $13 million a year. I mean, these college make huge money. I do think there are two jobs to keep an eye on. He got his career really kind of jolted early on before he became a head coach. Tampa Bay, if things get weird with Todd Bowles and listen, Jerry Jones, the Cowboys, if it doesn't go great with Brian Schottenheimer, they've made a lot of moves. I think Mike Tomlin is going to have multiple offers in January of 27. Okay, you and I disagree on this one a little bit. I know you're high on Kyler Murray and the in the Minnesota situation, we can dive into it. But first let's take a listen to Kyler and his draw from growing up a Minnesota fan.

[Colin Cowherd]

Ever since I started playing tackle football, I was seven years old. I was seven years old. Genuine, genuine fandom, you know, ran deep. Vikings gear through and through. A lot of purple in my household. I cried real tears whenever, you know, whenever Brad threw that interception. I recalled real tears that day. How about that? He loves football, John.

[John Middlekauff]

Well, here's my thing. Kevin o', Connell, his success as a coach has come with pocket quarterbacks. You know, Darnold can move, but he did a lot of his damage from the pocket. Same thing with Cousins. Kyler Murray is a mobile playmaker.

[Channing Frye]

Right?

[John Middlekauff]

Yeah, well, and listen, there's no disputing. He's one of the great American athletes of all time. He was the number one overall pick and the 10th pick in baseball. Yeah, you know, so he is an elite athlete.

[Colin Cowherd]

But is he anymore?

[John Middlekauff]

He's had multiple lower body injuries. Is he still quite as fast? Listen, he's 5, 9, so he's not going to stand there like Sam Darnold, 6, 4 and be able to see. Yeah, this is. Kevin O', Connell, likes to pass, but he's going to have to do it a little bit different with this type player. And my other Question is, they got him for free, right? They paid $1.3 million. Would they have wanted him if he cost 10 or 15 million?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know. Yeah, I think that's a fair question. I think what makes Malik Willis so attractive is $20 million, $22 million. And I like Malik. I think your concerns are legitimate. But this team won nine games with J.J. mcCarthy, who is not a big strapping guy and also moves pretty well. I. I guess my take is Arizona is on a short list, John, and I mean a really short list of a dysfunctional place.

[John Middlekauff]

I mean, it might be one.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, they've ruined a lot of good players, good GMs and good coaches who have moved on and done just fine with their lives. I think the level of dysfunction in Arizona is only rivaled today by Cleveland and the Jets. That's it. I think. I think Vegas will become much less dysfunctional this point forward. So I, I think you're going to watch Kyler and go, oh, Kyler's in a good mood. Kyler's a little more verbal. Kyler's a little better, you know, more stationary. I think a lot of it is he felt like he was metaphorically and literally running for his life in Arizona, I'd imagine.

[Channing Frye]

What?

[John Middlekauff]

Remember Ben Johnson did this with Caleb. Body language, the way you carry yourself. Harped on that last year in OTAs and in, in training camp. I would imagine that'll be a big thing with Kevin o'. Connell.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Okay.

[John Middlekauff]

Last but not least, the Cowboys, who, they've made a lot of moves here.

[Channing Frye]

Right.

[John Middlekauff]

They've added edge rusher Rashad Gary from Dallas, who obviously had a lot of success with the Green Bay picker. Green Bay Packers. Gary played for the Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker as a rookie, and they're also reuniting him with. With Kenny Clark. Jerry said the Cowboys are not in the, you know, Max Crosby market right now, but won't rule anything out. What do you think's going on with all these Dallas defensive line moves? I mean, Colin, they've had a ton, from Micah to all these guys to going after Max Crosby. A lot of moving parts in Dallas.

[Colin Cowherd]

I will say this. Between Rashawn, Gary, Quinn and Williams, Kenny Clark, DeMarvi and overshone. And I think they're going to spend their first two picks. John. My guess is it will be corner and safety or safety and corner. My take is their front now is good. That's. That's an above average front. And because you're paying all those guys and those salary Cap hits go up, you got to get cheap on the back end of your defense because as you know, Dak, CD Pickens, that's expensive. So they're a very top heavy franchise with seven guys eating all the cap. So I think what they have to do. And they just got a number three pick from San Francisco. Trading the defensive lineman of the Niners. My take is their first three picks will be back into their defense or maybe a tight end with their number, their third round pick. But I think they're going to go heavy defense and cheapen up that side of the ball.

[John Middlekauff]

Here's what I know. We all like the Giants because of the coach, but the quarterback has to prove that he could stay on the field, right? The Cowboys offense is fantastic. I mean, Dak has really turned into a consistent top 10 quarterback. Really good player. If their defense is just solid. Like say what you want about Schottenheimer, his rapport with Dak, the offense, the wide receivers, what he did with George Pickens. Dallas could be sneaky, pretty good if their defense is solid because we know their offense is borderline elite. I mean, who's to say they couldn't win 10 or 11 games next year and compete to win that division and be a playoff team?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean the mystery team in that division to me is Washington. Now Philadelphia is too talented. If Sean Manion's fine, they're going to win double digit games. I think the Giants are going to clearly double their win total. And Dallas with this defensive front should be competent. It should be a competent team. Washington's the mystery. Dan Quinn had to replace his staff. You've got Adam Peters who is viewed by some as a basketball guy masquerading as a football guy. I feel like I kind of know what Dallas is going to be. They're going to move the ball, they're going to have a better pass rush. They don't have an elite coaching staff, so they won't win a lot of the close games, the situational moments, but they'll be noticeably better on the defensive side.

[John Middlekauff]

One thing you know about the Cowboys, they nail a lot of first round picks and this year they got two in the top 20. So they could be dramatically more talented on defense come the start of the year.

[Colin Cowherd]

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