Best of The Herd

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Best of The Herd

Date: April 6, 2026
Podcast Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests: Mark Few (Gonzaga Head Coach), Chris Broussard, Greg Tuohy, John Middlekoff

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the day’s major sports storylines, focusing on the impending NCAA men’s basketball national championship game (Michigan vs. UConn), the evolution and impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and transfer rules in college sports, NBA team breakdowns (especially the Lakers’ and OKC’s trajectories), the rise of new stars like Cooper Flagg, and memorable professional sports moments from the weekend. The show is packed with expert analysis, notable interviews, candid opinions, and some captivating debates.

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Key Discussions & Insights

1. NCAA National Championship Preview: Michigan vs. UConn

Timestamps: 02:07–07:38, 17:35–37:56, 41:06–44:42

• Michigan’s Strengths and Place in History

  • Colin lauds Michigan’s demolition of top teams (Gonzaga, Arizona, Illinois) in the tournament, noting their physicality, age, and connected team play.
  • He tempers comparisons to all-time greats:

    “They're exceptional. But what they really are is a reminder of how great college basketball can be if NBA doesn’t try to marginalize it.” (07:38)

  • Mark Few (Gonzaga coach) agrees Michigan is “the real deal,” praising their size, defense, and preparation:

    “They are extremely well coached. They are big, they are physical. … Just how handsy they were on defense and the pressure defense and how they can switch everything and just a really, really well connected team.” (42:14)

• UConn’s Culture over Talent

  • Discussion centers on UConn’s success despite arguably lower individual talent than past championship teams.
  • Mark Few:

    “I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But I think we really got to step back and just acknowledge what Dan Hurley's been able to do there.” (41:14)

• The Impact of NIL and Player Retention

  • Colin explains NIL’s effect, keeping older, more seasoned players in college and thus improving the game’s quality.
  • Both he and Mark Few note that current college basketball resembles the “older” 80s–90s era with veteran-laden teams.

• Game Prediction

  • Colin predicts a close Michigan win, citing their talent but acknowledging UConn’s physicality and culture.

    “I'll take Michigan close. What do you see?” (34:49)

    • Mark Few: “Michigan’s not going to be threatened by any physical play. … But do not count out Danny Hurley.” (35:18)

2. NBA: The Lakers’ Struggles & Oklahoma City’s Ascent

Timestamps: 03:29–07:09, 17:35–23:51, 52:13–63:08

• Lakers’ Roster Issues

  • Colin sharply critiques the Lakers’ roster construction:

    “The Lakers are a sports car and their answer for everything is more power. … They have the second worst bench in the league.” (03:29)

  • He defends coach J.J. Redick for maximizing a deeply flawed team and suggests he should be up for Coach of the Year.

• Luka Doncic’s Usage & Injuries

  • The show debates the impact of heavy workloads on both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, criticizing organizational decisions more than coaching.
  • Chris Broussard concurs that injury blame belongs more with the medical staff than with coaching:

    “If you blame anybody, you can put a little on J.J. if you want. But the main blame should go on the Lakers training staff.” (52:59)

• OKC as a Model Franchise

  • Colin pivots to praise the Oklahoma City Thunder for their shrewd team building, resilience, and best-in-league point differential.
  • He admits being "wrong" about OKC’s potential to reach dynasty status.

• Reality Check for Lakers Ownership

  • Both hosts and guests agree that a recent blowout loss to OKC showcased to Lakers ownership the real gap between their roster and the elite:

    “That’s the kind of game you look at if you’re a new owner and go, guys, we're five players away.” (60:16)

3. The Power of Culture, Systems, and the Transfer Portal

Timestamps: 32:16–33:59

• Mark Few’s NFL Analogy

  • Mark Few compares the chaotic transfer portal to NFL free agency:

    “Imagine all the sports you cover—the NFL after the Super Bowl, the day after, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want. … And imagine trying to balance that when you’re culture driven, like we are here, when UConn’s culture driven.” (32:21)

• Support for Sensible Reform

  • Few advocates for players sitting a year upon transferring a second time, seeing benefits in maturity and graduation rates.

4. Cooper Flagg’s Rise & the Changing Face of NBA Stars

Timestamps: 28:27–31:28, 63:08–66:35

• Cooper Flagg as a Future NBA Superstar

  • Colin and Mark Few marvel at Flagg’s completeness:

    “He does everything. He handles the ball, he passes extremely well, … he is the real deal.” (28:59, Mark Few)

  • Discussion on the league’s need for a domestic star:

    “It does matter. … It’s really important. This draft coming up is just unstaffed with domestic talent.” (63:08, Cowherd)
    “Cooper Flagg is a great white American player and he is going to be a superstar.” (63:59, Brosussard)

• Making Rookie of the Year Comparisons

  • Flagg compared with previous domestic stars, with guests noting his assertiveness and “face of the league” potential.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colin on Michigan's Place in History

  “They're not the best ever, but it's really, really good. … What they really are is a reminder of how great college basketball can be…" (07:38)

• Mark Few on UConn’s Run

  “I think we really got to step back and acknowledge what Dan Hurley's been able to do. … This is amazing what they've been able to do and done it with three different teams. … Strong culture, tough…” (41:14)

• Chris Broussard on Cooper Flagg

  “I actually think this weekend has switched me to Cooper Flag [for ROY]…he’s got the feistiness of an MJ or a Bird…he’ll go right at you.” (65:34)

• Mark Few’s Portal Analogy

  “Imagine…the day after the Super Bowl, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want…Imagine trying to balance that.” (32:21)

6. Other Headlines and Sports Moments

Timestamps: 45:35–50:41

• Baseball: Joe Adell’s Defensive Prowess

  • Detailed play-by-play and rules debate around Angels outfielder Joe Adell robbing three home runs in one game—a first in MLB history.
  • Cowherd confirms fielder catches that carry into fan territory are legal if the catch is made before falling into stands.

• UFL Excitement

  • Recap of a wild finish in the UFL, with a last-second Birmingham Stallions field goal capping off a dramatic comeback.

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Important Timestamps for Segments

• NCAA Preview / Michigan-UConn Analysis: 02:07–07:38, 17:35–37:56, 41:06–44:42
• Mark Few on Michigan/UConn: 23:51–37:56, 41:14–44:42
• NIL, Portal, Systems Discussion: 07:38–08:46, 32:16–33:59
• Lakers/OKC NBA Analysis: 03:29–07:09, 17:35–23:51, 52:13–63:08
• Cooper Flagg and NBA Future: 28:27–31:28, 63:08–66:35
• Baseball/Joe Adell: 45:39–50:41

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Tone and Style Notes

• Colin Cowherd’s signature blend of wit, sharp analogy, and strong, opinion-driven sports takes is present throughout the episode.
• The episode features candid, friendly banter with guests and expert-level break downs of basketball and NBA dynamics.
• Mark Few is reflective, humble, and brings a coach’s granular insight into both Xs & Os and the psychology of players and coaching transitions.
• Chris Broussard adds a practical, well-informed, and sometimes conversational counterpoint to NBA debates.

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Takeaways for New Listeners

• If you’re catching up, this episode delivers a comprehensive preview of college basketball’s biggest night, plenty of context for current NBA storylines, and honest, sometimes critical, explorations of how institutions are adapting to new athlete freedoms.
• Both nostalgia and vision for the sport’s future are recurring themes—you’ll hear how college and professional basketball’s present is shaped by policy changes, shifting talent pipelines, and the personalities that drive championship cultures.
• The episode is energetic, smart, and loaded with perspective for anyone who cares about the games behind the games.

Transcript

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Greg Tuohy]

Not sure. Tommy Lloyd saw that one coming.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, last week there was a game Thursday, a Lakers played okc. Boy, did that turn out to be a disaster. Austin Reeves, oblique injury, he's done. Luka Dontich is going overseas to get treatment. He's done. And I see all this criticism this weekend. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I see all this. J.J. redick, why is he playing him all these minutes? This was the inevitable conclusion. LeBron's 41. J.J. reddick inherited a completely lopsided roster. He should be up for coach of the year. They have no bench, they can't shoot threes, they can't rebound, they've got no rim protector, they lack three and D guys in a three and D league. Luka got stretched like a rubber band that had been stretched for weeks to the limit. I mean, Luka's playing 37 minutes, which isn't outrageous for a star. But they had a heavy schedule, 17 March games, and he led the NBA in usage rate by a mile. But again, you've got no bench. And people say, well, Austin Reaves has been banged up all year. Again, he has to. LeBron's 41 and you have no bench and no three point shooters and you're a poor rebounding team. Think about this. The Knicks and the Lakers have the same record, but the point differential for The Knicks is 400 times better. Why? Because the Knicks can bury crappy teams. The Lakers camp. The Lakers are 1 in 10 against the top four teams. So forget beating the good teams. But they get stretched to the limit against average teams. And that's why I said last week, the OKC loss, you didn't want it to be this, but it was necessary for the new owners to see this is not a J.J. redick issue. That's not what this is. This is J.J. redick. You inherit things, right? Sometimes, you know, you buy a company or you're a principal and you get a job at a new school, you inherit dysfunction. That's what J.J. redick, that's where he's at. So you've got to play Austin reeves. You play LeBron as much as you can. You have to play Luca, because they step off the floor and you run out of points. They have the second worst bench in the league. So it's almost like the Lakers are a sports car and their answer for everything is more power. Handling, don't worry about it. Aerodynamics, somebody else's problem. Breaking tires, Somebody else can worry about it. Let's give us more horsepower. And that's been Rob Palenque's answer until Marcus Smart to everything. Deandre Ayton, Rui Achamora. Offense, offense, offense. And now this was inevitable. Luca, usage rates. I mean, Austin Reeves having to play this many minutes, It's a remarkable. LeBron is still this good. I mean, it's. It's insane. It's Brady with the Bucks. You're like, is. Is he still a top five quarterback? So, I mean, in the NBA, the best general managers, like Sam Presti in Oklahoma City, they build rosters with complementary pieces that can win when their star rests and can win multiple ways. That's not what J.J. redick inherited. He didn't build the roster. He should be up for coach of the year for giving them to third in the West. Can't beat good teams, win, but can struggle against middling teams. The Knicks have a point differential. They're, like, in a different sport. So they lose to Cooper flag in the Mavs last night. And here's J.J. redick after poor defensive night.

[Mark Few]

And again, we gotta. Gotta figure that out as coaches and give these guys the answers to the test in a better way. You know, in terms of just the rotations again, you know, just trying to find just, you know, nine guys that can go out there and help us compete. We've got a week left of the regular season and then a week to prepare, and we've got a. We've got to have the commitment to do it on both ends.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right? Like many of you, I had Michigan in my single bracket winning the national championship. I Had him beating Florida. Iowa knocked them out, you know, a couple weeks back. I thought UConn would be good, but I've said all year I feel like they need another dependable score. But yet it's UConn in Michigan. And it's interesting. Michigan's really good. They demolished a good Gonzaga team. They demolished Arizona, they demolished Illinois. They're good, but I'm hearing people say they're one of the best teams ever. And I would say this, they're just a reminder of how great college basketball was in the 80s and 90s. You go back to 1982, Final Four. It had Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Patrick Ewing and Drexler Akeem. I mean, it was like. It's insane. And that's what you used to get all the time. You don't anymore. But Nil is going to allow more of it. I mean, Axel Lenneborg for Michigan should be playing for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging six points a game, first guy off the bench. Instead, he's in college. Why Nil? It's not perfect, but the quality of college basketball is so much better than 10 years ago because the players are older. We said this about the Indiana Miami national championship. It's just when guys stay in longer. Back in the 80s and 90s, the teams were older. You had stars, Tim Duncan's Ewings staying for three and four years. You know, pre Nil. The minute you could be drafted anywhere, you were off to Europe or you were going to the G League or you were going to the association. So you saw it with Duke and UConn. Duke had a bunch of 19 year old five stars and in the second half they got nervous and muscled by veteran UConn. And that was Arizona against Michigan. Arizona's ridiculously talented. It's all freshmen. Michigan didn't have a freshman starter. So it's not just about talent, it's about weight room. It's about two and three and four years for a UConn player or Yaxel to be in a weight room and get bigger and stronger. As much as we like Cooper Flagg, you can see his growth in just one year with NBA nutrition and NBA trainers. And by the way, it's not like Duke is second tier. So I like Michigan tonight. I'd be surprised if it wasn't close. But just to give you some example, when you say, well, is Michigan an all time team? You got to have perspective. There was a Houston team that had Akeem Drexler and Michael Young. Could not win a natty. There was a St. John's team that couldn't even get to the championship game, that had Chris Mullen, Mark Jackson, Walter Berry and Bill Winnington. That was just common in college basketball. So I think Michigan's great, but I think what they are, they're exceptional. But I think what they really are is a reminder of how great college basketball can be if the NBA doesn't try to marginalize it with the G League and if the Nil doesn't get changed. The nil's not perfect, but ratings, revenue and quality of play is through the roof again. I looked it up this morning. The 1982 Final Four had M.J. ewing, Akeem Drexler and James Worthy. And I love Braden Buries, but I'm going to say he's not going to be Jordan. I'm going to go a little limb on that one. Here is Michigan coach Dusty May. We've played with great physicality all year. We've done a great job in the weight room. We've done, I think, a real solid job of not beating our guys up in practice, but yet preparing them for the mental and physical wear and tear of these type of games. But it's a mindset. The Big Ten schedule prepared those guys for this. So the largest point differentials entering the championship game in March Madness, Michigan is sixth. It is not the best ever, but it's really, really good. Now, the last four that have done it have won. Duke had a huge point differential back in the 90s and lost. I do like Michigan. I wish their best player wasn't at about 70%. I think that the game's going to be very difficult to officiate. That would be my guess. Because the way for UConn to win, they have to get super physical. They need the whistle. And Michigan is not. Michigan can also play that style. So these are the two most physical teams. Coaches have different styles, but they're. They're both big and they're physical. It's amazing to watch a Dai Mara, who at UCLA was a really, really good player. Great defensive player, average five a game. He's become an incredible off offensive hub for Michigan. I like the Wolverines tonight. And if they do win, let's see the UCLA women. Big Ten, Indiana, Hoosier, Natty, Big Ten, Michigan wins, Big Ten. Anybody see a theme here? We got a lot of stuff. Speaking of Cooper Flagg, who was at Duke obviously last year, sometimes in our space, our business, the media business, you know, broadcasters can be a little reluctant to be honest because they don't want to be called out if they're wrong. And sometimes you just have to take a swing and let the chips fall. And Cooper Flagg is absolutely what we predicted very quickly. You're watching him and going, is he better than Jayson Tatum? Yeah, it's okay to have those conversations. This kid isn't just excellent. Are we looking at an all timer here? I mean, the numbers he's putting up as a teenager are, it's, it's. You start looking at the names and the comps. You know, Zion came into the league and put up a couple of games and you're like, he's putting up wilt games. But we always worried about his weight and his commitment and yeah, Cooper flag, I got none of those issues. So we'll talk about that coming up. Oh, we talk about it all the time. The difference between good organizations and great ones isn't just talent. It's systems and infrastructure working together quietly, efficiently all year long. That's Navient H Vac. Navien's NPF hydro furnace works differently than a traditional system. Heats water through dual stainless steel heat exchanges. Transfers the heat into the air. The result? 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[Colin Cowherd]

Welcome in hour two. It is a Monday. Miles Simon just stopped by, couple of minutes. Mark Few, who is now officially headed to the Basketball hall of Fame is going to be joining us Wild weekend. How about that outfielder for the Angels? Was that one of the craziest things you've ever seen? Rob? Three home runs, one head first into the stands. That was an all timer. John Middleton cough is is joining us. Okay. We do it every Monday. Colin right? Colin wrong. I had a good week. I'm not gonna lie. I don't want to be obnoxious, but here we go where Colin was right? Well, I picked Michigan to get to the national championship game and win it. And part of it was I saw him clobber Gonzaga in Illinois and I'm like wait a minute, what's going on here? I mean listen, they don't. Their star Yaxel and Borg's not 100% but they just pushed. If they're shooting well, I don't even think UConn can beat them when they shoot well, it's over. And I mean they've scored 90 plus points in five straight tournament games. Are they one of the all time great teams? Well, they're, they're a reminder that what college basketball is at its very best is older players coming back for another year of college even if they could go in the second round of the NBA draft. So we got Michigan right where Colin was wrong. But I didn't think Oklahoma City could play the Lakers and beat them like that because I didn't think they were good enough to be a dynasty. I thought they were just going to be another NBA one and done. But they've got the best record, the best point differential. Their defense is number one by a wide margin. I mean listen I. Between the GM Sam Presti, the coaching Holmgren, they just don't have any weakness. And I, I gotta tell you, they may have struggled with the spurs in the regular season, but once you're a champion, the regular season does not mean as much. They are even better this year than I thought they would be. Where Colin was right? Luka Dontich. Listen, I kept saying the usage rate is a problem, it's gonna be a problem. He has the ball too much. I didn't blame him because the reality is this roster, LeBron's 41, he's got a score. So it wasn't, it wasn't necessarily the injury. Nobody predicts that and that's awful. But I do worry like an Anthony Davis where he's not like a workout Zelick and I worry about how he will age when, when Dallas traded him I said I think a lot of it is they don't think the tarmacs that long to be a 15 year like LeBron or MJ. Great player. And, and so what's happening with Luka Last year a little overweight this year, beaten up injuries, too high of a usage rate. You could see some of it coming where Colin was right. Cooper flag. I didn't think it was that big of a swing but I said oh I think he's going to be better than Jayson Tatum by somewhere probably in year two. The kid's insane. I am not sure what the weakness is. Incredibly assertive, has a left hand, can do the floaters, attacks the rim, can ball handle, gets the spacing. Listen, I think he is better than we thought. I mean teenagers should not be scoring 50 points in the NBA. 17 year olds should not be the best player in every category at Duke and he's been both. Where Colin was wrong boy, that Jalen Hurt story last week, Jeremy Fowler, I mean I love his maturity, his iq, his eq, but the rigidity, his reluctance to sort of embrace new offenses was kind of an eye opener. I was told last August he wasn't loved in the locker room, but that's not the be all, end all. Not every quarterback is beloved. Leadership sometimes is difficult, but it made it sound like AJ Brown was not the issue in the locker room. It may be Jalen hurts. And so that caught me off guard. Where Collin was right, Giannis and the Bucs, it is getting ugly. He told a Milwaukee newspaper. I want to play. They won't let me. Now the NBA has moved in to sort of investigate it, for lack of a better word. Listen, we said three years ago when people start talking retirement, they're thinking about it. They're going to retire. When people start talking about looking elsewhere, it means they're looking elsewhere all the time if they've already said it publicly. I thought three years ago, before some of the lower body injuries set in, they should have moved him and gotten a hall. I still think they'll get a lot of picks, a couple of players you have to to match salaries. But I don't think the hall is what it should have been. Had you done it a couple of years ago where Collin was right. I like Fernando Mendoza much more than the people I talk to that I respect his pro day. He put on 12 pounds of weight. He looked bigger in shorts and a T shirt than he did in a uniform for Indiana. I think this kid is an A prospect. Intelligence, gratitude, humility. He's not a great mover, but it wasn't long ago Brady dominated the league. You got to move in the pocket more than out of it. I just, I'm going to disagree with all the people that are really smart that grade draft picks. I think he's an A talent where Colin was right. Well, I'm being kind of obnoxious, but let's see. UCLA blows out South Carolina for their first women's title. Indiana Won the Natty men's football. Michigan could win the Natty in basketball tonight. We said with the nil, it will be a regression of the sec and you're going to see the money in the middle of the country. Connectability in the multiple time zones that the Big Ten now offers is going to be a huge, huge advantage. And it's been way to go, Bruins. It's been exactly that. Well, Mark Fusig, small town guy, humble guy, but it warms my heart that he is now a basketball hall of Famer. That was just announced. And the Gonzaga head coach is joining us live. And he won't want to talk about that, but it should be noted you come from a very special small town. Tell everybody where you're from.

[Mark Few]

Creswell, Oregon. When I was growing up there, it was right around 1500. Now I think it's blossomed more into like 3 or 4000 just south of Eugene.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. So they have a just like you,

[Mark Few]

a small town guy in the Pacific Northwest.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was from a fishing town. You were from a lumber town. Absolutely. And congratulations on that. So the first time I looked at Michigan this year is when they thumped you guys. And I'm like, I don't think Mark's ever lost the game in the last 10 years like that. And I said this the other night. When they shoot, well, forget it. Nobody's beaten them. I mean, when that game was over and you're flying back, what was your take on Michigan? Was it one of these? We couldn't beat them if we played them five times, or did you think, well, they had a great night?

[Mark Few]

Both, basically. Especially after talking to Dusty. Dusty was great after the game and was just like, hey, we haven't shot it like that in practice ever. And I mean. And again, he was being so humble. They are the real deal after you watch film. I mean, they are extremely well coached. They are big, they are physical. They can beat you inside, they can beat you outside. The thing that shocked me the most, you know, was Tommy's team at Arizona is built very much like us. We score a lot of two pointers and they just choke those off against. Against both our teams, basically. And I mean, it really wasn't even a game. And it's different guys, right? I mean, Lindenberg was out pretty much the whole game. And for Mara to step up, I mean, he saw Mara last year at UCLA and look at him now. I mean, that staff's done an incredible job and. But the last thing that stood out, Colin, especially watching it live there was Just how handsy they were on defense and the pressure defense and how they can switch everything and just a really, really well connected team with just almost like NBA level size.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's interesting because I have so much respect having lived back out east and been to many UConn games. I don't love their talent. I like their age and toughness and culture. But you know, I watched them with Duke, pick them apart in the second half and I watched Illinois feel really a little nervous. It was big. And I thought the first seven, eight minutes I'm like, Illinois, Illinois's got to get their feet under them. They're just not quite there. Are you surprised because you've seen all the great Yukon teams. They won a title several years ago. They were so good, it was crazy. Are you surprised this roster is in the Natty?

[Mark Few]

I am. I really am. And we've played UConn numerous times during this run. They've been on and I would totally agree with you. I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But I think we really got to step back and just acknowledge what Dan Hurley's been able to do there. I mean, he's on the brink of kind of a modern day version. And I'd never ever compare anybody to what, you know, Coach Wooden did at ucla. But I mean, this is amazing what they've been able to do and done it with three different teams. Essentially. This wasn't a carryover. They didn't have like Kareem for four years in a row or Bill Walton for four years in a row. In this day and age, you're, you're constantly changing out pieces and parts and, and, and he's got a strong culture. They're tough, they love playing for him. The interesting thing, and I'm telling you, this is going to be big, Colin. You know, I've been in this game twice. It is such a short turnaround between the semis and the final. Your guys are beat up, they're shot, you're out. I mean, Michigan was, you know, we got out of the arena the other night close to midnight, and it's a quick flip around, you gotta walk through and then that's about it. UConn runs a lot of off ball action, more off ball action than anybody in college basketball, where most of us are predominantly ball screen driven. And that's a hard prep in a day and I think that's going to be a real key. And Michigan, their staff is phenomenal at game prepping, but that this is going to be a really interesting thing if they can flip the switch from mostly ball screens to do garden all pin downs and flares and off ball screens.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to talk Cooper Flagg. You saw him in 2024. You scrimmaged against him.

[Mark Few]

Yeah, Team USA.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean that's just, I mean the kid was what, 17? And you, you basically do for a living is. Is watch young 14, 15, 16 year old talent. I said at the time, I said he's not as good as Jayson Tatum now, but if Tatum was super aggressive, that's what he is. Are you surprised he was this good first year in the league?

[Chris Broussard]

Oh, wow.

[Mark Few]

I'm, you know what? Not this good because as you were describing in the intro, he does everything. The most impressive thing is he does everything. He, he handles the ball. He, he passes extremely well. He's got great size. These clips you're showing where he's shooting threes off the bounce, I had not seen that. Okay. And I mean when he gets 50 in a game, because usually it's more, you know, eight, 20 and 10 rebounds and eight assists and a couple steals. And I mean he is the real deal. And always remember after we scrimmage them, I was just watching how the guys on our team were talking about him. You know, the LeBron's and KD's and stephs. And then also how our staff was. I mean Steve and Spo and Ty Lue were had, you know, great praise for him, you know, at the next level. So not surprised. But the 50 kind of, kind of stood out for me.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, you go to Pratt, you've been on Team USA and Krzyzewski and Beha, you've seen so many different personalities and Hurley is very intense and that's who he is. Dusty May comes on my show and he's genuinely funny. You know, he's got a light personality. What are his practices like?

[Mark Few]

I haven't been to any of his practices, but I can tell you, and I, and I saw Dan mentioned. Hurley mentioned it in his press conference today. You know, a lot of times you play teams and you know, maybe they don't take certain things away or whatever. I mean, easily the most prepared guy, you know, that we've played against as far as just. And we had a short prep with that game too. You know, we played three games in three days down at the thing in Vegas and just extremely well coached, extremely well prepared, took a lot of stuff, took our strengths away, you know, tweak some things on offense to kind of exploit our Defensive coverages, endgame stuff also. I think there. I think it's a really. I think he's got a really mature group and a really smart group, so he challenges them, you know, on a. On a very, very high basketball IQ level. And they. They respond with a lot of the stuff they do. And they're. They're switching. Watch their switching tonight. How they'll just switch off and they'll get their bigs back on the bigs after switching ball screens, and they talk their way through everything. Very impressive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Did you see that he had them practice outdoors because they're playing in a dome? Did you see that?

[Mark Few]

I did not see it. I was kind of busy this weekend with some stuff I didn't. But I think it's brilliant because those domes are. We just don't do that in college basketball. I mean, it's just so huge, and the backgrounds are different shooting, and yet they shot the ball extremely well the other night. But I think it's. I think it's brilliant.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I am pro portal and nil, but I don't think they're perfect. The portal literally opens tomorrow, I think, for you.

[Mark Few]

What a glorious day.

[Colin Cowherd]

So. But you gave me an analogy in the break, and I think it's really funny. Go ahead.

[Mark Few]

No, the analogy is, and this is true, imagine all the sports that you cover. The NFL after the Super Bowl. The day after the super bowl, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want. They can go anywhere, anywhere they want. And if they don't like it this year, they can do it the next year. And same in the NBA. Imagine. Imagine that in the NBA. And imagine trying to balance that. When you're culture driven, like we are here, when UConn's culture driven. I mean, it's just, look, I'm, I'm all for, you know, transfer. Once you don't like that, the next time you transfer, you need to sit. Yeah, we've had so many great guys sit here calling and become NBA players, and it helps you graduate. It's such a positive thing. And listen, if a coach leaves, you get another free transfer. If a coach gets fired, you get another free transfer there. And I think, yeah, literally everybody would agree to that. Players, coaches, administrators, Democrat, Republican, everybody. We just got to get our act together.

[Colin Cowherd]

The, you know, your guy, Tommy Lloyd. So you. You have this great assistant, and he leaves. And I've said, I can remember covering Oregon football, and, you know, you lose Jeff Tedford left, and it was like, for a year or two, Oregon was like, whoa, whoa, and like, sometimes you get one all time great assistant. Is it? I mean, Tommy goes from you guys to Arizona. Was it pretty jarring? The first 12 months, his just, you know, his personality, his recruiting, walking out the door.

[Mark Few]

The hardest thing, to be honest, was, you know, the impact on our families. I mean, our wives were best friends. Our kids literally grew up. I mean, let's make 20 years. So our kids were his daughter and my daughter, best friends, his boy, my two oldest sons, best of friends, played it, played together in high school, won state championships together.

[Colin Cowherd]

That.

[Mark Few]

That was difficult. But, yeah, listen, when you have somebody that's grown with you through the ranks, and I was delegating a lot of stuff on him because I knew how good he was and really, you know, leaning into all the wisdom that. That he had. I mean, yeah, there was an adjustment, but we've got other guys in here that are helping prop me up here, because I need that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, we all need that, don't we? We all need that.

[Mark Few]

So.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I'm going to take Michigan close tonight, but I would be surprised if it wasn't competitive because I think UConn knows the way to beat Michigan. The only way they can beat Michigan is to get really physical and try to get them out of sorts. You're not going to beat them player for player. The way Mara's playing, forget it. And I think Michigan has the wherewithal and strength and physicality and age to push back. I think it's a hard game to officiate tonight. So I'll take Michigan close. What do you see?

[Mark Few]

I see exactly what you're saying. And listen, I would just give you a pause there. And Michigan's not going to be threatened by any physical play. They are as physical as it comes. They're big at the guard spot, you know, especially at those wings. They're huge inside. I mean, nobody's more physical in Arizona. I mean, they've been bullying everybody, and Michigan bullied them. But. But I think it'll come down. I mean, UConn's got to make a bunch of threes. Yeah, you got to make a bunch of threes. And. And I do think, you know, Lindenborg not being full strength is going to really help. And last thing I'd say is do not count out Danny Hurley. I mean, just did not count him out. I mean, he is just owned late March and early April here in these last five years. So I, you know, wouldn't surprise me.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, congratulations on the hall of Fame. You know, you know that I moved to Chicago So like you, I have a little bit of a winner. But you know that I'm built Ford tough and I bought a jacket and I gotta tell you something did not faze me, L.A. nice. But I handled it. You probably were deeply concerned about could I handle nine degrees. And it's just okay, I'm fine.

[Mark Few]

I was concerned about country club calling, playing tennis and walking and jogging in his shorts, always telling me about it all winter. And so I am utterly surprised by that. And I'm happy for you. Very happy. Well done.

[Colin Cowherd]

The hall of famer Mark Few go zags. Great seeing you, coach.

[Mark Few]

Yeah, you too.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Mark. Boy, he has just been a good friend and just a funny, funny guy when you get to know him. Yeah, boy, we got a lot tonight. I think it's, I'll tell you when Michigan is shooting. Well, good luck. That, that's, I mean the game may come down to this. They're really good teams. Michigan's got a little bit more talent. Their best player in Michigan's banged up. Mara is going to have to play great. He did. It's funny again, if you look at Adai Mara, he spends two years at ucla. If you didn't have nil, he may have just said, I'm going to go develop against pros. 7 foot 3 Spaniard guy, I'm going to go develop against pros. He's like, no, no, no, no, no. I'm going to go to Michigan. Look at how much it's benefited him. He's a really, really nice offensive player with a good skill set, good feet can pass. That's the benefit of nil. It's the herd. One more herd.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

is not the but he's just sort of blown away by what the coach Dan Hurley has produced.

[Mark Few]

I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But I think we really got to step back and just acknowledge what Dan Hurley's been able to do there. I mean, he's on the brink of kind of a modern day version. And I'd never ever compare anybody to what, you know, Coach Wooden did at ucla. But I mean, this is amazing what they've been able to do and done it with three different teams. Essentially. This wasn't a carryover. They didn't have like Kareem for four years in a row.

[Colin Cowherd]

Also, Mark had, you know, a unique experience where he played Michigan earlier in the year. And I mean, over the last 30 years, Gonzaga loses, they don't get their doors blown off. And that's what I noticed early in the year. I follow Gonzaga. I was like, what? How good is Michigan? And Mark talked about that game and what Michigan brings to the table.

[Mark Few]

They are the real deal after you watch film. I mean, they are extremely well coached, they are big, they are physical, they can beat you inside, they can beat you outside. The last thing that stood out, Colin, especially watching it live there was just how handsy they were on defense and the pressure defense and how they can switch everything and just a really, really well connected team.

[Colin Cowherd]

No question. I like Michigan tonight. I think a lot of people think they're going to blow them out. I don't. Listen, UConn last couple of games has shot the three. Well, if they revert back to what they can be, which is a little clunky from the perimeter, they're in trouble. But you know, Miles Simon was the most outstanding player back in 97 and won this thing. And he, he really gave Dan Hurley the culture center at UConn a lot of credit.

[Mark Few]

They just go with their eye test

[Greg Tuohy]

and then they find out about the

[Colin Cowherd]

individual and the kid.

[Chris Broussard]

Right. And can he fit into what we do? Like, is he tough?

[Greg Tuohy]

Does he play hard?

[Colin Cowherd]

Can he take hard coaching? I was telling the people I was sitting next to on on Saturday night,

[Mark Few]

look at how they respond to him

[Colin Cowherd]

over and over again.

[Greg Tuohy]

Like, it's really, really cool to see.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So I can't wait tonight, Michigan, what are we doing? Michigan 77, 73. Something like that is what it feels like to me. Here's John Middelkoff with the news.

[Chris Broussard]

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the third line news.

[Greg Tuohy]

Well, let's start with some breaking news, Colin. The North Carolina Tariff Heels have a Coach Mike Malone is, is headed to Chapel Hill, so comes a little bit out of left field with the name not being mentioned. We, we were talking Billy Donovan earlier is some connection. Malone's daughter, she's a sophomore on the volleyball team at unc. You know, they hired Belichick a year ago. So like you said, it's become more transactional. It's a, it's an easier transition for these guys that are used to paying players to come play for them. Them. I, I like Mike Malone. I, I thought he got a raw deal in Sacramento a long time ago. Yeah, he can remember he got fired at the end of the season in Denver, like with like three games remaining. Yeah, had some weird. I, I think he's pretty good coach. This, this actually feels less crazy than when they hired Belichick.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the NBA coaching's getting younger. And college coaching, I mean, when you talk to colleges, when you talk to like pro coaches about college, they're always like, I'm not doing groveling the high schoolers. That's off the table. Now there may be one guy in your region you got to take a private jet down to have a nice dinner, you know, in LA or Chicago or some, you know, Dallas. But by and large, you know, boosters, hey, what's my budget? I'm going to go buy guys. That's what it is.

[Greg Tuohy]

Well, think about this. Colin, he's going to have a pretty easy sell. He goes, I coached a guy that won a bunch of MVPs. He's one of the best players of all time for a decade. Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon. Colin, he was an assistant coach on some of the early Steph Curry teams with Mark Jackson. So he's been around some of the most famous players in the NBA over the last 20 plus years. Recruiting actually could come easy to him. You want to play in the NBA? I know what it takes to win a championship. So yeah, I kind of like to

[Colin Cowherd]

hire, to be honest with you. Same to baseball, where we had some

[Greg Tuohy]

history the other night with Angels, right. Right fielder Joe Adell made not one, not two, but three home run robberies against the Mariner Mariners. A Major league baseball first.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin.

[Greg Tuohy]

Since 1995, there have been 70,000 games played. And Saturday's Angels game was the only one to feature three home run robberies between both teams, let alone one guy doing all three. The Angels, Angels.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right. Trout's always hurt.

[Greg Tuohy]

Ohtani goes to the Dodgers, so I

[Colin Cowherd]

didn't watch the game live. So when you. The third one, when he caught the ball and dumped into the, into the crowd. You've, I guess, gotta just. I mean, he could have dropped it, right? You don't really know. I guess you just. I mean, the fans obviously are gonna act as if. I, I don't. What, what is the rule on that? I always thought if you went into the. Over the wall, it's a home run.

[Greg Tuohy]

Well, let's, let's take a look at the home run, Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Been incredible tonight behind the plate with the challenges.

[Mark Few]

J.P. crawford into the corner and Adele.

[Chris Broussard]

There's no way.

[Mark Few]

There's no way. Joe Adele is having the night of his life. He went into the crowd and just

[Chris Broussard]

robbed his third home run.

[Mark Few]

You will never see this happen again. This is once in a hundred years kind of stuff from Joe Adele.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, it's a game saving catch. I, I don't know why I thought that. If you went over the wall, it's over, bro. Look at that shot. That's one of the great pictures of the year. It says here a fielder may legally catch a fly ball and fall into the stands. I guess it is because I've seen guys do it on the third baseline.

[Greg Tuohy]

Jeter's historic.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you're right. You're right.

[Greg Tuohy]

You know, it's cool to watch guys like Griffey to climb the wall. I am a sucker for kind of the short wall, you know, the Jeter moment. But that happened in the field of play. But you know, in Boston they have. I think it's in. Is in right field. That's much smaller.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, yeah, you can fly over what you have to do. It's pretty obvious. Thinking of J. Jeter, you've got to make the catch inside the wall. If you fall into the wall. And so the ruling there is he caught it on the, you know, on the side. So yeah, you see it. But you know, you got to. When you lose the. You can't see what's happening there. I mean, he could have bottled it. It didn't matter. He could have dropped it. I mean, he sold it. So I'm not saying he did, but I guess if you catch it initially, it. We can see the cat. You're on this side, your body is. Then you can fly. Because I. You're right. We've seen Jeter do it. We've seen great players do it. On the third baseline, it looks like

[Greg Tuohy]

he got a little lucky because usually when you're you going over, there's a fan there trying to catch the ball as well. It looked like there was an open seat, so he didn't have to, you know, because the fans. First reaction.

[Colin Cowherd]

I've.

[Greg Tuohy]

Listen, I've been to a lot of baseball games in my life. Is kind of to reach out, even though you don't want to do that. And, and he got open space. I mean, what, what a catch. What a great moment for a franchise that's fallen on some hard times.

[Colin Cowherd]

Crazy.

[Greg Tuohy]

Okay, to the UFL where we had a great finish yesterday between the Birmingham Stallion Stallions and the Houston Gamblers. Down two in the final seconds. Crazy play here. Kind of reminiscent of the Bills Broncos game. Down two in the final seconds, the Gamblers completed a tough fourth and 16, which set up this game winning field goal to win the game.

[Colin Cowherd]

And here we go with two seconds to go. John Hoyland from 50 for the win.

[Mark Few]

Happy Easter, Gamblers. You couldn't have scripted a better comeback.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hoyland goes a perfect 5 for 5

[Greg Tuohy]

and he caps the evening off with

[Mark Few]

a 50 yard strike for the win.

[Colin Cowherd]

Everybody can kick field goals. Should be noted our diligent staff. Greg Tuohy was at the Angels game and saw it live. Now my take, Tuohy is our biggest baseball diet. He's our seam head on the staff. And so I imagine Tuohy, you know, he knew everything.

[Greg Tuohy]

Yeah, he's got Adele's minor league statistics in his back pocket.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Greg, did you know initially. So if you catch it on, if you make the catch and we can see you, you can fall into the crowd. Did you know that? Okay, tuohy's got like 13 kids in little League right now. I mean, he, he's, he's literally fielding. He's fielding like the Savannah bananas at his house. He's got like six teams, so that is awesome. Way to go. Tuohy the man on the spot. That's great. John Mittlekop with the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Well, that's the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. Chris Broussard now co host, First Things first is joining us live. We appreciate that. A busy guy. The first of all, Mike Malone gets hired. Are you surprised? He's the New Carolina guy. My first choice would have been Billy Donovan. I think he's a competitive guy. And the Bulls don't feel as serious as Billy Donovan wants them to be. Are you surprised by the Malone hire?

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah. First of all, I'm with you on Donovan. I thought he would have been the first choice for me because he's done it in college. Right. We've seen him do it at that level. He was okay in the NBA. Not A ton of success, but he certainly was successful in college. But Mike Malone is, I think, a great choice. He's a guy. I've known Collins since he was an assistant with the New York Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy. So we go way back. He's obviously got a ton of experience with pro players. And look, he's a tough, hard nosed coach, which does work in college, but he also knows, you know, he's dealt with professional players. So I know college now with nil, with the transfer portal, with guys making money, he can handle that. He's used to, you know, coaching guys that make a lot of money and so he'll be fine with that in college. So he's a coaching lifer. His dad was a longtime coach in the NBA, assistant coach. So I think he's a great hire and you know, I think it was a good choice by them.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so J.J. redick got a lot of heat because he's played Luka massive minutes. I would argue Luka's style is ball centric, so his usage rates through the roof. That's not JJ Redick's problem, that's the reality. Secondly, you have to play Austin Reaves. There's a fascinating stat that the Knicks and the Lakers have the same record, but New York's point differential is 400 times better, meaning the Lakers, even against average teams, they have to play starters. They have no bench. It's an atrocious bench. So I don't blame J.J. redick. I think it's remarkable with no bench and no three point shoot, they were a third seed in the West. I think it's unbelievable. Where do you land on the. I can't believe, I can't believe he's playing these guys in a blowout and they're getting banged up.

[Chris Broussard]

Well, first, I agree. I think JJ's done a great job. And a few, about a month or two ago I challenged him because their defense was atrocious. And I said, look, in the NBA, yes, you need athletes and all that to be elite defensive. But if you just get guys to communicate, to buy in, play hard and play team defense and be in their right assignments, then you can be solid defensively. And I challenge that. And soon enough he went out there and got it done. Remember, they were playing great defense in their little 15 and two run and he has a lot of gimmicks, a little defense, little matchup zone here. He fools offenses at times but by switching up a lot of things. So I think he's done a great job this year. And I get where people are coming from. But if J.J. redick is a coach, he is not a medical trainer, okay? He has got to listen to the staff and what they're saying. If you blame anybody, you can put a little on J.J. if you want. But the main blame should go on the Lakers training staff. And Luka has his own training staff that travels with him and looks after him. They're the ones that told jj, hey, he's okay to go out there and play, and Austin's okay to go out there and play. And I get. Colin, look, in today's NBA, we see a lot of teams come back from huge deficits. Now, I don't think they were obviously coming back from 30 down, but JJ, I get it. Throw him out there for the first six minutes of the second half. Half, let's see if we can cut into the lead, maybe get it to 15 and then maybe make a little run. Or we play them a few day in a few more days. And we also might meet them in the playoffs. So let's get at least some positive mojo going, see if we can get something going, start figuring some things out against them for the next times we meet them and maybe even in the postseason. So I'm not going to kill J.J. obviously, at least looks bad, but the training staff are the ones that really should have held those guys out.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I thought it was interesting. I mean, listen, LeBron, I'm. Dozens of players over the last several years have complained about Memphis. And coaches play by play. I mean, listen, whatever. I'm not. Listen, downtowns go through cycles. St. Louis, downtown is dead. I lived in Portland. It was vibrant. It's. It's empty. Political situations, could be homeless issue. Well, whatever it is, I did think it's interesting. People have complained that LeBron is too rehearsed. And then he's finally authentic and he gets crushed for it. You know, it's like, you know, dozens of guys. In fact, there was a viral clip this weekend. Somebody put it on. Apologies. Somebody put it out there. Of 20 NBA guys complaining about Memphis. I don't know it well enough to have an opinion. I've been there one night. It's kind of charming, but I don't know much about its politics and economics, decline or growth. What did you make of the reaction where LeBron got a lot of heat for mentioning that he doesn't want to go to Memphis?

[Chris Broussard]

Well, I'm like, look, I've been in Memphis a lot. I got some friends there. I like it. Obviously, it's a Tough city as its challenges, like a lot of urban centers in our country. And I know, Look, I've known LeBron since he was a rookie, and I've talked to him. I've talked to him about race at times, years ago. Obviously, he's done a lot for, you know, the Akron community. He stood up for, you know, racial incidents with African Americans. Trayvon Martin comes to mind, things like that. So we know LeBron is about racial justice and equality and all that. So anyone questioning, kind of him feeling, you know, maybe saying this because Memphis is a majority black city, that's kind of ridiculous. Now, what I will say, though, And I know LeBron didn't mean it this way at all. I don't think there's a ounce of his being that meant it this way or thought about it like this. That said, Colin, it was. The optics didn't look good. Right. He's on the golf course. Golf's in a league sport. That's the image of it. Right, Right. He's on the golf course with a bunch of white guys, and he's talking about this majority black city and moving from there to Nashville, Country Western. So the optics were bad. But if you know LeBron and you know his history, which we all do, you know, he didn't mean it that way, but it just. It didn't look good. And I think that's why he got some pushback back.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, no, I get that. You know, it's. I watched Wemby take on Jokic. A big chunk of that game.

[Greg Tuohy]

It was.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, it's just. You're talking about the best offensive center maybe ever, and maybe the best defensive center. One of the questions about San Antonio is, listen, you can't go from. I mean, de' Aaron Fox is like the only dude they had have on the roster with playoff. Except experience, and it's Harrison Barnes. Yeah, okay. You're right. Not much.

[Chris Broussard]

Yep.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I. As I watched that game, it did go over time, but I kept thinking the way to beat San Antonio is get them late, keep it close. Denver's got experience. OKC now has experience. Minnesota's got playoffs experience. When you watch that game, is there any part of you that thinks they can be had despite how hot they are? They just got no NBA playoff experience. Yeah.

[Chris Broussard]

And look, I like Memphis a lot. I mean, I'm sorry. San Antonio a lot. I think. I'm not sure who I'm picking yet. We haven't made our official picks lean in okc, but might go with the Spurs. But Colin, watching that game, a lot of people took from it. Just Jokic was taking it to Wimby in overtime, which was true. But what I, I took from it is what you were saying. Like I was watching that game, like, oh man, this is where you see the experience.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Chris Broussard]

Of the Denver Nuggets versus the inexperience, the naivety, just, just never having been there of the spurs. And it showed up late in that game. So you're absolutely right. What I would say is this. Conventional wisdom obviously says they need more playoff experience, but Wimanyama is something we've just never seen before. And conventional wisdom would tell us you'll never see a 7 foot 5 guy doing the things he does, making moves, dribbling the basketball, shooting threes. So to a degree, you got to throw a little bit of conventional wisdom out the window and just say, hey, maybe he can get it done. But that's what scares me about the Spurs. I actually thought, Colin, not now because the Lakers are decimated. But had the Lakers and Spurs met in the second round, I would have picked the Spurs. But that was something I was like, man, the Lakers have all of this playoff experience and the spurs have virtually none. That just would have been like a case study in the importance of experience in the playoffs in the NBA. So it is something that could come back to bite them against Denver or.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, KC let you go with this. Rachel Nichols came on, filled in Friday and she made a point. She said that Oklahoma City loss, nothing was good about it. I mean, the oblique injury to Austin, Luca, the blowout. But there's an argument to be made that the new owners needed to see that in that Luca has high usage rate. He's been banged up the last two, three years off. Austin gets banged up because the Lakers have a roster with no bench, no three point shooting. He has to be out there. And LeBron, despite Luca's injury, only had seven shots because he's 41. And that, you know, it's the old Louis Vuitton, fake Louis Vuitton bag. When you put them next to each other, you can, you can tell the fraud. And at that game, as Rachel pointed out, that's the kind of game you look at if you're a new owner and go, guys, we're five players away. You know, we can't be paying LeBron big money. I did. I think that's a really good point. Your thought on not they lost, how they lost and the gap, that appeared obvious.

[Chris Broussard]

No, I think that's a great point. And you're right the owners need to see that because a lot of people were beginning to believe the Lakers actually have a shot, right? You know, like. Like they're on the level of OKC in San Antonio and Boston and could win this thing. And that was really a hard dose of reality. And so to your point, going into the off season, look, LeBron has shown that he can be the third option. He can do the little things that fit in with Luka and Austin Reaves being the first and second options. And so if you want to bring Luke LeBron back next year at a lower, much lower salary, and he's willing to do that, and then you can still go out and get the athletes, the defenders, the shooters that you need to play and maximize alongside Luka Doncic, then I think that could work. But they need. Look, they. They could have gone. If that game had gone differently. Maybe they go into this offseason thinking, hey, we could come run it back next year, make a tweak here or there and see if we can win it. Now they know, Colin, the Lakers cannot match up with teams that are young, athletic, energetic, and deep. Right? Okc, San Antonio, Detroit, those three teams come at you with waves of defensive pressure. And the last eight games the Lakers have played against those teams, teams, they've lost. And so they just can't. They can match up better with a Denver, a Houston, right? Older teams, slower teams, but they can't play with these young, talented, deep teams. And that's who they have to get through to win the championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to ask one more. Cooper flag's remarkable. And I. I said this earlier. Listen, the last domestic player to win MVP was James, James Harden. It does matter. I mean, it really does. And I'm. I love international players. I think they're amazing. And I think it's really important. This draft coming up is just unstaffed with domestic talent. Last year's draft, very domestic. I do think it's important that we have a wave of very good American players. That's not anti anybody. It's the reality. I mean it in Canada, it's. You got to have some Canadian hockey stars. That's good for the sport, in my opinion. I wonder if that gets talked about in league circles about, hey, he is. He is the great domestic hope because LeBron and Steph and KD, I mean, that baton has been yanked out of their hands.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah, no, I agree. You got him. You got Anthony Davis. And as you said, this draft is stacked with great American talent. And hopefully, Colin, that our guys have looked at the way the international players have dominated at least the MVP race and they're saying, okay, we have to step up our game, we just have to play better. And maybe that's what's happening. But yeah, it's very important. And you know, I, I was saying years ago, I would love to see a white American superstar in the NBA. The last one, I don't know Stockton, John Stockton and he, but he was, you know, not exciting player. I'd like to see somebody like a Larry Bird. And we had obviously Jokic and Luka who are great white international players, but Cooper Flagg is a great white American player and he is going to be a superstar. And so that's great to see. I think it's just good for the league. And you know, he, it's interesting. I think I was looking at Con canipple Collin as my rookie of the year, but I actually think this weekend has switched me to Cooper Flag. It's similar to LeBron and Carmelo Anthony their rookie year. LeBron won rookie of the year. Carmelo, though, led Denver to the playoffs. LeBron didn't do that with Cleveland.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right.

[Chris Broussard]

But people went with LeBron and so I think Cooper, maybe he took it away from Con Cannibal, his college roommate and Konza. Don't be a star too.

[Colin Cowherd]

It looks like, yeah, KH's a good player. I, I, I like the forcefulness of Cooper Flag attacking the rim. I, I think Khan's terrific. Cooper Flag. I don't know if Khan has face of the league stuff. Cooper is, he's got the feistiness of, you know, like an MJ or a bird. Like, like he, he is a brawler. He'll go right at you and I like that quality, you know.

[Chris Broussard]

Well, look, and maybe I, I'm wrong about this because I've said, look, Luca I think is just a better player than Cooper Flag. I think he will be better than Cooper Flag will be. I could be wrong about that. But I would rather Colin have Cooper Flag on my team to build around.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Chris Broussard]

Because if you watch him even right. Even when he gets 50, it's kind of in the flow. It's in the flow of offense. Other guys are touching the ball, he defends. Obviously. I just think it's easier to build around him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Chris Broussard]

Than it will be around Luca.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I, I, I, I've said that before. I, I like Luke and I appreciate it, but my favorite players were always MJ and Kobe and guys that defended, you know, I, I, I, I don't like you to surrender on the other end. I want you to compete defense. Dwyane Wade doesn't have as much talent as many of the great players. Dwayne just D. Wade battled every possession on both ends and I love that. Chris Prussard, we got to go. Good seeing you, buddy.

[Chris Broussard]

All right, man. See.

[Colin Cowherd]

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