Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of The Herd

Episode Date: April 2, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Dell Curry (select segment)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Herd" dives into the meteoric rise and game-changing impact of San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, the unique leadership qualities of NFL draft prospect Fernando Mendoza, and the evolution of NBA culture and skillsets, with a special focus on three-point shooting. The show features insightful discussions, memorable analogies, and a thought-provoking conversation with NBA veteran and analyst Dell Curry.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Victor Wembanyama’s Unprecedented NBA Dominance

[00:51 – 06:46, 19:30 – 20:15, 31:59 – 33:46]

• Unmatched Versatility and Statistical Impact:

  • Cowherd marvels at Wembanyama’s latest performance: "Wemby last night did it again. 41 points and 18 rebounds. But that's not the story. He did it in 29 minutes." ([01:02])
  • Compared Wemby to legends, stressing that even early LeBron needed 44 minutes for what Wemby’s doing in 29.
  • Wemby’s stat lines (40+ points, 10+ rebounds in under 30 minutes) are historic – “The only offense using a microwave in a cooking contest. You're still preheating your oven–the meal's finished.” ([01:48])

• Defensive Disruption:

  • Wemby's +433 on-court plus-minus and high block numbers are highlighted as historic.
  • Draymond Green, a perennial defensive star, struggles mightily against him; “Draymond can't do anything. The only other player in the league that Draymond acknowledges I can't do much is Jokic.” ([03:26])

• Changing the Calculus of the Game:

  • "Michael Jordan was amazing. LeBron's amazing. They didn't change the calculus of the sport. That's what Steph Curry did with three point shots... that's what Wemby is doing now." ([02:40])

• Wemby’s Leadership and Self-Awareness:

  • Cowherd likens the experience of watching Wemby to seeing a UFO: “It's like he's a walking, talking UAP. Nobody knows what to make of it.” ([04:16])
  • Praises Wemby’s MVP ambition and honesty: “It's so refreshing. I love that he wants the MVP.” ([14:44])
  • Wemby's own words: "If I want to make my spot among the greats, I gotta try to not miss any occasion. I have to put my name up there." ([20:15])

• Steve Kerr’s Take:

  • “He just looks like he knows exactly what to do at both ends all the time... There’s plays where you can't do anything about it. Several lobs... looked like a Nerf hoop.” ([06:08], Steve Kerr)

• Dell Curry’s Perspective:

  • “He’s a total package... this guy is beyond anything anybody could have imagined.” ([29:40])
  • “He can win you a game on the defensive end. Face of the league... as long as that guy stays healthy.” ([32:27])

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2. Leadership and the Modern Quarterback: Fernando Mendoza

[07:54 – 14:13]

• Selfless Pro Day and Leadership:

  • Cowherd details Mendoza’s showcase approach: “He literally announced the routes his receivers would be running before because he wanted to make sure that all his receivers were showing to the NFL scouts... that's leadership.” ([08:09])
  • “Leadership is not cool. Leadership is hard.” ([08:38])

• Comparisons and Critiques:

  • Calls Mendoza "Peyton Manning-esque" in responsibility and self-awareness.
  • Critiques QBs more focused on “being cool” and image than substance, referencing Cam Newton and Jay Cutler: “Are you about winning? Not about what the image of quarterback is, but what the reality of it is.” ([09:27])

• Lance Zierlein’s Scouting Report:

  • “There’s no real airs... I like guys who throw touchdowns and don’t throw interceptions... 39 touchdowns, no interceptions in the red zone over the last two years.” ([11:38], Lance Zierlein)

• Cowherd’s Jersey Rant:

  • “I’m going to buy a Mendoza jersey. In fact, I’m going to buy 20 of them... I know it’s cringy. I’m telling you... the second he enters the building, you have a culture. That is a franchise quarterback.” ([12:10])

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3. Building a Football Team: Protecting the Quarterback

[13:30 – 14:44]

• O-Line Over Weapons:

  • Stresses the importance of offensive line as an “insurance policy” after drafting a QB: “Get the quarterback, protect the quarterback. Don’t worry about weapons... that’s what the Colts with Andrew Luck never figured out.” ([13:51])

• NFL Draft Notes:

  • Praises the Raiders’ potential with Mendoza, provided the O-line is addressed, using historical and recent team-building examples.

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4. The Value of Wanting to Be the Face of the League

[18:34 – 20:15]

• Star Ambition Is Good:
  • Affirms that aspiring to be MVP and face of the NBA is not arrogance, but honesty and drive: “Wemby wants to be the face of the league and wants to be MVP. And I find his honesty completely and utterly refreshing.” ([18:36])
  • “I want my athletes to care. Just be honest about it.” ([19:52])
  • Wemby’s own take: “I do care deeply about it... if I want to make my spot among the greats, I gotta try to not miss any occasion.” ([20:15])

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5. SPECIAL GUEST: Dell Curry Interview

[23:08 – 37:07]

The Evolution of the Three-Point Era

• Curry reflects on his career when long-range shooting was a “specialty... You'd post the center up on that side and dare them to go help. But I was a specialty guy... We’d take two, three, four, maybe five [threes] a game.” ([23:08])
• Notes Hornets averaged 11 threes per game in 1993; now it’s 43 per game ([36:25])

Dynasty Leadership and Locker Room Dynamics

• Cowherd on dynasties: “When you're part of a dynasty... you got the Draymond factor... here comes Kevin Durant... when you're winning, there's a lot of mouths to feed.” ([23:50])
• Dell Curry on Steph’s leadership: “...being a leader in a championship locker room... you don’t know what that’s going to be like from year to year... he’s handled it tremendously.” ([24:47])
• On Steph & Draymond dynamic: “Every championship team has those two types of guys. A guy who can handle things on the floor... then a guy that's kind of out of control, that the coach has a hard time with... I had teammates like that. Charles Barkley, Anthony Mason.” ([26:22])

On Wembanyama & Next-Gen Talent

• “He sets the tone as a rookie. That’s a lot of pressure... but he’s such a mature guy. He is so focused on his tasks... Low maintenance. He has a skill set that’s beyond rookies.” ([28:28], on Hornets rookie Khan)
• On Wemby: “No [comp]. The Spurs have done a great job getting him stronger. He’s an underrated passer... If Wemby’s not having a great offensive night... he can win your game on the defensive end.” ([32:27])

Three-Point Revolution: Old School vs. New School

• Cowherd proposes getting rid of the corner three to bring back rim collisions; Dell Curry adamantly disagrees: “Absolutely hate it... You have to adapt as a team... that's going to always be there.” ([31:05])

Dell Curry’s Personal Reflections and Family Legacy

• On getting his jersey retired: “I wanted to slow down so that I could soak up everything that was happening... it’s still surreal for me to walk in the Spectrum Center, look up and see number 30, Curry up in the stands.” ([35:06])
• On golfing with Steph and the family: “He is [the better golfer], but 140 yards out, I’m hitting the pitching wedge... Our golf communication and text thread is over the top.” ([34:09])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cowherd, on Wembanyama: “Michael Jordan, if he played against Wemby, would have his tongue out, but that's because his jaw would be on the floor.” ([02:37])
• Steve Kerr, on Wemby: "I thought Draymond did a really good job on him defensively. And then there's plays where you can't do anything about it. It was like a Nerf hoop." ([06:08])
• Cowherd, on Mendoza: "I'm telling you right now... the second he enters the building, you have a culture. That is a franchise quarterback." ([12:10])
• Cowherd: "Leadership is not cool. It's hard." ([08:38])
• Dell Curry, on adapting: "You got to bring fine guys... get rid of the corner 3? I like your idea of collisions at the rim... but the corner three is going to always be there." ([31:05])
• Wemby, on MVP drive: "I do care deeply about it... if I want to make my spot among the greats, I gotta try to not miss any occasion." ([20:15])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:51 – 06:46]: Wembanyama’s dominance and historical context
• [06:08]: Steve Kerr’s postgame on Wemby
• [07:54 – 14:13]: Fernando Mendoza’s leadership and the qualities of true franchise quarterbacks
• [13:30 – 14:44]: The importance of the offensive line in football team-building
• [18:34 – 20:15]: Discussion on Wemby, MVP ambitions, and the value of star hunger
• [23:08 – 37:07]: Dell Curry interview: Shooting evolution, Steph's leadership, dynasty dynamics, Wemby reactions, family legacy

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Episode Tone and Style

• Colin Cowherd’s analysis is enthusiastic, analogical, irreverent, and often humorous, blending historical perspective with current trends.
• Dell Curry delivers thoughtful, humble, and appreciative reflections on his career, the state of the NBA, and his family’s sporting legacy.

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Summary Conclusion

This episode unpacks how singular talents like Wemby and Mendoza can redefine their sports by blending otherworldly skills with earnest, sometimes "cringy" leadership. The conversation illustrates the evolution of both sports and athletes, with wisdom from legends and fresh faces alike. Colin’s signature takes, coupled with Dell Curry’s first-hand insights, provide listeners with an engaging, substantial portrait of where the NBA is now—and where it’s headed.

Transcript

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Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. Well, we've said this about Shohei Ohtani before. He makes other great Dodgers look one dimensional. You could take all stars like Aaron Judge. You're like, well, that is a hell of a player. Yeah, but he doesn't pitch. He's not an all star on the mountain. That's what not just Greatness, that's where you have like disruptors and Michael Jordan was great. LeBron is great. Larry Bird was great. Magic was great. Wemby last night did it again. 41 points and 18 rebounds. But that's not the story. He did it in 29 minutes. It's the third game this season for WEMBY. 40 plus points, 10 plus rebounds in 30 minutes or less. The spurs are the only offense using a microwave and a cooking contest. You're still preheating your oven. The meal's finished. With 8 minutes and 30 seconds left in the second quarter, he was at 21 and 12. That's an all Star night. I mean, it's unbelievable. Even early LeBron would play 44 minutes. Year three LeBron, who was the best we thought we'd ever seen, in 43 minutes he'd be at 31.7 rebounds. Wimby plays 29 minutes this year, 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks. This is, this is crazy. I mean, Michael Jordan, if he played against Wemby, would have his tongue out, but that's because his jaw would be on the floor. Michael Jordan was amazing. LeBron's amazing. They didn't change the calculus of the sport. That's what Steph Curry did with three point shots. Forget the fact that Wemby is 26 and one in his last 27 games or has four blocks and that leads to. It's the plus 433 when he's on the floor. Those are all time historic numbers. The ability now in the playoffs, he's going to play far more numbers. So if you don't vote him mvp, you're going to look kind of silly when he's scoring 50 in the playoffs and 24 rebounds because he's playing 40 minutes. They are measuring him now. I mean, this is Beethoven, where the masses were just trying to conceptualize what in the hell are we experiencing. And when people talk about Wemby, they always say things like, I've never seen him in person. It's like he's a walking, talking uap. Nobody knows what to make of it, how, where, what I, this is, I mean, I honestly watching him. The best defensive player in the league for years was Draymond Green. There are points. Draymond can't do anything. The only other player in the league that Draymond acknowledges I can't do much is Jokic. Here's a stat for you. Only 15 other players in league history have had at least two career games with 40 points, 15 rebounds and a couple three pointers. He's done it twice in the last three games, and again he's doing it in like 28 minutes. I can't overstate what's happening. I. It's just unbelievable that you can be this dominant this quickly. I mean, you can take great players. Kareem all time. Kareem was playing an entire game to put up these numbers, and Kareem could never hit a three pointer. This guy's doing it in 28 minutes. It takes LeBron for numbers like this to play 46 in his prime. Steve Kerr on last night's 41, 18 and 29 minute performance,

[A]

I just think he's. He's got unbelievable confidence now. You know, he just looks like he knows exactly what to do at both ends all the time. Whereas I thought his, you know, first couple years, he looked young at times. He doesn't look young anymore. He just looks like he knows exactly what he's doing. Obviously dominated the glass. You know, I thought Draymond did a really good job on him defensively. And then there's plays where you can't do anything about it. You know, several lobs were. It was looked like a Nerf hoop, you know, just catching it and dropping it right in.

[B]

Steve Kerr said, hey, I thought Draymond did a really good job. Draymond had four fouls in the first half. You can't defend him. You cannot defend him. You know, I watched this documentary about two months ago by Dan Faro. It was called Age of Disclosure. And it was about UAPs and UFOs. And, you know, they talk about at one point, there's like a three minute section of it that is just fascinating. They're like, well, how can they go underwater? And they explain the force field around them and it leans forward and that's why there's no jet propulsion. And I'm watching this and all these physicists talk about it, and I'm like, oh, that explains the stuff. Because, you know, you see the Tic Tacs from the Pentagon New York Times a few years ago, and you're like, well, there's no propulsion and they're going zero to 8,000 miles an hour. How. And you watch the Age of Disclosure and you get physicists saying, okay, here's how it works. I feel like with Wemby to some degree, if you've never seen him play and you watch him have a full game with 8:30 left in the second quarter and you'd never seen him play, you'd have to ask a physicist. Well, I mean, how is he getting the best defensive? I mean, like, what, what is he doing that nobody else can do? Like, I mean, there was great offensive players. I mean, Michael wasn't fouling everybody out in the second quarter. I mean, I don't understand how he's doing it in 27 minutes. It's just, it's insane. I mean, this is Ohtani. When you look at Freddie Freeman and you're like, that's a Hall of Famer, Is he one dimensional compared to Ohtani? So Fernando Mendoza had his pro day yesterday. It's going to be the number one pick, Raiders. And he was literally perfect, but it's not completing passes. I saw Lewis Riddick and a couple others on the Internet talked about this. He literally announced the routes his receivers would be running before because he wanted to make sure that all his receivers were showing to the NFL scouts. They know how to run the route tree. And I'm going to. He literally told everybody, this is what we're going to do on this play. Because he was so self aware and, and wanted to ensure that he didn't get all the love that people there saw how great his wide receivers were. Folks, you were looking at Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning was big, smart, self aware and understood the NFL game. Leadership is not cool. It's not cool. Leadership is hard. First in the building, first out. Probably shouldn't drink alcohol during the season. Absolutely no parties. I'm sorry. That's leadership. That. That's leadership. Watching more tape than anybody in the building. Cam Newton was a huge talent, but I always felt Cam was kind of concerned about how cool it looked like in the super bowl when the ball was on the ground and Cam wouldn't dive to get it. Leadership is always about one thing. Winning. Cam Newton liked to win. But when that ball's on the ground, it's like, bro, what are you doing? Don't worry about what you look like. A lot of people want to be quarterback. They love being quarterback. But do you love being quarterback? Because it's about winning and doing everything it takes to be a winner, which is giving teammates credibility, which is telling scouts, this is the routes we're going to be. I want you to watch this guy in the route we're going to be running. No, bro, they came for you. And there's been a lot of quarterbacks. Kyler Murray, you know, I could add the list. You know, Jay Cutler was a guy like, dude, stop being cool. Stop worry about being cool. Are you about winning? Not about what the image of quarterback is, but what the Reality of it is. And sometimes the reality of it is cringy. I love Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold was 20 in New York City. Small town kid in California. He was not ready for New York. And I love Sam and Sam's a mature guy. But Sam would acknowledge to you I wasn't ready for it. I was 20 years old. It was the big city. It was New York. And there are significant sacrifices you have to make as a quarterback. And there's just certain guys that come into this league. I've said before the hat on backwards thing. I could care less if you're a wide receiver, a safety, a mic linebacker, a guard, a tight end, I don't care. I do not care. But if you're a quarterback on Wednesday and you're representing a franchise and behind you is the bank sponsor, turn that puppy around. You don't want to look like a guy that's been paid to move my couch. Okay? Look like a franchise quarterback. You're going to be the highest paid guy on the team. And a lot of people are saying this guy is a little cringy and he's not cool and he's a little. He is. He's Peyton Manning. He's exactly what I want. Here's Lance Zurline, NFL.com what you see

[A]

is what you get with Fernando Mendoza. There's no real heirs. I hear people talk about he's kind of corny, he's this or that. I like guys who throw touchdowns and don't throw interceptions and who throw with accuracy and who are 6 foot 5, 236 plus pounds. That's just me. So I know you can keep your corny this, that and you can keep your cool quarterbacks. I'll keep guys who throw touchdowns and don't give it away. In the, in the red zone, it was 39 touchdowns, no interceptions in the red zone over the last two years. I mean, and that's. And one of those years was a cow. That's pretty impressive.

[B]

You know what I've never bought ever in my life? A jersey of a pro athlete. And you'll. I've never once in my life I'm going to buy a Mendoza jersey. In fact, I'm going to buy 20 of them and try to get one autographed. I'm going to have them all over my house. And when my wife comes up and says, that's not cool, I'm going to say, hey, that's what leadership's about. I'm going to have one in the kitchen. I'm going to have one in the. I'm going to have one in my podcast room, in the bathroom. I'm going to have Mendoza jerseys all over my house. I know it's not cool. I know it's cringy. I'm telling you right now. All these NFL scouts, they keep telling me the things. They don't like this kid. I know it's the Raiders and they have no culture. The second they draft him, the Raiders have a culture. I don't care who the coach is. I don't care who the GM is. I don't care who the owner is. The second he enters the building, you have a culture. That is a franchise quarterback. Between Wemby and Fernando Mendoza, I may buy two jersey. I've never once in my life bought a jersey from an athlete. I'm getting close. J. Mac, I know you got about 30 of them. All Laker jerseys. The last one I got was Austin Reeves. But yeah, I do love a good jersey. I'm with you on Mendoza. Do you remember how? I don't remember who came on the show and said it, but I never forget what he said. You want your quarterback to be an alpha. When a group of guys are hanging out together, who's driving? I got the keys. I got this. That's your quarterback. I forget who said that analogy, but that was funny and I remembered it. And that's who you want to be your quarterback. The alpha, the leader of the crew. I don't know that Mendoza is the guy who's going to be driving, but he definitely has all the qualities I want in a leader. As you articulated just now, I'm a big Mendoza guy. Yeah. And he did look at the pro day. You can see that dude is. He's jacked up. I mean, he's a big human being. And the Raiders offensive line last year was a mess. So I think they've upgraded the interior line of Colton Miller's hap healthy. You know, they've got a ton of picks. They got four fourth round picks and two fives and two sixes. They need to get that offensive line fixed. I've always said in the NFL, the first two things you got to do after you get the coach, got to get the quarterback. And then the insurance policy for your number one asset is your offensive line. Don't worry about weapons. Don't worry about edge rushers. Don't worry about corners. Get the quarterback, protect the quarterback. That's what the Colts with Andrew Luck never figured out. It's what Sean Payton with Bo Nix went and got a right tackle. Sean Payton got him weapons. A right tackle started rolling the pocket out. That's what Caleb Williams first year in Detroit, Eber Fluss and the guys didn't get it. Ben Johnson first thing in guard, center, guard elite, you get the star. It's not about getting the weapons. You have to buy an insurance policy. When you buy a house. When you draft a quarterback, your insurance policy is that, is that O line in front. So I can't wait for the Raiders draft. We got a lot of stuff today. The other thing is there's a story on Puka Nakua which we had talked about last week. Stuff was going to come out. Also, some people are dogging Wemby because he wants the mvp. It's so refreshing. I love that he wants the mvp. Next, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

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[A]

I do care deeply about it, and I think that all the greats, you know, that are in the hall of Fame or that are in our mind, the best of all time, they have fought and grabbed everything they could grab early on in their career. You know, and if I want to make my spot among the graves, I gotta try to not miss any occasion. I have to put my name up there.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, one of the reasons LeBron gets knocked that he's not MJ, he got swept in a Finals, his first one. You really build your career much earlier than you think. If LeBron would have carried them to a win over the spurs instead of being swept, wouldn't it feel different today? Just a little different? I mean, Jordan, Jordan, 6 for 6. Magic Johnson got to 30% more finals, but Jordan won all of them. Like it all matters. The MVPs matter when you're young and you're growing and you're building this brand and resume. So I love that Fernando Mendoza is willing to be a little odd and cringy. I love that. And I love that Wemby deeply cares about winning the mvp. That's the jersey I'm going to buy. You buy the cool guy. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Well, Steph Curry's been the face of the NBA, or at least shared, it feels like, for 15 years. And much like Wemby, it's ironic they played last night. Much like Wemby is that when players come into the game, when Magic Johnson was a six, eight and a half point guard, it's like, well, haven't seen that before. And it just changed the way pacing and the way you matched up. And when. When Steph Curry came in, Michael Jordan was great. But we'd seen versions of Michael Jordan. David Thompson was a version of Michael. Later, Kobe was a version of Michael. There was no Steph and there is no Wemby. Sometimes you forget that dad could play a little. Dell Curry, who's now the analyst, the TV analyst for the Hornets, is now Joining us live. Been a great year for that team. So first of all, congratulations. We got video. Most games played second in points. I think people sometimes forget Dell Curry. I remember it well. You were one of the first guys whose number one shot was a long range jumper. And. But it's interesting, Dell, back when you were shooting them, sometimes you'd hear a coach say, no, don't do that. Do you remember when you started kind of mastering the long range shot? It wasn't as accepted in your prime as it is today.

[A]

Yeah, no doubt. It was much more of a specialty kind of item or player. Back in the day, we had so many dominant centers, the game was played inside out. You got the ball inside. So if you had a couple of guys like myself that could stretch the floor, you'd post the center up on that side and dare them to go help. But I was a specialty guy. That's why I played in the league 16 years. I could put the ball in the hole from range and I look back at the film sessions of me playing and back in. Everything was played inside the three. You know, we take two, three, four, maybe five a game. And you better hit a couple of them or your time is going to be limited the next night.

[B]

That is funny. Well, good for you. You got your jersey retired again. Most minutes, second most points. When you know, one of the things I've said a lot of times, I can tell Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback at Indiana, I can tell he has good parents. I just, He's a he. Share leadership. One of the things I've always said about Steph Curry is I, I don't need to know his parents. I, I know Dell, I know of you. But I said, there, there. When you're part of a dynasty, everybody thinks it's easy, but you got the Draymond factor and you got intense Steve Kerr, and then here comes Kevin Durant, and people look at staff and think, oh, just been easy street. And I'm like, man, when you're winning, there's a lot of mouths to feed. You get the truth behind the dynasty. Have there been moments, weak stretches, where you saw the stress of being the face of a dominant franchise?

[A]

Without a doubt. I think that comes with the territory. He understands that. And when you win one, you win two. Now your fan base, your organization, and you expect to repeat. And that's so hard to do. When you're the landscape, you're the face of the league. It's been a lot on him. No doubt. It's been a stressful, you know, 17 years at some points, but he wouldn't trade one bit of it for the rings. That he has the couple of MVPs. The leadership, what he's done for not only the NBA but for the warriors franchise as a whole, I mean, that's part of it. I think him being around the game and seeing it on some level as a young age prepared him for what was to come. But being a leader in a championship locker room, you. There's no experience. You cannot. You don't know what that's going to be like from year to year, from day to day, from week to week, but he's handled it tremendously. I think being around the game early has helped him play a part in that.

[B]

It's interesting he couldn't have a more divergent personality from Draymond, but I always think they just work well together. I mean, did you ever have a teammate that was feisty and a tough guy? I mean, it just his E for. He's a smart kid. He's obviously got a high iq. But Steph's EQ is high. I mean, Draymond can rub people the wrong way. And I always feel like. I almost feel like Draymond and Steph have been the soul of the franchise. Not Clay Love him, not Durant, not even Kerr did. Was it immediate for Steph and Draymond? Like, it just. It worked.

[A]

I think you really had to find out the temperament of both guys. They were young when they first started, and then you saw their attitude, the relationship grow. So it was something that, like any relationship, it's got to grow. It's got to nurture. You got to feel out each other and find out what's the makeup of each person. But every. I think every championship team has those two type guys. A guy who can handle things on the floor, in the locker room is very calm, but tremendously competitive on the floor. Then you gotta have a guy that's kind of out of control, that the coach has a hard time with, that's gonna do things his way. I had teammates like that. I think of Charles Barkley, I think of Anthony Mason. Yeah, those type guys, fiery guys on the floor, nicest guys off the floor. But you wouldn't want anybody else as a teammate to go to war with you.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, let's be honest. Best team ever. Could be Jordan. They had Rodman. First or second. Best team ever. Steph, KD warriors, they had Draymond. I always say, yeah, a beautiful, aesthetically beautiful team has got to have a bouncer. Somebody at the Door. Somebody make sure everybody knows. Don't mess around in here. Don't touch our star. Don't grab our star. You see it in hockey, you see it in basketball. The game. Now what's, what's so great about basketball is that in pro football, you know, this dell is that you go to college for three or four years. There's hard coaching. It's not about a hard high school coach, it's a hard college coach. You come into the NFL, you're kind of ready to perform. Basketball, you go from aau, it may be Europe. You get one year of college, maybe then you're a pro. You can't even get into the hotel bar. Okay, so you, now you come in yet some of these guys con canipple for you guys. You're like, how's he this good, this fast? Like, it's crazy. Some guys come into this league and you just can't believe how good they are. You guys have one now with your team. What do you make of his ascension?

[A]

He's such a mature. He's one of the most mature 20 year olds that I've ever been around. Steph, coming in his rookie year, he had Corey McGetty. Thanks. Stephen Jackson, Monte Ellis, Khan coming into the Hornets, totally different locker room. He sets the tone as a rookie. That's a lot of pressure to put on a rookie to change the culture, to set the tone. But he's such a mature guy. He is so focused on his tasks. That's all he's worried about. Each sleeps preparing himself for that game, for the next game. Low maintenance. He has a skill set that's beyond rookies. Not only just shooting the basketball, he'll have nights where he doesn't shoot it well. But he affects the game so many other areas. He can rebound the basketball. He's very underrated defensively. Playmaker, he'll mix it up. If he has two older five boys, he's such a trendsetter in today's NBA. And we've got three other rookies as well that go along with him. So Jeff Peterson, the front office, they got it right. When you can, you can, you know, kind of tell the guy has talent, but you really don't know what he's going to be until you get him in your building.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But this guy is, this guy is beyond anything anybody could have imagined.

[B]

Okay, so I'm going to throw something at you. I like three pointers, but I do think it can get repetitive and I don't want Wemby shooting that many I like the mid range game. You can shoot them, your son can shoot him. Everybody's got three or four guys that can shoot him. But I think the game, I think baseball's done a lot of good tweaking. I mean, good. Golf can tweak, tennis can tweak. I'm going to throw this out. I've, I've said before, I think 30 threes a game is fine. 88 is repetitive and homogenous. My theory has always been, I like collisions at the rim. I like people attacking. I would take the three point shot and I would move it into the bench. Get rid of the corner three so bigs don't have to chase down corner threes because it's impossible to stay in front of guards anyway, Dell. Because you can't hand check them. So it's just too many guards getting past defenders going to the rim. I want them to meet redwoods at the iron. I want that. When LeBron had to meet. Remember when LeBron struggled against. Who was the Georgetown guy for the Indiana Pacers? Roy Hibbert. How LeBron struggled against Roy Hibbert. And it's like, you got to have a league where Roy Hibbert can play. Good guy. I want a league that Roy can play. Get rid of the corner three. Okay. That wouldn't be good for Steph. So you probably hate this, don't you?

[A]

Absolutely hate it. I think you have to adapt as a team. You have to have a guy that. A center position that can do his best staying in front of those guards. We have one on the horns right now, I'll tell you what. And Musa Di Bate does a great job. We're seeing Mobley right here. You got to have big guys to do that. You have to adapt. That's part of front office, the gm. You got to bring fine guys. That's going to help your team, tweak your team. You know, you're not going to get rid of the corner 3. I like your idea of collisions at the rim. That's been lost. But you have to have big guys now that could shoot the three but do their best at staying in front of the guard, at least funneling them to where the help's going to be. All that is, is, is ingredients in winning. And the corner three is going to always be there.

[B]

I'm, you know, I'm in my 60s, Dallas. I don't want to adapt. I like what I like.

[A]

Me too. Me too.

[B]

Okay, Wemby, I said this earlier, is that, I mean, they call him the Alien in the league, it's you. I hear people say this all the time. I watch him, but I've never seen him in person. You know, it's like when you see him in person, you're like, he towers over six, eight and a half guys. What? Last night he's, he's playing the Warriors. He puts up all star games with eight minutes left in the second quarter. Do you have any comp for him? Have you ever seen anything like this?

[A]

No. The comp used to be be as physical on his lower body as possible. I think the spurs have done a great job of getting him stronger so he can go against that attack. Obviously you want to keep him away from the basket on both ends as much as possible, but the guy's shooting threes now. He's not going to block his shot. I don't know how you defend him without sending multiple guys at him. And now they have enough talent around him that he is an underrated passer. I've done a couple of games of his on prime where he. You run a play for him as a decoy and he's the passer. This guy's a total package. Look at that one dribble. He's at the rim, covers so much space. And just like I talked about Khan, if Wimy's not having great offensive night, which is very rare, he affects the game. He can win your game on the defensive end. So great talent, face of the league. He's going to be if he's not already first time starter in the all star game. And I think he's seriously just getting started to how good and how dominant he can be on both ends. He seems like a guy that is in love with the game as well. You got a young guy with that much talent, that much hunger to be the best that he can be and to help his teammate, his teammates be the best that they can be in the franchise. Sky's the limit for the spurs as long as that guy stays healthy.

[B]

Okay, I got one final question. You know Steph can golf. You're a great golfer. So I'm not going to count anything off the tee. He's the younger guy. It's probably a little longer off the tee than you. But if you're a. But if you're 140 yards out and you both grab an eight iron, who's a better golfer?

[A]

He is, but 140 yards out, I'm hitting the pitching wedge. He's gapping it. He's hitting the gap wedge. I practice a lot More than he does. But he's got such a great touch around the greens and a young guy thinks he can make everything that he stands over. But that's what handicaps are for. We, we have great. Our summers are great. We take a couple of golf trips a year. Seth is a much improved golfer. Got a son in law that plays. We got a good group. We travel a year. So we talk more about golf down than basketball is. Steph's, you know, 17 years, 38. Seth's 12 years, 35 years old. Our golf communication and text thread is over the top.

[B]

All right, let's show the. They. They retired his jersey. I want to go show that video again because I mean, you're fired up here. A lot of guys pretend like they don't care. You're like, hell with that. I love in this man. You're pumping your fist. They got the fireworks going. That was a great night.

[A]

Wasn't was a great night. It was a good couple days. We had a little intimate dinner on the Wednesday before the Hornets organization. When they told me this was happening, a lot of emotions going on. I couldn't believe it, but I was looking, had so much time to prepare for this night. The boys were able to get in. They were on an east coast trip. They were able to fly in. It was a great night. I didn't want to ruin it in any way. I wanted to slow down so that I could soak up, you know, everything that was happening. But it's still surreal for me to walk in the Spectrum center, look up and see number 30, curry up in the stands. You know, I played this game like my boys because of the fun of it, because we loved it, fortunate enough to make a living out of it. And now I'm still here in Hornets organization, calling games, helping the guys. I love going to practice, still talking basketball, helping these young guys any way I can. So for me to be with this organization for almost three decades and now to get my jersey retired after 24 years of being retired as a player, all I've done in the community and as an ambassador for this team, I can't tell you how happy I am, how proud I am, how grateful, but also how humble I am to know this is a big deal not only for the Hornets organization, but the city of Charlotte. And I'm happy to represent that.

[B]

You're great. But I just looked at this. The Hornets in 1993 with one Dell Curry, shot 11 threes a game. This year they're averaging 43.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

It's a wild world we live in now.

[A]

They're. They're averaging 16 makes a game in those. So, yeah, it's a wild world, man. I'm not one of these old guys that's. That's going to say, I wish I was playing back today, but I think my game would fit in perfectly with how today's game is. NBA is played. But I love watching the game. It's entertaining. The league has a lot of good young players. I think the league's in a healthy spot.

[B]

Yeah. Great. Great seeing you again. Congrats.

[A]

Thanks, Al. Thanks for having me. This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human.