BEST OF THE HERD – LeBron James has made his decision

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: “BEST OF THE HERD – LeBron James has made his decision”

Date: July 24, 2026
Host: Jason McIntyre (in for Colin Cowherd), Rachel Nichols
Guests: Dan Woicke (The Athletic), Colin Cowherd (remote take)

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Overview

This explosive episode is devoted almost entirely to the blockbuster NBA news of the day: LeBron James signs with the Philadelphia 76ers. The hosts and guests offer in-depth, rapid-fire analysis of the basketball, legacy, and cultural implications of LeBron’s seismic move—his fourth NBA franchise, at age 41—and what it means for the NBA’s balance of power, the Sixers, and LeBron’s career. The panel debates how this new Philly superteam (LeBron/Embiid/Brown/Maxey) fits together and who takes a back seat, while also ranking NBA title contenders in the new landscape.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Breaking News: LeBron to Philly

• LeBron James announced he is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
  • “It just broke on social media 15 minutes ago. LeBron announcing himself that he will be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Seismic news.” (Jason McIntyre, 04:18)
  • The contract is shocking: LeBron will make only $4 million per year, compared to $57 million/year for teammates Jalen Brown and Joel Embiid.
  • The new Sixers starting five: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jalen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid. (05:05)
  • Philadelphia’s recent history: Beat Boston in the playoffs, then were swept by the Knicks, prompting massive roster change.

2. Why Did LeBron Choose Philadelphia?

• Contradicts July 11th comments from Rich Paul about not chasing a ring; today’s move is absolutely about chasing another title.
  • “We now have a decision. LeBron’s going to Philly. He is indeed chasing a ring. That’s undeniable.” (Jason McIntyre, 06:36)
• Dan Woicke’s inside reporting:
  • Philadelphia was not LeBron’s top option initially; it became the best available fit for winning.
  • “He couldn’t get everything he wanted this summer. Had to focus on what he wanted most: to try to win a championship.” (Dan Woicke, 24:52)
  • The “desire to play for something” post-Olympics was a strong motivator.

3. Sixers’ Fit and Chemistry

• Major talent, but major questions:
  • Can four high-usage stars (Embiid, Brown, Maxey, LeBron) work together?
  • Reference to earlier superteams: Bosh and Love had to sacrifice when paired with LeBron; will Joel Embiid be OK “getting Boshed”?
    • “How is Joel Embiid gonna take it that, bro, you’re getting Boshed, you’re getting Loved. That’s what they’re going to need from Joel.” (Jason McIntyre, 09:28)
  • Concerns about accepting reduced roles: Who becomes a role player?
    • “Which one of those guys is taking a major sacrifice to their game and becoming that role player?” (Jason McIntyre, 13:39)

Rachel Nichols’ Assessment:

• Emphasized roster fit anxiety given past frustrations of both LeBron and Brown with prior franchises.
• “There is no question that Bob Myers is correct on paper. This is LeBron’s best chance to win...but there’s only one basketball.” (Rachel Nichols, 14:59)
• Nick Nurse’s coaching is seen as a major positive for managing egos and rotation.
  • “He understands how players are feeling. He’s a veteran coach, a title. This is a championship coach. So I think that’s a real plus for LeBron.” (Rachel Nichols, 15:46)

Notable “Fit” Quotes

• “I’m of the belief this is going to work in the regular season, but I do not see them emerging from the East.” (Jason McIntyre, 13:38)
• “On the flip side, if you get any lip, LeBron can just say, ‘Bro, how many conference title games have you been to?’” (Jason McIntyre, 10:37)
• “Jaylen Brown doesn’t play for the Celtics anymore because Boston was so concerned that he would be so disgruntled with his usage going down just a few percentage points.” (Rachel Nichols, 15:19)

4. Realities of Age, Role Acceptance, and Playoff Readiness

• Dan Woicke argues LeBron is willing—must be—the one who makes the biggest sacrifice.
  • “I mean, it’s LeBron, O-one. He is the Bosh, he is the Kevin Love. He knows that.” (Dan Woicke, 27:42)
  • LeBron’s preparation is “an 18-hour a day job” at this age—every sacrifice is intentional.
  • Sixers will look “clunky” at first but have enough regular-season firepower.
    • “This won’t look good in October, I don’t think...These things take time.” (Dan Woicke, 31:37)
• Playoff minutes: LeBron to play less in regular season, but come playoffs, “Nick Nurse isn’t playing him 30 minutes” (Jason, 29:56)—he’ll be back in a prominent role.

5. Title Race and New Power Rankings

• Sixers’ odds tied with Knicks at +900.
• Jason’s updated Top 5 NBA title contenders post-LeBron’s move:
  1. San Antonio Spurs
  2. New York Knicks
  3. OKC Thunder
  4. Philadelphia 76ers
  5. LA Lakers
  • “The one team of my top five title contenders that doesn’t have defined roles is the Sixers. Now, they just were put together five minutes ago.” (Jason McIntyre, 51:37)
• Knicks and Sixers compared:
  • Knicks praised for “chemistry” (last year’s championship run), while Sixers are the classic “paper superteam.”
  • Both hosts highlight skeptics’ need to see it to believe it.

6. LeBron’s Legacy, Motivation, and the Narrative

• Legacy is not the chief motivation at this late-career stage:
  • “I think after 23 years in the NBA, LeBron James knows that people’s minds about him are made up...it’s about being able to feel something and chase something and keep trying to push in that way. I don’t think it’s about legacy or barbershop arguments.” (Dan Woicke, 38:11)
• Rachel Nichols references his comments after the Olympics:
  • “He said, it really felt good to play for something again. That really caught my ear. This is a guy who just missed being in the action and he wasn’t going to be in the action in a lot of these other cities.” (Rachel Nichols, 17:47)
• Colin Cowherd’s Remote Take:
  • “In every other sport, if you join a better team, you’re smart. But pro basketball players are punished for choosing the team that can compete for a championship—and Philadelphia can. Phillies: contention. Nice decision by Rich Paul and LeBron James.” (Colin Cowherd, 39:56)

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• “LeBron James is straight up going to the Sixers... Two years, $8 million. Jalen Brown, $57 million; Joel Embiid, $57 million. Next year, LeBron, it appears, will be playing for $4 million. This is the surprise of surprises.” — Jason McIntyre (04:18)
• “There’s too many mouths to feed, okay? Tyrese Maxey is their best ascending player... Now you add one in Jalen Brown, who… is going to demand 18–22 shots a game... and, oh, by the way, the big fella, Joel Embiid... And now you’re adding LeBron to that quartet.” — Jason McIntyre (07:14)
• “Which one of those guys is taking a major sacrifice to their game and becoming that role player?” — Jason McIntyre (13:39)
• “If I had to pick a high-level talent to put into this kind of situation, Jason, I pick LeBron James... He’s seen it from all sorts of perspectives.” — Dan Woicke (31:37)
• “Legacy? I don’t think that’s this. I think what it is, is that the feelings that you get as a high-level pro athlete, the ones you’ll never feel again when you’re done playing—the ones that matter most are high-level basketball in the most competitive settings. And I think that’s what this is about.” — Dan Woicke (38:11)
• “Phillies: contention. Nice decision by Rich Paul and LeBron James.” — Colin Cowherd (39:56)

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Timestamps of Major Segments

• 03:34: Show launches into breaking LeBron news; Sixers starting lineup and contract details
• 05:40–12:15: Analysis of chemistry questions, Sixers’ recent playoff run, the fit of the superstars, “getting Boshed”/role acceptance
• 14:59–19:39: Rachel Nichols on why this move is surprising, behind-the-scenes reasoning, and how Nick Nurse could handle it
• 24:36–33:08: Dan Woicke (The Athletic) joins: inside scoop on LeBron’s motivation, role changes, playoff fire, and realistic expectations for fit
• 39:55: Colin Cowherd’s take from the plane: reframing “ring chasing” as ambition and smartness, not a fault in NBA culture
• 45:38–54:28: Jason McIntyre’s updated NBA title power rankings; deep dive into Sixers’ odds, Knicks/Sixers comparison; Rachel Nichols’ final thoughts on risk and chemistry

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Final Takeaways

• LeBron to Philadelphia is an unprecedented NBA event. His arrival creates a superteam with enormous star power but just as many chemistry questions.
• All agree: The Sixers are instant title contenders, but no one is ready to call it seamless—especially given history with LeBron’s previous “big threes.”
• LeBron is chasing competition and meaning—not simply legacy or money. He accepted an insanely low salary for one last true shot at another championship.
• The NBA landscape has shifted. The new pecking order in the East and overall is hotly debated, with skepticism about Philly’s chemistry, while Knicks, Spurs, and Thunder are seen as even more stable contenders.
• As Rachel Nichols notes: “Either this really works or really doesn’t… and there’s only one basketball.”

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Transcript

[Dan Woicke]

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is the best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, Nellie, here we go. It's Friday. It's me, Jason McIntyre, and boy, do we have breaking news. Holy Toledo. We had a great show planned for you. And 15min ago, big knock on the door. JMac, did you see it? LeBron's going up. Philadelphia. Oh, my goodness. It's me, Jason McIntyre, in for Colin Cowherd, joined by Rachel Nichols. We are diving right into the biggest story in sports, folks. I listen. The staff's been talking to Rachel and I for 15 minutes. We're all excited, but I will say I haven't told them, Rachel. I'll tell them right now. I think we just do three hours on LeBron in the NBA here.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, you know, training camps, who needs it?

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the goat. This is the greatest player of all time, LeBron James. It just broke on social media 15 minutes ago. LeBron announcing himself that he will be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Seismic news. Hey, you know what? If you're paying attention to those dumb prediction markets, which I told you to ignore, okay, he wasn't going to Miami, folks. I was wrong. Was not Cleveland, everybody who was saying, oh, he'll stay on the west coast and be near his family Warriors. Wrong. No Anthony Davis in the mix. Folks, this is crazy. LeBron is straight up going to the Sixers. I said there's no way LeBron's going to play for peanuts. No way. I'll believe it when I see it, folks. It's being reported. LeBron is going to the Sixers. Two years, $8 million.

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What?

[Jason McIntyre]

Jalen Brown, $57 million. Joel Embiid, $57 million. Next year, LeBron, it appears, will be playing for $4 million. This is the surprise of surprises. Here we go. The Sixers starting LineUp. Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb, Jaylen Brown, Lebron James and Joel Embiid. So we've got two big time new starters in LeBron and Jaylen Brown. The Sixers coming off a good season where they took down the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

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They.

[Jason McIntyre]

They did trail three to one by the way. Rallied, and then Tatum missed game seven. I don't want to put an asterisk by it. You can, eh. And then they got curb stomped by the Knicks for nothing, losing two games by more than 30 points, getting humiliated. They're in their own building, and they got extinguished pretty badly. So then they do the deal. Paul George for Jaylen Brown, and now the Sixers acquire LeBron. Now, I know the hot take artists are firing. I'm going to be a little more measured here. Okay, I got the date. July 11th. LeBron's agent, Rich Paul. LeBron's not chasing a ring. It's July 24th. We now have a decision. LeBron's going to Philly. He is indeed chasing a ring. That's undeniable, folks. There's nothing wrong with that. He wants to have a chance to win a title. I got no problem with that. This ain't Karl Malone going to the Lakers chasing a ring with Gary Payton back in the day, folks. That's not this. LeBron is still a terrific player. Borderline all NBA. At 41, turns 42 in December, he will have a huge impact on the Sixers. Here's my initial negative read on it, and I do think they'll be very good. The staff was just asking me for my rankings in the east and in the NBA. Sixers are top five fo show. No doubt about that. There's too much talent. Here's my issue initially, and this was when it was first floated, and Colin did love this idea of the Sixers. I was like, dude, there's too many mouths to feed, okay? Tyrese Maxey is their best ascending player.

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That's.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, there's no, no denying that this is a guy who was really just a bucket. Okay? Then you drafted VJ Edgecomb, and I think on the opening night, he had 30 or 32 points. He said, that guy can play. Now he's been kind of reduced to a, hey, lock someone up on defense, make open threes. You know, we're not going to run any plays for you, vj. Sorry, bud. That's a role. But then they added Jaylen Brown, and it's like Jaylen Brown wanted to leave Boston so he could be the man. He went on his twitch stream and was like, this was my most fun season ever. Yeah, my guy Jason Tatum wasn't there, but it was my most fun season.

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We.

[Jason McIntyre]

We didn't get out of the first round, but, man, hella good time. So you had Tyrese Maxey, their shot creator, shot initiator. Now you add one in Jalen Brown, who was, by the way, all NBA sixth and MVP voting. Guess what? He's going to demand 18 to 22 shots a game. And, oh, by the way, the big fella, Joel Embiid, who I believe has played 57 games combined in the last two years, always hurt, did play with LeBron on that Olympic team where Steph Curry carried them over Serbia and France and. And, you know, Joel Embiid was. He was serviceable. You need him as a big guy, rim protector, but you can never count on him to stay healthy. And now you're adding LeBron to that quartet. So you've got a formidable starting five, arguably the second best starting five in the league, maybe third, fourth in terms of raw talent. But are they going to fit together now? My initial reaction was, oh, this is going to be clunky in year one. Do you guys remember when LeBron went to Miami? Okay. And there was. Well, him and Wade are kind of duplicating efforts now. They're going to be fine. They're going to be. There was the rocky start. I think they were 11 and 10. LeBron famously bumped into Spoelstra on the sideline. He was ticked off. Ultimately, they failed in the playoffs, losing in the finals to Dallas, a stench that LeBron still has not been able to erase. And essentially, that was a. Your turn. My turn. Hey, D. Wade, I'm coming to your city. It's your show. We can alternate. So it would be Wade, then LeBron, and then they switch. Ultimately, it didn't work. Now they added Chris Bosh to that team, and Chris Bosh became something of a. Hey, man, you. You were 22 and 11 in Toronto. It was your show. You were the usage guy. We need you to grab rebounds, block shots, and stand in the corner and make threes. Bosh accepted the role, but LeBron and Wade was clunky. They didn't win year one. Then they rebound the next couple and win two titles. Now go to Cleveland. LeBron, same deal. Brings on Kevin Love. Kevin Love. Hey, man, you were 26 and 13 in Minnesota. You were the man couldn't make the playoffs. But we need you to grab rebounds, play defense, and stand in the corner and make threes. How is Joel Embiid gonna take it that, bro, you're getting boshed, you're getting loved. That's what they're going to need from Joel Embiid. Hey, listen, make your threes. I know he's a top of the key three point guy, but we don't want to hear about this. Get the ball at the elbow, soak up time on the shot clock, and try to do something. No, no, no, no. That's not going to work. We don't need you to do that. I'm very curious to see how Joel Embiid handles that now. On the flip side, if you get any lip, LeBron can just say, bro, how many conference title games have you been to? How many conference finals?

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Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, zero. Okay, so check my resume and get in line. And then it becomes like, okay, well, maybe this does work, folks. I can see Tyrese Maxi in a Kyrie Irving type role. Can you not? I'm sure LeBron sees a little bit of a young Kyrie. I mean, Maxi can get to the rim against anybody in the league. And then that the. The Jaylen Brown mystery. To me, I don't know how that's going to work. Nick Nurse for sure has his work cut out now. Interestingly, everybody's pitching LeBron but Bob Myers, the former architect of the warriors, he is like a consultant for the Sixers. He made a pitch to LeBron a little while ago, and it actually worked. Here we go.

[Rachel Nichols]

If I.

[Dan Woicke]

He was here, I'd say, I honestly believe this is your best chance to win. You have to decide all the other things that are equally important because it's his life.

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Right?

[Dan Woicke]

I don't. He gets. He has to play. What I would just say is, if it's about winning and that, let's talk about this team, because you can win here.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's not wrong. They're going to win a lot of games in the regular season, for sure. We'll see what becomes of the playoffs. But this roster, this hodgepodge, don't ask about depth. They ain't got none. It reminded me, like, Ocean's Eleven, the. The great remake. They pull in all these stars to the movie, and Ocean's Eleven had an awesome cast. Oh, my God. Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Clooney. It's, like, ridiculous. But to make that movie work, everybody had to step back at a peg, right? It's like, hey, man, I know you're used to opening movies, being the star. You're the only guy. We need you to play part of a cast.

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Sure.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes. Can do. Those movies were great. Loved Ocean's Eleven. The Only problem is, when you try to apply that to the NBA, it doesn't really work, because in a series, we need role players. Did you guys see the smart move the spurs did this off season? They didn't do much. They go out and get Tobias Harris. He's got a defined role. Spot up, catch and shoot. That's all we want from you, bro. Do your thing. Don't need anything else. Don't need you trying to create. We're not posting you up. We need you to make shots. That's why Tobias Harris, a role player, is going to the Spurs. Do this. If you remember when LeBron was with the Lakers, near the end, he was willing to accept the role. I remember watching the interview in the locker room, and he was, like, sitting on one of these stools, and the media had 15 microphones in front of him. He's like, I'll do whatever it takes. And, like, he's saying that, but, like, come on, man. He's 41. You think he wants to play lockdown defense and dive for loose balls? So you tell me, Tyrese Maxey, all NBA. Jaylen Brown, all NBA. LeBron, all NBA. Joel Embiid, former MVP, which one of those guys is taking a major sacrifice to their game and becoming that role player? The guy who dives on the ground, the guy who plays lockdown defense, the guy who goes from 18 shots a game to nine, who's accepting that.

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That role.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, this is LeBron we're talking about. If you envision him going to Philly and all of a sudden averaging 12 points and eight rebounds a game, that's just not happening. He's too good of a player. There's no way that's going to happen. And so I'm of the belief that this is going to work in the regular season, but I do not see them emerging from the East. We know the Knicks are better, okay? The Cavaliers are going to be very good again. We'll see if Jonathan Kaminga goes there. And then I think you're talking about Indiana, a team that I. I love two years ago when they made a run to the finals, Indiana's going to be very good. Detroit won 60 games. They're not falling back to 40. You know, so the east is. Is loaded. And, yeah, LeBron to the Sixers. We now have title odds. The spurs are one, Thunder are two, and, oh, interestingly, these Sixers are tied with the Knicks plus 900 to win the title. That seems a little low in the Knicks, but the east is much tougher. Celtics they're lurking at plus 1300. All right, Rachel, we got a heavy, heavy, heavy NBA show today. Very excited we're going to have. Dan Woicke is going to be stopping by shortly. Rachel, any initial reactions? Are they the best team in the East?

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm just very surprised because, yeah, I think I told you the day before yesterday I said, ah, I think, I think Philly's like a red herring, right? Because it doesn't make sense with a lot of the things that we have seen about LeBron's frustrations, what reasons he left the Lakers with Jalen Brown's frustrations, the reason that he's no longer on the Boston Celtics. There is no question that Bob Myers is correct on paper. This is LeBron's best chance to win because you have guys at every position who you have either an excellent track record or a lot of promise with the young guys. The question is to. Jaylen Brown doesn't play for the Celtics anymore because Boston was so concerned that he would be so disgruntled with his usage going down just a few percentage points that he would be a problem in the locker room and for that team. So now he goes to Philadelphia, where he already was going to be competing with guys to have the ball in his hands. And LeBron James is coming to down. LeBron James left the Lakers in part because of just the feel of the franchise and the feeling from him that he wasn't really important or wanted by them anymore, but also because in. In that third person role that you just mentioned, scraping on the floor for loose balls, all that stuff, it's not what you want to do at 42 years old. So I don't think he's scraping for loose balls on the floor in Philly necessarily. That's not why they're bringing him in. But again, he wanted to be more of a part of something. And it's going to be interesting to see in Philly if everything on paper works out that well in practice, considering some of the feelings. There's only one basketball. I do think Nick Nurse is a great coach for this situation. He's really good with people. He understands how players are feeling. He's a veteran coach, a title, this is a championship coach. So I think that's a real plus for LeBron and I think that was important for him too. I've talked to him over the years about playing for a guy like Spoelstra versus some of the other coaches that he played for when he played for Steve Kerr at the Olympics and some of the other Olympic coaches, he played for the idea that this guy knows what he's doing. It's why he liked working with JJ Redick. This guy knows what he's doing. That's very important to LeBron. So Nick Nurse is going to be a great fit for that. And who knows, maybe everybody will be Kumbaya and it'll be great, and we'll see for a month. I'm not that worried about health on this because they do have so many people who can pick up the ball at different times. So I think this will actually let LeBron play a little less. It will let Embiid play a little less. Fewer minutes per game. They play fewer games per season. But the biggest factor I thought was interesting. If you look at what LeBron's tweets said, he talked about the desire to win. If I'm going to do all of this again, it's because I want to win. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Ring chasing.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's not ring chasing. It can't be ring chasing. If you have four rings, that's not possible.

[Jason McIntyre]

Chasing a fifth.

[Rachel Nichols]

What do you mean you're not ring chasing? Wanting to win in your sport is not ring chasing.

[Jason McIntyre]

Rich Paul was like, it's about happiness. No, I want to go to a stacked team to try to win a title, which I've got no problem with.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, look, Rich has said recently, in recent days, he's like, I don't even know what the decision is. Because I think LeBron. And LeBron alluded to this in what he tweeted out today, his statement. He said, look, I thought I was going to retire. I first walked up the floor and thought I was going to retire. And it took me a few weeks to figure out what I really wanted. And maybe when Rich Paul said his happiness, and that was when of the first things Rich Paul said, it was more about that maybe he was leaning more toward a place like the warriors where he could just kick back, play golf, and drink wine. But in the end, what he wrote today was it was about trying to win another title. And it's interesting. It made me think of. I was at the Olympics in Paris a couple years ago, and LeBron said one thing really struck me in one of the press conferences after he won the gold medal with Steph, with all of those guys, he said, it really felt good to play for something again. That really caught my ear. This is a guy who's played 23 seasons in the NBA. Just take a guess. What percentage of times in his career has he been to the Finals there's

[Jason McIntyre]

been what, nine, nine or 10 finals, 11 finals, maybe in 20. So 40%.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's about. It is. It is. He's 10 finals right. In 23 years. This is a guy who almost half of his career has gotten to go to the finals. But for years, for the last few years since 2020, that just really hasn't been. They haven't been the favorite like that hasn't been on the table.

[Jason McIntyre]

Conference finals, they lost one to Denver.

[Rachel Nichols]

I believe they were not headed to a championship on any of those teams. I really think that idea of I want to play for something, I need stakes. And talking to him, listening to him when he said that about his Olympic run, it really struck me at the time, huh? This is a guy who just missed being in the action and he wasn't going to be in the action in a lot of these other cities. And for this, this is a chance to be in the action. And he does love Tyrese Maxey. I know that, too.

[Jason McIntyre]

I love Tyrese Maxey. All right, coming up next here, Dan Woicke is going to stop by and tell us, hey, Miami, are they the big losers here? What about Cleveland? And are the Sixers better than the Knicks? No. We'll talk to Dan Woikie next year on the Hero.

[Colin Cowherd]

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away this episode brought to you by Verizon Business. When we watch the World cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating. What does it take to make an event this big actually work? The World cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, 3 countries. Think about that. That's not just a sporting event. That's one of the biggest logistical and technological challenges in the world. And with billions of people watching, there's no room for error. But for Verizon Business that's another day with private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber end to end security. Verizon business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business. Visit verizon.com powering FIFAWorldCup now to learn more. Plans can be a maybe for people

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with chronic migraine 15 or more headache

[Podcast Announcer]

days a month, each lasting four hours

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or more Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It Prevents on average 8 to 9 headache days a month versus 6 to 7 for placebo. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medicines like botulinum toxins, which may increase the risk of serious side effects.

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[Podcast Announcer]

Now more than ever, Americans need a laugh. Enter the Super Troopers to the rescue. Vermont's finest and most shockingly offensive mustachioed highway patrol officers return to the big screen in Super Troopers 3. More pullover pranks, more over the top shenanigans than ever. The latest installment of the cult comedy classic Rod Farva is the wildly over the top Indian engagement to Thorny Sister spirals out of control. Jim Debauchery, bachelor parties, a wedding that Thorny's desperate to stop, and a dangerous drug smuggling ring all threaten the troops. Friendship and future fill your Liter of cola, Grab your buds and roll up to the multiplex for Super Troopers 3. Only in theaters August 7th.

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[Podcast Announcer]

Meow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Whoa.

[Jason McIntyre]

We asked for it, we wanted it, we got it. We got LeBron news. He's going to the 76ers. LeBron departs the west wisely, lands in the east, where the Sixers will be contenders, folks, a two year, $8 million deal. Hey, I said I didn't. Wouldn't believe it till I saw it. I see it now. LeBron will be making 53 million less than Jalen Brown and Joel Embiid. Wrap your head around that to help us break this down down. Dan Woicke joining. Joining us. I believe we got Dan, right? Yes. Here he is, Dan Woikie, the athletic. He's scrambling right now. Dan, how are you, man?

[Dan Woicke]

Guys had to take a quick shower. Had to make sure I wasn't dreaming about this. I have to say. Truly surprising. I think that we ended up here. Not what I expected. I don't think it was. I texted with the source from one of the teams involved who said, Philadelphia, this is like the fourth option. But, but, but I think, look, and I've spoken to, you know, LeBron's kept a very tight circle on this, and I spoke to someone who knows who's in that circle, and basically, like, this comes down to one thing, Jason. You know, I don't think LeBron could get everything he wanted this summer. Right. So he had to focus on the thing you wanted most. And the thing you wanted most was to try to win a championship. And, you know, he studied his options, studied the fit, thought about where he thought he could impact, like, title level, winning the best. And that's why he's going to wear a Sixers uniform.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I love how he's been. Well, Rich Paul's been saying stuff, but LeBron as well, taken the stage in New York recently. It was a. About family, you know. Sure, sure. You're leaving. You're going across the country to play for the Sixers. I don't know. Happiness. You think he's going to be happy with a reduced.

[Dan Woicke]

I think that's it. I. Jason, I think the thing that makes him happiest is the chance to win.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

Honestly, at this point, after. After 24, after 23 seasons. Look, I think the thing that people don't really understand that I think only LeBron and the people closest to LeBron do understand, is that, like, it takes a ton of work for him to, like, play a single NBA game, you know, in terms of like the time he gets to the arena, you know, the stuff he's doing at his house. I mean he Posted this morning, 5:30 in the morning in the gym. Like it's like an 18 hour job, 18 hour a day job. Right. To like be ready for him to play basketball in a way that, that wasn't maybe the case when he was 25 or 26. So for him to like still do all of this stuff, like it has to be for some purpose. It has to be for something that like truly matters. And I think, you know, in talking to sources around LeBron and like quite frankly being around LeBron for most of the last eight years, like that's what stimulates the most. Like, you know, don't underestimate what that Houston Rocket series meant to LeBron and his decision here. You know, he showed that he can win playoff games, that he can play high, high level basketball when it matters the most. Those fires got re stoked and I think, you know, he looked around and he, he thought that this was the place, you know, among his options where, where he had the best chance to win a championship.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, the idea of ring chasing is like negatively perceived. Who doesn't want to win? I don't want to go into a season thinking I'm not going to win a title. Now the real question though is who take, who's the sacrificial lamb on this team? Because Dan, you remember in Miami, Chris Bosh had to sacrifice his game and Wade had to step back in year two. And then in Cleveland, you know, Kyrie Irving hated to sacrifice his game so much that he demanded out Kevin Love became a stand in the corner and shoot threes guys when he was like an all NBA player. Who, who's the guy who steps back? Is it Maxi? Is it Brown? Is it embiId? Is it two guys? What's your best guess?

[Dan Woicke]

I mean, it's LeBron. Oh one.

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Right.

[Dan Woicke]

Jason. I mean, I think he is the Bosch. He is the Kevin Love. He knows that. Right. The best basketball he played last year, the best basketball that the Lakers generally played last year was in March when, when the team, you know, and he and the team had discussions about him being like pretty clearly the number three option. Right. He, he was, I mean on paper is the number four option.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow.

[Dan Woicke]

You know, in some ways here behind Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey. But look, I'll say this about LeBron, like he knows what it takes to win basketball games. He, he can bend his game in virtually any way. Like, he's like a basketball yogi in that way. Like, tremendous flexibility. Right? And if he has to do some weird poses we've never seen from him before as a basketball player, he's capable. I think he can impact the game with his mind, with the way he plays in transition, with his passing, certainly. Right. And look, I think it'll be, you know, on the defensive end, it'll be with communication, and it'll be with using, you know, using his mind. And look, the less he does on offense, the more he'll be able to give on that side of the floor. I think if you had to, like, say, like, if we had to, like, look at a guy here and say, like, who's in line for, like, a level of sacrifice, right, you know, to be the guy. And it's. I mean, obviously, Jalen Brown is going to shoot less than he shot last year. That's just the reality. Well, that was true when the trade happened, right? That was true when the trade happened. Anyways, look, BJ Edgecombe, to me would be like the guy you'd point out and say, whoa, like, all of a sudden, you know, guys early in their career, you tell them, hey, you know, your role is going to be even less on offense. But I think the way Edgecombe plays, his skill set like this is like, a great fit from him. That is a dynamite starting five.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Dan Woicke]

If it can be healthy. It won't be easy, Jason. These things take time. Oh, yeah. You know, LeBron James basketball teams in 2026 don't log a lot of practice minutes together because he can't physically practice that kind of way. But I think, like, you know, if this is a team that can stay healthy, ish. Come April, you know, and they get 50 games together, they're going to be really, really hard to beat.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, listen, they're going to be bouts in the regular season where they look incredible and unstoppable. But, Dan, let's be real here. Yes, LeBron's minutes will be reduced and his shots in the regular season. There's no way, come the playoffs, Nick Nurse is going to have LeBron play in, like, 30 minutes. And that's where I just wonder. Regular season is going to be fine. I just want.

[Dan Woicke]

But he doesn't have to shoot, Jason. That's not him anymore, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Like, I mean, like, ball in his hands, right? I.

[Dan Woicke]

You know, some. I think if he wanted the ball in his hands, truly, right. If that was what mattered him, Jason, he'd be on the Miami Heat. That's what would matter? That's the place that needs playmaking.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

That's the place that needs offensive organization. He could have gone there and been the de facto point guard. If that had mattered to him and if had he chosen Miami. That's what I had lined up. Right. Was that like one of the things the Lakers took from him is they took the ball out of his hands. You know, the Luka Doncic straight took the ball out of LeBron James's hands. This was about him claiming it back. But I am telling you, I've talked to sources about this. That's not what mattered here. This isn't. You know, one of the source I spoke to was like, this isn't like the type of thing that, that you have to decipher a bunch of information about. He thinks this is the best place he can win a championship. This was of the options available to him, the, the best, the best chance at winning a championship. Yeah, this was the best in his mind.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I don't totally disagree. Our staff said that the 76ers average the second fewest assists in the NBA last season. You know, Maxi, as for as good as he is, he's a black hole. I'm shooting or I'm driving. We know Joel Embiid's history and Brown essentially, like you said, coming off his best season ever, where he was ball centric and Mr. Usage Rate. I mean they essentially have Dan, four guys who are like a 30 usage rate.

[Dan Woicke]

30 plus. This won't look good. This won't look good in October, I don't think. Right. I mean every piece of basketball history is told me that these things take time major. Right. And I think very rarely do you put together this level of talent and have it fit seamlessly. That being said, if I had to pick a high level talent to like put into this kind of situation, Jason, I pick LeBron James, like he's. He's seen it from all sorts of perspectives. Right. He's Joe. But Jason, think about it, right? In Miami, he had to watch Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh sacrifice around him. Right. Louisiana was different because obviously like 80 really easy fit by the time that they got there and different things like that. But then he had to live it. He's lived this. This is not uncharted territory for him. Like, you know, yes, he had that run in Houston where he's able to kind of be the dude again, but if he had wanted that, he would have picked a different team. Yeah, I think like the fact that he chose this role. Right. Like clear eyed. I think to me this isn't going to be an issue about role acceptance or like I'm not getting enough touches, I'm not getting enough shots. He knows who's on this roster. Right. This is why this took time.

[Jason McIntyre]

He knows if they're winning, it's not an issue.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I think. And he also knows, by the way, Jason, that like this isn't going to be a team that goes 72 and 10. No. Like it's not like, like this is going to be a build.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

Right. And I, and I think he can make that work. He can make that work.

[Jason McIntyre]

I was just thinking. So The Lakers won 53 last year. I think 53 made the playoffs. One around the Sixers kind of sort of underachieved. They had a lot of injuries. And then we're down 3 to 1 to Boston. I just wonder if people would be as excited about this team if they hadn't, if Boston had closed them out. You know, Boston kind of play with their food in the next two games. And then Tatum missed game seven. So do you currently, if again, forget the odds. We know what the Knicks are. They're set. Pacers are pretty set. Let's just say the Cavs add Kumingo, whatever. Where do you put the Sixers in the East? And again, this news is an hour old.

[Dan Woicke]

So yeah, I mean they're gonna be in that tier. I mean the Knicks are. The Knicks. I mean the Sixers are on their heels like to me like they're, they are right there.

[Jason McIntyre]

Gets to the conference finals finally.

[Dan Woicke]

I think, I think like this is like at least on paper, an hour into this, right? Like, I mean you can all, you always just sort of have to assume a base level of health and these types of things. But like, yeah, if they can. And I think here's the other thing, right. Like they have enough firepower that they can withstand during the regular season an injury here, an injury there. Obviously in the playoffs. They're going to have to be, they're going to have to be healthy. But, but yeah, I mean, I think they are like right in that mix with like Boston with, you know, I mean Miami. We'll see what happens with their roster. I mean look, they have, they have the talent. Like they have the high end talent. Yeah, they have some youth. They have like, they have juice on the perimeter. They have very smart basketball players. They have a championship winning coach. You know, the bones are there. I mean they're going to have to go do it and, and I think the point is, Jason, is that, like, it will. It's going to be awkward. It's inherently going to be awkward. Like, these five guys together is going to be awkward, particularly the four big guys here. Right. I will say, though, that I don't. Do not believe LeBron James would have picked this situation if he was not going there, willing to sacrifice. I think he knows he's going to be the one that has to sacrifice.

[Jason McIntyre]

So, Dan, I. Again, from a Lakers point of view, I'm just curious. LeBron's gone to the East. Obviously, the Sixers game at. At Staples will be exciting this year. I don't know. Do you think the Lakers end up winners, losers here? Like, LeBron just gone. He's kind of going to be out of their orbit and altogether.

[Podcast Announcer]

Right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Because there was some concern he goes to the Warriors. Oh, he's going to stick it to him if he goes to Minnesota. But now, I guess from a Lakers point of view, LeBron gone, gone. That era's done, right?

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. I mean, look, I think, you know, in talking to people around the situation, like it was a relationship that had just sort of run its course. Right. You know, as far as I know, it's not like, oh, LeBron's taken six weeks to make his decision. Maybe we should circle back and check, you know, like, that wasn't really where the Lakers were at on this. I think they had a plan, they executed it. They did what they needed to do in their mind this offseason to build around Luka Doncic, and. And I think LeBron surveyed the landscape. I don't think this was a West or east decision, per se. I think this was about finding the best roster for LeBron. You know, there are plenty of people, Jason, that would tell you that the best basketball fit was Minnesota.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

You know, and I think that if you view this now, kind of with the information we have about championship rosters and different things like that, like, you do, I think, wonder, like, it would be fascinating to know, like, what the.

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The.

[Dan Woicke]

Who finished second and who finished third and who finished fourth and sort of in his hierarchy. Because if it was, if this is purely basketball, and that's what I'm being told, this is about winning a championship. Like, you have to think Minnesota was really in it. And I know people in that organization thought they had a chance, but they knew it was a low one. I definitely know that people on some of the other teams involved didn't really factor Philadelphia that heavily into this, that they thought there'd be other Things at play. Like, you know, I've heard LeBron talk about things like Elijah one in a Raptors jersey. Like, I've heard him discuss this. I mentioned that in the morning meeting.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

And I think, you know, like there is, there was like a thought process around the league, like, does he really want to add a fourth uniform? Right. Like Miami, like those images exist. Cleveland, like, obviously is a really easy way for this to land. And even Golden State in the sense that like, you know, he's going to be there alongside Steph, like that that'll resonate. Like I would say this kudos to LeBron James for like not caring about that part of his legacy. That this is, does not seem to be in any way, shape or form about narrative about any of that stuff. This is about winning basketball games. And that to me, like, it's pretty clear of his priorities. He chased what he thought was most important.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. So a fifth ring for LeBron. Final question, Dan would mean matching, I believe, Kobe and magic to the two. Two of the greatest all time Lakers, two of the, you know, the 15 best players in the history of the sport. You think there's any motivation from LeBron to, to get one more to match Kobe and match Magic or. No?

[Dan Woicke]

I think after 23 years in the NBA, LeBron James knows that people's minds about him are made up. I feel like that there's almost nothing he could do to push you off of. Jordan is the best player ever. You know, he'll never be as good as Kobe or whatever, whatever sort of like position exists. I think he is very aware that the people who love him, love him and the people who don't, don't. And I don't think, I don't think that's this. I think what it is is that like the feelings that you get as a high level pro athlete, the ones that you'll never feel again when you're gone, when you're done playing. The ones that matter most are high level basketball in the most competitive settings. And I think that's what this is about. This is, I think in that way, Jason, it's a selfish decision. It's about being able to feel something and chase something and keep going on that and keep trying to push in that way. I don't think it's about legacy or barbershop arguments. I think he knows where he stands on those.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think he goes from 53 million to 4. That is crazy for a level player. All right, Dan Wilkie, great stuff. I'm sure you can get on with your summer. Now. Lebron's decided, you know. Oh, there it is. Something's going on.

[Rachel Nichols]

No, no.

[Dan Woicke]

I was gonna say, no, I'm not getting on with Jason. I'm not getting on with anything today. I'll tell you that much.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, my man. Thanks a lot, Dan. Enjoy the weekend.

[Dan Woicke]

Talk to you soon.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Dan. Woikie. Good stuff. Hey, before we get to break and we got a herd line next, Rachel with a bunch of good stuff. I'm told this from the staff and I have not seen this, but our man Colin Cowherd is on vacation and has just dropped a take on lebron. I have not seen this, but here's Cowherd's initial read on lebron to the Sixers.

[Podcast Announcer]

They don't do these on planes, but I'm taking off in 90 seconds. And the lebron James story just broke. Bottom line is, in every other sport, NFL, if you join a better team, you're smart. Major league baseball, you join the Yankees or the Dodgers, you're smart. High school football player joins Ohio State. He's smart. He wants to win championships. But pro basketball players are punished for choosing the team that can compete for a championship. And Philadelphia can. To me, it's a smart move. Warriors was camaraderie. Cleveland was comfort. Miami was confusing. Phillies contention. Nice decision by Rich Paul and lebron James.

[Jason McIntyre]

There it is. Cowherd checking in from that definitely looked like row 23 on Southwest Airlines for sure. Definitely. Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Podcast Announcer]

This episode brought to you by Verizon business. When we watch the world cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating. What does it take to make an event this big actually work? The world cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, 3 countries. Think about that. That's not just a sporting event. That's one of the biggest logistical and technological challenges in the world. And with billions of people watching, there's no room for error. But for Verizon business, that's another day. With private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber, end to end security, Verizon business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business. Visit verizon.com powering FIFAWorldCup now to learn more. Plans can be a maybe for people

[Botox Advertisement Voice]

with chronic migraine 15 or more headache

[Podcast Announcer]

days a month, each lasting four hours

[Botox Advertisement Voice]

or more Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It prevents on average eight to nine headache days a month versus six to seven for placebo. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medicines like botulinum toxins, which may increase the risk of serious side effects.

[Advertisement Voice]

Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox Let me tell you about something most people have never heard of and probably should have. It's called Burna, and here's the part that got my attention. It's a real self defense option that's legal in all 50 states. No permit, no background check. It ships right to your door. It did mine. It's not a gun. That's the point. It's a launcher. Fires around that stops a threat from up to 60ft away and it's less lethal that way. More distance than pepper spray and it gives you time and space to get to safety. And you don't need extensive training or guesswork, even if you've never held one. It's built to be simple and easy to use when it actually matters. Best part? They're made right here in America. Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hand assembled. So if you've ever wanted a way to protect yourself and your family without the complications, this is it. Over 500 government agencies, police departments and private security Firms use Berna Berna.com/Heard B Y R N A.com Herd Burna Be Ready.

[Podcast Announcer]

Now more than ever, Americans need a laugh. Enter the Super Troopers to the rescue. Vermont's finest and most shockingly offensive mustachioed highway patrol officers return to the big screen in Super Troopers 3. More pullover pranks. More over the top shenanigans than ever. The latest installment of the cult comedy classic Rod Farva is the wildly over the top Indian engagement to Thorny sister spirals out of control. Debauchery, bachelor parties, a wedding that Thorny's desperate to stop, and a dangerous drug smuggling ring. All threaten the troops. Friendship and future. Fill your liter of cola, grab your buds, and roll up to the multiplex for Super Troopers 3. Only in theaters August 7th.

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[Podcast Announcer]

Meow.

[Jason McIntyre]

Happy Friday. And boy, is it a tremendous Friday. Love me. Some breaking news right before the show. LeBron James is headed to Philly. My old home. Yes, actually. Well, I lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for about eight years. Both my kids were born in Pennsylvania. Oh, yeah. By the way, I'm Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. As you saw, Colin is flying. Very, very commercial. Southwest lane. What was it? Aisle 23, seat row 23. Gosh. Fumbling. So excited. He gave us his take on Philly. I will say my buddy who is in Philadelphia, I'm texting him. Philadelphia, by the way, Sports city right now. Rachel, how good is this dude? We got Bryce Harper. We've got the Eagles, who are two years removed from the Super Bowl. I think the Philadelphia Flyers still play hockey. I don't know what their situation is. And now we got LeBron going to Philly. Not a bad time to be a Phillies.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, look, you thought they're saying the Eagles are in contention for the super bowl the last couple days, so, yeah, maybe they could get a twofer. Maybe they could get rings in both places.

[Jason McIntyre]

Jason, that would be spicy. Maybe that's possible. I mean, anything's possible at this point. LeBron picked Philadelphia in 15 minutes. We got Taron Armstead, former NFL star. I think he was a star. He was very good. He'll be joining us in 15 minutes. Right now, I'm going to do our top five NBA title contenders. That's what we're calling it, top five title contenders. And before I get to this, my buddy from Philly, his great take was Brad Stevens created this monster in Philadelphia because LeBron doesn't go to Philly if Jaylen Brown's not there. You think he's going to play with Paul George, playoff P, Pandemic P, and Joel Embiid? No way. Brad Stevens had to get Jalen Brown out of town. He goes to Philly and unwillingly, like, would LeBron have gone to Philly? No way. And now, oh, Jaylen Brown, Maxey. By the way, Tyrese Maxey is losing his mind on Instagram. I just went on during the break, and he's, like, freaking out Philadelphia. But are they title contenders? Here we go. Top five title contenders in the NBA post LeBron James news number one. I mean, listen, I'm a Knicks fan. I get that, guys, but it has to be the San Antonio Spurs. Are you kidding me? Wembanyama, Castle Harper. Everybody's favorite punching bag. De' Aaron Fox. I love the Tobias Harris pickup. Spurs are the number one team in the M. They, they. Any power rankings, the spurs have to be one. Any gambling odds? The spurs, they're the best team in the league. Wemby was in year three, guys, year three and they went to the finals. Wemby got ejected in Minnesota, missed a game due to injury against the Spurs. Didn't matter. They steamrolled through the west, took down the Thunder in seven. Defending champs. So the spurs are my number one title contender. Number two. I'm going with the defending champion New York Knicks. Shout out to my Knicks. And actually they did a pretty damn good job this offseason retaining everybody. They did lose Mitchell Robinson to the Celtics. I think that's a big loss. But the core is back. Brunson Bridges, OG Katie, I mean, they, they got a Landry Shamit returned. I, I like this team a lot. This is a New York Knicks team that exceeded many expectations. Obviously the Carl Anthony town situation, Bears watching, right? Cat asked for a new contract before last season, didn't get it. He wants a new contract. He wants to get paid. They got to save money for Brunson. You got the owner saying, we're not going into the second apron. So I look at the Knicks, I mean, Jordan Clarkson stays, Alvarado stays. I think they're the best team in the east. And they got. You got to beat them to be the best. You got to beat the best. So the Knicks are two. I'm gonna go with OKC number three. Obviously I have a love hate relationship with the Thunder. The flippity flop Thunder, they lose three core guys from the rotation this offseason. Isaiah Joe, obviously he's gone. Lou Dortmund a starter, and Aaron Wiggins. Now, Wiggins and Joe weren't as integral as they were two years ago, but those are still losses to the team. The thing is, they still got A.J. mitchell, right? They still got Jared McCain. I wonder if we start to see egos jumping into this. We saw some comments from Kason Wallace. He wants the ball, he wants to get paid. He's ready. He thinks he should be a starter. He could be like a number two or three on our title team. I don't know. We'll see. I've got the Thunder 3 checking in at 4. Yes, I will go. Philadelphia 76ers with LeBron Brown, Maxi Embiid. I think all season they'll be very, very good. This team will win 50 to 55 games in the East. Now it's interesting, I'm, I'm wondering, Adam Silver was talking about the schedule, right? So obviously the Sixers are going to get a lot of TV games. Will LeBron be sitting those in protest? Sometimes. You know, listen, LeBron's going to need his rest. Will Joel Embiid sit? It's tough for me to say, oh, LeBron will just play 20 minutes a game. Guys, he's way too competitive for that. You can't start him up. You heard Dan Wilkie talk about it. LeBron, it takes him forever to get started now at this old age. You think he's going to go through his whole process to play 20 minutes a night in some of these games? I don't see that happening. In no world is that going to happen happen. So they're gonna have to kind of, hey, you're out tonight. And you know Jalen Brown's gonna get excited. As soon as LeBron's out, Jalen will give a 40 piece. Right. So the Sixers team is stacked. I did, I like the Anthony Simons or role coming off the bench. You know, that's a good buy low. They did acquire the Knicks third string center. I don't want to butcher his name, but he's not bad Bona, the big kid from Philly. I think those two guys from ucla, they will be integral for Philly because we know Joel embiid. He's played 57 games total in the last two years. And rounding out the top five title contenders, not Cleveland, not Detroit, not Lamelo ball in Minnesota, not the Houston Rockets, not the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Snowtime Lakers. Walker, Kessler, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves. I mean listen, they added Zaire Williams recently, Matisse Thibel. Folks, here's my thing about the Lakers. They are now finally built as close to you can want for Luka Doncic. They were not that last year they couldn't do it. They were constrained by LeBron's 50 some odd $52 million salary. And so it was tough to build a Lucas centric team. They now have that Austin Reeves in the role of Kyrie Irving secondary creator. Walker Kessler, not your ideal rim runner, but he's actually undervalued, folks, simply because he's never played on a contender. The advanced stats love him as an offensive rebounder. As a shooter within, like, I think it's within the restricted area. One of the highest field goal percentages in the league, and he's an elite shot blocker. And that. That's in limited minutes on a team that's been tanking for four years. So I think the Walker Kessler move is massive for the Lakers. And then it becomes like, can Quinton Grimes deliver timely shots? The Lakers, unlike the Sixers, have defined rules. Zaire Williams, you're coming in as a three and D wing. Got to work on the threes. Sando, you're our new Rui, right? You've got to find roles. Quinton Grimes, you know, you're shooting, not doing much creating. Jaden Hardy, assuming you make the roster. Hey, man, we need you as like a tertiary creator. On nights where Reaves is out or Luka's out, you might be that third guy creating. So the Lakers have defined roles. I look at the Sixers, they don't look at okc. They got them. The Knicks, they obviously have them. And the spurs do as well. The one team of my top five title contenders that doesn't have defined roles is the Sixers. Now, they just were put together five minutes ago. And let's bring in Rachel to take a big shot at my list. I'm sure she dislikes the Lakers. I see my phone, like, glowing, meaning texts are coming in. Lakers fifth. Maybe a bit hot, but would you have the Sixers higher than 4?

[Podcast Announcer]

Rachel?

[Rachel Nichols]

I maybe would. I don't know. I feel like Knicks and Sixers, you know, look, this is a little bit what I was saying in the last hour, Jason. I think this is either really going to work or really not gonna work in Philadelphia. Because the thing it hinges on aren't sort of the. It's less about health because you've got so many guys who can do so many things. It's less about these little sort of little bits of things. It's about, do these guys sacrifice together and work together and does the chemistry work? And the Knicks, as we know, pretty much won on chemistry. They won a title on chemistry. It's what we saw from the Detroit Pistons in 2004. And there's actually a lot of parallels there because the Detroit Pistons won in 2004 by taking down an, on paper super team in the Lakers. Right? You remember that Lakers team. Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, Kobe, all of those guys. So I think it's going to be interesting throughout the season. On your list, I would say 2 and 4 to me, kind of become Interchangeable. And we'll just have to see as we actually watch this play out, whether it's the Sixers who look like the powerhouse of the east or the Knicks.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I think, you know, the burden of proof is on the contender. And so I need to see it from the Sixers. And not for 10 games, not for 20, not for 30. I got to see it. And that's what remember when LeBron went to Miami, there was that early rough phase with he, Bosch and Wade. I'm pretty sure they were 11 and 10 after 21 games.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, they had to figure it out somewhere around there, bump with Spoelstra and all that stuff.

[Jason McIntyre]

They did figure it out. Got to the finals where they really cratered against a Mavs team that had defined rules. You knew what you were getting. I don't know. And I think it's going to be difficult for the Sixers to figure it out in one year.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's going to be interesting too with the Knicks and you just brought this up. The contract situation with the Knicks is not something to sleep on. Karl Anthony Towns wanted an extension going into this past season. He wants an extension now. He deserves an extension. They would not have won the title without Karl Anthony Towns. Him sort of switching roles midstream in that first round. That's the difference. That's how they got there. Jalen Brunson obviously the heart, soul and power of that team, but Karl Anthony Towns was the difference in why they won the Finals. So Karl Anthony Towns wants his money. Jalen Brunson has already sort of put out feelers there that he wants his full contract. No more sacrificing for the team stuff. He's done his part, so it'll be interesting to see where their chemistry goes throughout the course this season. And don't forget, these are two media markets where you've been in both these cities. Jason, how do you think the media in New York or Philadelphia is going to go if there start to be chemistry issues on either of these teams?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, we haven't had a defending back to back champ in eight years or something like that. It's difficult to go back. The Knicks is there going to be infighting? Is that same hunger going to be there? I don't know. I think that's a good take.

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[Jason McIntyre]

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