Hour 1 – LeBron James, Lance Zierlein

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Episode: Hour 1 – LeBron James, Lance Zierlein

Release Date: February 28, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests: Lance Zierlein

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, host Colin Cowherd delves deep into the current landscape of the NBA, focusing primarily on LeBron James and Steph Curry's performances. Additionally, the podcast features insights from NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, providing a comprehensive look at both basketball and football dynamics.

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LeBron James: Dominance at 40

Timestamp: [03:37] - [08:31]

Colin Cowherd opens the discussion by lauding LeBron James's exceptional performance despite being 40 years old. Highlighting LeBron's recent stats—29.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 7.5 assists with 55% shooting from the floor and 46% on three-pointers—Cowherd emphasizes that LeBron is, on any given night, the best player in the NBA.

Notable Quote:

"On any given night, is LeBron the best player in the league? Yeah. His defense right now, it looks like he's 27. It's insane." - Colin Cowherd [03:37]

Cowherd contrasts LeBron’s current defensive prowess with Luka Doncic’s, stating that "LeBron's on-ball defense right now, this is the best defense he's played in eight years" [07:00]. He also points out LeBron's unmatched energy and fourth-quarter performance, asserting that at 40, LeBron outmatches younger stars in both endurance and effectiveness.

Moreover, Cowherd discusses the strategic adjustments made by the Lakers following Anthony Davis's trade to Dallas, highlighting how LeBron's increased defensive responsibilities have elevated his game:

"LeBron is hyper aware that he has to play better defense because Luka is a lousy defensive player and Austin Reeves is limited. So LeBron is like, oh, oh, you need me to do that too?" - Colin Cowherd [08:10]

Steph Curry and the Warriors: A Resurgence

Timestamp: [08:31] - [22:35]

Transitioning to Steph Curry, Cowherd praises Curry’s recent explosive performance, notably his 56-point game where he made a dozen three-pointers with only 25 shots attempted. He credits Curry’s efficiency and renewed energy, particularly after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, which has significantly boosted the Warriors' win rate to 71% since Butler joined:

"The Warriors are 71 since Jimmy Butler arrived, and the numbers are insane." - Colin Cowherd [18:10]

Curry's competitiveness and desire to engage more meaningfully on the court are highlighted as key factors driving both his personal performance and the team's success. The synergy between Curry and Butler is portrayed as revitalizing the Warriors, making them formidable contenders in the Western Conference.

Notable Quote:

"Steph Curry put on a little clinic last night." - Colin Cowherd [08:56]

Cowherd also touches upon the broader implications for the NBA, suggesting that the resurgence of veteran stars like LeBron and Curry brings a new level of excitement and competitiveness to the league.

NFL Insights with Lance Zierlein: Matt Stafford and Team Strategies

Timestamp: [23:00] - [35:42]

Shifting gears to football, the podcast features NFL analyst Lance Zierlein discussing the potential future of quarterback Matt Stafford. With the Rams close to securing a Super Bowl win, Zierlein explores the implications of Stafford possibly transitioning to the Raiders or staying with the Rams:

"If the Raiders are not going to give you three years, I don't care if it's more money. I think the legacy matters too much to a guy that's totally been committed to football." - Colin Cowherd [08:03]

Zierlein weighs in on the strategic moves teams might consider to bolster their rosters, emphasizing the importance of legacy and long-term success over short-term financial gains. He also delves into the dynamics of the upcoming NFL drafts, evaluating prospects like Shador Sanders and Cam Ward, and their potential impact on their respective teams.

NFL Draft Breakdown: Shador Sanders and Cam Ward

Timestamp: [35:42] - [45:30]

In an in-depth analysis, Zierlein assesses top draft prospects, focusing on Shador Sanders and Cam Ward. He praises Sanders for his intangibles—accuracy, calmness in the pocket, and confidence—positioning him as a potential standout in the NFL:

"He is very calm, he's very confident and he's going to throw with accuracy. And those are three very big items." - Lance Zierlein [41:03]

Conversely, Ward is recognized for his physical prowess and readiness to start, making him a valuable asset for the Titans:

"He is easily the most dynamic quarterback in the draft. He's got a great arm, he moves well." - Colin Cowherd [26:14]

Zierlein also discusses the broader trends affecting the draft, such as the impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rules keeping more players in college, thereby influencing the talent pool and overall draft quality.

NBA Media Critique and Player Legacy

Timestamp: [46:44] - [35:42]

Colin Cowherd offers a critical perspective on the NBA media landscape, arguing that it is overly critical and hyper-focused on certain shows like Inside the NBA. He contrasts this with the generally positive coverage of NBA players, suggesting that most of the media is flattering rather than critical:

"The NBA media, I think it's pretty fawning by and large." - Colin Cowherd [30:57]

He further discusses LeBron James's role as the "face of the league," addressing the pressures and expectations that come with such a position. Cowherd also touches upon broader league issues like load management and the increasing prevalence of three-point shots, advocating for changes to enhance game urgency and fan engagement.

Notable Quote:

"LeBron is addressing my primary criticism of the league. Load management's bad for fans, has too many threes." - Colin Cowherd [33:03]

Conclusion

Colin Cowherd wraps up the episode by reiterating LeBron James's unparalleled impact on the NBA and expressing optimism about the league's future with veteran stars leading their teams to potential championships. Additionally, the insights provided by Lance Zierlein offer a nuanced understanding of the NFL's current state and future prospects, bridging the gap between basketball and football discussions.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Colin Cowherd [03:37]: "On any given night, is LeBron the best player in the league? Yeah. His defense right now, it looks like he's 27. It's insane."
• Colin Cowherd [08:10]: "LeBron is hyper aware that he has to play better defense because Luka is a lousy defensive player and Austin Reeves is limited. So LeBron is like, oh, oh, you need me to do that too?"
• Colin Cowherd [18:10]: "The Warriors are 71 since Jimmy Butler arrived, and the numbers are insane."
• Colin Cowherd [08:03]: "If the Raiders are not going to give you three years, I don't care if it's more money. I think the legacy matters too much to a guy that's totally been committed to football."
• Lance Zierlein [41:03]: "He is very calm, he's very confident and he's going to throw with accuracy. And those are three very big items."
• Colin Cowherd [33:03]: "LeBron is addressing my primary criticism of the league. Load management's bad for fans, has too many threes."

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This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a compelling blend of basketball analysis and football insights, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of current sports narratives and the evolving dynamics of key athletes and teams.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[LeBron James]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Colin Cowherd]

A little bit.

[LeBron James]

Lakers are decent.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they're pretty good. So I'm going to start with this. Luke is not playing that well. Let's just say it out loud, he's not in great shape. Never been a good defender, looks a little soft. One for nine last night on shooting threes and everybody sort of hedges their bet. We've all been doing this, myself included, for the last two years. We've all been doing this in the media. We just don't want to say, you know, is LeBron like the second best player in the league? Nobody wants to say that. Right? It's hey, Jokic, Giannis. I have watched LeBron in the last week outplay Ant Edwards, Luca Jokic and Kyrie Irving. He has been the best player in the NBA in the last week on every single night. Is LeBron the best player in the league? No. On any given night, is LeBron the best player in the league? Yeah. His defense right now, it looks like he's 27. It's insane. His energy better than Luka, his shooting right now, better than Luka, his on ball defense, his scoring. LeBron at 40 years old has better consistent energy than any other Laker. Now Austin Reaves is close. Austin plays hard all the time. But LeBron's fourth quarter energy, it doesn't even make sense. His on ball defense right now, this is the best defense he's played in eight years. He's a better defender at 40 than Luka is at 26. His energy, I'm telling you right now is LeBron showing off. And I'll get to Steph in a second. It feels like Steph is kind of showing off. The Jimmy Butler like, listen, old man, you know, and I feel when Tom Brady beat Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC Championship and then he beat him in the Super Bowl, Everybody by then was falling in love and sort of was saying it, you know, like Brady's old Brady, you know, not a lot left in the tank for old. Tommy Mahomes is the new king. And Brady beat him twice in Arrowhead and overtime and in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady reminding you, yeah, it goes through me. And LeBron is reminding everybody right now, yeah, the west for 10 years, the east went through me 10, 12 years, however long he was over there, now the west is going to go through me. So at minimum, and I understand that Luka got hurt, hadn't played for a long time, he's playing himself back into shape, like, I get it, and he'll be a better shooter. His jumper right now is short consistently. That's like cardio. That's legs his jumper short. But at 40 years old, LeBron James last year had last year, at 39 years old, LeBron had 84 dunks. When Michael Jordan was 39, MJ had 21 four times the dunks of a guy known for dunks, Michael Jordan at the same age. And I think LeBron this year is better than LeBron last year. And the other thing is, because AD was traded to Dallas, LeBron is hyper aware that he has to play better defense because Luca is a lousy defensive player and Austin Reeves is Limited. So LeBron is like, oh, oh, you need me to do that too? All right. His defense is insane. So he's averaging 25, 8 and 9. That's not what. That's not the part that's blowing me away. It's the energy and the defense. And, you know, this, it's, I feel like, and I've said this for years, I think the NBA playoffs should be a three game first round and then five games, even through the finals. I think create urgency. I mean, March Madness. College basketball doesn't have much talent and it gets tremendous ratings. Why there's urgency, I mean, you know, Cooper flag, take him off Duke, they got a couple of decent players. But a Duke game with Cooper flag against Xavier will get a better rating maybe than like the Western Conference or Eastern Conference finals. Because it's like you have to watch. You got two and a half hours, somebody's out. Could be Duke and Cooper flag. And so I think there needs to be no more urgency. And I also think in the NBA regular season, I'd cut it down to 68 games, start it six weeks later, get away from college and pro football, you know, start playing Christmas, start playing Christmas, not your first TV game. Start playing then. So I Understand that if you're LeBron, you're Steph Curry and you're not with a championship team, you're on a treadmill to nowhere. It is so clear between Stefan LeBron that these moves have absolutely energized these guys and just watched LeBron's defense, it is elite and he has outplayed Ant, Luka, Kyrie and Jokic in the last week. He has been the best player on the floor. And Here is, here's LeBron after.

[Steph Curry]

We know we could have been a lot better offensively but you know, we've been hanging our hat on our under defensive end and you know when you don't shoot the ball well, you got to be able to get stops. And they made a run. They're really good team. We saw what they did a couple nights ago against OKC when it was down big and those young guys came in, sparked them, gave him good energy. So you know, they cut it down to three I believe at one point. But we was able to execute after that, get some timely stops and was able to come out with the win.

[Colin Cowherd]

So LeBron in February, 29 and a half points, 10 rebounds, seven and a half assists, shooting 55% from the floor, 46% on three pointers and playing elite on ball defense at 40. At 39, he had 84 dunks. At 39, MJ had 21. Like you're watching, this is unprecedented. You know we're always looking ahead. Don't just live in this moment. What you're watching doesn't make any sense. It makes, it's, it's Brady in Tampa. It makes no sense that Brady was that year first, second best quarterback in the league. All right, so I want to give you an update this. According to Diana Rossini, the Rams are meeting with Matt Stafford at their facility in person today regarding the future. So the Raiders and the Giants and I think the Raiders are in play here, have discussed a two year contract that includes 90 to 100 million guaranteed and a decision is expected soon. So I was thinking about this. I think if it's only two years and the Raiders are not giving you a third, then I would stay with the Rams and take less. If the Rams can get you to 75, 80, 85, I would take that over 100 on a two year deal. If they're both offering two years, Raiders go to a third year. 45 million, no state tax. I'd probably consider that. But it's really interesting and what I'm about to say won't. You'll think it's ridiculous initially, but just think about this. The Rams are not far off from winning a Super Bowl. They're. They're really close. They had. They were driving to beat Philly in a snowstorm and that defense got better every other week and they're all coming back and they're super talented. So you're not going to score a lot of points on the Rams going forward. If they get a corner in the draft of the first pick or second, they don't have a hole. That defense is good everywhere and young and cheap. If Matt Stafford stays and wins a second super bowl, and I know legacies are all about ego, but if you put 15, 20, 25 years into being a politician, a talk show host, a quarterback, a landscaper, legacies matter. You want to be remembered fondly, not just as a husband and as a dad, but what did you do professionally in your community? If he wins a second super bowl, that's the same as Elway, Peyton Manning and Big Ben. But it's more than Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young and Favre. And I've said this for years, Matt Stafford was better in high school than Aaron Rodgers, much better in college, better his first four years in the NFL and much better now in his last three. Now, there were 10 years where he was in dysfunctional Detroit and put up a lot of stats but didn't get much to the playoffs and do much. And meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers was in Green Bay, highly functional, great draft and develop organization, good coaching and had a better Midd of 10 years. But if you had to put Aaron in Detroit and Matt in Green Bay, I think he has more than one ring. But my take is legacy matters. If Stafford wins a second Super bowl, that means he would go 40 in the playoffs. In the super bowl, he would have more rings than Aaron, he'd have a better playoff percentage than Aaron, he would be better late than Aaron, better early than Aaron. As a former number one pick, there's a real argument you'd take. You take Matt Stafford, more Super Bowls. I mean, Super Bowls alone are going to get Eli Manning eventually into the hall of Fame. And he was an average regular season quarterback. How a movie ends and how a quarterback's career ends absolutely shapes how we think of you. When Brady went to Tampa and 1 50% of you watching and listening for years, and I saw it on Twitter, well, it's a system. Quarterback, he left New England one Belichick regressed. Brady is unquestionably the goat beat Mahomes last two times they played. He is head and shoulders above the crowd. John ELWAY, never forget ELWAY.03 and Super Bowls got hammered. John can't win the big game. Last two years, two super bowl wins with Terrell Davis, the running back. And we viewed him number two all time to Joe Montana. Peyton Manning goes to Denver. Let's be honest. He goes to Denver. His reputation was he's not good in big games. One Super Bowl, Brady owns him. All of a sudden, he beat Brady in a playoff game or two wins in Denver. And now that Brady Manning thing is like, oh, Peyton kind of got the best of them last couple years. If man Stafford stays nil, you're not getting a ring with Las Vegas, you're not getting a ring with the Giants. It makes those franchises respectable and probably winning franchises very quickly. Matt Stafford has a chance to get to another level. As many Super Bowls as Elway and Peyton Manning in that class and, and more than far of an Aaron Rodgers. And so to me, when you put. I mean, think about when Matt Stafford started playing football. Six years old, seven years old, he's 38 years old. He has given 30 years of his life to football. Number one high school player, number one pick out of Georgia. Had to endure a lot of nonsense in Detroit. The idea that if he could get another super bowl in the next two years with the Rams and people, a lot of people would look at him and there's an argument he's better than Steve Young, Aaron Rodgers, maybe Favre. That'd be hard for me to walk away from. I know it's just legacy. And a lot of people think that's vanity. I don't care if you're a mailman, a quarterback, a politician, a landscaper, a lawyer. It matters. You want to be remembered for committing to something. And when you've been doing it at a high level like Stafford, you're going to wizard away for money in Vegas. That'd be hard for me. So if the Raiders are not going to give you three years, I don't care if it's more money. I think the legacy matters too much to a guy that's totally been committed to football, sits in the pocket till the end, takes more shots than almost anybody in the league. I mean, that's the thing about Stafford and Aaron. Aaron didn't want to get hit anymore. I get it. I get it. Brady didn't want to get any hit anymore. Stafford sits there and gets hammered every Sunday. Some part of him is always banged up or bleeding. He is committed totally to this career. Be hard to walk away if I don't get extra years and an extra 50 to 70 million bucks. All right, J. Mac. Steph Curry put on a little clinic last night.

[LeBron James]

He was okay. 56.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, not bad at all. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out cause Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media. That's Covino and Rich.

[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is so good.

[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Steve Covino]

Make some noise. More the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era, and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Rich Davis]

Peja 5, Dirk Ford.

[Colin Cowherd]

Peja is elite. I'm mad him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list.

[Steve Covino]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Rich Davis]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. That's why we love it.

[Steve Covino]

Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Rich Davis]

When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open, like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.

[Steve Covino]

Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Steph Curry had 56 points last night, had a dozen threes. Orlando is a pretty good defensive team, so I don't think it's a coincidence that LeBron gets Luka and Steph gets Jimmy Butler, and both players explode. So Steph Curry's been to the mountaintop. Hard to get fired up and get the engine humming to be a number 10 seed. So it's got that new relationship feel. He's showing off a little bit. The warriors are 71 since Jimmy Butler arrived, and the numbers are insane. We can put them on the screen. Miami for the record, three and six without Jimmy Butler. So we said this the other day, Jimmy Butler wins. You don't have to love him, but EQ IQ effort. A very intentional basketball player. Listen, the NBA is very lucky. Sometimes leagues get lucky. LeBron and Steph have been great stewards for the league, and they're. And they're still literally, on any given night, they're the best player in the league, which is insane at their age. But it did feel like for LeBron and Steph, that they were, you know, they had cameo roles in average movies. And now, once again, Steph and LeBron feel like leading men in blockbusters. It looks like the Lakers and the warriors could absolutely be a viable Western Conference champion. That's what it looks like. And remember, if you add Jimmy Butler to Steph and Draymond Green, the West is very young at the top. OKC is young. Memphis is young. Houston is young. Draymond Steph and Jimmy Butler have 423 playoff games and 14 finals. So you don't want to play Golden State in the playoffs if you're okc. Okc, when they get Chet Holmgren back, is going to be a very good offensive team. But they're kids and right now they are in the seventh spot and half a game out of the six spot. And I'm telling you, if I'm Memphis and I'm Oklahoma City, Houston, I have no interest playing this team. And it does, it feels like, Steph, when you've been this great for this long, it is hard to get revved up driving to that arena knowing you're maybe at best a play in team. Steve Kerr on last night's 56 point outburst.

[Lance Zierlein]

Steph just wants to play meaningful basketball. And you can see we're now in the fight, we're in the mix. And this is what Steph loves. He's, you know, as great of a player and shooter is he is, his competitiveness is probably his most underrated quality and the. He was dying to be back in the mix. And we're back in the mix and you can tell he's, he's energized by that.

[Colin Cowherd]

For the record, he took 25 shots. That is tied for the second fewest shots ever taken to score 56 points. So LeBron, LeBron got a great teammate. His energy's exploded. Steph Curry got a new teammate. His efficiency, his energy exploded. When you've been to the mountaintop, it is hard to get, it's hard to get revved up. Walking into the arena playing Minnesota and the game doesn't mean anything. So this, this is really good news for the NBA, which its critics are assailing it and nobody cares. I'm telling you, watching the Warriors, I watched the warriors and the Lakers last night. It's good basketball, it's good product. With two leading men now in blockbusters. J. Mac with the news.

[Steph Curry]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the third line news.

[LeBron James]

All right, my man. Let's start with Miles Garrett. He says he's adamant he's not going back to Cleveland. So the rest of the NFL world is trying to figure out who's going in the six time Pro Bowler NFL insider Diana Rossini says one of the most aggressive GMs in the league could be making a play for the edge rusher. Take a listen.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think they're going to make an effort here. But here's what some people are saying right now, that how he's willing to.

[LeBron James]

Move on from some of these guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

Because he's looking to make a big.

[LeBron James]

Swing and take a big swing.

[Colin Cowherd]

And that big swing would be for Myles Garrett.

[LeBron James]

Yeah, that's logical.

[Colin Cowherd]

No. Why not? But by the way, Dallas still out of money, using Groupons.

[LeBron James]

I mean, Philly makes a lot of sense. I. I think you might have floated.

[Colin Cowherd]

I. I don't know. I don't know why Green Bay doesn't go all in. I don't get it. I'm Green Bay.

[LeBron James]

I don't think they're close enough.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, they haven't had a consistent pass rush in forever. Last time they went big. Reggie White, for a dominant defensive player twice in their existence that I remember. Charles Woodson, Reggie White. They went big. Paid off both times. Super Bowls.

[LeBron James]

What about Washington again?

[Colin Cowherd]

Washington would be a great place to go. I mean, Green Bay feels, you know, I. I think Buffalo makes sense. I think Green Bay makes the most sense. I think Washington makes sense.

[LeBron James]

If you're one of the seven contenders in the league, I think you've got to be picking up a phone and calling Cleveland and just at least floating something.

[Colin Cowherd]

And by the way, it will. Okay, so we've watched LeBron and Steph, who everybody thinks past their prime, what they've done in a new. With a new teammate. Do you not believe that Miles Garrett playing for the Green Bay packers or the Philadelphia Eagles, you think he's good now? What if every game's televised? I mean, they are literally. Cleveland is the fourth most interesting team in their division. The Philadelphia Eagles are arguably the most interesting team in the league. So if you take Miles Garrett, you're like, bro, every game is on Fox. Every game is Sunday Night Football. Every game is Monday Night Football. You are at the centerpiece of one of America's great sports football cities. You know, I think you'll get an elevate. I think Miles Garrett will be better than he is now.

[LeBron James]

If you're looking right outside the contender batch we saw the Chargers allegedly are going to be moving off Bosa. There's a lot of chatter about, yeah, what if you make a move on Miles Garrett? Have him opposite Khalil Mack out here in LA. I mean, if you're in, like, the top 10, you're good. I think you got to make a move on Moscow. You just have to.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, you don't have to if you're the Niners because of Bosa. I mean, there are teams that have, like, the Rams right now, have Jared Verse. You don't need it. You're not. You know there are about five teams that have a pass rush. Don't worry about it. Outside of that. This guy's a generational defensive player. He. I don't think he's that far behind Aaron Donald, Reggie White. I really don't.

[LeBron James]

All right, next story is NFL draft combines happening. A lot of people talking. Well, the Titans have made no real indication where they're going with the number one pick. I do believe it'll be Cam Ward and Cam Ward sounds like he's going to be ready to go number one.

[Lance Zierlein]

We had good interactions myself with coach Callahan, the quarterbacks coach and also the gm. It's a great staff they put together. I think I know a decent amount. I was able to watch a couple of the games this past season. A lot of their route concepts are similar stuff that we do. So you know, if I'm, if I'm drafted there, I just think it'd be plug and play well.

[Colin Cowherd]

It would be plug and play well. He is easily the most dynamic quarterback in the draft. He's got a great arm, he moves well. Little backyard football but he would start.

[LeBron James]

Day one less backyard football than Caleb Williams came into the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes. And he's more. And he's a more consistently. In my opinion he's more consistently accurate than Caleb Williams. I think Caleb is all time talent but Cam's, Cam's already good player.

[LeBron James]

You know if I'm so bullish on Cam Ward that maybe we do a head to head. You love the Patriots next year with Drake May and we'll go head to head. I'll take the Titans. You have the Patriots. Who's going to win more games? I'm telling you, Cam Ward will invigorate that franchise.

[Lance Zierlein]

Yes.

[LeBron James]

They were in a bunch of games last year.

[Colin Cowherd]

No.

[LeBron James]

Will Levis kept just throwing the football.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, no, no, I don't.

[LeBron James]

He literally lost them like four games.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, if I told you that Cam Ward won that division next year you wouldn't be outraged. Indianapolis doesn't know who their quarterback is.

[LeBron James]

Texans are sagging back a little bit. Look as good this past season and we don't know what digs probably not returning there.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I, that, that's a. That's a good. That's. That's a. That's a good call. Cam Ward is the kind of player in Tennessee feels like for the last. Even during brables years they're just not terribly dynamic on offense now. They've been powerful but they've never been really like a team that you feel like once they fall behind 17, nothing. Tennessee's over. They don't have any of that. They have to take control of the game with Derrick Henry and Tannehill. So, I mean, this kid would add spice to what I believe is a very physical football operation. They've always been tough and physical. They haven't always been efficient, but they've almost never been dynamic offensively.

[LeBron James]

Let me ask you one question. I like Cam Ward a lot. With his makeup as a quarterback. There are going to be people in the Titans organization who say, you know, Shador is going to instantly sell us tickets. He comes in with the name, obviously his father. Do we just look at him because, you know, Maybe you get 80% of Cam Ward.

[Colin Cowherd]

With Shador, you just go get the best player. The NFL's just go win games. I know it's not about shoe sales or getting. Just go get the best player.

[LeBron James]

I would guarantee you if they took Shador, they get at least one prime, maybe two.

[Colin Cowherd]

What does that mean again?

[LeBron James]

I. You're the Tennessee Titans. You're largely irrelevant.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you can't worry about that stuff.

[LeBron James]

I just posed a question. I'm not saying I would do that, but I'm.

[Colin Cowherd]

You gotta. You gotta worry about the thing is the thing. And in football, it's winning games.

[LeBron James]

Final story, Colin is some positive news in the NBA. Somebody has to be positive about the NBA. And that's us. Yeah. That's a shot. Zion Williamson, my gosh, I almost forgot. He plays basketball. He had his first career triple double 27, 10 and 11 against the hapless Suns last night. Pelicans with the Dub Sons are a mess. We'll talk about them later on the show. I'm sure. But Colin, the Zion Williamson show, when he was coming into the league, do you remember the excitement? It was like, not quite one Benyama, but it was like, oh, man. There's a guy we knew from college.

[Colin Cowherd]

He got a million people on a Facebook page to watch an AAU game.

[LeBron James]

That's right.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, there's no. The shoe exploding made him more interesting. Yeah.

[LeBron James]

And now he just, you know, it just hasn't panned out. He's always hurt. He's always.

[Colin Cowherd]

No. Now, remember this? I believe his first year, his numbers were the best since Wilt as a rookie.

[LeBron James]

Yeah, I think. No, he. Something like in the paint, he was scoring at Shaq like levels.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[LeBron James]

And he just can't stay healthy. And off the court, been a bit of a mess. We're not gonna revisit some of his issues, shall we say? But he could get healthy. That would be great. And he's still only like 25 years old.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, no. I mean, there's, there's a. In the right environment, I think you have to get him out of New Orleans and all that good food. Send him to Indianapolis, a very average food city. New Orleans is. Well, I'm sorry. I spent a week. I spent five days in New Orleans. It's my 10th time there. All you do is eat, drink and eat.

[LeBron James]

You did put on some weight there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, of course. Had stomach flu. So it all came back out. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news.

[J. Mac]

And thanks for stopping by the herd Lying news.

[Colin Cowherd]

A few things that J. Mac and I have disagreed with on the years. Brock Purdy, he views him as better than Brett Favre. I view him as a bit of a Hammond Egger. But another one is that the inside the NBA crew was Shaq and Kenny, Ernie and Sir Charles. It's hurting the league. It's so hypercritical. So LeBron James was talking about face of the league stuff and he made this comment because LeBron's obviously been face of the league for 15 years. He had this to say, why do.

[Steph Curry]

You want to be the face of a league when all the, all the people that, you know, that cover our game and talk about our game on a day to day basis, on everybody, that responsibility, that's just weird. It's weird energy from the people that you know, I don't know. But Kenny, he said it. He said it perfectly.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. All these people who cover the league. I may not talk about the NBA as much as Stephen A. But I talk a lot about it and I have big platforms. Okay. I've been critical of LeBron James twice in his career. I thought his first year in Los Angeles, he was distracted. It was like business more than basketball. He didn't like the roster. I get it. And the brawny thing feels forced to me. But, you know, I. I had one rant on that. Savannah and LeBron are great parents, but the NBA actually, the players have the most power. And because of that, even their coaches walk on eggshell with stars. They don't get hard. Coaching in AAU basketball, it's more of a circus than a developmental league. And there's one show in the NBA that is very critical of the players. Occasionally it's more of an entertainment vehicle. That's the inside the NBA. That's it. And it's often better than the games. It wins the most awards and it's easily the most watched lamar Jackson wins 76% of his games, and the commentary on him is ruthless, messy in his search for this first World Cup. Brutal. Like. Like death threat stuff. Like, brutal. So the NBA media, outside of one show is, I would say, is mostly fawning. So this idea that everybody picks on the NBA. NBA players have so much power starting in AAU basketball. Everybody walks on eggshells around him. I mean, Mahomes gets ripped. Josh Allen gets ripped. Lamar Jackson gets ripped, Justin Herbert gets ripped. Everybody in the NFL gets ripped. The majority of things that were critical, like guys like me, are critical about the NBA. Adam Silver is actually critical of and is concerned about, like, you know, like the load management stuff. And LeBron himself has been critical of something. I have. There's too many damn threes.

[Steph Curry]

It's a bigger conversation. It's not just the All Star Game. It's our game in general. Our game is. It's a lot of threes being shot. So it's a. It's a bigger conversation. Just all star game.

[Colin Cowherd]

So LeBron is addressing my primary criticism of the league. Load management's bad for fans, has too many threes. And Jayson Tatum is the one player in the NBA that wants to be the face of the league. But the truth is he doesn't have the aura or the charisma. He's just a great player. It's not hate just being honest. It's just being honest. So I don't. I don't buy this nonsense that I would argue that the football culture in America, the coaching's tougher and the media is much harsher. Even in college football. Players get death threats in college football when they drop passes and miss kicks. That's not happening a lot in college basketball. It doesn't happen in aau. It doesn't happen in the NBA. So let's stop this whole. Oh, Barkley is so. I watched that show last night. It's a comedy show. That's what that show is. It's a comedy show that sometimes is willing to poke some of the NBA superstars gently in the ribs. Gently. So I don't think Brock Purdy is Joe Montana. And I don't think the inside the NBA show is turning people off. I don't buy it. I would argue negative opinions. I mean, if you go look at the algorithms of YouTube, Facebook negativity helps popularity. I mean, who's president for the second time, the most polarizing person who the media attacks 24 7. I mean, the media has. There's. Except for the network called Fox media attacks are present that that makes his followers more strident. So, so the idea that criticism hurts a rating, I'm, I would argue when you're critical of somebody, it makes people defend them to a greater degree. And I just don't buy that. The NBA media, I think it's pretty fawning by and large. Coming up next, and for the record, what did I leave my show with for the third time this week? How great LeBron is. All right, I know I'm not Barkley, but you know, I got a few followers. Coming up next, we'll go to the NFL combine with one of the guys that I think does as good a job as anybody in the country. His dad was a former coach. He'll join us live from Indy on breaking down players. You can go back and look at his thoughts and picks. He doesn't miss much. We'll go to Indy next. Live in la, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[J. Mac]

It's the last game of the season and with amex, you can save time with card member entrances at select venues and go straight to the action so you can catch every moment. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Learn more@american express.com With Amex, you can.

[Colin Cowherd]

Count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch to T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Steve Covino]

Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live for on All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Rich Davis]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford.

[Colin Cowherd]

Paja is elite.

[Steve Covino]

Okay, okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm mad at him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list.

[Steve Covino]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Rich Davis]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.

[Steve Covino]

Yes, absolutely.

[Rich Davis]

Love it.

[Steve Covino]

Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Rich Davis]

When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you, there's a fear factor that's associated with. Anytime you're wide open, like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.

[Steve Covino]

Listen to Goat G o t e greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I was thinking about this before we go to Indy for the combine, that Travis Hunter said he wanted to play 100% of the snaps. He wants to go both ways. So when IND NBA guys want the night off, Travis Hunter's like, I don't want to snap off. It does matter. But you know, I was thinking about this is last year, 12 million people watched the first round of the draft. That was better than the NBA Finals that had Jayson Tatum and the Big brand Celtics. Why? How is that possible? How is the beginning of a career, by the way? The first round is long. You sit there for 10 minutes waiting for pics. It's people on phones. It's highlights from their college careers. It got 12 million viewers. That's beating stuff like, you know, like big bowl games. That's beating the NBA Finals with the Celtics in it. And I think the reason is, and this is why the WNBA draft last year was more interesting than the NBA draft stories. I mean, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese came into the league. They had stories. Baker Mayfield came into the league. He had a story. Travis Hunter, Shador Sanders, Cam Ward Carter, the defensive end for Penn State. You got to follow all these guys. And I think I really do, as the draft is in late April and it's getting monster numbers. And this is why I've said for years, college basketball is the NBA's ally. It is their best friend. And Adam Silver, when he first got that job, saw him as the enemy. And the G League hurts the NBA. It hurts the NBA. The players disappear and then end up on bad teams. I have no story. I have no visceral connection at all. So the truth is, Colorado wasn't even a good team. And yet Shadour Sanders and Travis Hunter come into this league. This program three years ago was the worst in college football. But because guys stay in college, because the NFL's always understood the power of college football, I can't wait to watch it. I don't know how Travis Hunter is going to do. I don't know how shedeur is going to do, but I'm into their stories. I said it this year. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. I knew the first seven people taken in the WNBA draft. Do you remember the first player taken in the NBA draft? Unless you're like a Die Hard. It was a French guy, I think, and I'm a sportscaster. I mean, it just didn't have any impact. I didn't want to watch it. I didn't care. I knew he wouldn't have an impact. He goes to a bad team, it wouldn't matter. Okay, so Lancerlein has worked for, been working the NFL Draft for 25 years at NFL DOT. He does about as good a job as anybody in this country. I am sitting on his draft previews the minute he starts writing them. So let's, I want to talk about this about Shador Sanders. Yesterday, Daniel Jeremiah came on the show and he said, what is his great trait? And I said my favorite part, he had no run game and an awful offensive line. So he has had to initiate offense. That, that is a real NFL experience because you're going to go to a team with a battle line that doesn't have great weapons. You, you quarterback at Ohio. That's not the real world where a drag route from underneath becomes a 60 yard gain. When you look at Chadour, I think he's a B to a B plus prospect. What is his soup? What's his superpower?

[Lance Zierlein]

Well, his superpower and I can give DJ a call if we need to get this thing settled, you know, settled. I can, I can call him Colin. But what he, you know, if you're talking about the traits, the arm, the this, that. No, but what he has are those intangibles that we always speak of all the time. The accuracy, the calm in the pocket, the poise, the confidence. That's what he has. And to me, that's really where you start with, you know, with Shador Sanders. Cam Ward's going to be the physical stuff, but Shador Sanders is really more of the intangibles that frankly we end up spotlighting for a lot of players that, you know, end up being better than we expect them to be. So I think when you talk about superpowers, I think he's, he's kind of a Clark Kent in the sense that, you know, he's got the ability to do some things. But what really helps him to stand out in my opinion is the way he manages the pocket. He is very calm, he's very confident and he's going to throw with accuracy. And those are three very big items.

[Colin Cowherd]

Does he have a comp in the NFL? Because I've heard people talk about Cam Warden say, and I can see it, there's a little Caleb Williams. What is she doing?

[Lance Zierlein]

Comp didn't put one, couldn't come up with one. And I think. But I did today. I was thinking about it because I was anticipating. You asked me about Shador, and I thought, you know who he needs to be? He needs to be C.J. stroud and Jared Goff. And, you know, those are my comps for each other. I thought CJ's a lot like Jared Goff.

[LeBron James]

And.

[Lance Zierlein]

And I still think that's true. And I think that's a good thing. By the way, I think that's who Shadore Sanders has to be. Be those guys, be game managers who can dissect defenses and who can keep the game on track. Don't try to be something you're not, which is a guy throwing off platform. You're not Patrick Mahomes. Don't try to be Patrick Mahomes. Bjard Goff, that's a really good player to be, and that can win a lot of football games.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, when the CTE stuff hit the NFL, there was the NFL. You were hearing a lot of stories that moms didn't want their sons to play football. And I remember hearing that in the NFL was very aggressive pursuing moms and marketing and promoting and women. Viewership in the NFL has gone up. But there was this sense that that CTE discussion, there was like a feeling like, boy, this is too dangerous. And I remember that, and I hear how weak this draft is, and I just wonder, are we getting to a point where numbers are down? Kids playing football and, you know, in the NBA, about every third draft is a clunker. Like in the NFL, they're all good drafts. Some are just better than others. Does this feel like it is the first of what will become a little more consistently kind of average drafts? Fewer kids are playing high school football. Does that make any sense?

[Lance Zierlein]

It makes sense. I hadn't really thought about it. I'm going to keep an eye on it. I've got a counter to that, really, because I write all these players, I look at their bios. This is the fewest amount of players we've had declare early for the NFL draft in a long, long time. So I think the talent pool is watered down because NIL is keeping more players in school. It's better for us as sports fans. Collins. We get to see better college basketball. Frankly, we get to see better college football in terms of players staying a little bit longer. I think the flip side of that is there's also a lot of COVID players in this. And what I mean by that is I have Never in my entire life, other than when I write up BYU players who typically do Mormon missions and it takes them a little longer. I cannot tell you the last time I wrote up so many 23 and 24 year olds, so many players who played six years. And I think this draft is populated with the very end of the players who got the extra year from COVID So they're older players, they're players who have been there longer. They're kind of average players, I think, who are maybe better than the competition because they're frankly older, stronger. They're just, you know, they're more physically mature. But also, you got to remember, Nil is keeping more of the talented juniors in school than we've ever seen.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, I think you can make an argument Carter and Travis Hunter, the most explosive athletes I saw. But I'm not sure that Mason Graham and T. Mac, the receiver at Arizona aren't the best football players. I. Tell me how wrong I am. I think those guys are impact players day one. I think Carter's got more talent. I think Travis is generational. But Mason Graham and T. Mac from Arizona, I think those guys plug play star very early. Tell me I'm wrong.

[Lance Zierlein]

I tell you you might be wrong. It's so funny because people who watch the tape on Ted McMillan, they don't love it and I didn't love it. And here's why. You know, he just cruised on deep routes. He doesn't run to his top speed. He had a little bit of a foot injury in the off season, so he was slow getting back into it. I want to see him out here working out. I want to see him drop his weight, get in and out of breaks quicker, get some separation. He's more of a Drake London type player, which is fine. I don't mind Drake London, but I don't think Drake London's ever going to be considered the best player in the draft. And while this isn't a great draft, I think Ted McMillan has some things to prove out here, either at the combine or just pro day, depending on how he he works it. I thought his 23 tape is better than his 24 tape. And you can see right here, this is a guy when he's striding and when he gets his speed up, he's got build up speed. So let's just see some of that out here at the combine as far as you know. And there's some good wide receivers, but it's not a great wide receiver draft. I don't know that there's A true wide receiver. One in this draft. A guy who's going to be a star on a team. As far as the other player you mentioned, Mason Grant. Mason is one of the safest players you can find in the draft. One of the absolute safest. High, high floor. I think his ceiling is a little bit more solid than unbelievable football player. People around the Michigan program will tell you that Kenneth Grant, the other defensive tackle, if they both play at their very best, that he could have the higher ceiling than Mason Graham. And, and really it's not a slam on Graham.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's.

[Lance Zierlein]

It's really talking about how good both of those guys have a chance to be. But you know, for me, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, the two tight ends, I think those guys and Ashton Genty are the three you really have to hone in on. Beside obviously Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, who you mentioned, I think Loveland is going to be a star in the making. I think Travis, you know who Tyler Warren reminds me of? He reminds me of Jeremy Shockey when he came out. Yeah, I see a lot of Jeremy Shockey confidence in his game when he came out. And then Ashton Genti. For me, I mean, I'm looking at Ladanian Tomlinson, a guy who can create with speed, wiggle and power, a guy who can do it on his own. So I think Genti is going to end up being a really special running back. The only problem with it is that, you know, he had. He's had so many carries and touches over the last two years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Okay. Lancer line NFL.com does great stuff. He likes, likes Ashton, Jenny. I think it's such a great running back draft. I'd be a little reluctant to go first round back. Carolina's also got a great one. We gotta go. It's our two next. This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glazer podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following oupwithhate.

[Steve Covino]

Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from all star weekend for a new podcast called Goat greatest of their era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Rich Davis]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford Peja is elite.

[Steve Covino]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Rich Davis]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. Absolutely love it.

[Steve Covino]

Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.