The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Joe and Jada: Stephen A. Smith DEBATES LeBron's NBA future, Trump & Mamdani, ESPN contract

Date: November 25, 2025
Guests: Stephen A. Smith
Hosts: Fat Joe, Jada
Podcast Theme: An energetic and wide-ranging conversation with Stephen A. Smith on hot-button sports and political topics, life lessons, contract negotiations, NBA futures, American politics, and the reality of street life, all delivered in the distinct, passionate streetwise style of the hosts.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a vibrant, unfiltered roundtable with Stephen A. Smith as the special guest. The main focus is a debate on LeBron James’ NBA future, high-stakes sports trades, the Knicks’ chances in the NBA, and sharp political commentary including takes on Trump, Mamdani, and disillusionment with establishment politics. The episode also explores Stephen A.'s experience with his ESPN contract negotiations and his principles on personal freedom and career ownership. Laced with laughs, New York nostalgia, and quotable moments, the episode brings together sports analysis, political takes, and personal stories, all with raw honesty.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stephen A. Smith’s Origins and Chemistry with Hosts

• [03:39] Stephen A. Smith jokes about Fat Joe blaming him for the Yankees losing to the Dodgers and sets the tone of brotherly banter.
• [04:12–06:26] The hosts and Stephen A. riff on New York roots, legendary Bronx artists, and how sharing the same background is central to their camaraderie.
  • “Born in the Bronx. Whole Avenue.” — Stephen A. Smith [06:24]

2. Dak Prescott, CTE, and Athlete Mental Health

• [08:36–14:28] Hot takes on Dak Prescott's reputation, Draymond Green’s apology, and the struggles of Dallas fans.
  • Smith defends Dak: “He’s not a bum. … He can play.” [09:21]
  • Fat Joe confesses his compulsive fandom: “I’m a Cowboys fan by domestic violence. They lose, I got a [messed] up week.” [10:33]
• [11:02–14:28] The conversation turns serious, reflecting on a Dallas player's suicide, depression in sports, CTE (with comparisons to Antonio Brown's wild career turns), and the human costs of football.
  • “I don't know how prevalent it is with all these cats, but I do think it's something you need to investigate.” — Stephen A. Smith [11:51]
• [14:20] Stephen A. and Fat Joe muse—could they keep quiet for $29 million? “For $29 million, I could have shut the f*** up for the rest of the month!” — Stephen A. Smith [14:24]

3. New York Knicks’ Season, Trades, and Giannis Hypotheticals

• [15:36–22:16] Stephen A. lays out the Knicks’ strengths and issues post-Tibbs, critiques new coach Mike Brown’s softer style, and argues for bold changes:
  • “This is it. You gotta get to the Finals. … It ain't gonna be easier in the years to follow. This is it.” — Stephen A. Smith [19:00]
• On Giannis:
  • “Giannis in New York? … Yes, in a heartbeat.” [20:16]
  • “I ain't giving away Brunson.” [20:35]
  • Fat Joe pushes back: “You saying this the first time in 25 years we could go to the Finals by default—but do you give that up for Giannis?” [20:38]
• Stephen A.: “With Giannis, I'm gonna have a chance to get to the Finals every year.” [20:49]

4. Victor Wembanyama’s Game-Changing Impact

• [23:01–25:56] Stephen A. delivers a passionate review of “Wemby’s” rookie dominance:
  • “7’5” with a handle and a fallaway J … He’s going to be Defensive Player of the Year and … League MVP if San Antonio gets to the postseason.” [25:43]
• The group marvels at the physical transformation of the NBA: “He made [Anthony Davis] look like a little boy. He wasn’t even a factor.” — Fat Joe [25:12]
• [25:56] On Wembanyama’s future: “He needs to get a little bit stronger.” — Jada / “Of course he does. … If he was playing in the 90s or the 80s—they'd have had him scared to be on the interior.” — Stephen A. Smith

5. LeBron James’ NBA Future & Trade Debate

• [34:08–39:18] The group debates LeBron’s future, with Fat Joe arguing he slows down teams (“he gotta do to LeBron and slow everything up” [36:17]), and Stephen A. countering with deep-dive historical context:
  • “Historically, LeBron has shown he can figure out what he needs to do where he doesn’t hurt the team.” — Stephen A. Smith [37:47]
  • “LeBron will come back at age 41 with sciatica and easily average 22 to 25 a game. … How he does it matters…” [39:38]

6. NBA Conference Threat Levels: Houston, Detroit, Orlando

• [40:16–42:28] Smith assesses young NBA teams, highlighting Amen Thompson and Detroit’s hungry roster:
  • “Cade Cunningham is a star. Get that out the way right now.” [41:12]
  • “Orlando is coming… Paolo Banchero, big time. And Bogdan’s not bad either. … They got Desmond Bane, brother could drill it from three.” — Stephen A. Smith [42:11-42:26]

7. NFL Midseason Picture & Seattle’s Prospects

• [44:44–45:44] Smith singles out Seattle as the NFC’s toughest team—if Sam Donald can deliver at QB.
  • “It all comes down to Sam Donald, though.” [44:52]
  • On Giants: “If you were that bad… I’m giving you a ticket, flying another plane or you taking a bus, get the hell out.” [45:17]

8. Baseball: Shohei Ohtani’s Greatness

• [47:30–49:00] Fat Joe and Smith dig into elite baseball history, comparing Ohtani and Barry Bonds:
  • “Shohei Ohtani is the greatest in the world … when you take into account he pitches as well as hits, he is the greatest since Babe Ruth. … [But] nobody was a better hitter than Barry Bonds.” — Stephen A. Smith [47:42]

9. Personal Stories & Life Lessons

• [50:02–53:07] Fat Joe shares a classic New York tale about helping out Yankees legend Phil Rizzuto, reflecting on authenticity and skepticism in street life.
  • “If you from there, it’s cool, it’s normal habitat.” — Jada [52:09]

10. Stephen A.’s ESPN Contract and Freedom

• [53:10–58:13] Smith reveals behind-the-scenes details of his ESPN contract, stressing the hard-won fight for personal rights and independence.
  • “The issue for me … was my rights, my freedom. … I told this to cats like Shannon… If you from the hip hop industry … you have your freedom. … That’s what I was jealous of.” [53:29–54:18]
  • “I was willing to put everything on the line. … If I don’t bet on me now, I never will.” [54:18]
  • “I own the show. So we split the profits.” [58:02]

11. Politics: Mamdani, Trump, and Systemic Distrust

• [59:09–74:36] A frank, rapid-fire conversation about U.S. politics: redistribution proposals, NYC’s issues, systemic racism, and Democrats vs. Republicans.
  • “Nothing’s free in this world. … What he means is the redistribution of wealth. Here’s the problem ... In a capitalist society, you can’t mess with small/big businesses … It always trickles down to the lower class. It’s fool’s gold to think you can just keep raising taxes…” — Stephen A. Smith [69:02–69:39]
  • Fat Joe: “My Dominicans on my block … thought PPP was coming … now they ain’t even got SNAP.” [75:05]
  • On Trump: “Trump is just coming back for revenge.” — Stephen A. Smith [80:07]

12. Presidential Ambitions and Media Critique

• [58:13–62:16] Smith jokes about running for President but insists he wouldn’t risk his money—he would, however, dominate any debate stage.
  • “The one thing I know I would love to do is to be on the debate stage against the politicians. … I’d be on a mission to eat everybody alive.” — Stephen A. Smith [59:10–59:29]

13. Legendary New York: Knicks vs. Yankees, Music, and Identity

• [83:32–88:31] Fat Joe and Smith wrap with good-natured arguments about who’s truly “synonymous” with the Knicks and Yankees, music gaffes at stadiums, and whether Joe “jinxed” the Yankees with a pregame performance.
  • “I blame you for the Yankees losing to the Dodgers last year.” — Stephen A. Smith [83:39]
  • “I'm telling you. You're not synonymous with the Yankees. … You or the Knicks? Knicks.” — Stephen A. Smith [87:12]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Dak Prescott:
  • “He’s not a bum. … He can play.” — Stephen A. Smith [09:21]
• On Giannis trade scenario:
  • “I get everybody. Let me tell you something right now. Giannis in New York. Shit. Yes. In a heartbeat.” — Stephen A. Smith [20:16]
• On Wembanyama:
  • “I said, oh, shit. 7’5” with a handle and a fallaway J.” — Stephen A. Smith [23:14]
• On contract/freedom:
  • “If I don’t bet on me now, I never will.” — Stephen A. Smith [54:18]
• On politics:
  • “What I'm saying is … I'm one of those guys. I’m a registered independent. … You can't tell me we're divided. Y' all divide us because y' all ain't handling shit. … I know that I will resonate.” — Stephen A. Smith [60:05, 81:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dak/CTE/Mental Health: [08:36–14:25]
• Knicks/Giannis/NBA Futures: [15:36–22:16]
• Wembanyama Analysis: [23:01–25:56]
• LeBron’s Future Debate: [34:08–39:18]
• ESPN Contract Negotiation: [53:10–58:13]
• Politics, Mamdani, Trump: [59:09–81:12]
• NY Identity & Stadium Stories: [83:32–88:31]

Final Tone & Takeaways

The episode’s tone is direct, streetwise, funny, and unvarnished—true to both the hosts’ and Stephen A. Smith's style. It’s a masterclass in energetic conversation, as each participant brings sports and life experience to the table. Listeners are treated not just to headline NBA/NFL takes, but also to real talk about business, mental health, race, freedom, and the struggles that connect the block to the boardroom.

Whether you’re a sports fanatic, politics watcher, or just love classic NYC stories, this episode delivers laughs, insight, and honesty, with plenty of quotable moments and memorable exchanges.