THE HERD - Hour 1 - Cavs go up 3-2, Niners should take a big step back this season, LeBron James' future with the Lakers

Summary

---

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Summary – Hour 1 (May 14, 2026): "Cavs go up 3-2, Niners should take a big step back, LeBron James' future with the Lakers"
Guests: Channing Frye, Myles Turner

---

Overview

In this episode, Colin focuses on the unique intensity and unpredictability of NBA playoff basketball, offers an early breakdown of the official NFL schedule release with sharp skepticism surrounding the San Francisco 49ers’ prospects, and dives deep into the swirling narratives about LeBron James' standing with the Lakers. The hour is marked by classic Cowherd candor: bold takes, competitive landscapes, and an insider’s perspective on both player impact and front-office politics.

---

NBA Playoffs: The Regular Season vs. Playoff Gap

[02:17 – 06:48]

• Main Point: Colin emphasizes the massive gap between the NBA regular season and the playoffs, arguing that only true stars thrive under playoff-level scrutiny and intensity.

• Example: He dissects Detroit’s late collapse in a playoff game, noting how second-tier stars (like Jalen Duren) excel in the regular season but shrink when postseason defenses tighten.

• Star Power: Michael Jordan and LeBron are cited as examples of players whose greatness transcends schemes – “There’s no containing the great players… The great guys get theirs.” (Colin, [04:37])

• Key Quote:

  “People think going from this regular season to the playoffs in the NBA is like going from fourth grade to fifth grade... It’s like going from elementary school to grad school.” — Colin Cowherd [05:23]

• Cade Cunningham Soundbite: After losing Game 5, Cunningham acknowledges the pressure and necessity to win on the road.

  • Quote:

    “...If we can't win a game on the road, how far we really gonna get in the playoffs?” — Cade Cunningham [06:25]

---

NFL Schedule Release: Niners at a Crossroads

[06:48 – 12:34]

• Focus: Colin hones in on the San Francisco 49ers, highlighting a convergence of factors—aging stars, weak draft performance, and a brutal travel-heavy schedule.
• Aging Roster: Niners have doubled down on older stars (Trent Williams, George Kittle, Mike Evans), making them vulnerable to injuries.
• Draft Concerns: Robert Mays joins to analyze how missing on premium draft picks and overreliance on coaching influence has thinned their depth.
  • Quote:

    “Old injuries travel. That sounds like a 68-year-old insurance salesman who drinks too much. It does not sound like a Super Bowl champion.” — Colin Cowherd [11:11]

• Rival Youth: Colin contrasts Niners’ old roster with the hungry, not-yet-paid Rams and Seahawks.
• Schedule Disruption: More primetime games cause routine disruption, which is tougher for veteran-laden squads.
• Jason McIntyre Insight: Expects heavy “over/under” talk following schedule release, with special focus on Niners/Rams. [12:34]

---

LeBron James vs. Lakers – ‘Respect’ in Basketball Culture

[15:50 – 27:16]

• Topic: Colin dissects the recent ESPN report claiming LeBron feels undervalued by Lakers brass after missing out on a ceremonial game ball.
• Cultural Divide: Emphasizes how the NBA’s culture obsesses over public shows of respect, in stark contrast to the NFL and NHL.
  • Quote:

    “There’s this constant need to show respect... If you don’t acknowledge it and worship it, you don’t like me.” — Colin Cowherd [20:21]

• Front Office Perspective: Recaps how the Lakers have repeatedly catered to LeBron (trading for AD, firing coaches, drafting his son).
  • Quote:

    “You draft a guy’s kid, you get him AD, you bring in Westbrook, you bail on Westbrook, you fire multiple coaches…” — Colin Cowherd [22:05]

• LeBron’s Alleged Power Play: Jason and Colin debate whether the leak is a leverage move by LeBron to push out GM Rob Pelinka. (Jason, [26:12])
• Notable Moment:

  “Do you remember that moment as a huge LeBron moment?” — Colin [24:51]
  “I did not remember.” — Jason McIntyre [25:08]

• Colin’s Takeaway: “23 years in, we gonna lose sleep on game balls?... Your contract is respect.” [33:55]

---

NFL Quick Hits

[27:16 – 33:48]

• Malik Nabers' Injury: Giants’ top receiver undergoes a second surgery, prompting durability concerns.
  • Quote:

    “When I think of Malik Nabers, I think of injuries... some guys have a style of play, some guys don’t.” — Colin [28:02]

• Warriors’ Future: Golden State re-signs Steve Kerr, but Colin and Jason see little to trade and fret over the aging roster.
  • Quote:

    “They're like the Niners. Old, brittle, expensive, can't stay on top forever.” — Colin [31:08]

• Dolphins Extend Achane: Miami locks up top RB Devin Achane. Both agree running backs matter for both bad (offensive support) and contending (clock-killing) teams.
  • Quote:

    “Running backs will always have value... Good teams need it because they have a lead late and they want to run the clock out.” — Colin [32:10]

---

Schedule Release & The Bears’ Outlook

[35:38 – 39:43]

• Schedule Impact: Though he believes great coaches/QBs are “schedule-resistant,” Colin’s research finds teams with the toughest NFL schedules rarely win playoff games.
• Bears Optimism: Despite facing the toughest schedule, Colin remains high on the Bears due to Ben Johnson's coaching and Caleb Williams' potential.
• Ben Johnson Soundbite: Emphasizes the need for the team to double down as the division toughens.

---

NBA Draft Rumors & Analysis

[40:04 – 45:51]

• Draft Landscape: No clear LeBron-type “can’t-miss” at the top; intrigue around Utah possibly trading up for BYU’s AJ Dybansa or Kansas’ Darren Peterson.
• Draft Room Psychology: Jason brings up Danny Ainge’s famous Markelle Fultz/Jayson Tatum trade as a cautionary tale.
• Colin’s Summary: With no clear-cut #1, bold moves and talent evaluation could reshape franchises like Utah and Washington.
  • Quote:

    “When you’re a bad team and you can get a rim protector... just get him in house to face Jokic.” — Colin [43:30]

---

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• The Playoff Gap:

  “It’s like going from elementary school to grad school... That’s why you need stars.” — Colin [05:39]

• On NFL Schedules:

  “Schedules really affect average teams... I think the Bears have an A++ coach and an A++ quarterback.” — Colin [35:38]

• LeBron & Respect:

  “At some point, your contract is respect... They pay you well. That’s the respect. I don’t need plaques.” — Colin [23:52]

• On Roster Construction:

  “They're like the Niners. Old, brittle, expensive, can't stay on top forever.” — Colin [31:08]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA Regular Season vs. Playoffs & Cavs-Pistons Analysis: [02:17 – 06:48]
• 49ers 2026 Outlook & Schedule Rant: [06:48 – 12:34]
• LeBron-Lakers “Respect” and Organizational Politics: [15:50 – 27:16]
• NFL Injury/Signings Quick Hits: [27:16 – 33:48]
• Schedule Release & Bears Breakdown: [35:38 – 39:43]
• NBA Draft Trade Scenarios: [40:04 – 45:51]

---

Tone and Style

Colin is blunt, energetic, and opinionated, weaving sports analysis with analogies drawn from business, culture, and his own broadcast career. He leans into skepticism (especially on the Niners and Lakers' front office drama), openly questions media narratives, and refuses to pander. Jason McIntyre provides quick, data-driven interjections and alternative readings, helping to balance the dialogue.

---

For listeners seeking a brisk, comprehensive update on both NBA/NFL playoff dynamics, the business realities of pro sports, and a fresh perspective on the latest, most hot-button headlines—this episode delivers.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Dish Network Advertiser]

Tired of overpaying with DirecTV? Dish offers a reliable low price every month without surprises. Get the TV you love and start watching live sports news and the latest movies, plus your favorite streaming apps all in one place. Switch to Dish today and lock in the lowest price in satellite TV starting at $89.99 a month with with our two year price guarantee. Call 888, add dish or visit dish.com today.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who says renting can't feel like home?

[Podcast Announcer]

Make your rental feel like yours.

[Apple Card Advertiser]

It all starts with one scroll. Download TikTok to discover easy home decor ideas.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. On a Thursday NFL schedule release day, we are live. It is the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, whatever the platform is, appreciate it. A lot of choices out there. Channing Fry, Miles Turner on the show today. So there is a big gap, more than any professional sport in America, between regular season and playoffs in the NBA. And last night's a great example. Detroit had the game sealed and couldn't get a point with three Minutes plus left, not a point. Because they got one guy who can get his own basket, Kate Cunningham, and they were taking the ball away from him. And great example difference regular season playoffs is Jalen Duran, Durham Detroit, 20 A game Regular season All Star Regular season Piston Second Best Player Regular season averages. Now half that in the playoffs. He's just a really good rebounder who you'd love to have on the roster. And he's seeking a big extension. Fans have always thought of the NBA. They rig the playoffs for the stars. No, the really good teams have two or three guys who can rise above schemes. Because when you're playing the same coaches and same teams, all your tricks, you don't have a fatigue advantage. Everybody's equally rested and they're going a mile deep on your schemes. That's why Austin Reaves isn't quite the same player. He gets hunted in the playoffs. Everybody's rested and they know every move he's got. Teams take away your strengths, they attack your weaknesses. And that's what happened. Jalen duran, really nice. 20 a game all star in the regular season, a guy that rebounds in the playoffs. That's why Michael Jordan 6 for 6 in the finals, even when he faced Gary Payton. Gary Payton was the NBA's Defensive Player of the year. And the sonics had the second best defense in the NBA. And Michael Jordan against Gary Payton, 27 a night Finals MVP. Now, Michael had to work a little harder with a glove, but he was still mvp. Andre Iguodala was the MVP of the finals. He contained LeBron. LeBron averaged 35 a game in that series. LeBron had to work a little harder for the 35. There's no containing the great players. Cade Cunningham's always going to get his. Jalen Brunson is going to get his right. Luka, if he's healthy, is going to get his. The great guys get theirs. The very good guys even get theirs. Jalen Durance in the west, a guy in the east, he's really good guy in the regular season playoffs, 10 a game. So people think going from this regular season to the playoffs in the NBA is like going from fourth grade to fifth grade. You're just using fewer crayons. It's not. That's not. It's like going from elementary school to grad school. It's even officiated differently. It is a different sport, the way it's officiated, the way the schemes come down. That's why you need stars. That's why you need a Jordan. Or at the time of Bill Russell or a Kareem or a Magic or a Bird. You can throw everything you want at them. They'll get theirs. Bucket getters. And Detroit's got one. Said it all year. I liked them in this series because I just thought they'd kind of squeeze out the inconsistent Cavs. But guess what? Donovan Mitchell, bucket getter. James Harden, bucket getter. Evan Mobley hit a big three. Bucket getter. Detroit doesn't have any. Well, they got one, so. And that's really the difference. You saw it last night. That's why Austin Reeves, you're like, he's so effective in March and not nearly as much in may. Different sport. NFL's not different. A little more intense. But hockey, I mean, it's intense. It's intense in the regular season. So now it's three two, Cavs. Cade Cunningham, the bucket getter for Detroit, talked after tough loss.

[Cade Cunningham]

Obviously we wanted to protect our home court. We failed to do that. You know, being up 3, 2 is an advantage for them. It's first of four wins, though. We know that. We've had our back against the wall before. And at the end of the day, I mean, if we can't win a game on the road, how far we really going to get in the playoffs? How far we going to get in this league? So got to go in a game on the road, that's what we're going to go do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, the Eastern Conference is weird. Last year, four seed Indiana takes it over. This year, the number one seeds, Detroit, and they don't have a second score. Couple years ago, the Miami Heat were an eight seed. Got to the finals in the West. I feel like I know what I'm watching. I know what I'm seeing. Night to night, series to series, week to week in the East, I don't. Now it looks like the Cavs will meet the Knicks. I'll still. I'll still hold on to my hope with Detroit grinding out a Game 6 win in Cleveland. And by the way, if it goes to a game seven, James Harden is not a good game seven guy. Look it up. Okay, so schedules come out tonight, officially. Now we know who everybody's playing. But schedules do matter, you know. When do you face the cluster of good teams you always want to face? A Miami when it's cooler or a Baltimore when it's warmer. You know, you don't want to face Denver early in the altitude. You don't want to go down to Miami in September. It matters. Buffalo. I'd rather play them when it's Not a blizzard. So The San Francisco 49ers is the one schedule that I'm really interested how it plays out because of every schedule this year. Remember last year niners had the second or first easiest schedule. This year they travel 38,000 miles more than any team because they play in Australia and Mexico City. And the Niners are in a weird space. Number one, indisputably third best roster in their division. That's not an argument. Rams, Seahawks, more good young players in their prime. Number two is they rely heavily, more than any team in the league, maybe on older veteran players to stay healthy. Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Bosa. The other thing is they added more older players. Mike Evans, Christian, Kirk, Dre, Greenlaw's back from Denver. So now they doubled down on old guys with injury history. And the other thing is our schedule again goes from second easiest in the league. New England, San Francisco, easiest schedules. Now it's a much tougher schedule. The other thing that worries me, and this is why the schedule matters for the Rams, for the Niners. The Rams and the Seahawks are very young, hungry rosters. A lot of the Niner stars, they're on their third big contract. The Mike Evans, the Trent Williams, the George Kittles, Fred Warners, they're on their second or their third big contract. The Rams and the Seahawks have a lot of guys who haven't gotten their first big payday yet. That matters in a sport where you get tackled and you have to play through pain. The Ram roster and the Seahawk roster are young hungry with a lot of stars that have not been paid once yet. Big money because you make your big money in the NFL in your second, your third contract. So I could see the Niners completely falling APART if Christian McCaffrey gets injured, if the schedule is brutal after that injury. Remember Kyle Shanahan's a great coach, but he has had four losing seasons in San Francisco. And the other thing, I worry about them because the Rams and the Seahawks have drafted consistently much better over the last four or five years. The Niners have missed on a lot of draft picks. They were also five and one in one score games. That never transcends year to year. Remember when the Chiefs one year were like 11 and Owen one score games and then they regressed badly last year in one score games. So I this is the one team I want to see what the schedule look like looks like. And I also think, and this has been a discussion point around the draft, they have once again had a weird draft with a Lot of reaches because they've missed on so many draft picks. They don't have the depth, which is a real problem with an old, brittle, expensive roster. Here's Robert Mays.

[Robert Mays]

If you go back and look at teams that we think have been poor at drafting over the last 5, 10ish years, go look at how many picks they make and I think that's part of the Niners problem. So if you're missing those first and second round picks, especially high top 50 second round picks, your hit rate is going to look a little bit worse. So when you combine that with maybe some of the oversized influence that the coaching staff has, I think you get some of the results that you're talking about here combined with the fact that their first round picks keep getting hurt.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean if I said to you old injuries travel, that sounds like a 68 year old insurance salesman who drinks too much. It does not sound like a Super bowl champion. So I mean it's old, brittle and lead in travel. That, that, that, that doesn't sound like it's going to play out exceedingly well for San Francisco. J. Mac, is there a team who um, for instance, I like Detroit in the over. I'm interested to see that schedule. Can they get some early momentum? Now Detroit, which is a pretty big NFL brand and fun to watch, I'm going to see what the NFL does in terms of where they put them, what games, what networks they'll be in a lot of, remember the better teams, as you know, Jason, they put them in these big TV games so it disrupts your week. Peyton Manning used to hate the disruptions of playing, you know, on a, on a Sunday night. But you know, Mahomes, remember a couple years ago, was it last year they were playing on every night but Tuesday?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So that can be schedules and the Niners are a huge brand and Shanahan's a rock star and George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. So you start playing on Sunday night or Monday night or Thursday night and it starts becoming very disruptive to older players who appreciate patterns and habits. Yes, that's another thing with a Niner schedule I'm interested in.

[Jason McIntyre]

Patterns is a great word. You and I are very similar. We were schedule oriented. We like, we, we like to nail stuff down. Well, the schedules come out today and I think tomorrow in headlines we will be doing some over unders and one of the Niners or Rams is definitely on that list.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Jason McIntyre]

Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guesses. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts

[Apple Card Advertiser]

brought to you by Apple Card. Apple card users get 2% daily cash back on purchases made in store and online, whether it's for big ticket items or everyday purchases. When they use their Apple Card with Apple Pay now, that's a benefit that's just too good to pass up. You could be earning 2% daily cash back when you use your Apple Card with Apple. Pay to buy Turmeric for your signature curry, 2% back on flights to visit the family in Tucson, and even 2% back on your kid's new tuba. You might even be able to get 2% back on a tuba tutor not an Apple Card customer. You can apply in the Wallet app on iPhone subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs bank usa, Salt Lake City branch terms and more at Apple Co Benefits

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

and Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh no.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Together.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Comedy Sketch Performer]

Liberty Liberty. Liberty Liberty.

[Robert Smigel]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier this week. My guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.

[Jason McIntyre]

Where does your group perform?

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

We do some retirement homes.

[Robert Smigel]

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Announcer]

Busy morning or a slow sip latte kind of day? Whatever your morning calls for. The new Nespresso Vertuo up Machine makes the the perfect cup Latte Iced coffee Bold Espresso Explore a world of coffees with one button press enjoy effortless mornings made entirely your way with Nespresso Vertuo up new Vertuo up press to explore shop [e-mail].

[Colin Cowherd]

you're now entering the no Bull zone sponsored by credible great rates. None of the bull. So a story that kind of came to the forefront yesterday. It's, it's really interesting. LeBron James and he can, he can do this. The chosen one, the king. Love LeBron. He can do this. He can fall into victimhood occasionally. He's been a great guy for the league. He's been a great player. But there was a story written. And let me just say, first of all, the NFL media is much tougher on players than the NBA media, which I think panders constantly because they don't want to lose access to the four or five really truly interesting players. LeBron's been one for 20 some years. You know, there's a handful. Even the great players like Ant doesn't necessarily get a lot of clicks. LeBron does. Steph Curry does. There's a handful of stars. Wemby now will, but a writer for ESPN, Dave McMinnam writes the story. Know him a little bit? Not that great. He said the tension, there was big tension. And it's just interesting, the wording on this, this is just my opinion on this story. The tension came to a head because LeBron doesn't feel respected by the organization. Against the Cavs in March, late March, James had just become the player with the most combined wins in NBA history. Passing Kareem. The column says it was a massive moment. I don't know a single person who said before that game, you got to watch the Lakers tonight. What's happening? It's a huge what? LeBron's going to pass Kareem for the most combined wins. That doesn't feel massive. Massive is the decision. Game 7 against the warriors, maybe surpassing Kareem for the all time points, most combined wins. Kind of feels like, you know, I mean, I know baseball is the sport of history. Maybe it means more. That doesn't feel massive to me. I could be wrong, but apparently Rob Pelinka walked in and did not give LeBron the game ball. He didn't give LeBron the game ball. He gave the game ball to JJ Redick. And so LeBron feels disrespected. And I, I, I've seen several of these since he's been in Los Angeles. Here's the moment on tape. This is the difference between football culture and basketball culture. And I wish people in basketball, even that covered the sport, understood it or acknowledged it. What would be the reaction if Caleb Williams or Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Big Ben felt disrespected and it went public, it was leaked publicly because he didn't get a game ball. We would be collectively get over it. Or if Gretzky didn't get a puck in his prime, for most combined wins, get over it. It's hockey, it's football, but basketball, it's the basketball culture in America. There's this constant need to show respect. You got to show me respect. Constant pandering. And maybe it's just as simple as you need access to, like, four or five people. You need access to Rich Paul or LeBron or WEMBY, and maybe that's what it is. But. And there'll be as many people that defend LeBron for this, not getting the game ball, then we'll criticize him for it. And I'm not really criticizing him. I'm just saying, can you imagine in football, Tom Brady. Remember when Tom Brady got a game ball for surpassing Peyton Manning? And most passing yards in history? Now, that's a big deal for a quarterback. Not combined wins, not most third downs, not most passing yards ever. That's like in basketball, most points ever. That's a big deal. Passing Kareem most points. That's huge. I mean, leading score in league history. That's a big deal. Or most passing yards for a quarterback. And then Belichick gave Brady a game ball. And what was remarkable about that? It was such a story because Belichick never gave Brady the ball. And for 20 years, he ate a dirt sandwich. That's football. But basketball, there's this constant belief that Rob Pelinka is supposed to wake up every day and make sure I got LeBron's back. Like LeBron, you've been in the league 23 years. You've been front and seven, front and center for 23 years. And you've been overwhelmingly beloved everywhere you've been. You've got critics, you know, welcome to the world. So does every mayor and governor and every CEO and every talk show host. But the idea the lakers are anti LeBron. Let me ask you, who did they go get when LeBron arrived? All the young guys. LeBron didn't want to play with them. Bye. Bye. They all got shipped out. Anthony Davis got shipped in. Who's Anthony Davis? Represented by LeBron's agent. So LeBron's agent engineered that. I don't know. That seems like a biggie. Secondly, Lakers have fired multiple coaches to get LeBron's podcast partner JJ Redick in the fold. That seems like it's pro LeBron, Westbrook move. They brought him and bailed on him. I think LeBron had some impact on that something. Not saying everything, but something. And also every public comment since LeBron in the last year has he's turned 40 plus, hey, we want to have LeBron back. They also drafted his son. Westbrook ad firing, coaches, drafting his son. Every public comment is we'd like to have LeBron back. This is the difference. You can't literally show enough respect to a basketball player or you don't like him. I'm not going to side with LeBron on this one or his agent. You know, you don't have to say Penka is the best GM in the league. I, I'm not saying he is. Sam Presti is pretty darn good. There's some Danny A, there's a lot Brad Stevens. I'm not saying that, but I, I've never felt like, oh, they're just running him out of the folks. You draft a guy's kid, you get him ad you bring in Westbrook, you bail on Westbrook, you fire multiple coaches. You know, I mean every public comment we want him back. It's just to me and I, and as I read the article, maybe I'm just misunderstanding it, maybe in basketball culture, most combined wins is massive. I've never once in my life known a basketball fan and I'm one thinking, I gotta watch this game. Why Bob surpassing Jim in combined wins. It doesn't now break in the all time scoring record. Absolutely. Passing yards for a quarterback passing the great Peyton Manning. Absolutely. That's game ball stuff. I totally get it. I don't know. I mean, I think LeBron's gotten a lot of game balls. I'm guessing I don't keep track of it. I didn't know they gave him out in the NBA that regularly. Apparently they do, but I gotta be honest on this one and I've supported LeBron a lot. The times I've criticized LeBron, I even defended drafting Bronnie. My take was it was a terrible draft. I mean, he's got, you know, LeBron DNA, bad draft. I knew, I knew a little bit about Bronnie from people that knew him. Good kid, works hard. I mean he was a 61 non point guard, which doesn't exist in the NBA. But why not bring him in the Fold middle of the second round. It was a bad draft. Do a solid for LeBron. But if I'm going to do. If I'm going to write down, I'll grab my yellow piece of paper and I'm going to do pro LeBron. Anti LeBron sentiment since he arrived in LA. I got Bronny AD Westbrook firing coaches. JJ Redick, public comments As a lot of pros, I mean, it's. I think it. I think it comes back to the basketball culture and the football culture. They're just different. And in the football culture, it's almost. You kind of get made fun of. If you care about awards, you gotta get poked in the ribs if you really care about personal achievement. And in basketball, if you don't acknowledge it and worship it, you don't like me. That's a lot. I mean, can you imagine being the boss of somebody that you constantly had to give him employee of the month every third month, or he felt slighted? I mean, at some point, your contract is respect. I've said this about broadcasting. I never see my bosses. They're busy. They got stuff to deal with, like the NFL. I never see my bosses. The respect I get from my bosses, One, they leave me alone. Two, they pay me well. That's the respect. I don't need plaques,

[Cade Cunningham]

okay?

[Colin Cowherd]

I made that. Maybe that's just me. I mean, LeBron will have made from the Lakers 347 million, arguably most of it out of its prime. That. That feels like a lot of respect to me. Maybe they should have paid him 247 and given him more game balls. Maybe he'd be happy. I. I'm. You know, listen, I. I could just be off here. Doubt it. But I could be J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is the Herd line.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me, Let me ask, let me ask, let me ask.

[Jason McIntyre]

I was hoping you wouldn't, but go ahead, go ahead.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. Let me ask you. Do you believe the writer wrote most wins combined? I guess all the teams you played for surpassing that. Does that feel like. I mean, did you remember that moment as a huge LeBron moment?

[Jason McIntyre]

I did not remember.

[Colin Cowherd]

I did not either. And I'm not knocking the writer. I'm saying his take is it's a massive moment, meaning somebody had to feel beyond the writer. It was a massive moment, right? Like. Like, did J.J. redick feel it? Because if it was a huge moment and Pelinka gave J.J. redick the game ball, and J.J. redick and Pelinka obviously didn't think it was that big of a deal if they did. I mean, J.J. redick's really sharp. Rob Polinka is a bright guy. Wouldn't they have in the instant gone. Hey, before we get to anything, LeBron set the wreck. Neither did. And I know J.J. redick really likes LeBron.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So if. So if J.J. redick thought it was a massive moment and thought it was sliding LeBron, would he not have, in that moment, as one of the smartest basketball guys out there, turned and got, hey, before we go anywhere, let's talk to the king? Like that. That's. I guess that's my. And it's not a criticism of the writer. I mean, it's a good column. It's got all sorts of information. But my take is it's more of. I'm pointing it at LeBron, Mass. Is that a big moment?

[Jason McIntyre]

I think LeBron is sending a message with this article. I know Dave play hoops with him. Him and LeBron are close. Yeah, I think LeBron's sending a message. Hey, guys, I'm willing to take a pay cut, but I'm not doing it if Rob Polinka's here. He disrespected me too many times. He's catering to everyone else. I will take a pay cut, but only if Rob Pelinka is gone. That's my read here. And you saying yesterday that they hired two new assistant GMs? I don't know. Maybe they're evaluating Pelinka. By the way, the Caruso stuff. Remember, Pelinka could have signed Caruso. He went and signed Talen Horton Tucker. They lose Caruso. They haven't been the same since.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I'm not. I am not insinuating that LeBron and his people are leaking the story to the right. That's not what I'm insinuating.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's good at that.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, that LeBron's the best in the league at it. But what I'm saying is it is being the gist of the article is that is a massive moment. And I just. When I watch the video, I don't feel it. I've never known anybody that goes to a game caring about that in my world. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, well, let's get to her line. Let's start with Malik Neighbors, your Giants top receiver, Colin. Not great news. It was just announced that he had a second surgery. They're calling this just a cleanup, a follow up, no big deal. And it's like.

[Colin Cowherd]

Whoa, whoa.

[Jason McIntyre]

What?

[Colin Cowherd]

What?

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, he had his surgery Back in September when he tore his acl. Now, Neighbors played two years ago and was awesome as a rookie. On my fantasy team, this guy's a juggernaut. But then he gets hurt, and now it's like, oh, boy, an explosive wide receiver. Go up and get it, guy yards after the catch. And now he's having a second surgery. Look at the numbers, Colin. He's played in 19 games and missed 15 in his career. If this were, I don't know any quarterback, any quarterback out there, you'd be like, whoa, he's just not reliable. It's early, but go ahead.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I think when I think of Malik Neighbors, I think of injuries. Yeah, I think he's a spectacularly talented. Like Odell Beckham got to a point where I'm like, I really. I think he's really good. But Malik Neighbors struggles. We've talked about this. When Jaden Daniels came into the NFL from lsu, we said he's really good. I worry about the body. Malik Neighbors, couple years in, my take is he gets banged up a lot. And not just missing games, he gets banged up in games. So it's like the, you know, I mean, I'll say that Puka Nukua gets banged up a lot. Now he's a super physical wide receiver. Some guys do, some guys don't. Some guys have a style of play. JSN is a guy that doesn't. I mean, he just avoids the big hits. Some quarterback. Eli Manning seemingly was never hurt. Brett Favre was never hurt or played through pain. Jared Goff never gets hurt. Caleb Williams. And then there's quarterbacks that always feel like, I mean, Jalen Hurts has been. Brock Purdy been. They kind of get dinged up a lot. Never play it. 100%. Kyler Murray.

[Jason McIntyre]

Sorry.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's fair. Fair. That's fair.

[Jason McIntyre]

I will say, if you want silver lining for the Giants fans who say I'm a Jets hater, Jackson Dart was pretty good last year and didn't have Malik Neighbors. So add him to the mix. A healthy neighbors, maybe you've got something. I'm not as bullish on the Giants though, as you are. Let's go to the NBA. Colin for the Golden State warriors and Steve Kerr. They announced they're keeping him for two years. And the gm, Mike Dunleavy said, hey, we had some priorities this summer, but Steve Kerr, bringing him back was a major priority.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Yeah, I think that was the first order of business for us and we're thrilled to have Steve back. You know, the greatest coach in franchise history. One of the best ever. So for me personally, great partner is best for our players and our organization, our fans. So we're excited about it.

[Colin Cowherd]

I covered Mike Dunleavy in high school, Jesuit High.

[Jason McIntyre]

I remember him at Duke. He was really good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I covered him. His dad was the coach of the Blazers. He played at Jesuit High School in Portland. He was really good player. I remember back when the Nil did not exist. I remember he had a tournament and he was so good. He was in a tournament and there was a basketball facility, I think, in Beaverton. And I went there literally. Remember Tubby Smith was there. Every college basketball coach of note was in that arena. Every. It was like. It was like turning on a Hall of Fame, a pre hall of Fame induction ceremony. They're like 13, 14 coaches, all to see Mike Dunleavy play for Jesuit or on his AU team or whoever it was. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

I will say that Dunleavy has not had it easy in Golden State. Basically, Bob Myers was like, hey, would you like to eat a big poop sandwich for the next five years? Here's the Warriors. You're taking over. I mean, Kyle, it is a rough go and now they face the off season. Like, are they going to be able to get anyone? Well, can they get Giannis?

[Colin Cowherd]

They have two Hail Marys. One was getting a top three or four pick in the draft. They didn't get that. That was one of the Hail Marys. I don't know. I don't think they have much left. And because I. You tell me who they could trade. They're not trading Steph. Well, who would anybody want? Pods average 14 a game. Draymond's expensive, past his prime. Who do they have to move?

[Jason McIntyre]

Jimmy Butler's coming off a major injury, like 35.

[Colin Cowherd]

Kaminga. Kaminga's already. He's gone in Atlanta. They just don't have any, you know, anything in the barrel here. I don't. I think it's. I think you come back at maybe, you know, two years you play with the fellas, but I. They don't again, they're like the Niners. Old, brittle, expensive, can't stay on top forever.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's tough. I mean, maybe there's a world where Kirk comes back because he knows they're going to make a major move. I just don't see why he'd come back to. To what I think is like a 42 win team final story. Colin. Miami Dolphins making news for a splashy signing. Devin achan, basically their second best player four years, $68 million yeah, he was a top six back in the league last year. If you look at some of the numbers, he was right there. I think it's a smart move. If you notice the jets locked up Breeze hall, the Dolphins look up David Hn and both of those moves were made because a lot of top end running backs, Gibbs, remember Bijan Robinson, all those guys are going to be coming up soon. They're going to get big bucks.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember two years ago on this show, you and I both pushed back on the narrative running backs. Nobody's paying. And we said timeout. Running backs will always matter in this sport. It was kind of a weird 18 months where some guys weren't getting a second contract. And analytics do show you that you don't want to pay a running back. You draft a second contract. But the reason running backs will always matter because good teams have leads and good teams need to kill out the clock. And it's ball control. Time of possession in the NFL is valuable. Bad teams with average quarterbacks need running backs to take the heat off their average quarterback. And good teams need it because they have a lead late and they want to run the clock out. Running backs will always have value. Now what's their injury here? I mean, Christian McCaffrey has been injured multiple times. He's going to get paid as long as he can play. So I like the deal by the. They have two players I really like in Miami, the quarterback and the running back. And they're going to pay both.

[Jason McIntyre]

And then they have literally nothing else on the roster. Not much after trading Waddle. I guess the only note I would say here is, you know, four years, 60, that's a lot of money for a team that is not close to anything, right? I mean, would it have made more sense to try to flip him for a first round pick in what is a loaded draft next year?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, no, no, no. You can't bring Malik Willis in and not have a number one receiver, a number one tight end or a number one running back. That's what they did with Bryce Young. Remember? They bring him in, they trade DJ Moore and it takes him two years. He looked awful. And then this year, finally Bryce Young had two receivers. T. Mac and Leggett we both like. Oh, he's actually pretty good quarterback Point.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mac with the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

[Colin Cowherd]

So schedule release is tonight. You know, it's, you know, it's pretty funny. I've gotten four texts since my LeBron rant and just from random friends. They're all saying, no, you're spot on. You're not wrong. I don't think. I think you can have some complaints if you're LeBron about the Lakers. Everybody complains. I complain. You can, but we all complain. My wife complains, I complain. The world complains. But I don't like this. They don't treat him well at all. They drafted his son, A.D. westbrook firing multiple coaches. I mean, 23 years in, we gonna lose sleep on game balls. I mean, I mean, I get a birthday cake every year from Fox. What do I always say? I don't eat cake, but it's nice to get it. It's a birthday cake. But I wouldn't ask for six birthday cakes a year. Hey, that was my 800th show. That was 808. It's a huge show. It's like they give you a cake and they pay you. What do you want? All right, I, I got some thoughts on the Bears and there's a lot of talk. The NBA drafts about five weeks away and it's a fascinating draft, man. There's a lot of rumors about trades, man, there's a lot of them about the Utah Jazz and trades. I'll talk about that coming up. It's the Herd.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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

[Jason McIntyre]

Saturday night is baseball night on Fox. And this week we're in the Big Apple for the Subway series. We got Aaron Judge and the Yankees versus Juan Soto and the Mets or Padres Mariners. Saturday, 7 Eastern, only on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

Just got a text from somebody in the NBA. They do not view that as a massive moment. A massive moment is when you break Kareem scoring mark and they stopped the game, brought your family on the floor, pay homage to LeBron. That is a massive moment according to texters. But you know, maybe, who knows? All right, so yesterday I said on the show and I believe this to be true, I think it's pretty self evident that if you have a great coach and a great quarterback, schedules matter less. Now you may go from 12 wins to 10 or 11 to nine because your schedule is really tough and you have back to back long road trips and you have a couple injuries. But I think schedules really affect average teams or slightly above average or slightly below. I think the Bears have an A plus plus coach and an A plus plus quarterback. So I, I now they're over under is less than Detroit because their schedule is viewed as the toughest. And I think again, a schedule can absolutely matter if you have like back to back two or three Pro bowl quarterbacks in a row or back to back roadies. What's interesting though, this pushes back on my belief. How have teams fared with the toughest NFL schedule? You've got to go back to the 26 Atlanta 2016 Atlanta Falcons to find a team that won a playoff game, just won a playoff game that had the toughest schedule. So that goes against my belief. So now there's a couple reasons I still feel strongly about the Bears. Number one, the bottom of the NFL, and I've discussed this ad nauseum last several years is starting to look like the bottom of the NBA. Awful because the league has become more quarterback driven. If you don't have one, you get bad fast. By Thanksgiving, you're unwatchable. So they get to play Bears get to play both the jets and the Dolphins. Those are just bad teams. Secondly, they also Chicago play several teams that are unsettled. The young are pretty average at quarterback. The Vikings, the Falcons, the Saints, some would say Carolina. Third is they do play New England and Seattle, who are in the Super Bowl. But Seattle's the better of those two teams and Seattle lost key players and their offensive coordinator. I don't believe Seattle will be quite as good this year. Now they play Buffalo on the road. That's going to be tough. And they have to go to Green Bay and to Detroit. That's going to be tough. But I believe this to be true is when did Apple. When did Apple start taking over the world in tech? At the height of the brilliance of Silicon Valley? Because they had a great coach and great leadership. That's Steve Jobs. I mean, if they're just not that much great anywhere and you can go to Hollywood, think of all the creatives in this world who are filmmakers. You can go to Italy, you can go to Canada, you can go to the States, you can go to London. Think of all the great filmmakers. If I said to you name a great director, even within the industry, there's six or seven or eight names that pop up. With all the creatives in the world, with all the great film directors, there's not that much great of anything. And so Ben Johnson to me is a top five, six coach in the league. Well, what has he proven? He turned the Bears around. How much? What did Detroit do when he left? Man overboard. I've always said when you go take a job, it's not just about what you do with a new job. What happens to the place you left every time Jim Harbaugh leaves Somewhere he succeeds, the other guys fall apart. What were the Niners when he left? What was Michigan when he left? It's not just what Ben Johnson did in Chicago. The Lions with a pretty good roster, especially on offense, struggle. So I and I think Caleb is as as good as they get. I mean he's not Josh Allen Mahomes yet. He's close. Here's Ben Johnson on the upcoming season.

[Ben Johnson]

We got a monumental task at hand because this division only got better so far this offseason and we still have

[Colin Cowherd]

the draft to come.

[Ben Johnson]

So our guys, we got to go back to work just like we did a year ago. It doesn't get any easier. It's going to continue to get harder. They're going to feel that pressure from the coaching staff so that when we get to these games in the fall that we're going to be ready for it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, There's a story the NBA drafts about five weeks from now and it's a really good one and a really fun one for a couple of reasons. There's about nine, 10 really good players. The other thing is we don't have a Wimy, we don't have a LeBron, we don't have a Tim Duncan. Okay, we don't have a, oh, this guy's going to be really good. Day one dominant. In fact, day one, we don't have a Magic, we don't have a Cooper flag. What we have is with AJ Demona and Darren Peterson, two really high end players that will be hyper productive early and there's disagreements on who's number one. So that makes it fascinating. You're never going to trade out of a LeBron or a Duncan or a Magic because if it you get fired. There are certain times, Andrew Locke, you had to draft Andrew Luck, Caleb Williams, I mean Chicago didn't even look at other quarterbacks, they didn't even interview other quarterbacks. Like there are certain players who are viewed as absolutely can't miss number one, you take them, don't out think the room. That's not the case here because Darren Peterson at Kansas may have missed 11 games with cramps and there are questions about him. But we have found that he played debons at least three times head to head and was the better player. And whereas DeBont has got a huge ceiling, he's still not a great shooter. Peterson is everything now, but he has cramping issues. That's really. Remember before the season, Peterson was seen as absolutely the number one. Go back and look at the articles I did this morning. He was the number one. And it's interesting because before the season started, or maybe the season was one or two games in, I got a text from somebody. They said, you got to watch this kid at Kansas. His name is Peterson. You have to watch. So I watched him for about four, four possessions. And I, I texted Doug Gottlieb, who's a basketball coach at Green Bay. I'm like, I think I just watched the next Kobe Bryant. And he's like, yeah, we're playing him in a week. And they did play him. So Peterson's, I don't know, ceiling. But right now he's a more polished offensive player than the Bonsa. He's a tremendous player, but he had cramps and, you know, have you noticed what Peterson is addressing pre combine, during combine, pre draft, his cramps, because he knows it may cost him the number one spot. He has addressed it multiple times in interviews. He said, I took some creatine, I took too much, I cramped. And it, hey, listen, I've said it. I would struggle with it. I probably would take. Damon said, I don't like the cramping, missing games. I also think Darren can play in a silo. But what is interesting is there's not a huge gap here, especially since Peterson's outplayed him head to head. So if Utah and yesterday AJ DeBonsa, there was a source saying he's hoping to stay in Utah because he played for byu. He wants to play for the Jazz. I'd love to see that. But in this draft, and I usually don't buy these big trades, I did predict Kansas City would move up in the NFL draft. Got it right. Whatever. This one I think is interesting because let's say Utah calls the Wizards. We're going to give you Walker Kessler, who's a seven footer, rim protector, 1510 guy. We're going to give you a Walker Kessler and a pick. And you say, well, the Wizards already have Anthony Davis. They're going to get out of the Anthony Davis business real quick. He's expensive, hit and miss on in shape, got real heavies, got banged that they're going to get out of that business. They're going to get out of the Trey Young and AD business sooner than you think. So I would listen, I would absolutely take the call. Walker Kessler, another good pick and we can flip. I think when you're a bad team and you can get a rim protector. I've said that about the Chicago bulls at number four. They have number four and number 15 with 15. I'm taking Michigan Center. Just get a rim protector, get him in house to face Jokic. And what you're going to need somebody. Wemby's going to take over the league and homegrown in OKC is not bad and Jokic is a great. Giannis is going to go to a contender. So I think it's. I think the trade. I usually don't buy into him. You know, I. I think there's something there. Let me ask you, J. Mac, if I could give you number one pick, which one would you take? Forget rosters of Washington, Utah, who would you take? Number one?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, I'm sorry to obfuscate for a moment, but remember the Markel Fultz, Danny Ainge moment. Everybody thought Markel Fultz was going one. They trade back and get their guy in Jason Tatum. It was one of the biggest heists ever. So I'm not answering the phone if Danny Ainge is calling me because he must know something. Okay. Personally, I thought it was going to be DebonSA. The more I've dug in this week, I'm going to go if I'm Washington with Darren Peterson at 1. I'm not worried about some cramping in college. That's going to be a distant story. I think offensively he's a little more polished. I think slightly higher upside. I love debonza a lot and I think he'd be great to fall to to Utah where. Where he's probably a more natural fit. Right. Because they don't really have like a wing. Lori Markkanen is. Is good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he's a. He's more of a. He's a big.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's a big wing. They have Ace Bailey who they just drafted, who's a new kind of.

[Colin Cowherd]

Utah's got. They got.

[Jason McIntyre]

Dude, they're a playoff team next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, there's no question. And my take is Walker Kessler is a little expendable, not a lot. You like Biggs? He's 15, 10. He's a rim defender. He's a good player. Walker Kessler is a good player, but I to get my guy. I could see that.

[Jason McIntyre]

So are you excited about Caleb Wilson fall? It sounds like Memphis at three loves everything Cam Boozer does and they need like an organization reset with the Ja Morant, you know, Cam Boozer is just such a class act. So he's going to go 3. You think Caleb Wilson 4.

[Colin Cowherd]

I do and I like him.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.