THE HERD – HOUR 1 – LeBron James Taking Over 76ers, Caleb Williams Expectations

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Guest Hosts: Jason McIntyre & Rachel Nichols
Episode Date: July 28, 2026
Hour 1 Theme: LeBron James' Move to the 76ers, NBA Power Shifts, and NFL QB Expectations

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Overview

Hour 1 of this episode, hosted by Jason McIntyre and Rachel Nichols, dives into seismic NBA offseason moves—most notably, LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers—and the ripple effects across the league, including leadership dynamics, "ring chasing" debates, and potential clashes within the Sixers’ new super team. The hosts also switch gears to analyze mounting expectations and concerns for NFL quarterbacks Caleb Williams (Bears), Matt Stafford (Rams), Drake Maye (Patriots), and Jordan Love (Packers) as training camps get underway.

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Key Discussion Points

1. LeBron James Joins the 76ers: Calculated Move or "Ring Chasing"?

(Starts at 03:26)

• LeBron’s Unexpected Move:
  The show opens with Jason McIntyre expressing excitement and intrigue over LeBron signing with the 76ers, noting that the smart money (including Rich Paul, LeBron's agent, and Pat Riley in Miami) predicted LeBron would choose Miami for the ball-dominant role. Instead, LeBron “zigged” and chose Philadelphia, raising questions about his true motivations.

• Initial Fallout and Team Dynamics:
  Sham Sharania reports LeBron will play point guard for the Sixers, immediately shifting team roles, especially with stars like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and newly acquired Jaylen Brown.

• Potential Showdown:
  McIntyre forecasts a potential power struggle between LeBron and Jaylen Brown:

  “Now you have these tandem comments... I wonder if we're going to see butting heads between Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.” (10:23)
  He cites Jason Tatum's cryptic recent comments on “not wanting to be around someone who thinks they know it all” as possibly directed at Jaylen Brown, hinting at baggage Brown brings to Philly.

• LeBron’s Chess Move:

  "LeBron is so smart... LeBron could have gone to Miami and had the ball in his hands, but they're not winning anything. That team's done... But in Philly, he can control the ball and narrative." (06:20)
  McIntyre argues LeBron is positioning himself as the clear alpha in Philadelphia, challenging Embiid’s prolonged tenure as “the guy” and leveraging Maxey’s Clutch Sports connection.

Memorable Quote

“If he [LeBron] wanted the ball in his hands, truly... he'd be on the Miami Heat.”
— Caled Williams (via Dan Woike), (07:44)

Timestamps

• LeBron vs. Brown dynamic: 10:00–11:45
• Why LeBron chose Philly: 06:00–08:00

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2. Caleb Williams and The Quest for NFL "Boring Greatness"

(Starts at 11:48)

• Bears’ New Hope:
  Rachel Nichols tees up with:

  “The Bears are hoping Caleb Williams can do this a little bit earlier in games, right?” (03:16)
  A reference to his penchant for dramatic, fourth-quarter heroics but a lack of consistency early in games.

• High Expectations, Bumpy Execution:
  McIntyre and NFL analyst Mark Schlereth discuss the risk that Williams’ playmaking highs are masking uneven down-to-down performance.

  “He's got to be better at doing the boring. He's got to grow and mature as a quarterback to be considered elite.”
  — Mark Schlereth, (12:32)

• Coaching and Team Outlook:
  New OC Ben Johnson’s arrival is seen as crucial for establishing a more stable offense. The pair stress that Williams' evolution into a "boring but great" QB, like Jared Goff in Detroit, is necessary for Chicago to become a true contender.

Notable Segment

“We know you can nail the closing arguments. How about the opening?”
— Jason McIntyre, (13:11)

Timestamps

• Caleb Williams’ leadership & critique: 11:45–13:30

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3. Rams: Stacked, But History Not on Their Side

(Starts at 21:18)

• Roster Upgrades:
  Review of Rams’ major offseason adds: superstar DE Myles Garrett (now NFL sack record holder) and CB Trent McDuffie, fortifying an already elite defense.

• Matt Stafford’s Perspective:

  “We’ve got a potentially high ceiling... What can we do to continue to raise our floor?”
  — Matt Stafford, (23:13)

• NFL Super Bowl Favorites—The Curse:
  McIntyre highlights that in the last 25 years, only four preseason favorites have won the Super Bowl (Brady, Manning, Mahomes-led teams). The immense pressure and “everybody’s Super Bowl” effect could weigh on the Rams.

Notable Quote

"There's major pressure on them every week... This is your litmus test. Can you not get blasted by 30?"
— Jason McIntyre, (24:10)

Timestamps

• Rams breakdown: 21:18–26:37

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4. Debating "Ring Chasing" in NBA History: LeBron, KD, and Legacy Moves

(Starts at 26:41)

• KD Defends LeBron’s Move:
  Kevin Durant chimes in on social media:

  “Everyone in the NBA is either chasing rings, shot attempts, or money.” (27:09)
  Rachel Nichols and McIntyre discuss how “ring chasing” is often wielded as a pejorative for stars joining loaded teams, but both argue context matters—superstars chasing titles is fundamentally different from end-of-career role players doing so.

• Comparisons:

  • Karl Malone & Ray Bourque: End-of-career chase lacked negative stigma pre-social media.
  • KD's own move ("They couldn’t win without him [KD]" - Nichols, 31:17).

Notable Exchange

“You're not ring chasing if you were the guy who—by going there—makes them a contender.”
— Rachel Nichols, (28:13)

Timestamps

• Ring chasing debate: 26:41–32:00

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5. NFL Training Camp Buzz: Patriots, Packers, and Relationship Dynamics

(Starts at 32:41)

• AJ Brown & Mike Vrabel Reunion (Patriots):
  The hosts discuss how Brown’s respect for Vrabel sets a tone that could tamp down internal drama, contrasting with friction from his Eagles stint.

• Packers and Jordan Love:
  Love projects optimism ahead of camp, but Nichols and McIntyre agree the honeymoon period is over:

  “If you’re Jordan Love, that can’t become one and four, then that becomes how people talk about you.”
  — Rachel Nichols, (38:18)

Timestamps

• Patriots & AJ Brown: 32:41–35:24
• Jordan Love & Packers: 35:44–39:30

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6. NBA Insider Segment: Jared Weiss on LeBron to Philly and League Trends

(Starts at 44:08)

• Why LeBron Didn’t Land Elsewhere:
  Jared Weiss (The Athletic) explains why the Spurs weren’t a fit for LeBron—San Antonio’s internal development and cap alignment didn’t necessitate his arrival.

• Wemby Setting Superstar Precedent:
  Weiss points out Victor Wembanyama taking less money to help the team may become a trend among the top echelon.

• LeBron’s New Reality:

  “He [LeBron] takes them from a team fighting for home court... to, very potentially, the best team in the East.”
  — Jared Weiss, (47:05)
  The Sixers’ new Monstars-like lineup is analyzed, with Weiss confident that LeBron will smoothly fit in, thanks to his adaptable playstyle.

• NBA Power Rankings Debate:
  Knicks, Sixers, Celtics seen as the top tier in the East according to McIntyre’s list, with Weiss advocating for the Raptors’ ascent.

• Warriors’ Future:
  Brief speculation on Steph Curry’s next moves as the post-title window narrows in Golden State—potential swan song in Charlotte or one last title chase elsewhere.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Jason Tatum’s veiled shot:

  “Being a leader doesn't mean you know it all. Being around somebody who feels like they know it all, I don't want to be around that person.” (04:26)

• LeBron’s calculation:

  “LeBron is very calculating… He could look at Tyrese Maxey and say, ‘you're my guy. You're willing to take a step back.’” (08:20)

• Mark Schlereth on Caleb Williams:

  “He is not, if not the most, one of two or three of the most remarkable playmakers in this league. Without question.” (12:32)

• Rachel Nichols on AJ Brown and respect:

  “He’s not ripping me because he thinks I can’t do it. He’s ripping me because he thinks I can do it.” (33:20)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------------|----------| | LeBron's move and Philly dynamics | 03:26–11:45 | | Caleb Williams expectations (Bears) | 11:48–13:30 | | Rams Super Bowl expectations | 21:18–26:37 | | Ring chasing and legacy conversation | 26:41–32:00 | | Patriots/Packers/NFL Camp Buzz | 32:41–39:30 | | Jared Weiss NBA insider segment | 44:08–53:24 |

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Conclusion/Tone

Throughout, the tone is lively, energetic, and sometimes provocative, with both McIntyre and Nichols blending hot takes with thoughtful analysis—and the conversation often peppered with playful banter, hypothetical scenarios, and league “chess moves.” The episode is a deep-dive into both NBA and NFL offseasons, highlighted by the complex human drama that powers the league’s biggest stars and teams into the upcoming campaigns.

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For anyone tracking NBA power moves, franchise dynamics, or quarterback development stories, this episode is packed with timely insights, expert analysis, and a few bold predictions.

Transcript

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Now let's get this party started.

[Jason McIntyre]

You're Listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, boy, we got a banger today, folks. It's Tuesday. Sunny, warm Los Angeles. Little hot. As you see, Caleb Williams doing the Iceman celebration. Could use a little cool down out here on the west coats. It's me, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowher joined by Rachel Nichols. Rachel still has yet to see Odyssey. I'm going to keep putting the pressure on her. Rachel, I know you got a busy life. You are super famous. You're doing it a lot. You know, you're in demand.

[Rachel Nichols]

People want you on their to go tonight. So we can discuss. We can discuss tomorrow for sure. Look, the Bears are hoping Caleb Williams can do this a little bit earlier in games, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, oh, okay, Rachel, that's a good tease. It's almost like you've been in this industry for a long time and you know how to do television. Yes, Caleb Williams. A topic today. I have some not great news for the Rams. It's not awful news, it's news ish. But it's just not a great sign. We'll talk about that shortly. But I need to start with a topic. Listen, I'm kind of in love with this, folks. I'm going to try to contain my glee. I think I'm onto something and it pertains to the NBA. LeBron and LeBron perhaps versus Jaylen Brown. I feel like a showdown is starting to brew in Philadelphia and we haven't even seen an introductory press conference. So I'm going to start here over the weekend. All right, Jason Tatum, the Celtics wing who famously quasi beefed with Jaylen Brown. Jalen, Jason Tatum was talking to campers at a basketball camp, right? And this didn't get any coverage because LeBron had just gone to the Sixers.

[Player or Coach Interviewee]

Right?

[Jason McIntyre]

So Tatum is talking to basketball campers. And we know Jason Tatum is a boring athlete, right? He's super boring. This is his quote on leadership. Being a leader doesn't mean you know it all. Being around somebody that feels like they know it all, I don't want to be around that person. Okay? And I'll remind you, Jason Tatum is boring. This might be the most incendiary quote he's ever said. And if we're being completely honest, you know, boring athletes work. They're great. Barry Sanders was boring. Tim Duncan was boring. Nikola Jokic. These guys are boring. They don't say much. That quote from Tatum was eye opening and I'm like, how do people miss that? Well, the LeBron news. So put that aside. Was it a shot at Jaylen Brown? I Think people who have been around the team could probably answer that. I'm sure there's some Celtics players who will see this online and be like, yep, something happened. There's a rift we don't totally know about, but Brown is gone from Boston now. So did Tatum take a shot at Brown being the smartest guy in the room? We'll see. So put that aside. So now let's go to LeBron. Okay? You'll see how this merges. You're going to love it. Okay, so a week ago at this time, guys, everybody and their mom had LeBron going to Miami. The media was saying, wow, LeBron, he wants to have the ball in his hands. Miami makes the most sense. The media universally thought that Pat Riley, remember, went on a podcast and was basically hyping it like it was going to happen, selling it. Oh, yeah, we're setting things up. He opened his Giannis press conferences, like, one down, one to go. So you got the media, okay. You got Pat Riley, and, oh, by the way, Rich Paul, LeBron's agent, has come out and said, I thought he was going to Miami. So everything was pointing toward Miami. And then we had the quick switch. And what exactly was that about? And people are. We're still unraveling why Philly? How did that happen? So yesterday, more news. Sham Sharania from ESPN said, hey, LeBron's going to play some point guard for the Sixers, huh? We're three days into the LeBron era in Philly, and all of a sudden Nick Nurse is going to run LeBron at point guard. We know that after three days. Guys, what's going on here? You know, I got to give it to LeBron. You guys know I'm a LeBron guy. This was extremely calculating on his part. LeBron is so smart. Guys, think about this. LeBron could have gone to Miami and had the ball in his hands, but they're not winning anything. That team's done any good. Nobody thought LeBron could go to Philly and get the ball in his hands. People were saying he's the fourth option. Do you remember Dan Woieke on our show last week, right after the LeBron news? Here's what Dan said about LeBron going to Philly and maybe taking a step back.

[Caleb Williams]

We had to, like, look at a guy here and say, like, who's in line for, like, a level of sacrifice, right? You know, to be the guy. And it's. I mean, obviously, Jalen Brown is going to shoot less than he shot last year. That's just the reality. But that was true when the trade happened. These things take time. You know, LeBron James basketball teams in 2026 don't log a lot of practice minutes together because he can't physically practice that kind of way. I think if he wanted the ball in his hands, truly right. If that was what mattered him, Jason, he'd be on the Miami Heat.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, so Dan's not the only one to say that. A lot of people are saying, oh, LeBron will take a step back. He could have gone to the Heat. He. He's going to recede. He's going to score less than 20 points. Our guest said yesterday, I think every now that I've had days to analyze this, I think everyone's wrong. I think LeBron very calculating, said Joel Embiid guys, it's been your team for 10 years. You haven't won jack squat. You haven't been to the conference finals. You played 39% of your team's games in the last three years. I don't want to hear it. Joel, you can enjoy your 57 mil. You're taking a step back. And then LeBron could look at Tyrese Maxey, who is a clutch client, okay, and say, tyrese, you're my guy. By the way, guess who's already working out together? LeBron and Tyrese Maxi's like a 40% catch and shoot on threes, maybe a little higher than that. Maxi, you don't need the ball in your hands all the time. And you could see Tyrese Maxi is thrilled to play with LeBron. Who wouldn't be? And so he's willing to take a step back. You know that. So we got Embiid and Maxi. Only one guy left, folks, and that's Jaylen Brown. And that's where I wonder if we're going to see butting heads between Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. And I'm not trying to cause drama or controversy. I'm just looking at the shakeout here. We got Jason Tatum saying Brown maybe thought he was the smartest guy in the room, and I don't want to play with that. Maybe that was a shot at Brown, and now Brown goes to Philly, and he's like, okay, I could be the man. I could have the ball in my hands and beat his. Old Maxi's nice, but he could be my Robin to my Batman. And now LeBron's going to Philly, and Jaylen Brown's like, wait a minute. Wait, hold up. I was Batman last year in Boston. I love that. It was my favorite season Ever. And then Tatum came back and I gotta. I had to take a step back. I didn't love that. He pops off on. On Twitch and next thing you know, they ship him out of town. This is a guy with a chip on his shoulder. He didn't get picked for the US Basketball team. Tatum got picked and Derrick White got picked. Brown has had a chip on his shoulder. And now you have these tandem comments. And again, I'm not taking shots at Jaylen Brown. I'm just. These are all facts, folks. And then I'll wrap it up by saying this. Jaylen Brown has a big contract over the next three years. And you know, after that one's his big one, his big payday's coming. Or is it? I don't know. If he takes a step back, is he going to be able to get that massive contract, 60 some odd million, the. The Donovan Mitchell special as they're calling it. I mean, I, I don't know. And so now it becomes LeBron versus Brown. They're basically the same position, right? Small forward. Jaylen Brown, obviously a much better defender at this age. LeBron a better passer. LeBron a better handle. Folks, I, I'm not trying to cause trouble. I'm just trying to see around corners here and be like, whoa, what is going to go down in Boston? And I will add, Nick Nurse is also a clutch client. So you got Nick Nurse, you guys, Tyrese Maxey, you had Bob Myers out there on Rich Paul's podcast advocating for LeBron. It's almost like LeBron has everyone in Philly in his corner. Who does Jaylen Brown have? All right, I'm going to pivot to the NFL and the Chicago Bears. We teased it at the outset. Caleb Williams. Oh, my gosh. People love the Bears this season. Understandably so. They had a great playoff run. That huge comeback against the Packers. The Iceman cometh against the Rams. Before DJ Moore ran a busted route, Caleb threw a pick and the Rams escaped. Folks, this is a really good Bears team. They are on the precipice of something special with Ben Johnson. And then Caleb Williams went out and gave an interview that kind of sort of. I take a listen to Caleb Williams on how fun the Bears are going to be next year.

[Player Interviewee (Matt Stafford or Caleb Williams)]

Going to be really exciting. It's going to be really fun to watch. It's going to be more entertaining than last year. Hopefully not as much as a of a heart race, but it's going to be a little bit more entertaining. Entertaining throughout the whole game. And what we're Going to bring to, to the table.

[Jason McIntyre]

More entertaining, really? More entertaining than six fourth quarter comebacks? Caleb led the league in those. You want more heart stopping entertaining games. I, I would kind of prefer boring consistency down to down, which is something Caleb struggled with and Mark Sloth agreed with me yesterday here on the Herd.

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I don't think he's a good quarterback right now, but I think he's one of the most dynamic playmakers in the National Football League. He makes throws that are one of one. He makes throws that nobody else in the league makes. The number of missed throws, inaccurate throws, shoddy footwork in the pocket. Like all those things need to be improved upon. He's like, like I said, he is not, if not the most, one of two or three of the most remarkable playmakers in this league. Without question, he has got to be better at doing the boring. He's got to grow and mature as a quarterback to be considered elite.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean it's so well said by Mark. Right on the heels of Caleb saying we're going to be more entertaining like Caleb, we don't need you running around and making all these crazy fourth quarter plays. We would rather win. Boring, right? We know you can nail the closing arguments. How about, how about the opening? Can you impress us in the first quarter so we don't have to play catch up with all this chaos? It's like these TV hosts who, you know, they want to go viral every show. So I'm going to do something crazy, I'm going to go bonkers. Say all this incendiary stuff and the producers are like, guys, no, no, no, just slow down. Let's crush the A block. Let's just keep the audience with methodical, smart takes the entire show. You don't need to show up in the fourth, fourth quarter and throw a chair through a window to get everybody all excited. Keep it boring. Remember Jared Goff under Ben Johnson became that boring amazing quarterback who down to down, his consistency was incredible. He repeatedly delivered throughout the game and you didn't need these fourth quarter comebacks. Remember Ben Johnson and Jared Goff? They would blow teams out in Detroit. Isn't that what Chicago wants? You don't need six fourth quarter comebacks. You're way better than that. Now the bad news for the Bears, well, the good news is obviously the offense should be amazing. Remember the first half of the season, Ben Johnson and the Bears, that offense was not electric. Second half of the season they really took off understanding the Ben Johnson offense. The run game really got got going and was elite by the end of the season. The defense is the problem. It looks like five new starters and the regression is probably coming. As you guys know, I've written this up. They they were lucky last year. The Bears defense will not be able to duplicate the luck that they had. As a result. They'll need Caleb to be more boring, more down to down consistency and 58% completions. That's not going to cut it. Now the schedule early is somewhat fortuitous. You see the jets in there, The Panthers. By the way, the Panthers are not going to be nearly as good as as last year. That Vikings game will be interesting. I got some sharp gamblers trying to sell me on Minnesota, but I'm just telling you, Caleb, love the it is exciting. They're one of the most watchable teams in the league. That's why you get all these primetime games. But I'm almost certain Ben Johnson would say, hey, we would love to be more boring and consistent. Set up the the pass with the run. Let's get early leads and coast to victory. All right, we have a great, great show coming up next. A word to the wise for LA Rams fans. It's not a major concern, but just being the super bowl favorite is kind of sort of overrated. If history is your guide, there's some bad news for the Rams. That's next here on the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Covino]

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Yeah, you blubber lips, blaming me.

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[Jason McIntyre]

back here on the Herd. Got a couple great guests today. I mean, don't we always? Warren Sharp, my guy. Coming up, NBA writer Jared Weiss as well. A lot of takes on LeBron. But I do want to go back to the NFL and talk about the Rams for a moment. Obviously the big winner this off season, nobody can touch them is the Rams. I mean, coming off an awesome season, right? They go and add Miles Garrett, who is arguably the best pass rusher of his generation and still in his prime. He set the NFL sack record. I mean, come on, Miles Garrett, you have to game plan for him in the postseason. Like Jared Verse was really, really good. You didn't have to say, guys, what are we doing with Jared Verse on every down? You have to do that with Miles Garrett. He's a game wrecker. And let's not forget they also added Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs. Trent McDuffie, you could argue is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league. I would imagine he will follow around JSN in all three meetings against Seattle, assuming there's one in the playoffs. I mean, this Rams defense was already great. Look at the numbers according to pff. First overall, second against the run, third in pass rush, first in coverage. And they added two blue chip all pro talents. Okay, so we know the defense is set. The offense is ridiculous. Matt Stafford's a legend. Not practicing all the time now, but I'm not going to. You know, I was trying to build an argument around, hey, why aren't we hearing much about Stafford this time? Last year it was the back. Is he going to play? Goes to win the mvp. You know, there's some puka questions. Obviously his offseason was Messi. Not Rashid Rice Messi, but Messi, Devonte Adams. They tried to dangle him in a trade, but it seems like everything's copacetic there. The run game is solid. It looks like we're possibly going to see more Three tight end sets from the Rams given their off season. Like everything looks good. Here's Matt Stafford talking about the Rams off season.

[Player Interviewee (Matt Stafford or Caleb Williams)]

Sean said it the other night. You know, we've got a potentially a high ceiling, right? We've got great players, like you said, that have done a lot in this league. What can we do to continue to raise our floor, right? So if, hey, I'm off a little bit, you know, we can still go find a way to win a football game or our defense is off a little bit. We can still find a way to go win a football game. And continuing to raise that floor is something that, you know, I think is going to be a huge part of our journey in this season.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, so I've buttered you up on the Rams for a couple minutes now. The less great news, and again, this is more of a historical thing than anything. So the Rams, by the way, are the biggest favorites in the league to win the Super bowl. As low as +500 some places, +600 other spots. Essentially, the Rams are everybody's pick to win the Super Bowl. The next is like plus 11 under. So there is a big gap between the Rams and the rest of the league. Okay. Now the sportsbooks know that the Rams added players. They're coming off a great season. And remember last year? So they, they survived Seattle. Sam Darnold had that awful game in the first meeting, the second meeting, the Rams were cooking them and then there was some fluky nonsense. The, the backwards pass on the two point conversion that was recovered that everybody stopped playing. Just one of the craziest two point conversions ever. Really flipped the game, you could argue flipped a season. Cause it ended up helping give them home field advantage in the playoffs. And in the playoff meeting, special teams reared its ugly head. Special teams is the real knock on the Rams. If you want to get granular, I know nobody cares about, nobody cares about offensive lines or special teams. Those are immense when the margins are so thin in the playoffs. But here's the problem. In the last 25 years, there's been 25 Super bowl favorites coming into the season. Only four of them have actually won the Super Bowl. Nine of them have lost in the super bowl. So the four favorites that ended up winning the Super bowl, the 06 Colts, Peyton Manning, the 16 Patriots, Brady. The 18 Patriots, Brady, and the 23 Chiefs, Mahomes. So we're talking Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes. Those are the three quarterbacks in the last 25 years who were had the burden of expectations to win a Super bowl and they delivered. The other 21 did not win a Super Bowl. Nine other favorites lost in the Super Bowl. So the Rams, they're kind of up against it here. There's major pressure on them every week. They're going to get the league's best punch. Every coach is like, oh, we got to take down the Rams. This is your litmus test. Can you hang with the Rams? Can you not get blasted by 30? And I don't understand the Aaron Donald stuff. For, for. I tried to rationalize. Are they using this as a distraction to take pressure off the Rams? Pressure off Stafford. Like what, what is Aaron Donald? Who cares? He's been out of the league for a couple years. And I just. There's a lot of noise. It's not bad noise. A lot of noise around the Rams. Listen, it's going to be hard not to pick them. I'm not picking a Super bowl team until I think I'll do Friday this week. Staff knows Friday we'll do my, I think my super bowl pick. But it's only July, so Rams don't have to win anything yet. But a big season awaits Stafford and McVeigh. Let's go to Rachel Nichols with the news. No, no, no.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Turn on the news.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the Herdline news.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, Jason, it's been four days. Four days. AD after decision of LeBron and the shock of him going to the Sixers is probably worn off. But the criticism has not. Jason LeBron's decision to join a roster that was already loaded with strong players. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, of course, Jaylen Brown. As you mentioned, that has prompted some to call LeBron a ring chaser. And Kevin Durant, for one, has had enough of it. This will shock you, but KD was active on social media coming to LeBron's defense on threads yesterday saying, quote, everyone in the NBA is either chasing rings, shot attempts, or money. Now, Friday, Jason was 15 minutes after LeBron made his decision, and you said LeBron is ring chasing. So explain yourself. Why do you think that?

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't think there's anything wrong with chasing rings, Rachel. Every season in the men's league, I want to chase a ring. Of course I do. I want to get the best players. But why wouldn't LeBron want to say

[Rachel Nichols]

it's used in a negative way?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, that's. By people who are being negative. I mean, I have no issue with LeBron going to the best team. I never understood the Golden State thing. You're not going to win a title. What's the point of going there? I want to win. I think LeBron is the first.

[Rachel Nichols]

What do you mean he never understood the Golden State thing?

[Jason McIntyre]

Like, this whole, like, LeBron could go to the Warriors.

[Rachel Nichols]

Oh, I see.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like, I mean, like, for what? You're not winning anything. Isn't the goal to win championships?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, that was. That was the argument I had with you on the air on Friday. I mean, I think the ring chasing, the way you're using it may be more positive. And that's certainly what Kevin is saying. Right? So you agree with Kevin Durant. Everyone's chasing rings, right? I think the criticism of LeBron has been like, oh, he's, you know, he's just going where he knows he can win, as opposed to the real competitiveness of the game of trying to win on your own in some way. I never understand that, I guess, you know, look, when Karl Malone spent 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, went to the finals twice, wasn't able to win it, signed on with the Lakers in a year, he probably could have retired. And instead. And the 2004 Lakers tried to, you know, chase a ring or get a ring or get a ring that way by being the fourth option on that team with Kobe and Shaq that had won like the three peat from 2000 on. And that, to me, is kind of where the criticism would be if you're that. That kind of player saying, eh, I'm gonna go get that ring for my hall of Fame resume. Even though I didn't quote, earn it the real way. This is different to me in that they weren't the title favorites before LeBron came. And by the way, they're not even the title favorites now. If you look at Las Vegas, I think they're what, third maybe or fourth. They're certainly not favored to win a title this year. You're not ring chasing. If you were the guy who you going there makes them in contention for getting a ring. That's ring bringing or something.

[Jason McIntyre]

Ring ringing. Remember Tracy McGrady? Man, I love Tracy T. Mac. I hate. I've had him on the show. At the end of his career he went and I thought was ring chasing because he wasn't like a 20, he wasn't an all NBA guy. LeBron's an all NBA player, right? Wouldn't you agree?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, so I think Tracy's situation was a lot different because of his injuries and things like that.

[Jason McIntyre]

And so I get that. I get that. Hey, I'm going to go to this team, you know, if someone right now who's, you know, 35 plus veteran said I want to go to the spurs so I can get a ring, I have no problem with that. If you're averaging like eight points a game, who cares? You're chasing a ring, I get it. But you're not going to be like LeBron who's chasing a ring as a superstar.

[Rachel Nichols]

There's also this new idea of it having to be negative. You know, before the Internet, haha. When Ray Bork played for Boston, I think it was 20, 21 years. Everything he can to his franchise. Absolutely. Boston Bruins hero, considered the greatest defenseman in the game for his entire era. Two decades. But they could never get over the hump and get a ring. And when he was 39 years old, he went to join the already favorite Colorado Avalanche and they indeed went and won the Stanley cup that year. And everyone thought it was amazing. There was no negative association. It was, man, isn't it great that Ray Bourque finally got that cup? He deserved it. 20 years of service to hold that cup in the air. Greatest defenseman. Now with the Internet, it's a negative and certainly we have seen that move in that direction. But regardless, it's just not what LeBron is.

[Jason McIntyre]

Is it, is it the Internet or is it the NBA? Because it is ring chasing a phrase in NFL.

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't know. I mean, you know Joe Montana ring chasing when he went to Kansas City, I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, they needed a starter like Tom

[Rachel Nichols]

Brady ring chasing when he Went to Tampa.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, they needed a quarterback, so there you go.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, they need a point forward in Philly, and that's what LeBron.

[Jason McIntyre]

By the way, I am curious, did you think Kevin Durant going to the warriors was ring chasing?

[Rachel Nichols]

You know? No, because. You know why? Because they couldn't win without him.

[Jason McIntyre]

100%.

[Rachel Nichols]

They didn't win the year before and the series that they did win the next two years, they would not. I don't believe they would have won those titles without Kevin Durant, MVP of the Finals. That's the point. He was the reason.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

So I don't think it was ring chasing at all. And I don't think this is either. I just. I don't. I don't love it. I mean, look, Kevin Durant had a great response also to another fan who was saying, oh, man, it's a slap in the face to the Lakers that he would go sign with Philly for two years for $8 million. And he goes, I think your face will heal.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I think we'll talk about that later.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, there you go. Let's move on to the Patriots, because, as we know, of course, camp has opened and it's our first chance to get a look at the Drake May AJ Brown connection. Brown, of course, reuniting with coach Mike Frable. The two spent three seasons together in Tennessee from 2019 to 2021. And over that time, you may remember, Jason, they did butt heads, especially at the beginning, a little bit. But you spend time with a guy, you earn each other's respect, and it really has changed the foundation of their relationship to. Even now that they're new teammates again, they have that to fall back on. And AJ Brown was really interesting talking in camp about how that changes the way he hears things when Vrabel criticizes him. Now with the Patriots. Take a listen.

[Player or Coach Interviewee]

First team meeting. You know, he had ripped me for almost bringing in a catch, you know, and he expected me to make that play. And, you know, early on, as a. As a rookie, you know, I was. Didn't really like that too much, you know, but now I know he comes from a great place and he expects me to make that play, and so do I.

[Rachel Nichols]

You know, obviously the guy already has faith in me. He's not ripping me because he thinks I can't do it. He's ripping me because he thinks I can do it. That's supposed to be one of the strengths of this AJ Brown experiment in New England this year. He's. That AJ's not gonna get discontented. Cause he knows what Rabel wants from him. How big of an impact do you think AJ can make then with the Patriots if we don't have to have some of the controversy that he in Philadelphia the past couple years?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, that, that. Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, I think he can obviously be a game changer down the field. I'm seeing breathless updates about Drake May at camp throwing bombs. Because, you know, A.J. brown's now here, so we've got other guys open all this. I. I just wonder the ripping part. You know, it's one thing, like, if somebody you don't respect tries to take a shot at you, then you're like, who? Who the hell are you? Yes, why am I. I mean, no disrespect to Sirianni, but my guess is A.J. brown just didn't respect him. And A.J. brown gives a lot more respect to Mike Vrabel, someone who he previously knew. So if he's getting yelled at and dog cussed on the first day of practice for dropping a pass, I got it. Okay.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

As opposed to Nick Sirianni, like, who are you? You know, you've dealt with this in your. I've dealt with this, absolutely. People I respect, you know, hey, you're gonna say something, okay, fine. I got you other people. I'm like, who are you? What have you done?

[Rachel Nichols]

Also, just that idea that he knows it's because he expects him to do well, not because he's criticizing him for not doing well. Those are two different things. I think the relationship with Drake May is going to be a lot different too, because Drake is so much younger. Right. When you are dealing with a quarterback in Philadelphia, where you guys are peers on the same level and there are some butting heads, suddenly it's like, well, do you respect me? Do you respect me? Well, who are you? Well, who are you? Drake May is obviously junior to A.J. brown in terms of NFL experience, accomplishment. So you definitely have that looking up to relationship that you didn't have in Philadelphia. And I think that allows for AJ to feel like, oh, I'm the big guy. I'm teaching him. I'm showing him. That creates a different environment as well. Look, obviously Drake May was doing just fine last year. Highest completion percentage in the league, a lot of other top marks, second and MVP voting. But when it came to converting in the red zone and passing touchdowns, they were ranked 17th. And that is where I think AJ Brown is going to make such a difference. He's just. He's not the biggest guy in the world. But he is a big target there. He makes himself big. I think this could be really, really beneficial for the Patriots this season, especially with that tough schedule we've been talking about.

[Jason McIntyre]

What week, Rachel, do you think? Over? Under? I'll just say week six. Do we get the veiled A.J. brown comments about Jalen Hurts not Outlaw?

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't think it's my name. You think early, I think. I don't know. Haven't we already heard a couple of them? I feel like, I feel like already in the run up in the intro press conferences, we've heard a couple of those.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know they're coming.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, I think. I think the first time the Eagles lose or that there's a bad Jalen Hurts performance, something will work its way into the conversation and Patriots coverage. I don't know why. Let's move over to the packers because they too are opening camp this week. Jordan Love very excited about their chances to contend this season. He was speaking at a youth football camp in Milwaukee over the weekend and said he is excited, excited to get back on the field. Take a listen here.

[Player or Coach Interviewee]

I love the guys we got. I love the team we got. I think everybody's in a good place. And so now it's time to get back for training camp and keep building on the things we left off on on OTAs and get ready to attack, attack the season. For me, it's just getting back, continuing to focus on, you know, things that I want to improve on mechanic wise. A lot of it really, you know, starts when you get back with the team.

[Rachel Nichols]

Having fun there. I like the whole like, you know, the 18 handshakes, all of that kind of thing. We saw in the video. Look, Jordan Love very sweetheart deal. When he got drafted, everyone thought he was a great choice, sat behind Aaron Rodgers. Everyone loves the backup quarterback, right. And then when he came in, he got a lot of room I think because of the way Aaron left and people wanting to believe in Jordan Love and some early success he had. But Jason, the way that playoff game ended last year, it was so brutal. You remember that the packers were up 21 to three at halftime. Just snarf the second half. That that was on a lot more players than just Jordan Love. But the fact that Jordan kept throwing these incomplete deep passes that remember he dropped the snap on the last play of the game when they had the chance to come in. Do you think a little bit of the honeymoon's over for Jordan Love? I think there's going to be a lot more pressure on him this Season.

[Jason McIntyre]

Interesting. Well, I had the packers in that game. I like this team a lot, Rach. After. How about this one after they lose week one to the Vikings? See what I did there? I think that's the time you bet them to win the super bowl, because Micah Parsons is not going to play in the opener.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Right.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think he's going to probably miss the first few games. There's some questions about injuries at receiver. These guys need to stay healthy.

[Rachel Nichols]

Like, see, I think they can win those first three games.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. The problem is Kyler Murray and Kevin O', Connell, I think, and Brian Flores knowing LaFleur pretty well. I think the Vikings get him in the opener, and everybody's panicking about the packers, and they're going to be fine. So I'm actually. I got the packers and Rams. Why am I giving this away early in the NFC Championship game?

[Rachel Nichols]

All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, yeah, I like this team a lot.

[Rachel Nichols]

So you expect Jordan Love to step up?

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, he. I think He's a top 10 quarterback in the league.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, I. I just think this is the year you got to do it. Look, he's one in three in playoff games, so you want to make sure you don't turn into Lamar. Right. With that reputation. And I think highly of Lamar, but obviously, you know that it's now in his head that people think that he can't win playoff games. You don't want to be the quarterback that's good during the regular season, but has what is right now a 1 in 3 record in playoff games. If you're Jordan Love, that can't become one in four, then that becomes how people talk about you.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's a little ridiculous that lafleur gets so much criticism. I think he's a really good coach. I don't know. Are you?

[Rachel Nichols]

Absolutely. Yeah. I think he is, too. Look, obviously, again, I say this in the NBA, too. Can't wait. Not everybody can win every year. Right. So getting to the playoffs in the NFL, being able to win in the playoffs early, that is what is the baseline to be a good team. And Jordan's got to be able to do that this year. I think that you want them in the NFC Championship Game. If they do that, even if they don't make it to the super bowl, that's a success. That certainly knocks out any early conversation about him not being able to get it done when it counts. I just think this is the year. This is the year they have to show that they can do it. And I do think more pressure is on him being a young quarterback in the NFL gets you a little bit of stuff. Slack cut, right? We've seen that with Drake May. It's not as if he had that super bowl performance and everyone says, ugh, Drake May. He's a disaster. They say, ugh, Drake May. Young quarterback overwhelmed in the Super Bowl. Let's see what he can do this year. I think Jordan Love has had a couple of those, and I think we're now onto the season where he's going to have to get it done in the playoffs, in the regular season, and even this training camp is the foundation and the start of all that.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Rachel with the news. Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the Herd lie news. All right, NBA writer Jared Fred Weiss stopping by. Maybe we'll talk a little spurs with him as well. But definitely Gonna hammer home LeBron vs. Jalen Brown in Philly. Who's gonna run point for these guys? That's next year on the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[Jason McIntyre]

learn more back here on the Herd, let's welcome in Jared Weiss, NBA reporter for the Athletic covers the Spurs. We talked to him. I think it was the playoffs or the finals. He had a lot of fun stuff. Are you recovered Fully from your. You had an incident of memory serves. Just want to make sure you're all right there, Jared.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Oh, I'm good. I mean, listen, the playoffs is rough for everybody. We're all playing for it out there. So I'm recovered now. It's late July. I'm good. I'm enjoying the peaceful life now.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, let's dive right into the NBA. So LeBron picks the Sixers. I do want to say there was some media thoughts that maybe LeBron could go to the spurs, who could use a veteran as they kind of melted against the Knicks there in some fourth quarters. But it sounds like the spurs didn't feel the same way. I'm sure if Wemby had said, I want LeBron on the team, it would have happened. Was there, was there any smoke at all around LeBron and the Spurs?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I don't, I don't think there was a, you know, this didn't want to happen kind of thing. I think it was just that the Sixers had a very clear opening for LeBron. The spurs have like a good thing going. They don't need to bring in LeBron to transform their team. Everything just went so well. Their cap sheet is aligned pretty well for the future. They have a great locker room. I don't think they needed LeBron James at this point. They already have, like, what they need

[Jason McIntyre]

on board before we get to LeBron. One other thing on this verse. So Wemby took less on his contract and, you know, I guess that softens the blow of the impending Deer and Fox deal. But I am just curious, do you think this will be a beginning of a trend in the league among superstars taking less to fit more guys on the roster? Um, it was a, it was a curious decision, I thought a good one when you can make the finals in year three with your team as a superstar. Yeah, I trust you guys.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Yeah. I think maybe part of it was also that Victor just barely made the 65 game mark last season, which is what he would need to do again to win the awards again next year in order to qualify for the supermax bonus that he would have gotten if he signed for it. So he probably will hit that again, but who knows? He barely made it. So at least at this point it's off the table. He's locked into the idea that he's willing to make this small sacrifice. In order for the team to be able to re sign Julian Schimpani, which they just did, to a three year new deal, they're going to have to Pay Steph Castle. Coming up, they're going to have to pay Dylan Harper down the road. They have so many guys on their team that are going to need to get paid, and it just leaves them a little bit of room under the aprons, gives them a little bit of tax relief that, I mean, the team showed like, we will extend champagne. We will sign Tobias Harris if you're able to give us his flexibility. He did that. And like he said to the Athletics Jason Jones, that he doesn't want money to ever get in the way of winning.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, powerful quote. All right, let's get to LeBron, who also didn't let money get in the way of winning. Two years, eight mil. Forget the decision. I'm just curious, when you heard the monetary figure, were you stunned?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I was thrilled because we've been having these hypothetical debates forever of when will LeBron ever take the minimum, Will the Players association ever let him do that? And how much of a cheat code will it be if a team can sign a player as good as LeBron to the minimum. And LeBron is not quite the same guy as he was when we started having these conversations like five years ago, but he's still very good. He's still an all star caliber player. And so now he goes into Philadelphia and he takes them from a team that probably was fighting for at least home court advantage in the east to very, potentially could be the best team in the East. And they're just like. It just has this monsters feel to them again. And that's what's so exciting.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Now you say Monstars, but at some point, someone on the Monstars has to take a step back, right? And be the guy. And Jared, I look at, you know, the Thunder, right. Defined roles. Hartenstein, we know what you're doing, right? We know. Chet, you're a three point shooter now, man. You're not posting up the Spurs. They've got defined roles on their team. I mean, you look at the Knicks who just took down the spurs, you know what OG is going to do, and nobody's stepping out of their role. I don't know how that looks with the Sixers. It's. It's a fascinating experiment. What's your best guess?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I think LeBron did a good job last season of showing that he will fit into a role. Like he gave Luca and Austin Reeves, really, the top two spots in the offense. He didn't really seem to fight it that hard. He stepped up then when those guys went down and he played his best basketball, he's played in a while. So I'm not really concerned about LeBron fitting in. And, you know, LeBron does kind of a little bit of everything, right? Not a little bit. He does a lot of bit of everything, so he can fit into almost any single lineup. Obviously, this lineup's weakness is that they don't have a lot of truly reliable deep shooting, and that might be their weakness. But at the same time, they've got four absolutely elite paint scores, and then Vijay Edgecombe, who will probably be that very soon, if not this year. So they're a team that can just. Every single player on that team can eat alive whatever cup you throw at them. And LeBron is the best player that we've seen, at least in my lifetime or at least in this generation of being able to identify what's the defensive coverage, how could we find the vulnerability? So he will fit in. He'll find a way to fit in. I'm not worried about that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Boy, Jared, you're gassing up the Sixers here.

[Covino]

Here.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's get my top eight. Yeah, well, it's also true. Yesterday I had my top eight in the East. I did not have the Sixers number one. I actually kept the Knicks at one. And I, I think the east is kind of sort of jumbled there, Jared. There's the depth in the east is much better than the West. So I, I went Knicks, Sixers, Celtics. I think the Celtics are going to be really good. Pacers, Cavs, Magic, Hawks, Pistons. That doesn't even include Giannis in the Heat. Heat doesn't even include the Raptors. The east is 10 deep. I didn't mention the Hornets. But your quick thoughts on this list and feel free to take a dump on it.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I mean, we got to move the Raptors way higher up on that ranking. Like, they took a good step forward and they have lots of internal development from guys that will allow them to get even better. And then of course, if this Kawhi deal goes through, that really raises their ceiling.

[Jason McIntyre]

Who's coming out?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Orlando. I think Orlando's coming down. There's not a ton of confidence that I have in them after what we saw last season, they're going to need. I mean, you know, they could continue to develop more and get healthier, but you look at all these other teams you have up here, I wouldn't rush to put the Pacers back into home court advantage. I think Halliburton is going to need some time. And then the Pistons were just the one seed, and I don't see them Falling all the way down to an eight seed. So there. But you're right, though. The point is there is a ton of. There's a. There's just so many teams there. There's so many teams. How do you choose? It's impossible.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Let me ask you about the Magic coach, sweetie. Your thoughts on him?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Really good coach. And to his credit, he could come in there, revamp that culture, and they take a huge step forward. Sean Sweeney is incredibly intense, and I got to watch him up close in San Antonio last season. He is this intense coach who knows how to get through to guys. And to his credit, the biggest thing I think he achieved last year was that all the players in that locker room, when you would talk about the defense, they would just immediately jump to him and crediting him. They were all really impressed by what he brought to the table. He would get in their face, he would be real with them, and they listened. And so that's a huge thing that Orlando needs. And I think he's probably going to bring a lot to the table there.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's why I'm buying Orlando. Jared. All right, let's pivot to the Golden State Warriors. I said they were the big losers in the LeBron Sweet Stage Stakes. Put all their eggs in the LeBron basket. Didn't get him. What do you think the future holds for Steph Curry?

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I think it's a long whatever. How many years left in Golden State, and then maybe he does one last swan song in Charlotte. But, you know, the warriors, they already made the big move last year, bringing in Jimmy Butler, and they exhausted most of their resources to bring in Butler. They don't have, like a ton more to throw in that wouldn't completely compromise a future without Steph. That is not too far around the corner. And we've seen some reporting about how ownership is starting to think about preserving some of that to have a life after Steph. And this is the reality of growing old in the NBA, is they tried to hold open the championship window for Steph longer than we've seen anybody else be able to do in recent memory, longer than is supposed to be possible under these new cap rules. And unfortunately, Jimmy Butler, just like he blew his knee out and they got super unlucky with health there. And if he didn't get hurt, they would have had a really good chance competing for a title. So maybe he comes back next season and they're good again. But I don't think they should be mortgaging their entire future just to keep this window open. When there's so many good teams out there.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. So we got 45 seconds left. Steph Curry has one year, 62.5 million left. Then he goes to the spurs for a year. Right. Jared goes out of champions.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

I mean, hey, he can win a lot of championships if he ends up in San Antonio, but I think he's either retired retiring warrior or he's going to do one year in Charlotte.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, I love the defensive Wemby behind him and, and, and on the wing, Harper and Castle. Like, who's stopping that team? I mean, that just makes all the sense. Yeah.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Listen, the spurs need more shooting. Why not get the best shooter in the world?

[Jason McIntyre]

Just make it happen. All right, Jared Weiss, the athletic. Great stuff, Jared. Thanks a lot, man. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

[Fox Sports Radio Host]

Thank you very much. See you soon.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, Jared. I tried to sell him on the Orlando Magic. He's not biting. That's my sleeper team with the Hawks. All right, so we did the top eight in the east yesterday. We're going to do the top eight in the west today. Denver Nuggets fans, look away. It has a lot to do with what's going on with Nikola Jokic, our number two here on the Herd. I love my phone, but not my carrier.

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[Jason McIntyre]

Hey Portlandia fans, Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here the dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form.

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