THE HERD - Hour 3 - Channing Frye stops by The Herd

Summary

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Podcast Summary: THE HERD – Hour 3 – Channing Frye Stops By The Herd

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Date: May 14, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd with Jason McIntyre (“J. Mac”)
Guest: Channing Frye (2016 NBA Champion, former Cavs player, NBA analyst)

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Overview

This episode dives deep into current NBA storylines, including the ongoing LeBron James drama, the rise of teams like OKC and the Knicks, the complexities of the upcoming NBA Draft, and how player archetypes are shifting league-wide. The bulk of the conversation centers around Channing Frye’s insights into superstar mentalities, team construction, the nuanced evaluation of draft prospects, and the balance of power between players and franchises—especially through the lens of LeBron’s relationship with the Lakers.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. LeBron James’ “Game Ball” Controversy and His Lakers Future (01:57–04:18, 32:37–38:14)

• LeBron’s Game Ball “Snub”:

  • The hosts react to reports that LeBron was upset about not receiving a game ball for a recent milestone. Channing Frye and Colin both consider the issue overblown given LeBron’s vast list of achievements.
    • Quote – Channing Frye (02:33):
      “If he had a game ball for every time he hit 1,000 points? 2, 5, 12, 40. He’d have a whole room full of trophies. He might as well get a storage unit. What does he need that basketball for?...We don’t have to talk about LeBron’s feelings. He’s in Cancun somewhere chilling right now.”
  • Colin and J. Mac further discuss how superstar athletes process legacy and respect and whether LeBron’s feelings are valid or simply another example of superstar sensitivities.
    • Quote – Colin Cowherd (32:37):
      “Game balls for LeBron James just don’t feel like they should matter that much, regardless of what it’s for.”

• Lakers’ Roster Building, LeBron’s Leverage, and the Future:

  • Channing Frye argues LeBron should be patient, enjoy his offseason, and take stock before committing to future moves, given the uncertainties around teammates.
    • Quote – Channing Frye (03:12):
      “I think for LeBron, he should just be patient. See what happens with that team. They have some...glaring holes that they need to adjust, even if they think they want to even go for it next year.”
  • Later, the conversation pivots to how the Lakers have, for the first time, true leverage over LeBron. The team can sell out regardless, and LeBron’s list of suitors is shrinking.
    • Quote – J. Mac (37:55):
      “For the first time ever, LeBron has no leverage, and he knows it. And Rich Paul knows it.”

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2. Evaluating Modern NBA Teams: Respect for OKC and the Knicks’ Versatility (04:18–08:31)

• Respect for OKC’s Approach:
  • Channing Frye emphasizes the buy-in, bench empowerment, and unique skillsets as keys to OKC’s dominance.
    • Quote – Channing Frye (04:39):
      “This team doesn’t look bored of winning...SGA’s style has worked and until somebody’s figured out a way to stop it, I’ma keep going.”
• Knicks’ Roster Versatility:
  • J. Mac praises the Knicks’ roster construction, noting their balance between offense and defense. Channing highlights how every Knick feels empowered and the team’s increased versatility.
    • Quote – Channing Frye (07:13):
      “Each guy has the green light to go out there and make plays for each other...That’s what makes them dangerous now—it’s not just ‘watch Jalen Brunson.’”

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3. NBA Draft Preview: Stars, “Ceilings,” and the Risks of Prospect Projection (08:31–17:12)

• Draft Class Characterization:

  • The hosts and Frye point out this draft lacks a generational prospect (no Wemby, Cooper Flagg, or LeBron), but several strong contributors are expected.
    • Quote – J. Mac (08:31):
      “There’s no Cooper Flagg, Wemby, Duncan, LeBron, Magic. There’s not that. But...they’re going to be really, really good players for a long time, but they’re not going to change the fabric.”

• Evaluating Top Prospects:

  • AJ DeBansa vs. Darren Peterson:
    • Channing is unequivocal about his preference:
      Quote – Channing Frye (09:49):
      “I don’t think it’s close. What? Oh my god, yes. Listen, that dude is a...Give me AJ DeBansa all day long.”
    • He praises DeBansa’s maturity, versatility, and consistency, referencing his impact at BYU despite adversity.
    • He’s less sold on Peterson, citing inconsistency and team performance issues. Quote – Channing Frye (10:58):
      “It is not a good sign when your team is better when you’re off the court.”
  • Cam Boozer:
    • Compared to David West, Frye sees him as a reliable, “Lego piece” role player who can anchor a winning team, even if he’s never an All-NBA player. Quote – Channing Frye (12:22):
      “He reminds me of like David West...He’s going to be a powerhouse down there. But he’s a pro.”
  • Small Guards (Acuff from Arkansas):
    • Frye is skeptical of small guards as lead options, emphasizing the need to build around them carefully to mask defensive shortcomings. Quote – Channing Frye (13:37):
      “I have not seen a small guard who is a true guard...win an NBA championship...You gotta have a playmaker next to him who’s a defensive dog.”
  • “Raw” Players (Caleb Wilson):
    • Frye values raw athleticism and views rim-running, athletic bigs as excellent value in this class, especially for teams filling specific needs—like the Wizards. Quote – Channing Frye (15:07):
      “Give me that all day...I need you to defend, I need you to rim run, and I need you to play the dunker spot for Anthony Davis...And number one, I take him. If I was the Wizards.”

• Draft Philosophy for 2026:

  • This year, picks will be about plugging holes and finding cheap contributors rather than securing a franchise-changing superstar—most team needs outweigh “best available” concepts.
    • Quote – Channing Frye (16:13):
      “It’s not Wemby...You could just say, I want to fill a hole this year and keep it under the cap.”

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4. NFL Talk: Giants, Quarterback Tiers, and TV Scheduling (20:29–30:16)

• New York Giants & Jackson Dart:

  • The hosts debate Dart’s potential as a franchise QB, ranking NFC East quarterbacks, and how injuries (plus team histories) shape perceptions of young players.
  • Quote – J. Mac (21:54):
    “Now there’s the sophomore slump. He’s got to stay out of the blue tent.”

• NFL Schedule, Standalone Games & Market Power:

  • The attention shifts to the NFL’s new scheduling initiatives, especially the addition of Thanksgiving Eve games and the broader primetime strategy.
  • Colin and J. Mac agree the return of big-market relevance (New York, Chicago, L.A.) could signal a new era of higher-profile football.
    • Quote – J. Mac (29:09):
      “This league has flourished for a decade with two bad New York teams....Now the Rams go in as a Super Bowl favorite.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:33 | Channing Frye | “If he had a game ball for every time he hit 1,000 points...He might as well get a storage unit.” | | 04:39 | Channing Frye | “This team doesn’t look bored of winning...SGA’s style has worked and until somebody’s figured out a way to stop it, I’ma keep going.” | | 07:13 | Channing Frye | “Each guy has the green light...That’s what makes them dangerous now—it’s not just ‘watch Jalen Brunson’.” | | 09:49 | Channing Frye | “I don’t think it’s close...Give me AJ DeBansa all day long. This dude has been a pro’s pro.” | | 12:22 | Channing Frye | “He reminds me of like David West...But he’s a pro. He’s going to make winning plays.” | | 13:37 | Channing Frye | “I have not seen a small guard who is a true guard...win an NBA championship.” | | 15:07 | Channing Frye | “Give me that all day...I need you to defend, I need you to rim run, and I need you to play the dunker spot for Anthony Davis...” | | 16:13 | Channing Frye | “It’s not Wemby...You could just say, I want to fill a hole this year and keep it under the cap.” | | 32:37 | Colin Cowherd | “Game balls for LeBron James just don’t feel like they should matter that much, regardless of what it’s for.” | | 37:55 | J. Mac | “For the first time ever, LeBron has no leverage, and he knows it. And Rich Paul knows it.” |

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Section Timestamps for Key Segments

• LeBron’s Game Ball, Lakers/James Future:
  01:57–04:18, 32:37–38:14
• OKC/Knicks NBA Team Discussion:
  04:18–08:31
• NBA Draft Prospect Deep Dive:
  08:31–17:12
• NFL News & Midweek Football Discussion:
  20:29–30:16

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Tone & Style

The conversation is direct, insightful, and candid, led by Colin Cowherd’s signature blend of sharp opinion and humor, with Channing Frye’s authentic, player-driven perspective. There’s ample back-and-forth, some light ribbing, and plenty of “real talk” about athlete psychology and front-office strategy.

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For listeners who missed the episode, this summary delivers a comprehensive guide to all significant topics: top NBA narratives, honest draft analysis, and why the leverage game has shifted in L.A.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed Human.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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.

[Jason McIntyre]

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

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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

[Jason McIntyre]

Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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

[Jason McIntyre]

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[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 help make you friends. Funnier this week my guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.

[Sammy Mc]

Where does your group perform?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes you can. A five minute quick and easy calorie burning workout.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Give it a try.

[Jason McIntyre]

Come join our sweat sesh on TikTok.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now let's get this party started.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You're listening to FOX Sports Radio Radio. Channing Fry, champion in 2016, Cavs over the Warriors 13 years. Played with LeBron James. Love having him as a guest. He joined us now live as we got a lot of different things so we've, we've talked about today. Actually we've probably spent 30% of the show on the LeBron James reportedly a little miffed with his big moment. He didn't get a game bowl for. You're laughing. You've been to his house before. Do you think, do you think you don't love that?

[Colin Cowherd]

Like yeah. How much more stuff does the man need to acknowledge that he played good. Like how many. If he had a game ball for every time he hit 1000 points? 2, 5, 12, 40. He'd have a whole room full of trophies. He might as well get a storage unit. What does he need that, that basketball for? I mean, let's be real now. We're just making up stuff. There's enough good basketball to be on. We don't have to talk about LeBron's feelings. He's in Cancun somewhere chilling right now. So we should be talking about the teams that are playing

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

the. How do you think they handle his contract though? What do you think they do with it?

[Colin Cowherd]

You know what I think for LeBron, he should be patient. He should enjoy this time off with his family, really see what he wants to do going into next year. I know I said this on road trip and I was like, AR and Luka, the worst defensive backcourt I think you could put together defensively. So I think until you can address those issues, is Luka going to be healthy? Do you trust AR enough in the playoffs that he's your guy? And also who are you going to go get that's better than him? Who are you going to go get that's better than a third option? LeBron. And then all of a sudden your two best players go down and that third option turns into the first option. You win a first round series. So I mean, I think for LeBron, he should just be patient. See what happens with that team. They have some, I think, some glaring holes that they need to adjust, even if they think they want to even go for it next year. And he needs to sit down and see what, what they're going to do with, with Austin and how Luke is feeling. But just be patient. If I was him, he got options.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

There's a lot of different ways to be a champion. We're going through a 1970 run of a different team every year. OKC is going to be favored to win back to back, and that kind of puts them in a different class. Do you think they're respected their style? You know, SGA is not a vertical player. He's not physical dominate. Do you think they're respected by players in the league?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Or else you getting, you getting drubbed by 50. You got to respect him for, to get that belt off on you. I mean, think about every team that's dominated the league. There's always been something wrong, right? Joel Embiid gets mvp. He's foul baiting. James Harden gets mvp. He's foul Baiting Giannis takes too long on his free throws. I mean, Jokic, he doesn't really play defense. When you're the mvp, people are going to nitpick your game. SGA is the real deal and OKC is the real deal top to bottom. I think the biggest, most dangerous thing that they have is, is buy in. Right? You can have a bench, but if the bench ain't bought in to allowing your stars to be stars. Guys come in and they star in their role and then they, they excel as a team defensively, which means they're bought into schemes and their roles and what is required to win. This team doesn't look bored of winning. They don't look like they're stopping anything. SGA style has worked and until somebody's figured out a way to stop it, I'm a keep going. Right? I mean it's not. I think one thing that I do appreciate about where the league is now is like if you look at the top five or six players, no two of them are the same. Yeah, they don't have two guys that play and that's awesome and I love it. And so it just shows you where the league is at. It shows you these guys are, are starting to have a little bit more artistry to their game and not just workout guys. We're going in a era of that. But now, man, we got some absolute Hoopers and some demons out there. So if you want to complain about free throws and stop falling.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah, the. It's interesting. I've said the last couple years. It's hard for me to understand the east in the West. I know how good OKC is, I know how good the roster is at Minnesota. I know what San Antonio is, I know what Denver is and isn't in the west, four seed Indiana wins it and then the year before, eight seed the east, eight seed Miami wins this year. Detroit doesn't have a number two score and they are number one. Like I don't know that. What do I make of the Knicks? But if you look at the Knicks, I will say this very complimentary roster. They got defensive guys, McHale, OG Hart, Robinson, they've got kind of offensive leaning guys. Brunson and Cat, they've got a lot. I mean, Lakers are all offense. The Knicks got a bunch of stuff. Do you believe. But it's hard to judge against Eastern Conference playoff teams. Do you think the Knicks match up with the spurs or okc?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think they match up better with both teams. To be real, I think when you have Cat, I Think people obviously Cat's antics at times overshadow like how freaking good this dude is. I think you look at the Knicks and what they've done is they've empowered everyone. Right when Tibbs was there, he had his seven guys and they knew what they were doing and they were locked down defensively, but they didn't have any versatility when it came to offensive defensive sets. Would they go on his own? Are they going to play a guy coming off the bench? But now you look at this team and each guy has the green light to go out there and make plays for each other. Brunson's a ball handler and can make plays. You got, you know, OG's a playmaker. You got Mikhail Bridges, playmaker Josh Hart. I go down the line and that's what makes them dangerous now is that everyone feels empowered and that they contributed to them, to their success. It's not. Let's just watch Jalen Brunson. I think to me the question is Jalen Brunson is going to have to guard if he plays OKC and if he plays the Spurs. And so they're not going to be able to hide him anywhere because they got some dogs offensively going downhill. But, but I think the versatility both that, that the Knicks have is going to give them a really good opportunity to make it to the NBA Finals.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

So I got to ask is the NBA drafts in a month and it's, it's really interesting about five weeks and there's no Cooper flag, Wemby, Duncan, LeBron magic. There's not that. But I think they're, it's more of like AJ Devonson, Darren Peterson are more like Cade Cunningham or Ant. They're going to be really, really good players for a long time, but they're not going to change the fabric. They're not going to. None of them is going to go to the finals nine years in a row like LeBron or dominate like Wemby could. Let me ask you this. Darren Peterson has faced Debons a three times and outplayed. Yeah, when I watched Darren play, he reminded me of young Kobe, more polished offensive game than DebonSA. I mean, he's ready to score 24 a night in the NBA, it looks like, but missed 11 games. Kind of plays in a silo. But let's just stay on the cramping the mental stuff. Listen, I've watched Markel Fultz, Ben Simmons, Royce White, great players. And I, you know, the game is, is rough emotionally, especially when you're young and it's, it's a, it's the phone world. Now you're, you're reading about the criticisms.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right, right, right.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Would you take DebonSA over Darren Peterson based on 20 out of 20 times?

[Colin Cowherd]

Not even close.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You take the.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it's close. What? Oh, my God, yes. Listen, that dude is a. I've watched both of them in person. I've watched Darren Peterson, I went to Arizona. I've watched those games. I've watched the Bana play. Give me AJ Debanza all day long. This dude has been a pros pro since he was in high school. You got to think what he was doing at BYU and they were missing their second best score this year. You look at his package, you look at how he approaches the game. There was not a question that somebody has asked about his game, his attitude, his professionalism that he did not answer for me, for me personally, I like his size. I like the fact that he plays basketball with his head up. I like that he understands his opportunity and he doesn't waver from his goal. Right. I think there's, you know, obviously everyone's going to have, you know, like Darren Peterson had his struggles this year. Right. Kansas was a very good team. It is not a good sign when your team is better when you're off the court.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That's true.

[Colin Cowherd]

So to me, to me, just in that situation, is he a good basketball player? For sure. I have seen more consistent greatness from AJ Debanza than I have Darren Peterson. Because there's a lot of what ifs. What is AJ DeBance's what if? Exactly.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

He's not a. Yeah, he's not a catch and shoot guy. But guys, I mean, Ray Allen, okay, hey, guess What?

[Colin Cowherd]

We got 82 games for you to be a catch and shoot guy. Listen, stop. If that's it, if that's your only what if, Give me a hundred of those dudes. If you only got one skill, what if is. You can't. You're not a standstill shooter. Because guess what? He's never, he's always had the ball in his hands. He's always been a star. He's always been like the most talented guy. So now you put him with playmakers. Now imagine him getting the ball from, I don't know, he goes to Utah and he's playing with Lori Marketin, right? And all of a sudden he's coming off a pin down and he catches. You think he's not going to be great at coming off pin downs at that Size at that length, right. He's. He's been a pillar of that Utah community for the last two, three years. Like, I mean, I'm excited. I'm excited about A.J. probably the most of anyone. He seems to me he has the highest ceiling.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Okay, now Cam Boozer and I had a scout tell me this. He goes, he'll play for 12 years. I don't know if he makes an all star team. He's not super athletic. What do you make of that?

[Colin Cowherd]

You know what he reminds me of? He reminds me of like David west, but just nicer. I think his skill set is very much David West. He's going to be a very solid traditional power forward. He is going to. He's only going to get bigger, he's only going to get stronger. He is going to be a powerhouse down there. But he's a pro. He's a pro. You think about. There's never been a time since he was in junior high, he has an average, a double double. So what he is going to be expected to do at that level, he's going to average 12 and 9, 14 and 9 on a good to great team. And again, he might make like his dad. He might make one or two all stars. But you're going to be like, dude, put this guy on my team. Put this guy on my team. Because he's going to make winning plays and I know I can trust him day in and day out to be a pro. And if he has like a deficiency somewhere, I know that I could coach him. Give me that guy all day. Especially in today's age. I could build. That's a great Lego piece.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

What about that? The smaller guy, Acuff from Arkansas, who is just points, but he is tiny. You're going to get hunted. What do you do with a guy like that? Does that size bother you?

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm not a believer in small. This is not anything personal to small guards. I have not seen it. I'm not seeing it. I've not seen a small guard who is a true guard, like the one playing point all game win an NBA championship. I haven't seen him go to the NBA finals. I have not seen it in my time. To me, I think this kid is great. But you got to build around that type of player. You got to have a playmaker next to him who's a defensive dog. You got to have a five man who's like Mitchell Robinson, who's like, who could switch one through five. Who's going to stop. Also defensively, it's going to put you in a lot of two on one situations. But if he can continue to score and if he buys into being solid defensively, I take a chance on him. I mean, scoring a basketball the way he did this year was pretty impressive. I mean, pretty freaking impressive. But to me, he'd have to go to a Western Conference team, not an Eastern Conference team. I mean, if he plays point guard, you're going to play him versus Paulo. Like, it's just not. It's just not. Like, who's he going to play against?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You know, you know, there's the. Caleb Wilson at Carolina is so springy. He is so, I mean, just twitchy. But he's raw. What do you make a raw guy? Coming in.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, hold on one second. My dog.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Go ahead, take your time. I love dogs.

[Colin Cowherd]

Of course, somebody comes to the house when I'm on the show. Hey, I put it this way, Caleb Wilson, give me that all day. Do I have a. If it's going to sound crazy. If I'm the Wizards, I got Trey Young, I got Anthony Davis. Do I have a screen and roll big and keep his game simple. I need you to screen, roll, offensive rebound. Think about Diabate from Charlotte. Think about his impact on that team. And to me, if he's this raw, 611, seven foot guy, hey, I need you to defend, I need you to rim run, and I need you to to play the dunker spot for Anthony Davis since he doesn't and has said for 10 years, I don't want to play to five. And now you got athleticism, you have defense and you have a screen and roll big for Trae Young to me. And number one, I take him. If I was the Wizards.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

I know it's crazy, but you got to get what you need, right? The number one pick isn't in this draft.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

It's not Wemby.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's not Wemby. It's not Wemby. And you think like, okay, Grizzlies, they need to go for talent. Bulls need to go for talent. Clippers need to go for situational. They probably need a big. If he gets to five, I take him there at five. Nets, they need a splash somewhere. They need something. Kings need something. Hawks, they need a crazy score defender. Mavs, who's going to work best with Cooper? Flag, Bucks, who knows what they're going to do. Warriors, they need some talent. Thunder, they can pick somebody from overseas we'll never heard of, and that dude will be an MVP in five years. I mean, I can go down the line, but it's just like, it's pretty easy, especially this draft because no one is wemby. You could just say, I want to fill a hole this year and keep it under the cap. There are a lot of teams that about six of these 14 that want to win next year where you can get a solid role player for cheap.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Channing Fry, great seeing you, man. As always. Love when you come on.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, thank you. Have me on, man. Anytime.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

What's the dog's name, by the way? Topher.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like Christopher Walken, but it's Topher, all right.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I Topher.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's out here barking on the show, man. Got to get his ass out of here.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Good, senior.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good seeing you, too.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah. How about that? Caleb Williams, number one. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9:00am Pacific.

[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 guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts

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[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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

[Jason McIntyre]

Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[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 help 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.

[Sammy Mc]

Where does your group perform?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

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.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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.

[Jason McIntyre]

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

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

Get a [e-mail] or with your local agent, Liberty Liberty.

[Jason McIntyre]

Liberty. Liberty.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

J. Mac with the news. No, no, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

Turn on the news.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

This is the Herdline news.

[Jason McIntyre]

Start with your New York Giants and Jackson Dart. Big season loading for Dart. Is that going to happen? New head coach and he's also got a new offensive coordinator with Matt Nagy. Here's Dart talking about just how happy he is to be in New York.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I just think that we're very versatile. I think that starts there and then the other thing is I just can't wait for all my boys to be back healthy. I'm excited for the pieces that we brought in. They're going to help us a ton and we're just going to be a physical, violent team. And that goes on the offensive side of the ball, defensive side of all the special teams. So the boys can't. And I can't wait to get after it. That's exciting.

[Jason McIntyre]

Physical and violent. Those are interesting words.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Kind of. Kind of exciting.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, Cam Scaboo, he's violent and physical.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I think because of your history and your devotion to the green team in New York, you. You have slightly overlooked the Giants overall roster. I think so.

[Jason McIntyre]

You seem so bullish on Jackson Dart. I mean, I will say I didn't see it coming out, but I don't know if he's a franchise quarterback. I got to see more. Have you seen enough to say he's our guy? Going Forward or.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yes, I have now. Now there's the sophomore slump. He's got to stay out of the blue tent. Yeah, I think that's fair. I mean, listen, C.J. stroud, last year, at the end of the year, you're like. A lot of people are like, whoa, what's going on? So it's. I mean, it's. You know, Jaden Daniels had the best rookie season in the history of the sport at quarterback last year. He was bad, then he got hurt. You're like, okay, what's the. What is it? So, I mean, Jaden Daniels, a fascinating player. Let me ask you, are you still on the top 12 guy? Do you. Are you still a Jaden Daniels fan? He was not playing well before the injury.

[Jason McIntyre]

So this is what's so weird about the NFL. So everybody went gaga for Stroud after his rookie year. I was like, can I see some more? We've seen more. And it's like, he's not a superstar. Jaden Daniels, same thing, everybody. Always a top five quarterback, like, second year. Now he's got no Cliff Kingsbury. Dan Quinn's in trouble. I. I don't know. I. I like proven commodities. I like Brock, perhaps, who's done it for years. I like Jalen Hurts. Offensive coordinator. Don't matter. I don't know what to make a dart. I mean, we've seen what, like 10 starts, a lot of injuries. He looks like. I mean, I just. I don't know, man. I'm not sure about. I can't. If I'm ranking the quarterbacks in that division, Dak, for me, is one. Yeah, well, no, no, I'm. I'm sorry. Jalen Hurts. Dak, Jaden Daniels, Jackson Dark. Would you agree with that order?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, no, I.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

What do you got?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I think at this point, Dak's better than Jalen Hurts.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, who's three and who's four?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Jaden Daniel, healthy. I would take over Jalen Hurts.

[Jason McIntyre]

I've never seen a Super Bowl MVP so disrespected like Jalen Hurts. All right, let's move on to the next story. Sticking in New York, the Great Big Apple OG Anunoby got that hamstring injury. There are reports that he could return. He's expected to return for game one of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavs or Pistons. I mean, I saw that he's been working out, but hasn't done five on five scrimmage. I don't know, Colin. I've. I've got strong tissue, so. I've never had a hamstring injury of consequence. It feels like they're kind of rushing him back. We've seen hamstrings three, four weeks. I mean, guys been out for like maybe 10 days, right?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah. By the way, Joe Flacco and Nick Foles were Super Bowl MVPs too. I just want to throw that out there.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay. I mean, Nick Foles had like six games and, and or a playoff running.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Well, I mean, you just said that. It stuck in my head. I didn't want to let it go and just seep into the next show. I wanted to make sure.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're gonna do this all. All off season. Huh? You're anti. You don't like Jalen Hurts?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No. Can I say you hate him? No, no, no, no, no, no. I like him as a guy. I like his maturity, leadership. Yeah, whatever that is. I like that part.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, so anyways, OG Anunoby, they're going to need him. He's the ideal defender for Cade Cunningham.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

He's perfect.

[Jason McIntyre]

He'll shut down James Harden. He was. He's been amazing in the postseason.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

And either way, Knicks are going to roll. Pistons or Cat, those teams are tired. By the way, Cade was tired last night and six game series office. Both of them played seven Knicks well rested. Knicks back in the finals. Jets on the uptick.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Let me tell you something.

[Jason McIntyre]

Coming up, New York, Mr. Chicago Knicks

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

spurs would get a big rating. That would get a bit. You got. You have this transformational talent against a lot of Knicks fans. That'd be a big rating. That's if you're the NBA, that's what you're rooting for. You're not rooting for Oklahoma City against anybody because we saw them last year and they're not much of a draw.

[Jason McIntyre]

And then Adam Silver gets Nick spurs and he's like, hey, everybody, come at me for the ratings. You. Anyways, let's go to the final story. Colin. NFL schedule. Today's the big day. A lot of games have trickled out. Some others have not. The NFL has officially announced the Thanksgiving eve game. That will be Rams, packers. Decent lineup there. Holy cow. And then it's the first game on Thanksgiving eve, I believe, ever. And then Lions host the Bears and the Cowboys Eagles on Thanksgiving day.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That's big. I also saw. Now it, it hasn't been confirmed. I saw Thanksgiving.

[Jason McIntyre]

Be careful. They don't want us talking about stuff that's not out there.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Well, I'm not going to give the games, but I saw the Christmas lineup and if that's true. Yeah. Not going to be good for the NBA.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's just weird the way this stuff's trickling out. I want to ask you, we're seeing so many good marquee standalone games, but, like, remember, we got to keep some good games for Sunday. COLIN well, Sunday's the big day in the NFL.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

This has been my knock on, like, I like European games. Yeah, I like it. My knock on moving to streaming and Thursday and Wednesday, the knock on that is the one o' clock window is really fun until about mid October. And then it's a lot of Carolina games and it's a lot of, it's a lot of jets games. And so what I found last year is I love the red zone and I love the early games for about five weeks and then you start getting a lot of one and fours and two and fives and the it doesn't take that long. It takes about six weeks and you really can tell the bottom third of the league and that's what's in the one o' clock window. So, like the Bears used to be a one o' clock window team. The Bears are going to be out of that window. They're in the prime. I mean, if I, if I told you six teams that will be in the one o' clock window or 10, 10 Pacific, one eastern window, Titans are going to be in it a lot. Saints are going to be in it a lot.

[Jason McIntyre]

The east coast teams that are bad,

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

the late window bowl, no, jets will be in it. Vikings may be in it. Oh, Dolphins will definitely be in it. And the Raiders, I think, to start will be in it.

[Jason McIntyre]

So yeah, they'll be. The good thing about the standalone games is that like, you know, it's a Monday. I just had to listen to you prattle on for three hours bashing the Jets. I get to kick back at night and I get a good PrimeTime game with two good quarterbacks and you know, and then same thing Thursday night and then you got the, the big Thanksgiving. Like, I like standalone games.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I'm not a huge streaming service. NFL game. Like, I think the strength of the NFL beyond it's always been scarcity. Like, it's played on Sunday and Monday and it's like three networks and they play at the same time. I mean, you never know when NBA games or baseball games, you have no idea. I mean, I like the mls. I watched it for years. It's on Apple. I don't see it. Like, yeah, I mean, so my take is one of the strengths of the NFL is not just the scarcity of Games like college football 30 years ago, 30, 35 years ago, college football. Saturday morning at 9 Pacific, you get the Hurricanes, the Seminoles, the Gators. Now it's all pushed to the night. You don't get any. It's very hard. If I get like one great early

[Jason McIntyre]

game, well, it's because capitalism and more money and night prime time in the

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

NFL, the capitalism, I feel like baseball, it's out of control. I'm not sure when I think the one o' clock window's gotten weaker. That I don't like. Yeah, window is still great. The late window, the one o' clock window is very hit and miss.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, I'll see the NBA last night, right? So it's like Cavs, Pistons. I'm like, is it on Amazon? Is it on Peacock? What channel? Like, it takes me a minute because it's all new. So yeah, NFL has to iron that out. But this Thanksgiving slate looks awesome on

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Fox and it's going to be amazing.

[Jason McIntyre]

You got Michigan, Ohio State that weekend. Like it does. Doesn't get much better than that.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

We're really, I mean, if you look at the NFL, one of the, the real pluses. This league has flourished for a decade with two bad New York teams. So I said the other day, remember I said the other day, I said it's the return of the big markets. Both LA teams will be great. Chicago's going to be great. I think The Giants will. D.C. will bounce back. I mean, we'll still have Buffalo and Kansas City, but it's. I think Dallas will be interesting. We've had a dearth of big markets forever. The Bears were bad, both New York teams were bad. L A wasn't as interesting. Now the Rams go in as a Super bowl favorite. For the record, I was looking at the Chargers two deeps this morning. They went and got Mitchell. The Ravens running back, Keaton Mitchell.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, that's a nice little get.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I don't think people understand.

[Jason McIntyre]

And Joku is like their third string tight end.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

They got in Joe Kooky. Go look. Just go online. It's on. Oran, go look at the Chargers depth chart. Dude, they are. They have got no weakness. Yeah, they, they honestly, they have solved tight end, running back. They have no weakness on that roster.

[Jason McIntyre]

So, you know, we love over unders tomorrow headlines. I think the Chargers are going to make an appearance. You can guess over or under.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

All right, J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd lie news. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartradio app brought to you by Apple Card.

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[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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.

[Jason McIntyre]

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

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

Oh no, we help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married.

[Jason McIntyre]

Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

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

[Jason McIntyre]

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 help 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.

[Sammy Mc]

Where does your group perform?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

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]

Latte, Iced coffee, Espresso. Your new Nespresso Vertuo up machine makes the perfect cup for every morning. One button press and you can brew any co any size your way. New Virtuo up press to explore shop

[Jason McIntyre]

[e-mail] so we spent about 30 minutes

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

today on the story on ESPN.com about LeBron being a little miffed that he didn't get a certain game ball for a certain accomplishment. And he's broken. He's got his name is just plastered all through the record book. So I Mean, what's a big event? What's not a milestone? What is. I mean, I. The big ones, obviously. All time. Most points. He's never going to catch Bill Russell. Total titles. But, you know, stuff matters to people. I get it. And, but. But it does feel like sometimes LeBron believes the Lakers haven't treated him well. And I would revert back to the AD move where they got rid of all the young guys they already had in house. They got Westbrook, then ditched Westbrook. They fired through coaches to get it right with JJ Redick. They drafted brawny public. Public statements have always been overwhelmingly supportive. They've asked him to step back a little this year, and he did. He acquiesced and was terrific. But it feels a little over the top that, you know, he didn't get a game ball. We had video of the day that Palinka gave it to J.J. redick. You know, I think as you age, you have wisdom and maturity. Game balls for LeBron James just don't feel like they should matter that much, regardless of what it's for. They did stop the game. The NBA did. When he has the most points ever, that, that feels incredibly big. But I don't know. I think when you're as great as, as Marlon Brando was or Michael Jordan or, or Tom Cruise or LeBron James, I mean, how big is the Golden Globes? I don't know. It. Dan Woieke earlier on. If the lakers truly value LeBron, I

[Sammy Mc]

do think that value and appreciation, particularly for a player at LeBron stage of his career, is as important as anything. He's been the priority of every team he has been on for 27 years. And when you were not, and Sammy Mc and I wrote about this, you know, the messaging around the team was when they asked LeBron to take that, that kind of third option role was like, you need to be empathetic to this because the human being element of this is that it is not easy to slide back to that.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I agree with that. And he did and he was terrific. Yeah, I get it. It's. It's. But generally over the course, like, like entertainment, sports is entertainment, Hollywood is entertainment. Right? Like you, you think over the course of time that, you know, you understand, like, you don't have the box office gravitas of somebody else. But that, that probably is like, Tom Cruise has made it work, Denzel's made it work, Meryl Streep's made it work, Jack Nicholson, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000, decade after decade. I don't know. It's here's Dan. Also on. On LeBron's future, Laker Future or not.

[Sammy Mc]

We don't know if LeBron James wants to play basketball next year. We don't know. We just don't know yet. He's going to figure that out here in the next few weeks. And my anticipation is it won't be, like, he won't come out and say, like, I'm back. My anticipation is that it'll be something like, where it's like, all right, like, I think I'm willing to consider this. Like, let's take some meetings and figure out. Because, like, for the first time in his career, like, truly, like, he does not control what comes next.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah. And that is true. He's controlled everything. And this is the first time, like, it's like, bro, we're. And again, I will support the Lakers. They're building around Luka. They should. Luka's got five more years of prime, and Luca is, you know, listen, LeBron has sold a lot of tickets, but the Lakers, even during lean years, sell a lot of tickets. It's always been about in Los Angeles for the Lakers, who's the next star? You know, it's. It's. It's. Here's Wilt. Here's west, here's Magic. Here's Kareem. Kareem. Here's Magic, here's, you know, here's Kobe, here's Shaq. Here, LeBron. And then they thought Anthony Davis could be that, but, you know, he just wasn't durable enough and dependable enough. So now it's Luca. Luca is the next star. And, you know, Magic, at some point kind of became bigger and more popular and more vital than Kareem? That's it. And Kareem played for 20 years.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let me ask you something, Colin. Do you think LeBron has shown enough this year, obviously, during his Lakers tenure, that he could go to the Lakers and say, hey, guys, I'm willing to make some concessions, but I need some stuff in return. Do you think he's in that kind of position, or will the Lakers just say, bro, we don't need you. We're good, we're going to go with Luca, I don't think. And move on.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I think the new owners would not

[Jason McIntyre]

allow that, really, given the season he just had. He carried them against Houston. He's a leader in the locker room. He's a. He's box office.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I think they've done that too much.

[Jason McIntyre]

And you think so you think they're really like, sorry, LeBron. No, here's what we're offering. That's it.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Remember, the Lakers have some leverage here. They've got Luca, they've got their coach.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That two things. They sell out regardless. LeBron doesn't have a bunch of suitors. I mean, they've got the Lakers. For the first time ever, they have leverage. Right? They're going to sign Austin Reeves. So Luca. Austin Reeves, they're resigning him.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's not enough. I love those guys. Those two are not enough to. To compete with OKC and the Spurs. You need LeBron.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, they're. You're not. You're not competing with those teams with LeBron. Dylan Harper's getting better every three weeks. Yeah, I mean, he's going to be.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I'm just kidding. That was a joke.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, I mean, it's. It's. So my take is we've got our coach, we've got our two guys. If you want to acquiesce to what we're offering, the Lakers have the leverage here. LeBron doesn't. That's why you're hearing the chirping and seeing the leaks. For the first time ever, LeBron has no leverage, and he knows it. And Rich Paul knows it. See you tomorrow.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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