THE HERD - Hour 3 - Chris Broussard stops by The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3 (May 13, 2026)

Guest: Chris Broussard
Main Topics: NBA Playoffs Analysis, Lakers/LeBron’s Future, NBA Team Management & Free Agency, Wembanyama’s Ascent, Embiid & 76ers Unrest, Greatest Basketball Centers Debate

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Episode Overview

In this episode of The Herd, Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre are joined by Chris Broussard for a deep-dive into the latest NBA headlines, with particular focus on the Lakers’ uncertain future, LeBron James’ next moves, the state of the Philadelphia 76ers, and the astonishing rise of Victor Wembanyama. The episode is brisk, opinionated, and rich with insider insights on player dynamics, team management philosophies, and the shifting shape of league stardom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

NBA Draft and Player Analysis

Timestamps: 03:01–04:13

• Utah draft rumors: Colin discusses the rumors about the Utah Jazz possibly moving up for a top draft pick but questions why they’d trade away valuable players like Walker Kessler for a prospect (03:01).
• Concerns about Darrin Peterson: Colin voices that while Peterson's injuries are mildly concerning, the bigger worry is his lack of playmaking:

  “He’ll score 24. Will anybody else be involved?... I don’t like guys... My biggest knock on [Kawhi Leonard]: injuries and, you know, first seven years of his career, did he have an assist?” (03:01)

• NBA Playoff officiating:
  • Jason dubs SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) a “free throw merchant,” noting his flopping and foul baiting are drawing criticism, and he’s not getting playoff calls (04:16).
  • Colin explains how playoff officiating changes, noting stars like Carl Malone and James Harden also suffered from fewer calls in the postseason (04:49):

    “The whistle dies in the playoffs... they want players to win. They don’t want refs to be the deciding factor.” (04:49)

Defensive Matchups & SGA’s Playoff Ceiling

Timestamps: 05:53–06:50

• Steph Castle as top defender: Jason claims Castle is currently the league's best wing defender, noting SGA has consistently shot under his average when guarded by Castle (05:53).
• Whistle-dependency: Colin and Jason argue SGA’s lack of size and leaping ability means his effectiveness is reduced without referee support (06:18).

NFL Brief – Giants, Bengals, and Roster Building

Timestamps: 06:50–08:01

• Dexter Lawrence trade:
  • Jason says new Giants defender Brian Burns is embracing his bigger role after Lawrence’s departure.
  • Colin argues losing Lawrence isn’t a major blow for NY but a big win for a needy Bengals defense:

    “Cincinnati has been bereft of any defensive line pressure... Just a bad defense the last two years. I thought it was a really aggressive get for Cincinnati.” (07:20)

• Giants’ Draft: Colin thinks the Giants’ roster and their 2026 draft are underrated (08:01).

Jalen Brown, Athlete-Fan Media, and Digital Press Conferences

Timestamps: 08:01–10:52

• Jalen Brown’s Twitch Stream:
  • Carmelo Anthony (quoted by Jason, mimicking his perspective) says players can control their message directly with fans, bypassing traditional pressers (08:22–08:40).
• Risks of unfiltered communication: Colin counters that solo streams lack team PR safeguards, risking regrettable soundbites:

  “He goes online, people take a shot at him. Now he’s into his feels, does a Twitch stream, and says stuff he regrets. It’s all over the New York Post.” (08:56)

• Influence on careers: Jason notes some talent is now hired for their large online followings, but Colin is skeptical about the real-world effect (10:19–10:52).

Lakers Post-LeBron, Front Office, & Future Spending

Timestamps: 11:27–20:07

• LeBron’s future: Chris Broussard believes LeBron will return to the Lakers, as his family is settled and he seems content with a complementary role (15:33).
• Lakers’ supporting cast needs: Chris suggests the Lakers must build around Luka Doncic by acquiring athletic 3-and-D players and a tough rim-running center; possible targets include Isaiah Hartenstein, Lou Dort, and Kobe White (15:33–17:12).
• Lakers’ historic lack of organizational depth:
  • Colin and Chris agree the Lakers have long run a “mom and pop” operation, relying on stars but lacking front-office sophistication (17:12–18:26).
  • Chris is optimistic: thanks to Dodgers owners' involvement, the Lakers now have resources and willingness to spend—nearly $50 million in free agency—and are set up to compete for premier role players (18:26–20:07).

Philadelphia 76ers, Daryl Morey Firing, and Joel Embiid’s Contract

Timestamps: 20:07–23:01

• Daryl Morey’s dismissal:
  • Colin frames Morey’s firing as inevitable, tied to the unwise max extension for a continually injured Embiid.
  • Chris calls Embiid’s three-year, $193M extension “unwarranted,” arguing:

    “Joel Embiid is done as a franchise player... 75% of the time he plays, he’s at 75% physically... That’s about as untradeable a contract as you could have.” (21:02)

• Future with Bob Myers: Philadelphia’s best hope is new advisor Bob Myers, but they’re likely “stuck in the middle.” (22:17)

Wembanyama: The NBA’s Next Great?

Timestamps: 23:01–26:49

• Is Wembanyama the world’s best player?
  • Chris stands by his predictions: Wemby being a disappointment if he’s just “Akeem Olajuwon” (23:15), being already the best player in the world, and potentially surpassing LeBron/Jordan as the GOAT (23:15–24:54).
  • Colin highlights that Wemby does things neither LeBron nor MJ could do—especially on defense.

    “There are things Wemby does, Jokic can’t do, Michael can’t do, Bird can’t do.” (24:54)

• Comparisons:
  • Chris: “He’s a combination of Kevin Durant and Giannis.”
  • Colin goes further: “He’s a combination of Kevin Durant, Giannis, and Kareem’s first years in the league.” (25:51)

Positioning in NBA History: Center Rankings & Wembanyama’s Place

Timestamps: 30:41–37:13

• Greatest big men discussion: Colin’s top five: (unordered) Hakeem, Shaq, Kareem, Wemby, Jokic; tentatively places Kareem #1 but “in one year, Wemby could be #2.” (30:41–32:14)
• Dynasties and Wemby’s ceiling:
  • Colin asks if a Year 3 title means an unstoppable Spurs dynasty fueled by Wemby (33:14).
  • Both hosts agree the NBA would benefit from a Wemby-led dynasty.
• Wemby’s uniqueness: At 22, Wemby reportedly dominates both ends, already outpacing Jokic’s early-career performance (33:58).
  • Jason: “Didn’t somebody say Wembanyama was the best prospect in sports history?... I think it’s got to be Wemby.” (34:14, 34:43)
  • Colin compares the hype of Wemby to Tiger Woods and LeBron, but says Wemby is “different than Jabbar.” (34:30)

Personality, Marketability, and League Stardom

Timestamps: 35:00–36:48

• Why Wemby stands out:
  • Colin admires Wemby as “aspirational,” witty, and actively seeking to be the face of the league—a contrast to the quieter Kareem, Jokic, and even Akeem.
  • Jason tracks Wemby’s statistical dominance: “any ball within a three-foot radius of the rim, he’s just grabbing and dunking... I just don’t know how you stop that.” (36:21)
  • They discuss how even teams built with length (like Minnesota) can’t neutralize him; Gobert was benched against Wemby (36:48).

Other NBA Observations

Timestamps: 37:47–38:29

• Small guards’ title chances: Jason and Colin debate Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ chances against power teams like a Wemby-led Spurs (37:47).
• Knicks’ veteran defense: Both agree the Knicks have elite veteran defenders, making them an intriguing Finals opponent (38:14).

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Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd on Wembanyama:

  “There are things Wemby does, Jokic can’t do, Michael can’t do, Bird can’t do.” (24:54)
  “If in a year, Wemby could be number 2 [greatest center]… when I saw Caleb Williams last year, I’m like, okay, I don’t need to see much more. Same thing with Wemby.” (32:14)

• Chris Broussard on Wemby:

  “If he’s Akeem Olajuwon, that’s a disappointment… He could be the GOAT. He could make the LeBron-Jordan debate for second place irrelevant.” (23:15, 24:54)

• Colin on Athlete-Run Media:

  “You go online, people take a shot at you... now you’re into your feels, does a Twitch stream, and says stuff he regrets. It’s all over the New York Post.” (08:56)

• Chris Broussard on the Lakers front office:

  “The Lakers, the glamour franchise of the NBA, were a mom and pop shop... What they had was the great players. It wasn’t with the sophistication that a lot of these organizations function with...” (18:26)

• Jason McIntyre on the changing nature of sports hires:

  “You’re starting to see new hires out there, guys who just built up an online following... Companies are trying...” (10:33)

• Chris Broussard on Embiid:

  “Joel Embiid is done as a franchise player... That’s about as untradeable a contract as you could have.” (21:02)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Utah NBA Draft & Player Isolation: 03:01
• SGA “free throw merchant”/playoff calls: 04:16–06:50
• NFL—Dexter Lawrence Trade Giants/Bengals: 06:50–08:01
• Jalen Brown, Twitch, and athlete media: 08:01–10:52
• Lakers’ LeBron future, free agency, & front office: 15:05–20:07
• 76ers, Daryl Morey firing, and Embiid contract: 20:07–23:01
• Debate: Is Wemby already NBA’s best? GOAT potential: 23:01–26:49
• Center rankings, dynasties, and Wemby’s legacy: 30:41–37:13
• Knicks-Spurs Finals potential: 37:47–38:29

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Tone and Style

The dialogue is fast-paced, opinion-heavy, and deeply conversational, blending stats with candid takes and friendly ribbing. The hosts’ familiarity makes disagreements lively but good-natured. There’s a clear push for big-picture thinking and willingness to forecast future shifts in the NBA’s power structure.

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Ideal Listener Takeaway:
This episode gives fans cutting-edge insights on the NBA’s superstar storylines, front-office chess moves, and the changing culture of sports media—plus a barbershop-style debate on where Victor Wembanyama already ranks among basketball’s all-time giants.

Transcript

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[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

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[Timbo (Sports Slice Host)]

Last night a blown call changed the game. This morning the Internet lost its mind and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going Straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Now, let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. So many interesting things like there's so many rumors right now on the NBA draft. I people say, oh, you got to go. Utah's got to move to number one. Why would Utah want to give away a really good player? And Walker Kessler like they if you put Darren Peterson, who's gone head to head multiple times with AJ DeBonsa has gotten the better of him. I you know, everybody's freaking out about the Kansas stuff. You know, the Peterson people are leaking. That was creatine that caused the, you know, calf strains and the hammy strains. My bigger thing with Peterson isn't that it is. I mean, injury stuff is a little concerning, but you know, calf strains, everybody gets them is more that he plays in a silo. He'll score 24. Will anybody else be involved? I like my, you know, I don't like guys. Kawhi Leonard, my biggest knock on him, injuries and you know, first seven years in his career that he have an assist like I James Harden could drive me nuts, but he could distribute. That means something, elevating others around you. J. Mac with the news.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the Herdline news. You know, we haven't talked about the free throw merchant much this week. Sga. Colin, you know, the foul baiter who's taken a lot of heat from everywhere.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

He has addressed it, telling reporters it's just how the game has been picked up. And I'm not the only one who's ever done it. They can pick on me all they want. I don't really care. Sga, they're not picking on you, man. I mean, come on, this is you. You brought this on yourself with the flopping and the antics. People are sick of it. And he's not getting calls. Colin in the playoffs.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that's right. And we you and I know this. The whistle dies in the playoffs. Carl Malone wouldn't get quite as many calls in the playoffs. James Harden wouldn't get quite as many calls in the playoffs. SGA is not getting the calls we know this to be. I mean, it's self evident in the NBA playoffs. The WNBA does it the opposite. In the wnba, they let you hack each other in the regular season and then nobody's healthy for the playoffs. People get beat up. It's way too physical. In the regular season. The NBA's got a quick whistle regular season, they want to keep their stars healthy. Then they cross your fingers. But you let all the guys beat up on themselves in the playoffs. It's physical basketball. So this is history. They swallow the whistle, especially late in the shot clock or late at the half or late in the game. They want players to win. They don't want refs to be the deciding factor. So this is the one little bit of kryptonite to SGA is in the playoffs. He won't probably over the next eight years quite get the regular season whistle.

[Jason McIntyre]

And in the next round, he's going to be facing who I believe is the best wing defender in the league. And that's young Steph Castle. Now I know Jada McDaniels. These guys, Thompson twins are great. Castle is unbelievable. And if you look, and I've already done the homework, talked about it on my podcast, every game this season SGA matched up against Castle. Castle has held him under his regular season shooting percentage.

[Colin Cowherd]

All of them.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, the data doesn't lie, people. And it's not just SGA shooting. It's when defended by Castle.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, and also, Jason SGA is not a highly vertical player, nor is he a big guy. You know, sometimes like Shaq's power, it was inevitable. Wemby size, MJ's twitchiness. Like, like that's not what he is. He's, he's got a little bit of Kiki Band away. He's got a little bit of Alex English. He's a guy that needs a whistle. He's going to manipulate the body. So for him the whistle is very important because he's not going to jump over you. He's not going to, you know, he's not going to sky hook it over you. He didn't have a size advantage or a vertical advantage. So the whistle matters to his career.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, let's see how they, how they handle it when the spurs are beating them. They're gonna melt down and be whining a lot all right, let's move to the NFL and the New York Giants. I have a feeling we're going to talk about them a lot this year. Your guys. Brian Burns was not happy to see Dexter Lawrence traded, but says, hey, I'm embracing the new opportunity and I'm looking at this as my defense in New York under John Harbaugh. You seem really bullish on the defense. I mean, Dexter Lawrence is a big loss. Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I didn't have a great year. I think he's a bigger acquisition by Cincinnati than he is a loss to the Giants, I think. I mean, again, he's, he's, he didn't have a great year. He's a good player. Cincinnati has been bereft of any defensive line pressure. I mean, it's just a bad defense the last two years. So they've done. Cincinnati's gone out of their way over the last two years in the draft. And that Dexter Lawrence trade to get the ball back to Joe Burrow, make some stops on third down. I thought it was a really, I thought it was a really aggressive get for Cincinnati. I think the Giants will be. I think the Giants roster is a little undersold in the league. I think it's a little better than people think. And I thought they had a tremendous draft.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, final story. Colin. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, he made some noise by going on a Twitch stream recently, and that caught the eye of one Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthony believes. Well, I don't, I don't want to steal his thunder, but your guy Carmelo Anthony, here's what he has to say about Twitch and Jalen Brown.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why give

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

a press conference to a company, right? When I'm my own ip, I can

[Colin Cowherd]

go do my own press conference.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

I can go do my own streaming. Is a new press conference.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah, right.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Nobody want to sit in the room no more and, and answer questions on five, six, seven reporters. They want to get to the nitty gritty of it and face it face to face with your followers and the people who's actually watching.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, the downside to that is your team as a PR director and can give you a little heads up and can give you a little assistance on a press conference so you don't say something. Oh, yeah, that the following day when you let something out, you have to answer 20 questions, not three. So it sounds great. I'll control my press conference. Guy gets home, player has a glass of wine, he's feeling himself. He goes online, people take a shot at him. Now he's into his fields now. He gets emotional, does a Twitch stream and says stuff he regrets. It's all over the New York Post. It sounds good. I'll just do my own thing. Like, everybody's got a podcast and then they find out nobody actually lasts very long or makes any money on it. Everybody's got one, though. Everybody can do their own press conference. Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy? There's a reason you should do that press conference with a team representative nearby, where it's limited, where you don't have a cocktail, you're not into your feels, it's quick, easy out. And it doesn't. Yeah, I always say this. You don't want to make a loss to. You don't want to make a bad quote. 3. Like. Like sometimes brevity and the team controlling the marketing promotion in your press conference is a good thing.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, less is more. I mean, I. I try to tell you that all the time, Colin. You don't really want to listen, but. But Carmelo has a decent point, is that you can build your following through that.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's fine.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like you said, the problem is you. You pop off, say something you regret, you got to go to the facility the next day, shoot around.

[Colin Cowherd]

How many people, how many people have ever gotten a job promotion because of what they did on X?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, I can tell you, you're starting to see some new hires out there who. Guys who just built up an online following and they're getting hired because the employer now thinks, oh, this guy has 500,000 followers on Twitch. That's going to be now 500 new listeners. It doesn't totally work like that, but companies are trying to, you know, good

[Colin Cowherd]

luck, J. Mac, with the news.

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Well, that's the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

And thanks for stopping by the Herd line. It was interesting. Sometimes there'll be a stat or a number or a story or something that just is crazy. And when Jason Temp was on and he Talked about, since LeBron has arrived as a Laker, when he's on the floor, you know, plus, you know, 10,000 when he's off the floor, they're minus 2,000. And he's had Luke and Anthony Davis, Jason, Tim, though on whether the Lakers have actually failed LeBron the last eight years.

[Jason McIntyre]

They've had LeBron for eight seasons now.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

And I'd argue there's been two seasons

[Colin Cowherd]

where they clearly came into the season with like, this is a championship level roster. The truth of the matter is, is

[Jason McIntyre]

when LeBron has been in a Lakers

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

jersey he he has covered for and carried that team through management errors. I don't know how you could possibly feel like this is anything other than

[Colin Cowherd]

a failure, that they only got one. But in terms of LeBron and his accomplishments and what this era like, he's

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

accomplished the same as all of his peers.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I don't know how you could blame that guy. Like to me, it is absolutely a failure. Be sure to catch live editions of

[Jason McIntyre]

the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am

[Colin Cowherd]

Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and

[Jason McIntyre]

the iHeartRadio app hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every 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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[Robert Smigel]

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[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Where does your group perform?

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[Robert Smigel]

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[Timbo (Sports Slice Host)]

Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the Internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in on Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies and the stories behind the headlines. The we go straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight reel. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, Follow Timbo Slice Life 12 Tik Tok Podcast Network on Tik Tok.

[Colin Cowherd]

And with that, Chris Bruce Art is joining us live. Is it LeBron's last game as a pro? There's, there's two other stories out today. I saw where he was a little offended when they didn't give him a game ball after he broke Kareem scoring record. It's, I mean, a lot of this stuff is rich, Paul. It's positioning, it's. I mean, this morning, this afternoon. Chris, when you look at LeBron, do you think he's back next year?

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

I do think he's back. I think tend to think he's back with the Lakers. I think he wants to stay in la. Now, this is just my opinion, not coming from his camp or anything, but his family is obviously settled there. He's clearly comfortable in la, of course, loves the city, what's not to love? And he's on a good team. And I think LeBron has shown the Lakers that, look, I can play the second option role, even the third offensive option role if I have to. I can do impact the game with my passing, with a little bit of defense, with my rebounding, with my intelligence in a way that complements Luka Doncic and even Austin Reaves. So it's, it's just a matter of what the number is. I think the priority for the Lakers Collins should be this summer going out and trying to get athletic defenders, 3 and D type guys, a center who's a rim runner who's pretty tough. Isaiah Hardenstein could potentially be a free agent. There's a team option on him that might be, you know, he might be available Lou Dort, Aio Desumu, like guys like that, Tari Eason are out there and available. Kobe White, I think they need to go out and fill the roster around Luka and, and then you can deal with LeBron and Austin Reaves and determine what you can offer them. But they, they have to rebuild, start to rebuild around Luka because just with LeBron, Luka and Austin Reaves, even healthy, they're not better than San Antonio, OKC or Minnesota.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. By the way, the Lakers since LeBron's been there are plus almost 1300 with LeBron on the floor, minus 660 with him out. So that's with AD. That's, that's with Luca. So he's been substantially impactful. You know, it's the Dodgers people. Mark Walter is going to supplement Rob Pelinka with two assistant general managers. And I talked about this earlier. You think of certain sports franchises in America like Notre Dame football, Yankee baseball, Braves baseball, Philadelphia Eagles, and you think, oh, they're rich. The revenue, they're well funded. The Lakers had a tiny friends and family front office for years. And it is why I don't think I'm that hard on Rob Pelinka. Many are much tougher that he's a former agent. Kurt Rambis is a former player. You had the Buss family scouting. From your talk around the league, there was always a sense that the Lakers, before the new ownership came in, it was a, you open up the fridge and there was a little old cottage cheese and maybe, maybe some day old leftovers, but they weren't running on a big budget.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Colin. That was one of the most shocking things I discovered when I was reporting on the league. The Lakers, the glamour franchise of the NBA were a mom and pop shop. I mean, that's what they were. They, they did not have a lot of the things that the other franchises had. What they had was the great players, right? They always got the great players. They had Jerry west, who was the great scout, so to speak, and, and Phil Jackson, the great, like they had great coaches and Jerry west is a front office guy. And then they were always able to get the great players. It wasn't with the sophistication that a lot of these organizations function with even in the past that need the near past. But now, as you mentioned, you see how the Dodgers do things. This is going to benefit the Lakers. There's no question about it. Those guys are willing to spend money. Obviously there's a salary cap in the NBA, but that's still, you know, you can Go over the cap if you're willing to pay the aprons and things like that. And these guys have shown with the Dodgers. No, we are willing to spend whatever it takes to. To win and get the best players. So that bodes well for the Lakers and this summer, Colin, they'll have close to $50 million to spend in free agency. And the other teams with money, Chicago, the Nets in Brooklyn, Utah, they aren't that attractive to teams. Now, I know it's not a ton of great free agents out there, but there are the type of guys available that you can put around Luka and begin to build for the future.

[Colin Cowherd]

Daryl Morey got whacked in Philly. Josh Harris, many speculate. Not the easiest guy to work for. Now, the new GM probably wants his own coach. Not sure what it means for Nick Nurse. Generally not good. I think the Embiid extension, especially after he had some meniscus taken out of his knee in like February and by September, they signed the extension. Guaranteed max extension. Then after you do that, you have to make it work. So you're going to take more risks. But Paul George, you know, I keep hearing, well, they had to do this and they had to do that. The Knicks at one point were interested in Embiid years ago. You could have moved off him, but it was the Knicks. It's a rival. Did you. Did you. I mean, I think the Embiid signing put a ton of pressure. It was so discussed and talked about. I think that because he did some good things, he drafted well Edgecomb and Maxi. Why do you think he got whacked?

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

No, it was warranted. It was warranted. He's been there several years, had not obviously gotten it done, even to a conference championship. He had several different coaches. I think it was smart of Philadelphia, Colin, to keep Nick Nurse. He's a good coach. He obviously won a championship in Toronto. But to your point, usually a GM may want his own. He won't get rid of Nick Nurse, but it might mean the leash on Nurse is pretty short. But as far as Daryl Morey, yeah, the Embiid contract completely. I mean, he had to go. And Darrell's been a good executive, obviously in the league in Houston, he's been a good executive. But that contract, I'm sorry, there was no reason to give Joel Embiid this three year, $193 million extension that begins this year. Joel Embiid is done as a franchise player. I know he's great when he plays, but 75% of the time he plays, he's at 75% right. Physically he might give you a handful of games a year where he's 100%. So you just can't count on him. You'd love to move him, but with that contract, I rarely say anybody is untradeable because we've seen some doozies in the history of the NBA. But I think that's about as untradeable a contract as you could have. Even as great as Embiid is because you think Anthony Davis is injury prone. I mean it's nothing compared to Embiid. So the Sixers are stuck. You mentioned Nepal, George. Two years, 110 million. They are stuck in the middle. It's going to be hard for them to get better. So yeah, they were smart to get rid of Daryl Morey. And look, Bob Myers is there, the great GM from the who built the warriors into champion. So at least they have him in place.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is Wemby now the best player in the world? Best two way player? Is he. I mean such. I mean Jokic is not a defensive player. Is he the best player in the world now? If you count all things, I've said

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

three things about Wimby, Colin, that people have given me pushback on, particularly my co host Nick Wright on first things first. But I bet today I wouldn't be surprised if a ton of people agree with me. Number one, I said when Win Benyama came into the league or before the draft, I said if he's Akeem Olajuwon, that's a disappointment. Oh, I was killed. I was crushed. I bet nowadays everybody's with me on that. Two, I said a few months ago, Colin, I said he is the best player in the world. He don't even average 30 points points a game. What are you talking about? Look at him now. All right. And three, I said now he's got a long way to go. But Colin, I said he could be the goat. He could make the LeBron Jordan debate for second place or irrelevant if you want to go that far. He could be that guy if he stays healthy and lives up to his potential. So yeah, I do think he's the best player in the world. You saw what Gobert did with Jokic and you see what Wemby is doing to Jokic. He might, he might only score 17 points, but he might have seven blocks and 15 rebounds and impact the game that way. Or he might have 37 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks and impact the game that way. Like he's the most versatile player in the league. You Saw the pass he did that had Gobert spinning like a top. He can even pass the ball. So it's not really that he can't do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, all you need to know is this. If LeBron's the best player in the world ever, Wemby does things already that LeBron can't do. I mean, LeBron. LeBron can't dominate the calculus defensively like that. He can't literally change an offense. I mean, think how good MJ is. There are things Wemby does, Michael couldn't do. I mean, basically, Kobe could do about 90% of Michael, but Michael had bigger hands, could. You know, had a little bit stronger game. But, I mean, most of the time with great players, you see parts of their game that could be duplicated. There are things Wemby does, Jokic can't do, Michael can't do, Bird, Duckett can't do. So I think, hey, I was. I was behind you. I'm three for three on those takes. Nick's probably over three. I am three for three on all of them.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

He. He is a common. This sounds crazy, but am I wrong? He's a combination of Kevin Durant and Giannis. A combination of Kevin Durant and Giannis. I mean, come on.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's a combination of Kevin Durant, Giannis and Kareem Luel Cinders first three or four years in the league when he ran the floor.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Well. Right, right. Well, you make an interesting. You bring up Kareem. I do think Colin there. I think Kareem. I think Shaq. I think those are two guys, and I may be missing one or two. Ralph Sampson, obviously, had he stayed healthy, they could have done a lot of the things Wemby does. Like, they could have been guys that were great on the perimeter, but at that time, it just wasn't accepted. If you were a center. And Shaq showed us a little early in his career, but smartly, he said, look, nobody can stop me on the block. Let me go down there. That's the one thing I'd like to see a little more of from Wemby. And I don't know if it's his fault or the coaching staff, but I like to see him a little more inside, not a ton more, but sometimes go and take advantage of your size.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you can always change shows if you want to. Come on our show with J. Mac and I, you get a lot of agreement on this show. Good to see you.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

I'm always ready. I'm always ready.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Good stuff. Yeah. I mean, it's it's, it's always funny when I go back and look at, I love YouTube. I'll go back and look at old like Milwaukee Bucks, you know, Oscar Lou Alcinder. You're like, when he ran the floor UCLA early Milwaukee, you're like, come on, man. I saw a piece of film on. He was Lou Alcinder. It was ucla and I think he was a freshman at ucla. A freshman or sophomore? And it was like a nine second clip of UCLA practice. It was like a combination of Spider man. I mean, it was on, he was filling the lane on the break and somebody gave him the ball and the break and he just stretched out from the free throw line. This is again when, when Kareem ran the floor was very young. And I'm like, I don't know if anybody has. I've never looked up his high school stuff. Shaq's high school video is ridiculous. I mean it's, it's literally the most like the two players in high school. It doesn't even look right. Shaq in high school does not even look right. And Vince Young, Texas high school football. He looks like an NFL defensive end playing high school football at quarterback in Texas high school football, which is pretty darn good. It's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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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.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Where does your group perform?

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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.

[Timbo (Sports Slice Host)]

Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the Internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions. The stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight reel. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice, Life12 and the TikTok Podcast Network. On TikTok.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was just thinking about the best. I did not see Bill Russell play and I didn't see see Wilt in his prime play. I saw old Headband Wilt with the Lakers, the 72ish Lakers. I was on my bunk bed. I remember Washington as a kid. They had Jerry west and Gail Goodrich. I saw a game against the Blazers. I've tried to find which game it was on the Internet. I can't find it. So the five best centers. I'm just thinking of the five best centers I've ever seen play. Bigs. Aim, Olajuwon, Shaq. Aem ate Shaq for lunch. When they met, I think it was the finals. Akeem played soccer. His footwork was unbelievable. He gave Shaq trouble. So it was Akeem. I'm not putting him in order. Akeem, Shaq, Kareem, Wemby, and Jokic. And I literally put Wemby there. I mean, I don't, I don't need to see that much. When I saw Caleb Williams last year, I'm like, okay, that I don't need to see much more. Take out Josh Allen. He's got more firepower, horsepower than any quarterback in the league, including Mahomes. He's just bigger, stronger than other quarterbacks, just in terms of girth, strength, arm, horsepower, V8 plus, V6. Caleb Williams is just different. Never gets hurt. So, yeah, I mean, I would say take out Wilt and Russell. Take him out. If I had to put Akeem, Kareem, Shaq, Wemby, Jokic in order, I would probably go. I would probably go Kareem number one. Because Kareem was also a dominant defensive player. I'd probably. Yeah, it gets tough. I'm not even sure, can I get one. I'll do this in a year, and I'll have Wemby because, I mean, Jokic offensively is the best, but he's the. He's probably the weakest defensively. You know, I mean, he. He. Jokic is best offensively, weak defensively, where Hakeem was good with both. Shaq was dominant. Both. Wemby's better defensively than offensively. So right now I'd probably go Akeem 2, Shaq 3, Wemby, Jokic 4, Wemby 5. Again, in one year, Wemby could be 2. In. In his prime, it was just. There was just nothing like Kareem. He was a dominant defensive player, could score on anybody, couldn't block a shot. They asked him one time who gave him the most trouble. He's like Nate Thurmond, and Nate Thurman was a good player. He was a. He was a tough guy, played for Cleveland. I grew up with Nate Thurman. He was a tough guy. He was a smaller center, but he was a good defensive center. You know, Trunky pushed you around. I bet you. I bet you Kareem averaged 30 against him.

[Jason McIntyre]

So. So, Colin, let me ask you. Are you kind of rooting for Wemby to beat the Thunder and win the title? Or, like, what's your best scenario? Because if he does win this chip this early, this is year three.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's over. I mean, OKC is the only challenger. I root for dynasties. Everybody tells me they hate dynasties. And the numbers go up. I like dynasties. No, not all dynasties. Duncan Dynasty was boring. Sabi Bama Dynasty was boring.

[Jason McIntyre]

Chief's dynasty is a little boring.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, that's a pretty good day, I think. Everybody's saying, what about. What about Moses Malone?

[Jason McIntyre]

He had a good career. That's fine.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's a great rebounder. Great rebounder, yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think the best case scenario for the NBA is Wemby to win the title this year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wemby is 22. The Joker at 22, had never been an All Star and was averaging 18 and 10 and was bad defensively. Wemby's easily the best defensive player in the league and he's. On certain nights, he's the most dominant offensive guy in the league. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Didn't somebody say that Wembanyama was the best prospect in sports history? I have feelings. Somebody might have said that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tiger woods probably. Wemby or Tiger Wood.

[Jason McIntyre]

Tiger woods was 11img prospect in team sports history.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think. LeBron.

[Timbo (Sports Slice Host)]

LeBron.

[Colin Cowherd]

Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper was on the COVID of Sports Illustrated at 16 in high school baseball. Let me, let me think.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think it's got to be Wemby. I mean, we've never, we've seen Bryce Harper before. We hadn't really seen a LeBron before. Giving. I mean, he was like Karl Malone's frame with John Wall's speed. That was a unicorn. This dude, when you look at him, is different than Jabbar.

[Colin Cowherd]

And here's the other thing is Wilt had a big personality. I don't. Back in Russell's day, you know, he wasn't allowed to have a personality. It was a different America. But I mean, Akeem wasn't a big personality guy. Although he was very, very. I think Akeem was funny and likable. Kareem didn't have a big personality. Shaq did. Jokic doesn't. Kareem didn't. I. Shaq had the biggest personality. But I. The one thing I like about Wemby, he's obviously a really smart kid. He kind of leans in to. I mean, the elbow. He didn't do that accidentally. You know, he's, he's. He wants to be, he wants to dominate the All Star Game. He wants to be the face of the league. He is, he is an aspirational young man. Shaq was. But Shaq was distracted. You know, like Jokic has no interest in it. Kareem had no interest in it. Very stoic, kind of an act. Kareem sort of an academic, stoic, principled guy. That wasn't his thing. Wilt was a playboy and a flake and fun in, in this day and age. If Wilt Chamberlain was here today, he would want to be the face of the league.

[Jason McIntyre]

He would be, he would, he would

[Colin Cowherd]

embrace totally international guys don't. Wemby does. And he's. And he's again, quotable, thoughtful sense of humor, good looking kid. I mean, I think he really checks all the boxes.

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't know if you noticed last night. So I think the, the points in the paint was like 68, 36, 68 points by them. They essentially said, we're going to drive it Will. I don't care about McDaniels or Ant. We're taking it to the hole on you. And if you have help, come at us. We're just going to throw it near the ribbon. Wemby will dunk it like it's the ultimate cheat code. I don't know how you stop that because any ball within like a three foot radius of the rim, he's just grabbing and dunking like, I just don't know how you stop that.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's, there's a debate that no team in the league is built to stop. Wemby like Minnesota and he literally played Gobert off the floor. Naz, Reed, Julius, they have several. They have length, they have different. They got thick body types. They have Go Bear. I mean, they have so many players built to give Wemby a problem. Gobert's like, we're gonna bench him.

[Jason McIntyre]

No chance. I mean.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And again, Jokic struggled with Gobert and

[Jason McIntyre]

Chris Finch, who comes on the show, he's a smart coach. I don't. He looked befuddled last night. Like, we have no answers for this. I like it though. I'm, I'm very.

[Colin Cowherd]

I like it too. I, I like him. Not, not all super. Like, I like Ant, but he doesn't want to be faced in the league and it's like, okay, but he's a great player and he seems like a good kid.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's got to clean it up off the court. Let's be real. Too many F bombs in interviews. Like, I know the kids love him, but like, come on, man, just don't do that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, and I like it. Yeah, I like it. There's nothing.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I mean, SGA's embracing the villain, you know, I know you're not picking on my guy. Jalen Brunson. By the way, can small guard still win titles? Colin?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Well, who are you talking about? Who, who's small?

[Jason McIntyre]

Jalen Brunson.

[Colin Cowherd]

I go to the conference finals, they're

[Jason McIntyre]

going to smoke Detroit or, or Cleveland.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dude, just because you win the Mountain West Conference in college football doesn't mean you're going to beat Ohio State.

[Jason McIntyre]

Who won the NBA cup? I. I forgot. The Knicks are Spurs.

[Colin Cowherd]

NBA cup. Oh, okay. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Knicks are going to be live in the finals.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm just telling you the Knicks have against the spurs will be fascinating because the Knicks have a defensive center veterans. The Knicks have og. I mean, again, they can throw bodies.

[Jason McIntyre]

Mitchell Robinson is a great defensive center.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he's a very good defensive center. Knicks will be fun. Knicks is good. Veteran team, veteran coach against the new kids on the block.

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[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset. So enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father wasn't emotionally available and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better too.

[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 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.

[Jason McIntyre (Host or Guest)]

Where does your group perform?

[Apollo Ad Voice]

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.

[Timbo (Sports Slice Host)]

Last night a blown call changed the game. This morning the Internet lost its mind and and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo, Slice Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed human.