THE HERD - Hour 3 - Rachel Nichols stops by The Herd

Summary

---

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 3 – Rachel Nichols Stops By The Herd

Date: November 6, 2025
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Rachel Nichols

---

Overview

This episode of "The Herd" focuses on some of the NBA’s hottest topics, with Rachel Nichols joining Colin Cowherd. The pair discuss the changing of the guard within the Lakers, the coaching impact of JJ Redick, LeBron's evolving role, the challenges facing young star Ja Morant, the influence of international talent in the NBA, and the Knicks' coaching situation. The banter is sharp, sports-nerdy, and insightful, providing listeners with honest perspectives on personalities, locker room dynamics, and league trends.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The JJ Redick Effect: Leadership and Chemistry in LA

(04:10 – 06:52)

• Colin lauds JJ Redick’s coaching, comparing him to Phil Jackson’s ability to maximize role players.
  • Colin Cowherd: "He just squeezes the juice out of the B players." (04:34)
• Rachel breaks down Redick’s dual strength: technical X’s and O’s, and building team chemistry.
  • JJ uses a Japanese method, “Pechakucha” (Rachel jokes: “Pikachu”), where players present slides about themselves to develop deeper bonds.
  • Rui Hachimura and DeAndre Ayton’s improvement is highlighted as evidence of Redick’s system.
  • Rachel Nichols: “JJ’s kind of all-in-one... always got guys in the right place... The other aspect that’s like Phil Jackson is he does all of that sort of off-court chemistry...” (04:55)
• Analogy to Detroit’s 2004 Finals win: team chemistry can trump raw talent.
• Lakers’ locker room described as refreshed and genuinely connected.

2. Passing the Torch: LeBron’s Evolving Role

(06:52 – 08:39; 39:57 – 42:59)

• Colin observes LA’s long tradition of star succession, from Kareem to Lukas Doncic.
  • Colin Cowherd: “The Lakers have always been the pass-the-torch franchise… every seven years.” (06:52)
• Discussion of LeBron’s “gravity” in the locker room, his current willingness to cede leadership, and how the franchise is preparing for a new era.
  • Rachel Nichols: “LeBron has two and a half times the gravity of anyone else in that locker room… It is going to be different from when he is not… He is different.” (07:50)
• Barkley's take on aging LeBron is debated; Nichols and Cowherd insist LeBron is still highly effective.
  • Marcus Grant: "Charles Barkley’s way... could not be more wrong… there’s zero evidence... he’s falling off." (39:57)
• Discussion on whether LeBron can thrive in a non-central role as Luka ascends.
  • Marcus Grant: "Can LeBron thrive as ... an ancillary part? Nobody knows the answer..." (42:07)

3. International Influence: Mindset and Maturity

(08:39 – 09:57; 20:21 – 21:20)

• Colin and Rachel discuss the sophistication and maturity of international players.
  • Rachel shares her conversation with Victor Wembanyama ("Wemby"), noting his adaptability, humility, humor, and the "next level" challenges he's experiencing in the NBA as defenders adjust to him.
  • Rachel Nichols: "He said... the game is just faster right now." (09:19)
  • Wemby jokes about “scaling up” in his second language, showing comfort and intelligence.
• Discussion of the NBA’s global talent: international stars aren’t just their country’s best—often, they're their region’s best, adding intensity to US talent development.
  • Rachel Nichols: “We are getting… Slovenia’s best player... Serbia’s best player...” (20:55)

4. The Ja Morant Dilemma

(15:36 – 18:46)

• Colin and Rachel analyze Ja Morant’s on-and-off court struggles in Memphis.
  • Morant’s energy and talent have faded amid personal turmoil and defiance toward team rules.
  • Rachel suggests the Memphis franchise has finally put its foot down, holding Ja accountable in the interest of the team, not just the individual.
  • Rachel Nichols: “What is good for Ja, in his mind, has not been historically what is best for the franchise. And finally... the franchise said, ‘we’re going to hold you in line..."’ (18:05)
• Trading Morant is unlikely: his local popularity is vital for Memphis’ attendance and arena negotiations.
  • Rachel Nichols: “That’s an arena whose lease is up soon... I think they need to keep him there on the court..." (18:46)

5. League Dynamics: Talent, Status, and Roster Depth

(18:46 – 21:42; 43:05 – 44:38)

• Colin points out the NBA’s increased depth of talent—teams and fans won’t tolerate “diva” behavior or drama like in years past.
• Rachel agrees, noting that both American and international competition are pushing everyone’s standards higher.
  • Discussion of draft depth: “now you go mid second round and... Bronny goes mid second and has actually looked good…” (19:45 – Colin)
• DeAndre Ayton’s change in attitude and performance under JJ Redick is examined; will he accept a diminished role as LeBron and others return?
  • Marcus Grant: "Ayton last night got looks and touches. That’s not going to happen…" (44:33)

6. Knicks & Coaching Philosophy

(21:42 – 23:18)

• Colin questions the Knicks’ coaching shuffle—moving on from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown after their best season in decades.
• Rachel says the team is playing deeper into its bench, which could pay off in the playoffs. Brown brings emotional intelligence and teamwork, similar to Redick’s approach.
  • Rachel Nichols: “Mike Brown is a great coach at getting guys sort of together and emotional...he turned that franchise around in that way.” (22:14)
• Success for Brown is measured at a championship level—an unforgiving bar.

7. Quick Hits: NFL and Broader Sports

(24:00 – 46:29; selected highlights)

• Panel discusses NFL trade deadline moves and the 49ers' defensive struggles (24:16).
• Broncos, Raiders, and other NFL teams’ late-game performances and divisional matchups (25:40).
• Quick conversations on CJ Stroud’s progression, quarterback value, and fantasy football tips.
• Takes on college football, the impact of coaching, and the unpredictability of weekly outcomes.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On JJ Redick and Coaching

  • "JJ's kind of all-in-one. So JJ, in terms of X's and O's, he's just so excellent at putting a player in the exact position where he's going to succeed." – Rachel Nichols (04:55)
  • "The Lakers have always been the pass-the-torch franchise... Kareem to Magic to Shaq to Kobe to LeBron to Luka." – Colin Cowherd (06:52)

• On LeBron’s Locker Room Presence

  • "LeBron has two and a half times the gravity of anyone else in that locker room." – Rachel Nichols (07:50)
  • "Can LeBron thrive as an ancillary part? Nobody knows the answer to that." – Marcus Grant (42:07)

• On Global Players in the NBA

  • “It's like we send to a foreign league, we're sending you LeBron, right? So they're sending us their version of LeBron…” – Rachel Nichols (20:55)

• On Ja Morant’s Situation

  • "What is good for Ja, in his mind, has not been historically what is best for the franchise.” – Rachel Nichols (18:05)
  • "That's an arena whose lease is up soon... Their attendance is extremely low. I think they need to keep him there on the court..." – Rachel Nichols (18:46)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• JJ Redick and Lakers Chemistry – 04:10 – 06:52
• LeBron and "Passing the Torch" – 06:52 – 08:39 / 39:57 – 42:59
• International Players/Maturity and Wemby – 08:39 – 09:57 / 20:21 – 21:20
• Ja Morant Drama & Memphis – 15:36 – 18:46
• NBA Depth and Attitude – 18:46 – 21:42 / 43:05 – 44:38
• Knicks Coaching Transition – 21:42 – 23:18
• NFL Quick Hits & Colin’s Takes – 24:00 – 46:29

---

Tone and Style

The episode is full of candid, playful, and perceptive sports analysis. There’s inside access to NBA locker room mentality, honest discussion of league and personality shifts, and no hesitation in voicing opinions. Rachel and Colin maintain a balance of expertise and levity, supported by strong real-world anecdotes and a willingness to challenge mainstream narratives.

---

This summary captures the heart of the conversation, preserving the lively tone while laying out the core content for anyone who missed the show or wants a quick deep-dive into the November 6, 2025, Rachel Nichols hour on The Herd.

Transcript

[Rachel Nichols]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Balance your trading strategy by adding futures. CME Group helps you manage risk and capture opportunities in all market environments. Capitalize on around the clock access to highly liquid global futures and option markets across all major asset classes. Visit your online broker and get started. See what Adding Futures can do for [e-mail] podcast Derivatives are not suitable for all investors and involve the risk of losing more than the amount originally deposited and any profit you might have made. This is not a recommendation or offer to buy, sell or retain any specific investment or service.

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

What do you do when things get tough? You don't give up. You stand your ground. If you've been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and have tried hormone therapy, Ask your doctor About Pluvicto Lutetium Leu177 Vipivatide Tetrexitan Pluvicto is not chemotherapy. It's a different treatment that targets targets PSMA positive cells. Bluvicto can be used before chemotherapy for some people. Bluvicto is a prescription treatment used to treat adults with prostate specific membrane antigen positive metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer or PSMA positive MCRPC who have already been treated with hormone therapy and are considered appropriate to delay chemotherapy. Pluvicto involves contact with radioactivity which may increase the risk for cancer and cause fetal harm. Drink plenty of fluids, urinate often, use contraception and talk to your doctor about ways to reduce the risk of exposing others to radiation. During and after treatment. Bluvicto can cause low levels of blood cell counts, kidney problems and infertility. Tell your doctor if you have weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, bleeding or bruising more easily an infection or changes in urination. Side effects include decreased blood cell counts, tiredness, dry mouth, nausea, appetite loss, joint or back pain and constipation. Ask your doctor about Pluvicto because every day without cancer progression is a victory.

[Colin Cowherd]

Visit pluvicto.com to Lear what is the best and worst way to communicate with friends? Obviously, it's messaging. Messaging is great, but it can go off the rails when I speak in a group chat. I want it to be easy without any issues. WhatsApp can help. You can message privately with everyone and you can edit messages, create polls, do pinned messages and send invites plus photos and videos to look better. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Today's episode brought to you by a scent that's made a legendary comeback degree. Original Cool Rush the OG is back in better than ever. Cool Rush isn't Just a scent. It's a movement kind of fragrance. Guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold. It's fresh all day. Sweat protection, cool, crisp vibe that made it legendary. So whether you're heading to the gym, the office, or just trying to stay fresh all day long, Cool Rush has your back. So if you haven't tried it yet, head to your local Walmart. Grab Degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand. Get almost anything you need delivered with UberEats. What do you mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A little escape? No. Delicious bowl of grapes. Yeah. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. How about the clear skies? Can't deliver that. But French fries?

[Katie Couric]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. Seattle for details. 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 FS. Now, let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. I haven't seen Rachel Nichols in quite some time. It feels like, you know, we saw so much of you last year. Now I'm back in LA for a couple more days.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, we talked on air a couple weeks ago.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's not the same.

[Rachel Nichols]

Not the same, my friend.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not the same. We can connect. I can only tolerate J. Mac so long. It's nice to have another adult in the. In the room. So you talked to Luca, JJ and Wemby last night? You know, for year, when I would cover Phil Jackson and I would talk to other people about him, you know, they always said Michael would have gotten his points and Kobe his points. But they always said, you know, he just did a really good job of getting the most out of Will Purdue or a Steve Kerr or Rick Fox or Derek Fisher, Brian shaw. I think J.J. redick's got that superpower like Rui is. Looks like an all star. I mean, I don't know. I mean, you talked to him last night. It's. It just. I feel like he just squeezes the juice out of the B players.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, I mean, Phil Jackson is actually a great analogy. Phil had Tex Winter. JJ's kind of all in one. So JJ, in terms of X's and O's, he's just so excellent at putting a player in the exact position where he's going to succeed. So technically he's always got guys in the right place. And I think that's part of what's going on with deandre Ayton, frankly, who has been a huge part of this early 72 run. But, you know, wasn't really doing that in other Cities. And now JJ's putting him in the exact positions he needs. The other aspect that's like Phil Jackson is he does all of that sort of off court chemistry things. So you know, Phil Jackson would give guys books, right? And he would sort of have them do different projects. JJ Redick has them doing a Japanese sort of get to know you method called Pikachu. I'm going to get it wrong. I always say Pikachu like the, like the whatever Picha kachchi. And it is basically where a guy has to give a presentation to the rest of the room and there are six slides where he has to give shows. You know, this is what was important to me as a kid. This is the basketball court I grew up on. Get to know you things to know each other in a deeper way to build that kind of chemistry. And you're seeing it. I mean, the other Lakers example you can give is on the flip side. We remember in 2004 when a Detroit Pistons team beat the Lakers in the finals, a Lakers team that was heavily favored, that had Kobe, Shaq, Gary Payton, Carl Malone. Why did the Pistons win? Because they were such a team. They were all together and they really loved playing for and with each other. And that has been built this year with this team. And it's noticeably different. And part of it is this JJ stuff of having them do the Phil Jackson style things off the court. Luca said that, you know, he showed everyone his cars and one of his slides and everything, his pride and joy. And then part of it is just these guys really like each other. I mean, you can see the way Luca and Austin, you know, just they vibe all the time. It's really fun.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And you know, I said earlier today, I, I don't want to pick on LeBron. I think LeBron knows it. There's a passing of a torch. LA has always been the Lakers have always been the past the torch franchise. Kareem to Magic to Shaq to Kobe to LeBron to Luca. That's what they are. This is not, you know, there's a lot of organizations if they Got one of those players. Right? Right. Lakers just do it like every seven years.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's not going on a road trip. I do think rich Paul and LeBron understand the passing of the torch, but there are those that would suggest he's being a little needy. He wants to send like his little waves, his little radio waves to, you know, I'd like, you know, maybe a little more love. Where do you land on that stuff? I don't want to make a story out of a non story. I think LeBron's too smart to not understand what the Lakers are doing.

[Rachel Nichols]

He does, absolutely. I think we saw that neediness. I need to send out a little wave sort of thing in the summer. Right. Some of those Instagram posts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm in Cleveland wearing a hat that says home. I'm working out at the old Clippers facility. I mean, all of that kind of stuff. I think now he's really on board with being on this team right now and letting what happens next year be, you know, next summer sort of thing. But look, LeBron has a gravity in a locker room, in any room he's in. I always compare him to Jupiter. Jupiter has two and a half times the gravity of Earth. LeBron has two and a half times the gravity of anyone else in that locker room. So when he's in the locker room actively on the court, he is such a huge presence. It is going to be different from when he is not sure. And it is going to be a little bit of a test or interesting to see this team reintegrate that gravity with what is working right now. That's not LeBron's fault. He doesn't do anything disruptive. It's just that he is. He's different.

[Colin Cowherd]

What do you make? These international players are usually pretty heady and mature. They play against older men, European kids, have wine with the parents. They're just different than our kids. Right. Like just. There's just a kind of a liberal casualness to alcohol and just life that we don't quite have. So I would imagine Wemby is adult, easy to talk to. Was he for you last night?

[Rachel Nichols]

Oh, he's great. And you know, he's funny, but this is his second language. I believe he also has a third language in there. I was talking to him about some of the challenges that you've been talking about on this show about the double teams coming at him. And he said, you know, sort of the game is. Is just faster right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

Which we hear all the time. Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Quarterbacks say that when they break into.

[Rachel Nichols]

The league, everything's way, everything's way too fast. And so he had thought he had slowed the game down, but now with these new defensive schemes around him, double teams are coming from his blind side. They're not letting him get to his spots. Instead of just putting the tallest guy on him, they're more concerned with where he's positioned on the court, making him uncomfortable. And he's just got to learn how to deal with it. And I asked him, I said, oh, is it kind of like a video game? Like you get to the next level, you know, it's like leveling up in a video game. And he's like, that's called scaling up. And it was just so funny to hear this guy, you know, he's cracking, he's making a joke in not his first language with a vocabulary word. I mean, he's great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. One more heard the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition, addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show. That's right, you can now watch the Odd Couple Live on YouTube every day. All you gotta do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again. YouTube. Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Bernie Sanders who is the 84 years old, has spent 34 years in Congress and he can still pack a rally with people a quarter of his age.

[Colin Cowherd]

Denver, 34,000 people come out. Salt Lake City, 20,000 people. You know, huge turnouts. People are really dissatisfied about the status quo.

[Katie Couric]

His fighting oligarchy tour with AOC and other young progressives has become a movement. But is his message too far to the left? Well, he certainly doesn't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

Does that sound like a radical idea, Katie? Is that too far left for you?

[Katie Couric]

Ok, ok, I get your point, Bernie. We talk about the billionaire class, the cost of living and of course the government shutdown, not to mention the current state of the Democratic party.

[Colin Cowherd]

To me, the failure of the Democratic party has been an unwillingness to recognize the real issues.

[Katie Couric]

Open your free iHeartRadio app search next question with Katie Couric and listen now.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. You get Desi Arnaz, a trailblazer, a businessman, a husband, and maybe most importantly, the first Latino to break primetime wide open. I'm Wilmer Valderrama. And yes, I grew up watching him, probably just like you and millions of others. But for me, I saw myself in his story. From cleaning canary cages to this night here in New York, it's a long ways. On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you on a journey to Desi's life, the moments it has overlapped with mine. How he redefined American television and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like ours on screen. This is the story of how one man's spotlight led the path for so many others and how we carry his legacy today. Listen to Starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hari Kondabolu]

On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes, I'm Dr. Priyanka Walley, a double board certified physician.

[Hari Kondabolu]

And I'm Hari Kondabolu, a comedian and someone who once googled do I have scurvy at 3am on health stuff, we're.

[Rachel Nichols]

Talking about health in a different way.

[Hari Kondabolu]

It's not only about what we can do to improve our health, but also.

[Rachel Nichols]

What our health says about us and the way we're living.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Like our episode where we look at.

[Marcus Grant]

Diabetes in the United states.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, 50% of Americans are pre diabetic.

[Hari Kondabolu]

How preventable is type 2?

[Rachel Nichols]

Extremely. Or our in depth analysis of how incredible mangoes are.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Oh, it's hard to explain to rest of the world that like your mangoes are fine because mangoes are incredible, but like you don't even know.

[Colin Cowherd]

You don't know, you don't know.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's going to be a fun ride.

[Hari Kondabolu]

So tune in, listen to health stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Michael Florio]

Hey y', all, it's me, your man, M.G. marcus Grant.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I'm Michael F. Florio. And I'm Laquan Jones.

[Michael Florio]

If you're looking to win your fantasy football league, you need to tune in to the NFL Fantasy football podc. It's right there in the name. Every week, Florio LQ and I bring you the latest News from around the league. We break down every matchup, give you our analysis and advice so you know who to start, sit, drop and trade to bring that championship trophy home.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just want to remind everyone how good Rasheed Rice was last season and there's three healthy games. He was the wide receiver, two in fantasy. I think Rasheed Rice just goes off this week. The Chiefs come on. A flip pass to Rice near side. Touchdown. Ramandre Stevens is my sleeper this week. This is a matchup where I think I can slide in Stevenson in my flex position and he could deliver double digit points this week. Drake takes the snap, hands it off for Madre, running it right and running.

[Rachel Nichols]

Into the end zone.

[Colin Cowherd]

Touchdown.

[Michael Florio]

It's never too late to turn your fantasy season around. Subscribe to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Hey, it's Greg Rosenthal, host of NFL Daily. No matter the day, NFL Daily has fresh content in your feed. Last week's games, we recapped them.

[Rachel Nichols]

The unexpected happened in so many of these games and and I love it.

[Colin Cowherd]

This week was like the defensive line stepping in, getting a stop on 4th and goal. Get the the old mo back on your side.

[Greg Rosenthal]

It was a lot of good defensive stops, including in the game of the day. This week's games we previewed him. He is the best quarterback in the league this year. He reminds me a little bit of Tom Brady in his later years and this is a compliment. He's no longer hanging in quite as much to take those big hits because he's playing the long game. They're not going to get pressure on him. I news flash, it's not going to happen. I think they smoke them and so much more. For all you football sickos, listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to talk to John Morant situation. So I, I think Adam Silver is really bright. I think he's a learned guy. I've had him on the show. I really like Adam. The NBA has done one thing I think was a classic mistake and I told Adam this. They demonize college basketball. And the great thing about college football, it microwaves all these stars and then hands the popcorn to the NFL. It's all ready to go. Add a little salt.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yep, they don't even have to pay for it.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right, the G League. The G League basically got in the way of college basketball. So guys play in El Segundo. Nobody watches the Reason I know Zion is Duke, it's Michigan State, it's Kentucky. So embrace college basketball. I do think the NIL now is doing that. It's, you know, guys are like 400,000 here, 400 there. I'll stay at Michigan State. But Ja Morant is kind of a cautionary tale. His lack maturity. He was recently asked about his unhappiness. The coaches in Memphis review and the coaching staff able to talk about what happened Friday and move on. Y' all ask that question to them, huh? What about for you? Y' all ask that question. So y' all know the answer to that. Do you feel like everything's been resolved? Yeah. They told y' all that, right? Well, yeah, but we didn't hear from you. Obviously, they can't go and tell y' all something. I ain't say. So what are you making his current situation.

[Rachel Nichols]

He is clearly deeply unhappy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

And I think this is a little bit of a come to Jesus moment for not only Job, but the franchise. Right. Because Job burst into this league with so much energy, electricity, was able to do so many things around the basket. That has decreased every year. Every year, his shootings, which was something we thought he could work on and get better at, instead has decreased every year, five years in a row, I think.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

At a low right now. And when he is not happy, he is not playing the brand of basketball that will make him successful.

[Colin Cowherd]

Moody player.

[Katie Couric]

Right.

[Rachel Nichols]

The problem has been throughout his entire time in Memphis is that Ja wants to do what Ja wants to do, whether it's on the court, playing the way he wants to play. Right now, he's in conflict with the coaching staff over their substitution pattern or whether it's off the court. I want to do this. I want to go to clubs, I want to have a gun. I want to do these things. What is good for Ja, in his mind has not been historically what is best for the franchise.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Right.

[Rachel Nichols]

And finally, with the suspension the other day, the franchise said, we're going to hold you in line with what's best for the franchise and we'll see what happens. I don't think Memphis is in a position to trade him for a couple reasons. First of all, I think the market for him right now is not very good. A lot of people don't want to bring that kind of energy onto their team. And also, also, I think we underestimate nationally the attachment that the people of Memphis have to John Moran and that he is the reason there are fans in the seats. That's an arena whose lease is up soon. Their attendance is extremely low. I think they need to keep him there on the court, but they have got to figure out a way to reconcile the fact that he wants to do what he sees is best for him, and they want to do what they see is best for the team.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, it's really interesting. This just popped into my head. For whatever reasons, the wide receiver position in the NFL, the boundary receiver, you know, they break the huddle first. They're often the longest, most creative, gifted athlete on the field and, you know, diva receivers like a term. The problem with being that is that as college football has progressed, it's much more throwing sport. There's 15 to 20 receivers that come college to the pros annually, and nobody puts up with it anymore. Where I think Jaw's in trouble is the global scale of basketball talent has increased. So people look at Ja. I mean, it used to be, Rachel, that after about the 14th pick, right, you ran out of players in the draft. Now you go mid second round. I mean, in a terrible draft, Brawny goes mid second and has actually looked good. So I. I don't think there's a huge market for Jaw, is there?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, it's just he's put himself in a difficult position, which is a shame because he walked in with everyone's sort of admiration and best fantastic talent intention. Look, I think the global game has made the American game step up. We have great young American stars right now, right? Starting with Anthony Edwards, of course, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Williams, who just won a title.

[Colin Cowherd]

The Cooper Flags had one bad game, right?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, he's obviously incredibly promising. And Shai Gilders, Alexander, I know he was the umpteenth, you know, foreign player to win mvp. He's Canadian. He grew up in the AAU style.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's awesome.

[Rachel Nichols]

You know, he played a bunch of. He wasn't on an AAU team because of where he grew up, but he played in a bunch of AAU tournaments. He went to Kentucky. Like, let's not pretend that he didn't have the same upbringing as these American players. So you're seeing a lot of successes in this country. And of course, then globally, we are getting to your point about maturity. We have not just a bunch of players from Slovenia. We have Slovenia's best player. You kind of have to be the. It's like we send to a foreign league. We're sending you LeBron, right? So they're sending us their version of LeBron. We have Serbia's best player, so we.

[Colin Cowherd]

Have the best talent. But There are these iconic, every other year, global players. That's the best of Europe.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right. I mean, Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't just a good player in Greece the way. I don't know, Cade Cunningham is a very good player in America. He's the best player in the entire country and in fact, of many surrounding countries, too. I mean, that's who you're getting. So comparing them is not always an apples to orange, you know, apples to apples comparison.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

But I think it's really an interesting point in the game to your point, is that these international players have helped American players also step up all the way across. And there's just so much talent in the league right now that if you can't see your way to be a good teammate, if you can't see your way to help the team win, as opposed to help you do what you want to do, you're not going to last as long.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I always ask you a Knicks question. They've won three in a row. Just hammered a good Minnesota team. So I didn't like getting rid of Tibbs. I didn't think he was super creative. I know Mike. Mike Brown's a great guy. He's a veteran. He knows his stuff. What's the talk in New York now? The Tibbs firing was strange based on the best season for the Knicks in two decades. But they're playing okay. Yeah, I kind of think the Knicks personnel is what it is. I don't think the coach is going to. Mike Brown's not going to elevate or. I mean, what do you make of it?

[Rachel Nichols]

Look, they are playing deeper into the bench than they ever did under Tibbs, and that will help them in the playoffs because they will have more guys with more experience to go to. And that is what management wanted. Right. They thought that, hey, that's one part that's missing, the style that Mike Brown plays. I think when we saw the Knicks have a little trouble at the beginning of the season, it was just adapting to that. I think Karl Anthony Towns is still trying to figure out who he is in this system, but I do think that will come. And Mike Brown is a great coach in getting guys sort of together and emotional. And the stuff we were talking about, very top with JJ Redick. He knows how to have a locker room, sort of get that extra step that Detroit Pistons, 2004 extra step of we want to play for each other, we like each other. And, you know, we saw it in Sacramento. He turned that franchise around in that way. And I think we're going to see that in New York, too. It's just a question of management said when getting to the game six of the Eastern Conference finals isn't good enough. You are saying that for Mike Brown to be successful, he has to win a title or at least get to the finals, and that's not guaranteed.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mac, I want you to listen closely. Rachel, I saw her offset today, made a point. Steph Curry and I have something in common. What is it?

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, both of them were out yesterday with illness. So you know hall of Fame All Stars, right? I also told Colin that the tenor of the jets talk on this show has greatly changed. When I was here yesterday, hall of.

[Marcus Grant]

Fame All Stars, stars. I like how you referenced that.

[Colin Cowherd]

The kind of respect I so richly deserve.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, exactly.

[Colin Cowherd]

I love having you on the show.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's great to see you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Great to see you. JMAC with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Marcus Grant]

This is the Herdline news. All right, hall of Famer, let's start by talking about the 49ers. They made the low risk move adding Keon White ahead of the deadline. Yeah. Ultimately, at 6:3, San Francisco is in the thick of the NFC playoff on Kyle Shanahan doesn't believe the team's inactivity at the deadline is a reflection of their goals.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it has to do with how we view this year's team. I think we worked just as hard this year to make a trade that made sense for our team this year and next year just as hard as we do every year. There's a lot of teams with records like 6 and 3 or better that didn't make any big trade. They're not. Just because you make a big trade doesn't mean it's always a smart move. The line is interesting at four and a half. How do you not like the Niners at home? To cover that is a lot in a division rivalry game.

[Marcus Grant]

The problem is the Niners can't pressure the quarterback now. They just cannot. They don't have anybody. Williams is out, Huff was out. Bosa's done. Like they can't get to the quarterback. So now you're leaning on a kind of an inferior secondary. They're playing a lot of new guys. I feel like the rams are scoring 30 for sure. You pencil that in. The question is, can they slow down Mac Jones? They could not at Sofi in a revenge spot. I have a feeling the Rams show up here. You don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's, you know, these division rivalry games. Are always different.

[Marcus Grant]

A lot of tough division. Even Miami. Buffalo's tough this weekend. There's a lot of divisional matchups that kind of scare me just a tad. Same Panthers. Everybody loves the Panthers. The Panthers, Right. So I don't know what to do here. Ram signers. This is maybe one. You watch it, you live bet it. That's how I score on the first drive. And this is down to three then. Yeah, I'll take the reins.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, good call.

[Marcus Grant]

All right, let's move on. Next story is your guy, Bo Nix and the Broncos. Huge one tonight. Colin. Denver, seven and three. We know Chiefs fans around the country are watching. Rooting for the Raiders, Bo Nicks. These divisional games, man, they're important.

[Rachel Nichols]

To us.

[Colin Cowherd]

First, we got to win them. These are the ones that have the most weight to them. These are the ones that you. You got to go in there and win to set yourself up for the. The playoffs. And so as a team, these are the most important for U.S. rivalries. And, you know, these are the fun ones.

[Greg Rosenthal]

And it's like playing a conference game and in college.

[Colin Cowherd]

These are the ones that you look forward to. These are why, you know, you're a Bronco to be teams like this.

[Marcus Grant]

Weird stat for you, Colin. So the first three quarters this season, Denver cumulative score minus one in the fourth quarter, plus 60. For whatever reason, they turn it on late. If you want to get exotic tonight, maybe bet the Raiders first quarter.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I mean, the line is. Again, it's a divisional matchup. The line's outrageous. Nine and a half.

[Marcus Grant]

Well, here, how about this? So last week against the Jags, right? Raiders, you know, were in it. It was close. The Jags scored on their last six drives of the game. Once the Raiders defense got tired, they just. Jags mowed through them. That's without Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas left early. Bo Nicks and company should mow right down the field against these guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

You would think.

[Marcus Grant]

And defensively, it's been a.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's been a. I swear to God, this. I mean, like, Seattle hammering the commanders in D.C. arizona dominating the Cowboys. It's week to week in this league. Like, my preseason predictions have been really, really good so far this year. I had New England shocking people. I had Seattle shocking people week to week in this league.

[Marcus Grant]

So you're not taking Raiders here, are you? Or maybe take the points, but not outright.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I just. Nine and a half feel. Stay away. I. You know what? I was for hiring Pete Carroll. What do we make of it now?

[Marcus Grant]

I'll let you take that one, buddy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't know how I feel right now.

[Marcus Grant]

You got Chip Kelly is the OC I remember talking to him at your birthday party and I was like, I love Chip Kelly. It's been a tough go. Like Ashton Genty. Have you seen some of the numbers? It's like a non factor.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, nothing's working.

[Marcus Grant]

I, I don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know.

[Marcus Grant]

Final story Con. Let's go to. Oh, this news stinks. CJ Stroud of the Texans was ruled out yesterday. Remember midweek, they ruled him out. He took a brutal hit. I'm with d' Ameco. Ryan's. I thought that was a dirty play. We gotta protect quarterbacks in this league, Colin. You know, we gotta see Marcus Mariota in Washington the rest of the season. You know, they're in a European game next week and I'm not waking. Who's waking up at 6:30 to watch Marcus Mariota? Now we got CJ Stroud out, Davis Mills. I mean, is this even a corner TV game for you? I mean, I watched Davis Mills three quarters because I had Houston last week.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, there's a game every weekend that I just don't watch. This is the game.

[Marcus Grant]

Well, I'm kind of intrigued by the Jaguars here.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know. I'm glad somebody is.

[Marcus Grant]

I mean, I like Trevor Lawrence still. I think adding Jacoby Myers, he's good, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's really, you know, what he is is Brian. I mean, Travis Hunter hasn't done anything. They should have just put him on offense. Forget about defense.

[Marcus Grant]

That was dumb, that, that, you know.

[Colin Cowherd]

That'S something everybody talked about and debated. And I, from the very beginning, I said put Travis Hunter on offense. A. It's the most important part of pro football. Number two is I can guarantee 12 touches. I can't guarantee you touch the ball on defense. So I can literally. People can scheme against you. I'd rather control my talent than you control it. If I have a great corner, you can largely control how often the ball's thrown in his direction. With Travis Hunter on offense, I control how many touches. I can put him in the backfield, I can put him in a slot, I can put him on the sideline. I like controlling my assets and putting him on defense at his talent. Well, I'm just going to. I'm going to. I'm going to go to the other side of the field. So, I mean, I don't think Jacksonville's ever played it right with him.

[Marcus Grant]

Finally, question. CJ Stroud, rookie year. Awesome. CJ Stroud Second year less awesome. CJ Stroud has not been good this year. I mean, I, at this point, I don't know what he is. I'm not saying he's not a franchise quarterback.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's a little like Trevor Lawrence. We know he's talented, but we keep waiting for the next thing, the next.

[Marcus Grant]

Iteration of his process and when he's going to.

[Colin Cowherd]

We haven't seen it.

[Marcus Grant]

We haven't seen it. You know, we saw that with Joe Burrow. We saw that with Lamar Jackson.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, there.

[Marcus Grant]

I haven't seen Stroud take the leap. I'm not saying he's not a franchise guy, but I think there's questions like, you know, is he a backs? Are you paying him? Like what, top of the market when he's asked for the money, are you, are you making him?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I mean, remember, he's inexpensive now, so you can surround him with more talent now than you will in three years.

[Marcus Grant]

Much longer, because this is third year. Yeah, I I yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. All right, we're in la. It's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Bernie Sanders, who is 84 years old, has spent 34 years in Congress and he can still pack a rally with people a quarter of his age.

[Colin Cowherd]

Denver, 34,000 people come out. Salt Lake City, 20,000 people. You know, huge turnouts. People are really dissatisfied about the status quo.

[Katie Couric]

His Fighting Oligarchy tour with AOC and other young progressives has become a movement. But is his message too far to the left? Well, he certainly doesn't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

Does that sound like a radical idea? Is that too far left for you?

[Katie Couric]

Okay, okay, I get your point, Bernie. We talk about the billionaire class, the cost of living and of course, the government shutdown, not to mention the current state of the Democratic Party.

[Colin Cowherd]

To me, the failure of the Democratic Party has been an unwillingness to recognize the real issues.

[Katie Couric]

Open your free iHeartRadio app search next Question with Katie Couric and listen now.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arnaz, a trailblazer, a businessman, a husband, and maybe most importantly, the first Latino to break primetime wide open. I'm Wilmer Valderrama, and yes, I grew up watching him probably just like you and millions of others. But for me, I saw myself in his story. From cleaning canary cages to this night.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here in New York, it's a long ways.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you on a journey to Desi's life, the moments it has overlapped with mine. How he redefined American television and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like ours on screen. This is the story of how one man spotlight led the path for so many others and how we carry his legacy today. Listen to Starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hari Kondabolu]

On the podcast Health stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes, I'm Dr. Priyanka Walley, a double board certified physician.

[Hari Kondabolu]

And I'm Hari Kondabolu, a comedian and someone who once googled do I have scurvy at 3am on health stuff, we're.

[Rachel Nichols]

Talking about health in a different way.

[Hari Kondabolu]

It's not only about what we can do to improve our health, but also.

[Rachel Nichols]

What our health says about us and the way we're living.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Like our episode where we look at.

[Rachel Nichols]

Diabetes in the United states. I mean, 50% of Americans are pre diabetic.

[Hari Kondabolu]

How preventable is type 2?

[Rachel Nichols]

Extremely. Or our in depth analysis of how incredible mangoes are.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Oh, it's hard to explain to rest of the world that like your mangoes are fine because mangoes are incredible. But like you don't even know.

[Colin Cowherd]

You don't know, you don't know.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's going to be a fun ride.

[Hari Kondabolu]

So tune in, listen to health stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Michael Florio]

Hey y', all, it's me, your man, M.G. marcus Grant.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I'm Michael F. Florio. And I'm Laquan Jones.

[Michael Florio]

If you're looking to win your fantasy football league, you need to tune in to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. It's right there in the name every week, Florio LQ and I bring you the latest news from around the league. We break down every matchup, give you our analysis and advice so you know who to start, sit, drop and trade to bring that championship trophy home.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just want to remind everyone how good Rasheed Rice was last season. In his three healthy games, he was the wider receiver. Two in fantasy, I think Rasheed Rice just goes off this week. The Chiefs come on. A flip pass to Rice near side. Touchdown.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Ramandre Stevens is my sleeper this week.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is a matchup where I think I can slide in Stevenson in my flex position and he could deliver double digit points this week. Drake takes the snap, hands it off for Madre, running it right and running.

[Rachel Nichols]

Into the end zone.

[Colin Cowherd]

Touchdown.

[Michael Florio]

It's never too late to turn your fantasy season around. Subscribe to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Hey, it's Greg Rosenthal, host of NFL Daily. No matter the day, NFL Daily has fresh content in your feed. Last week's games, we recapped them.

[Rachel Nichols]

The unexpected happened in so many of these games and and I love it.

[Colin Cowherd]

This week was like the defensive line stepping in, getting a stop on 4th and goal. Get the the old mo back on your side.

[Greg Rosenthal]

It was a lot of good defensive stops, including in the game of the day. This week's game we previewed him. He is the best quarterback in the league this year. He reminds me a little bit of Tom Brady in his later years and this is a compliment. He's no longer hanging in quite as much to take those big hits because he's playing the long game. They're not going to get pressure on him. I news flash, it's not going to happen. I think they smoke them and so much more. For all you football sickos, listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, we had noted on this earlier, I don't think there's ever been a city in a time period that has had more good coaches currently than la. Dave Roberts just pulled off Houdini acts in the World Series. He'll be a Hall of Fame manager. JJ Ruddock has been really terrific with the Lakers. I mean say what you want about last year when he didn't somebody budding the second half but he's, he's a notch above Darvin Ham and Laker fans love him. And then you've got Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVeigh. I I still contend Lincoln Riley offensively is one of the sharpest coaches in college football. USC's got a top five offense. It just, it feels like everybody works in LA right now. There's just, it just doesn't happen very often. And Redick was one of those guys that, you know, there's the old thing. You got to have experience to be a head coach. A lot of it's just intellect. If you're a really smart guy and you've been around the game and you understand the game, and if you listen to his podcast, very sharp guy. But Steve Nash was a sharp guy. He went to Brooklyn. But the environment wasn't very good because Kyrie and KD didn't think they needed a head coach. I do think part of what really helps J.J. redick is, and he's fostered a lot of this, the environment's better. You know, Luke is easy to get along with, Austin Reeves easy to get along with. The new ownership group. Rui, most of the people. I don't think LeBron's difficult. I think LeBron in his prime. There was a lot of gravitas to LeBron and how you treated him. I think old LeBron, that JJ Redick really has hand. He has leverage. LeBron does not. And with this new ownership group, they're not beholden to LeBron. So JJ comes in to a franchise. He's got star players, nice role players, new ownership and old LeBron. If LeBron was 27, this could be a much tougher job. But instead you have clarity on who your number one is. And LeBron doesn't really have any leverage or power at this point. And that's not a knock on LeBron, it's just the reality. Here's Rachel Nichols moments ago on JJ Redick.

[Rachel Nichols]

Jj, in terms of X's and O's, he's just so excellent at putting a player in the exact position where he's going to succeed. So technically he's always got guys in the right place. And I think that's part of what's going on with deandre Ayton, frankly, who has been a huge part of this early 7:2 run, but, you know, wasn't really doing that in other Cities. And now JJ's putting him in the exact positions he needs.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I, I think when an athlete's the NBA, you know, is kind of weirdly always been a bit of a status league. You know, guys want their respect and the players got more power than the coach. That's very rarely the instance in the NFL. It's the shield is number one coach ownership, with very few exceptions to star players. But in the end, Belichick stayed and Brady had to leave. Like, it, it. It's always kind of felt like it's more of a management league than a players league. But LeBron in this league where he's had hand and leverage and status and he just doesn't have it anymore. And Charles Barkley, we use this earlier today, talked about aging. LeBron, Father Time. Always gonna win. There's nothing you can do about it. You know, I joked on the show a couple of weeks ago, they had. They said sciatica. They could have just wrote old. It's the exact same thing. All old people back hurt. You know, he's got to accept. I hope he leaves sooner than later. Obviously, LeBron's a better player than me, but I don't want to see great players just hanging on. Yeah, I think. I think LeBron's smart enough to understand his place right now with the Lakers. I mean, you were there last night. There's no negative energy. He's not going on the road trip, but there's no negative, weird vibe around him, right?

[Marcus Grant]

No, the vibes are great with the Lakers. Charles Barkley's way. He could not be more wrong. Colin. Two years ago, LeBron played 71 out of 82 games and was third team All NBA. Last year, he played 70 of 82 games. He was second team All NBA, sixth at MVP. Yeah, he's not falling off.

[Rachel Nichols]

That's just.

[Marcus Grant]

There's zero evidence of that. No, Just because he's out with sciatica.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I think. Oh, no. Oh, my gosh. He's getting old.

[Marcus Grant]

Like, what the hell is Barkley talking about?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I think LeBron is a little like staff that the offense has in his career run through him. Kevin Durant, the offense, even in OKC when he was in his prime, didn't run through him. The warriors didn't run through him. It ran through Steph. There are players who are great players that. I mean, the Lakers, the offense ran through Magic, even though Kareem was the primary scorer. But the offense ran, the pacing ran through Magic. It was Magic's offense, and when they needed a bucket, they went to the big fella. But the offense ran through Magic. His decision making, his pace, his tempo, he had the ball in his hands. LeBron's always been. He is the ecosystem. Like, here's the offense, here's LeBron. And in his prime for 13 years or 14 years, that was fine. But he was a much more dominant player in the east, which is awful compared relative to the West. So in the west, you've got to be in your prime and great Jokic, you know, I mean, if you look at the west right now, it's going to be won by like ants. Great and in his prime. Jokic. Great and in his prime. Wemby's not even in his prime yet.

[Marcus Grant]

S.G.A.

[Colin Cowherd]

S.G.A. great. And his prime. LeBron's really, really exceptional. Way out of his prime. There's limitations on what you can do to give him the ball 40 minutes a night.

[Marcus Grant]

This is a great point you're making. And I. We don't know the answer to what I'm about to ask. So the reason I have LeBron over Jordan as the goat. So Jordan was just scoring and then was put in the triangle. Texan Phil Jackson triangle. And then he thrived. LeBron has thrived as the system. Wherever he's gone, Right. Cleveland, he's the system. They go to Miami, he's the system. Now we have to find out can LeBron thrive as he's. What?

[Colin Cowherd]

He's an ancillary part.

[Marcus Grant]

Right. Can he thrive in that environment? Nobody knows the answer to that. For Barkley to pretend he knows he's being goofy. I don't see why LeBron, a pros pro, can't be like, you need me to do this at my age? Yeah, Luka's better. There's a video last night of Luka. The over the head pass to Rui. LeBron looks at Nick Smith and they're like, oh, my gosh. I think everybody knows Luka is the guy. He is the alpha and the omega with the Lakers right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Grant]

He's everything.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Grant]

Ken lebron just work in and I'm going to be positive and say, yeah, I think he can.

[Michael Florio]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's just stylistically he's an interesting fit when he doesn't have the ball, you know, he's, he's not. KD is a great off ball player. Klay Thompson was a great off ball player. Some guys need, they need it in their hands. Is he going to be a cutter?

[Marcus Grant]

Is he a spot up shooter? I don't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

No.

[Marcus Grant]

J.J. reddick's got his work cut out.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Grant]

Because they're rolling now. You show the standings. This is a good Lakers team, Dion. Last year they had Jackson Hayes at center.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now they got deandre Ayton's always been super offensively talented. He's moody. He will not play defense. He goes into a funk. You know, he's, I, I, the way I sort of look at deandre Ayton is JJ Redick will get the best out of him, but he, he sulks. He, Ayton's always seen himself for a one or a two and he's probably a three or four, but he was, I think he was a number one pick out of Arizona. So he comes in with all this status and the NBA, it's kind of a status league. Guys want theirs.

[Marcus Grant]

But everybody saw him in Portland. They're like, oh, he's garbage. He doesn't want to play. He's checked out. It's not what you are right now. It's what you can be. And with Luca and LeBron and JJ Redick whipping him into shape, DeAndre looks like the number, like a top five pick that we. He should have been.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he was always physically gifted.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah. But he just never really put it all together.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Grant]

He was like, I got to get that second contract.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he felt he was ignored in Phoenix. He felt he was ignored in Portland. They didn't use him. So J.J. redick's doing a good job. He. There's something about his tone and temperament. He feels valuable total. Now again, will he feel as valuable like last night? Well, there's no LeBron and Austin Reeves, so he gets touches. The truth is, if LeBron, Austin Reeves and Luca plays and Rui Ayton doesn't get any touches, so that's a whole. Because Rui's a nice player.

[Marcus Grant]

Is Ayton gonna pout? I mean, you gotta pout with Luka Doncic out here. You're second in the west and all of a sudden you're going from 20 and 10 to like, I don't know, 8 and 7.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't want to hear the pouting, dude.

[Marcus Grant]

You want to win games.

[Colin Cowherd]

Ayton last night got looks and touches. That's not going to happen.

[Marcus Grant]

I hope he understands that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I don't know if he does. NFL schedule this weekend. Denver's gonna win tonight. The question at home is how much they win by. I sometimes I don't quite understand the line. Indianapolis feels like they got pushed around. I think they're gonna hammer Atlanta. It's my favorite bet of the weekend. The Colts, favorite Colts in hammering. I think they're going to hammer Atlanta.

[Katie Couric]

I hope so.

[Marcus Grant]

I think I'm. I'm on them. The Tampa Bay, New England one is one. I'm. I'm keep drilling down on. I think we're going to do it tomorrow in headlines. I don't want to give away my take, but you have any readout Drake made, this will be the best quarterback the Patriots have faced since Josh Allen. Like five. Patriots haven't played anybody.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin. Well, they.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah, Falcons are nobody.

[Colin Cowherd]

Sorry, I don't. I don't see any glaring upsets. I. A game that's very interesting is Arizona at Seattle. So Arizona looks great against Dallas. Short week. They go to Seattle. It looked unbelievable. Unbelievable. I, you know, it's, we did this earlier. We did our pyramid. If you look at quarterback play just based on this year, the best quarterback in the league is Sam Darnold. Josh Allen and Matt Stafford are one notch below. And now they just gave Sam Darnold, arguably the fastest wide receiver in the league, as a deep threat. So I'm interested to see how that plays. You know, it's not like they're asking him to be an offensive lineman and build cohesion. He is a deep route runner, so he may be able to walk in Seattle and immediately be an impact guy. You know, the bit. Monday night, Philadelphia at Green Bay. Everybody loves the Packers.

[Marcus Grant]

He goes off a buy. Sirianni, is he able to change things up?

[Colin Cowherd]

Not really a skiing guy. Yeah, that's not really him. All right, good stuff. Rachel Nichols stopped by today. We certainly appreciate that. And tomorrow's our blazing five. We had three straight winning weeks, two and three last week. We'll rebound. That's what we do. We're like Rodman, always there for the rebound. Today's episode brought to you by a scent that's made a legendary comeback. Degree Original Cool Rush. The OG is back and better than ever. Cool Rush isn't just a scent. It's a movement kind of fragrance guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold. It's fresh all day, sweat protection, cool, crisp vibe that made it legendary. So whether you're heading to the gym, the office, or just trying to stay fresh all day long, Cool Rush has your back. So if you haven't tried it yet, head to your local Walmart. Grab degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Bernie Sanders and we've talked many times over the years, and today he even throws a few questions my way.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, are you ready for another question?

[Rachel Nichols]

Go ahead, hit me, Bernie.

[Katie Couric]

We talk about the billionaire class, the cost of living, and of course, the government shutdown. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie couric. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of of all time. You get Desi Arnaz on the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama. I'll take you on a journey to Desi's life, how he redefined American television and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like ours on screen. Listen to Starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer valderrama on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm Eva Longoria. And I'm Maite Gomez Rejun. And this week on our podcast Hungry for History, we talk oysters. Plus the Miami Chief stops by.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you are not an oyster lover, don't even talk to me.

[Rachel Nichols]

Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Bring back the ostrichon.

[Rachel Nichols]

Listen to Hungry for history on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, I'm Kyle McLaughlin. You might know me as that guy from Twin Peaks, Sex and the City or just the Internet Stand. I have a new podcast called what Are We Even Doing? Where I embark on a noble quest to understand the brilliant chaos of youth culture. Each week I invite someone fascinating to join me to talk about navigating this high speed rollercoaster we call reality. Join me in my delightful guests every Thursday and let's get weird together in a good way. Listen to what Are We Even doing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.