The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "What’s Wright - Best Of"

Date: February 21, 2026
Main Theme:
A recap of the top sports stories and moments discussed on Nick Wright's “What’s Wright” show, focusing on his NBA All-Star Game reaction, Tyreek Hill’s possible return to the Chiefs, and Nick’s “NFL Club Superstar.”

NBA All-Star Game Reaction

Segment Start: [02:14]

Key Discussion Points

• New US vs. World Format

  • Nick Wright and Demonte discuss the NBA’s new All-Star Game format—pitting the US against the World.
    • Nick Wright: “I thought it was awesome. I really enjoyed it.” [02:25]
    • Public pressure and criticism improved player effort.
    • Victor Wembanyama (Wimby) set the tone: “Wimby gets credit throwing down the gauntlet and being like, I'm going to try so you guys better try too.” [02:39]

• Intensity and Competitiveness

  • The 12-minute games increased intensity across the board, emulating the typical fourth-quarter competitiveness throughout.
    • “You were kind of instantly getting the intensity of a fourth quarter...” [03:06]

• Double Standards in Criticism

  • Nick highlights a “double standard” around status expectations:
    • Nikola Jokic criticized less than LeBron James for lack of All-Star Game effort:
      • "It's an unequivocal double standard when the previous universally accepted best player in the world, LeBron James, is currently getting more criticism for not doing the dunk contest 15 years ago than Joker is for not caring in the All Star Game..." [04:05]

• Kawhi Leonard’s Performance

  • Kawhi’s standout role, particularly his 31-point quarter, was called a “passing of the torch” moment:
    • Demonte: "Kawhi doing all that makes Nikola Jokic look even worse..." [07:35]
    • Nick Wright: "These were contested. These were difficult shots... quiet [Kawhi] was just sensational." [07:44]

Notable Quotes

• On Jokic’s Role:
  Nick Wright: “And Joker does have something of responsibility of you're the best player in the world.” [05:04]
• On US vs. World Format Tweaks:
  "I like there being a... theme if you will of, of the two of the two different US teams." [09:07]

NBA Culture, Star Power & League Health

Segment Start: [10:25]

• NBA’s Star “Problem”

  • Major stars are aging; young stars haven’t broken through to pop culture.
    • “Right now the single most famous basketball player under the age of 35 years old is Caitlin Clark.” [10:41]
    • Wembanyama considered, but Nick argues most people know Clark better than Wemby.

• NBA Needed a PR Win

  • After a week of criticism (exacerbated by his Bill Simmons pod appearance), Nick says All-Star Weekend was a “needed victory” for the league. [09:26]

NFL Club Superstar Exercise

Segment Start: [17:42]

Rules & Roster Construction

• Nick Wright answers a listener: create a “Club Superstar” for active NFL players, one per position (sometimes per group).

Nick Wright’s "Club Superstar" Selections

• Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes (“Anybody disagrees can go to hell.”) [18:00]
• Wide Receiver: Justin Jefferson (longevity and star factor win over younger stars) [18:35]
• Running Back: Derrick Henry (“...the only guaranteed hall of famer”) [19:14]
• Offensive Lineman: Lane Johnson [19:20]
• Defensive End: Myles Garrett [20:15]
• Defensive Tackle: Chris Jones [20:24]
• Middle Linebacker: Fred Warner (“That is to me inarguable.”) [20:50]
• Corner: Patrick Surtain II [21:08]
• Safety: Kyle [21:16]
• Wild Card Picks: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Micah Parsons [22:00]
• No Special Teamers: Definitely no kickers unless "prime" legends [21:43]

Memorable Moment

• Nick’s bluntness on Mahomes debate:
  “Anybody disagrees [with Mahomes at QB] can go to hell.” [18:00]

NBA Top 50 of the Last 50 Years — Updated Rankings

Segment Start: [23:01]

Key Insights

• Jokic's Placement

  • Jokic ranks just outside the top 10:
    “He would jump ahead of Moses [Malone] and Julius [Erving] and be right behind Steph [Curry].” [25:07]

• SGA vs. Tatum

  • SGA ahead of Tatum in all-time ranking, though emotionally hard for Nick to process.
    • SGA lands just ahead of James Harden, Tatum lands just behind Kawhi Leonard but ahead of Scottie Pippen.

Notable Quotes

• Nick Wright: “It is very hard for me to say SGA is better than Tatum, even though I understand SGA is better than Tatum. Does that make sense?” [26:52]

Tyreek Hill’s Release & Possible Chiefs Return

Segment Start: [29:50]

Key Discussion Points

• Tyreek Hill Released by Dolphins

  • Nick had previously predicted a Chiefs return in 2026 but is now less excited [30:02]
    • “Since those comments, Tyreek has had more really ugly off the field allegations... a lot of reason to believe that he continues to be a bad actor off the field.” [30:32]

• Football Assessment

  • Catastrophic knee injury raises major concerns about Hill’s effectiveness
  • Chiefs might take him back at a deep discount, but “not as exciting of a proposition as it once was.” [31:29]
  • Chiefs need to be cautious given behavior history at WR position

• Nick’s Standard on Off-Field Allegations

  • Nick Wright: “If you are accused of almost anything once, I will tend to be like, yeah, I don't know... But the moment you get accused a second time, I tend to believe you've done it. And I think that's reasonable.” [33:39]

Memorable Moment

• Reflecting on moral conflict as a sports fan: “There can be a lot of moral bargaining you do with yourself when it comes to rooting for pro football teams. And I... owe the audience honesty.” [36:28]

Chiefs’ Super Bowl Odds & Dolphins’ Roster Questions

Segment Start: [37:09]

• Chiefs Super Bowl Odds

  • Adding Tyreek Hill would not significantly affect odds
  • Odds’ movement is based on Patrick Mahomes’ health and starting week one [37:16]

• Tua Tagovailoa’s Future

  • Very unlikely to be Dolphins’ starter due to massive contract complications, especially after losing Hill. [38:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is an unequivocal double standard...” – Nick Wright on NBA All-Star criticism, [04:05]
• "Anybody disagrees [about Mahomes at QB Club Superstar] can go to hell." – Nick Wright [18:00]
• "If you are accused of almost anything once... But the moment you get accused a second time, I tend to believe you've done it." – Nick Wright [33:39]
• "There can be a lot of moral bargaining you do with yourself when it comes to rooting for pro football teams. And I... owe the audience honesty." – Nick Wright [36:28]

Segment Timestamps

• [02:14] NBA All-Star Game: US vs World Format Reaction
• [07:05] Passing the Torch & Kawhi’s Performance
• [08:34] Possible Tweaks to the Format
• [10:25] Star Power and League State Discussion
• [17:42] NFL Club Superstar Exercise
• [23:01] NBA Top 50 of Last 50 Years: Jokic, SGA, Tatum Update
• [29:50] Tyreek Hill's Release and Chiefs Return Possibility
• [37:09] Chiefs Odds and Tua’s Contract Situation

This episode provides sharp NBA analysis, candid opinions on athlete reputations and moral dilemmas in sports fandom, as well as rapid-fire NFL historiography and forecasting. Nick’s mix of statistical insight, unfiltered takes, and humor make this recap essential for anyone who missed out and wants the week’s most significant sports debates and revelations.