← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
What's Wright - Lakers SWEPT, LeBron’s Future, Wemby RETURNS, Knicks TITLE-BOUND?
01:06:50
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- [00:00]
JJ Redick
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Liberty Mutual Ad Voice
Guaranteed Human Liberty Mutual 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.
- [00:31]
JJ Redick
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
- [00:35]
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.
- [00:53]
Timbo
Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
- [00:56]
Robert Smigel
Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Small, Michael and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:05]
Timbo
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.
- [01:40]
JJ Redick
Protein packed meals in 10 minutes. TikTok's got millions of them. Could you whip one up in under eight? Probably. But hey, it's not a race.
- [01:50]
Liberty Mutual Ad Voice
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- [01:59]
JJ Redick
The Great Episode 457 this episode of what Driving the Grid is presented to you by Boost Mobile. We have a little breaking NFL news from right before the show to Monz a Chiefs Broncos Week 1 on Monday night Football which means the NFL pretty confident that both quarterbacks going to be healthy post off season surgeries that Mahomes with the knee, Bo Nicks with the ankle. Oddly they don't. They haven't told us where the game is. People I think are doing the wrong math on This I think they are trying. They're like, well, is that because of a Royals game week one or a concert in Denver? I don't think it is. Because they don't know which stadium is available, Denver or Kansas City, week one. My guess is they are trying to make sure the opposite stadium is available for their second meeting. And so that's why we don't yet know where this game is going to be played. Despite that, I still because we don't know if it's going to be played narrowhead, the Chiefs will be favorites. If it's played in Denver, the Broncos will be favorites. And because I have just a, you know, a little degeneracy in me, I texted poker great and my pal and diehard Bronco fan David Baker and was like, hey, you want to bet this thing blind? We don't know the line and the line doesn't count. Like whoever, whoever wins the flip on his at home gets good value on this. But we'll just do an even money moneyline bet. I'll take the Chiefs, you take the Broncos. He said yes. He had also just sent out a tweet about how whenever a fish wants to gamble with you on flips, you should say yes. So the fact that he snapped said yes to me, I was like, does he think I'm a fish? But regardless. So there is that Chiefs news. Also, it does warrant mentioning because I see a lot of chirping going on out there about the Broncos owning Mahomes or Bix. Bonick has beat Mahomes once in his whole career and Patrick Mahomes is 13 and 2 lifetime against the Broncos. Now he started 110 lifetime against the Broncos, so he is just 2 and 2 in his last four. So good for them. But Patrick Mahomes against divisional opponents 13 and 2 against Denver, 13 and 2 against the Raiders and the Chargers, who have given him a ton of trouble. He is only 10 and 4 against, which does mean do the math right there. Patrick Mahomes lifetime in his career is 36 and eight against the AFC West. And Mahomes and Andy Reid still have more wins in Allegiant Stadium where the Raiders play than any Raiders coach quarterback combo ever. Take that for what you will. Hopefully Mendoza and the new coach there can, you know, change that up for them. But in the meantime, the most wins of any coach quarterback combo in the Raiders stadium is the Chiefs coach and quarterback we will get. I if it sounds like I'm filibustering a bit because LeBron season ended last night, it Might be true, but we're going to get to it right after we do. Straight to voicemail. Brought to you by Boost Mobile. Justin Herbert in a music video again. Hey, Damanze, did you see Joe Burrow last week at the Met Gala? Did you see it?
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Damanze
I. I didn't see him at the Met gala.
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JJ Redick
I did see Herbert in the music video.
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Damanze
I saw her because I saw her in the music video. All right.
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JJ Redick
Did you see. Did you see. My home's working out. Practicing. Just saying. Dylan brooks. Trolls. Trolls. LeBron AJ Daban, you know, stoic about being a wizard. I'm not giving Dylan Brooks any more oxygen here. Like Rate Subscribe LeBron A lot of bronze. You know, the NPCs in LeBron's story, like Dylan Brooks over the years have ended up teaming up with him. Lance Stevenson, after blowing in his ear, teamed up with him. Desean Stevenson wished he had, you know, so maybe I, I think it is. It's not the flex one thinks it is to be an active NBA player whose team was in the playoffs who then goes to a later round in the playoffs to troll an opponent who's still playing. But the jewelry looked great. I do have to say, as a liker and fine jewelry, the jewelry did look great. And it's always a reminder for anybody out there, whether you're a music star, you know, entertainer, what, you know, whatever I am. There's nice jewelry, there's unbelievable jewelry, and then there is NBA star jewelry. And it is just on a totally different level. All right, Daman, let's get right to it. Thunder sweep Lakers. We'll just go to it. Thunder sweep. Go ahead.
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Damanze
Thunder sweep Lakers. Put up a good fight there for a minute, but at the end, OKC just had too many bodies. We'll talk about the future of LeBron and the Lakers, but what do you have to say about the, about this game and the end of the series and this season for your guy LeBron?
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JJ Redick
Yeah, listen, the game, the game was frustrating. The Lakers had plenty of opportunities. Braun missed a shot to take the lead with 20 seconds left. Just a little too strong on, you know, the running banker. And then Austin had a wide open shot. J.J. redick's getting beat up a bit this morning for not having Rui Hachimura in the game and instead of having Maxi Kleba in the game, and I unders, I was stunned by it as well. However, you got a great look from Austin and Austin just missed it. And ultimately, listen, it would have been nice to get a game, but the Lakers were not winning this series with Luca, maybe it's different, but also didn't really look like it. And whether the Lakers won last night or not, they were, they certainly weren't going to be the first team to come back from 30 down and the Thunder certainly not going to be the first team to blow a 30 lead. So I don't think the game is the story. I don't even think this series is the story. I think that and what we're going to spend a lot of time on here and demons a you chime in wherever you want and obviously you guys in the control room throw in there, you know, any, you know, additional things you think we should touch on here. We're going to go micro to macro on this year. LeBron's Lakers tenure as a whole and then the future. This year I thought was such a unique window into why LeBron is who he is. And he talked about it a bit in the post game press conference when he said about taking on that third option role for the first time and he kept making a point to say, not just my career, my whole basketball life, I've never been a third option. It's like yeah, we figured like we, I do. Nobody thought that like 12 year old LeBron was the third best player on a team, but he, he wanted to emphasize something he had never done and transitioning to that on the fly because for. And he didn't say this part, but I'll say this part because the reason was twofold. One was it was really one reason but with a layer beneath it. The reason was it was the best way for the Lakers to be able to win games. And man, they did look really good there for six weeks with Marcus Smart in the starting lineup, Luka healthy, Austin healthy, Braun being the Swiss army knife, they, they looked like a fringe championship contender. They. And the only reason you say fringe is because OKC is just kind of looming over everything. And OKC obviously had the Lakers number this year. They won eight in a row. So the reason LeBron did it was because it was the best way for the Lakers to be able to win games. But the reason he was the one who did it was because of their three best players, he's the only one, even at 41, even in year 23, versatile enough to do it and good enough defensively to have that be a good way to deploy his energy and deploy their resources. Luke is going to play the way Luka plays, and the way Luka plays is one of the greatest offensive engines and offensive forces the late the league has ever seen. Austin Reeves has one elite skill set scoring. If he's not scoring he's not doing a hell of a lot for you because even pre injury Austin Reeves is not going to be a good defensive player. He's a decent passer, he's a below average rebounder. He is a great scorer, a great teammate. I like a you know, great guy it appears but his basketball Skill is scoring. LeBron meanwhile can be at even at this point in his career he's a B plus or better at any single thing on the basketball court you ask him to do other than ball handling. His handle is the one part of his game that you can actually see his atrophied the most. Like I don't know if that that is demons A the one part he doesn't look old in transition. He. He doesn't look old driving the ball randomly. Yes. Yeah it is a little like 2022 Jaylen Brown in the playoffs is at times it's like the but so but everything else on the court he can still be either elite or a tick below elite at if that's where his focus is. And so for six weeks that's where his focus was. Then Luke and Austin got hurt and he snap switched back to who he's always had to be. And the Lakers won games at the end of the regular season to secure home court advantage. In round one they embarrassed the Rockets. And then in this series against the best defense in basketball by a lot. LeBron James played the two time soon to be two time league MVP to a standstill With Shea going up against the league's 19th ranked defense. With Braun going up against one of the best defenses in modern NBA history and the best defense in the league this year. Shea gave you 24, 2 and 6 on 4733 splits and Braun gave you 23, 6 and 6 on 50, 37 splits. And that's just remarkable. And for Shay to be at the absolute peak of his powers and to now to be fair to Shea, he obviously was dealing with doubles and unique coverages and the Lakers the first three games of the series were were selling out to stop him. And in game four played him a little more straight up. And Shea had his first monster game of the series and was exceptional. 35 points with eight assists. The crazy mid range late in the fourth quarter on the reverse pivot and then the what I thought was going to be the dagger three but then the Lakers just kept coming. So I'm not, I am not arguing that year 23, age 41, LeBron is as good as Shay. He obviously is has an argument right now he's the best player in the league. And I thought Shea was really good this year, like really, really good in game four and handled the Lakers coverages better than Kevin Durant and other guys would have. With all that said, the fact that just from a pure statistical perspective, Braun being pressed back into duty as the number one option played shade to a standstill is remarkable and it also is informative about what his next steps should be. But before we get to that piece of it and demand is a little under the weather, so he's going to step away for a second. Before we get to that piece of it, I do want to discuss what somehow and only with LeBron James could this possibly be a question or even a debate. Which is was LeBron's Lakers tenure a success? Just some context here and we've done this before, but I will do it again just very quickly. Dating back to the Lakers being in Minneapolis, the Lakers franchise missed the playoffs in 1958, in 1975 and 76 in 1994. In 2005, again dating back to Minneapolis, the Lakers franchise had missed the playoffs five times total prior to the five years prior to LeBron's arrival when they missed the playoffs all five years. So again, to put it clearly, when LeBron became a Laker, they had missed the playoffs. The franchise over 80 some years, 70 some years had missed the playoffs a total of 10 times. And five of those 10 were the five years directly preceding his arrival. The Lakers over those five years had the fewest wins of any team in the NBA. They won 27, 21, 17, 26 and then 35 games. They had the number two pick of the draft three separate times. They had not won a playoff game, let alone series since 2012. And LeBron got there and within one year they were not just champions, but clearly and obviously over the course of that regular season the best team in basketball. They won 52 games in a 71 game season. They then had three consecutive gentlemen sweeps in the playoffs despite not having the benefit of the home court advantage they had earned. And they dispatched of the Miami Heat in the finals in six. They then had their title defense year thrown off kilter or derailed by initially LeBron's ankle injury that knocked him out of being the MVP favorite to missing two months and then the Anthony Davis injury during the playoffs up to one on a Suns team that would go on to make the NBA Finals the next year was the only true disaster year of LeBron's Lakers tenure. He got hurt again. Plus the Russell Westbrook experience, and then it was conference finals, a couple first round exits, and then this season. So for LeBron, the record is eight years with the Lakers, seven trips to the playoffs, two seasons where they made a conference finals and one championship. And you are going to have folks today earnestly, genuinely try to argue that LeBron's Lakers tenure was a failure. To which I would simply say, or ask, and don't even add, I'm not even asking you to add any age related qualifiers to it. Has Giannis's 13 year Bucks career been a failure? Because in those 13 years Giannis has one trip to the Finals, one championship and one trip to another conference finals. And that's the exact same thing as Braun in his eight with the Lakers. Earmuffs, Daniel, has Joker's 12 year Nuggets career been a failure? Because in those 12 years Joker has one championship, one Finals MVP, one one trip to the Finals and one other trip to the conference finals. Absolutely no one would argue or could argue that Giannis's 13 years with Milwaukee has been anything other than a success, or Joker's decade plus with the Nuggets has been anything but a success. And that's those players as young players and then through the entirety of their primes having the exact same team accolade, team pelts on the wall as age 34 to 41 year old LeBron James with the Lakers. One championship where Joker, Giannis and Braun were absolutely overwhelming forces. One other trip to a conference finals, a few disappointing round one exits or playoff runs, a little shorter than you would hope, and a lot of fun. Oh, we might, we might be in the mix. Regular seasons. It's the least successful part of LeBron's entire career and it goes toe to toe from a team success perspective with the entirety of two of the,
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Damanze
I
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JJ Redick
don't know, four greatest players of this era's entire careers. And so of course LeBron's Lakers tenure was a success. Of course he should have a statue. Of course he restored the Lakers back to their place in the NBA ecosystem. And if you're, if you're one of the folks who's banged on the table and said he made them get Russell Westbrook, fine. But the precursor to that, if you believe that, you must believe he's the number one reason they got Anthony Davis, which is the number one reason they now have Luka Doncic, which is the number one reason there is something of a Succession plan.
- [25:16]
Liberty Mutual Ad Voice
Liberty Mutual 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.
- [25:43]
JJ Redick
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
- [25:46]
Timbo
Last night, a blown call changed a 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. 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice, Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
- [26:37]
Clifford Taylor IV
What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor IV and on my podcast, the Clifford Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an Internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game, this linebacker, linebacker walks up to me. He goes, a ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.
- [26:55]
JJ Redick
What?
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Clifford Taylor IV
Time out. Look, quarterback on offense. Blue 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama wants you to weigh better.
- [27:02]
JJ Redick
What?
- [27:06]
Clifford Taylor IV
Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [27:18]
JJ Redick
And that brings me to what's next for Braun. And I know what I want, but I don't know what he wants. I would like to see him go to Cleveland or New York as a on either of those teams, second best player to Brunson or to Donovan. Obviously Cleveland would have to move on from James Harden, but I think even though great win by them last night. Shout out Donovan tying Sleepy Floyd all time record for second half playoff points. 39, 1 missed free throw at the end Away from having the first ever 40 point playoff half. I don't think they're going to win that series. I think it's going to be another year for the Cavs. A long history of years for the Cavs franchise before and after LeBron got there, where the absolute ceiling on your franchise is getting to round two of the playoffs. And they're going to revisit whether or not they want to bring Braun back. And I think he's going to have to revisit what he wants this stage of his career to be because. I do not think
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Hard Rock Bet Ad Voice
he.
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JJ Redick
I think he accepted and he was willing to do what it took to win being the third option. But LeBron James is. No disrespect. Austin Reeves is not better than LeBron James. And for him to stay with the Lakers, he would have to be willing to accept way less money than Austin and a smaller offensive role than Austin. That is that for most guys, that would not be tenable.
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Damanze
So where, wherever you want him to go, you think he should be the second option? You're not saying the first or.
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JJ Redick
No, I don't. I don't think you can win a championship with Braun being the first option at this point in his career, but I do think you can win a championship with Braun being the primary initiator of the offense. The in. So in Cleveland, Donovan's the number one option, Donovan's the primary scorer, but Braun is, you know, the de facto point guard. And then you have Mobley and Allen in New York. Brunson's the initiator of the offense. Brunson or Brunson's the primary scorer, Brunson's the number one option. But LeBron takes some of that usage, you know, off his plate. I think those things are really interesting. I also think, by the way, the Lakers, like, look around, the Lakers just don't have the depth in the athletes that it's going to. And you're not going to be able to make that over a summer with or without LeBron. You're not going to be able to make that happen. With that said, here is the. Everybody thinks about what the Lakers have going for him is, you know, he likes living in la, his businesses, all of that. I think what the Lakers might have going for more than anything is, I imagine demands a next year. Bronnie is a part of the rotation.
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Damanze
Oh yeah.
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JJ Redick
And I, I was thinking this morning I'll just be totally like transparent. I hope this doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. I don't think it will okay. But there is. There is like, what type of, you know, podcast, YouTube show offer would I have to receive for me to enjoy it more than the one I'm doing right now? If with the offer you wouldn't be a part of it? You know what I mean? Like, I like the. The. I was just thinking about that. I was like, man, I. Now it's also possible, again, I don't know, the inner workings of family dynamic. It's possible that Bron loves playing with Bronnie. And Bronnie might at this point be like, if I, you know, it's. If I am going to be a part of the rotation, I might prefer not to have you here. You know what? I might prefer to kind of. No, for real.
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Damanze
Like, no, seriously. Do it alone. Do doing himself. Especially with the narrative around Bronnie.
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JJ Redick
But. So that's something that. I don't know. They seem to have a. At least publicly. And if it's not legitimate, then they're both great actors. They seem to have a really good father son relationship. Yeah. But it's still. It's just. It's a unique thing. And I th. I think that might be the best thing the Lakers have going for him is how much LeBron in, you know, might enjoy any. And even now more of those minutes with Bronnie on the court. If Bronnie's going to be a part of the rotation next year. I also think just sidebar. And it wouldn't have changed this series, but I think one of the only mistakes JJ Redick made was not recognizing even once Austin came back that sticking with three to four minutes of Bronnie a game was activating an extra intensity, excitement and energy from LeBron for that. That period of time. I think he looked forward to it. I think you got absolutely dialed in, locked in, Brian. I also think like it was. There's just a little. Because especially at the time of the game, it was. It was when Bronnie was playing is like the sleepiest part of NBA games. The beginning of the second quarter, the adrenaline of the beginning of the game is worn off. You're a little tired. You haven't had halftime yet. It's not the fourth quarter where it's like go time. And you were. So if there was ever going to be a time where LeBron's focus might drift a bit, that's the part of the game where it would. But it felt to me like he was extra dialed, not only because he was excited to be playing with his son, but I think a Little part of him was like, I got to make sure if he misses a coverage or screw something up, like I can try to fix it.
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Damanze
No, I mean there's no doubt that something activates in his brain or like physically while he's playing with Bronnie. Like.
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JJ Redick
No, there's no question.
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Damanze
Yeah.
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JJ Redick
And so I, I think that's one of the Lakers best selling points. And it's also why Bronnie is one of the highest value second round picks ever. Like legitimately as far as what it. The just him being a legitimate NBA player makes him, you know, top 90th percentile of all picks in the 50s ever. But the fact that it also makes the second best player on your team even better is, you know, makes even more so. But, so I don't, I don't know what's next for LeBron. I would be absolutely stunned if he retires. I can't say it's 0%, but I would be stunned. The warriors thing has hung out there for a while. Kerr coming back makes that a little more likely. You don't seem to like that idea to Monze. I don't think they would win.
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Damanze
Yeah, I don't, I don't think it would be a great idea. I don't think they will win either,
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JJ Redick
but I think it would be fun. But I don't think they could win a championship. Yeah, and so, and, and that would be. Listen, the warriors missed the playoffs this year. They obviously need help. LeBron would not be like stacking the deck. But that is Steph's team.
- [36:50]
Damanze
Yeah.
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JJ Redick
In a way that the Cavs will never be Donovan's team. And honestly, really weird for him to
- [36:56]
Damanze
go out in Golden State.
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JJ Redick
Yes, that's how I feel. I think it's possible, but that's how I feel. And listen, the Knicks are Jalen Brunson's team, but Brunson is more than a decade younger than LeBron and such a different tier of player. It wouldn't, it wouldn't feel the same, at least to me as joining Golden State. I think he could join Golden State. The Knicks, legacy wise, the highest upside option is assuming the Knicks don't win the championship this year, which they could, but assuming they don't, legacy wise, the highest upside is joining the Knicks and they win the title. That is the, that's the highest peak storyline wise, a third tour in Cleveland, finishing where he started is probably the most, You know, fairy tale. And convenience wise, it's just staying with the Lakers. I know you have a follow up here that you, that we want to get to before we get to the other series.
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Damanze
Do you think that winning another title is the biggest deciding factor or potential fit or something else?
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JJ Redick
I don't think he's going to go anywhere. He thinks they have no shot to win the title, but I don't think it's the number one factor. You know what I mean? Like, I don't think he is like, let, let's say the spurs lose before the finals and RC Buford calls him up like, hey, you want to come down here, you know, and take Harrison Barnes role in the, you know, there. The. I think there's no chance he would do it. And even though you'd be like, oh yeah, we'll probably be the favorites to win the championship.
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Damanze
Yeah.
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JJ Redick
So I don't, I don't think winning a title is the number one thing, but I think having a shot to win the title is very important. I also think, and we'll see that he is not going to want to be the third option. And. I don't think, I think there's a big difference. He has seen Kyrie Irving and Dwyane Wade both be secondary options, but have plenty of, you know, usage and opportunities. And he's also seen Chris, Chris Bosh and Kevin Love be third options and be kind of pushed to the side. I think at 42 in year 24, he, he's fine with being. And he embraced Luca. So in fine, fine with being in the Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade role, even if his role is different. But that place on the team, I don't think he's trying to be Chris Bosh, Kevin Love again. Now if it were because Luca and Giannis were on the team, then yeah, that's one thing. And again, I really like Austin Reeves and I know LeBron really likes Austin Reeves, but doing it for Austin Reeves is different story. And yeah, I, I don't, I think we are, I think you're far more likely to see. And I don't even want to say names because I don't want it to be aggregated and I'm just, would be picking names out of a hat, but I think there's a bunch of older players who nobody thinks is going to retire, including me, who are more likely to retire than LeBron. And I just, I, I know there's going to sound silly. There's just little signifiers. I thought what he wore to the game and the post game press conference signified he's not retiring. I just don't, I don't think a guy who has been that thoughtful and calculating and strategic with everything I was going to have those be his final images as a player and it's not like he just wore a regular outfit. But I just imagine that whether he does a farewell tour or not that there was there's going to be more, at least a bit more pomp and circumstance to his final games or game. I know you have another follow up demons about Dwyane Wade.
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Damanze
Wade implied on the broadcast he wouldn't take a discount anywhere. Do you agree?
- [42:23]
JJ Redick
I don't know if I agree. I do think LeBron showed on this playoff run that on a year to year basis he is still a max player. Just flatly like he is worth. There are not conservatively There are not 15 guys more valuable to winning playoff games than LeBron James. It is to me it is just a disingenuous conversation where guys that LeBron is as good as or better than nobody uses their salary as a cudgel as to why the team can't win. Steph's going to make $63 million next year. His team missed the playoffs. Anthony Davis, who I you know health is the issue, but is a great player. It's going to make 58 million bucks next season. Jimmy Butler's on the books for 57 million. Kawhi, who again his team missed the playoffs despite quiet having a Great year makes 50. Evan Mobley makes 50. I I can hear Demanza again good. Evan Mobley makes 50 Bam. Out of bio again whose team missed the playoffs. He makes 50. De' Aaron Fox, who right now might be the fourth best player on his own team. He makes 50 there. There just isn't Durant who wasn't available and in the one game he was was thoroughly outplayed by LeBron. He makes 44 million next year. There. There is just not this level of well, how much money do they need for these other guys now? Maybe LeBron will say I don't. This isn't my concern. I'm not worried about the money. But LeBron's salary is not an impediment to winning. Not in today's NBA. With what LeBron just showed you over a playoff run, he's still able to contribute. All right, I do want to get to the other playoff series. Spend almost an hour there, 45 minutes on LeBron's final, you know, maybe final games as a Lakers, certainly the end of the Lakers season. But first I want to remind you guys, today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet Florida's Sportsbook the second round of the NBA playoffs is here, where the lights are brighter, the pressure's higher, and every possession can change a series. And on Hard Rock Bet, every night is your shot to score a major bucket with winner. Go home Energy on the hardwood. Love building same game parlays. You might like the hot hand to drop 30, the big man to control the glass with a double double, the point guard to dish out five assists. However you draw it up, Hard Rock Bet gives you tons of ways. Stack your picks into a same game parlay built for the playoffs. And if you're ever late to tip off, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet let you live bet all game long from the first bucket to the final buzzer. Try your first bet on Hard Rock Bet today and you can score $150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place a $5 bet and if it hits, you get not only your winnings but also an extra $150 in bonus bets. The welcome offer though just the beginning, Hard Rock Bets got new promos daily, so open up the app right now to see what promo they've got today. And sure, Hard Rock Bet is Florida's only legal sportsbook, but you don't have to be in Florida. Join the party. Hard Rock Bet is live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan, with more states on the way. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and let's get the party started.
- [46:26]
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- [47:18]
JJ Redick
Sorry.
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- [47:26]
Timbo
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. 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 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
- [48:17]
Clifford Taylor IV
What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the fourth, and on my podcast, the Clifford Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an Internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, you know, these kids, linebacker walks up to me, he goes, a ref. My mind. Mom wants you to wave at her.
- [48:34]
JJ Redick
What?
- [48:36]
Clifford Taylor IV
Time out. Quarterback on offense, blue 42. Hey, Rhett. My mama wants you to wave at her.
- [48:42]
Damanze
What?
- [48:45]
Clifford Taylor IV
Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [48:56]
JJ Redick
Again, reminder to everyone, like, rate, subscribe, review to the show. Damanze. Let's talk Timberwolves, spurs and Wimy.
- [49:05]
Damanze
Minnesota has even the ship or steady the ship and took game four from San Antonio. And even the series Wimby, the big story got ejected for elbowing Nas Reed in the second quarter. The league announced that Wimby will not be suspended for game five tonight. Do you think that the league got that correct?
- [49:23]
JJ Redick
Listen, I am fine with Wimby not being suspended. I also would have been fine with him being suspended. I thought it was a real coin flip. And the fact that the league didn't even find him says they don't think it was a real coin flip. The precedent is sometimes those plays get you suspended, sometimes they don't. J.R. smith missed the playoff game for a. A far less egregious elbow. We have also seen elbows, you know, like Wimy's just end in a fine, not a suspension. I am so. I. I don't care about the Suspension. Not a suspension. Piece of it. Here's what I do care about. Demanze. The first one is not a huge deal, but I think it's odd. Why was Wimby pretending he didn't know a flagrant two got you ejected? Oh, I thought that was bizarre. I thought Wimby, who, you know, as a rookie claimed, and I think he did, to have studied the rules for the skills challenge when he and Chris Paul tried to rig it to win that three years into his NBA career, was unaware that a flagrant two got you ejected. And him doing the. Who me? Ejected me.
- [51:01]
Damanze
I don't think there was a chance with all the language that the ref was spewing out to make the call when he's in the middle of that. Yeah. What does all that mean?
- [51:12]
JJ Redick
No, I don't. Harrison Barnes seemed to be able to figure it all out. And so that to me was just weird. It was performative and weird. I also thought Mitch Johnson is coach. His explanation after the game might lead to Wimby getting suspended because Mitch Johnson started with, oh, it obviously was not intentional. And then spent a full minute explaining how what Wimby did was justified. You don't have to justify non intentional acts. Right. Like you and the quote. You know, we have a quote from the Athletic. I'm glad Nasrid is okay and I didn't want him to elbow him, but. But he's going to have to protect himself if they're not. And I think it's disgusting. Pipe down, Mitch Johnson. It's a physical series going both ways and it's the playoffs and big guys in the playoffs are going to get beat up a bit. It's one of the reasons why getting your weight up is useful. And Wimby is not getting unfairly targeted.
- [52:30]
Damanze
Now he's getting foul stuff, though. He's getting grabbed up. It's not unfair. But like, I could see how the guy get annoyed with people constantly pestering him in the paint. It's like it. I don't think he. I don't see him like complaining to the refs about it. He's like doing something. I get it. He elbowed the guy in the face. But it's like, hey, man,
- [52:50]
JJ Redick
in the previous game, he shot 12 free throws. I the. I. I mean, he.
- [52:57]
Damanze
Right.
- [52:57]
JJ Redick
Yeah, you're. You're allowed to get annoyed. You're not allowed to look over your shoulder, see Nas Reed and throw a vicious elbow to his head. Now hit him in the neck, not his head, but I in this idea. When Mitch Johnson's like, we don't complain to the refs. We just play. Not. You don't just play. We don't complain to the refs. Instead, we, you know, our best player throws a gratuitous elbow after the play, or not after the play, but unrelated to the play. I, I do not believe Wimby's a dirty player. He has no history of it. And I think that plays a role in this, and I think that's very important. But this whole woe is us. I guess we're going to have to go. Vigilante justice is ridiculous. And I. I am. I don't think this is an. Once again, let me. Let me back up. Understandably, the media loves Wimby. Got it. And that's why a lot of folks have kind of clocked me as a Wimby hater when I'm not. Just because I am not so effusive and over the moon in praise as seemingly everyone else in the media is. But we'll see how this series plays out. If the Timberwolves come back and win this series, this is the turning point, and that's catastrophic for the spurs. And it would be. I just, when I say, I think, you know, the media can pick favorites. Can you imagine Damanze if in a series, the Lakers were big favorites? Big favorites up to one. If early in game four, Luka just lost his shit with a ref and got two technicals and thrown out of the game. And then the Lakers lost. And then after the game, JJ Redick's like, well, I don't listen. He's just got to stand up for himself.
- [55:32]
Damanze
Well, I think, I think track record there is a huge thing like, like you said, like, the track record thing is really big with Wimy. He doesn't really have a history of doing this type of stuff. And like with Luca, it'd be like, all right, man, you're. Here you go again. But
- [55:47]
JJ Redick
neither. Neither really has a history of being thrown out of games.
- [55:50]
Damanze
Yeah, see, you're right.
- [55:52]
JJ Redick
He has a long history of whining and getting technicals but not being thrown out of games. I just. It's superstar players doing things to get themselves ejected in playoff games. Particular. Like Joker. Remember when he clobbered campaign in the face at the end of a. But that was the game and series were over and he just wanted to get the hell out of here. Now, that was really bad and I criticize Joker for it, but the game was in, not in the balance and nor was the series. Steph Curry in The finals, fouled out of the game and then got so mad he threw his mouthpiece into the crowd and then got ejected. But it didn't matter because he had already fouled out.
- [56:48]
Damanze
Right.
- [56:49]
JJ Redick
You don't. It is very rare that a guy who is on MVP ballots gets himself tossed from a playoff game. That's what happened. And people can. And all in the. And the spurs fans acting like they're the aggrieved party here. I got it. You know, no. No disrespect at all. And I like her, but I got to listen to Michelle Beetle saying, like, oh, the spurs are going to come out angry. Why? Because Nas Reed had the audacity to have his neck in the way of Wimby's elbow? I mean, give me a fucking break. Everybody likes Wimby. I do, too. That was ugly. And he's. He's lucky he's not suspended for game five. And I'm sure you'll come out with a vengeance tonight. And great. And as far as the track record goes, here's the thing about being a young player to Monze. That works. Can work for you and against you, track record wise. Yes. He. He has no track record of this until now. Right? Yeah, but because he's so young. Second instance. But a second instance anytime soon. It's now a huge track record.
- [58:23]
Damanze
Yeah.
- [58:24]
JJ Redick
As opposed to a player who's been in the league 15 years. Two instances isn't really a track record. 57% of the chat. Right. Says he shouldn't have been suspended. Again. I'm fine with him not being suspended. I. The point I'm making is it would not have been outrageous if he were, and that would have been a catastrophe for the team. Go ahead.
- [58:48]
Damanze
I hate to, like, say that. Do you think that Wimpy getting a concussion a few weeks ago might have, like, also played a part in the NBA's decision with, you know, maybe. Maybe not spinning him for a game. It's like, oh, the guy. And he's all about basketball. Is the other thing. I think that he doesn't have any off the court stuff. Like, he. He just seems to be very focused on the task at hand. So it's like, when he does mess, it's like, damn.
- [59:12]
JJ Redick
Like, something was benefit of the doubt and track record matters. And that's why Draymond's comments were ridiculous. Like, Draymond, you know, just has the opposite track record. Yeah, of course that.
- [59:27]
Damanze
So he tweeted, y' all have called my. Called for my career for less. Are you on no.
- [59:32]
JJ Redick
No, we haven't. People called for your career after you did a spinning back fist into one Eastern European NBA player shortly after, right before you tried to choke Rudy Gobert, shortly after you had stomped on Demonis Sabonis's chest. Like. No, it was. It was a long history of things. And Draymond, you know, you can say we called for your career in real time. You stepped away from the game yourself when you were indefinitely suspended, saying you needed to go to counseling. Like, that's what happened, buddy. So you. The. You. You told us you realized you had. You need to work through. Oh, yeah, I forgot. And you knocked a teammate out cold in practice.
- [60:14]
Damanze
Yeah, I forgot about that one.
- [60:17]
JJ Redick
Just stop it. Wimby's. Obviously, you know, none of that, but this was ugly. And the people who should be mad are the Timberwolves. And by the way. And now we're not even talking about the game. And now the tech issues and how long I went on LeBron. I don't even know how much time we're gonna have to talk about a lot of this stuff, but Amp looks like he's back. And because of that, I think Minnesota steals game five tonight. I think that. And I don't. You know, I don't think Mitch Johnson's attempt to work the refs is going to work. I don't think the idea that, oh, now they're going to be extra looking at contact on Wimby. Correct. That's what I think. And here's the other thing I will say they certainly now, because early in this game, this game where Wimby was so beat up, he had no choice but to hit Gobert with a back elbow, MMA style. I'm sorry, Nas Reed.
- [61:23]
Damanze
Oh, yeah. Okay. Because he did slap.
- [61:25]
JJ Redick
Slaps go bear in the face. Slaps go bear in the face. And they didn't review it. Here's why that's super relevant to Maze. He's not suspended yet. Four flagrant foul points. You are suspended in the playoffs. A flagrant two is two points. So he only has one flagrant foul point to play with. And after that, elbow, if there's an. Like, the play on Gobert was a clear accident.
- [62:00]
Damanze
Yeah.
- [62:00]
JJ Redick
It's not even a question, but whether. Had they reviewed it, I think they would have given him. I think it would have reached the criteria for a flagrant these days. Forceful contact was above the head or neck. Even though it was accidental, you get a flagrant for that. He's got to be careful because you can have two pretty banal Flagrant ones. You're at four flagrant foul points now you already have two. I mean, that's what. That's how Draymond missed the game in the finals because flagrant foul point accumulation. All right, Boost Mobile is proving you don't have to overpay for great wireless. Unlock the savings with $25 a month forever unlimited plan, permanent price, no contracts, no price hikes. You can keep your phone and your number, but you save up to $600 a year compared to the major carriers. Stop overpaying and switch to a fair price@boostmobile.com today based on average annual single line payment of AT T, Verizon and T Mobile customers compared to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit boost mobile.com all right, Damanze, let's quickly get to these other series because I do. I got to go do Colin and we're behind and it's mostly my fault. We gotta go quick.
- [63:20]
Damanze
So Cleveland has tied up the series. James Harden out here quieting the chatter. Donovan Mitchell with huge second half, finishing the game with 43 points. Who do you have for the rest of this series?
- [63:33]
JJ Redick
I think Detroit's going to win. Cleveland is undefeated at home these playoffs and winless on the road. I think that likely ends actually in game six. I think Detroit wins the next two. But I do want to give Donovan credit because Donovan was utterly, historically sensational in the second half of that game. 39 second half points in a playoff game. It's literally only been done by Sleepy Floyd. It was one of the most remarkable scoring displays you'll ever see. And Cleveland having that 25 oh run was something to start the second half put the game away. And so I think Detroit will be fine. They've got to get more from Jalen during. I don't know if you've seen the numbers to Monze, but Jalen Duran averaged 20 and 10 this year. These playoffs, he has one game with more than 12 points. 1. He averaged 20 these playoffs. He has one game with more than 12points. Now. It was a huge. It was a hugely important game seven against Orlando, but it was still just 15 points. And so now Tobias Harris is doing his thing to try to pick up the slack. And yesterday it looked like Caris Lavert and who was the other one? It was Caris Lavert. And gosh darn it for. For the oh B ball. Paul. Paul Reed. It was Lavert and Paul Reed were trying to keep him in the game, but Donovan was too good on the Harden front. He had 24 and 115 of 14 shooting, got to the line and it was after a great finish to game three. I'm not relitigating or re arguing about this. Everybody knows what the hardened take is. It's not that he never has good playoff games. It's that he consistently in the highest leverage spots, has some of the worst playoff games you've ever seen and that we saw it in game two of this series. And I would bet any amount of money we'll see it again before this series is over. All right, before we get to the Knicks. As you get into your 30s or maybe like me, in your 40s, you may have the same workout, same diet, but you can just feel like you're moving through the mud. Nobody tells you about this stuff. One day you're crushing it, the next day you're wondering why everything feels twice as hard. Because here's the thing. Most men start losing testosterone at around age 30, about 1% every year. After that, here's what I learned. Your body makes testosterone, but a lot of it gets locked up and can't be used. There's a protein called SHBG that can handcuff your testosterone. Mars Men. This stuff right here is designed to help you is designed to help free lock testosterone so your body can actually use it. No synthetics, no needles, just real ingredients that help optimize energy, focus and strength. Mars Men supports healthy T levels, energy and stamina with 8 natural clinically dosed ingredients including vitamin D, zinc, boron and others. Also a 90 day money back guarantee so there's no risk. Worst case, you don't absolutely love it. Get your money back. But over 91% of users report higher energy levels. Thousands of guys are feeling incredible results. Just check out the reviews on the website to see for yourself. For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for for life plus free shipping and get three free gifts@ Mengotomars.com that's Mengotomars.com for 50% off and three free gifts when you check out. It's also available on Amazon. After you purchase, they're going to ask you where you heard about them. Support our show. Tell them we sent you. Again for a limited time our listeners get 50% off for life plus free shipping and three free gifts@ Mengotomars.com that's Mingotomars.com for 50% off and three free gifts. When you check out. It's available on Amazon as well. And a reminder to everybody. Again like rate subscribe review to the show. All right Damanze, let's talk Knicks here for a second.
- [67:56]
Damanze
The Knicks are on to the Eastern Conference finals again after sweeping Philly. Embiid did play in game four but that did not matter at all. So they just swept Philly. And I feel like it's got to make you think about the Celtics is what happened there. Let's.
- [68:12]
JJ Redick
I don't that was our finally listen. Yeah and it also I wonder how it makes Brad Stevens feel just on the Celtics side real quick. Last year the Celtics lost to the Knicks who then lost to the Pacers who then lost to the Thunder. This year the Celtics lost to the Sixers who got dog walked by the Knicks. And the Knicks are you know they're Vegas. They are then going to lose to the to the champion to the Western Conference winner. So are the Celtics like did oddly did the Knicks sweeping the Sixers make it more likely that Giannis is a Celtic? I think the answer to that is yes because like how close are the Celtics really? But on the Sixer side of things going to be a tough off season. The you know we'll see what you know Daryl Morey status is you guys know my relationship with him and that I root for him, that I like him. I know there was some loose local reporting about his job being you know, very in jeopardy. We'll see how that plays out. Embiid's like I don't know if I'll be here buddy. You're going to be there. You got three years at 64 million a year coming to you. That's not nobody's trading for that contract. Paul George had a nice bounce back year. Maxi's awesome. Edgecomb was a great pick. But they need to fill out the rest of the roster and it's going to be hard with some of those salaries. Now on the flip side of that, the Knicks Demons A are literally on the greatest run in playoff history. Yeah, no team has ever won their like their first 10 playoff games. Their scoring margins plus 194 highest ever that during in their last seven the scoring margins like plus 170 the highest in any seven game stretch ever. This point Cat offense, it's not really point Cat but he's averaging over this seven game winning streak, eight assists a game. He they're doing it without OG and Anobi. Mikhail Bridges is bounced back. Brunson's been great. They're going to be rested. OG will be back. They have to be the huge favorites in the East Right now in Hard Rock bet they're minus 175. And that's exactly right. Even though they won't have home court advantage in the Finals. If you're a Knicks fan right now, you have to fee. And I know Detroit gave you trouble during the regular season, but you have to feel absolutely over the moon excited that you're going to be making your first finals since 1999. And I think, listen, nobody wants my, you know, me to pick their team right now because I've been just stoned, you know, terrible luck. But Knicks fans got to feel amazing. Also, quick little anecdote before we go. Your mom calls me yesterday. Facetimes me yesterday from Vegas. She's at the Gucci store in Vegas.
- [71:17]
Damanze
Okay.
- [71:19]
JJ Redick
She's in the dressing room. It's a little two piece orange skirt, orange kind of crop top that matches. And it, and it's like a bright Nyx orange with the little Gucci G's, you know, checkered along it.
- [71:41]
Damanze
Yep.
- [71:42]
JJ Redick
And she's like, so do you, do you want to get this for me? I'm like, sure, baby. And I already know where she's going. She's like, okay, perfect. Because I just know it's going to look so great when we go to one of these next playoff games.
- [71:58]
Damanze
Hey man, what you expect?
- [72:01]
JJ Redick
Well, here's the problem and it's not like the, the Gucci two piece is cheap, but the, the tickets to the game that wear it to are going to be way more expensive. All right, Apologies for the technical difficulties today. Apologies if we didn't get to everything you wanted to hear. Hope you enjoyed the Braun Wimby and NBA playoff talk. We are back on Thursday and we'll get to some of the other things like the draft lottery and kids at press conferences. A reminder, send questions or comments for the mailbag shows. We're going to do those at the end of the week. Reminder to like Rate Subscribe Review. Huge thanks to Hard Rock, BET Boost Mobile and Mars Man. Also to Volume and the Blue Duck. Talk to you guys on Thursday. See you on with Colin in about an hour. What's right, this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.