Colin reacts to the LeBron's game winning tip in for the Lakers against the Pacers and why LA is all about the postseason at this point
Thoughts on the return of the NCAA Tournament and what stars like Cooper Flagg mean to the sport
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Oh March Madness resumes tonight. Duke in Arizona, My bracket mayam plode, all fired up for it live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you may be listening, however you may be listening, Thanks for making us part of your day. I watched some NBA hoops last night. You know it's getting they always call it in baseball the dog days of summer, and some of these teams that are good, like Cleveland, they're like, let's give that guy the night off, let's get reduced the minutes. Lakers are not in that situation because they could go up in the seeding or down if they don't get their act together. But it was very interesting last night. So Lebron had his worst half of NBA basketball in the first half on the road at Indiana. He didn't do anything. It was. I watched the first half, I'm like, this is awful. But h and a lot of people think the NBA should cut it. Scheduled through about sixty five games. Last night was Laker game number seventy two, and they want the playoffs to start. These are the dog days. It's like senioritis in high school. We got accepted to college. Can we just wrap her up? I don't want to go to the Spanish class anymore. Geometry, I'm done. I don't need the credits. You know what it is. We all did that right, And so that's where the Lakers are. But they're in a precarious situation because they're the four seed. They could move up to the two they're not getting past okay see, or they could fall down to a playing game and their schedule's brutal. They play the Thunder twice, a young team that's deep and plays hard. They play their Rockets twice, a young team that's deep that could beat him twice. They play the Warriors, they go to the Grizzlies. By the way, They play the Mavericks Chicago at home. Chicago's had some weird games. They beat the Lakers in La so they got to be very careful. They cannot mail it in here. And here's the thing to remember about this Laker team as we move into the dog days. So you know, Luca and Lebron, these guys can score and do what they want to do. But this team, Luca has only played nineteen games with the Lakers, and he's only played twelve when it's been Luca, Lebron, and Austin all available. So now they're finally healthy and it didn't take until the fourth quarter last night when they really really played well. But teams like the Calves, the Celtics and the Nuggets, they have roster rhythm. They can rest guys now now Tatum's really hurt, but Boston can rest guys and still win by thirty. Porzingis plays well on the road, they win by thirty. It's a whole different ball. That's not the Lakers. Historically, teams that make a big sweeping trade at the deadline, like getting Luca, they don't hold. That's not the way it generally works. And so Lakers, remember they just lost seven to ten. Why Lebron was gone and he came back and he wasn't ready to play. So they need Lebron to be healthy. They need Lebron to be engaged. And these are the senioritis days of high school in the NBA for legendary players, even now Steph. Now, Steph's gonna take some time off. Steve Kerr is like he's tired. So you see it in baseball a lot, you're seeing it in the NBA. They came back to win. Here's the game winner by Lebron and the King after Lebron's got it with Paul Quick three. Look time.
Is gonna or.
Lebron at the buzzer. They won't look at it talking about winning it at the buzzer. Look at this thing? Who my good hell be Jack with the winner.
I really couldn't really have him too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time. To be honest, you know, it's always tricky when you know you kind of touch the ball, you kind of see the rail light around the backboard, and you don't quite know if you've got it all the time. I thought I had it on time, but you never know. After they showed to replay on it, it was definitely gratifying, and know, especially where we were, you know the way we've been playing, and to come to know how they've been playing, you know, and to come here and get a good win in a very hostile environment. That's a big time for our ball club.
Yeah. So the young teams like Indiana and OKC are playing their butt off. The teams that have some aide like Boston and the Warriors and the Lakers, and now Cleveland now has got guys who have been around. Denver's got guys that have been around. These are dog days. You're trying to get everybody rest and reduced minutes. But the Lakers got to be careful. Thunder twice, Rockets twice, Warriors, Mavericks. Tricky game in Chicago. So tonight the tournament resumes. Arizona, Duke, I tried to get really smart. I had a great first weekend. I have fifteen of the sixteen teams left. I got him, So my best bracket ever. It's probably gonna go up and smoke tonight because I got real clever, and I don't think Duke, they'll They've got all these great freshmen. Freshmen don't win the tournament. So I think Arizona's gonna beat him tonight. Do I really think that well, I did, I did two weeks ago. I'm not sure if I do now. But here's what's interesting. Since Coach K took over Duke and John Shire, they've had ninety guys in the NBA. I think Cooper Flag is going to be their best NBA player ever. So Grant Hill is the best Dukey ever. His first six years five times all NBA seconds. Jason Tatum excellent player, Kyrie Irving to me only played eight games at Duke would be third. I think Cooper Flag. And by the way, the NBA right now twenty four Dukies second best of Kentucky. It's a factory. And think of all the guys that have come in since Coach K started. Remember he came from like Army to Duke, had some turbulent early years. They almost got rid of him. He stayed built in him than John Shire's been a great, great candidate and a choice. And I think now Grant Hill is the best Dukie ever. And his injuries shortened his career, but he was an unbelievable player. But he entered the league at twenty two. Cooper Flagg is entering the league at eighteen. He was seventeen when the season started. So I think he's going to be much better early than Jason Tatum, and I think he'll be better late than Grant Hill. He won't be as good as Grant was first year in the NBA. Grant was an All Star. But I do think Cooper flag when you watch him tonight, IQ shooting, passing, He's an excellent defender. He's got to become a better ball handler in the pros, no question, But everybody's game needs work. The kid is just fantastic. He is a finisher. He's got more of a chip on his shoulder than Jason Tatum. In fact, Jason Tatum's dad, as Rick Buker told his stord he Other this week, Jason Tatum's dad acknowledges that he's got everything, the chip, the EQ, he's tough, a finisher, can shoot scores at all three levels. Just gotta handle the ball better. But he was seventeen, not long ago, and he'll enter the NBA at eighteen. But here's the classic NBA dilemma. So years ago when Patrick Ewing went to the Knicks, and you know how fans are, we weren't even in a conspiracy theory era, but it was like the frozen envelope theory, because you know, gosh, what do you know? A good player went to a New York team. It should be noted that the Orlando Magic won the lottery twice. Nobody wants to bring that up or Cleveland's won it, but yes, at one point the Knicks with Ewing won it. So here's what's funny. If you look at the NBA lottery yards, there are three landing spots. Either perfect perfect would be maybe Chicago or Philadelphia, or hey, San Antonio with Wimby Okay would be Utah, great GM, great coach, a lot of draft picks, they got some players they're gonna be. They're gonna be okay, see if they land Cooper Flag, they're gonna be Oka. See, and Utah is a great NBA market. And then there's just god awful Washington, Charlotte, Toronto's Aacramento. And so if Cooper Flag, the odds are right now it's mostly awful teams he's gonna go to. And this has always been the NBA's dilemma. If he ended up going to Chicago, it's rigged. I'll say it again. The Magic won the lottery twice. The Knicks won at once, but he is an all time player, and here's his coach. As he enters the game tonight against Arizona.
Cooper is about to move on with something incredibly special. The next step he's gonna go after this. But happiness doesn't necessarily equate to, you know, just becoming a pro or just making money. And although they're making money either way now, but I think it's important for guys to each Each guy's their own individual So I think, depending on the situation, guys should make the decisions for themselves. But Cooper's thing is different now. Cooper's thing is that's said, and that's going to happen and as it should.
Yeah. Now, So if you're twenty years old or in your early thirties and watching this show, first of all, thank you. Second of all, what's happening with Cooper flag leaving a big brand, going to the pros and being good immediately. That's why everybody used to love the NBA, because that's the way it always was. Twenty five years ago, Tim Duncan would go to school, be an All American and he would come back two more years and Ewing would at Georgetown would be dominant as a freshman. He'd come back two or three more years. Chris Paul Duncan, Grant Hills. They didn't leave after a year. So you would watch them for years and years and years, and you'd build up this fascination and visceral connection with all these plays. Then they'd go to the NBA and they were very good. Year one. We are starving for it and we're getting Cooper Flag and it's so exciting because we don't get this anymore. Great player at a big brand can walk in and be a nineteen pointing game guy. MJ. People forget this. MJ hits the shot at North Carolina right, Oh my god. They made the movie Air. He came back two more seasons after it and didn't win a college title. It's as if they evaporated. Michael Jordan, Dean Smith. He was so great yet James Worthy Dean Smith's like, now, let the freshman shoot the game winner. He came back two more seasons. Everybody did. The Worthies, the Ewings, the MJ's, the Duncans, they all came back and back. And I've said, if you want to know about the NBA's popularity, you know people are gonna go Oh, it's the politics. It's the fact that we don't know any of these guys until they're twenty eight years old. We have no connection. That's why Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese was such a TV ratings home run. They'd formed a rivalry in college. I'm watching the HBO Simmons series on the Celtics, Magic and Bird at a rivalry in college, and it just pivoted to the NBA. So the fact that what we're getting with Cooper Flagg is what we used to get a surplus of. It was a conveyor belt great players, mature, ready to crush, maybe make second team All NBA right out of college. So that's why this is so exciting for me. It's a little old school in the NBA. And if you just and I said this one of my only complaints about Adam Silver, put your arms around college basketball. Put your nobody's watching the G League. If Cooper Flag dropped thirty eight tonight, I'd actually watch him if he went to Charlotte, you know, like, that's what the NBA used to be. The whole politics thing, maybe that's five percent. It's the fact that guys come into the league. Can you name the top five guys drafted last year in the NBA. Nobody can. I'm not sure GM's in the NBA can. That's the problem is that football and now women's basketball is doing this. They provide us with stories, identifiable stars and rivalries, and then you just microwave them at the pro level and they're ready to go. I mean, Reggie Bush had a huge following. Tim Tebo had a huge following in college. I mean, if Zion could have controlled his weight, if John Morant was more mature, maybe you could have had that. It wasn't they weren't. It looks like Cooper Flag could be all right, J Mack, we've got I got a little tip last night. You know, we worked the phones. I called you last night on something you weren't available.
Oh shoot, I'm sorry, I remember. See, Yeah, I had something going on. Wait did you get added to a group tex chain acts? Where did you get this info from? What's going on?
I don't get on Drew as CARRISA. Thompson knows if you put me on one. I got on an NFL Sunday text chain and I immediately eliminated myself apparently offended the whole building. He removed yourself. I don't like being on text chains.
Why you just mute the chain?
I don't I don't even know how to do that. All I know is my thoughts cannot be shared with forty seven people simultaneously. If you can get me one on one, you want to meet a phone call. I don't want things coming out of my head should not be shared.
Universal something interest?
Okay, what does this theory have to do with NFL, NBA, NFL Aaron Rodgers.
It's variant. It's not just about Aaron, it's it. It could affect Aaron got a little tidbit last night. Don't go anywhere live in La. It's the hurt.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and Noone Eastern not a em Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Aaron Rodgers is still considering retirement, but if he doesn't, it would probably be the Steelers. So I talked to an NFL exec last night, very well connected and this is a keep your keep your head in the swivel Aaron Rodgers. I'm told the Steelers really like Jalen Milroe twenty first pick, first round. So if Aaron signs with Pittsburgh, it's going to become Kirk Cousins. They're taking a quarterback because I've been told the Steelers they're looking around at all these AFC quarterbacks and Milroe is the most athletically gifted guy to come out of this draft at that position since Lamar Jackson, and they feel as an organization they need special. They just don't stack up. They need special at quarterback. And I've said he's a better version of Anthony Richardson. Great kid throws a deep ball, and now at DK Metcalf they have a deep threat along with Pickens. So now, but this is potentially a Kirk Cousin situation. I am told the Steelers really like Milroe. Great kid, by the way, and this is Aaron's reality in twenty twenty five. He is a stopgap. The other thing is I was told by an NFL exec is they thought the Steelers did some very poor general managing by paying DK Metcalf, and they've already got a player that's very similar all that money and they don't have a quarterback yet. And the problem is they don't have a lot to pay Aaron Rodgers, and Aaron's got pride. He wants to sign a contract that's at least Sam Darnold thirty three to thirty five million. He didn't want to sign the Russell Wilson deal with the Giants. That Russell Wilson contracts tided playing time and performance. It's ten million. Aaron's not going to play for that. Aaron wants to get mid thirties. At least he's got pride. He's had a better career, he believes than Russell Wilson. So it's been a very choppy decision making time for the Steelers. But I am told Aaron's basically down to the Steelers who don't have a lot of money, crossing his fingers on the Vikings who aren't currently interested, they may be later in retirement. So this is the market that Aaron has ate it. Tom Brady ended it on his terms. Aaron, unless he retires, is not It's either going to be a less than ideal offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers. And if the twenty first pick, if Milroe's not taken, Pittsburgh is leaning now and taking him. It is not a good draft. Most of the teams drafting in the twenties and beyond, I am told would rather trade out of the first round. There's probably not going to be a lot of takers, so Pittsburgh may get trapped a little like they did with Kenny Pickett. Kenny Pickett was a third round talent, but they didn't have a quarterback and so they reached on him. Now, I think Milroe is the opposite of Kenny Pickett. Kenny Pickett was not this athlete and was not a good deep ball thrower. Pickett was a local kid. Millro's not. Milroe's an insane athlete who throws a beautiful deep ball, big time athlete, wonderful kid, great family, but he's incredibly inconsistent and probably needs to sit for a year to be ready to play at the NFL if it even works. So this is what I'm being told right now. This is the market Aaron's created for himself. So you can talk about retirement and do darkness retreats, but you're not gonna end the career on your terms. You're gonna have a very very small market. I mean, even Indianapolis that's desperate at quarterback, they're not interested in ar. So that's where we are right now. Jmack with the.
News, No no turn on the news.
This is the herd Line news.
Tull gets here. Let's start the show.
I like it. It's telling you what I'm told.
Yeah, let's get started.
Calling Opening day for Major League Baseball today. Very exciting. The Dodgers are going to defend their World Series title. Vegas thinks they will, as Los Angeles opens as the shortest favorite to win the World Series since the two thousand and two Yankees. We have the odds on the screen Dodgers plus two to seventy five.
I'll tell you about the Phillies. At those odds, that's the best bet plus twelve hundred Phillies. Phillies are a real team.
I actually would consider the Mets, but I couldn't look myself in the mirror as a fan. I just can't do that. I think the Mets have I have a bit of a roster and some momentum.
Well, they're fun. The Mets are fun. Sodo makes them a really good watch.
Interesting that there's a lot of National League teams on this list.
Where's the al talent?
Well, but by the way, I think the Yankees here at plus eight fifty are over valued. They're not a World Series I don't know if they're a playoff winning team without without Garrett Cole.
Yeah, couldn't they make a move at the trade deadline.
I saw a story about two weeks ago they got about thirty million to play with. But John Carlos Stanton's hurt.
That's like the payroll of the Marlins like like that.
That's not jump change. They can do some damage.
I don't think they're gonna stand past, especially it's based on this Odds column.
The old the talent's in the lee here.
Oh no, no, the national. You know, when I was a kid growing up, most I always remember in the seventies, the Phillies were great, the Pirates were great, the Dodgers were great, the Reds were great. It goes back and forth. It does feel like right now. I mean, we don't even have the Podrays listed on that and the Podreys are a really good team, so I think the Podreys should be one of the five favorites. The problem is they'd have to get through the Dodgers. Arizona's a good team. They got to get through the Dodgers. So it's just a national leg's better right now. That's why it was interesting when Sodo went to the Mets. Many people said, if you're not gonna go to the Yankees, stay in the American League because it's just easier to get to the World Series, which is good for your marketing.
But if you're a betting man, you want to take the Yankees because the path for them is easy, easy, and if you go with your phillies, like, the Yankees dominate the.
American League Central. I mean, I couldn't say the last time the Twins beat them in a big series, like so, I mean, the Yankees have owned and this is about all they've owned in the last twelve years. They've owned the American League Central.
Take your shots, now take your shots.
Now, let's move on to the NFL Draft in Ashton genty. He sat down with Fox Sports dot Com ahead of the draft and set his goal in the NFL is to.
Be the quote best to ever do it.
He's got some confidence, obviously, he's got a lot of talent. He had his Pro day yesterday. Every NFL team was president Jent. He had a monster year at Boise and uh.
Did you see some of his Pro day stuff?
Yeah, a little bit, I meant, dude, but like the best to ever do it. Like I listen, I like that shoot for the stars.
But I will say when you looked and again, I think pro days are nonsense. Yeah, but some of the stuff he does man does not look normal. It's not normal stuff even for a really good player.
Like you, would you take him top ten colin a running back.
I think this draft when the Lions took Jimier Gibbs, they looked at it and thought, we have a great old line. We have our quarterback, we have bomber On Saint Brown.
He was like the missing piece.
Yeah, and their take was we need to be more. And the other thing the Lions said is our old line is so good that even if he's not as good as we think, and we think he's great, he will succeed because of our own line. That's why the Eagles said, go get Saquon. He our own line is so good it's going to guarantee thirty percent better than the Giants, where Saquon was great with a terrible old one years. So to me, the Chicago Bears have gone out Drew Dolman, Joe Tooney, Jonah Jackson. So the Bears and the Vikings both, but the Bears went out and upgraded a singular unit more than any unit by any team in the league. So could you argue that almost ensures that gent will succeed at a high level with the bet because now they got their tight end, they got two receivers, they have the quarterback and offensive coach. I can see defense. Well, it's very good argument. In a better draft, I can see the Bears going, let's go pass rusher because they have Jalen Johnson and sweat the defensive lineman. But in a draft that's average, Ben Johnson goes, let's see what did we do in Detroit that we got criticized for but actually was a great move. We went and took a first round running back because we had a very capable on line. I could see the Bears doing it.
So let's say the kid Graham is available at eight or wherever the Bears are picking in the top ten. I think you could get eighty percent of genty with running backs in the second and third round.
I don't know that you can get eighty percent of Graham. Graham is a superstar waiting.
To Mason Graham.
He's awesome. Yeah, Mason Graham from Michigan. Yeah, I don't think you can find other.
Awesome you can't tackle. No, he's the best defensive texts.
Why a lot is who's going to be on the board when the Bears pick Listen. I know we both like genty a lot.
I just don't know.
What this draft is really good for. It's not good for bad teams to get better. Right, last year's draft, Washington got Jayden Daniels got better. Denver got bow Nicks better. Last year's draft was good enough that bad teams could make the playoffs if they drafted well. That is not this draft. This draft is an icing draft. There's not a lot of cake in it. Last year there was all sorts of cake. Jayden Daniels is a fifteen year cake starter. This is an icing draft. So if you've got pieces but are missing, like one piece, Bears like we need an explosive running back, this is the draft for it.
And this whole Raiders potentially taking Ashton Gentiet's they're not even remotely close And I know the Raiders fans hate when I take shots.
Let's be real cool.
Whoa whoa whoa wo say more? Are they close to a wild card spot in the Akay?
If you're the Raiders and you're looking at all these quarterbacks in your division and you have Geno, you have, you have excellent tight ends. Your old line's got young players that are good. There's an absolute argument. Pete Carroll's like, when was I great in the NFL? Marshawn Lynch. I'm just saying, when was I great in college? Reggie Bush? I could absolutely see Pete Carroll saying, guys, we need a star out of the backfield. We have the old line, our star tight end, weapon, a veteran quarterback we need. We need a home run in our division. I can see Jenty get it. You talk yourself into a superstar running back. For the record, All these first round running backs, everybody craps on they've.
All hit Well, wait a minute, John Robinson, what has he done?
Well? No, he's a good He's a top ten back in the league. Is that all his fault? Well, I mean you look at Zeke and you look at Peterson and you look.
Zeke is like fifteen years Well he was great.
Saquon Barkley, on Jamiir Gibb, all these first round running La Dani and Pomlinson, they're all excellent.
Well, you're falling in love with the accessories in your war room over there.
Huh, we take it a wide receiver eight.
I may start I may start wearing cuffling store.
Oh my gosh, give me a all right.
Final story is a little crazy and I refuse to believe it. So Adam Schefter went on TV yesterday and has said said that the Browns are looking hard at Abdual Carter. His herbiage was interesting, but he made it sound like he was in the No.
Now, we're still a month ago and a lot that happened.
I just refused.
I will be totally floor if they passed on a quarterback.
Okay, So we talked about this as a unit this morning as we prepped for the show. I'm with you, I don't believe it. I think people put stuff out because they want stuff out. You get lied to. But here is the one and I'm not This is not a knock on Chefty. He does a great job. Here's the one thing where you could see Andrew Berry the GM, talking himself into it. Okay, we're in a division with Lamar and Burrow. What if we have the two best defensive ends in the division. Miles garretton at Carter, Well, I'm just saying there's a reason Buffalo went and drafted Mario Williams because Tom or did they have did they go buy him or they ended up with him right and then they went and didn't they go buy him in Buffalo? Yes, the take was, well, we got Tom Brady in the division and when you played against Peyton, people in that division were draft in rush. And so I think you can make an argument, you can talk yourself into listen, we're not gonna be great at quarterback. Then the other thing, the only thing I would think about this if this rumor is true, but they signed him as a free agent. Things, guys. The only thing that makes me think about this is if Kevin Stefanski, who is an offensive coach, passes on Shador Sanders whoa whoa whoa hold on? So, Shadur is a pocket quarterback that is accurate. Those are not disputable. Kevin Stefanski likes pocket quarterbacks that are accurate. That is his brand. So if he passes on Shador, start looking at the draft board, where would Shador fall to? Because the Giants now have a surplus of quarterbacks. It just it always makes me wonder when offensive coaches move off quarterbacks.
It's like if they don't want him.
Hey, hey McVeigh and I love GoF. McVay moved off GoF to Stafford. That told you who was better? Right when Kyle Shanahan moved off Trey Lance, that told you, I can't make it work because it makes me look bad that it doesn't.
You see Trey Lance is now in like the CFL.
Yeah, so it told Shanahan if shannaan Bale's on a quarterback, shocker the Cowboys bit you don't go get the quarterback.
So lol, indulge you here. Raiders at six couldn't look at your doors.
Okay, let's talk to the Raiders. So the Giants now have Jamis and Russell. Now maybe they're like, okay, well let's get the kid. But that feels weird to me, like they have so many needs. I'd have three.
They can dump Jamis, he's only like a four million.
Dollar captain, then why did just sign him?
Well, in case that Chador's gone, I'll give you a truth bomb here in a second. But Jets at seven would certainly look at you do be careful. Thinks at nine would look at.
The Geno contract. They're only working on guarantees. That's gonna be a three year deal, so you're gonna have Chadors for three years. You can move off.
I mean they moved off Kirk Cousins' deal to get Pennix in there. So this is my theory on why this is happening. Everybody in their mom knows Brian Dable needs a quarterback. The Giants need a quarterback. It doesn't matter that they signed Russ. If you're the Browns, we're not taking Shador. But if you want him, you've got to trade up to two to get him before the Giants get him in three.
So to me, this was a hey, last call for Shador Sanders.
Anybody out there, you got to come and trade with us to get him because he's going to the Giants at three.
That's what I Well, here's where're pushing.
Here's what's interesting about the Giants. If they signed Shador Sanders. Russell Wilson's contract is overwhelmingly tied to playing time, so you could just get rid of him. Yeah, Jamos, you'd eat about ten million. You can get rid of him. So the Giants signed two veteran guys, but both contracts you could move off of by August, and it wouldn't matter. You wouldn't move off both. But you may move off one. Somebody's gonna get hurt. You'll have you know, you'll have a surf bause to quarterbacks. Somebody will take Jamis or Russell. So the Giants are still very much in that. The more I think about it is the Russell contract is that compensation is overwhelmingly tied to playing time.
And I know, listen, did Deshaun Watson stuff were past him? But he's still on the roster right, He's not going anywhere. But you end that era, it's done, the disgustingness of guarantee, all the embarrassment that's done. The second you draft should dors hitters and you move on new quarterback, new era, forget Watson.
I think they need that, that cleansing.
Yeah, no, I think you're right on that. I do think you're right. J mcklenews.
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Fox, so Jmax. Dark horse in the tournament was Texas Tech. They played John Calipari in Arkansas and I should be a good game. I think text better, but whatever, so I coach Calipari, I I've had them on the show before. I have two strong opinions in his career so far. At first, I defended him. A lot of people banged on him for the one and done stuff at Kentucky. I defended him. I said, you don't want to be rigid. Coach k initially was rigid. Bobby Knight. Bobby Knight was rigid. He's like, hey, I'm at Kentucky. It's a great program. I'm a good salesman. His team's played hard, the kids were good kids, they went the class. I totally defended him, and so I pat him on the show. Then I turned on him, and I was right. He started losing in the tournament, and he was losing to bad teams early, or teams that he shouldn't lose to. And then he started selling us. And I'll give you the quote he said on his goals at Kentucky. You may think he said it's a it's a national title. That is not true. My job is bigger than that. I want to get players drafted, like John Wall couldn't get drafted without Calipari. He said, for me, the mission is to be the vehicle that helps others reach their dreams. Oh, give me a break, Give me a break. Why didn't just say that when you got the job? You said it's all about winning Natties. That was for you because you were losing in the tournament. To shift the narrative to hey, I'm beyond winning Natty. Could you imagine taking the Ohio State football job, the Georgia football job. Said, you know, my job isn't to win bowl games or Natties. It's just to get these kids to the NFL. Even bad Georgia football coaches get guys to the NFL. Even bad coaches at Kentucky get guys to the NBA in the first round. So that was a bunch of nonsense. And by the way, to add to that, the mission he was selling at the end, he was selling it. I didn't buy it. I started calling him John Calipanzi because it's all a scheme. Now, okay, So that's what I say now he didn't like me, that's fine. But the mission at the end at Kentucky, which got him fired because he wasn't winning enough. In March, Duke started beating him on one and done players using his mission, which is it's more than basketball, it's about life. Calipari took a not so thinly veiled shot at Duke for selling that. It's like, wait a minute, John, that's your whole thing. When you couldn't win Natties, you couldn't even beat Oakland in the first round, your whole thing was well, it's beyond march A. It's not Kentucky basketball or Ohio State football. It's not beyond that. Bad coaches get guys to the league in the first round of those schools. Okay. So I'm just like, okay, it's just a Ponzi scheme. Here, give me a break. But that said, he's great for college basketball, great at the podium, great recruiter, excellent job building up programs, deserves all sorts of credit. Now, most of college basketball media is toothless, so they're not gonna call him out on stuff like that. Pivot to I'm not here to win titles, which yes, at Arkansas, you need to win titles, right, Like Arkansas basketball hasn't been relevant since, like Sydney Moncrief, so it matters, especially in the SEC, which is stacked, it matters. Well, they had Todd Day at one point. Yeah, there you go, big deal. I mean, when's the last time you and your buddies at a bar talked about that? I mean, come on, Sidney Moncrief was great. He was on the cover Sports Illustrated when people used to read that magazine. So my point being is I turned on him, but I do think this team has had to overcome a bunch of injuries. He's great for the tournament and I'm gonna be rooting for him tonight. I'd rather have Calipari in the tournament in the Elite eight than I would Texas Tech. And he was on Dan Patrick Show yesterday talking about the Razorbacks.
What's happened for us this season has been the most rewarding season. I've had seasons where we won more games and won national titles and final fours and Elite eights. I've had all those, but what this team has been through to survive it, It's been as rewarding as any season. These kids, all of them have pianos on their backs because of nil. Well, they're paid, they should do this, and they're trying to live up to X.
So this again to all coaches in Division one. I think it sounds wonderful that your mission is greater than winning in March. But if you coach UCLA or Kentucky Kansas, you know ukon your job is to win in March. Okay. The bottom line, those kids are going to be fine without you. They were great in high school, they were great in AAU, They're gonna be great in college. For about forty five minutes. They're gonna be fine in the NBA. The mission is to win. For college coaches. Nobody's paying these guys eleven million dollars a year because they're good with the Pelicans. That's not why anybody's paying these guys. You gotta win big games that I'm not paying you. I'll pay you two million at Kentucky to coach if you don't win in March, but they're good kids. I'm not paying you nine million. And that's what the big jobs are. Same with Michigan football and Ohio State football. Now it's I will say this. There are institutions like Duke, which is so rigorous academically, or Notre Dame football or Duke basketball, where I do think I do think it is beyond just playing there. The Duke family and the Notre Dame family academically is greater than just your playing time. Kentucky basketball, that's not an academic powerhouse. Kentucky's about basketball, playing March, get money, be a good pro, help your family. That's a great mission too. But if anybody can sell, I'm about more than you know, winning in March. I get that for some academic powers, like Notre Dame football is bigger than Notre Dame football. Look how many Notre Dame football players have been CEOs of companies all throughout the country. I know like four Notre Dame guys who are now like running companies. That's not typical for football programs to be have that many great successful guys. So blah blah blah. I will tell you this. I watched last night, so I had said this about Steph Curry before they got Jimmy Butler. I said, he's kind of on a treadmill to nowhere. And then Jimmy Butler arrived and Steph's number all went through the roof because he was engaged. And if you've been great and you've got multiple titles and five hundred million dollars, it's hard to be playing for a play in game. I mean, Lebron the minute Luca arrived was totally energized. At Steph the minute Jimmy Butler arrived, totally energized. We saw Michael Jordan at the end in Washington, treadmill to nowhere. If some Knight's good, some Knights didn't care. So it's very interesting what's happening to KD. So he scores thirty last night and the Suns lose by at thirty. He's on a treadmill. You would think to nowhere, but it's not so. I watched this game last night. Katie was amazing. Last three games. KD is auditioning for the league. The guy's been the best player in the league the last three games. Thirty seven a night, sixty percent, shooting sixty three percent. He was great last night against the Celtics, and he wanted to show the New York Knicks or maybe the Celtics. You know, if you want to get rid of poor Zingis, I'm still pretty good. He was auditioning to the Celtics last night. He was auditioning for the New York Knicks last night. So the Knicks are a bad fourth quarter team, and the Knicks are a terrible come from behind team. They don't have enough shot makers. That's why Giannis isn't a great fit. He's not a shot maker and he can't hit free throws. Katie is both. So as I watched this game last night, my takeaway is k D came totally zoned in. He was showing the Celtics that poor zingis guy and porzingis was good last night. If you want to make a move, I don't need the ball in my hands. I don't need the ball in my hands. You can have Tatum and whoever have the ball. Just get the ball to me. Late. But you could not watch that game and not see how engaged and attacking Kevin Durant was. Nick Wright talked about some Celtics KD rumors.
Two totally unrelated people, both of whom have reputations for knowing things that other people don't know, have said to me, watch out for Durant and Boston.
It doesn't make I.
Don't know even the pieces that would work and it feels a lot like what Durant got killed for with Golden State before.
So it doesn't make sense. But it's different, Kadi to the Warriors were different. Why because Steph was the soul of the city, right Like it was Steph's team. Steph was beloved. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum are excellent players, but I'd argue, you know, they've had Bill Russell, and they've had Halcheck, and they've had Larry Bird and no, I mean, Steph is the all time Warrior so and Draymond is a pretty combative personality. So, and Clay Thompson was excellent, and when he went to that organization, there was always this kind of weird thing where it's Steph's team, but Katie's winning MVP, and I'm not sure if Draymond loves him, and it was a weird fit. It's different in Boston, Okay, So to get kd the Sons would probably get like a platter of poor Zingis and Derreck White and picks. And in Boston, where they've had you know, multiple great players, multiple dynasties, and Tatum isn't Stephan Golden State. He's not like the Godfather of basketball. He's just a very good player. So I think Kd's got the kind of personality he has no problem just coming and hitting shots in Boston. Hey man, I'll be your third guy hitting shots. Remember Katie's leaving Phoenix. Why is he playing like that last night? Why has he been so good in the last week when a lot of stars are resting That dude is auditioning for jobs. There is no question watching him last night, he was on a heater, he was making a point, and I've said this, keep your eye on the Knicks as well. The Knicks are a bad fourth quarter team. They do not play well from behind. They don't have shot makers, and we're not sure if Brunson's a one or a one A or two. The Jannis is a great player at this point, does maybe more things well than KD. But he can't shoot, and so he doesn't. He didn't help you when you're behind because Giannis can't hit free throws and he's got no jumpers. KD is the kind of guy you can bring in, give him the ball late in the shot clock and he ends up with thirty four points. I mean, last night, Celtics play real defense. Dude was great. It was great, So j Max kind of rolling his eyes at this stuff. Just keep your eyes on kd Is. He was great last night.
I like it. I don't know how he gets to the Knicks or Celtics because.
You're not giving up a lot for a thirty seven year old who could only get a buckets.
I'm not giving up a lot for Kevin Durant. I give him a lot for Gianni's He's thirty seven, Colin.
He's a shooter, so he shoots. I watched him last night.
Houston Rockets seem to be the perfectly have draft picks.
No, I don't have to give up that much. Houston is a very interesting landing spot. I can see Houston they.
Get bounced in the first round by somebody. You know, hey, we need we need a star. Let's get Kevin Durant Veterans. That makes sense.
Where would you like him to go?
Houston?
So I look good, No, give me Nicks could use that shot.
Let's see how they do in the playoffs.
All right, all right, I'll be patient.