Yesterday I was fortunate enough to sit down with one of my favorite ESPN personalities, Colin Cowherd from ESPN Radio’s ‘The Herd’ and ESPN 2’s ‘SportsNation.’ Cowherd is in Los Angeles for this weekend’s NBA All-Star festivities, and was gracious enough to take a seat and talk a little sports.
As many of you know, with Lakers Nation our goal is give the fans an in-depth look at the Lakers and the NBA through the eyes of writers who were also fans, and who grew up rooting for the Lakers. This is very similar to the goal of the hit show SportsNation, which polls fans on the biggest topics of the day and allows them to interact with the show’s hosts through social media and various mediums.
“The basic premise was to be more fan-relatable, and it works. It’s still us (Cowherd and co-host, Michelle Beadle) giving a lot of opinions, but I’m surprised by what the nation surrenders as an answer.”
The show has been wildly popular, and has grown in popularity seemingly exponentially since it began back in July of 2009. However, Cowherd knows that when topics of discussion are driven by fans there is always a tendency to get bizarre and often angry responses.
“Fans tend to be reactionary. They’re either too critical of their team or too willing to praise their team. My job is to sort of stay in the middle, be reasonable, have some perspective, and if you come in as a homer I’m going to slow you down and if you come in too critical I’m going to lift you up.”
Laker fans should know exactly what Cowherd is talking about with this comment, especially after the recent struggles the team has experienced.
[display_podcast]Next Page: Trade Demands and the Future of the Lakers
As trade demands and disappointment swirls around Los Angeles like the Santa Ana winds, Cowherd urges fans to stay calm, because succumbing to trade demands right now might not be in the Lakers’ best interests.
“The ‘Melo situation is tough. Kobe is clearly out of his window of his prime, so is Odom, so is Artest, and so is Fisher. Gasol’s got about two more years of prime. But in this league, Boston and the Lakers’ window is closing. And Miami (Heat) is getting better. New York (Knicks) is getting better. I think, for this year you don’t make the deal. And hopefully Andrew Bynum has a really good playoff, and his trade value goes up.”
While this may not be the answer that many Laker fans agree with, Cowherd does bring up another good point later on. Trading Andrew Bynum now will eliminate the Lakers’ biggest bargaining chip for trades in the near future. And in the future the Lakers may be much more desperate for help via trades than this season.
“You’re going to have to make some moves, not minor ones, here in the next year. Whether it’s Dwight Howard or whether it’s Chris Paul, but you better make a big move because this is, for Boston and L.A., you can sense it coming. These are old rosters that you’re not only asking to play another regular season, but you’re going to ask them to play another 25 playoff games. Next year, the Lakers in the off-season have to make a major move.”
This was one of the main points where I agreed with Cowherd. While adding Carmelo Anthony might greatly help the Lakers current offensive quandary they’re facing, he isn’t going to be the long-term answer to their many questions. There is no doubt that the Lakers don’t have a problem taking shots, but they do need help in other areas.
Next Page: Kobe Bryant and the Undefeated Nature of Time
While Chris Paul would be a nice fit for the Lakers in the long run, until then they’re going to have to deal with an aging superstar who is facing the back end of his career.
“I still think (Kobe Bryant) may be the best closer. LeBron is the better physical talent. LeBron is very complete, and physically can bring it three out of four nights. Kobe’s at the point in his career where on back to back nights he needs a little rest. He wears down. He has to make more tough shots than ever, he’s not separating from people. But, he’s a little like Orel Hershiser after surgery – he can occasionally bring it. He gets about 12 good fastballs tonight, but his location needs to be better.”
While all the baseball fans will appreciate the Dodgers reference, Cowherd’s point is undoubtedly true. Bryant is not going to be able to elevate the team to a high level every night like he has in the past. Even the difference from one year ago, when he bailed them out of countless predicaments with his super-hero like abilities. This season is different, and so is Bryant. But Cowherd says not to worry, because it happens to everybody.
“It’s okay. LeBron will be the same thing Kobe is this year. Give LeBron seven years, or six years, and he’s going to be Kobe. He’s a human being in his mid-thirties, that’s the way it is. He’s like a wide receiver at 35 or a power hitter at 33, unless you’re taking steroids you’re eroding.”
As we shifted from discussing Bryant and the Lakers we began to discuss big market teams as a whole. Cowherd is notorious for rooting for the big guy. He has said repeatedly he wants to see the biggest teams on the biggest stage. His allegiances lie with the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the large colleges that make up the biggest conferences. While many people appreciate a good underdog story, Cowherd has to disagree.
“I’ve always been a guy, like in the college basketball tournament, what if the Big East puts in ten teams? So? If they’re better than anybody from the Atlantic 10 Conference what do I care? I’ve always been a quality guy over a quantity guy. The big markets attract the best stars, and I like to watch the best stars. I don’t want to see Memphis win the championship, I want to see the Lakers. I like to see the big, traditional powers.”
There aren’t any teams in the NBA more powerful than the Lakers and Celtics, and that’s who Cowherd sees reaching the NBA Finals again this year, with a potential rubber match for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
“I think the Lakers will ultimately be put in a situation where they’re facing a Game 7 on the road. I thought they could have lost last year if they didn’t have Game 7 at home. It’s not going to be artistic basketball, but they’re still smart enough, artistic enough, cagey enough, to beat all the other young guys. In the NBA, veteran players at home get the calls. This is a Boston-L.A. league for about four more months.”
There is no doubt that another match-up in June between the Lakers and Boston Celtics would be one of the most highly anticipated series in league history, and will be another defining moment in the legacies of all involved. As we prepared to part ways Cowherd put on a sly smile and said, ‘I love L.A,’ which is something we can all agree on.
Special thanks to Cowherd and all the people over at SportsNation for helping us out with this interview. Be sure to tune in to SportsNation, which airs in the afternoon Monday through Friday on ESPN 2.
If you would like to hear more from Colin Cowherd, listen to the complete interview below.
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