Best of The Herd

It’s a good Friday, and we may have real news: LeBron might be fueling up for the Bay. The World Cup’s close enough to taste, Germany’s in town, and we’re loaded today.

The Knicks are oddly lovable and off the charts in playoff point margin, but that stat’s boosted by a weak East and an easy draw. They’re not a dynasty in the making; they’re a connected, tough roster built on smart deals and depth, more one brilliant year like Denver than a 90s Bulls run.

There’s real chatter that Golden State will chase LeBron, and it fits: he meshes with Kerr and Steph’s brains, lightens Steph’s load, already clicks with Draymond, and California works while the Lakers juggle other priorities. If they also snag a wing like Jimmy Butler midseason and hit on pick eleven, that’s a legit playoff core.

It tracks to me; if he leaves L.A., the Warriors are a logical spot. The West is rugged, but LeBron still played well enough to make the move worth it.

Fun idea, but it’s an older crew, so are these leaks just leverage with the Lakers. I like the fit; I’m just not buying it without a contract on paper.

He probably prefers staying in L.A., but he’s too good to burn a year on a middling team, and the Warriors would add youth through the draft anyway. If Butler’s healthy by spring, you could absolutely talk yourself into a run.

Stack them up: are they better than the Thunder, the Spurs, the Wolves, or those hypothetical Luka-Lakers?

Minnesota would be a coin flip, and they’d top any Luka-Austin pairing because the offense jumps with LeBron and his passing. He still lifts teams eight to ten wins just by showing up.

First impressions can trap you; I missed on Jalen Brunson early and he’s now an elite closer. That arc makes me keep an open mind on Sam Darnold, whose recent stretch under multiple coaches hints at late-bloomer upside.

Brunson’s always available, plays with real defensive effort, moves off the ball, and even took less money so the front office could add help like OG Anunoby. That team-first vibe spreads, and it’s why New York feels so connected.

Nick Saban backed a bill and warned that college sports are a Ferrari headed for a cliff, but nobody tapped the brakes when coach pay and palaces exploded. Revenues, ratings, and payouts are soaring, so paying players market rates isn’t the crisis—bloated departments and gold-plated facilities are.

Our collective jumped from a few million to well into the tens, and some schools are building forty-million-dollar rosters. Keep going and Olympic and non-revenue sports get squeezed to club status with no scholarships, which would be awful.

Prices rise—housing, tech, TV rights, contracts—so athlete pay catching up is normal, not doomsday. I’ve seen the gate math on superstar programs; the sport’s never been bigger, and kids care more about fair pay than a shiny new weight room.

The Bears are set to cross the border to Indiana, and I’ve got Governor Mike Braun here—Indiana’s been run like a business, the economy’s humming, and the state’s a sneaky sports hub. What’s the pitch you made that closed this?

We’ve cut waste, grown GDP faster than our neighbors, and made it easy to build big projects with private-sector speed. Logistics are elite, the NCAA’s here, and sports thrive when a state clears red tape.

Chicago fans worry Hammond feels far; how do you make the trip easier than Soldier Field or Arlington Heights?

Trains already run near the site, driving is simpler, and once you’re there you’ll actually have room to tailgate. Costs are lower, so you get more stadium for the dollar.

Walk me through the talks and the timeline to break ground.

We dealt straight, moved fast, and aligned the legislature early so this wasn’t a bargaining ploy. With due diligence underway, a lease into the early 2030s, and a two to three year build, we’ve got time to do it right and spark surrounding development.

What kind of annual upside does Indiana see, and you’re not touching the Chicago Bears name, right?

It’s a meaningful long-term return with structures to recoup the investment, and the name stays Chicago Bears. Changing it would miss the whole point.

Governor, appreciate you—great conversation. I don’t get many governors on, so maybe Gavin Newsom swings by Monday.