THE HERD - Hour 1 - Spurs take game 3, Wemby showed why he's the best player in the series

The Spurs' dominant 3-0 series lead in the NBA Finals is less about luck and more about a seismic shift in defensive dominance, led by Victor Wemby—whose impact goes far beyond blocks. Colin Cowherd argues Wemby isn’t just the best player in the series; he’s redefining what a defensive force can be, altering Knicks’ decisions, shots, and even their offensive rhythm simply by being on the floor. The Knicks’ fatal flaw? Over-reliance on Jalen Brunson, whose usage rate now surpasses even Jordan and LeBron’s in Finals history, leading to exhaustion and a collapse in team balance. Meanwhile, the Spurs’ aggressive paint play and ball movement have made them the most efficient team in the series, while the Knicks’ jump-shooting dependency has cost them free throw opportunities—something Cowherd ties directly to team style, not officiating. Beyond basketball, Cowherd delivers a blistering critique of college sports’ hypocrisy, calling out schools like Georgia for banning Texas Tech over a player’s gambling violation while ignoring their own deep ties to gambling revenue. He argues that society catastrophizes minor infractions, especially when young athletes make poor choices in a world where gambling is legal and normalized—making the punishment disproportionate and the outrage performative. The episode also explores the global cultural weight of soccer, particularly through Christian Pulisic’s burden as the face of U.S. soccer at the World Cup.