/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46170058/GettyImages-82903743.0.jpg)
Does it feel like it's getting warmer? Don't be confused, it's not because we've entered spring, it's because we're in the middle of hot take season, and it looks like Colin Cowherd is in full bloom. Cowherd, known for having some of the hottest sports hot takes out there, decided he wanted to relive the glory days and discuss John Wall.
In his rant Monday (which happens around 11 a.m. EST) he manages to talk about the Dougie (a dance which I still cannot do right after watching YouTube videos for hours), Wall's childhood as it pertains to his leadership skills, race and the sports ‘blogosphere,' John Wall's judgment/clutch skills, John Wall's childhood (again) as it pertains to President Barack Obama, as well as random bits about Jameis Winston and Allen Iverson. This is the third or fourth time Cowherd has brought up John Wall's childhood - buddy, can we stop?
Beware, we are now entering into * HOT TAKE ZONE *
On John Wall's doing the Dougie:
"When he broke into the league I think it was his first home game in the NBA, he did this moronic 30 second Dougie, which by the way I've had two NBA writers tell me members of his own team were embarrassed about it. [...] So I went out and said thats all I need to know about John Wall. Great talent, but needs to grow up [...] and I said, You look at his family and you look his childhood, through no fault of his own, there's a lot of chaos there, I think he's gonna be a dynamic talent, I don't think he's gonna be a great leader."
On race and the sports ‘blogosphere':
"[P]eople were like ‘Whoa, racial!' and I was like, ‘Racial? Huh?" Nothing about race, actually. I don't know where that came from. Oh I forgot, the emerging blogosphere. But John Wall is exactly what I predicted he would be. And the blogosphere wants me to back down, brother, it ain't ever gonna happen 'cause I nailed it. "
On John Wall's clutch skills:
"He is a dynamic freaky fast talent who has matured has a ton, but walked into this league wildly immature with regrettable judgement, shown by the Dougie and five years later, the only thing I don't like about him is his judgement - He's lousy late in games. He takes BAD shots late in games. He's a ridiculous talent. I think he's a good kid, I really do, I think he's thoughtful, in the times I've heard him interview, he's a nice kid, he does charity, he's not selfish, I think he's a good kid."
Note: John Wall finished third in the NBA this season in points scored in the clutch (only behind James Harden and Monta Ellis) and finished second in assists (behind Ty Lawson). And Wall wasn't just padding stats either, he shot better from the field in the clutch than Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose, among others.
On John Wall's childhood (again):
"I don't blame him, I wrote about this in my first book, I don't blame him but these people that say there is no correlation between your environment and your leadership ... You're clowns. You can give me the exception, ‘Well Barack Obama is one of the smartest guys in the country, he's an academic.' The average person is not an academic, and their childhood will overwhelmingly dictate strengths, liabilities, weaknesses, empowerment ... And through no fault of his [John Wall's] own, I think he's going to be a great talent, but boy he had a rough childhood and I don't know if I'm building my franchise around him."
On QBs and PGs:
"And as I wrote in my first book, when it comes to quarterbacks and point guards, sometimes I'm harsh. Deal with it. I'm harsh on quarterbacks, I'm harsh on point guards. Your judgment is crucial. [something something about how he wouldn't care if Jameis Winston was a wide receiver and stole crab legs, but because he's the quarterback and thus the team's leader, he cares.] The blogosphere, they so desperately want to marginalize you ... John Wall is exactly what I said he would be."
On John Wall's judgement/clutch skills:
"I don't like his judgment. Five years into the league, I still don't trust him late in games with the ball. Just don't trust him. For the record, has he grown up? Yeah we all do. We all do. I'm not questioning that, but when I watch John Wall play - and I always get these, ‘Colin, when are you going to apologize?' I'm not going to apologize for it. I was right. Um, he's never going to be a guy I'm going to build my franchise around. But, I think he's talented. And I think he's freaky.
On John Wall being like Allen Iverson, but still not being clutch:
"He's very Allen Iverson-esque. [something something about John Wall being fast and running the floor but being very hot and cold.] When he's on, he's on, and he's great. And they're not going to lose because of John Wall anymore, but I don't love his judgment, I think he takes bad shots late in games."
DISCLAIMER: Cowherd threw John Wall a bone and said it'll take six games but Washington wins the series with Toronto.
BUT PERHAPS THE SMARTEST TAKE OF ALL was what Cowherd lead with to start the segment and I wanted to save until the end: "I don't root for John Wall to struggle ... Because John Wall is exactly what I predicted he would be."