Hour 1: Is KD a Top 10 Player of All Time?

First Take

ESPN Radio

Sports

4.0 • 5.7K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2026

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First Take begins with the NBA playoffs! Is KD a top 10 player of all time, and does LeBron surpass Jordan if the Lakers get out of the first round? (0:00) Then, who has more to prove in the playoffs: James Harden or Donovan Mitchell? (25:55) Next, with a Play-In Tournament full of stars, we debate which one needs to advance to the playoffs the most! Paolo? Paul George? Sion James? (40:45) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows and originals across every ESPN network and service.
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0:32.9	Good morning. Welcome in to first take on this Tuesday. Courtney Cronin filling in for Shea Cornett this morning. We've got Stephen A. Smith. We've got Kendrick Perkins. And we've got the NBA postseason about to begin. Gentlemen, how are we feeling this morning? Good morning, Stephen A. Good morning, Courtney. How are you? Big perk in the house. What up, baby?
0:55.3	What's going on? What's up, baby? What up, say? What up, Courtney? Happy Tuesday. Happy Tuesday. I'm ready to get my feet. Let's do that. You know what? Usually perk comes in. He fills in. Comes in for a couple of segments, stuff like that. My brother's sitting here with me today for the next two hours.
1:13.4	It's the Perkins Stephen A. show, you know what I'm saying? It's time, baby. It's time. Let's go. It's must-see TV just like the postseason going to be must-see TV in the NBA. Let's start with the Western Conference before we get into the play-in tournament, which starts tonight. In the West, the rockets are going to take on the NBA. Let's start with the Western Conference before we get into the play in tournament,
1:28.5	which starts tonight.
1:29.6	In the West,
1:30.2	the Rockets are going to take on the Lakers
1:31.8	in their first round series.
1:33.5	And the big question here,
1:35.0	the status of Luca Donchich,
1:37.0	according to Shams Terrania,
1:39.0	the Laker star is going to return from Spain
1:40.8	on Friday.
1:41.7	That's where he's been receiving
1:42.9	multiple injections
1:43.9	for his grade two left
1:45.8	hamstring strain.
1:47.2	So he'll be with his team, but his return to the court is up in the air.
1:51.6	Meanwhile, on the other side, LeBron James, obviously, Kevin Durant going to meet again
	...

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