Skip Bayless didn’t hold back as he talked about Anthony Davis’s reaction to LeBron James breaking the all time scoring record in the NBA. Bayless was absolutely correct as he pointed out that in an institution as hallowed as the L.A Lakers, winning is above everything else.
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Anthony Davis, according to Bayless, was expressing ‘disgust’, as he rightly should have, at the fact that the Lakers were losing to Oklahoma City Thunders. The L.A Lakers are having an atrocious season, with LeBron’s exploits being one of the few silver linings.
AD’s Lackluster Reaction
As LeBron James made a fadeaway shot to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all time NBA scoring record, the entire stadium was on their feet. The rapt audience and the celebrations that followed made Anthony Davis’s reaction stand out. The player looked down and out, sitting on the bench as LeBron made the historic shot. Neither did he immediately break into a celebratory mood.
Soon enough, people were all over Davis’s reaction, with many accusing him of expressing disinterest. Davis would later clarify what had happened, stating that his mind was on the game and the fact that they were losing. Indeed, he would later call LeBron to apologize if the reaction came across as being insulting.
Lakers fans were concerned with Anthony Davis tonight, especially with his reaction to LeBron James’ record-breaking jumper.
Davis scored just 2 points in the 4th quarter and 6 in the 2nd half 🤔
(via @AnthonyIrwinLA) pic.twitter.com/K6KctdsthP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 8, 2023
Skip Bayless Weighs In about Anthony Davis
Bayless would weigh in on the issue during an episode of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. Defending Davis, he would point out that LeBron and AD are very close personally, and are without doubt the closest teammates on the Lakers.
In that light, his attitude must be seen as caused due to frustration. Partly because he couldn’t be there on the court as LeBron broke the record and partly because the Lakers were losing. The Lakers would indeed go on to lose that game. They are on a three-game losing streak and are 25–31 overall in the Western Conference. This is simply put, unacceptable.
AD says his bench reaction vs. OKC had ‘nothing to do with Bron’
“I have absolutely no doubt that AD loves LeBron. I can’t hate on him saying ‘we were losing to OKC and I was pissed.’ It wasn’t disrespect, it was disgust.” — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/qN6kIQ29Rn
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) February 10, 2023
While LeBron James making history took off the spotlight from the horrible season, Anthony Davis knows full and well how bad the Lakers are. As Bayless pointed out, Davis was expressing disgust at the fact that they couldn’t win against Oklahoma. If the Lakers are to turn around this season, they need more of the fire and competitive spirit that Davis is demonstrating.