In his illustrious 21-year career, LeBron James has encountered several critics. The flag bearer of these critics Skip Bayless has earned the reputation of ‘LeBron hater’ based on his takes. Earlier, this season, he even called out King James for being a “lousy free-throw shooter”, when LBJ complained about not getting foul calls in the paint. With his recent post on X, the 72-year-old clarified that he is unwilling to slow down anytime soon.
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LeBron is often seen as someone who is heavily protected in the media. However, Bayless prides himself in being an anomaly in the business and refuses to shelter the 39-year-old. Reiterating his stance on the Lakers superstar, he posted,
“Undisputed is one show that will not apologize for and protect LeBron James.”
Undisputed is one show that will not apologize for and protect LeBron James.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 22, 2024
Surprisingly, this comes only a few days after Bayless claimed that LeBron has the blessings of a higher power going into the playoffs. On his ‘UNDISPUTED’ show, he said, “The Lakers are going to win tomorrow night and they are going to win the series in 6. I believe that the basketball gods have tapped LeBron James on the shoulder.” While he seemed confident in declaring the Lakers as a superior team, his partner on the show, Paul Pierce disagreed.
The Truth said that nothing has changed since last year and the Nuggets are still the “Lakers daddy”. He added that the Nuggets have won eight in a row against the Lakers, and they’d make it nine after Game 1. In the end, his prediction was right as Nikola Jokic’s team thrashed the Lakers on their first meeting. After being proven wrong by the Denver franchise, Bayless let out his frustration on LeBron.
Skip Bayless blamed LeBron James for the loss
It must’ve been hard for Bayless to accept the Lakers’ loss, especially when he openly acknowledged that they would beat the Nuggets. As a result, he posted a minute-long rant against LBJ and his inability to take his team through in important games. He said, “I just watched him play the last nine minutes at Denver and take two shots once the game was completely over because he wanted to make a point.”
The media veteran believes that LBJ has been acting like a “diva” who seems to have had enough of the criticism coming his way. As per him, the King has been highly ineffective in the fourth quarter in the last few campaigns. With his latest announcement on X, Bayless clarified that if LeBron fails once again, he will not show any mercy in inspecting his game on the show.
On the other hand, Shannon Sharpe believes that it is unfair to blame just the Anthony Davis-LeBron James duo. He stated that the loss highlighted the lack of help from the supporting cast. In line with Bayless’ take, LBJ added four points in the fourth quarter of their last game. Additionally, he also fumbled an easy and crucial put back which could have allowed them to turn it around in dying minutes. If the LA side aims to overcome the wrath of defending champs, the team’s veterans have to step up in clutch situations.
