Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean went viral for the wrong reasons during the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent 118-104 loss to the Sixers. DeJean and a few of his teammates attended the game to relax after their NFC Championship victory over the Washington Commanders. During warmups, LeBron James greeted the Eagles players but left the cornerback hanging. James’ act, though not deliberate, left many, including NBA analyst Skip Bayless, feeling sour.
Advertisement
The video that triggered Bayless into sending out a critical message to James, had the Lakers legend greeting the Eagles players including A.J. Brown. As LeBron walked toward the direction of DeJean he instinctively got ready to shake hands by taking the right hand out of his sweatshirt pocket. The cornerback immediately put it back once he realized the Lakers star wasn’t walking toward him.
Bayless wanted James to make amends, stating that DeJean is indeed a footballer of repute despite being just 21 years old.
“Hey, LeBron, you should get to know who Cooper DeJean is. You greeted several of his Eagles teammates who were in the front row last night at the Lakers at Sixers game BUT YOU IGNORED COOPER DEJEAN. Surely not on purpose. He can ball, Bron!” wrote Bayless.
Hey, LeBron, you should get to know who Cooper DeJean is. You greeted several of his Eagles teammates who were in the front row last night at the Lakers at Sixers game BUT YOU IGNORED COOPER DEJEAN. Surely not on purpose. He can ball, Bron!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 30, 2025
In the video, we notice a wry smile from DeJean the moment LeBron turns away from him.
And Bayless is not exaggerating about the rookie, who has been a standout player for the Eagles this season. In the 2024 regular season, he logged 38 solo tackles, one forced fumble (T-78th) and defended six passes defended but no interceptions. In the postseason, he has recorded 9 solo tackles and one fumble.
Oh no. Absolutely breaks my heart seeing Cooper DeJean start to take his hand out of his hoodie pocket, and then realize he's not getting dapped up by LeBron. https://t.co/8n6If0hXKk
— Jordie (@jordiebarstool) January 29, 2025
LeBron has yet to address the situation. But there is a chance he would, possibly as an answer to Bayless’ comments.
However, this is not the first instance Bayless has thrown out-of-the-blue shots at LeBron.
Bayless and LeBron’s relationship over the years
A palpable animosity seems to have brewed between Bayless and LeBron over the years. The former Undisputed host is notorious for being James’ biggest hater, constantly calling him out. There are so many instances of Bayless’ unwarranted criticism, including one during the 2021 NBA Finals.
James had attended Game 5 of the Finals between the Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks in Phoenix. Milwaukee went on to win the game, which snapped an eight-game home playoff win streak for the Suns. Bayless pointed to none other than LeBron as the reason the Suns fell short.
“This is what happens when LeBron shows up to root for you in a huge NBA Finals home game,” Bayless had said.
There are many more random strays from Bayless. He once even said, “LeBron James wearing 23 is a disgrace.”
Bayless had a problem with LeBron winning a Championship too. He had stated that James winning the 2020 NBA championship did more damage to his legacy because it was an “absolute cakewalk”.
James does his best to ignore Bayless’ remarks since avoiding them is not fully under his control. However, that doesn’t stop the analyst from continuing to speak about the 21-time All-Star in a negative light.
