Undisputed analyst Skip Bayless is confident that the Brooklyn Nets will defeat the LA Lakers on Christmas day and believes Kevin Durant is the best big-game player.
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In what many feel would be a preview to the NBA Finals, the Nets face the LA Lakers on Christmas day of the upcoming 2020-21 season. The match has box-office written all over it with star-studded lineups that include NBA champions, MVPs, and scoring champions.
Widely regarded as two of the best players in the world, LeBron James and Kevin Durant played each other the last time during the 2018 Christmas. Thus there is great eagerness among the respective fan bases to see their superstars play against each other.
During a recent episode of Undisputed on FS1, analyst Skip Bayless spoke about why he did not doubt that the Nets would beat the Lakers. Bayless cited Michael Jordan’s example while talking about Kevin Durant’s trajectory as a player.
The analyst spoke about how after losing to LeBron James in the 2012 NBA Finals, with a baby Thunder team, Durant has come a long way beating James in back-to-back Finals. Bayless was quick to point out Durant’s clutch 3-pointers that were both in Games Three of the 2017 and 2018 Finals at King James’ palace.
Bayless has been very vocal about his criticism for LeBron James ever since his high school days. Thus it doesn’t come as a surprise that he chose the Nets over the Lakers.
Kevin Durant has figured his way to beat LeBron James
While discussing the Christmas game between the Nets and the Lakers, Bayless couldn’t stop heaping praises of the 2x NBA champion and Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
The analyst said, “KD had his struggles early, he lost to LeBron when he was with the baby Thunder in 2012… And once he broke through, once he figured it out. Once he left Russell and went to Golden State and joined forces with all that star power but he became the man,” said Bayless.
He further added, “Once he became back-to-back Finals MVP with huge Games Three at LeBron house.”
Nets to face Lakers for NBA’s marquee Christmas Day game:
“The Lakers are going to take an L on Christmas because Kevin Durant has become the best big game player in all of basketball.” — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/qx4I75zp0e
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) August 18, 2021
While talking about Team USA’s recent gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Bayless spoke about how KD had led the national team to 3 gold medals and a FIBA championship. Durant currently leads Team USA basketball in scoring.
With the Lakers acquiring Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, it will be interesting to see the teams with big names on each side battle it out on Christmas day.