There’s very little NBA analyst Skip Bayless won’t say. While his days of criticizing games on ESPN are long behind him, Bayless has still managed to clock countless hours talking about some of the biggest names in the NBA. LeBron James has been his favorite go-to legend for some time. But tht doesn’t mean he has spared other stars either, Draymond Green included.
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Bayless’ most infamous attack aimed at the Golden State Warriors veteran included him calling Green a dirty player. Skip first credited Draymond for standing up to LeBron James during Game 4 of the 2016 NBA finals, that saw him foul then Cleveland Cavaliers star and consequently get suspended for the next game. His absence would weigh heavily on the Warriors roster and they would lose the next 3 games and then the finals. But hey, at least Bayless was entertained.
But credit where credit is due, Bayless has never apologized for anything he’s ever said on air and so when Draymond asked him if he would like to or double down on his claim that the Warriors veteran was the “dirtiest player in NBA history,” the analyst chose the latter option.
“We are going to learn a new way, Skip, because I like apologies,” Draymond said on his first ever LIVE podcast at the Audacy Sound Space, after welcoming Bayless as his first guest.
The Warriors veteran introduced an interesting segment called ‘Take Two,’ where he would allow Bayless to take another look at some of the more controversial things he had said in the past. The options were, ‘double down’, ‘modify with context’ or ‘apologize.’
“‘Draymond is not angry, just crazy and by far the dirtiest player in NBA history,'” Green read the receipts to a smiling Bayless. After a deep sigh, Bayless said, “I double down” to a laughing Draymond.
“So, we did talk about this earlier in the session and the truth is, and I have podcasted about this, I have gone off on this, unleashed on this. You have baffled me and astonished me, because you have lost it regularly … well not regularly (but) routinely on the court, and it’s because, you overachieve,” Bayless explained.
“You fought your way up and it’s not that you’re a natural born fighter because you are not. That’s not who you are, but you battle so tenaciously that you push it right to the edge and then every once in a while, you just go completely over the edge, trying to get an edge,” Bayless added, before commending Draymond on his ability to pop someone in the nuts.
Bayless, however, also commended the 4 time NBA champion’s high IQ and noted that it was up there with LeBron’s on a basketball court or he wouldn’t have achieved everything that he did.
“You are a first ballot Hall of Famer at 9.7 rebounds, 6 assists. It’s because 9 times First Team All-Defense, Defensive Player of the Year, led the league in steals, what is it? 4 All-Stars and 4 rings, and all you need to know that he (Draymond) is the guts and glue of 4 rings” Bayless noted.
Well, at least he explained his reasons. And to be fair to Bayless, Draymond does have the reputation of being a hothead and that has historically led him to getting into some serious trouble over the years, so can’t argue with Bayless there!
