38-year-old LeBron James’ heroics against the Phoenix Suns in the LA Lakers’ game 2 win has brought forth compliments from an unlikely source. Skip Bayless, who often uses his platform to criticize the arguable GOAT, was forced to praise the player this time around, on Undisputed. With his team trailing the Suns by 12 points at the end of the 3rd, LeBron ended up playing all 12 minutes of the 4th quarter and ensured a 100-95 victory for the Lakers.
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Bayless praised James, claiming that Darvin Ham had indicated towards the end of the 4th that he wanted his star man off. That was obviously to ensure that LeBron would be fit enough to play a role in the next game, against the Sacramento Kings. King James, however, had other plans and appeared to Bayless well aware of the fact that the Lakers would be in for heavy criticism, were they to come back with a loss.
Skip Bayless praises LeBron James after heroics against Phoenix Suns
Bayless, despite previous habits, was heavily impressed with LeBron. He claimed that James was well aware of how much criticism the Lakers would open themselves to if he did not take over the game. This meant that despite Ham’s indication, LeBron decided that he was playing through the entire quarter. Skip Bayless ended up saying that god needed to bless him for the performance:
“To LeBron’s credit, it looked like Darvin Ham was indicating to him, “Maybe, maybe it’s time to come sit because we are on this minutes restriction. We are trying to keep you for the third, right. And it looked like LeBron said, “Not tonight,” because he knew what shame could be inflicted on this team even though it’s very early, if they lost to Phoenix without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. So LeBron said, “I am finishing, I am gonna play all 12 minutes in the fourt quarter.” God bless him! Way to go because at 35, you’s be okay. If you pick your spot, maybe in the next game you would play 28 minutes but they needed LeBron to take over the game. And what is happening?”
The Lakers had started the 4th quarter with a 12-point deficit. LeBron, who prides himself on being a playmaker, was being guarded by Jusuf Nurkic, who was on 5 personal fouls. LeBron ended up making 3 back-to-back layovers to initially push the Lakers back into contention. That included a drive that saw him break a double-team and score what eventually became an easy layover. Bayless not only complimented James but also called him the greatest driver in the game’s history:
“To LeBron, undying credit, I have been pounding on this desk since 2004, you are the greatest driver of the basketball in the history of the game, and I think it ain’t even close. He is as Darvin Ham said in this preseason, a freight train going to the basket. He is still obviously in supreme shape, and has much explosion as any going on 39-year-old we have ever seen playing the game. Highest IQ in basketball, so why not? Why not put your head down and drive to the basket?”
It seems as if Bayless has finally been won over by LeBron James. He initially claimed that he believed the Lakers would go on to win the championship, which in part was due to the defensive presence that a fully-fit Anthony Davis provides to the team.
Skip Bayless to change tune on LeBron James and the LA Lakers?
Bayless’ comments over the years on LeBron have been utterly critical. In line with his long-term stance of James being nowhere near as clutch as Michael Jordan, he recently claimed that LeBron’s hands trembled when it came to clutch situations.
Talking about his missed shots during close games, Bayless had concluded that James simply did not have the “Closer” gene in him. This has effectively been the crux of Bayless’ arguments regarding the debate between MJ and LeBron. Guilty of perhaps handpicking the statistics that drive home his points, Bayless’ mind has always been made, when it came to the GOAT debate.
Now however, with a 38-year-old LeBron simply continuing in much the same way as he has been in recent seasons, Bayless shows the first signs of changing his tune, ever so slightly. The Lakers are the analyst’s favorite for the title this time around.
With LeBron looking like he will be carrying his team in his 21st season as well, much might depend on his fitness and that of the Lakers’ other injury-prone stars. While that obviously does not indicate a change to his GOAT conclusions, Bayless might finally be more willing to accept King James’ obvious greatness.
