At this point, there’s no denying it: Skip Bayless is the biggest hater of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Even after James did the impossible and breached the 40,000-point mark, he’ll never get the respect he deserves from the FOX Sports analyst. Bayless made a name for himself on hating on the Lakers superstar, and it’s unlikely he’ll change his stance now.
Sure Bayless do praise LeBron here and there, but for him, the four-time champion will never be the GOAT. Not even close.
Skip Bayless Hates on Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James
During the latest episode of his The Skip Bayless Show, the veteran sports commentator continued his dissing of James, claiming that the Lakers champion didn’t go up on his all-time list despite becoming the first player ever to score 40,000 points.
Bayless previously called the feat a “longevity” record, and he added to that take by saying that it doesn’t make LeBron better than other NBA legends on his list. Put simply, Bayless doesn’t consider longevity when ranking his all-time greats.
“Before 40,000 points, I have LeBron ninth on my all-time list. After 40,000 points, I still have LeBron ninth on my All-Time list. Because playing longer does not make you better, or more valuable,” Bayless shared.
“I’m sorry, LeBron James is not better than Larry Bird, who I have at eight–one notch ahead of him. LeBron James is not better than Kobe Bryant, who I have at seven–two notches above LeBron.”
While Bayless has the right to his own opinion, the problem is he’s not consistent with his standards. It just always seems he finds a way to discredit what James does, making his takes less convincing and look more like he’s simply hating on the NBA icon and sure-fire Hall of Famer.
Carmelo Anthony Defends LeBron James’ Record
Fortunately for LeBron James, while he has a number of critics like Skip Bayless, he also has plenty of supporters like Carmelo Anthony.
Recently, Anthony urged both fans and haters of the Los Angeles Lakers great to appreciate him more since what he just did–to score 40,000 points–is something that is unlikely to be replicated ever again. There’s a reason it’s only James who has ever done it, and it’s hard to see anyone coming close to it.
Besides for anyone to score 40,000 points, they will have to average at least 24.4 points in 20 years while playing the full 82 games. Sure enough, Bayless didn’t mention the longevity and consistency needed to achieve the said feat because it doesn’t go well with the narrative he wants to spread.
“First of all 40K is crazy. That is crazy. We will never see that. No one is touching that 40K. [Passing] Kareem was crazy, but 40,000 is different. So I hope people are not overlooking it…I think we should really cherish these moments. We are so quick to move on to the next topic and the next headline. But. we gotta cherish these moments,” Anthony shared on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, as presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment Original.
It’s unlikely Bayless will ever change his opinion of LeBron, and that’s fine. But at the end of the day, LeBron’s accolades prove he deserves to be in the GOAT conversation.
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