5 most pointless Skip Bayless opinions on LeBron James
LeBron James has always been a frequent mention on NBA-related shows. Several analysts have always heard and seen debate about his activities on and off the court. Some are appreciative of his achievements, while others are a bit harsh with their assessment of everything James does.
Famous sports columnist and TV personality Skip Bayless is popular among the 'LeBron-haters' club because of his critical take on LeBron James. Bayless is well known for his work on the show 'First Take', which he left in 2016 and 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed', which he has been hosting alongside Shannon Sharpe for the last five years.
Bayless has always had something to comment on or present about LeBron James, whether it's on the court or off the court.
From challenging James' status as a potential Hall-of-Famer to claiming that the LA Lakers talisman would never win an NBA championship, Bayless has riled up a lot of fans in the past with these kinds of wild takes.
On that note, let's take a look at five times Skip Bayless made a pointless opinion on LeBron James.
#1 LeBron James isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer
In a nine-year-old episode of ESPN's "First Take," which featured popular NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, there was a heated debate that took place between the two on whether LeBron James was a first-ballot Hall of Famer or not. While Smith claimed James would easily go onto make be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Bayless did not seem too positive about it. He said:
"I think that Tiago Splitter is already a future Hall of Famer in the basketball Hall of Fame because everybody gets in and I think Chris is going to get in, in due time, I think Stephen A. is going to get in, in due time.... I don't respect the criteria for getting into the basketball Hall of Fame., the way I can for baseball and the football Hall of Fame. So if I am judging by those standards, the baseball and football standards, there is no way that LeBron James is a first-ballot Hall of Famer already."
LeBron James was in the ninth season of his career by then and had career averages of roughly 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game. He had also won two back-to-back MVPs in 2009 and 2010 and was about to win his third that year (2012).
The only thing missing at that stage for LeBron James was an NBA title, which he did go on to win that season against the San Antonio Spurs while playing for the Miami Heat. But winning a chip hasn't always been the criteria for getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Bayless' take raised a lot of eyebrows and rightfully so. James was widely regarded as one of the greatest players from a very young age. LeBron James getting inducted into the Hall of Fame was an undebatable take at that stage.
#2 LeBron James is more of a "Robin" than he is a "Batman", he is more of a "Pippen" than he is a "Jordan"
LeBron James, from the time he made his debut, was expected to be one of the superstars of the game. He lived up to the hype with his stellar showings and staggering numbers each year, while also managing to lead the mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers team to the playoffs for five straight seasons in his first stint there. He also won his first two MVP awards with the Cavs in 2009 and 2010.
He did not find much success in the postseason, though, reaching the NBA Finals just once during that stretch. LeBron James and his team lost to the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semi-Finals series in the last game of his first stint with the Cavs. James tallied a triple-double (29 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists) but also had nine turnovers which overshadowed his efforts.
Skip Bayless did not take it easy on LeBron James, especially after the number of turnovers the four-time MVP tallied in that game. In a segment on ESPN2 show '1st and 10' recorded in 2010, Bayless went onto say that LeBron is more of a "Pippen" than "Jordan," asserting that he isn't the leader viewers think he is. He said:
"From the start, I saw Batman talent, supreme talent, the biggest talent I have ever seen in the NBA. But the intangibles are much closer to Robin. He is Robin more than he is Batman, he is Pippen more than he is Jordan."
LeBron James has always been widely known for his leadership qualities, which does make Bayless' opinion quite pointless. On top of that, the Cavaliers at that stage wouldn't have been as successful without James. He was key in leading them to the postseason for five straight years.
Also Read: Who is LeBron James' mom, Gloria James?