“He's turned into a Westbrick” - Skip Bayless directly accuses LeBron James of stat-padding, compares him to Russell Westbrook
Skip Bayless has taken shots yet again at LeBron James, despite another terrific performance from the LA Lakers superstar. The 37-year-old scored 33 points on the night and led the Purple and Gold to a 106-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets. However, Bayless was again not pleased with the performance and stated that the Lakers' forward is focused only on surpassing NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record.
The 70-year-old has some of the most controversial takes in sports, many of which are about LeBron James. As the four-time NBA champion approaches another significant milestone in his career, Bayless has called him out as a stat-padder and compared him to fellow teammate Russell Westbrook, who many call a stat-padding machine. He sent out a tweet regarding the same, which read as:
"LeBron continues chasing Kareem on a team that is now 24-24. He's turned into a Westbrick - a solo act of a stat machine. Defense optional. He's still an often sorry 3-pt shooter who takes way too many. But leading the league in scoring and passing Kareem are the priorities."
LeBron continues chasing Kareem on a team that is now 24-24. He's turned into a Westbrick - a solo act of a stat machine. Defense optional. He's still an often sorry 3-pt shooter who takes way too many. But leading the league in scoring and passing Kareem are the priorities.
James' 33-point game against the Brooklyn Nets was the 18th consecutive game where he scored 25 points or more. The 37-year-old averages 29.1 PPG on a highly efficient 52.2% shooting from the field. He is second behind Kevin Durant in scoring and with the form he is currently displaying, James will certainly overtake Durant soon.
The King's Gambit #LakersWin https://t.co/yWeADLCXuF
The four-time Finals MVP is only 514 points behind Karl Malone for the all-time scoring record. He will most definitely overtake the Mail Man and climb to the second spot this season and will look to break the record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Bron with the house call on back-to-back plays ‼️ https://t.co/BY2o1rFl7W
Bayless' claims of LeBron James playing only for the record seem a bit unfair as King James has always been a winner and this season, although the Lakers haven't had much success, James has given it his best. There are still 34 games left in the season and the Purple and Gold can find their way back and put up a good run for the championship as they have one of the most loaded rosters in the league.
Can LeBron James break the all-time scoring record?
LeBron James has nearly all the accolades in the game of basketball. He has been the absolute best for 19 years and has earned the admiration of many around the world. Although opinions are divided in the debate on who the GOAT of basketball is, there is certainly no doubt that James is one of the most incredible players the NBA has ever seen.
LeBron James is now the oldest player in NBA history to record 18 consecutive games with 25+ PTS 🔥👑🔥
@KingJames tonight:
• 33 PTS
• 7 REBS
• 6 AST
• 3 STL
• 2 BLK
• 34 MIN
• W https://t.co/sAhNNLzZU0
He already has numerous records to his name and before he calls it quits, there are a lot more achievements the kid from Akron can unlock. One of them is the all-time scoring record. Having already surpassed the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, King James only has two more people to overtake.
Currently third on the all-time scoring list, James will take the second spot from Karl Malone before the end of the season. However, claiming the number one spot could take a little longer as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds steady at number one with 38,387 points. LeBron James is 1,973 points behind with 36,414 points to his name.
Two years ago today, @KingJames passed Kobe on the NBA's all-time scoring list 💜💛 https://t.co/XSmcm9Sj3M
James has been brilliant on offense this season and his scoring average is the fourth-highest of his career. At age 37, he has shown no signs of slowing down and there have been no reports suggesting he will retire soon.
"I just love this game."
@KingJames talks about his focus with @ChrisBHaynes after the win in Brooklyn. https://t.co/pTSPId5SsJ
As far as the all-time scoring record is concerned, LeBron James certainly has what it takes to break it. Another year or two of playing at his best will help him accomplish the feat and cement his legacy as one of the best to ever play the game.