"I have some sympathy for him, because he was a victim of LeBron James" - Skip Bayless blames the LA Lakers superstar for Dennis Schroder's plight in free agency
Sports analyst Skip Bayless found a way to blame LeBron James for Dennis Schroder’s free agency plight after the former LA Lakers guard signed a one-year contract with the Boston Celtics.
In the latest episode of “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” Bayless told co-host Shannon Sharpe that James was at fault for Schroder's predicament, adding that the latter was the “victim” in the situation.
“I cannot disagree, obviously, with your conclusion because when you walk away from four years, $84 million and you wind up with one-year, $5.9 (million), I can't defend that, obviously, Bayless said.
“But I do have some sympathy for him. He was a victim of LeBron James. He got ‘LeBroned.’ He did, because he became the focal point of Shannon Sharpe and Laker Nation.”
Bayless’ finger-pointing at LeBron James is nothing new. However, Sharpe looked genuinely surprised to hear his co-host insert the 18-year veteran into the conversation while virtually putting the entire blame on him.
Schroder reportedly shunned the Lakers’ four-year extension worth more than $84 million in March in the hopes of signing a rumored $120 million contract in the offseason.
However, the market had grown cold on the 6-foot-3 veteran, and he had to settle for the Celtics’ mid-level qualifying offer of $5.9 million for one year.
"The first thing Dennis Schroder did wrong was he did not defer to LeBron James" - Skip Bayless
Bayless continued his tirade on LeBron James in the episode by not-so-subtly saying that Dennis Schroder was not a “LeBron worshiper.” According to the American sports commentator, this is what purportedly cost Schroder his chance with the Lakers.
“‘Okay, you're on, you’ve got to perform,’” Bayless continued. “And the first thing he did wrong was he did not defer to LeBron. His whole body language, his demeanor. his whole approach was ‘I will not bow down to you. I'm going to be your equal on the floor.’
“Not that he's a better player, but he's going to play an equal role in the offense and ‘it offended you from Day 1.’ You could just see his body language was, ‘I'm my own man. I'm not your man. I'm my own man. So I'm not going to genuflect in your presence. I'm not going to kiss your feet. I'm not going to play off you. I'm gonna play with you.’ That was his attitude from Day 1.”
LeBron James appeared to play well alongside Schroder last season, even though the latter’s stats weren’t as gaudy as they were the year before.
James complimented his teammate in interviews multiple times, and the two looked comfortable playing together on the court.
Also check out: LeBron James Contract Breakdown
Moreover, Schroder had every chance to shine without LeBron James on the roster as the four-time MVP suffered an ankle injury in late March that caused him to miss 26 games. The German native performed admirably in James’ absence but not well enough that he became indispensable.
Ultimately, the blame for Schroder’s free agency failings has to fall squarely on his own shoulders, not LeBron James’. After all, James didn’t tell his teammate to take a risk on his career when he could’ve guaranteed himself a cool $84 million for the next four years.
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