"It was luck" - Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith left unimpressed by LeBron James' game-winner against Golden State Warriors
LeBron James came up clutch against the Golden State Warriors in the 7th vs 8th NBA play-in tournament game on Wednesday. He converted a 34-foot game-winning shot from deep to carry the LA Lakers over the line.
By making that shot, LeBron's tally of successful go-ahead or game-tying shots in the NBA rose to 97, which is just four shy of the legendary Kobe Bryant's total of 101.
Additionally, LeBron James' long-range buzzer-beater is only second to Damian Lillard's infamous shot over Paul George in the last 20 years of the NBA Playoffs in terms of distance.
However, popular analysts Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless weren't too impressed with LeBron James' efforts. The former labeled it a lucky shot, while the latter claimed that not many would have expected the LA Lakers talisman to sink the attempt.
"That was a Hail Mary" - Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James' game-winner for LA Lakers
Stephen A. Smith is known for making bold statements about some of the best players in the league and this time it was LeBron James who was on the host's radar. He had a different angle to look at it when asked about the same during an interview on Thursday morning. Here's what Smith had to say:
"It was luck...You know what? It wasn't Damian Lillard shooting, that wasn't Steph Curry shooting, that was LeBron James shooting! And even though he has improved his three-point shooting, that was luck, that was a Hail Mary. But when you are that great, you are entitled to luck here and there."
Nonetheless, Stephen A. did not hold back from giving the LA Lakers and LeBron James, in particular, credit for the way they made their comeback in the game. The Golden State Warriors dominated the first half and led by 13, while LeBron and Anthony Davis were a combined 3-for-19 from the field.
"Most people would have expected him to miss the shot" - claims Skip Bayless
In a discussion with Shannon Sharpe on "The Undisputed," Skip Bayless explained his assessment as to why LeBron James' shot wasn't exactly a "clutch-shot." He started by reading out his tweet that he published after the game. Here's what Bayless posted:
Skip Bayless explained that he felt there was no pressure on the shot that LeBron James made. He mentioned that as there was just a minute left for the end of the game and the shot clock was running down James had no other choice but to take it. Hence, when it came to being held responsible for missing the shot, James would have been left off the hook. Here's what Bayless said:
"There was a minute left on the clock, nobody is going to hold him (LeBron) accountable for a miss here. In fact, most people would have expected him to miss a shot, that he actually fell away to shoot from 34-feet."
Bayless was critical of James' shooting but did not hesitate to praise the Lakers superstar when talking about his passing range and ability to get to the rim. The analyst claimed that long-range shooting isn't LeBron's forte but when it comes to the other skills that he possesses such as playmaking and finishing in the paint, James is in a league of his own.