"Poor LeBron was born without a clutch gene" - Skip Bayless on why athletes like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady are more clutch than James
The debate on who the greatest ever between Michael Jordan and LeBron James will possibly go on forever. There are countless arguments for both Jordan and James on why they are the GOAT. Skip Bayless chimed in on the debate once again, providing his opinion on the same.
In the most recent episode of his "The Skip Bayless Show," the long-time LeBron 'hater' was baffled by a fan question, who noted that the NBA's best ever is 'The King' and compared his greatness to Tom Brady. Bayless responded that the NBA's GOAT ended his career in 1998 with the Chicago Bulls.
"The NBA's GOAT retired in 1998, for the most part, with the ‘Last Dance’ in Chicago. Michael Jordan won six championships with six MVPs. LeBron James has lost six NBA Finals," Bayless explained.
It's difficult to side with LeBron James in a rings argument, as he has only has four, while Jordan has six. Jordan is also undefeated in NBA Finals, going 6-0, while James i 4-6.
Bayless proceeded to explain why he thinks Jordan is better than James. He argued that James does not have the 'clutch gene' that Jordan had throughout his NBA career. It's also something Brady had in his career in the NFL that led to seven Super Bowl championships.
"Poor LeBron was born without a clutch gene. LeBron is simply the worst superstar late-game free-throw shooter we have ever seen. He notoriously runs from the late-game free-throw line because he is a notoriously poor free-throw shooter at any stage of the game, especially late," Bayless said.
"He is a notoriously poor 3-point shooter, way below average. And you dare to call him the NBA's GOAT? Seriously? The closest LeBron will ever get to GOAT ...is in a barnyard," Bayless added.
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James.
How can anyone argue this? https://t.co/Woeg428NMW
Was Michael Jordan more clutch than LeBron James?
It's difficult to argue against Michael Jordan being the most clutch player ever. To sum up how clutch Jordan was, just watch the reaction of Utah Jazz fans in the 1998 NBA Finals when Jordan stole the ball. They knew Jordan would hit the shot to beat them.
Despite criticism of LeBron James not being clutch, he has the most game-winners in NBA playoff history with six, while Jordan only had three. James also has more playoff wins and has a better record in closeout and elimination games than Jordan. However, Jordan will always have the last laugh, as he's undefeated in NBA Finals, while James has lost six.
However, to think that James is not a clutch player is ridiculous. His reputation as a late-game player took a hit early in his career, as he had a penchant of vanishing in big games and tough situations.
That all changed when James became a complete player while with the Miami Heat. Although there were some hardships in his first season in Miami, winning his first NBA title in 2012 helped him get the monkey off his back. And when that pressure was gone, James turned into one of the best clutch players of his generation.