Skip Bayless continues to bash LeBron James with Michael Jordan comparison: "If USA had Jordan in his prime it would've covered 15.5-point spread"
Team USA escaped with a narrow 92-88 win over Germany under the leadership of LeBron James on Monday. However, despite the LA Lakers superstar's best efforts, it seems Skip Bayless will never be impressed by what he does as he once again took a shot at LBJ.
This time, the 'Undisputed' co-host criticized LeBron on X for how close the final score between the USA and Germany was:
"If Team USA had had Jordan in his prime today, it would've covered the 15.5-point spread."
While Team USA beat Germany in the pre-Olympic tune-up game, it only managed to do so with a four-point margin which was not enough to cover the -15.5 spread.
Of those 92 points, LeBron James scored the most, putting up 20 points on an extremely efficient 8-for-11 shooting clip (2-for-2 from 3-point range). He also grabbed six rebounds, dished four assists, rejected three shots and came away with two steals.
Not only did he stuff the stat sheet, but LeBron was also the team's best performer in the clutch. Of the 20 points he scored, 11 of them came in the fourth quarter.
This comes after he led the Americans to an exciting one-point (101-100) win over South Sudan in their matchup, a game in which he hit the game-winning layup
LeBron's actions in crunch time during these games helped Team USA finish its five-game pre-Olympic exhibition slate with a 5-0 record.
Also read: Team USA vs Germany Basketball Showcase Player Stats and Box Scores | July 22, 2024
Comparing Michael Jordan and LeBron James' Olympic performances
Neither Michael Jordan nor LeBron James' careers will escape the GOAT conversation. Even when another generational talent comes along, these two athletes will always be compared due to what they were able to accomplish. This is true not only for the NBA, but also on the international stage.
Michael Jordan was a part of two Olympic squads. The first was in 1984 before NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics, and the second was in 1992 as part of the storied Dream Team.
During the '84 Olympics, Jordan led Team USA to an 8-0 record to win gold over Spain. Jordan averaged 17.1 points for a total of a team-leading 137.
In 1992, Jordan had the second-highest amount of points (119) and scoring average (14.9) behind Charles Barkley. The team also went undefeated on the way to a gold medal.
On the other hand, LeBron James has been a part of three Olympic squads (2004, 2008 and 2012). The '04 Olympics is a blemish in Team USA history as the team only got the bronze medal after finishing the competition 5-3.
LeBron averaged 5.4 points but was only 19 years old at the time and was yet to become the basketball superstar fans know today.
In 2008, LeBron was already being considered as one of the best hoopers to set foot on the hardwood. As a member of Team USA, he averaged 15.5 ppg. which was just half a point shy behind Dwyane Wade, who led the team. That year, the USA claimed the top spot in international play once more as it went undefeated.
LeBron James was coming off a historic NBA season in 2012. He won his third season MVP award as well as his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat and his first Finals MVP.
He followed that up with a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, averaging 13.3 points, 5,6 rebounds and 5.6 assists.