“That’s why he’s disqualified from GOAT debates, that’s not Michael Jeffrey Jordan” - Skip Bayless criticizes LeBron James for his comments on the Lakers not being at Milwaukee’s level
Skip Bayless revamped his attack on LeBron James of the LA Lakers after their humiliating, 131-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. The co-host of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," known for his disdain for the four-time NBA champion, continued his campaign against the player.
While speaking to Shannon Sharpe on their show, Bayless had strong opinions about James' postgame news conference.
"My takeaway from that concession speech on the part of LeBron Bleepin' James was, that's why he's disqualified from GOAT debates," Bayless said. "That's not Michael Jeffrey Jordan. You can't do that. That's the opposite of leadership. You can't admit that. You can't acknowledge that publicly.
"Even if in your heart of hearts you believe it, even if that's what you see, Shannon Sharpe, sitting from your chair up in your palatial estate up in Bel Air. I get it, but you can't say it."
LeBron admits Lakers can't reach same level as Bucks
"My takeaway from that concession speech on the part of LeBron Bleepin' James: that's why he's disqualified from GOAT debates." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/id3T2CKxn7
Bayless was irked by James admitting the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) are, at the moment, a better team than the Lakers (26-29). When asked about the loss, James said:
"I would hope so, but we can't get to where they are right now. I mean, they are defending champions for a reason. I guarantee if you would've asked teams coming out of the bubble if they could get to the level that we were playing at after winning a championship, they would say the same thing."
Here's the transcript of my press conference exchange with LeBron James to close out the evening. It's hard not to read into this: https://t.co/hcdnJqrXlB
The LA Lakers, led by LeBron James, continue to struggle this season
The LA Lakers are having a disappointing season. Their preemptive victory march and chest thumping after the team acquired Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason has now become the source of their unraveling. James and his teammates are 5-10 since Jan. 10 and currently stand ninth in the Western Conference.
Their defensive rating of 110.4 is 16th in the league, and that is not even their weak side of the court. They are ranked 23rd offensively.
Coach Frank Vogel, known as a defensively-minded coach, has been unable to help his squad win games this season. If they continue down this path, there is a high probability the Lakers will end up playing in the play-in tournament for the second time in a row.
Meanwhile, LeBron James has been phenomenal this season, especially with his scoring output. He has been below average on defensive assignments, but has made up for it by averaging 29 points, 6.4 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game. However, it remains up to "King James" to rally his team before it is too late for redemption.