“This is Psychiatry 101… You are an all-time great” - Skip Bayless says he’s impressed by LeBron James’ attitude on the pressure of taking clutch shots
Skip Bayless is certainly starting to like LeBron James. Although he would most definitely not rate him above Michael Jordan, he has had words of praise for the LA Lakers captain recently.
A few days ago, he agreed that there is a category where James is better than MJ. On the "Skip Bayless Show," he gave James his due, saying he is a much better passer than Jordan.
Bayless was also not pleased with the fact that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss did not "gush" about James.
Meanwhile, fans have attacked James for not being clutch over the years. Bayless has also done so, heavily criticizing the four-time NBA champ for missing late-game shots.
On occasion, when James makes the smart play and kick the ball to an open man, the sports commentator still always found a way to bash LBJ. However, he is impressed by James' mentality on the pressure of taking clutch shots.
James recently said he does not bother about missing a game-winning shot. On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Bayless said:
"I do like this attitude. This is Psychiatry 101. I don't know if LeBron got any counseling back in 2011, but if he did, they would have told him, 'You just got to quit worrying what anybody else thinks, and you gotta quit worrying about what you think. Just F it. Just shoot it.
"And LeBron finally said, 'I had to realize I'm him,' meaning, 'I'm that great.' Well, you are an all-time great."
Bayless has always found a way to diminish James' achievements over the years. However, he recognizes that James is an all-time great and likes his new approach in clutch situations.
Doc Rivers believes LeBron James is clutch
There have been several debates on if James is clutch. The 37-year-old has been heavily criticized for missing in some clutch moments.
lEbRoN iSnT cLuTcH
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However, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers believes James has some of the biggest clutch games in NBA history.
In an interview, he said:
"The difference between Michael and LeBron: When Michael came in the league, he surprised everybody how great he was; when LeBron came in the league, they expected him to be great, so it was already on him.
"LeBron is better than anyone ever thought. You should go back and read articles about LeBron coming into the NBA, and to say he overachieved that, it's remarkable. He rarely gets hurt. He always shows up. He's had some of the biggest clutch games in NBA history, yet no one knows it."
Doc Rivers with probably the realist words ever said about LeBron -
“With MJ we allowed him to grow into greatness. With LeBron we didn’t & he STILL over achieved. He’s had some of the biggest clutch games in NBA history yet no one knows it.” 💯👑 https://t.co/imGUWT8rt2
Clutch might mean something different to several people, which is why varying opinions will continue to exist. For some, shooting 40% in clutch situations is considered great, while others might be satisfied with a much higher percentage in crunch time.