“Was Larry Bird ever accused by his owner of quitting?… Did Larry Bird ever suffer a single finals meltdown the way LeBron did in 2011?” - Skip Bayless ranks Larry Bird above LeBron James, says LeBron is ninth in his all-time rankings
Skip Bayless remains consistent with his take on LeBron James not being the supposed "greatest of all-time" as designated by some fans and analysts. He recently released his NBA top 10 greatest of all-time list and ranked Michael Jordan in the top spot.
That did not come as a surprise as most people might agree to that claim. But what did come as a shock to many was the position he ranked the LA Lakers forward in. The Undisputed Show co-host ranked LBJ in ninth place, just behind NBA Hall of Famer, Larry Bird.
If I talk any longer about my all-time Top 10, I might drop LeBron out of it entirely. I’m being overly nice keeping him at No. 9. Too many epic fails.
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His list was met with heavy resistance as he took to his personal show, The Skip Bayless Show, to address it. He stated his reasons for placing the four-time NBA champion in ninth position.
He added that Bron had been accused by Dan Gilbert of quitting on the team in a playoff series, but Bird never experienced that. He argued that Larry Legend was always consistent when it mattered and otherwise, but the same cannot be said for James.
"I have Larry Bird at eight, one ring above LeBron James," Bayless started. "So I ask you was Larry Bird ever accused by his owner of quitting in a playoff series? Because LeBron was in 2010, he just faded and disappeared in games four, five and six against the Celtics and his owner Dan Gilbert accused him of quitting, quitting? You're kidding. That never happened to Larry Bird.
"Did Larry Bird ever suffer a single Finals meltdown the way LeBron did in 2011 against the Dallas Mavericks when in games four, five and six? He flat out crumbled and shrank and disappeared. The chosen one became the frozen, one I'd never seen anything like it before. No! Larry Bird never did that."
Could LeBron James clinch his fifth title in the upcoming season?
LeBron James has been going through some personal training sessions during the off-season. He has been working out and staying ready ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, as he itches to commence the new season campaign.
With Darvin Ham at the helm, there seems to be a rekindling of hope within the franchise. Although that has not driven fans into pegging them as favorites to win the title, at least not yet. But this could change with the addition of good prospects to the roster, adding depth to the bench.
Darvin Ham guarding 19-year-old LeBron James, November 24, 2004 https://t.co/AxLrgxw6ON
With Ham's coaching style hinged more on good defensive play and lesser turnovers, the Lakers could have a great run in the upcoming season. LeBron James and the team could go all the way, but they would have the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors to contend with.