Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless has built a career out of criticizing LeBron James over the past 15 years, particularly during his tenure with the Miami Heat. However, a rare event happened on Thursday when Bayless defended James against critical comments made by Draymond Green on his podcast. Green had expressed shock that James looked “gassed” in the Los Angeles Lakers’ play-in win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
.@RealSkipBayless defends LeBron after Draymond's recent critique of him in Play-In Game: pic.twitter.com/vwGdt4bGxE
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 13, 2023
Bayless was quick to come to James’ defense, stating that Green’s comments were “offensive” and “out of bounds,” particularly as the two teams could potentially meet in the postseason. “He’s trying to sell himself. I can see it from the inside out. Now are you taking advantage to the point that you’re going to comment from inside out critically of an opponent,” Bayless added on the “Undisputed” show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsaT92WNB0
Bayless acknowledged that Green’s podcast is one of the most popular in the world, but he still felt that Green’s criticism of James was unwarranted, as the Lakers ultimately won the game. “It felt out of bounds to me because LeBron does not deserve that from Draymond,” Bayless noted. “By the way, the Lakers prevailed. However they prevailed, they won the game. It’s not like LeBron deserves the blame for a loss because they lived to tell. They’re going on.”
Bayless went on to claim that there are “certain rules and regulations” Green has to live by.
“For the sake of selling your podcast, there are certain rules and regulations that you’re still going to have to live by where there are going to be boundaries and I think you stepped across a boundary here,” Bayless complained. “You’re trying to sell your podcast, I got it, we all try to do the same thing. But my point is, it felt out of bounds to me, because LeBron does not deserve that from Draymond.”
Bayless has made a career out of criticizing James, but his defense of the Lakers’ star shows that he draws the line at certain types of commentary. Nevertheless, it is expected that Bayless will return to his LeBron-bashing ways in the coming days, given his history of criticism towards the NBA legend.
The Vow and the Victory: LeBron James Leads Lakers Back to Postseason
LeBron James had made a vow not to miss the playoffs again after the Lakers failed to qualify for the postseason twice in four years due to injuries. The frustration of the fans and LeBron was evident, and he took it upon himself to do something about it. On Tuesday, the Lakers returned to the playoffs after an overtime victory over the Timberwolves in the play-in game.
Although LeBron could have bragged about his vow, he did not do so, possibly because his belief in it may have wavered. He deleted the tweet around the holidays, in the aftermath of the team being routed by Dallas on Christmas Day. At that time, Anthony Davis was injured, and the team’s flawed roster made things seem bleak.
Hope was restored at the trade deadline, and the team felt like it could go on a run. LeBron played a significant role in getting the Lakers back to the postseason. Although he could not undo deleting the tweet, he deserves some wiggle room to brag.
