Skip Bayless Once Lost a Bet and Was Forced to Say 10 Nice Things About LeBron James
Skip Bayless has been ripping LeBron James for more than a decade. The veteran sports pundit isn’t a fan of the LA Lakers superstar and believes Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is the GOAT.
On ESPN and FS1, Bayless has bashed James left and right for several things. However, the controversial sports personality once said 10 nice things about LeBron after losing a bet to GQ writer Mark Anthony Green, who just so happens to be a huge fan of James.
Skip Bayless is one of the biggest LeBron James haters
Skip Bayless doesn’t like LeBron James. He’ll never admit it. But it’s clear as day that Bayless has some personal vendetta against the four-time champion.
When James signed with the Miami Heat in 2010 to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Bayless — along with every pundit in America — called it a weak move. Everyone wanted to see LeBron take the Michael Jordan route and compete against the NBA’s best players instead of playing with them.
In the 2011 Finals, James choked against the Dallas Mavericks. Bayless had a field day during the summer of 2011, as he ripped LeBron for coming up shorter than mini-me on the NBA’s biggest stage. At the time, James was 0-2 in the Finals.
In 2012, the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. James finally won his first championship and Finals MVP. But Bayless didn’t give LeBron any credit. He said Thunder superstar Kevin Durant gifted James the title since the two All-Stars are friends.
During the 2013 Finals, Bayless’ heart was broken when his San Antonio Spurs lost to James and the Heat in seven games. The Oklahoma native once again didn’t give LeBron props for winning the championship. Bayless claimed Ray Allen saved James’ legacy by hitting the game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6 to send the contest into overtime. The Heat won Games 6 and 7 to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Bayless and the Spurs got their revenge against James and the Heat in the 2014 Finals since San Antonio won the title over Miami. When LeBron returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2014 and lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 Finals, Bayless criticized James for having a losing record in the Finals.
LeBron and the Cavs made history in the 2016 Finals by erasing a 3-1 series deficit against the Warriors to win the championship. However, Bayless said James got lucky since the NBA suspended Warriors forward Draymond Green for Game 5.
After winning the 2020 championship with the Lakers, LeBron is 4-6 in the Finals. Even though The King is the only player in NBA history to rank top-10 all-time in points and assists, don’t expect Bayless ever to stop hating on James.
Before LeBron James won his fourth title, though, Bayless was forced to say 10 nice things about The Chosen One. It made for must-see TV.
Skip Bayless said 10 nice things about LeBron James, and Shannon Sharpe loved it
FS1’s Show Undisputed is great since it pits Bayless against Sharpe. Bayless hates LeBron James, while Sharpe loves the future Hall of Famer.
In February 2020, GQ writer Mark Anthony Green came on the show and made a bet with Bayless that if LeBron reached the 2020 NBA Finals, Skip would have to say 10 nice things about the Lakers star. When Bayless lost the bet, he gave several compliments. For example, he stated:
“No. 1: LeBron James was the greatest high school basketball player ever — even greater than Lew Alcindor … No. 2: No player in the history of the National Basketball Association has stood up better to an NBA debut expectations the way LeBron James did at Sacramento the night of October 29th, 2003 … No. 3: Since LeBron James has entered the NBA, he has been the best passer in basketball.”
While he missed many things, Bayless said several positive statements about LeBron, and Sharpe enjoyed it. It must have killed Bayless to come up with this list. In the video above, you can see in his eyes how much it hurts him to speak positively about LeBron.
Incredibly, James has never acknowledged Skip Bayless. The 16-time All-Star doesn’t have time to talk about a critic who is clearly just saying outlandish things for attention.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference
