The NBA Playoffs have spawned a lot of hot takes from experts, but Skip Bayless scoffing at and degrading every great thing that Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James does is perhaps the most head-scratching of them all. Then again, that’s not at all surprising considering he’s been doing this schtick for a long time now.
Bayless’ Twitter account most of the time doubles as a Psalm of quips meant to doubt James and reduce the four-time MVP’s achievements.
When James buried a game-winning floater in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series between the Cavs and the Toronto Raptors, Bayless gave The King a rare compliment on Twitter, albeit one that still comes with a hint of unacceptance of James’ greatness.
Hating on James has been Bayless’ most consistent trope dating back to his days in Bristol. It’s also as if his journalistic career depends on how many chinks in the Cavs star’s armor he could find and broadcast on Twitter. Bayless is getting paid a lot of money for it, though, as in today’s landscape of sports journalism, there seems to be no surer way to attract attention than questioning James’ place among the all-time greats.
At this point, it’s fair to assume that the only way that James will get full recognition from Bayless is if he rescues Skip’s wife, Ernestine, from a burning building.
James and the Cavs can close out the series with the Raptors with a win Monday night at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.