Whatever happens, it looks like a certain someone can’t go a day without mentioning LeBron James at least once. Yup, we are talking about the long-time critic of the King, Skip Bayless. With the Los Angeles Lakers looking to finalize their head coach, Bron is once again at the top of the headlines. Despite the 4x champion and his agent making it clear that he has no part in influencing or manipulating the hiring process, no one was buying it. The moment Darvin Ham was fired, Bron was getting all the heat.
His nickname of “Coach Killer” didn’t help the whole shebang, either. And with the latest news on the head coaching gig of the Lakers, which is that they are “zeroing in on” JJ Redick, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Bayless promptly pounced on the chance.
Taking to X, the veteran analyst tweeted quite an intriguing yet kind of obvious statement. “Day after day, LeBron in effect keeps saying, “Don’t forget about me.” It’s quite obvious in the sense that everyone familiar with Skip knows what would be coming.
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Day after day, LeBron in effect keeps saying, "Don't forget about me."
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 5, 2024
The 72-year-old has never been subtle with his takes on ‘King James’. And of course, he has been at the receiving end of much backlash and heavy insults from fans. Interestingly, the man to whom it was directed has never really acknowledged Skip. Nor has he directly engaged or commented on his opinions of Bron’s actions.
Funny enough, the popular sports columnist has been adamant in his claims that he was not a hater. All he did was give his views on one of the greatest basketball players out there, just like the other analysts. Only those hearing him have a hard time believing it. Especially when some of them tread a very fine line between an opinion and downright insults.
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LeBron James and Jeanie Buss’ relationship remains “better than ever”
When the Lakers’ season was showing a downward graph, Ham was asked if his future with the Purple & Gold was in danger. At the time, the 50-year-old said that he had a solid relationship with the boss lady, Jeanie, and President, Rob Pelinka. “We’re all aligned,” he iterated. Unfortunately, it seems like the alignment went off the chart quickly.
LeBron James, too, had long been unhappy with Coach Ham. His on-court actions and casual dismissal of Ham’s instructions were all observed by keen basketball pundits. And they were certain that Darvin’s dismissal would happen soon. Four days after the Lakers were tossed off the playoffs, Ham’s firing was made public. Under such circumstances, it was hard not to point fingers at the ‘Akron Hammer’.
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Not too long after that, The Athletic’s Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha wrote that Jeanie Buss and James continue to have a strong relationship. “Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, in particular, believes James’ return is of paramount importance to their plan. … After six seasons together in which there has been no shortage of ups and downs, Buss and James, team sources say, have a relationship that is better than ever these days.”
The fact that Purple & Gold is open to any deal that would keep LeBron in Los Angeles further strengthens the kind of importance the 20x All-Star holds in the franchise. Well, we can’t say with certainty about the influence part. But if the Lakers do end up offering the head coach position to JJ Redick and factoring in the relationship Bron has with Buss, the chances of James retiring a Laker are likely, wouldn’t you say? Thoughts?