USA Today via Reuters
Dec 25, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) for a basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 25, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) for a basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James turned 36-years-old today. On his birthday, fans and players from all around the world wished him well. This led to the “Happy Birthday GOAT” hashtag trend on Twitter.
While most didn’t even bat an eye, NBA analyst Skip Bayless used the hashtag to downplay LeBron James. In an episode of “Undisputed” with Shannon Sharpe, Skip said,
“The cult followers, that I call the blind witnesses, were at it again. They had this trending, suggesting once again that LeBron James is better than Michael Jeffrey Jordan! That is the single biggest fallacy in the history of sports.”
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Skip further drew comparisons between James and Jordan’s NBA Finals record.
“I want everybody to let this sink in, LeBron James is 4-6 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan, once and forever, will always be 6-0 with 6 MVPs in the Finals.”
.@RealSkipBayless reacts to "Happy Birthday GOAT" trending for Bron's birthday:
"LeBron James is simply the greatest self promoter in sports history. He's the self-proclaimed King, the phony GOAT, and he's convinced billions of blind witnesses he's better than Jordan!" pic.twitter.com/5uoCUiA4eX
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) December 30, 2020
Bayless then detailed how LeBron had epic meltdowns after meltdowns in his career in comparison to MJ. While he might be right to some extent, MJ had a pretty bump career until his late 20s.
“LeBron James has convinced me. He is simply the greatest self-promoter in sports history. He’s the self-proclaimed King, he’s the phony GOAT, yet he’s convinced billions of blind witnesses that he’s actually better than Jordan!”
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Is LeBron James still the best player in the world?
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 22, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) poses with 2020 NBA Champion ring before a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
While the GOAT debate is one conversation, many are wondering for how long can ‘Bron perform at an elite level. Honestly, James has lost a few steps in terms of athleticism, but he has developed the other parts of his game to cope with that.
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Now he is a much better shooter and passer than he was during the early years of his career. Furthermore, he has Anthony Davis by his side, quite possibly for the remainder of LBJ’s career. So Davis can share the load with him.
Regardless of that, LeBron still holds the throne for the best player in the league. But what are your thoughts on Skip Bayless’ remarks? Share your views in the comments section down below.
