Skip Bayless once again went after LeBron James, explaining in detail why he refuses to rank the Lakers superstar inside his top five greatest players ever.
Appearing on Gil’s Arena, Bayless pointed directly at LeBron’s most criticized playoff moments, especially the infamous 2011 NBA Finals collapse against the Dallas Mavericks.
“In the 2011 Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James goes up two games to one in Dallas. According to Stephen A. Smith, LeBron went back to his hotel room and made a list of ‘I told you so’ people. Stephen A. reported I was number one on that list. They’re up two games to one, and in Games 4, 5, and 6, the chosen one became the frozen one.”
“Don’t even look at the numbers because they’re horrendous. LeBron averaged 15, 8, and 8 with five turnovers a game. I saw Dwyane Wade say the other day, I just couldn’t snap him out of it. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, they didn’t do this. To me, you’re disqualified from being one, two, three, or four all time off that Finals alone. In those three games, he shot 2 for 12 from three, 4 for 10 from the free throw line, with five turnovers.”
“Now we go to 2013. Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs in Miami. It could’ve been a closeout for the Spurs. In the last 40 seconds of that game, LeBron turned it over twice. Then, to his credit, he took what would’ve been the tying three and he bricked it. He bricked it so hard off the back iron that it became a long rebound.”
“Chris Bosh tracks it down, quick kick to the corner to Ray Allen, and somehow Ray gets his feet behind the line and hits the greatest clutch shot I’ve ever seen. Without that shot, LeBron is 3 and 7 in the NBA Finals because the game is over.”
“Next year, 2014 Finals rematch against the Spurs. Series is 1-1 going back to Miami. LeBron has two home games. Go look at it. I don’t know what happened to him. He disappears in Games 3 and 4. They get blown off the floor. Then they go back to San Antonio and get gentlemen swept by a record Finals margin with LeBron James on the floor. As a Miami Heat team that said not five, not six, not seven championships, you got swept by a record Finals margin. I’m saying you’re disqualified.”
The Miami Heat entered the 2011 Finals as overwhelming favorites after forming the famous Big Three of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Miami took a 2-1 series lead after Game 3 and appeared fully in control.
Then everything changed. Over Games 4, 5, and 6, LeBron averaged just 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting passively throughout the series.
After the Miami Heat took control of the series, LeBron’s production collapsed over the final three games. In Game 4, LeBron had only 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 3-for-11 from the field in an 86-83 loss. It remains the fewest points ever scored by a prime superstar in a Finals game.
In Game 5, he posted 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, but shot only 8-for-19 with 4 turnovers in a 112-103 loss. In Game 6, with Miami facing elimination, LeBron finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 9-for-15, but committed 6 turnovers as Dallas won the championship 105-95.
Across those final three losses, LeBron averaged just 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.7 assists with nearly five turnovers per game. He shot 2-for-12 from three-point range and only 4-for-10 from the free throw line during that stretch.
Meanwhile, Wade averaged 26.5 points in the series and openly admitted years later that he could not mentally snap LeBron out of his struggles. For Bayless, that collapse separates LeBron from legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird.
Bayless also revisited the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
LeBron eventually won Finals MVP after Miami captured the series in seven games, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. But Bayless focused specifically on the end of Game 6. LeBron finished that game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists while shooting 11-for-26 from the field and 5-for-10 from three. However, he also committed critical late mistakes.
With under a minute remaining, LeBron turned the ball over twice and then missed a potential game-tying three-pointer. The rebound bounced long to Chris Bosh, who found Ray Allen for the iconic corner three that saved Miami’s season.
Bayless also revisited the 2014 Finals rematch against San Antonio, where the Spurs dismantled Miami in five games by a then-record Finals margin of victory.
LeBron’s overall numbers looked elite. He averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 57.1% from the field and 51.9% from three-point range. But Bayless pointed at Miami’s two home losses in Games 3 and 4.
In Game 3, LeBron scored 22 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, but Miami lost by 19 points. In Game 4, he exploded for 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, yet the Heat were blown out again, 107-86. Then came Game 5 in San Antonio, where LeBron had 31 points and 10 rebounds, but Miami still lost by 17 as the Spurs closed the series.
Skip’s criticism of LeBron has intensified recently. He recently called LeBron the ‘Longevity GOAT’ while ranking him only ninth all-time. He also claimed LeBron should have taken the veteran minimum instead of accepting massive contracts from the Lakers. Bayless even accused LeBron of exaggerating injuries following playoff exits and claimed Bronny James would not be in the NBA without his father’s influence.
Despite the constant criticism, LeBron’s resume remains historic. He is a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, 21-time All-Star, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and the first player in league history to reach a 23rd season. Still, for Bayless, those Finals moments continue to outweigh everything else.
