Despite some impressive statistical averages for LeBron James, this season has been one of the worst of the King’s legendary career.
For FOX Sports analyst Skip Bayless, it’s enough to tarnish his All-Time great legacy. Here’s what he said on the ‘Skip Bayless Show’:
“I’m not gonna demote LeBron on my list. He still ranks 9th. But I will say this: what has happened to his Los Angeles Lakers this season has indelibly stained LeBron’s legacy. I remind you, these Lakers were favored to win it all and I remind you they’re not even going to make the play-in tournament They’re going to finish 18 games under .500. That’s impossibly awful for the King. 18 games under 500? I’ll give you a dozen games this year that the King should have closed and failed to close because he doesn’t have the clutch gene nor the closer gene. Even the other night in New Orleans they have a 23-point lead, they’re up 20 at half time. If you’re ‘the King’ if you’re ‘that dude,’ if you’re the GOAT as Shannon says or the ‘phony GOAT’ as I say, you close that one in your sleep.”
Does LeBron drop from the No. 9 spot in my all-time player rankings after the Fakers’ losing season?
via @SkipBaylessShow:pic.twitter.com/INDn59fY5q
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 1, 2022
Last year, Skip shocked the world when he announced LeBron James was just 9th on his All-Time list. He did go on to explain why to his perplexed co-host and friend, Shannon Sharpe.
“That USA TODAY actually put LeBron James No. 2 on the all-time list? You’re kidding. What are you talking about… This is nothing but a politically correct choice. It’s because they don’t want to burn the bridge to LeBron and his inner-circle, who are very powerful. LeBron James is disqualified from the second spot on this list.”
Even after this abysmal season for the Lakers, LeBron is still 9th on Skip’s list. But the idea that it might stain his otherwise excellent legacy still speaks volumes to how disastrous this campaign has been.
Somehow, a team with James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard is struggling to hold the 10th seed in the West. Under the old format, they’d already be eliminated from title contention.
For a guy as successful as James, it certainly isn’t a good look to be struggling so bad.
