Skip Bayless Dropped a 20-Minute LeBron Rant and It’s the Same Old Argument

Skip Bayless spent more than 20 minutes on X this week explaining why LeBron James isn’t the greatest basketball player of all time. And honestly, if you’ve heard Bayless talk about LeBron at any point in the last two decades, you probably already know every word he said.

The timing is interesting. LeBron just signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. That move alone should have been the story. Instead, Bayless decided to remind everyone that he still thinks Michael Jordan is untouchable.

“Wrong. Wrong. Triple wrong. Playing longer doesn’t mean that you are better. Playing longer has zero to do with your career being better than obviously a far, far superior basketball player that was Michael Jeffrey Jordan,” Bayless said in the video.

He didn’t stop there. Bayless pointed to LeBron’s 4-6 record in the NBA Finals as a deal-breaker. He brought up Ray Allen’s game-tying three in 2013, the one that saved the Miami Heat from elimination. Bayless called it “LeBricked the tying shot” and said Allen’s shot bailed him out. He also argued that the 2020 bubble title shouldn’t count. “The pandemic saved you from being 2-7,” Bayless said. He called it a “Mickey Mouse championship” because LeBron got four months off at age 35 to rest before the playoffs.

This is the same argument Bayless has been making for years. LeBron’s longevity? Doesn’t matter. His consistency? Irrelevant. The counting stats? Bayless says that’s just a product of playing forever. For Bayless, Jordan’s 6-0 Finals record and his reputation as a cold-blooded closer will always outweigh what LeBron has done.

But here’s the thing — Bayless isn’t wrong about everything. LeBron did benefit from some luck. Ray Allen did save him. The pandemic did create a weird playoff environment. But Bayless never seems to acknowledge the other side. LeBron dragged a 2018 Cavaliers team to the Finals that had no business being there. He won a title in Cleveland against a 73-win Warriors team. He’s been the best player on three different franchises. That kind of flexibility is rare.

The irony is that Bayless keeps shouting into the void while LeBron keeps playing. The guy just joined a stacked 76ers team at age 41. He’s still averaging 25 points a game. The conversation about who’s the GOAT is probably never going to end, and Bayless will keep arguing his side until LeBron retires. Maybe longer.

But here’s what Bayless won’t say: LeBron’s longevity is actually a huge part of the argument. Jordan was incredible for about 13 healthy seasons. LeBron has been elite for over 20. That doesn’t automatically make him better. But it also doesn’t mean nothing.

The debate will keep going. Bayless will keep posting. And LeBron will keep racking up numbers that nobody thought were possible. At some point, you just have to pick your side and live with it.