TV personality Skip Bayless has recently given his updated top 10 list of the greatest NBA players of all time.
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Bayless’s list makes one wonder. Does he really feel this way? Is he deliberately ranking players to spark outrage leading to more engagement? Or is it just another way for him to knock down one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen?
Bayless’s top 10 list
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Shaquille O’Neal
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Tim Duncan
6. Bill Russell
7. Kobe Bryant
8. Larry Bird
9. LeBron James
10. Wilt Chamberlain
Yes, Bayless placed LeBron at ninth on his list. To most people, this is too far down to have LeBron. Again, was this Bayless poking fun at LeBron?
While mentioning his list, he certainly kept bringing LeBron’s name up, throwing digs along the way.
“Number one is obviously the GOAT,” Bayless said. “The man who went 6-0 with six MVPs in the Finals. The man who never had one single playoff epic fail. Even when he lost, he never needed an excuse because he scared the hell out of the team that won. The man who won 10 scoring titles to LeBron’s one.
“The man who even won Defensive Player of the Year in the same year he won the scoring title,” Bayless continued. “LeBron never won a Defensive Player of the Year. The man, that man.”
Bayless brought LeBron’s name up again when mentioning Kobe.
“No. 7, Kobe Bean Bryant, the late, the great, 5-2 in the Finals,” Bayless said. “Won two scoring titles. But here’s why Kobe’s above LeBron. Kobe made 12 All-Defense teams to only six for LeBron, which is very good. But 12-6? Seriously? Give me ‘Mamba Mentality’ over ‘Drama King’ any day, any night. Give me Kobe over LeBron.”
Finally, Bayless took a shot at LeBron’s recent playoff failures with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I gotta be honest, I seriously thought about demoting LeBron from where I’ve long had him at ninth,” Bayless stated. “Because of his 28-25 playoff record as a Laker and his 2-12 record in his last three epic fail playoff series, especially in fourth quarters. But at 10, I have Wilt Chamberlain.”
Ultimately, Bayless is “in the business” and he understands that making statements like this will gather views. Still, he’s always been consistent on LeBron’s place in his eyes and it doesn’t seem like that will ever change.
