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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers haven't been able to keep their names out of the limelight, this time from Skip Bayless, despite being eliminated from playoff contention almost a week ago.
During the 'play-in' game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans, Skip Bayless of 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed' took to social media to share his perspective on the matchup, and by extension LeBron James himself.
Bayless said:
"At the very least, "the King" should've been playing in this game"
To no one's surprise, the criticism stemmed from the four-time 'MVP's long-time arch nemesis, Skip Bayless. Bayless has never been one to shy away from the spotlight for his absurd takes, regarding the 'King' and his thoughts on how his legacy compares to that of Michael Jordan.
The American columnist and commentator has always been vocal and expressed his strong feelings of dislike towards LeBron James. Bayless has on multiple occasions attempted to discredit James' accomplishments and aimed to tarnish his legacy with every opportunity he is presented with.
The Skip Bayless LeBron James 'feud'
The rivalry between Skip Bayless and LeBron James may very well be the greatest one-sided rivalry ever seen in sports history. Bayless has expressed his feelings time and time again towards the four-time NBA Champion, dating back to the King's rookie year.
He hasn't lost a step since. The American personality, has rarely missed a chance to throw shade and criticize James.
The greatest aspect of this heated debacle is how one-sided it has been. James has not once acknowledged Bayless, despite all the hatred, childish tantrums thrown, and harsh scrutiny he has been on the receiving end of.
The perspective increases ten-fold when fans realize that this has been the case over the Ohio native's illustrious 19 year career.
What's next for LeBron James?
James has reiterated his desire to remain with the Los Angeles-based franchise with every opportunity he's presented. However, after a ghastly showing in what can only be considered a 'failure' of a season, fans have been vocal and expressed their concerns over the Lakers' 'Big Three'.
In Particluar, Russell Westbrook. James, having also been a recipient of a ton of scrutiny over his decision to pursue Westbrook over DeMar DeRozan, stated he would love to team up with the former Wizards point guard once again.
The Lakers need to move on from Russell Westbrook and consider this off-season as an opportunity to regather themselves and build the best squad around the duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
They must focus on the right personnel that emphasizes the effort, mentality, defensive grit, offensive skill and technique required to win. There are only quite a handful of players that can match the criteria.
The league knows what the duo of Davis and James are capable of when healthy, as they are coming off a championship from just two seasons ago. It's a travesty that the past two years haven't been able to show this, as both of them have been dealing with injuries on a consistent basis.
Guess the Lakers players!
