"Can't judge another man's pain": Skip Bayless raises concerns regarding NBA's player resting policy

Throughout his career, FS1's Skip Bayless has made a living for his sports takes, whether people tend to agree or disagree with him. He has always remained firm with comments on sports-related topics, even if it goes against what the general public feels.

This goes in line with his comments on the recent announcement from the NBA that only one star will be allowed to sit a game as opposed to before when two stars were allowed.

On FS1's "Undisputed," Bayless mentioned that this was a matter that the league needed to address as fans missed out on incredible potential matchups across different seasons due to stars sitting out.

"We have an agent-driven league and culture," Bayless said, "whereby players are saying, 'I'll still get paid the same if I only play 46 games' so everybody stays 'hurt.' How will this change being able to tell a player, 'You're not hurt' because you can't tell a player. I can't judge another man's pain threshold, the team can't."

From NBA players such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, etc., the list goes on and on of players sitting out with fans left disappointed in the process.

Bayless argued that he does not have the certifications nor the expertise to determine the severity of one's status or injury. However, he does mention the complicated nature of NBA teams when it comes to evaluating the pain threshold of a player.

Be that as it may, there are stars that choose to sit out multiple games due to load management and for the opportunity to be available when the postseason rolls in. This is because an 82-game season is filled with numerous back-to-back games and extended games on the road.

With how fast an NBA game is in today's age, fatigue obviously becomes a factor after a number of 48-minute ball games being played. With fatigue being an issue, then comes the increase in injuries.

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Skip Bayless takes shot at LeBron James for sitting out

When it comes to Skip Bayless calling out NBA players, no one comes close to LeBron James for him.

On X, Skip Bayless mentioned LeBron James' unavailability on Jan 9, 2023, when the Lakers had a game against the Denver Nuggets.

"Wait, LeBron isn't playing tonight at Denver," Bayless said, "the best in the West? Ankle injury? Did this happen in practice? No idea. All I know for sure is Michael Jordan played all 82 games nine times -- including all 82 at age 39. The no-doubt GOAT also played 81 one season and 80 another."

Due to a long 82-game season, there are games, wherein the 38-year-old superstar will sit out a couple of games to make sure he is healthy when the playoffs roll in. James isn't the only player that follows this same kind of longevity process over the course of a season as it has proven to be effective in most cases.

However, Skip Bayless isn't a fan of the practice so much as the players since he has been accustomed to past NBA players, such as Michael Jordan, being available for multiple games.

Rarely has a player played in all 82 games, much less reach the 60+ or 70+ mark in completed games.

During the 2022-23 season, LeBron James played in 55 games and averaged 35.5 minutes per game.