"LeBron just has to curse on national TV": Skip Bayless dishes backhanded compliment to Lakers legend despite clutch performance

Skip Bayless' Twitter is the place to be for LeBron James' critics after all of his games. The LA Lakers' 100-95 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena, in which James came up clutch for his team, would've shut down his naysayers. However, Bayless, as always, seemingly found a way to criticize the NBA's all-time scoring leader again.

Bayless offered a backhanded compliment to James. He did that by calling out the Suns for not fouling the four-time MVP as he drove downhill to stretch the Lakers' lead in the dying moments.

"In year 21, LeBron is finally doing what he should've always done in late close games - put his head down and drive it," Bayless tweeted. "Even now, nobody can freight train like LeBron. But the Suns were silly not to foul him EVERY TIME. He's an all-time shaky late-game free-throw shooter."

LeBron James has been a below-par free throw shooter throughout his career. On Thursday against the Suns, he was six-of-eight from the charity stripe. If stating his dismal free throw shooting ability wasn't enough, Skip Bayless called James out for cursing out live on TV.

"LeBron just has to curse on national TV," Bayless tweeted. "Should be above that."

Bayless was referring to James' post-game comments. LeBron called out Anthony Davis' haters after they ruthlessly mocked the star center for his no-show in second-half of the 119-107 opening night loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

"We don't give a sh*t about criticism about AD. We don't care."

Earlier this year, when LeBron broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, he dropped the 'F-bomb' on national television as NBA commissioner Adam Silver felicitated the Lakers star for his achievement.

"F**k man, thank you guys," said LeBron.

---

Lakers ditch LeBron James' rotation plans in win over Suns

The LA Lakers were staring at going down 0-2 to start the 2023-24 NBA season against the shorthanded Phoenix Suns. The Suns were without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, leaving Kevin Durant as the only star to play against the reigning conference finalists.

LeBron James and Co. were surprisingly trailing by 12 points at the end of the third quarter. James had already played 23 minutes, five to seven less than his minute restriction plan per coach Darvin Ham.

However, the Lakers ditched structure and decided to play 'King James' for the entire fourth quarter. The decision proved right as LA yielded the desired results, thanks to James' clutch plays down the stretch.

James scored 10 of his 21 points in the final frame, shooting three-of-six, including four-of-four from the FT line. With the game tied 91-91 and 1:30 left on the game clock, James made two consecutive layups off high pick-and-roll actions with Anthony Davis to give the team a four-point lead with 41 seconds left.

From there on, the Lakers' defense clamped Kevin Durant and Co. They held onto win the tie 100-95, opening their home game with a win.