Skip Bayless accuses LeBron James of faking MCL sprain as excuse after elimination

Not long after the LA Lakers were eliminated from the postseason, it was reported that LeBron James had suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. However, analyst Skip Bayless isn't buying the idea that the 21-time All-Star is dealing with an injury.

On Wednesday morning, Bayless touched on the injury news during the latest episode of his podcast. Bayless said it only came about to provide an excuse for James coming up short in the playoffs.

"Another LeBron playoff flameout," Bayless said. "Followed by another leaked and planted excuse for said flameout. He and his inner circle just did it again. Rich Paul, you are the all-time greatest at excuse planting with key media members. Never seen anything quite like this."

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James reportedly suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of the Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves. His projected timeline for recovery is anywhere between three and five weeks.

After acquiring Luka Doncic and climbing to third in the Western Conference, the Lakers had big aspirations in the postseason. However, they did not come close to achieving their goals. LA was sent home in five games by the Timberwolves in a major upset.

Skip Bayless shuts down notion of LeBron James retiring

At the age of 40, there is no telling how many more years LeBron James has left in the NBA. James has consistently said that one of his biggest goals at this stage of his career was to play alongside his son, and he achieved that this season. When faced with the question of how much longer he plans on going, the star forward couldn't give a definitive answer.

"I don't have an answer to that. Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens," LeBron said.

Bayless, however, feels LeBron James will announce his retirement ahead of time so he can have a farewell tour similar to Kobe Bryant.

"Book it: LeBron will play next season," he tweeted. "You'll know when he's going to retire because he will announce it before his final season, so he can have a farewell tour and get celebrated in every city as he plays his last game there. He'll never miss that."

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LeBron has a player option worth $52.6 million that he can opt into.

About the author

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in journalism and a bachelor's degree in Sports Management Marketing from Holy Family University.

Kevin has worked with various notable outlets throughout his career, including 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Heavy Sports, and Sports Illustrated/FanNation, before joining Sportskeeda in March 2022.

Specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage, Kevin's passion for basketball stems from his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Among his favorite players are Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and Steph Curry, while his all-time favorites include Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kevin holds Coach K in high regard for the large input he's had on the game helping mold players across multiple generations. Kevin believes the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped elevate the league to its current status.

Through his writing, Kevin provides in-depth analysis and insights into player and coach quotes. He prioritizes sourcing information from credible and reliable outlets.

Kevin enjoys reading, aiming to finish at least one book per month, and he is a big fan of music.

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Edited by Kevin McCormick