"WILL NOT COUNT as LBJ's 5th": Skip Bayless deems LeBron James' Lakers favorites for NBA Cup, refuses GOAT debate relevance 

LeBron James and the LA Lakers are Las Vegas-bound after their close 106-103 win over the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament on Tuesday. And perennial James critic Skip Bayless shared his two cents on the four-time NBA champion after he spearheaded the win with a 31-point performance. Bayless deemed the Lakers as favorites to win the NBA Cup, but refused to acknowledge it as James' fifth ring.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the "Undisputed" host said it would be an Indiana Pacers vs LA Lakers final with the latter taking the win:

"Lakers will win the inaugural In-Season Tournament. LeBron is taking it much more seriously than Giannis, who said after his game he's not real happy about having to go to Vegas without his family on his bday. Lakers>Pacers for the Cup. But it WILL NOT COUNT as LBJ's 5th ring."

Bayless joins the list of people who believe the Lakers are firm favorites to win the NBA Cup. The team was unbeaten in the group stage and the win against the Suns now sees them take on the New Orleans Pelicans.

However, he added that the win would not do anything for LeBron James to add to the GOAT debate. On his part, winning the tournament would add to the four-time MVP's decorated resume, and irrespective of Bayless' comments, will be a factor when the GOAT chatter pops up again.

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LeBron James leads the Lakers to a close win against the Phoenix Suns

After a strong first half that saw the Lakers lead 59-47, they blew the lead in the third and it needed LeBron James to pull off something special. The veteran didn't disappoint as he put in a 30-point performance – his sixth this season – as he dripped 31 points along with eight rebounds and 11 assists.

The game also saw him make a bit of history. He is now the first Lakers with a double-double and five steals since Kobe Bryant:

"LeBron James is the first #Lakers player with 20 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals in a game since Kobe Bryant against the Clippers in Nov. 2004, per @ESPNStatsInfo. LeBron also becomes the oldest player with 5 steals in a game since the stat became official in 1973-74."

At 38, LeBron James has proved that he is still a freight train who can decimate opponents single-handedly. The forward has been playing despite dealing with a calf contusion, and LA will hope that he manages to stay healthy for the remainder of the season as they look to lift the championship along with the NBA Cup.