Skip Bayless rips LeBron James, Lakers for skid: ‘Raise that banner’



Skip Bayless found his moment to pounce.

With the Lakers scuffling after winning the In-Season Tournament – and raising a banner for it – the controversial “Undisputed” host jumped on his chance to rib LeBron James on Wednesday following Los Angeles’ awful 124-108 road loss to the hapless Bulls in Chicago.

“LeBron’s Lakers are now 1-4 since winning their ‘championship,’” Bayless posted Wednesday night on X. “Now they go to Minnesota and to OKC … the teams with the West’s two best records. Congrats, King. Raise that banner.”

Bayless has long said how James pales in comparison to Michael Jordan, and has been holding James’ and the Lakers’ reaction to winning the In-Season Tournament against them.

Some questioned whether a storied franchise like the Lakers should hang a banner, but the Lakers now have that achievement in the rafters.

“Michael Jeffrey Jordan would have said to the Chicago Bulls: ‘Over my dead body will you raise a banner for an In-Season Tournament.’ The Lakers are going to raise a banner,” Bayless said during “The Skip Bayless Show” on Dec. 15. “I don’t like it.

“I appreciated that LeBron rallied his troops, kept them together, led them to win games that other teams weren’t that serious about early on in the group play.”

LeBron James drives against the Bulls. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The Lakers’ In-Season Tournament banner. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Tuesday’s loss marked the Lakers’ fourth in their last five games since beating the Pacers for the In-Season Tournament crown, and dropped them to 15-13.

Two of those losses have come against some of the league’s worst teams in the Spurs and Bulls, and a loss to Jordan’s former team wasn’t going to get by Bayless.

Skip Bayless. Frank Micelotta

Bayless called out LeBron for a “front-running, hot-dogging start” and a failed dunk in Wednesday’s loss.

James tallied a team-high 25 points while adding 10 rebounds and nine assists.

“What a lifeless, heartless defensive effort by LeBron’s Lakers in Chicago, losing 124-108, allowing 18 threes to a not-very-good shooting team,” Bayless posted on X on Wednesday night. “Somewhere, Michael Jordan is rolling his eyes, if not chuckling.”





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