"LeBron James last night looked 37 going on 27, and maybe 22" - Skip Bayless admits LA Lakers have looked like Western Conference contenders in preseason 

Skip Bayless has something good to say about LeBron James and the LA Lakers. That's about as rare as getting a quadruple-double in the NBA.

Bayless, a long-time NBA analyst, had high words of praise for the team after their performance against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Lakers lost the game by four points, but had a 69-62 lead before halftime. This was a big improvement compared to their preseason opener. They scored just 75 points and lost by 30 points to the Sacramento Kings earlier this week.

Speaking about how the Lakers performed against the Suns, Bayless said:

"I'm going all the way up to a nine... I must admit to you sir, I saw the makings of a Western Conference contender last night.

"This team looks better than it did last year, because all of the fading stars that were coming off the bench last year, are gone. There's obviously no Melo [Carmelo Anthony]. There's no Dwight [Howard]."

Bayless was also gushing over LeBron James. The 37-year old finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field.

Speaking about James, who had only four points versus Sacramento, Bayless said:

"I'm wondering if he was responding to the ridicule he received from many places. Especially from this side of this table after he went 0-for-7 on opening pre-season night."

"If he stays healthy, he's going to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of this league."

"LeBron James last night looked 37 going on 27 and maybe 22 because his body looked 22ish to me. His energy in preseason game number two. Trust me, I've been watching this for a long time, he came out with Game 7 energy last night."

LeBron James looked "fabulous" versus the Phoenix Suns, says Skip Bayless

Bayless, who usually never shies away from criticizing LeBron James, didn't stop there. He continued compliementing the 18-time All-Star, saying:

"And last night it looked like he [LeBron] had his mat on in a good way. He came out like, 'Watch this.' Right out of the box, he starts making everything he looks at."

"I gotta tell you, I thought he looked, dare I say, fabulous last night. His body looks sensational. I'm not exaggerating. I'm not kidding. I'm not sarcastic. I'm speaking straight from the gut and the heart."

Bayless was also impressed with LeBron James' effort on the defensive end of the floor. He told his 'Undisputed' co-anchor Shannon Sharpe:

"But Shannon, on the defensive end, not only was he getting in the chair, he was chasing down. He was all over the floor. He was flying around on defense. It's preseason game number two."

"And I'm like, 'LeBron, leave some of it for the regular season'. I've never seen any superstar play any harder than LeBron played last night in preseason game number two. He was possessed last night to right the ship. Not only personally, but team-wise he wanted them to look like a contender last night."

LeBron James and the Lakers kick off their 2022-23 season against the Golden State Warriors on October 18.