"Skip pitted LeBron James against Michael Jordan" - Jason Whitlock drops bizarre analogy to break down Lakers star's tension with ESPN hosts

This week, LeBron James made headlines not only for his stellar play, which has helped fuel the Lakers to wins over the LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks, but also for a courtside confrontation he had with Stephen A. Smith.

During the fourth quarter of Thursday's Lakers-Knicks game, James confronted Smith about things he had said regarding his son, Bronny James. The situation, which was filmed by a fan, has since gone viral, with former ESPN writer Jason Whitlock now weighing in.

In a post on X on Saturday, Whitlock compared James, Smith, ESPN and Skip Bayless to characters in the hit film "Django Unchained."

The film follows a slave named Django, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, as he and a bounty hunter seek two brothers. After the successful hunt, the bounty hunter frees Django and they embark on a mission to free Django's wife, who was still a slave on the plantation known as Candy Land.

"Here's the analogy: ESPN = Candyland. Skip Bayless = Calvin Candie. Stephen A = Stephen. LeBron = Django.

"Calvin Candie matched negroes in fights for profit, same way Skip pitted LeBron against Jordan. Stephen rode Calvin Candie's coattails for butter biscuits. Django snapped. End of story," Whitlock tweeted.

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunited for the first time in nearly a decade following LeBron James confrontation

In the wake of Stephen A. Smith's courtside confrontation with LeBron James, the "First Take" host reportedly reunited with a familiar face: Skip Bayless.

According to a report from FrontOfficeSports, Smith appeared in an episode of "The Skip Bayless Show" on Friday.

While the episode hasn't been released, the expectation is that the duo will likely discuss Smith's recent run-in with James given that Bayless has been an outspoken critic of him in the past.

The episode will be the first time the two have been on-camera together since Bayless parted ways with ESPN in 2016. Since then, their relationship has been rocky, with Smith saying in 2024 that he called Bayless, but he did not answer.

At the time, he made it clear that he always had nothing but love for his former "First Take" co-host; however, not answering his calls or calling him back had left him questioning their relationship.

Whether the two clear the air during the show or jump right into discussing Smith's recent confrontation with James, only time will tell.