Trae Young's father takes aim at Skip Bayless for vitriolic narrative towards LeBron James

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young's dad, Ray Young, thinks he knows exactly where the problems surrounding the media's coverage of the NBA started: With Skip Bayless. In the wake of Lebron James sharing his thoughts on the "Face of the NBA" discussion, Ray shared his thoughts on X, writing that the problem started with Bayless, an outspoken critic of James. Back in 2011, after ESPN rebranded its debate show 1st and 10 to First Take, his role became even bigger.

Through his on-air debates with Stephen A. Smith, Bayless became a TV star known for his hot takes. Around this time, he earned a reputation as one of LeBron's biggest critics, frequently targeting the future Hall of Famer.

As the show got bigger, the takes got hotter, and according to Trae Young's father, that's when the coverage surrounding the NBA began to change for the worse:

"Us “old heads” like me are sitting back knowing the truth…This started when yall let 1 man make MILLIONS talking negative about @KingJames….calling him crazy names. You’d get your ass kicked if you did that to Jordan, Johnson, Bird back then…#Skip."

Trae Young's father wasn't the only one to call out entertainment-focused shows like First Take this week

LeBron James' comments on NBA coverage have sparked widespread discussions. He told members of the press he understands why Anthony Edwards doesn't want to be the face of the league, given the criticism that accompanies the role.

Following LeBron's remarks, First Take appeared to validate his point by discussing them. During the show, Brian Windhorst noted that while there are unfair expectations placed around LeBron, he has also brought some of the attention upon himself.

As an example, Windhorst highlighted how LeBron signed a $90 million deal with Nike before joining the NBA, citing Michael Jordan as the reason. However, fans on social media argued that growing up in poverty likely influenced his decision more than Jordan did.

On the same episode of First Take, Ciney Ogwumike echoed a similar sentiment to the one Trae Young's dad shared, saying that the coverage of the NBA is too focused on entertainment:

"I think that we have a responsibility in this business to do two things: provide entertainment and to also provide analysis. And very few are better at the entertainment portion, especially this show than First Take.

"But the analysis I think is what players are looking for more. Even today the show is a good example. How much have we talked about Steph Curry dropping 56?"

Her perspective seemed to be ignored, with Stephen A. Smith deflecting blame for his role. He stated that players and coaches are welcome to appear on the show, but none of them do.

LeBron James, meanwhile, took to X to highlight how the media's coverage of his comments only proved his point.

Only time will tell if things change once NBC and Amazon begin covering the league under the new media rights deal.