Skip Bayless complimented LA Lakers forward LeBron James on social media, only to call him out on the same post for a trend he started in the NBA.
The logo 3-pointer, made famous by Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard in recent seasons, was a shot LeBron James had been taking previously, especially during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bayless, sports analyst for Fox Sports, 'credited' LeBron James for being the pioneer of the logo three, but mocked him for his shooting percentage from that distance.
"I definitely give LeBron credit for ‘inventing’ the logo 3,” Bayless said in a tweet. “Unfortunately, he made zero of his 1st 18 attempts. He's a career 39 of 157 on logos (just 24%!). Some were psychological daggers. Many were bad show-off shots, attempts at self-promoting highlights at team's expense.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
For every Skip Bayless compliment towards LeBron James, he has a dozen more criticisms directed at the four-time MVP. James’ 3-point percentage from the deep is actually commendable, considering the distance he takes his shots from.
Last season, the 18-year veteran shot 36.5% from the 3-point range, the fourth-highest shooting clip of his career. But the LA Lakers didn’t benefit much from his improved outside shooting, as he missed 27 games in the regular season.
LeBron James criticized for logo three by Skip Bayless during clutch moment
Last January, during a game against the Chicago Bulls, LeBron James shot a 3-pointer from 31 feet away from the basket, but missed. The fact that the missed shot came with 20 seconds to go with the LA Lakers up by only a point, and could have cost them the ball game wasn’t lost on Skip Bayless.
The Purple and Gold ended up winning the game by two points, 117-115, after Dennis Schroder split a pair of free throws with no time on the clock.
Usually, James wouldn’t take a shot like that if it could jeopardize the Lakers’ chances of winning a game. In fact, most of the time, he takes them out of fun with the game's result a foregone conclusion.
No matter when James takes them, it’s unlikely Bayless will be happy with the former's shots.
You may also like: "I want a parade here in LA" - Rajon Rondo on his return to the LA Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers Fan? Check out the latest Lakers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.