Before the 2017–18 NBA season, infamous Fox Sports pundit Skip Bayless made news when he criticized the size of LA Lakers star forward LeBron James.
Most frequently on chat shows like “First Take” and “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” Bayless has made a career out of disparaging James. Additionally, he has been criticizing James more frequently on social media. This applies to his at-home training videos, where he frequently gets up early to exercise before the sun rises.
However, due to the silliness of his remarks, Bayless’ critiques of LeBron James’ weight reduction struck fans in particular.
Skip Bayless tweeted his tirade against LeBron James’ weight in September 2021 with the following caption:
“LEBRON, SAY IT AIN’T SO! What about those warrior exercises you posted every other day throughout the previous season?”
He then criticized James in the video for allegedly losing weight over the offseason. The explanation was that Bayless, who is now 70 years old, claimed to have been able to keep up his physical fitness throughout his whole adult life. James ought to be able to, in his opinion.
“Hello, LeBron I’ve just started my Saturday run. You are aware that my two toughest runs of the week are on Saturday and Sunday. Did I hear (Rob) Pelinka, your GM, mention that you’ve lost weight in preparation for this season?” Bayless remarked.
Of course, keeping physical fitness as a professional athlete differs significantly from an elderly guy exercising cardio to maintain his weight. Skip Bayless was presumably aware of this and was only using the occasion to make a weight-related joke about LeBron James.
Did LeBron James’ weight reduction affect his performance in the NBA in 2021–2022?
It’s uncertain if LeBron James’ weight loss played a significant role in his performance on the individual level last season. James did, however, average the second-highest number of points per game of his career last year, it should be noted.
James shot 52.4% in games for an average of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks. It’s true that his defense wasn’t what it once was. However, taking everything into account, James still had the best season for a player in their 19th NBA season.
Skip Bayless obviously didn’t care, though. LeBron James’ weight was no longer a topic of discussion.
Instead, Bayless chastised James for posting meaningless figures. The Lakers’ season collapse, which saw them end 33-49 and in last place in the Western Conference, was another thing Bayless thoroughly appreciated.
It’s very obvious that James cannot defeat Bayless, which is likely why he has chosen to ignore him throughout his whole career.
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