FOX Sports' Skip Bayless laughed off a recent USA Today list that ranked the Top 10 NBA Greatest Players of All Time, with Lakers' star LeBron James finishing second, during his morning sports talk show UNDISPUTED on FOX. Bayless is known across sports culture for outspokenly being one of James' biggest critics, especially when discussing whether or not LeBron should be in the 'GOAT' conversation or even be compared to basketball legend Michael Jordan. USA Today's rankings gave Bayless all the ammunition he needed in order to make his latest case against James, saying that the Lakers' star should be "disqualified" from the GOAT conversion altogether.
"The biggest difference between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is that Michael Jordan was the coldest-blooded killer we've ever seen in any sport," Skip told UNDISPUTED co-host Shannon Sharpe. "Just give him the ball and get out of his way."
He continued, "LeBron James is disqualified from the second spot on this list, because he is a shockingly lousy 3-point shooter for his status as the 'second best player'... And LeBron James is simply the worst superstar free throw shooter I've ever seen of a player of this magnitude, and he is the 'un-clutchest' late game free throw shooter in the history of basketball, given his magnitude. Disqualified, disqualified, disqualified."
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Strong words from Bayless, especially considering he's talking about a 4x NBA MVP and 4x Finals MVP in LeBron, who has also started a staggering 17-straight All-Star games. Yes, James is just a career 73% free throw shooter, but if free throw woes hold such great magnitude in Bayless' mind to the point where it negates LeBron's many accomplishments, how much does that take away from Shaquille O'Neal's all-time legacy, someone Bayless ranked third on his personal Top 10 list?
Shaq, a career 53% shooter from the line, finished well above James on Skip's list, followed by players such as Tim Duncan, Bill Russell, and Larry Bird, who all placed higher than the ninth spot ranking Bayless issued LeBron.
What do you think of USA Today's list compared to Skip's? Who got it right? Check out both rankings below...
Top 10 NBA Greatest Players of All Time: According to USA Today Sports
- Michael Jordan
- LeBron James
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Magic Johnson
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Bill Russell
- Kobe Bryant
- Larry Bird
- Tim Duncan
- Shaquille O'Neal