Skip Bayless Claims LeBron James is the Most Overprotected Superstar in Sports History

Building on his criticism of media bias, Bayless escalated his argument:

"LeBron Eclipses Aaron Rogers as the most overprotected superstar in sports history. Forgive me you billions of blind witnesses, I just can't let this one slide."

To support his case, Bayless dissected a recent Lakers-Orlando game, focusing on what he saw as a characteristic late-game collapse:

"Lakers playing Orlando. Orlando does not have Ben Carol or Wendell Carter Jr. Lakers had won six in a row... With 8:27 left in the game, LeBron hit a three, then he came back down at 7:47. They dared him to shoot another one and he made it. The crowd erupts. Another possession, here we come, 7:23, LeBron says heat check - kaboom! He bombs home another three... 39 seconds left, LeBron had two free throws to put the Lakers up four, which would feel dagger-like. He missed the first one, right on schedule. As I always say, 'they're called free throws for a reason.' You get to stand there 15 feet away unguarded and make a free shot... LeBron for his career is a 74% free throw shooter. That ranks, since he came into the league, 682nd all time. This year he's right on pace for his career average with 74%. In this year's NBA that ranks 177th."

The veteran commentator then doubled down on his criticism of James's free-throw shooting:

"By far he's the worst [superstar free throw shooter] since he came into the league, but all I hear is 'leave him alone, leave him alone.' sweep that under the carpet, let's go on... As I've said a billion times before, blind witnesses, he just has no clutch gene."

While Bayless's critique of LeBron's free-throw shooting numbers carries merit (that 74% career average is far below elite levels) his broader "clutch gene" argument conveniently ignores James's countless game-winners and pivotal playoff performances. It's vintage Bayless: taking a legitimate criticism (free-throw shooting) and extrapolating it into a sweeping indictment of James's entire legacy. Then again, that's exactly how his managed to prolong his career. In a sports media landscape increasingly dominated by hot takes, at least Bayless stays consistent in his critiques, even if they sometimes require selective memory.