Damian Lillard carried the Portland Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals last year and led them on an improbable run to the playoffs during this season’s restart, but FS1’s Skip Bayless remains unimpressed.
Bayless’ continued hot take of Lillard not being a superstar has drawn the ire of many fans and analysts, including Lillard himself.
But recently, former NBA player, FS1 colleague and current co-host of the All The Smoke podcast, Matt Barnes had enough of Skip’s contempt for Lillard, telling him to “cut the bulls***.”
“Skip, I love you man, but that shit was weak what you did. To say you were frustrated and mad at Dame because your job or FOX’s longevity depended on it. You don’t put all that on him. He has concerns, he addressed his concerns. Dame has never spoke like anybody but Dame– never tried to be LeBron, never tried to be no one, never tried to team up with no stars. Dame is Dame. So, as a former player, and all of the players in the league respects when he speaks because he rarely speaks in the first place. So, for you to try to come shit on him with these bullshit ass analytics– analytics are made up by people who can’t dribble and chew gum at the same time, analytics mean nothing. It’s the eye test with Dame. Dame hits big shots, he misses big shots, but he’s always going to take them, he’s one of the most clutch players we’ve ever seen in the NBA. Cut the bullshit out. “
The “concerns” Barnes mentioned refers to Lillard saying he wouldn’t be part of the NBA’s restart unless the Blazers had an opportunity to make it to the playoffs. Ultimately, the Blazers were given an opportunity and Lillard seized it, leading them to the postseason.
Even after Barnes called Bayless out, the Undisputed host has continued to throw shade at Lillard. So now that the Blazers are in the playoffs, what’s better for Skip? If Lillard and the Blazers perform well, the criticism is a difficult narrative to continue, but if they’re quietly eliminated, the conversation will lack relevancy until next year.
Either way, Bayless will continue to find ways of doing what he does best, offer an opinion that provokes reaction.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
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