While the temperature has died down significantly since Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith last exchanged words, the discussion surrounding the matter remains heated in sports media. On Monday night, Skip Bayless took to his own Skip Bayless Show on YouTube to defend his former First Take co-worker, describing how James confronted Smith at a Lakers game as “an ambush” and “cowardly.”
Meanwhile, former ESPN basketball analyst Dan Dakich took a different stance, criticizing both Smith and Bayless for their remarks. Speaking on a recent episode of Don’t @ Me w/ Dan Dakich on OutKick, he had strong words for both men.
“Yeah, you can critique him (Bronny James). He’s wearing a Lakers uniform,” stated Dakich. “Why is it so cowardly when the guy (LeBron James) shoots back? Why is it so cowardly when the guy confronts one of you p****s?”
Dakich went on to recap the situation when LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith at Crypto.com Arena in February. He emphasized that he had no issue with Smith and Bayless criticizing LeBron for influencing the Lakers to draft his son or for the fact that his son is now an NBA player. However, what Dakich took issue with was Bayless calling the confrontation cowardly when, in his view, James simply addressed Smith in the manner he saw fit.
“Why is it so cowardly to confront him (Smith) when you see him?” questioned Dakich. “What is he supposed to do? Fly out just to see Stephen A. Smith? I’m not wasting my time and money on that. I see him, I confront him. That is the opposite of cowardly. Cowardly is sitting there behind a mic like Skip Bayless has done, like Shannon—whatever that idiot’s name is—Sharpe has done. What Smith does. Cowardly is sitting behind a mic, behind a television, criticizing him over and over again. Then, when you meet him, you back down like a little guy at the playground. That’s cowardly.”
Dakich, a former Indiana basketball player and head coach, also argued that Smith and Bayless were never athletes and, therefore, don’t understand what it means to be one. Furthermore, he pointed out that Bayless coming to Smith’s defense only reinforced what he believes is the real issue.
“Skip Bayless coming to your defense is perfect,” Dakich said. “Cowards are all too cowardly when they were kids to work hard enough to be an athlete. They’re bitter about not being an athlete, want to be in the game, criticize athletes, and then, when confronted, they fold, fold, fold.”
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