Quinnen Williams fires back at Skip Bayless over shocking Cowboys comment

Skip Bayless emphatically tore down LeBron James’ entire eight-year spell with the Los Angeles Lakers during a Thursday morning appearance on ESPN’s First Take.

Bayless called the tenure “completely overrated.”

He specifically mocked the 2020 NBA championship, which was won inside the Orlando bubble without fans in attendance.

“I’ve got to say this: LeBron’s LA tenure was completely overrated,” Bayless said on the show.

“He got pass after pass in LA just because in 2020, down in the Orlando bubble, he won a ‘Mickey Mouse’ championship.”

Bayless then pointed to the Lakers’ playoff record after that title.

“Since that championship, LeBron as a Laker went 16 and 26 in the playoffs,” Bayless said.

He also criticized James and Anthony Davis for pushing the team to acquire Russell Westbrook.

“He and AD campaigned for Rob [Pelinka] to go get Russell Westbrook,” Bayless said.

“That’s who they wanted, way to go. Congratulations.”

The Russell Westbrook trade is widely regarded as a critical turning point for the Lakers.

The team traded away significant defensive and shooting depth, leaving the roster unbalanced.

Injury issues for Anthony Davis compounded the problem.

Together, those factors produced one of the unhappiest stretches of James’ career.

Bayless noted that the Lakers missed the playoffs twice, got swept twice, and lost via gentleman’s sweep two more times after 2020.

LeBron James spent eight years with the Lakers between 2018 and 2026.

He played 479 total games and scored 12,402 points for the franchise.

James had a winning record when he played, going 287–192 overall.

He won the NBA title in 2020, his only championship with the team.

But the Lakers never reached the NBA Finals again after that season.

Before his time in Los Angeles, James was a perennial fixture in the NBA Finals.

He reached the championship round in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.

He won four titles overall: 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2020.

2020 was the last time he ever played in the Finals.

James now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and is hoping for one last championship run.

Stephen A. Smith was on the other side of the desk from Bayless during the segment.

Smith defended LeBron James against the criticism.

He pushed back on the idea that the Lakers are better off without James.

“I want to repeat this: there is no team in the NBA that is better off without LeBron James,” Smith said. “Nobody.”

“The idea that any team is better off without LeBron James is ridiculous,” he added.

Bayless disagreed and argued that Luka Dončić grew tired of sharing the stage with an aging James.

“I believe that Luka Dončić got sick and tired of having to share the stage with a LeBron James who couldn’t live up to being LeBron James anymore, as he hit 40 years old,” Bayless said.

Smith responded by putting his hand over his face and saying, “Oh my god.”

Bayless then praised Dončić for developing his game and working on his weaknesses, including his physical shape and defense.

“Now the stage has been cleared of a LeBron James who, I’ve gotta say this, his LA tenure was completely overrated,” Bayless added.

The debate about whether the Lakers are better off without James is expected to continue throughout the season.

Bayless and Smith worked together on First Take for four years before Bayless left for Fox Sports in 2016.

Seeing them reignite their rivalry over the LeBron-Lakers debate felt nostalgic for many sports fans, regardless of which side they take.

The segment also revived interest in Bayless’ controversial style of commentary.

Separately, Bayless made headlines this week for comments about the Dallas Cowboys.

Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams used the word “execute” 32 times in a five-minute interview with reporters while discussing defensive struggles.

Bayless referenced those comments on First Take and said he wanted to “execute” several Cowboys players during their overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

“Stephen A., we became a national laughingstock once again (on Monday), when Quinnen Williams, in a five-minute interview, used the word ‘execute’ 32 times in five minutes,” Bayless said.

“And I must tell you that during Sunday’s collapse against the Arizona freakin’ Cardinals, I wanted to execute several of my players during the game, execute them on the field,” Bayless said.

“I wanted them to be executed.”

Williams responded on social media, criticizing Bayless for taking the discussion too far.

“(Skip Bayless) it’s extremely crazy to say you wanted players on defense to be executed,” Williams wrote.

“You got to do better my guy.”

Williams made clear that the language crossed a line, even if Bayless was expressing frustration rather than making a literal threat.