Skip Bayless destroys LeBron James' Lakers legacy as completely overrated

Skip Bayless emphatically tore down LeBron James' entire eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN's First Take.

He called the stretch 'completely overrated.'

Bayless calmly dismantled the narrative that LeBron's Lakers run was a success.

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

Bayless called it a 'Mickey Mouse championship.'

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

During that time, he played 479 total games and scored 12,402 points.

He had a winning record overall: 287 wins to 192 losses.

But the playoff numbers tell a different story.

Since the 2020 title, LeBron as a Laker went 16 and 26 in the playoffs, according to Bayless.

He said the team missed the playoffs twice, got swept twice, and got gentleman's swept two more times.

The Russell Westbrook trade was a critical turning point.

Bayless said LeBron and Anthony Davis campaigned for general manager Rob Pelinka to acquire Westbrook.

'That's who they wanted, way to go.

Congratulations,' Bayless said sarcastically.

The trade cost the Lakers too much defensive and shooting depth.

It left the roster unbalanced.

Anthony Davis' injury issues compounded the problems.

It combined for one of the unhappiest stretches of LeBron's career.

Before joining the Lakers, LeBron was a perennial NBA Finals fixture.

He reached the Finals consistently across the decade: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.

He won four championships: 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2020.

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

He is now with the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping for one last swing this season.

There is a long way to go.

Stephen A. Smith was on the other side of the desk during the First Take segment.

He moved to defend LeBron James.

Smith wanted to hit back at the narrative that this season's Lakers team is better without LeBron.

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

'The idea that any team is better off without LeBron James is absurd.'

Bayless' criticism comes at a specific moment.

LeBron James' lawyers recently sent a cease and desist letter to an AI sports-betting app called Bron AI.

The app used a popular nickname for James and released an ad featuring his likeness.

The ad showed an AI version of James placing bets on NBA outcomes.

It featured a basketball player who looked like James from behind, wearing a No. 23 jersey with 'Bron' on the back.

James' attorneys made it clear he 'neither approved any use and/or exploitation of, nor authorized or granted permission' to his name or likeness.

They pointed out that James has an exclusive endorsement arrangement with Polymarket.

The ad appeared to show James' character placing bets on NBA games.

That is 'a very serious violation of NBA rules and regulations,' the letter stated.

Luka Doncic, James' former Lakers teammate, also reportedly asked the company to stop using his likeness.

Doncic's picture was used in the ad.

Pictures of other athletes also appeared: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayden Daniels, Christian McCaffrey, and Donovan Mitchell.

The ad was quickly pulled from social media.

Meanwhile, LeBron's new teammate in Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey, is adjusting to playing with him.

Maxey is averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds this season.

He is shooting 48.6% from the floor.