Skip Bayless Calls J.R. Smith LeBron's 'Favorite Scapegoat'
By Liam McKeone
J.R. Smith is on the verge of reuniting with LeBron James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, according to the ever-reliable Adrian Wojnarowski. Smith languished in Cleveland the year after LeBron left before choosing to sit out entirely and no team has signed him since. But with Avery Bradley deciding to sit out the Orlando restart, Smith is useful once again.
Skip Bayless, who will undoubtedly have a field day for the next three months with all of the fresh LeBron content, had a take on this signing. Shocking, right? He tweeted out that LeBron is about to be reunited with his favorite scapegoat.
Looks like the "GOAT" is about to add his favorite scapegoat, J.R. Smith. Be careful, J.R.: If this sprint to the finish goes wrong, LeBron will point the finger at ... YOU. Yet HE was the one who passed up a last shot over little Steph to pass to George Hill, then quit in OT.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 29, 2020
Bayless is the walking personification of incorrigible. LeBron James could average 60 in the playoffs for the rest of his life and Bayless would find something to nitpick. It's part of the schtick. That doesn't change the fact that labeling Smith a "scapegoat" is hilarious.
The word-for-word definition of scapegoat is "a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency." The incident in question is, of course, the infamous ending of Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, in which Smith forgot how much time was on the clock and dribbled it out, preventing the Cavs from taking a potential game-winning shot. They lost in overtime and everything went south from there. LeBron was more visibly upset than we've ever seen him with a teammate on the floor.
Only Bayless could label that as a scapegoat job, man. LeBron will indeed point the finger at Smith if he forgets how much damn time is on the clock in the NBA Finals. I imagine we all would!
Death, taxes, and irrational Skip Bayless takes are part of the bit. Consistent as always, and considering I'm sitting here writing this, he got me this time.