NBA analyst Skip Bayless showered praise on LeBron James. Bayless, who is often known to be a critic of LeBron James, said the veteran is still the face of not only the LA Lakers but also of the league. The NBA pundit reckons James is paid maximum by the franchise to keep showtime alive in the league.

The veteran was given a two-year contract extension for $97.1 million recently, which has been the talk of the town in the NBA.

The upcoming season of the NBA will be the 20th for LeBron James as he has had a glorious career. James is still playing at the top of his game but he was troubled by injuries in the previous edition.

Skip Bayless said, “The point is, he missed some games last year; he missed some games the year before.” Skip Bayless said. “(Lakers owner) Jeanie Buss is concluding that Showtime has to be more side-Showtime. Because all in the end that she has to care about is her bottom line. And now it’s more about marketing and rating than winning championships.

“He is still the face, not only of the franchise, he’s the face of the league to me.”

Bayless feels the Lakers’ giving contract extension to LeBron James is to ensure that they are keeping the business going as fans always look to catch a glimpse of the veteran on the court.

Meanwhile, James was in stellar form in the previous season as he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 56 games in 2021-22. He was also selected to play in his eighteenth All-Star games.

James has all the experience under his belt and he will once again be determined to prove his mettle in the upcoming season.