These days, most sports fans turn the other cheek to Skip Bayless when he claims to have the scoop on big sports news.
After all, Bayless hasn’t been a reporter in nearly two decades and makes more headlines for his treatment of his cohosts these days than being an insider. But it appears Bayless scored a big scoop last week when he reported that Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard underwent surgery again this offseason.
Last week on Undisputed, Bayless remarked that Leonard had “another little clean-up surgery” following a first-round ouster by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA postseason. Now, the Clippers appear to have confirmed Bayless’ reporting.
“He has (surgery) every offseason because he’s got chronically bad both knees,” Bayless said while discussing Leonard’s departure from Team USA camp in Las Vegas.
Skip Bayless said Kawhi Leonard “had another little clean-up surgery this offseason” pic.twitter.com/lAjt0mA6RK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 10, 2024
At Summer League on Monday, Clippers executive Lawrence Frank declined to comment on whether Leonard had surgery, which might as well have been confirmation.
Leonard missed the end of the Clippers’ series against Dallas with what the team called right knee inflammation.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of what’s happened,” Frank said after being asked whether Leonard had a procedure on his knee.
Bayless does live in and broadcast from Los Angeles, so the Clippers are in his backyard. If the longtime debate host were to have any inside info, it would come from Los Angeles.
Still, credit Bayless for nailing some important info on an NBA superstar who suddenly became a big story after leaving the Olympic team.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.