During his rise to becoming one of the most prominent personalities in the sports media landscape, Skip Bayless made a habit of questioning whether LeBron James has what he calls “the clutch gene.”
But while Bayless’ references to the mythical attribute have been conveniently limited in recent years, the Fox Sports host brought back what is arguably his most famous trope this week to praise Bronny James — while also throwing some backhanded shade at his father.
“I think Bronny will be pretty good,” Bayless on The Skip Bayless Show on X. “I think he’ll become a clutch three-point shooter. I’ve always gotten the feeling that Bronny had a bigger clutch gene than his father does. McDonald’s [High School All-Star] Game he was in the spotlight. They went to him late two or three times and he just nailed threes. He did not shoot the three well at USC, but I’m giving him a complete and utter break because I’m knocking on wood for him. He had a serious heart condition that waylaid him to start his first year of college basketball at USC and it just never quite got going and I get it.”
.@RealSkipBayless says Bronny may have a bigger clutch gene than LeBron pic.twitter.com/BoEbuphCSs
— The Skip Bayless Show (@SkipBaylessShow) July 4, 2024
As Bronny becomes a lightning rod in the sports media landscape, it’s interesting to see Bayless carve out his position. While most likely expected that the Undisputed host would use the allegations of nepotism as ammunition in his decades-long crusade against LeBron, the 72-year-old is zagging, praising Bronny’s basketball ability but doing so in a way that allows him to continue to question his four-time MVP father.
Well played.
It’s fair to wonder, however, how Bronny wound up with such a big clutch gene considering that, according to Bayless, his father doesn’t have one. Does that mean the clutch gene isn’t hereditary? Or is Savannah James the real carrier of the trait that she apparently passed along to her oldest son?
But regardless of the science behind it, if Bronny does, in fact, have a bigger clutch gene than his father — a four-time NBA champion who lays claim to the most buzzer-beaters in NBA Playoffs history — then the No. 55 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft is in for a heckuva career.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.