Skip Bayless has gotten more unhinged than usual on “Undisputed” when he turned his toxic takes toward the greatness that is Steph Curry.
On Friday, the “Undisputed” lead host disparaged the Golden State Warriors’ point god while rebutting co-host Shannon Sharpe’s claim that Curry should be considered among the top 10 NBA players of all time.
Skip went into a rant that dove into the racially polarized pool of colorism.
“I just know what I did and did not see from little light-skinned Steph. There have been too many times when he got so light-skinned in the Finals I couldn’t see him any more, because he turned into a ghost. He just went ‘Poof!’ right before your very eyes.”
Shannon Sharpe laughed at the comments, giving Skip a pass, before returning to the debate, and that is part of the major problem here.
Bayless has long received the ire of professional athletes for takes that they feel come off more personal than professional. The Oklahoma City native is moving like he has a lifetime pass in the culture and can make light-skin jokes. On top of that, when discussing Curry’s place on the all-time greats list, why would his skin color have any relevance in a serious sports topic?
Shannon and I will see you tomorrow for a HAPPY JUNETEENTH show. Wait, a mediocre coach (Kenny Atkinson) spurned Michael Jordan to remain a GSt assistant??? Lakers are interested in Bradley Beal? Where exactly does Shannon rank Steph in his all-time Top 10? Brady>>>Peyton.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 20, 2022
During the Golden State Warriors’ championship celebration after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 6, Steph Curry had a message that seems more resonant than ever now.
“What are they gonna say now?”
Curry has now defeated the most significant criticism of his championship career, achieving a Finals MVP trophy. He has already won almost every major award and sits on a throne of basketball achievement.
Curry is a four-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP, and is widely considered the greatest shooter to ever play in the NBA. He joined a short list of players with a league MVP and four championships.
@Chris_Broussard @ThompsonScribe I tweeted this earlier and I'm asking again. Why or how is THIS acceptable? Colorism is funny now?
— BlkQueen (@evang_bmee) June 17, 2022
That list includes Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James. Each player not only racked up the biggest personal accolades but also changed the game during their era, leaving their footprints on how the game is played today.
Steph Curry is the basketball cultural leader of this generation. This quick-fire run-and-shoot style revolutionized the outside game, and he made becoming a trick shot three-point shooter an aspiration.
Like Michael Jordan, who provided a legacy of an all-around player exceptional at almost everything, Curry perfected the field goal, and the fact that he wins championships only proves the argument that he has changed the game while leading the league as a champion.
A white man commenting on a black man skin color. Shannon got that man feeling too comfortable smh
— Just a Guy (@ii1_ken) June 18, 2022
That is the only level of debate Skip Bayless should be engaging in about Steph Curry. The light-skin commentary by anyone, but especially a non-Black person, is highly offensive, and the fact that Bayless can do it with abandon on his show is a real problem.
Bayless is part of the old media, the guys who feel they can run the gamut of line-stepping and feel justified because the power of their bullhorn validates them. Now Bayless, and by his laughter, Shannon Sharpe has disrespected one of the greats in an infantile way, and that just won’t do.
