Gilbert Arenas claims Skip Bayless would have never been a media analyst had he criticized MJ as relentlessly as LeBron

In sports media, many analysts have established their careers by consistently delivering unbiased and sometimes harsh truths; however, Skip Bayless stands out as an analyst who has amassed a fortune by persistently criticizing LeBron James and diminishing his GOAT status compared to Michael Jordan . Gilbert Arenas recently speculated on the potential fallout if the 72-year-old analyst had dared to belittle His Airness' legacy in the same manner.

Gilbert Arenas thumps the truth on Skip Bayless' face

On his podcast, the former Washington Wizards star talked about how much the media has changed, pointing out that modern-day players face significant backlash from almost anyone with an opinion. Moreover, Arenas highlighted how Bayless, arguably The King's biggest hater, has attracted headlines by sensationalizing the shortcomings of the four-time MVP and constantly ridiculing James for anything that went wrong with his respective teams.

On the other hand, the 3-time All-Star speculated that had Bayless shown the same audacity with the six-time Finals MVP in the '80s or '90s, his career wouldn't have lasted more than a month.

"Skip Bayless, what he's done to LeBron (for) 22 years, he wouldn't have had no job past the first motherf***ing month, You said anything about Michael Jordan (being) bad… this… and that… your a** didn't have a job then, right? That don't exist now," Arenas said, via Clutchpoints. "So there was no making a career off of Michael Jordan's slander. Yeah, that didn't exist. When you heard Michael Jordan's name, it made you smile. That's what everybody's holding on to."

Does Arenas' point hold weight?

While numerous other analysts, such as Stephen A. Smith, who fervently advocates for Jordan as the GOAT, or Shannon Sharpe, who does the same for LeBron, passionately present their cases, none of them resort to personal attacks or undermine the career achievements of either Jordan or James. This is where Skip has repeatedly crossed the line.

Despite diligently watching every LeBron game, Bayless has consistently found reasons to be skeptical. However, this is precisely where his more than two decades of work fall short - simply because the 20-time All-Star, despite the repeated humiliations on national television and on the internet, has never acknowledged Bayless' existence.

Who knows had the same fate been towards MJ, Skip might have never gotten a chance to be behind the mic for so long.

Related: "Michael wasn't the best husband after hours and was often at war with an opposing player or the media" - Skip Bayless shares the dark side of Michael Jordan