There are times when NBA analyst Skip Bayless is correct, and then there are times when his opinion sparks controversy. Many times, people have questioned whether LeBron James and Stephen Curry’s biggest critic is also good at basketball. The results might also be as controversial as some of Bayless’ comments have been. Whether in connection to that or not, a former NBA champ recently made an interesting claim. 

Well, we don’t doubt 7x NBA All-Star Blake Griffin’s claims, but there are certain conditions to it. In a recent interview, the host asked Griffin whether he could still defeat Bayless if it’s in a game of one-on-one to 101 with a 100-0 skip and the analyst has the ball. To the host’s surprise, Griffin confidently declared that he would still win with an amusing response. He said, “Yes. I feel like a gust of wind could stop him.”

Griffin’s response seems to be subtly seeking redemption from many of Bayless’ claims and criticisms he has faced during the early years of his career. Furthermore, the analyst, who claimed to have watched every game that Griffin played during his college years, called him the weaker version of Dennis Rodman. “Coming out of college, Skip Bayless said I was a poor man’s Dennis Rodman,” Griffin said as per Ballislife. So given a chance to watch the ESPN analyst overturn his comments and views, the 6x NBA All-Star certainly isn’t letting the opportunity go. 

Well, but how much is Griffin right about his claims? Well, a look at the analyst’s early years in college might shed some light on it. His interest in sports, especially basketball and baseball, goes a long way back. He went to Northwest Classen High School, and his senior record shows that Bayless averaged 1.4 points in his senior year. There’s no record of Bayless playing basketball in his college years. He got a sports writing scholarship and went to Vanderbilt.

That explains a lot about Griffin’s comment on Bayless, who once ruthlessly sacrificed him to praise Stephen Curry.

Even with majority on his side, Blake Griffin had Skip Bayless on the other end

Bayless was also said to be the editor of the university’s sports newsletter. From there on, he went on to have a celebrated career in journalism, working with the Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Dallas Herald, and more. Although most might remember him from ESPN’s First Take. But he is often called out for his controversial takes.

The 2009 draft class saw two of the most promising NBA stars. While the first overall pick has hung up his jersey after a stellar career, the other, Stephen Curry, continues to show his mettle. Needless to say, coming from the same draft class, they have had a few comparisons by fans and athletes. During the draft, NBA analyst Skip Bayless was one of the few who chose Curry over the former NBA player. 

Much later, Curry’s critic Bayless recounted his previous claims and said, “You can look this up: Before Steph’s draft, I said he should go No. 1 overall and many commentators on ESPN told me I was nuts, that Blake Griffin had to go No. 1. (I’d watched very game Blake had played for TWO years at OU.) Steph went 7th. Look at Steph and Blake now. Man.”

Griffin, who played for the Oklahoma Sooners, averaging 18.8 points, was selected as the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. Struggling with injuries, Griffin, who averaged 19.0 points in 765 regular-season games, announced his retirement in 2024.

Although Griffin struggled in the later years of his career, he displayed some of the most entertaining gameplay and skills that certainly deserve recognition.