Skip Bayless is returning to ESPN's 'First Take' for a guest appearance, reigniting his rivalry with Stephen A. Smith. Their relationship has been strained since Bayless left ESPN in 2016, but they are set to share the screen again.
Key points
Skip Bayless returns to 'First Take' for a guest appearance
There might never be another analyst duo quite like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, but the two are getting back together for one more show.
Bayless is joining "First Take" for a guest appearance a decade after leaving ESPN for FS1, reigniting an old rivalry with Smith and setting the stage for some more heated moments between the two.
The relationship between the two faded after Bayless' exit in 2016, with Smith revealing in 2024 that he and his former co-host had "only spoken once over the last year, a year and a half or so," but the two have evidently found their way back to each other for at least one morning.
Here's a look back at some of the best debates between Smith and Bayless from their heyday together, including a heated LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan discussion.
The NBA's "GOAT" debate rages on 15 years later, but one of the best interactions between Smith and Bayless came in 2011 after Scottie Pippen suggested LeBron James might be better than Michael Jordan.
Q&A
Why is Skip Bayless returning to 'First Take'?
Skip Bayless is making a guest appearance on 'First Take' to reignite his rivalry with Stephen A. Smith after a decade.
What happened to the relationship between Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith?
Their relationship faded after Bayless left ESPN in 2016, with Smith stating they had only spoken once in the past year and a half.
When did Skip Bayless leave ESPN for FS1?
Skip Bayless left ESPN for FS1 in 2016.
What can viewers expect from the upcoming Bayless-Smith debate?
Viewers can expect heated moments and intense debates, reminiscent of their past arguments on topics like LeBron vs. MJ and the Dallas Cowboys.
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To no one's surprise, Bayless took the side of Jordan. "Michael Jordan is a winner and a leader, and LeBron is not," he said as Smith scoffed. The most heated moment might have come when Bayless tried to discredit Pippen, claiming Pippen wasn't a top-50 all-time player and prompting Smith to scream, "What!?"
'Are you on drugs?': Stephen A. calls out Skip over Aaron Rodgers take
After Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun was suspended for steroid usage in 2013, Skip Bayless turned the discussion toward Green Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, calling out the quarterback for defending Braun when the outfielder won an appeal of a suspension in 2012.
Braun claimed his positive test sample was mishandled in 2011 and won an appeal of a 50-game suspension in 2012, proclaiming his innocence and prompting fellow Wisconsin sports star Rodgers to stand by his side. "I'd put my salary next year on it," Rodgers tweeted.
Once the truth came out in 2013, Bayless said Rodgers should donate $8.5 million to charity, resulting in one of the all-time reactions from Smith. "Are you on drugs?" Smith screamed, standing up out of his chair and calling Bayless "unbelievable."
Smith and Bayless took their coverage to the floor of Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, where they quite literally started yelling at each other while Thunder and Heat players were warming up.
Bayless unsurprisingly with "cold-blooded killer" Kevin Durant over LeBron James, calling Durant "LeBron plus Dwyane Wade as a closer." Smith didn't take that lightly, hitting back and chiding Bayless for letting James' checkered late-game reputation overshadow the rest of his dominance.
Bayless won the battle, as the Thunder took Game 1, but Smith won the war with the Heat winning the NBA Finals and James taking home his first championship.
Stephen A. rips into Skip's Cowboys takes
After Bayless spent much of the 2015 season insisting the Cowboys could still make a run with Tony Romo suffering a pair of collarbone fractures, Smith took advantage of Dallas' elimination and chastised his co-host.
"It's finally official that the Dallas Cowboys are officially eliminated from the playoffs. Say it! Say it! Say it! Say it!" Smith yelled as Bayless protested half-jokingly.
'I almost want to walk off this set right now': Skip pits Kobe Bryant against Tim Tebow
While debating whether Kobe Bryant was worthy of being the NFL's highest-paid player, Bayless got a bit caught up in the NFL's Tebow mania and claimed Tebow was a "bigger draw" than Bryant.
"Go to break," Smith said. "I almost want to walk off this set right now."
Asked whether Tebow is more "box office" than LeBron James, Bayless didn't waver, saying yes and enraging Smith.
LeBron James-Dirk Nowitzki debate
Asked which one of LeBron James or Dirk Nowitzki "needed" a championship more before the 2011 NBA Finals, Bayless made a case for why Nowitzki had a bigger need for a ring because the team around him was older. That devolved into another debate about James, as Bayless called the Heat "Dwyane Wade's team."
Smith took the side of James against Wade, made fun of Bayless' outfits at one point and even looked directly into the camera and did his best impression of Bayless in a fun debate.
Smith laughed off the question of whether the Spurs would be seriously impacted by the absence of big man Tiago Splitter in a playoff series against the Jazz, but Bayless couldn't have disagreed more.
Bayless attempted to break down the importance of Splitter to the Spurs, but Smith spent several minutes just laughing as Bayless gave his take and continued to laugh at the idea of Splitter's absence mattering even after Bayless was done giving his answer.
Splitter and Bayless might not have appreciated the humor Smith found in the question, but Smith's assessment was ultimately the correct one: the Spurs won by 31 points despite Splitter's absence.
