Jalen Rose Calls Out Skip Bayless On High School Basketball Lie (VIDEO)

Jalen Rose calls out Skip Bayless on "First Take."

The polarizing career of ESPN loud-talker Skip Bayless may have reached a new low on Tuesday morning during an episode of "First Take." During a debate about the NBA MVP race, Bayless got called out by Jalen Rose for lying about his high school basketball exploits. Not surprisingly, the events leading up to confrontation began with Bayless ranting about a professional athlete.

On March 31, Bayless tweeted that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be doomed if Russell Westbrook continues to play point guard instead of taking more of a scoring role. Seemingly to back up his assertions about the best use of Westbrook, Bayless added two more tweets citing his own high school basketball career at Northwest Classen High. Not only did Bayless claim that he started for the team that lost in the state finals in Oklahoma in 1970, he even compared himself to NBA legend "Pistol Pete" Maravich.

@RealSkipBayless
Skip Bayless

Tall for age in 9th grade, chosen MVP of state-wide basketball camp over several future D1 players. Decided I was Maravich. Coach disagreed.

March 31, 2012 4:23 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

@RealSkipBayless
Skip Bayless

FYI: I started for high school team that lost in state finals. Coach didn't like me b/c I shot too much and he wanted me to be more PG.

March 31, 2012 4:19 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

A thorough investigation of Bayless' claims by The Lost Ogle revealed that he played on the Junior Varsity team in his junior year and only averaged 1.4 points per game during his senior season. Sports By Brooks reported that Bayless didn't even register any statistics in his team's state final loss.

Fast forward to Tuesday's edition of "First Take," where Bayless appeared alongside Rose, a highly successful guard at every level of the game. When the discussion turned to traditional basketball positions and roles, Bayless challenged Rose, asking what role he played during his professional career.

But Rose fired back quickly, shoving those fraudulent claims back in Bayless' face.

"What were you? Did you average 1.4 points as a senior in high school?" Rose asked, while Bayless tried to deflect the question and move on. "All of that Pistol Pete stuff? Water Pistol Pete Junior."

Bayless responded by saying that the two will address his high school career later in the program, but Rose kept going.

"Don't ignore that. Did you play JV as a junior?.. Okay."

Bayless recoiled and seemed uncomfortable after Rose's comments, a scene far too familiar lately for the man who makes a living calling athletes out on what he thinks they do wrong inside and outside their respective sports.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs turned the tables on Bayless when he appeared on the show following a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game in January. After the ESPN personality suggested that Suggs was making excuses for losing (which never happened), the linebacker responded by asking him not to be a "douche bag."

A few days later, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe blasted Bayless on Twitter with a series of insults for saying he hated field goal kicking and referring to Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff as a "nonplayer."

Then, of course, there's Charles Barkley, who has repeatedly spoken out on his hatred for Bayless.

Maybe since he's been catching some flack from all angles lately, Bayless might be a bit more understanding about the missteps and flaws of others.. but that looks highly doubtful.

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Comments

[IndependentAndProud]

05:07 AM on 04/16/2012

Bayless' ESPN career clock is ticking down.

[gixxerman]

07:44 AM on 04/16/2012

I so hope your right!!!

[kingjohn1956]

11:47 AM on 04/15/2012

I used to enjoy watching ESPN First Take but it seems as if Skip Bayless is getting topersonal .He is going to someday realize that Tim Tebow is not an NFL quaterback.

[heels312]

01:24 PM on 04/14/2012

I like Jalen, He is a good analyst and speaks the truth.

[KSheldon Bailey]

10:54 PM on 04/13/2012

Jalen Rose is ABSOLUTELY right in every regard. For one, it's one thing to report on the lack of effectiveness of a player, but when you call them names and out of their character, that's crossing the line, and ithat'swrong.

Secondly, Rose is right because non-players will NEVER have the insight into games, game situations, players mind, team and locker rooms occurrences that former players do. And it's arrogant to think that they can.

I think Bayless, Smith and other reporters/journalists can be envious of those who do and have played the game. And their envy or jealousy manifests itself through negative and disrespectful comments.

Finally, I hate how ESPN set Rose up by bringing in the mouthy Stephen Smith. He;s the worst when it comes to dialogue because he runs his mouth so much his mind is continually thinking of what to say next instead of listening to what's being said. When Rose was giving an "example", Smith jumped in and started talking as if Rose was speaking of an actual incident when he was just using an example. Stephen Smith doesn't listen. And people who don't listen are impossible to communicate with.

It was wrong for ESPN to use Smith against Rose in defense of Skip, especially when Skip is wrong for the personal things he says about players. Smith got played into doing that against Rose. I guarantee you Rose will never see him the same way again,.

[Jahbundance]

09:17 PM on 04/13/2012

This blog is a one-sided account by an apparent Skip-hater. A fair and balanced account was issued by The Oklahoman here:
http://newsok.com/espn-analyst-skip-bayless-explains-disputed-claims-about-basketball-career/article/3665462
Fact: Bayliss did start in some of the games as he stated.
Fact: teammates remember him as an excellent shooter.
Fact: coach played his son instead of Skip.

I disagree with Bayliss often. I'm a Gator but I think Tebow's not a starting QB yet. I attend every home game of my Miami Heat, but my eyes agree with his comments about our "Big 3". Jalen's mothering concern for poor LeBron being called "Prince James" and Chris being called "Bosh spice" is so touching, but laughable at the tough roots of the game where Rucker-style nicknames are exacting. When they are crowned champions he'll be entitled to "King".

Rose knows how to ball but he doesn't comprehend the job of journalistic punditry. I expect he'll learn, he's smart.

[grandpaMark]

08:38 PM on 04/15/2012

excellent shooter? 1.4 Says it all, he's a self aggrandizing liar!

[mataylor16]

03:51 PM on 04/13/2012

Completely par for the course for ESP_N. Your source for sky-high cable costs, schmaltzy mongages, sycphantic jock-worship, and no talent re-treads who nobody even liked as players.

[DocWylie]

10:41 AM on 04/13/2012

If he'd lie about that, the obvious question is, what ELSE would he lie about?

Maybe it should Skip Clueless...

[Christine Chew]

03:58 PM on 04/13/2012

He'd lie about anything if it served his purpose... and he definitely is clueless.

[GoVols]

03:04 AM on 04/13/2012

This all stemmed from Skip criticizing Russell Westbrook for basically doing what Skip said his coach hated him for doing. So why can't Skip be more empathetic and understanding of Westbrook who is emotional and fiery just like Skip?

[Jermetia Moore]

02:19 AM on 04/13/2012

STEPHEN A. REALLY........YOUR UPHOLDING THIS GUY??????? JALEN YOUR SOOOOO TRUE........CONTINUE TO BE A REALIST!!!!!!

[HeavyDoug]

02:18 AM on 04/13/2012

It's pathetic that grown men put so much energy into a GAME when real life is happening. I watch the game. I enjoy the game. BUT... When the game is over I move on to other issues. What adult person can justify calling a sports radio show? What adult person can justify participating in FANTASY sports. Real life is in need of your attention. Thank you.

[mataylor16]

03:53 PM on 04/13/2012

While you are 100% completely correct, the fact that real life is so well, real....probably answers that question.

[Poof7]

04:11 PM on 04/13/2012

They should definitely put more energy into commenting on HuffPost articles about sports...

[whatsthatsound]

07:52 PM on 05/03/2012

best comment ever!

[Hki]

01:01 AM on 04/13/2012

Bayless is a waste of a good chair.

[bert powley]

12:34 AM on 04/13/2012

Skip is garbage and I lost a lot of respect for Steve A. Smith. It was sad to watch but thank God Jalen said what is on the minds of millions of viewers.
Jalen kept it real and he showed tremendous restraint because he had that argument in a choke hold, but he didn't over do it.

[bert powley]

12:19 AM on 04/13/2012

I'll take it one step further and say that there is an undertone of racisim in Skip's outlandish critisism of certain professional athlete's.
Skip was clearly tight-faced, and I think that was the point Jalen was trying to make.
Skip goes too far. There are plenty of professional athletes he could go after if he was consistent in his analysis, but he always seem to go after Black athletes with his most damning remarks. What's really nonsensical is he goes after the Black athletes that are pretty damn good.
It's easy to see his bias and it's so offensive his cohorts are calling him out on it.
I promise you Jalen could have said more.
Skip has some kind of deep seeded hatred toward Blacks and it comes out during his scathing assesments of the Black athletes he is covering.
What's not mentioned is Steven A. Smith is just about in the same boat as Skip.
Real recognizes real and I promise you Steven A. Smith played his self when Jalen called him out and he got mad and really couldn't defend himself against what was being said - because it was true.
Kwame ain't all that great if you compare him to Hakeem the Dream, but the fact he held down a spot on an NBA team for a decade shows he is a baller.
Steve and Skip have to understand that reporting on sports is not organic or fixed. They have to evolve with society.

[Jahbundance]

09:47 PM on 04/13/2012

Ridiculous! You do our community harm by using the race card on Bayless. It's so easy to label white people with whom you disagree as bigots. We must raise our awareness and get past that. I have read and followed Skip since he was with the Miami Herald. I have been the victim of racism; I know what it smells like, and Skip has always been clean.

[bert powley]

04:37 PM on 04/14/2012

I stand behind my saying that Skip gives off an undertone of racism with his debating of professional athlete's.
His reporting style is based on up lifting White athlete's and degrading the Black ones. Matter of fact, I know that if you were to objectively observe most reporter's, debater's, and sports commentators you will notice the White announcer's embellishing the performances of the White athlete's and at the same time refusing to validate the performances of the Black athlete's.
My post do not do our community harm, but instead they raise awarness. And if you would objectively look at the reporting, now that I have brought this to your attention, you would infere the exact conclusion, as me.
I am only calling Skip out on it because he is consistently offensive towards African American's. It's almost as if he is following direction or to comment in that fashion.

[Maddy-O]

12:16 AM on 04/13/2012

Bayless would be much more tolerable with duct tape on his mouth.

[project cooper]

12:01 AM on 04/13/2012

Look, just seems to me that Controversy sells in mostly all areas of "Entertainment" today, so if every once in awhile u have to take a hit, so be it. Just can't go overboard & make any real insulting remarks. Damn Money is worth it.