Skip Bayless has served as LeBron James’ main antagonist for more than a decade. It didn’t matter whether he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers – there was always beef there.
In fact, there is a reasonable case to be made that a large chunk of Bayless’ success can be attributed to him being James’ biggest hater.
Which is what makes a recent admission by Bayless’ wife, Ernestine Sclafani, all the more surprising.
During a recent sit down interview with Bayless, Ernestine got brutally honest about her true feelings for James.
My wife and I have never spoken about LeBron James at home. So what does Ernestine think of the King? She answers here:pic.twitter.com/mhBIZisIsH
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 19, 2022
“I don’t bring it up because I’m afraid,” she said.
“I like LeBron, I’m sorry. I’m going to admit. I do like LeBron James. I think that he’s done wonderful things for being a role model.
“I think that he seems to be a nice guy. Even after the game and they talk to him, he’s really calm and he’s really nice. I don’t have hatred for him. He’s built schools and he’s done all these wonderful things.”
Apparently, she even met James at one point.
“I saw him walking on Central Park South one day,” Ernestine said. “I was going to say hi to him but I thought that he would punch me if I told him who I was. So I just looked at him from a far. … I would like to meet him and say hello.”
Ernestine is extremely protective of Bayless, as evidenced by her feelings towards Charles Barkley.
Justin Verlander responded immediately. https://t.co/Dw0kOhMYW7
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 19, 2022
The fact that her respect for James supersedes Bayless’ hatred of him is telling.
Hopefully at some point Ernestine gets a chance to meet James and speak to him. Just because her husband doesn’t like him doesn’t mean they can’t be friends.
Related: Al Horford’s Sister Anna Takes Bold Shot At Miami Heat (Photos)
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
