Overview
- Bayless rejoined Smith on ESPN2's First Take on Friday, May 8, for a guest spot that marked their first studio show together in a decade.
- He opened by placing LeBron James ninth on his all-time list, drawing an on-air retort from Smith who called the claim “asinine” and “almost so blasphemous” it should keep him off TV.
- In discussing the Lakers' 125-107 loss to the Thunder in Game 2, Bayless said LeBron was “begging for every call” and had “lost some of the respect of the referees,” pushing back on coach JJ Redick's complaint about LeBron's whistle.
- The hour revisited the duo's familiar beats, from the Jordan–LeBron debate to Dallas Cowboys barbs, as co-host Shae Cornette steered a fast-moving back-and-forth that quickly produced viral clips.
- Coverage from ESPN and multiple outlets cast the appearance as a one-time reunion and a low-risk gauge of interest, with any future visits portrayed as contingent on audience and social response.