Skip Bayless doesn't believe Steph Curry has the clutch gene.
Bayless, who has criticized Curry for just about his entire career, certainly poured it on after the Warriors' 120-108 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
On Friday's episode of "Undisputed," Bayless looked past Curry's game-high 34 points and brought up past postseason failures from Golden State's losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals and the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals.
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"On the biggest stage, in the biggest moments, he displays no clutch gene," Bayless said. "... So what do I see? I see that the greatest shooter ever is the greatest until the stakes are highest. And then he’s nowhere near the greatest."
It's odd timing for Bayless to come this strong at Curry, who shattered a Finals single-quarter record by nailing six 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes. Curry only made one triple the rest of the way, a fact that Bayless attributed to the Celtics' defense.
"I credit Boston hugely because they’re the one team not impressed with all of his show boating, hot dogging, mouth-guard wagging out of his mouth, ‘I’m going to put you to sleep’ -- all of the antics that go with Steph Curry’s 3s, they’re not impressed," Bayless said. "They’re not overwhelmed. They’re not intimidated. They’re not shrinking and quitting because they say, ‘He’s just too great.’ They just shrugged and moved on."
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Bayless then went on and gave Curry a grade for Game 1, one that will surely not help his GPA for those keeping track.
"I am giving [Curry] a flat-out 'F,' " Bayless said. "An 'F' as in flunk, as in epic fail."
His partner on the show, Shannon Sharpe, gave Curry an A-minus for the effort Thursday night, one that more appropriately fits the 34-point performance.
Curry will get another chance to prove Bayless wrong Sunday in Game 2 of the Finals at Chase Center.
