There are many current and former players in the NBA who used to be multi-sport athletes prior to them dedicating their time fully to basketball. For example, Hakeem Olajuwon used to play soccer in his youth.
LeBron James was fairly prolific at the sport of football during his high school days. Ever since his appearance on Monday Night Football with the Manning brothers, there has been a lot of talk about what LeBron James could have potentially accomplished if he chose football instead of basketball.
There is no doubt that LeBron James could have been successful at the sport of football. James even revealed that he got contract offers from the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys to play in the NFL in 2011. Recently, when asked about his high school football playing style, LeBron James compared himself to legendary receiver Randy Moss who is in the Hall of Fame.
.@KingJames said his HS football skills most resembled @RandyMoss.
Imagine that 😳
(via @ESPNLosAngeles, @KarloSySu) pic.twitter.com/VjFZGEGQkO
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 1, 2021
I would say, I resembled kinda Randy Moss. His ability to be his height, but be able to run past anybody with that speed. And still be able to catch passes in the paint as well, or in the interior as they call it in football. In between the lines.
I’d say Randy moss because of our strides and our ability to catch the ball.
LeBron James isn’t the only person who has made that Randy Moss comparison though. An old newspaper clipping that circulated around social media showed that he was being touted as a “taller, slower version” of the wide receiver.
https://twitter.com/papyfaye1/status/1442677509410246661
There is no question that LeBron James is simply a gifted athlete. There’s no doubt that his athleticism has helped him excel at the sport of basketball, and that would likely be the same for football. Even today, there are people who think he could make the switch to the NFL. Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen once claimed that he would be able to turn LeBron James into an All-Pro wide receiver.
At the end of the day though, LeBron James chose to stick with basketball, and that was certainly a good decision for him, as he is now a legend of the sport, and widely considered a candidate for being the GOAT of the sport.
