LeBron James may be the NBA’s biggest star, but he’s also a huge fan of the NFL. So with the Super Bowl just a few weeks away, everyone knew James was going to be talking about it online.
During the AFC Championship game on Sunday, the King couldn’t help but show some support for Ohio’s own Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Cheifs to advance to the Super Bowl.
DEEBO so 🥶!!!!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 31, 2022
💨👑 pic.twitter.com/yIpdL2X37T
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 30, 2022
But it was one particular tweet by LeBron that raised eyebrows among his followers.
In response to the Bengals’ astounding success, one of LeBron’s lifelong friends, Cuffs The Legend, compared the football team to the Sacramento Kings, seemingly linking them by their underwhelming history.
The Cincinnati Bengals making it to the Super Bowl is like the Sacramento Kings making it to the NBA Finals 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🔥🔥
— 73-9 and THEY LIED (@CuffsTheLegend) January 30, 2022
The comparison definitely makes some sense to those who follow both sports, but it’s what LeBron James said in response that people are thinking about.
But not if get a generational talent in the draft! You would have said the same about the Cavs before 2003 right? Joe B is the absolute TRUTH!! We all saw and knew it!
But not if get a generational talent in the draft! You would have said the same about the Cavs before 2003 right? Joe B is the absolute TRUTH!! We all saw and knew it!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 30, 2022
Before LeBron’s arrival, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a pretty forgettable franchise. They won no titles and struggled to be competitive most years.
But when James was drafted in 2003, it changed everything. He became the best player in the world and elevated the Cavaliers to a place of contention in the East. When he returned in 2014 (after 4 years in Miami), Cleveland made four straight Finals and won their first-ever Championship.
While James is no longer wearing a Cavs jersey today, the mark he left on that franchise will never go away and success is no longer an alien concept to those fans.
The situation is comparable to the Bengals, who are enjoying having a franchise player of their own in Joe Burrow.
The impact of a generational talent on a small-market team is certainly an interesting thing to think about, and it seems LeBron isn’t shy about pointing out his own impact on the Cavaliers.
In a few years, maybe the same could be said for guys like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Cade Cunningham.
