Over the past 18 years, LeBron Raymone James has dominated the basketball world at a scale never seen before. As a 17x All-Star, 17x All-NBA player, 4x MVP, and 4x Champion, he is truly the king of the sport and face of the league.
But have you ever wondered what LeBron James might be capable of in a different sport?
James’ love of football is no secret, and he even got an offer to play in the NFL back in 2011:
“Jerry Jones offered me a contract also Pete Carrol did as well in Seattle during our lockout time,” James told the Manning brothers on during Monday Night Football. “It definitely got my blood flowing again, it got my mind raising again thinking about the game of football and being out there on Sundays. But we were able to get a deal done in the NBA and I was back on the court in no time but I definitely thought about it. I still have the jerseys too that Jerry and Pete sent me from 2011.”
Considering LeBron’s size, skills, and durability, it’s not a long shot to think he would have found a lot of success as an NFL player.
According to Stephen A. Smith, however, James wouldn’t have lasted than a year.
“LeBron James is on the Mount Rushmore of basketball and one of the greatest athletes and clearly one of the greatest basketball players who have ever lived. I don’t think he would have lasted more than a year in the NFL. If you see LeBron, and maybe he engages in a bit of embellishment and exaggeration — but when this brother gets hit, particularly in the legs, he don’t like it at all. And being that he’s a legit 6’9″, I think that LeBron James, the second those legs got hit, he would want no part of it. It ain’t like he’s some short dude. He’s 6’9″. He’s a big dude and those legs would be a prime target. They wouldn’t even think about hitting him high. And he would want no part of that.”
I don't think LEBRON would have lasted more than a year in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/r6eImVgJA0
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 28, 2021
Of course, there’s no telling what kind of career LeBron James would have in the NFL or any other sport for that matter.
It’s certainly true that things would be vastly different for James had he picked up a football instead of a basketball.
In the end, though, the fact we’re even having this conversation really speaks volumes to how special of an athlete he really is.
