Cowboys' Micah Parsons challenges LeBron James to Madden showdown, jersey on the line
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is up for the challenge of taking on NBA superstar LeBron James over the video game Madden NFL, looking to get an LA Lakers jersey from "The King" in the event he wins.
The 24-year-old Pro Bowler responded to James’ plan shared on social media X of live streaming his Madden NFL games when he plays and he was looking for someone to stream it with.
Parsons immediately grabbed on the opportunity to make his interest in it known:
“Play me bron!! I win I want a jersey!!”
While he has established a legendary career playing basketball, LeBron James is a big football fan. He is also not bad in video games, having picked it up at an early age.
The four-time NBA champion is also well-versed in football as he played wide receiver during his time at St. Vincent-St, Mary in high school just as he was building his foundation in basketball.
James also has a penchant for sharing his picks when possible on NFL games for parlay live on Instagram, which fans have fun following.
LeBron James shares reason why he chose basketball over football
LeBron James could have easily chosen to play football and equally succeeded in it, what with his athleticism and stocky build. But he chose hoops instead, which turned out extremely well for him.
In a video posted on Instagram for his LeBron James Foundation, James jokingly shared that the reason why he opted for basketball instead of football was to avoid playing outdoors in Ohio during winter.
The LA Lakers superstar said:
"Growing up in Ohio was just like, I love playing football, but when the winter hit ... you gotta be a different beast to play football in the rain, sleet, snow and hail and still love it. You know, and that's part of the reason why Ohio, the state, makes some of the best football players ever."
He added:
"But I also wanted to be warm, too. So, basketball, I could still get that comradery, I could still get that teamwork, still get that friendship, still get that competitive edge, and be warm.”
Back in high school just as he started in basketball at St. Vincent-St, Mary, James played wide receiver for the school’s football team. He made it to first-team All-State in his sophomore year then the following year, he had 57 receptions for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns to help his team reach the semi-finals and a 10-4 record.
He eventually dropped playing competitive football to focus on his basketball career but football remains close to his heart to this date.