"Few guys that can make the transition": NFL Icon suggests LeBron James could have excelled in football
LeBron James, 6 foot 8 inches tall and approximately 250 lbs, is one of the few athletes who possess the trio of great size, strength, and speed. This has allowed him to separate himself from the rest of the players in the NBA and become arguably the greatest basketball player.
However, there was a chance that James could've played football instead. In fact, he was offered a contract by Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones in 2011 during the NBA lockout.
Although James declined the offer, former NFL star Calvin Johnson recently shared his thoughts on the basketball legend becoming a football player. During an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports, Johnson said:
"If LeBron would've come in now-a-days like in the last 10 years, then I think he could've been great. If he would've came when he came into the league like 20 years ago when the tight end position wasn't exactly that hybrid reciever position, he might've been a blocking tight end."
Johnson continued:
"There are a few guys that can make the transition and just off the way that LeBron is built, maybe he can make that transition but, a lot of guys ain’t built to get up and down off the ground and get hit like that all the time.”
Johnson suggested that if LeBron James had taken up the Dallas Cowboys contract in 2011, it would've meant that the NBA superstar could see a lot of success in the NFL. Johnson is not alone in his thinking. There are tons of fans, players, and critics around the NBA and the NFL who would've loved to see James in a football team jersey.
What did LeBron James' football days look like?
Prior to getting drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, LeBron James played both basketball and football for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. It is said that at some point in James' life, he came to a fork in the road where he had to decide between the two sports and ended up picking basketball. In hindsight, this was a smart move, given his success in the NBA.
While LeBron James picked basketball, he could've easily had a successful career in the NFL as well, given the athletic freak of nature that he is. Weighing in on what influenced him to pick basketball over football, James once said in a social media post:
"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."
"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," he added.
LeBron James cited being warm as the reason to pick basketball. While this was somewhat inspired by humor, it is true that football is an extremely tough sport to play in terms of mental and physical toughness. Ultimately, James made a good decision and continues to be a living legend in the NBA.