LeBron James fanboy Colts QB Anthony Richardson makes bold NBA and Dunk contest claim
While LeBron James was recently voted the best player on Team USA's Olympic roster in a player poll, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson believes he can beat James in a one-on-one dunk contest. Since last summer, Richardson's basketball skills have taken social media by storm, with the NFL rookie going viral in July of 2023 during a pickup game.
At the time, NBA fans were put on notice after a writer from The Athletic who was also playing in the pickup game posted on X, then known as Twitter, about Richardson's skills.
In an interview with Kay Adams for FanDuel TV, Richardson was asked how he thought he would fair in the NBA. The Colts rookie boldly proclaimed that he believes he could average over 10 points per game in the NBA.
At the same time, after naming James as his favorite NBA player, Richarson also revealed that he believes he could beat the four-time NBA champ in a dunk contest given the age gap between them.
After being asked how he would play in the NBA, and how he would fair in a dunk contest, Richardson explained:
"I think I'd do pretty good. I feel like I would average a good 12, 13 in the NBA ... I think I would win [A dunk contest in the NBA] ... Yeah [I could beat LeBron in a dunk contest]. Cause he's about to be 40, so. Yeah, I would agree."
Anthony Richardson's former AAU basketball teammate once said he could have won the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk contest long before recent LeBron James claim
While Anthony Richardson's recent bold claim about averaging more than 10 points per game in the NBA, and his belief that he could beat LeBron James in a dunk contest ruffled some feathers, one of Richardson's former AAU basketball teammates turned NFL players, Gervon Dexter, praised Richardson's athleticism.
While speaking to media members at the NFL Draft Combine last summer, Dexter recalled playing AAU basketball with Richardson, boldly saying that he could have won the NBA Slam Dunk contest long before Richardson's recent claim during his interview with Kay Adams.
"He can windmill, 360, like any basketball- like he probably would have won this year's dunk contest. Yeah."
While the claim is a bold one, during the NFL Draft Combine, Richardson participated in a variety of physical tests. At one point, Richardson recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump, an astounding feat for a quarterback, and one that would have landed Richardson one of the best vertical jump measurements in the NBA Draft Combine.
Ironically, his vertical would have been equal to the 40.5-inch vertical jump recorded by LeBron James' son, Bronny James, at this year's NBA Draft Combine. According to reports, LeBron James' vertical, at one point, measured as high as 44 inches.
Given his athleticism, viral basketball highlights and time as a high school basketball player, it will be interesting to see if the NBA invites Richardson to participate in this year's NBA All-Star Weekend celebrity game.