"Let me know if you still want to play College Football" - J.R. Smith extends former Cavs teammate and friend LeBron James intriguing invitation
J.R. Smith, who currently plays college golf for the North Carolina A&T State University, has invited his former teammate LeBron James to play college football.
Smith was named North Carolina A&T’s Academic Athlete of the Year after getting a 4.0 GPA. The two-time NBA champion enrolled last year and is trying to get a degree in liberal studies. James congratulated his friend on Twitter on Monday:
"YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith!! Proud of you Kid!!! Love bro," James tweeted.
YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith!! Proud of you Kid!!! Love bro twitter.com/FOS/status/151…
Smith was quick to respond to James. He invited his former teammate to play college football, as it's never too late. Both Smith and James entered the NBA straight out of high school. Smith retired in 2020 and started pursuing his degree last year.
"Let me know if you still want to play College Football we still got time!!!!" Smith tweeted.
James was not just a basketball standout at St. Vincent-St. Mary but was also a football star. He was a wide receiver and was recruited by Notre Dame. For basketball, James chose between Duke and North Carolina but eventually entered the 2003 NBA Draft out of high school.
Let me know if you still want to play College Football we still got time!!!! #ItsNeverToLate twitter.com/KingJames/stat…
Meanwhile, Smith was slated to attend North Carolina but declared for the 2004 NBA Draft. He ended up with the New Orleans Hornets and also played for Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers. Smith won titles with the Cavaliers and the Lakers.
LeBron James received offers to play in NFL
As mentioned earlier, James had a great high school football career as a wide receiver. Some experts believe James could have turned pro in the NFL if he had chosen football over basketball.
In 2011, the NBA entered a lockout, and "The King" had nothing to do. He received tryout invitations from two NFL franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. It should be noted that James was a huge Cowboys fans while growing up.
.@TheRealTRizzo on @KingJames: "LeBron is NOT a Browns fan. I saw him wearing Cowboys gear since he was 15." https://t.co/yLys0dC9bc
In an interview with The Athletic last year, James opened up about the offers he received from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. The four-time NBA champion believes he could have made either teams had he accepted their invitations. James said:
"I would have made the team. I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. One thing about it; I don't mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I'd have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I'd have tried, but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age."
LeBron James was 27 at the time and fresh off losing the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. The NBA lockout ended on Christmas Day, with James eningd up winning the MVP award for the third time and his first championship.