“You got to be a different beast to play football” - LeBron James jokes that he chose basketball over football to "stay warm"
LeBron James posted a video on Instagram for his LeBron James Foundation (@ljfamfoundation) explaining his choice of playing basketball over football. In the video, he joked about choosing basketball over football simply because he wanted to stay warm.
LeBron James on choosing basketball over football
"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," LeBron James said. "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."
LeBron James played wide receiver at St. Vincent-St. Mary, making first team all-state as a sophomore. As a junior, LeBron had 57 receptions for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns. James and his team made it to the semifinals that season, finishing 10-4.
In the embedded tweet below, James' high school quarterback shared stories about their time playing football together.
LeBron James' high school QBs share their stories about the NBA star as a football player ble.ac/2l8evEG https://t.co/oZBUmCQYn0
James' itch for football remained far after his success in the NBA. In 2011, James and Kevin Durant joined for a flag football classic. Held at the University of Akron, LeBron and KD got squads of their friends and battled it out on the field.
Also, in 2011 James mulled joining the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. After the 2011 NBA Finals, in which James and his Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA was on its way to a lockout. During the delay, the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks invited LeBron for a workout. According to an interview with The Athletic, LeBron “seriously considered” the offer to try out for Dallas.
In the interview, James said:
“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 (out), but I would have made the team.”
With how legendary James has been on the basketball court, proving his all-around athleticism night after night, seeing him on the football field would be something else. Known for his immense speed for his size, LeBron would make fun of running routes and blasting past defenders.
In his 19th season in the NBA, at 37 years old, James is averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. James is also averaging a career-high 2.8 3-pointers per game, shooting at 35.5% accuracy from deep. He is on an 18-game streak of scoring 25 points or more.
James has won four NBA championships, four NBA Finals MVP awards and four MVP awards