We all know LeBron James is a great basketball player. He is already a four-time MVP, two-time NBA champion and is close to his third right now. Yesterday, one of my friends and I were talking about one of the greatest sports myths. What if LeBron decided to go and play in the NFL? What if LeBron decided to be a two-sport athlete and play football in the offseason?
James was an all-state receiver his sophomore and junior years in high school in his home state of Ohio. We all know why LeBron did not play his senior season. But let’s switch it up. Let’s say he decided to go and play in the NFL. Could LeBron James have been one of the great NFL receiving threats in the league? I think the answer is yes.
LeBron James is the pure definition of a receiving tight end at 6’8″. James would probably be one of the best tight ends in the league right now. He owns great hands that he puts on display when he is grabbing a fast-break alley-oop from J.R. Smith. On the basketball court, James can jump out of the gym with his 44-inch vertical jump. For a person at his height, he has pretty good footwork, so he can probably run some pretty clean routes at the tight end position. He would be too big for any NFL defensive back and way too fast for most NFL linebackerss. Since he plays NBA basketball, he’ll probably be one of the most conditioned athletes on the field.
If LeBron is comparable to any NFL player, it is Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Even with that comparison, LeBron is taller, has a bigger catch radius, and may be even a little faster than Gronk. LeBron James would be a great deep threat for his hometown Cleveland Browns or even a great goal-line threat for his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys. Think of the possibility of Tony Romo lining up under center and having Dez Bryant and LeBron James to throw to, or even, RGIII and James in Cleveland, hooking up for a game-winning goal-line fade route.
In this day in age of football, you could even see James under center playing quarterback in the NFL. LeBron is already a great NBA facilitator and play-maker on the court, but how good could he be with the pigskin in his hand? With LeBron’s height, he and Dan McGwire of the Seattle Seahawks would be the biggest quarterbacks in NFL history. He would also be around the same weight as Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. He might be just as fast as Newton as well. LeBron has been clocked at speeds as fast as 20 miles per hour. So he can outrun many of the defenders trying to take him down. At his height, he can make new passing lanes to throw receivers open. The only NFL quarterback LeBron would compare to is Cam Newton, even though James is three inches taller than Newton.
LeBron is one of the best players in the NBA, but he still could have been one of the great players in the NFL. I guess you can probably add the NFL to the list of things LeBron will not do, just like the NBA Dunk Contest.
