What if LeBron had chosen football?

Numbers Never Lie ‏@ESPN_Numbers 6h
As a HS junior LeBron James had 57 catches for 1,160 yards & 16 TDs. Calvin Johnson caught 34 passes for 646 yards & 10 TDs his junior year.

He had better stats than CJ in high school according to Numbers Never Lie. IMO, with his athletic ability and size, he would have been a beast at TE or WR in the NFL.

I mean guys, like Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, etc. quit basketball to focus on football. LeBron is a far better athlete than those guys. How would LeBron have done in the NFL?

two different sports, NFL game plans are a whole different beast than NBA games.

NBA games most the time you come in with a mindset of setting tones, how to manage scoring streaks and/or runs.

NFL games, is almost like planning for war.

It'd be hard to say, but assuming because LeBron's basketball IQ is probably the best we've ever witnessed, I would think he might be able to pick up a NFL playbook pretty well. He might be a pro bowl player. I'm just glad he's in the NBA, he's a lot more fun to watch playing basketball, than I think he would be as a TE in the NFL.

What's the proof that LeBron is a "far better athlete"? He's a far better basketball player, but that doesn't make him a better athlete. I mean Ej Singler had 81 catches for 1500 yds as a jr in HS, that doesn't mean crap towards a NFL future. Carl Lewis was by far a better athlete than 99% of NFL players, that didn't make him a great football player.

Well, had Carl Lewis chosen basketball or football, he would've been just fine.

Lebron would've been a BEAST WR.

Athletically it goes;

NBA
NFL/Hockey
MLB

Of course boxing and MMA kicks all there asses.

Unsure about football but he would be deadly at badminton.

Pehawk mentions boxing and that is spot on. Basketball and Baseball (contracts) have killed the HW division. Only a fool would box if offered a lucrative contract in either of the above. That's why we only have fools fighting as HWs (these days).

CPHawk":rrqffbp7 said:

What's the proof that LeBron is a "far better athlete"? He's a far better basketball player, but that doesn't make him a better athlete. I mean Ej Singler had 81 catches for 1500 yds as a jr in HS, that doesn't mean crap towards a NFL future. Carl Lewis was by far a better athlete than 99% of NFL players, that didn't make him a great football player.

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Read this article where various NFL athletes call LeBron "the greatest athlete in the world" and would dominate in the NFL. Many (most?) people feel LeBron is an elite athlete and one of the best, if not the best in the world. His size, speed, and athletic ability are unparalleled in the NBA. I doubt it would be different in the NFL. I would say the athletic ability is similar in the NFL and NBA (if not better in the NBA), so LeBron would likely be an elite athlete in the NFL as well. Here's the article.:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-o ... minate-nfl

Mike Wallace says, "I saw this guy coming out of high school just dunking like crazy and coming into the league, and he's been my favorite ever since," Wallace said via FoxSportsFlorida.com. "Look at him, he's the greatest athlete on the planet. I feel there's no greater talent than LeBron. You throw him a couple of passes and get him a couple of routes, and he'll be all right. I think you line him up at tight end. I don't know about the blocking aspect, but you can teach him. You show him a couple of things and the sky is the limit."

Randy Moss says, "I think LeBron could come in and do better than Antonio Gates. ... I believe that he could be a star in this game."

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutd ... 32349.html

"James claims that he ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, and that's without training for it. If you've seen him run the floor it's easy to believe that. His vertical leap has been estimated between 40 and 44 inches. Only two players at this year's NFL combine jumped 41 inches or higher. He'd be one of the NFL's best athletes.

We'll never find out, because James isn't going to pull a Jordan-like switch and try football. But it's a fun debate. It's especially enjoyable for NFL defenders who don't have to worry how to deal with a 6-8 target who is probably about 40 pounds heavier than the unstoppable Calvin Johnson. Oh, and he can jump higher than most players in the NFL. Good luck battling him in the red zone."

I would love to see James run through the NFL combine. My only thing is we have all seen WR/TE/LB really every spot, where a guy just looks like a can't miss and never does crap in the NFL. Guys can run the fastest, be the strongest and be "can't miss" and then he turns out to be a turd called Aaron Curry. Football is a lot more than just see ball, catch ball.

Lebron's first NBA game; 27, 13 and 9, IIRC.

Dude could've DOMINATED the NBA at 15, easy, no exaggeration. He could average 20 boards or 40 points or 17 Assist a game, if he wanted. He just likes winning, so, you know, he fills out the stat sheet instead of one area. He's every bit as much a Russell Wilson type, as Russell Wilson is.

Yes, he'd could play any position in the NFL he wanted. Really.

Then he would've made a poor business/career decision. Guaranteed contracts, longevity? Basketball just makes more sense if you've got the skills.

pinksheets":3p6t07rg said:

Then he would've made a poor business/career decision. Guaranteed contracts, longevity? Basketball just makes more sense if you've got the skills.

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Great point.

Of every major sport, NFL players by far get the shaft. Most refuse to see that. Because they simply compare their personal checks to that of even a NFL 3rd Rounder make and say, "they make more than me...they should be happy!". Never mind Einstein's of fiscal relativity.

The question is, could Lebron handle being hit? Not everybody who is a freak athlete can take that kind of pain/punishment on a daily basis. I'm sure Lebron has all the athletic qualities to play in the NFL, but we'll never know if he has the mind-set to do so.

Julius Peppers comes to mind as well as a dual "star" - Basketball in college at a very high level with UNC but elected to go for the NFL

Above makes a good point. I think most people agree that he would be a very skilled player in the NFL. I am guessing that his body could take the hits as well as most, but 1) could he mentally and 2) with the wrong luck one or two hits can put you out of this game for life......

If Lebron had chosen the NFL, he would be making less than half what he makes now.

Lebron would be the best Reciever in the league easily if he played