We were sparred the craziness of an extended LeBron free agency, but let’s pretend he didn’t sign with the Lakers and things got really weird.
If LeBron James played football, he would have been the best player in the league. His combination of size, athleticism, and smarts would have made him a force at any position in the league. He could have been Luke Kuechly meets Von Miller on defense or Cam Newton meets Tom Brady on offense. You can argue that he wouldn’t be the physical specimen in the NFL like he is in the NBA, but you’d be wrong. He’d be a multi-position nightmare for the opposite.
Don’t even play the “LeBron is a wimp who couldn’t withstand the physical toll of football” card. Teams are allowed to be more physical with him than any other player in the league, with the possible exception being Russell Westbrook. Despite this, the man has played 1,143 of 1,210 possible regular season games, plus 239 playoff games. Not only has his body held up through the grind of 15 NBA seasons and extended playoff runs, he’s just as good in Year 15 as he was in Year 1. He would have been just fine in the NFL.
Alas, LeBron chose to play basketball. It’s worked out pretty well for him, I guess.
But what if LeBron decided to pull a Michael Jordan and retire from basketball today. Jordan was 30-years-old when he stepped away from the NBA to spend a year playing baseball. It didn’t go so well for him. LeBron is 33-years-old and football is a rougher sport. But for one season? I’m not doubting The King.
If James decided basketball is no longer for him and opened up to his free agency to all 32 teams in the NFL, every team would be knocking at his door.