Before LeBron James entered the NBA as an 18-year-old rookie, he was a huge, nationally known teen basketball star at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his native Akron, Ohio. While there, he was also a standout on the varsity football team.
He played the wide receiver position, and he was named first-team all-state as a sophomore and led his school to the state semifinals the next year. A wrist injury caused him not to play football as a senior, but it didn’t stop him from reportedly being recruited by some Division I schools to play on the gridiron.
Of course, James chose basketball, and he has achieved a greater amount of longevity than anyone else who has ever played the sport. Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback and overall player in football history, also had an incredible amount of longevity, as he spent 23 seasons in the NFL and won two of his seven Super Bowl championships after turning 40 years of age.
James is currently in his 23rd season, which is an NBA record, and while he has accepted a diminished role, he still has plenty left in his tank. Many feel he could’ve been a great NFL player, and while on “The Tonight Show,” Brady was asked by host Jimmy Fallon if he could see himself playing pro football alongside James.
“Hell yeah, I’d take him,” Brady said. “Him and Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) on the same team. I don’t know if he would have lasted 23 years playing LeBron.
“He actually could have lasted 23 years. He’s on 20-21 [23 years] now in the NBA. He’s ridiculous.”
Some feel James would’ve been an outstanding wide receiver in the NFL, while others feel his ideal position would’ve been tight end due to his 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame. In fact, renowned college football coach Urban Meyer tried to recruit him to play for the University of Notre Dame early in his high school tenure.
As it was, Gronkowski helped revolutionize the tight end position at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds while winning four Vince Lombardi Trophies with Brady. James could’ve been the next step in the league’s evolution toward bigger, harder-hitting, more explosive tight ends.
Antonio Gates, another excellent NFL tight end who played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers for 16 seasons and was recently voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only played basketball in college after Nick Saban, then the head coach at Michigan State University, wanted him to only play football for the Spartans. James trying his hand at pro football is one of the most interesting “what-ifs” when it comes to his athletic career.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Tom Brady on how long LeBron James could’ve played in NFL
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
