Interesting article on if LeBron James actually chose the NFL instead of the NBA.
sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4194437
[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4194437"]Could NBA MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers play in the NFL? - ESPN@@AMEPARAM@@http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4206504@@AMEPARAM@@4206504[/ame]
Here are some of Parcells comments on the subject:
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All too often one thing that seems to be overlooked is the amazing tolerance to pain that these NFL players have developed over time. The stray elbows and knee knocks and shoulder jostling that NBA players take is nothing compared to the hits that these NFL players take. -
Had Lebron chose football over basketball in HS, I have no doubt he would have been able to make it in the NFL. The dude was all-state as a SO WR at SVSM. He was unreal, could outrun most everyone, and outmuscle and outjump any defender. He would literally jump over guys to make a catch.
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LeBron is amazing,, he simply carries that Cavs team on his back..
I'd like to see him as a Tight End, though I think it would be crazyness to abandon basketball at this stage of his career.. -
Seriously? He is 6'8" and around 275 pounds. More than likely he will not be layed out that much. Tackled? Yes. But layed out? Not really. Also, im pretty sure he could handle it. Basketball players do tend to fall on hardwood floor alot, without padding. Im not taking anything away from the game of football becuase i play it and i truly think it is the most physical sport there is but im almost certain he could handle being hit. -
I think he's way too big to play WR. The NFL takes so much more out of your knees than the NBA does, and receivers with that much weight tend to break down whether it's muscle or not.
Tight End would be interesting but I'm not sure he can block....maybe he could though if he trained it up.Phinz420 likes this. -
I bet he could play as a very good 3-4 OLB. He would be the quickest LB in the league probably and just as strong as anyone else and would probably get a **** load of pass deflections
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According to the Cavs' site James is 250 not 275.
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/roster/
Which is a pretty typical size for a TE and I have seen many a TE get layed out but good by a safety or LB.
Falling on a hardwood floor is nothing like getting hit by a 215# man running at you full speed. Or a 250# LB -
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First of all lots of HS stars find themselves back in the middle of the pack in college. But even excelling in college is no guarantee an athlete will succeed at the pro level. Maybe he would do well..maybe not.
That said, my original post simply stated that he may not be okay with NFL level hits..ie: "how will he react?"..
You may be convinced that it wouldn't present any problems, but I'm not. I'm certainly not saying anything one way or the other; merely questioning.
Look at our Dolphins for a minute..Ted Ginn has seemed a little gun shy at times. Chris Chambers, a few years back looked a little hesitant to go across the middle after that big hit in Denver.
NFL hits can be devastatingly painful even if there is no injury involved.
So again LeBron James is a gifted basketball player. But whether or not he could withstand the physical demands required week in and week out to play in the NFL is still a question mark. -
I have two words for you.
Bo. Jackson. -
The only fact is that there is no empirical evidence to support either side. So any speculation is merely that - speculation.
Myself, I've not made the statement that he couldn't play in the NFL. I've only said that in spite of his athletic ability, whether or not he could play in the NFL is a question mark. -
late again likes this.
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Lebron is NOT 250 - I don't care what the site says. He weighed in at 274 last time they got him on a scale and if anything he has gotten bigger since then.
Huge Cavs fan from Cleveland here - trust me - Lebron hasn't been 250 for a few years. And 6'7" is low too - he is probably closer to 6'9" than 6'7".