Michael Jordan isn’t the only NBA legend with multi-sport prowess. While Jordan’s brief stint in minor league baseball is well known, fewer people recall that LeBron James had a legitimate shot at becoming an NFL wide receiver.
James has long been recognized as a rare athletic talent, not just within the NBA but across sports in general. Like Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Danny Ainge before him, James demonstrated exceptional ability in multiple sports, particularly during his high school years.
During his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, James excelled on both the basketball court and football field, playing wide receiver with remarkable hands and an uncanny ability to find the end zone.
In three years of high school, James caught 99 passes for 1,912 yards and 27 touchdowns. The numbers don’t seem so impressive until you remember he did it while being considered a five-star prospect and the nation’s top basketball player.
The 2011 NBA lockout-James’ NFL moment?
The 2011 NBA lockout posed significant challenges for players. With team owners and the Players Association locked in legal disputes, athletes struggled to stay in game-ready shape, uncertain of when they’d return to action.
During this period, James seriously considered making the leap to football. Jerry Jones saw the potential and sent him a contract to join de Dallas Cowboys. “I know he got a contract from Jerry Jones that he framed and put in his office,” James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, revealed at the time.
James himself confirmed the story years later on the Uninterrupted podcast:
“I had no idea how long the lockout was going to be, and myself and my trainer, Mike Mancias, really started training to be a football player come October, November,” LeBron recalled.
LeBron the dual-sport threat
Almost 15 years later, James took to social media to remind fans of his brief but promising football career. In a recent Instagram story, he shared a newspaper clipping highlighting his high school stats, reminiscing about his two-time All-Ohio selection as a wide receiver.
At one point, the Los Angeles Lakers star even considered playing football and basketball simultaneously. In a conversation with Jason and Travis Kelce, he recalled that his best friend, Sian Cotton, played football at Ohio State.
“I could have roomed with him, played football in the fall, and basketball in the winter and spring,” he said.
While the odds of sustaining a career in both physically demanding sports were slim, fans still speculate about what could have happened had James taken the gridiron route instead.
We’ll never know for sure-but the thought remains intriguing.
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