Fans love to but usually cannot provide valid reasoning behind comparing athletes that compete in different sports, since every game is technically very different and requires different sets of skills. However, fans tend to draw a parallel between different sports persons based on their similar strategies in their respective sport. A similar thing happened recently when Matteo Berrettini compared Rafael Nadal to LeBron James.

Fans are quite aware of the passion Matteo Berrettini has for basketball. In a recent interview, he said that it was like a family sport for him. The World No.10 also revealed that LeBron James was his all-time favorite basketball player.

Why Matteo Berrettini compared Rafael Nadal to LeBron James?

In the interview, Berrettini was asked who, according to him, was the LeBron James of tennis. He answered quite quickly and even gave a valid reason for the same.

“Nadal, in terms of physicality and because they both exploded very young,” said the Italian player. (translated by Google Translate)

It is evident that both James and Nadal have a superb physique, which became the first criteria for Berrettini’s comparison. However, his second reason fits more aptly while comparing the two legends.

Nadal won his first Grand Slam title at the age of just 19. Similarly, James in his very first season for the Cleveland Cavaliers scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record in his debut performance.

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Berrettini also compares Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic with two Basketball Legends

Berrettini didn’t just stop here, but also compared Roger Federer to the great Michael Jordan. After this, he went on and said that Novak Djokovic reminded him of Kobe Bryant. He even cited the reasons for both his comparisons.

“Federer, I would compare him to Michael Jordan. Djokovic reminds me of Kobe Bryant, for how he remains cold in difficult situations,” added the World No.10.

Berrettini believes that Federer’s legacy is as great as that of Jordon. As for Djokovic, he claimed that his ability to remain calm in tough situations reminded him of Bryant.

Comparisons are good as long as one gives a justification for them. Fans who follow different sports tend to draw these parallels based on the performances of different players. It not only enables them to think but also compare the attributes and abilities of players and even legends.

Also Read: An unbreakable Roger Federer record that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic would never break