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LeBron James Reveals The Reason He Stopped Playing Football After High School

Published 09/27/2021, 10:57 PM EDT

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Entering year 19, the legend of the ‘King’ continues. It seems that LeBron James just won’t slow down no matter what age he hits at this point. The Laker star has consistently been a top performer in the league, which is mostly dominated by the young guns. Hence, it seems like James made the right choice choosing basketball.

However, what if we tell you basketball wasn’t the only sport he enjoyed? LeBron was a multi-sport athlete in high school. The Akron Hammer participated in basketball and football. While many would think he wasn’t that good at football, they would all be in for a surprise.

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LeBron James still loves football

James was a top prospect in Ohio before he chose to pursue basketball full time. He played as a wide receiver and made his mark in college as well. The King accumulated 57 receptions, 1,160 yards, 16 touchdowns in all his games. Recently, he stated the reason for not discontinuing football on the ManningCast.

LeBron said: “If I would’ve had a better quarterback in high school, I might’ve continued to play football. I took way too many hits.” While he had the size and strength to play, the amount of contact he took to make it all happen was too much.

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Hence, as a high school kid, we can’t blame LeBron for keeping his safety first. But, in 2011 during the NBA lockout season. an NFL coach offered James an NFL contract. He decided not to accept, but who knows what the ‘King’ would be capable of even after being away from the sport for such a long time.

His love for the sport is still strong as he even reacted to his old high school highlights on his Twitter. In an alternate universe, we may have seen LeBron James become one of the NFL greats as a wide receiver.

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The King makes use of his skills

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As a wide receiver. James would be the player his quarterback would have eyes on. Hence, he was accustomed to catching the ball better than anyone in the league. Being gifted with genetic athleticism, this practice allowed him to truly dominate the game in the air.

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His catching and positioning skills allow LeBron James to be at the right place at the right time. Moreover, he also sees the game like a quarterback, making plays at all times. Even though he hasn’t played football in over a decade, he has efficiently used his skills in basketball to be as great as he is.

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Do you think LeBron would be an NFL legend if he chose to pursue football? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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