Unknown to many, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James used to be a football player for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School back in his youth. However, he didn't get to chase his childhood dream as he opted to pursue basketball instead.
During the league lockdown in 2011, he almost had the chance to revive his hopes of playing in the NFL and considered taking his talents to the gridiron instead. Up to this day, the four-time NBA MVP admitted that pursuing a football career still crosses his mind every so often.
“I always think about it,” James said via The Athletic.
In the 2011 NBA Finals, James and his Heat squad succumbed to the Dallas Mavericks in a 4-2 series loss. A league lockout then followed which left a lot of players in uncertainty.
Instead of participating in pick up games like his peers, James considered accepting a tryout from the Dallas Cowboys. Another team in the Seattle Seahawks also expressed their interest in James as they previously sent him a custom jersey along with an invitation letter.
“I would have made the team,” he claimed. “I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. One thing about it, I don’t mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I’d have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I’d have tried (out), but I would have made the team. I just know what I’m capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age.”
The Ohio native was just about to turn 27 a couple of days after the lockdown ended on Christmas Day. He would've been able to make a shift to football as he was still in his prime back then, while also considering the insane level of athleticism that he possesses.
Despite looking like a promising player on the field, his success in suiting up in another sport wasn't certain at all. Even with a tough Finals loss and an abolished plan to pursue football, it seemed like LeBron James was able to make the right decision after seeing how he turned out to be the player that he is today.
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