When it comes to football, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has plenty of opinions. During an episode of The Shop, the four-time league MVP said that his favorite NFL player is Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry while watching Thursday Night Football's game between the Titans and Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

“My favorite player in the NFL, man. What makes him my favorite player? I mean, for years, they always used to say that running backs that size or that tall couldn't survive, and obviously Eric Dickerson kind of changed that too. But then came King Henry changed that in a whole other fashion. Not only is he as tall as Eric Dickerson, but he's also built like a linebacker. He can run between the tackles, outside of tackles, and when he gets on the edge, it's either gonna be a stiff arm or he gonna run around you.”

 

That's quite a compliment from LeBron James, but it's hard to argue against the idea that Derrick Henry is indeed so tough to stop on the field because of his combination of heft and sheer brute force. It is also worth mentioning here that some years ago, LeBron James said that then-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was his favorite NFL player (h/t Tim McManus). Perhaps LeBron is just someone who goes en vogue when it comes to choosing his favorite football star.

LeBron James and Derrick Henry also share the same royal nickname “King,” that probably is another reason why the Lakers forward thinks of Henry that way.