NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant have battled on the basketball court several times over the course of their careers. In this piece, however, we'll take a look back at their friendly matchup on the football field.
It was December of 2011, and the NBA was in the midst of a lockout. In light of this fact, James decided to host “LeBron's Flag Football Classic” at the University of Akron in his hometown. According to cleveland.com, James' squad defeated Durant's, 73-63. Kevin's team attempted a late drive to tie the game, but James intercepted a pass to seal victory for his side.
James has become one of the greatest basketball players in history, but he was also a standout football player at St. Vincent – St. Mary's High School. As a freshman in 1999, SVSM was in the state playoffs, but they were struggling to put points on the board. The best receiver on the team had went down with an injury, so the coach looked down his bench and called on a 6-6 James, who had no varsity experience.
The gamble paid off in a big way, as LeBron went on to grab a school record nine receptions, two touchdowns and over 100 receiving yards in that game. He was 14 years of age.
As a sophomore, LeBron racked up 750 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns en route to All-State honors. As a junior, he led the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals, pulling in 57 receptions for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns. James did not play football in his senior year due to a wrist injury that he sustained in an AAU basketball game.
Simply put, James was one of the best wide receivers in his class. Several Division I NCAA schools, including Notre Dame, were recruiting him — as a football player. Ultimately, though, James would choose to pursue a career in basketball.
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