“Being the Number One Pick”- Alex Rodriguez Compares the Start of His MLB Career With NBA Legends LeBron James and Kobe Bryant

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez became a marquee player in the MLB realm. However, he didn’t gain his stardom at the flick of a switch. In fact, he was rather a tailor-made specimen who gave glimpses of his athletic excellence as a youngster. Recently, the former Yanke drew a parallel between his own career to that of NBA legends LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Born in New York and growing up in Miami, he thus made his MLB debut as a mere 18-year-old. Drafted by the Mariners in 1993, Rodriguez got touted as a national top prospect, a tag that he later justified. Remarkably, Rodriguez was the first high school player to try out for the US national baseball team.

Therefore, NBA legends James and Bryant got a mention as they represented the US national basketball team. Both James and Bryant are two-time Olympic gold medalists. They were teammates at the Olympic events in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Likewise, they both earned recognition as top national prospects on the basketball court.

Alex Rodriguez on his similarities with the NBA icons 

Alex Rodriguez was recently a guest on the Money Maze podcast. He had a long conversation with host Simon Brewer about his sporting career and his life beyond retirement. At one point, they talked about how the former Yankee began his MLB career. Rodriguez discussed how his playing career had similarities with LeBron James and the Late Kobe Bryant. 

Speaking at the podcast, Rodriguez said, “You know it was a lot than someone like yourself may think. Or even at that time, for some it wasn’t obvious they thought I should have gone pro.”

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“Because like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, being the number one pick in the country, there is not much upside after that. So the one downside, if you went to the University of Miami or any university at that time, you had to stay a minimum of three years,” A-Rod added.

A-Rod’s splendid MLB career:

Beginning with the Mariners, Alex Rodriguez also went on to play for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. Notably, he signed two of the most lucrative contract deals in franchise history. The 14-time All-Star Rodriguez also won one World Series championship with the Yankees.

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Coming back to his comments to compare himself with Koebe and LeBron, what is your opinion on the same? Share your comments below.