LeBron James takes great pride in his body. As he should. After all, the man reportedly spends a whopping $1.5 million to keep himself fit! That is in fact, the major reason why the ‘Akron Hammer’ showcases prime LeBron performances even when he is nearing 40. From personal trainers, masseuses, chefs to gyms, cryo chambers, hyperbaric chambers, and more, the 4x champion cuts no corners when it comes to keeping healthy. He is easily one of the fittest players in the NBA. Yet, one might wonder, what if Bron hadn’t chosen basketball as his career?

Of course, the easiest and immediate answer would be the NFL. A young James had dabbled in the sport and was phenomenal in it. But what if it wasn’t the NBA or NFL? What do you think of LeBron James as a UFC fighter? Hold that thought as we quickly turn your attention to an opinion that the UFC CEO and President, Dana White, had about NBA players dominating the UFC.

Dana White picks his fighters from the NBA and NFL

Joining Shannon Sharpe in his latest episode of Club Shay Shay, the NFL legend had a fun question for White. Sharpe asked to name three players each from football and basketball who would be great MMA fighters. And who did Dana have in mind? “You got to start with the two goats,” the 54-year-old said, getting right down to business.

His first choice was the 7x Super Bowl champion and the Patriots legend Tom Brady. Sharpe, though, just couldn’t wrap his head around Brady as an MMA fighter. But White had his reasons. “Number one, it starts with the mindset. You got to go with Brady and you got to go with Jordan. Jordan’s a killer!” Dana stated, putting his top two fighters from the NFL and NBA on the list.

While those two were brilliant picks, you’ll notice that the rest of his choices from the NBA, with one exception, all belong to the ’80s era. Though it was said in a casual tone, it was clear that White favored the physical and more aggressive period of the NBA. “Basketball these days ain’t as tough as they used to be,” he said before putting forth his choices. They include:

1. Bill Laimbeer
2. Metta World Peace (exception)
3. Charles Oakley, and finally,
4. Prime Shaquille O’Neal.

From the NFL we have:

1. The 40-year-old Chicago Bears tight end, Marcedes Lewis. White’s reason – “Huge UFC fan,” “Unbelievable athlete,” and “Has the mindset, been in the game forever.”
2. Another tight end, Rob Gronkowski was Dana’s next choice. He is not an active player, but he falls in the UFC President’s category of having the “mindset.” In fact, he was juggling with ‘Gronk’ and the late Walter Payton.

Shannon, though, had his doubts about Shaq, particularly pertaining to the weight class. However, since it’s Dana’s picks and his measuring scale was the win-at-any-cost mindset, all the above-mentioned athletes fall right in place.

While this isn’t in any way directly or indirectly related to LeBron James, it does make one wonder why not the ‘King’? Especially, when you consider the unfiltered opinion of popular comedian and UFC color commentator, Joe Rogan, about Bron?

Joe Rogan cut no corners when he warned UFC fighters that  they were lucky LeBron James chose basketball

Now, the following statement by Rogan was made in 2017 in his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. Joining him in that episode was stand-up comedian, Bryan Callen and they were discussing the hypothetical scenario where LeBron would be an MMA fighter. He certainly had the body, size, drive, grit, and winning mentality. So, it wasn’t too far-fetched a theory.

Rogan has seen his fair share of behemoths and giants in his job. Even so, for him to group the 6’9, 250-pound Akron native as being part of “human beings that have just the most unfathomable physical advantages,” speaks volumes about his admiration. Can we blame him, really? A 14-year-old LeBron James stood at 6’3!

Callen, for his part, recounted a chance encounter with a former teammate of the 4x MVP. Carlos Boozer played with LeBron during his first stint with the Cavs in 2004. “He was just a step faster than everybody and ridiculously strong,” Boozer reportedly said. And that was exactly why Joe Rogan had a word of advice for the then-UFC fighters.

“See, if a guy like that, if he was fighting, everybody would be f****d!” On a hilarious note, he added, “They are godd**n lucky there’s that much money in basketball.” While it is certainly an entertaining thought, the chances of LeBron James actually trying his hand in a ring seem unlikely. He once shared that he left football for health reasons. He was simply getting hit too much on the field.

And what is UFC if not getting and doling out hits? Regardless, no one would contest that LeBron James can hold his own if he ever was in such a situation. Although White and Rogan’s views are not in any way related to each other, it does have a certain correlation, wouldn’t you say? White’s interest in the ’80s basketball would have stemmed from the more aggressive and physical style employed by MJ and the like. It is what he is used to in his line of business.

In stark contrast, the current scenario of the NBA is one where the league emphasizes player protection and safety. But similar to many King James fans, Joe Rogan also saw the “generational talent” for what he is. It wasn’t just his on-court skills that earned him that nickname. The physical attributes certainly played a part in it.

So, what did you think of the opposing opinions of the above two experts?

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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