LeBron James Invites Backlash From NFL World Over Audacious NBA Claim in Caitlin Clark Discussion

Before becoming an NBA star, LeBron James played football for St. Vincent-St. Mary. Herein, the 4X MVP is known to have taken on not just basketball but two seasons in football as well. Couple that with his athletic excellence in the NBA in later years, two NFL offers popularly stopped by the legend. One of which he seriously considered before ultimately turning it down and taking the path he walks today.

Despite his interaction with both sports, James thinks more highly of basketball and is afraid that football fans might criticize his views.

LeBron James doubts his views to be controversial

The Los Angeles Lakers star recently started a podcast show alongside JJ Redick. James and his co-host were talking about the correlation between men’s and women’s collegiate basketball and the comparative popularity of each on the fourth episode of Mind The Game. This is when James discussed Caitlin Clark’s career. He theorized that female collegiate basketball players have the opportunity to grow with the community and build their legacy, unlike male college athletes who are selected into the NBA only after their freshman year.

This is when the four-time NBA Champion favored his own sport and said, “So when you get a popular basketball player, which is the most popular sport in the world and I’m going to stick by it. I know football fans will rebuke my comment, but I believe that.”

LeBron James believes that pairing a well-known figure’s staunch presence in a program with the popularity of the game around the world, draws in a loyal crowd, amplifying both the sport. He theorized this by introducing Caitlin Clark in the example, listing the Iowa athlete as one of the better examples or a key factor in the recognition the sport has attained today.

There have been many times more when King James has been publicly known for being passionate about his sport more than any other.

Former Lakers player praises LeBron James’ work ethic

On the Club 520 podcast, former Los Angeles Lakers appeared a couple of months ago. This is when Wesley Matthews also talked about how much love Bron has for his work and basketball in general. Not only does Matthews respect James for his work ethic, but the former co-workers also believe that the passion he holds for the sport results in a great environment for any athlete who is looking forward to growing further in the NBA.

While both football and basketball are sports that require different abilities, James chose a rather unconventional thought for his choice of play as iterated in a video by @ljfamfoundation. “…you gotta be a different beast to play football in the rain, sleet, snow, and hail and still love it… But I also wanted to be warm, too. So, basketball, I could still get that comradery, I could still get that teamwork, still get that friendship, still get that competitive edge, and be warm.” 

Whatever the process, LeBron James seems to have found the right click to find himself in the position he does today.

READ MORE:- “He Really Care About Basketball”: Ex-Laker Hails LeBron James’ Work Ethic While Describing the Pressure of Playing in Los Angeles