Could "King" James make it in the NFL?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by hooskins

Or at the least, he could play for the Giants' D and stall offensive drives with fake injuries.

Waiting for Giantone. "You have no proof".

Brilliant!

[Nomad]

Useless topic

[budw38]

Originally Posted by hooskins

He is a big baby. LeWhine's flopping won't fly in football.

If he signed in New England and lined up at DE , he and Fat Al could be " Flipper and Orca ", the flopping Patriots appearing Sunday's @ 1:00 pm eastern standard time !

[celts32]

In theory he may have the athletic ability to play in the NFL but at this point he is a pampered extremely wealthy NBA player. One trip over the middle in an NFL game would send him running back for the comfort of his basketball gym.

[saden1]

LOL...he was practicing with his high school team. I mean, come on, I know he is big and fast but the NFL is all about route running and timing so playing TE is out of the question. Maybe in situational plays they could use him on a jump ball but I think he may have a better shot playing defensive end. Even then he will be easily fooled into making mistakes. How many game tapes has he watched to know what's coming?

If he wanted to play football he should have made the decision in the summer and worked out with real football players instead of a high school team. Don't embarrass yourself James, you're already a crownless King.

[mooby]

It's an insult to professional football players and all the work they put in for him to come in and think he could play after a decade of not playing football.

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by mooby

It's an insult to professional football players and all the work they put in for him to come in and think he could play after a decade of not playing football.

Those of you old enough will remember when Bo Jackson signed w/the Raiders & said he would play football half a season as a "hobby." So many nfl players spoke up, pissed at him. then he came in & ran people over & everyone talked about how great he was.

It is different for Lebron though, like you said - 10 years. Bo was only away for 2-3 I think.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by mooby

It's an insult to professional football players and all the work they put in for him to come in and think he could play after a decade of not playing football.

Just playing devil's advocate: If you were a basketball fan, would you have thought that Brandon Marshall's comments about playing in the NBA would have been an insult?

[mooby]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Just playing devil's advocate: If you were a basketball fan, would you have thought that Brandon Marshall's comments about playing in the NBA would have been an insult?

I am a basketball fan, and I do remember Marshall's comments, and while I do feel he wouldn't have been able to step in immediately on the court and dominate, I don't think the transition would've been as hard as a basketball player going to football.

Playing basketball at an high NBA level, while definitely hard and something you would have to put in a lot of time and work at, is not the same as playing football at a high NFL level. The NFL is so tough of a league, you have to play for a minimum of three years in college before they even let you enter the draft. Basketball players only have to play a year in college before they're allowed to go pro, and that wasn't even the case a decade ago.

But to answer the question above, yes I do think Marshall's comments were an insult to all the NBA players who have had to work hard to advance their craft. Sometimes players can get by talent alone, and while Marshall does have the athleticism, the best players in the league have both talent and the smarts to put it all together.

I might be wrong, Marshall might be able to step on the court after years of not playing organized basketball and play well, but the odds are against it. Especially given that where he's gotten in the NFL today is a result of his talent, and probably not a testament to how hard he had to work to become a bigtime receiver. And I use that term loosely.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by mooby

I am a basketball fan, and I do remember Marshall's comments, and while I do feel he wouldn't have been able to step in immediately on the court and dominate, I don't think the transition would've been as hard as a basketball player going to football.

Playing basketball at an high NBA level, while definitely hard and something you would have to put in a lot of time and work at, is not the same as playing football at a high NFL level. The NFL is so tough of a league, you have to play for a minimum of three years in college before they even let you enter the draft. Basketball players only have to play a year in college before they're allowed to go pro, and that wasn't even the case a decade ago.

But to answer the question above, yes I do think Marshall's comments were an insult to all the NBA players who have had to work hard to advance their craft. Sometimes players can get by talent alone, and while Marshall does have the athleticism, the best players in the league have both talent and the smarts to put it all together.

I might be wrong, Marshall might be able to step on the court after years of not playing organized basketball and play well, but the odds are against it. Especially given that where he's gotten in the NFL today is a result of his talent, and probably not a testament to how hard he had to work to become a bigtime receiver. And I use that term loosely.

Football is much more strategy oriented then basketball. Sure you need coaching to get that final push to win the NBA Finals but there's more slack in basketball for players to get away with raw athleticism and even win games with poor coaching.

If you take a receivers that's tall, fast, and can catch but can't run routes or read defenses then you're looking at a much shorter career. If you have a linebacker that can tackle, run, and shed blocks but doesn't know how to read offenses then you'll have a guy with a short career.

In basketball usually the most athletically gifted make the final cut, where as in football you see superior athletes cut all the time in favor of more savvy players that understand the game.

[irish]

I dont think LeBron would have a problem playing in the NFL, its not like he's talking about playing baseball - he wouldnt make a high school team in that sport.

[Longtimefan]

Oh! these lockouts....now taking my talents to the NFL, please!!

[SmootSmack]

I think people are underestimating both the brutality and strategy associated with basketball...but that doesn't mean LeBron would be successful in the NFL...well depends on how we're defining successful

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

Those of you old enough will remember when Bo Jackson signed w/the Raiders & said he would play football half a season as a "hobby." So many nfl players spoke up, pissed at him. then he came in & ran people over & everyone talked about how great he was.

It is different for Lebron though, like you said - 10 years. Bo was only away for 2-3 I think.

If Bo Jackson would've just stuck to football he very well could've been one of the very best ever. Rare rare combination of ridiculous speed and power.

[hooskins]

Bo Jackson is of a rare breed. Not going to find that people with that type of physical ability, talent and the skill to apply it to multiple sports.