LeBron James: The Natural Athlete

I was running through some posts in the Fanhouse when I came across an article of Brian Grummell about how LeBron James used to play football. Behold, there was even a video. To be honest, I never knew he played football until now. The first thing that entered my mind was: this guy is a natural athlete. The second thing that entered my mind: The Longest Yard scene where Paul Crewe did the same thing: A football player who was said to know crap about basketball whipped the behind of a brother in 1-on-1 street-ball where elbows and fists fly and blood serves as your perspiration. Burt Reynolds called him a natural athlete. So I guess that is what we have here, LeBron James, a natural athlete.

So how did playing high school football help shape LeBron James, the basketball player? The fact that he takes hits and charges against a million defenders in the lane head-on pretty much spells everything out. It also played a huge role in developing LeBron's NBA-ready body even before he was legal to hit the R-rated movies and induce alcohol in his veins. So I guess this means this is the part where we thank football. Thank you, football.

On the flip-note, how would LeBron James have fared had he went on to embracing a pig-skin while running and rolling around the grass with a million vikings twice his size heaping up on him rather than bouncing balls and putting them through baskets back-and-forth? I'm guessing a possible position on QB since LeBron is a great passer; but come to think of it, so is everything else about his skills. I would vote WR for LeBron James. It would be just like finishing strong on the break; and everyone knows that's what LBJ loves.

One thing's for sure, LeBron was probably bad at Math and Science.

What do you think?