SUMMARY
- LeBron James expressed his belief that if he wasn't the greatest basketball player, he could have been the GOAT in lacrosse.
- James' choice of lacrosse is based on its status as the oldest organized sport in the United States and its contact nature.
LeBron James has dominated the NBA for over two decades now. The Lakers talisman has showcased levels of athleticism, basketball IQ and physical longevity the likes of which few players in any sport have ever shown. Last year, the King voiced an interesting opinion with regards to which other sports he could have been a GOAT at on the “Undisputed” X account.
When asked which other sport he could possibly have been the GOAT at, James answered: “If I wasn’t the GOAT in basketball, what other sport I would be the GOAT in? Lacrosse – and I’d be a beast out on the field,” adding “It’s fast, it’s physical, I got pretty good accuracy when it comes to things.” That’s a fair assessment. LeBron James has continued to display jaw-dropping athleticism well into his late 30’s.
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The 38-year old made an interesting choice here. Lacrosse is the oldest organized sport in the United States. The fact that it’s a contact sport plays into James’ advantage considering the average lacrosse player’s height is about 6’0”. At 6’9″, James would be a giant on any lacrosse field. He’s right about his accuracy too, be it shooting or passing.
LeBron James’ multi-sport history
LeBron’s basketball legacy is undisputable. He started playing the game when he was 9 years old. It was football coach Frank Walker who introduced him to basketball. James started playing for his school team by the 5th grade. He went on to become a starter for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars in the AAU. James and his motley crew of friends shocked the nation by beating basketball academy youth teams.
Rare footage of Lebron James playing football in high school 📽🔥 pic.twitter.com/vI007e2Xc1
— BronMuse (@BronMuse) December 7, 2023
James went on to attend St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and continued playing basketball. Here, he also played football and was quite good at it. He drew enough attention to get recruited into Division I. LeBron had a celebrated high school footballing career, making first team all state in his junior year and reaching the semifinals at the state level. It has been speculated that LeBron had enough talent to make it into the NFL.
The kid from Akron, Ohio has also shown an interest in volleyball. There are several clips on the internet of James attending his daughter Zhuri’s volleyball games. This has led to fans speculating how his height, wingspan, vertical jump, strength and agility could easily make him a great volleyball player. There are also instances where James’ blocks in the NBA have been volleyball-esque.
NBA players as volleyball players continued… LeBron would be a beast 🏐👀
What position would he play? ⤵️pic.twitter.com/achz60d3Fi
— Volleyball is Life 🏐 (@Volleyball4L) June 25, 2020
LeBron James is gifted with an sporting-IQ that matches his athleticism. It is not difficult to him dominating other sports. He’s also proved this beyond reasonable doubt with his high school footballing record. James most likely has never even played lacrosse. Despite that, its hard to argue with him considering what he has shown to be capable of.