Paul George Says NBA Stars Are Better Equipped for NFL Than the Reverse

Being a two-sport athlete is very difficult, as Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson are really the only two to succeed in multiple leagues over the past few decades. Overall, it is tough to go from succeeding at one sport to finding a role in another.

That begs the question: would it be easier for a football player to join the NBA or a basketball player to enter the NFL? That is the question Jason and Travis Kelce asked Paul George, and the Clippers forward defended the NBA in the debate.

“I don't think any football player could cross over to the NBA, our game is completely skilled,” George said on Podcast P with Paul George. “I think for an NFL guy to be able to play in the league, they gotta be hell of a shooter, because otherwise we’re not gonna guard you, you can’t shoot. That athleticism, that strength, that means nothing if you can’t shoot the ball in our league.”

On the flip side, George believes basketball players could succeed in the NFL, using former college players Julius Peppers and Tony Gonzalez as examples. The forward thinks that LeBron James and Russell Westbrook would have found roles, potentially as tight ends or safeties, in the NFL.

“I think we have a better chance,” he said. “I think guys in the NBA could’ve made that transition, I think I could’ve played wide receiver.” 

George does have a fair point as, along with Peppers and Gonzalez, Antonio Gates also had a Hall of Fame career after playing college basketball. Even Mo Alie-Cox, who played basketball at VCU, joined the NFL after not playing any football since high school, and has found a solid role as a tight end for the Colts.

Still, the NFL has a level of physicality that would be tough for most, if not all, basketball players to deal with at first.