LeBron James Says He 'Would Have Made' the Cowboys or Seahawks If He Tried Out

LeBron James said he received invitations to try out for the Cowboys and Seahawks during the NBA lockout in 2011.

We're used to LeBron James being a basketball superstar, but imagine if he'd taken his talents to the NFL.

Before he dominated the NBA, James was a multisport athlete in high school that excelled on the football field and the hardwood. Despite having long since turned to basketball full-time, the 16-time NBA All-Star thinks his football prowess would've landed him a spot on an NFL team if he went for it.

In a story by The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani and Bill Oram, James and several of his high school teammates and opponents recalled his football career as a wide receiver at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio. During an interview with The Athletic, James revealed he considered joining the NFL during the NBA lockout in 2011—nearly a decade after he graduated from high school. That year Cowboys owner Jerry Jones invited him to try out, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll sent him a custom jersey and an invitation. 

Although James's friends talked him out of trying out for the NFL, he said he adjusted his training and started running routes while he considered the career move.

"I would have made the team," James told The Athletic. "One thing about it, I don't mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I'd have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I'd have tried [out], but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age."

The lockout ended on Christmas Day, five days before James's 27th birthday.

Luckily for him he went on to win back-to-back NBA titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013. James earned more championship rings with the Cavaliers in 2016 and with the Lakers last fall.