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Former NFL guard likens Bills QB Josh Allen to NBA superstar LeBron James

Former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long recently compared Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to NBA superstar LeBron James.

Kyle Silagyi

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has a perhaps shockingly layered history with four-time NBA MVP LeBron James.

The 20-time NBA All-Star first started voicing his adoration of the Buffalo signal-caller this past summer after Allen was voted as the NFL’s most overrated quarterback in an anonymous player poll, coming to the former All-Pro’s defense on Instagram. He again sang Allen’s praises during the Bills’ Week 3 dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season, tweeting “I really like watching Josh Allen play football!” after the quarterback’s four touchdown first half.

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James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Finals MVP, knows a thing or two about dominating opposition, as he’s his league’s all-time leading scorer. His sustained dominance has objectively bred higher highs than those experienced by Allen, but the two are akin to each other in that they have the ability to take over any given game. Both are undeniable when the ball is in their hands and the game is on the line, and their shared ability in this respect was recently noted by former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long.

LeBron Jame
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The former Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs guard likened Allen to James during a recent appearance on the CBS Sports Network, noting the field general's proficiency with both his arms and legs and how he’s simply different than his contemporaries, much like James was so clearly distinct in his prime.

“Josh Allen is, it’s like watching LeBron James play, and I’m talking, like, 26-year-old LeBron James, because Josh Allen is just different than these guys,” Long said. “And even when they can’t manufacture a run game, they’ve done such a great job protecting him. He can kill you with his arm, and more important and more dangerously, he kills you with his legs.”

James, again, has experienced more individual and team success than Allen throughout his 22-year professional career; his mantel is in no way devoid of silverware, and he’s led three different franchises to NBA Championships. That said, Allen could be well on his way to digging into James’ lead a bit this season, as he’s the current NFL MVP frontrunner, and he has Buffalo at 9-2 through the first 12 weeks of the 2024 campaign. 

Perhaps the most meaningful accolade of James’ career was achieved in 2016 when he led his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA Championship; perhaps Allen will accomplish a similar feat across Lake Erie in the near future. 

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