5 current NBA players who were legitimate prospects in other sports

#3 Ben Simmons - Aussie rules football

Ben Simmons was a top prospect as in Aussie rules football as a teenager.

Ben Simmons played multiple sports growing up in Australia. According to ESPN, he was a standout in both basketball and football. Simmons was always the tallest and strongest player on his football teams. He played the position of a ruckman, which is equivalent of playing as a center in the NBA.

Professional Aussie footballer Christian Petracca even claimed Simmons could have been a top-five draft pick if he had not dropped football in favor of basketball. The Sixers star has also won the Best and Fairest award in Yarra Junior League while playing for the Beverley Hills Football Club as a 14-year old. The team had several players that went on to make the pros. The Best and the Fairest award is like an MVP award in the NBA.

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#2 Joel Embiid - Volleyball

Joel Embiid in action during an NBA game.

Joel Embiid did not play basketball before he turned 15. It's an unbelievable fact about the Cameroonian center, but he never planned to pursue basketball. For most of his childhood, Embiid played the game of Volleyball.

It was a popular sport in Cameroon compared to basketball and Embiid's parents, his father especially, wanted him to pursue the sport. Embiid also wanted to train for Cameroon's national basketball team in Europe.

He never played the sport of volleyball professionally, but with his size and athleticism, he was a legitimate prospect to play the sport at a high level.

#1 LeBron James - Football

LeBron James considered working out for an NFL team in 2011.

LeBron James' is a huge fan of American football. He often posts about the NFL and his favorite players and teams on his social media accounts. Several analysts claim, with his physicality, he would have become a successful football player in the NFL.

James was a two-sport athlete while growing up. He was a talented wide receiver as an American football player. James was also named in the first-team all-state as a sophomore and was recruited by Division I schools as well. However, he decided to go ahead with basketball and dropped the idea of pursuing football after high school.

There were also reports of James potentially re-igniting his interest in pursuing a career in American football in 2011. NFL teams like the Cowboys and Seahawks offered James a workout with them during the NBA lockout. According to reports, the four-time champ seriously considered the offer to work out with the Cowboys.

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