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Just as he is busy preparing for the 2023-24 NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is also keeping tabs on the goings-on in the NFL, even announcing his picks for parlay live on Instagram. Fans are getting a kick out of it and have jumped on the opportunity to make their thoughts known.
The four-time NBA champion has actually done well with his picks, going 11-2 for last week alone. He shared on X that he intends to share his choices again this weekend, as well as that for the Thursday Night Football game between the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears.
LeBron James wrote:
“Will do my NFL picks for this Sunday on IG live before they begin Sunday but for tonight TNF game I’m going with Wash over Chi. Nevertheless hope it’s a great game. [Footbal] junkie.”
But while some take delight in poring over his picks, others have chosen to troll him. Here are some of the interesting things they have to say:
LeBron James on choosing basketball over football
With the way he is built and the athleticism he possesses, LeBron James could have easily been an NFL superstar. But he chose basketball over football, which did not turn out bad at all.
In a video posted on Instagram for his LeBron James Foundation, ‘The King’ jokingly shared that the reason why he opted for basketball instead of football was to avoid playing outdoors in Ohio during winter.
The 19-time NBA All-Star said:
"Growing up in Ohio was just like, I love playing football, but when the winter hit ... you gotta be a different beast to play football in the rain, sleet, snow and hail and still love it. You know, and that's part of the reason why Ohio, the state, makes some of the best football players ever."
"But I also wanted to be warm, too. So, basketball, I could still get that comradery, I could still get that teamwork, still get that friendship, still get that competitive edge, and be warm," he added.
While he was a basketball star at St. Vincent-St. Mary, LeBron James also played wide receiver for the team’s football team, making first-team all-state in his sophomore year. The following year, he had 57 receptions for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns to help his team reach the semifinals and a 10-4 record.
James did not play football after that, choosing to stay in the basketball lane. But the gridiron remains close to him, constantly following NFL matches and playing flag football whenever possible with fellow NBA stars.
