"No flag on the play!" - LeBron James left in splits after watching former NFL pro Andrew Hawkins' Aaron Donald impression

LeBron James at a Los Angeles Rams home game
LeBron James at a Los Angeles Rams home game

Seventeen-time All-Star LeBron James acknowledged an attempt to reenact the on-field exploits by Los Angeles Rams' defensive tackle, Aaron Donald. This came in the form of a video clip posted to Twitter by a former NFL player and LeBron’s associate Andrew Hawkins. Hawkins played six seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

Their relationship began in 2017, when Andrew Hawkins joined Uninterrupted – a company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. They share a close relationship and have often exchanged interactions on Twitter, with the latest being on the more playful side of things.

Hawkins recorded a video of himself with his son and two daughters acting as the opposing quarterback and offensive linement respectively, as he took on the role of Aaron Donald. His "signal-caller" son was tackled and sacked onto a sofa every single time in the video as Hawkins broke through the blocking attempts of his daughters. The sentiment Hawkins was trying to convey was that of Aaron Donald's dominance on the field, humorously captioning the video:

“Yes, I know exactly what it feels like to be Aaron Donald. Not as easy as it looks for guys like us.”

Aaron Donald was critical in the Rams’ win against Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay, to book their spot in the NFL Conference Championships. LeBron James, a keen follower of the NFL, found Andrew Hawkins’ post hilarious and shared it, with his own accompanying caption that read:

“No flag on the play! (Laughing emoticons)”

LeBron James’ relationship with Andrew Hawkins and the NFL

New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys

By virtue of sharing a professional relationship, James and Hawkins have spent quite some time with each other. In November last year, James joined Drake, Naomi Osaka and Maverick Carter, among a few others, to invest in a sports tech company launched by Hawkins. StatusPro, the said company, creates training and fan engagement products by combining data and extended reality technology.

Apart from the business end, Andrew Hawkins has been a James supporter, often calling him the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. Another commonality between the two is that they’re Ohio natives.

LeBron played his fair share of American football during his high school days. In the recent past, James revealed that he even considered trying out for the NFL during the 2011 NBA lockout.

With no clarity on when the lockout was going to end, James even went as far as playing flag football alongside another avid NFL fan, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.

LeBron James was even confident about a deal with either the Seattle Seahawks or Dallas Cowboys. It is hard to imagine what the NBA would have been if the 2011 lockout had ended differently. The entire NBA ecosystem is, safe to say, glad that LeBron did not pursue it further; in turn displaying his ageless pursuit for greatness in the league, even today.

At age 37, LeBron James is in his nineteenth NBA season, putting on a show on a consistent basis. He is currently the second leading scorer with an average of 29 points per game, second to only Kevin Durant. The LA Lakers will face off against the Brooklyn Nets in their next fixture, but the Nets will be without Durant, who is sidelined due to a knee injury.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now