LeBron James vs Patrick Mahomes: Who had more titles and MVP awards at age 27?

LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes are two of the most popular American sports athletes. [photo: MARCA]
LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes are two of the most popular American sports athletes. [photo: MARCA]

LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes are arguably the biggest names in the NBA and the NFL, respectively today. Both have had great success early in their careers in basketball for James and football for Mahomes.

“King James” was a high-school prodigy who became the No. 1 pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He quickly made a name for himself as the soon-to-be dominant force in the league a season after jumping straight out of prep school.

LeBron James won back-to-back MVPs in 2009 and 2010. Team success, however, eluded him for nearly a decade. It was only in his ninth season in the NBA, now aged 27, did he win his first championship.

James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to bag his first of four career titles, two of which came with the Miami Heat. His decision to leave Cleveland to take his talents to South Beach shaped his career in many ways, particularly when it comes to championships.

The Akron, Ohio native may not have won his first championship had he not formed a super team in Miami. LeBron James was a two-time MVP and one-time champ at age 27.

Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, didn’t play in the NFL until he was 22 years old. The Kansas City Chiefs made him the 10th pick of the 2017 pro football draft. Mahomes was the second quarterback off the board after North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky was taken by the Chicago Bears as the second overall pick.

Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith as the Chiefs wanted him to soak in every possible lesson from the former No. 1 pick. The following season, he threw for 5,097 yards, resulting in 50 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. He became just the second player after Peyton Manning to hit 50 touchdowns and 5,000 passing yards in the same season.

The former Texas Tech product won his first MVP but lost in the AFC Championship to the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory in 2019, the first in franchise history. He also won the SB MVP in just his second full season in the NFL.

"The Grim Reaper" is a two-time regular season MVP, two-time Super Bowl winner and two-time SB MVP at age 27.


LeBron James is winding down a GOAT-worthy NBA career while Patrick Mahomes could be on that trajectory

LeBron James is playing at an unprecedented level for an NBA player in his 20th season. He recently overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time scoring leader a few days ago.

Amazingly enough, "King James" is also fourth in all-time assists, which only strengthened his case in GOAT conversations. He has been named one of the captains for what will be his record-tying 19x All-Star selection.

Only injuries have seemed to slow him down as he has missed the LA Lakers' last two games due to ankle soreness. When he's on the court, though, he has been running rings and dominating players several years younger than him.

Patrick Mahomes can take the same cue from LeBron James when it comes to the unrelenting drive to be great. Mahomes looks like he's already built a Hall of Fame career after just five years in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback could push his name into football GOAT discussions if he keeps this up.

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