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When we think of the greatest athletes of the twenty-first century, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lebron James come to mind.
They are the epitome of greatness and longevity in their respective sports, and in this article we talk about five similarities between both these athletes.
#1 Famously played for 3 Clubs
While Ronaldo has played for Sporting Lisbon, he is famous for his times at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and now Juventus.
Lebron James has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and now the Los Angeles Lakers. Interestingly both Lebron and Ronaldo moved to their new clubs (Juventus and Lakers) in the same year.
#2 Physical freaks of nature
When you think of the fittest athlete in football you think of Cristiano Ronaldo. The same can be said about Lebron James in basketball. Both players spend a lot of time in the gym. They follow strict diets, and try to be in the best possible shape for peak performance.
They do have different body structures as they both play different games, but both players are machines built for excellence in their respective sports.
#3 Businessmen
Both Ronaldo and Lebron take a keen interest in business. Ronaldo has his own clothing line and chain of hotels. He endorses tons of products and is always in the top 10 list of the highest earning athletes.
Lebron too has numerous investments in different kind of businesses. Blaze Pizza which Lebron has invested in is doing excellent. He also had investments in Liverpool which paid off very well when they reached the Champions League final. Like Ronaldo, he too is consistently in the top 10 list of highest earning athletes in the world.
Added to that, both players have a lifetime deal with Nike.
#4 Very long prime
Ronaldo and Lebron both are 33 at the time of writing. Strictly speaking, they should not be this good at this age. Both players have had a very long prime. Ronaldo from his Manchester United days has always been in the conversation of the best player in the world. Lebron James since 2007 has also been one of the, if not the best player in the world (for basketball).
Even now both players are still among the top 3 players in their respective sports. While Ronaldo may have declined slightly, it still is remarkable how brilliant both of them have been for so long.
#5 Great teammates
Both Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo have had great teammates over the course of their careers.
Lebron James has had the pleasure of playing with Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and now Rajan Rondo. Cristiano Ronaldo has got to play with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Modric, Bale, and now Dybala.
While both players may have had to play with players who were not in their prime (Wade and Kaka), they still have had excellent teammates in their entire careers.
