"It's pretty surreal" - Jake Paul reflects on making Sports Illustrated cover, recalls seeing LeBron James on it as a child

Internet celebrity Jake Paul has graced the cover of the latest edition of the iconic Sports Illustrated magazine, which featured a list of the 50 most influential figures in the world of sports.

'The Problem Child' recently did an interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, during which he reacted to the news of featuring on the magazine's 'Power List' cover.

Paul shared that he was honored to be featured on the same list that included several legendary sports figures on it. The 26-year-old then revealed that, as a kid, he had bought an edition of Sports Illustrated with iconic Basketball star LeBron James on the cover.

Paul also spoke about possibly inspiring the next generation in the same way James inspired him during his childhood days:

"It's pretty funny... It's just crazy how this all played out and it's pretty surreal to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated... If you just think about all the people in sports and how influential they are, it's just an honor to be on the list, honestly... I don't know what year it was or how old I was but I remember getting the Sports Illustrated version with LeBron James on the cover and I just like, had it in my room... Fast-forward 20-something years and now maybe, some kid is gonna have the magazine of me in their room and I could be an inspiration to them. It's just amazing, just grateful."

Check out Jake Paul's comments below:

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Fans react to Jake Paul featuring on the Sports Illustrated magazine cover

In recent years, Jake Paul has emerged as a huge name in the world of combat sports. Almost every piece of news surrounding 'The Problem Child' draws a reaction from the public.

The same thing happened when it was announced that the 26-year-old will be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine. The news received mixed reviews from the public.

Some commended Paul for his huge achievement at such a young age.:

But there were others who criticized the YouTuber-turned-boxer and questioned the credibility of the Sports Illustrated magazine:

"This once iconic mag has really lost the plot & all credibility. anything for cheap attention now. Sadly that's now the market for declining mags. Vogue has never recovered from putting a Kardashian on its cover. Sell outs."