- The 38-year-old is preparing to begin his 21st season in the NBA with the LA Lakers.
- He considered playing for the Cowboys and Seahawks during the 2011 NBA lockout.
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Never-before-seen footage of LeBron James playing high school football has surfaced on social media, as it shows the NBA’s all-time leading scorer dominating in a different sport at the time.
A video from the early 2000s shared by Bally Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the 38-year-old NBA star as a wide receiver for the St. Vincent-St. Mary’s football team in Akron, Ohio.
James is seen catching multiple passes, including for a touchdown, and tackling opponents in never-before-seen highlights.
He was also seen chatting with the referees and removing his helmet as he left the field to go to the bench.
James was recruited by several Division I programs, including Notre Dame, before embarking on his journey to become a professional basketball player.
LeBron James played as a wideout for St. Vincent-St. Mary in high school in the early 2000s
James was recruited by several Division I programs, including Notre Dame, while he was in high school.
James, now 38, won four NBA championships with the Lakers, Cavaliers and Heat.
At the end of his sophomore year, he was named first team all-state, and as a junior he helped lead the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals.
He did not play in his later years due to a wrist injury he suffered during an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball game.
Some sports analysts, football critics, high school coaches, former and current players have speculated that James could have played in the NFL.
During the 2011 NBA lockout, James received contract offers to play professional football from the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, which he seriously considered and even began training in. thinking.
Without basketball, James would not have passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the title of NBA leading scorer.
“Those thoughts came to mind,” James said at the time. “But never having had the opportunity to finish high school playing like my senior year, I dream about playing football all the time.
“It’s crazy, because I actually never ran on the field in my dreams. I always get to the point where I’m either in the locker room or getting dressed or “talk about it or see the fans. As soon as I’m about to run onto the field, something else happens in my dream. Something like that always happens.
It’s fair to say that James’ alternate choice of becoming an NBA player worked for him, as he won four championships, Finals MVP, and regular season MVP.
James also became a 19-time first-team All-Star regular and 13-time first-team All-Star in his 20-year career.
In February, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer.