Around the Hill: What sport besides basketball would LeBron excel at?

Brian Rose, Assistant Sports Editor

LeBron James has taken the basketball world by storm in the past decade. His size, strength and speed, combined with his superior basketball IQ have skyrocketed him into basketball legend. However, what if instead of running the floor for a transition dunk, he was running a post route for the Patriots? LeBron James, the 6’8” All-Pro tight end for the New England Patriots has a nice ring to it. Formerly an All-State high school wide receiver, LeBron would dominate the football world. Specifically he would dominate at the tight end position, using his strength to get off the line quickly and to block quick edge rushers like J.J. Watt and Khalil Mack. His massive hands would bring any ball in within his monstrous wingspan, and he could outrun any linebacker with his quick acceleration. Finally, what LeBron James might be known for best, his incredible vertical leap and explosion, would allow him to out jump any defender and be a game-changing red zone threat for his quarterback. Aside from his physical tangibles, his court sense mirrors the need for NFL tight ends to see the field and find open space for their quarterbacks to throw to. All of the tools LeBron utilizes on the basketball court would convert spectacularly to the NFL where he could truly be Rob Gronkowski-esque. Who knows, if the Pats had LeBron James instead of Rob Gronkowski for their AFC Championship Game, they could be the ones going to Super Bowl 50 this coming Sunday.

Spencer Serling, Editor-in-Chief

 One of the greatest basketball players of our generation, LeBron James, up to this point in his life has been known as just that, a basketball player. Considering his high school athletic career, however, many have projected what the phenom would have been like off the court and on the football field, where James was an All-State wide receiver. While many find it fun to imagine what the 6’8’’ forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers would have been like if he were a wide receiver on the New England Patriots with Tom Brady throwing him the ball, I prefer to think of what could have been: LeBron James, defenseman for the New York Rangers of the NHL.

LeBron James playing hockey would make for one of the greatest defenseman of all-time. James is certainly athletic and coordinated enough to become a competent-enough skater to keep up with the faster forwards in the NHL. Additionally, the sheer size of James on the ice would be enough to disrupt oncoming forwards, as he would be able to clog passing lanes and prevent skaters from maneuvering around the offensive zone.

On the offensive side of the puck, James would dominate as well. His vision in the NBA is unparalleled, as he has a knack for finding teammates for easy buckets. I believe his vision, awareness and competitiveness as a defenseman would encourage him to look around for the open teammate, especially as a point man on the power play, making him an incredible asset as a defenseman. Additionally, a man who is as strong as James is would be able to unleash one heck of a slap shot.

Ian Beck, Maroon-News Staff

LeBron James is the greatest athlete in professional sports. At 6’8”, his speed, strength and general athletic ability are unparalleled. Given that LeBron has slimmed down in recent years, I hesitate to say that he would be a great football player. In reality I believe his ability to play soccer would be the best fit for a player like LeBron. His size alone would great havoc on the pitch. He would body anyone in the box on corner kicks, combined with his leaping ability and he would be unstoppable. Similarly, his size and strength would make it impossible for defenders to get him off the ball. Even if defenders were able to body him up, his flopping ability from the NBA would translate perfectly into his soccer game. LeBron has shown also that he has some of the best footwork in basketball. His ability in the post and on defense show great skill with his feet, which would translate to nasty dribbling skills which when combined with his explosive speed, would leave defenders in the dust. LeBron is also known as a great finisher, which is an important attribute in soccer. When LeBron drives to basket, he finishes. In soccer clinical finishers like Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are elite. His ability to finish therefore would help make him a great soccer player. His final attribute that would make him a great soccer player is his passing ability. LeBron uses his advanced intelligence to pick out teammates, allowing them to score with ease. His vision and abilities to pass, along with his physical abilities would allow him to easily dominate the soccer world.