10 NBA Stars We'd Love to See Play in 1 NFL Game
LeBron James is a trend-setter.
At least, that's what I'm hoping after his latest social media impulse. One Twitter follower asked The King if he would consider playing in a professional football game if given the opportunity, a question with a rather obvious answer: Yes.
Over the years, it's become apparent that football is LeBron's long-lost love. And because he's so athletic and nearly perfect at his current craft, there are some, like myself, who believe he could be valuable in the NFL.
Potential to succeed aside, watching him play in one game or even one possession would be highly entertaining. The thrill of watching a star from another sport push the boundaries of his talent would be too compelling to pass up.
Not just LeBron, either. Numerous other NBA stars would be interesting additions to the NFL as well.
Would any of them be worth an actual roster spot? Debatable, but each and every one of their debuts would be worth watching.
John Wall
1 of 10
John Wall is fast, and I mean super fast. Some people suffer from sleepwalking; he's a sleep sprinter. That's how fast he is.
Put a helmet, some pads and custom-made cleats on him and I imagine he'd still be super fast, worthy of setting up shop behind a quarterback.
Per ESPN The Magazine's Elena Bergeron, Wall was actually better at football than basketball until he was in eighth grade. Running back was also one of the positions he played.
While he's not as bulky as most of the NFL's current running backs, binge-eating and extra weight-lifting sessions can fix that. More importantly, could he find holes in a defensive line? Yes. And once he does, he'd be hell to catch before breaking off into the secondary for a 40-plus-yard touchdown.
This is all purely theoretical, of course. There's no telling how successful or pitiful Wall would be in an NFL game. But he has to be better than anything the New York Giants have going, right?
I'd sure like to find out.
Position Suggestion: RB
Biggest Concern: Can he run in something other than shorts?
Serge Ibaka
2 of 10
If anyone in the NBA is built like a defensive end, it's Serge Ibaka.
Bring him to a crowded party after dark and you could pass him off as a taller version of Osi Umenyiora. On second thought, there's a seven-inch height difference there. You better make him sit or kneel down while wearing sunglasses just to be safe.
At any rate, Ibaka has the explosiveness and quickness necessary to get the jump on offensive linemen. Like someone else to follow, I envision him batting passes down at or behind the line of scrimmage while picking up multiple unassisted sacks per game.
Ibaka's greatest issue may be his size. Defensive ends don't routinely approach seven feet tall (he's 6'10"), and I wonder if his towering shadow would prevent him from "sneaking" up on unsuspecting quarterbacks.
Oh well, deflected passes all around then.
Position Suggestion: DE
Biggest Concern: Is he in the crouched position or standing up?
Zach Randolph
3 of 10
Sometimes the way Zach Randolph plays basketball is better suited for the NFL.
You've seen the way he looks at his opponents. The way he boxes out. And the way he goes at it with Blake Griffin.
That type of physicality was meant for the football field...on the offensive line.
At 6'9" and weighing over 250 pounds, Randolph is a couple (dozen) trips to Taco Bell away from being an upgrade over anyone the Oakland Raiders have protecting Terrelle Pryor. Count the number of times he gets away with pushing or pulling opponents out of the restricted area every game. Then notice how deft he is at maintaining his footing. In a setting where that type of skill set is encouraged, he could thrive.
My biggest concern would be the facemasks dangling right in front of his face. Z-Bo is one for tugging on unkempt jerseys, and I worry he'd see the extension of a helmet as a handle he's supposed to yank.
Defensive linemen beware.
Position Suggestion: RT
Biggest Concern: Developing a mindset similar to Ndamukong Suh.
Carmelo Anthony
4 of 10
Fullbacks are a dying breed at the NFL level, if they aren't already dead. I see the 6'8" Carmelo Anthony as someone who could reinvent the position. That, or he'd make a nice blocking tight end.
'Melo's thick. Not to say he's fat, but his explosion on the basketball court is something of an anomaly when you consider he has the upper body of a traditional power forward or center.
He treats every defender as his personal blocking sled or that guy on the practice squad no one really likes. Although he tends to bruise like a peach, NFL bodies are becoming increasingly fragile anyway, so he'd fit right in.
The way he lowers his shoulder to create space while sending defenders flying makes it seem as if he could open up some nice holes for a running back or receiver in the open field. Prone to playing in the paint and out of position, absorbing contact isn't a foreign concept to him either.
How he holds up against players who are allowed to tackle while running at full force is anyone's guess.
Position Suggestion: TE
Biggest Concern: Can he understand the value of doing more than finding the end zone?
Dwight Howard
5 of 10
Dwight Howard may be too tall for the NFL.
Standing at 6'11", there isn't one position you look at and think "That's for him."
Some have him pegged as a potential tight end because he has the frame for it, but his hands are far too clumsy to catch passes consistently. Much like he limited the Los Angeles Lakers' options on offense, I wouldn't want to see him do the same in the NFL.
I'm more intrigued by him playing the part of a defensive tackle or defensive end. With his wingspan, he should be able to swat some passes away at the line of scrimmage. Rejecting mid-air objects should be right in the three-time Defensive Player of the Year's wheelhouse, after all.
When healthy, he's also quick for someone his size. Getting around offensive linemen shouldn't be impossible.
I'm sure there are plenty of people eager to see what his "I recorded a sack" celebrations would look like.
Position Suggestion: DE/DT
Biggest Concern: Are NFL players allowed to smile that much?
Steve Nash
6 of 10
Steve Nash isn't built for the NFL, which is why he would make the perfect kicker or punter.
Kickers and punters not named Steve Weatherford are amongst the scrawniest players in football. They're not known for tackling, blocking or doing anything other than putting that egg-shaped brown thing through the uprights.
As a soccer enthusiast, it's only logical to assume Nash could get some distance and accuracy behind his kicks. His continuously optimistic and soft-spoken demeanor also make him the perfect fit for a position where players spend most of their time on the sidelines.
With the clock winding down and your team down by two, Nash would be the guy who trots in and wins the game with his precision-based kicking. Or he would be the guy who pins opposing offenses deep in their own territory, setting up potential safeties. You decide.
Position Suggestion: K/P
Biggest Concern: Is he able to use his spare time on the sidelines to coach quarterbacks in the art of no-look, behind-the-back pass attempts?
Metta World Peace
7 of 10
Metta World Peace can bring the pain. Just ask James Harden or any of the fans in attendance for his unfortunate 2004 in-stands raid. They'll all tell you World Peace knows how to battle.
Bringing opposing players down is more difficult at the NFL level, but World Peace has the never-say-die mentality that makes you believe his body and defensive ideals could hold up at the linebacker position.
If nothing else, give him credit for not caring whether or not he puts himself in harm's way. Pretty much every professional football player has to assume a similar mindset.
Playing football is also something that recently appealed to the cooky forward after he was amnestied by the Lakers.
"I want to go to China, or coach or play arena football," he said, per ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin.
Seeing him play in the NFL would be cooler, but I'll settle for the AFL. Maybe he'd be enough to bring Tim Tebow out of hiding and onto the turf.
Position Suggestion: MLB/OLB
Biggest Concern: He's already too sexy for his cat; is he also too sexy to wear a helmet?
Kevin Durant
8 of 10
This one comes with strings attached—because quite frankly, I don't want to see Kevin Durant get hurt.
"Super slender" doesn't even begin to describe the wiry Durant. When on the move, it sometimes looks like he's running on peg legs. Or pencils. It's a wonder he's able to withstand the beating he takes when he attacks the rim.
But in Durant I see a touch of Plaxico Burress, minus the suit-jacket arsenal. He's tall (6'9"), skinny (to say the least), and fits nicely as an end-zone target who jumps up and snags passes out of the air.
Throw it anywhere in the vicinity of his 7'4"-7'5" wingspan and he'll catch it. Think of all the inaccurate quarterbacks he could help. He alone may have been enough to save Josh Freeman's job in Tampa Bay. Too soon? Alright, then he's definitely enough to help him keep it in Minnesota.
Before Durant puts his pads on, he needs to hit the gym more than he already does. And forget the cardio. Chest presses, squats and bicep curls while eating whey-protein-dipped donuts in between sets all day.
Position Suggestion: WR
Biggest Concern: Will he remember the NFL is different from flag football?
LeBron James
9 of 10
Ah, our inspiration for everything—The Chosen One.
LeBron has danced around the possibility of playing football since the NBA lockout in 2011, when Pete Carroll facetiously recruited him to play for the Seattle Seahawks. Late this past September, LeBron also told ABC's Heather Cox that he loved the sport more than basketball, per ESPN's Kevin Negandhi.
Now we're here, barely removed from his latest Twitter gushing. I doubt this is the last we've heard of his desire either. He played football while attending high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary's in Akron, and you know what they say about old habits when you're famous and have unlimited resources—they don't die.
Putting his body and career at risk to experience the thrill of participating in an NFL game would be absurd on LeBron's part if he ever got the opportunity, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't watch, bowl of cheese puffs in hand.
LeBron is one of the most gifted athletes of any sport and has that "I can do anything I want" air about him. There's no doubt in my mind he would make a fine NFL player.
Pinpointing his position, however, would be difficult. Tight end or defensive end is written all over him, but I could see him as wide receiver or cornerback as well. Heck, after watching him toss full-court passes, I could be swayed to insert him at quarterback too.
Position Suggestion: Anywhere
Biggest Concern: Are powder tosses permitted on the sideline?
Derrick Rose
10 of 10
Derrick Rose is super fast, too.
When he was younger, Rose said he considered playing football before settling on basketball, according to ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell. The pace of the game and the potential to play in freezing cold weather helped make the decision easy for him.
Having only just returned from a torn ACL, it's easy to write off Rose's NFL potential. But Adrian Peterson was able to return from his ACL injury just as explosive, and Rose is already showing signs that he's the same athletic freak he's always been.
Picture him as a running back, dodging tackles and defenders. His speed and explosion resemble something similar to Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, but his constant misdirection attempts—even though it's not always necessary—remind me of the juke-heavy Ahmad Bradshaw.
Would that be a lethal combination against 11 oversized men trying to pummel him into the ground? Until proven otherwise, I say yes.
Position Suggestion: RB
Biggest Concern: Will the NFL allow him to wear fur coats while in games?
