Odell Beckham Jr. Draws LeBron James Parallel, Says He Can Still Play at 'High Level' for Giants

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is taking some inspiration from the longevity of NBA star LeBron James as he tries to reinvigorate his pro career where it started.

"I'm just trying to be present each and every day, and prove to myself that I am who I know I am," Beckham said, per ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan. "Everybody likes to talk about, 'Is he going to be this, that?'

"And I'm like, 'LeBron James used to take off before the free throw line, and now if he's taking off with his foot right in front of it. He's still got a different game, but he's still playing at a high level.' I believe that I can play at a high level."

It's not worth really breaking down any similarities between Beckham and James because they're simply in far different places within their respective sports. One was elite for a brief period and the other is one of the all-time greats.

But OBJ is glossing over how long it has been since he played at what fans may describe as a "high level."

The 33-year-old last eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in 2019. Since then, he has battled injuries and missed two entire seasons.

The last time fans saw Beckham on an NFL field, the results were pretty brutal. He caught nine passes for 55 yards in a nine-game spell with the Miami Dolphins.

OBJ was productive during the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl run, but that was more than four years ago. The conception a lot of people have of the veteran wideout — the one who made that famous one-handed catch — is a decade old.

Maybe Beckham will prove his skeptics wrong and emerge as a good secondary option behind Malik Nabers. Recent history would suggest otherwise.