Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has a level of career longevity that only a handful of athletes in any sport have ever reached. Most athletes don’t play 23 years professionally, let alone remain amongst the elite of their sport like LeBron. One of the few is legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady played 23 years in the NFL and was still excellent in his final years. LeBron actually played football in high school as well, as a wide receiver. Brady believes James could have lasted 23 years in the NFL had he chosen the football path, via The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon:
.@TomBrady thinks @KingJames could have lasted 23 years playing professional football 😂 #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/K6qX9V7rCO
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) March 18, 2026
Having that level of longevity in the NFL is very rare with Brady and George Blanda being the only non-kickers to play at least 23 seasons. But when it comes to the wide receiver or tight end position that LeBron would’ve hypothetically played, Jerry Rice and Marcedes Lewis are the only two players to reach 20 NFL seasons.
If anyone else could’ve joined that list, James would be the one, as he is a generational athlete with an unreal combination of size, speed and athleticism that would have made him a terror to deal with on an NFL field. And even as he got older James could have still been used as a red zone target as no defenders would have the size and jumping ability to compete with him. James would have been an excellent blocker as a tight end as well, creating big holes for the running backs to get through.
If anyone understands what it takes to have longevity in the NFL it is Brady and he knows that James puts the work into his body in order to get the most out of himself at all times. The basketball world would have missed out on arguably the greatest player ever, but the NFL could very well have had another player in their GOAT debate if James had chosen football.
LeBron James says Bronny James belongs in NBA
James did choose basketball and now has the opportunity to play alongside his son Bronny James on the Lakers. And after Bronny gave the team some important minutes in their win over the Pacers, LeBron spoke on Bronny proving that he belongs in the NBA.
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