LeBron James Reveals the NFL Team He Nearly Tried Out For During the 2011 NBA Lockout

LeBron James has always had one foot in football and the other on the hardwood, and he says there was a real moment when those paths nearly crossed in Seattle. The four-time NBA champion shared that he had a chance to suit up for the Seahawks, and the story has all the beats of a “what if” that fans still talk about.

How Did LeBron James’ Seahawks Opportunity Come Together?
James was a highly regarded wide receiver in Ohio, with the physicality needed for a football player, but his success ultimately came on the hardwood rather than the gridiron. That background set the stage for his reveal that he had an opportunity to link up with the Seattle Seahawks.

Speaking on “DraftKings,” LeBron James revealed how he had an offer from a former Seattle Seahawks coach, Pete Caroll. “During the 2010-11 NBA season, we had a lockout. Pete Carroll was at Seattle. He reached out, actually sent me a jersey, told me to come to camp, told me to come out if I wanted to have a tryout, whatever the case may be,” James said.

“That was a pretty cool moment for me because my love for football and the NFL runs deep. You know, I actually have begun starting, you know, doing more like football training things, football training drills to see if that was even a possibility.”

He further added, “Continue to still have like memories and dreams and things of that nature about playing a game of football because it was my first love. It was a real consideration, real consideration for sure.”

The lockout did end, and James returned to play for the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the trio won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. His next championship came with his hometown, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2016 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

MORE: Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Breaks Silence on LeBron James’ NBA Future

From a skill and physicality perspective, it would not be a stretch to imagine the forward playing in the NFL as a receiver or a tight end. James, with his towering 6-foot-9 frame and freight train frame, has immense power, pace, and strength, checking all the boxes needed to play football.

On the season front, James will now link up with Luka Dončić as he looks to win his fifth NBA championship. The Lakers have been perennial playoff contenders with just one Conference Finals appearance since their last title win. They made the postseason on the back of a 50-32 record, but were handed a first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It remains to be seen if James and Dončić can lead the Lakers to a deeper run in the veteran superstar’s 23rd season in the NBA.