LeBron James on Cowboys Dream: 'I Woulda Made the Team'
For a larger-than-life superstar like four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, nothing flies under the radar.
This includes previous public claims that he considered signing with the Dallas Cowboys after owner and general manager Jerry Jones “offered him a contract” while the NBA was in its 2011 lockout. James and the Miami Heat had just been upset in six games by none other than the Dallas Mavericks, making it oddly fitting that he could somehow become a Cowboy.
But now, even as James treads through a tough season with the Los Angeles Lakers while inching closer to becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer, he's still reflecting on what now feels like a long lost NFL dream after the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks came calling during that summer.
“I would have made the team,” James said recently in an interview with The Athletic. “I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. ... I just know what I’m capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age.”
As one of the best athletes in sports history, the 6-9 receiver James unsurprisingly dominated his competition on the field in high school. It's possible he was capable of succeeding in college football and beyond.
Still, despite no football experience at the college level, approaching the grueling lifestyle of the NFL was something that he insists he was ready for.
"One thing about it, I don’t mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I’d have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I’d have tried (out), but I would have made the team," James said.
The part James leaves out when he repeats this tale (which he does a lot): How much of Dallas’ offer from the marketing-minded Cowboys was … well, marketing?
Now on the brink of NBA history with retirement appearing nowhere in sight, the 38-year-old James is likely done entertaining any NFL contracts.
But it remains a major "what if" that appears to linger in James' mind just like it does for many others.
"It definitely got my blood flowing again. "James said last season on Monday Night Football's Peyton and Eli Manning telecast. "I definitely thought about it."
Fantasies aside, the Cowboys will continuing focusing on their own uncertain reality as the offseason treads on.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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