'No Chance!': Rams Jalen Ramsey vs. Lakers LeBron James in Battle of LA Stars
Los Angeles is a city full of stars, and two of its biggest and brightest are deadlocked in a friendly hypothetical clash.
On one side stands Lakers star LeBron James, an 18-time All-Star and four-time MVP who ranks in second in NBA history in both points scored and minutes played, firmly entrenching himself as one of the greatest to ever touch a basketball.
Lining up across from him is Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who's regarded as one of the best cover players in the NFL.
The topic at hand? Who'd win in a 1-on-1 matchup on the gridiron.
The 6-9, 250-pound James hasn't played competitive football since high school but revealed that he has gotten offers in the past to play in the NFL.
In a special Thursday night edition of his show "The Shop," James shared that he still has the "itch" to play ... which comes just one year after he said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll offered him contracts during the 2011 NBA lockout.
While it didn't come to fruition, James did say that he put some thought into it. When asked what position he'd play, the four-time NBA champion answered with his high school position ... while throwing a subtle jab at corners like Ramsey.
"Wide receiver, for sure. If I was in the red zone, especially in the red zone," James said. "One-on-one, they got to put more in the box defensively … me out there with one of those small little cornerbacks. Just throw it up. Just throw it up."
But Ramsey, who stands 6-1, 208 pounds, said that James has "no chance," adding that he "would've got scrapped." The 2016 first-round draft choice outlined his plan to stop James, starting at the snap.
"I would've put those paws on Bron at the line," the 28-year-old said.
James is eight inches taller than Ramsey and outweighs him by 42 pounds, but the former Florida State star kept it honest regarding the size difference.
“I don't give a damn,” said Ramsey. "There's nobody I cannot guard. Let's keep it honest.”
It's been a difficult year for two of Los Angeles' three most recent champions, as the Rams sit at 3-6 through the season's first nine games and the Lakers are just 3-10.
But even with their respective teams struggling, Ramsey and James have continued to play like the stars they've proven to be time and again. Both are supremely confident individuals ... and Ramsey wouldn't mind being teammates with James someday, in part because he wants to settle the suddenly hot dispute.
"If I'm still playing football when he’s retired from basketball and he wants to come be a red zone threat for the Rams, then I'm going to welcome him and we'll figure it out at practice one day," Ramsey declared. "But until then, I'm going to stand my ground and he can stand his ground.”
James, who turns 38 next month, is beginning to run out of time to realize his NFL dream, and the Lakers' slow start surely demands the majority of his attention. But the idea of him making a late-career cameo on the gridiron remains intriguing - perhaps for him as much as anybody else.
A 1-on-1 matchup between James, who ranks No. 38 all-time in rebounds and could surely box out and play above the rim in a jump ball scenario, and Ramsey, one of the premier corners of his generation, would be pay-per-view television, but for now, feels like a far-fetched possibility.
With neither the Rams nor Lakers in line to make the playoffs, it appears that Ramsey and James may have additional time this offseason to bring their matchup to life - but with the competitive nature of both, nothing is out of the equation ... starting with a heavyweight fight between two of the biggest faces in Hollywood.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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