Raven Country

Ravens WR's Basketball Skills Impresses LeBron James

One of the greatest to ever touch the hardwood likes what he's seen from a Baltimore Ravens star.

Jon Alfano

Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates after a 3-point basket in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates after a 3-point basket in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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As one of several NFL players to have experience in basketball, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers may have something to say about one of the oldest debates in sports: whether it would be harder for an NFL player to play in the NBA or vice-versa.

Obviously, Flowers' main sport is football, but he did indeed play basketball at NSU University School in South Florida. Not only that, but he was good enough to earn praise from one of the best to ever touch the hardwood.

During an appearance on the "New Heights" podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James weighed in on the age-old debate. While he unsurprisingly said it would be harder for an NFL player to play in the NBA, he did name Flowers as one of the few players who could make the transition relatively smoothly.

"You know Zay Flowers, super athletic. Fast, quick guard," James said.

It's not just the fact that Flowers played high school basketball, but that he played with some current NBA players. Some of his teammates at University included Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors, Jett Howard of the Orlando Magic and former Duke standout Vernon Carey Jr. He also played against Amen and Ausar Thompson, top-five picks in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons respectively.

Unfortunately, Flowers is likely to miss his second-straight game on Sunday due to a knee injury. The Ravens have kept the door open for him to play despite not practicing all week, and they'd certainly like to have him against a team like the Buffalo Bills, but it's not looking great.

So for now, Flowers likely wants no part of the NFL-NBA debates while he recovers.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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