LeBron James is a Cleveland and basketball legend, but he possibly had the opportunity to be an Ohio State legend. Former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel had recruited James to play both football and basketball for the Buckeyes, and James also had a potential college roommate lined up.
“(Tressel) knocked on the door. If you come down to Ohio State, we want you to play both sides. I would have definitely thought about that,” James says on the latest episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast. “My best friend at the time, Sian Cotton went off to Ohio State. He played for Ohio State football. That could have been super dope. I could have roomed with him. Played football during the fall and basketball during the winter and spring.”
Could Travis make the jump to the NBA? Could LeBron make the jump to the NFL?
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“I would say I think it is easier for a basketball player to try NFL over the NFL player trying to get into the NBA,” James says. The three discuss what it would have taken for them to play the other sport and joke like brothers, with Travis saying, “Jason isn’t built for [the NBA],” but Jason believes otherwise.
And like all Clevelanders, we remember when we saw James play in person. Travis recalls in middle school going to Cleveland State University to watch James take the court.
“I was in middle school. I was just trying to see the King before you went pro. I wasn’t sure you were going to land in Cleveland. Luckily, you did. I got to see you play countless amount of times up in the Gund Arena and Quicken Loans Arena,” Travis says.
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