Published 16:52 IST, May 19th 2020
LeBron James reveals he was training to be an NFL player during 2011 NBA lockout
LA Lakers star and three-time NBA champion LeBron James revealed that he was training hard to play professional football during the 2011 NBA lockout period.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Since being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, LeBron James has been one of the most standout performers in the NBA. LeBron James won his first two NBA titles while playing for Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 before returning to Cleveland and helping them win their first NBA championship in 52 years as they beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. The iconic NBA veteran moved to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the start of the 2018-19 season. LeBron James has built a strong partnership with Anthony Davis over the course of the ongoing season as the Lakers emerged as one of the favourites to win the NBA title along with Milwaukee Bucks. However, things could have panned out much differently had LeBron James taken up a different sport - professional football.
LeBron James football highlights
Lebron James football highlights
Lakers star reveals he trained to be an NFL player during 2011 NBA lockout
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LeBron James football highlights
In a recent interview on his self-owned talk show Uninterrupted, LeBron James revealed how he was training hard to play professional football during the 2011 NBA lockout. The former Heats star was quoted as saying, "I had no idea how long the lockout was going to be, and myself and my trainer, we really started to actually train to be a football player, when it came to October and November. We started to clock our time with the 40s, we started to add a little bit more in our bench presses." LeBron James’ business partner Maverick Carter even added that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered him a contract to play for them in the NFL which the NBA veteran framed and put up in his office.
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout lasted for 161 days. It started on July 1, 2011, and ended on December 8, 2011. The main issues that separated the owners' association led by David Stern and the NBA players union group were the division of revenue, the structure of the salary cap and luxury tax. Many players left to play in foreign leagues in Asia and Europe as the NBA's start was delayed by more than a month that year. The lockout also affected the economy largely due to NBA cities losing revenue generated by games as well as television networks losing ratings and advertisement revenue.
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LeBron James football highlights
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Updated 16:52 IST, May 19th 2020