“I Would’ve Beat The Sh*t Out Of Him In Basketball”: LeBron James Gets Hilariously Called Out By Comedian Sal Vulcano

Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano has given fans lasting and hilarious moments and memories over the years. And it looks like the comedian just struck again. Making an appearance on KFC Radio, the  47-year-old amusingly called out Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, claiming he would’ve wiped the floor with The King back in the day.

Sal, who is eight years older than LeBron James, started off claiming he would’ve ‘beat the sh*t’ out of LeBron James in basketball. His claim seemed to shock the podcast hosts, and they seemed unsure of what point he was attempting to make. He then delivered the punchline and cleared the air that he was referring to when LeBron wasn’t even a teenager.

“At one point, I could beat LeBron at basketball in my life. I would’ve beat the sh*t out of him in basketball at one point. There was a point where I could beat him, for sure. I mean when he was three, four, five, six, or seven, you know what I mean? And I was 18 or whatever, I just could’ve served him up real nice. And you can apply that to any sports player.”

“At one point… I was better than LeBron at basketball.” –@SalVulcano @KFCradio pic.twitter.com/O9rBhmQWiH

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 6, 2024

Using the age difference between LeBron James and himself, Sal exuded confidence when he stated that he could take on one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. And given the eight-year age gap between the two, back in the day when Sal was 18, making LeBron James 10 years of age, he might’ve had a shot. However, since James turned 16, it may be safe to say that the 19-time All-Star could’ve taken the whole cast of the Impractical Jokers by himself. 

Sal Vulcano and the rest of the Jokers have a thing for slapstick comedy. However, not many are aware that Sal does stand-up comedy of his own as well. So, to hear the New York native deliver that punchline was a treat for not just basketball fans but Impractical Jokers fanatics too.

A small window for Sal to ‘beat the sh*t’ out of LeBron James

Sal Vulcano’s statement claiming he could’ve defeated four-time NBA champion LeBron James would only hold credibility for a few years. As mentioned above, the Impractical Jokers star is 47 years old whereas LeBron James is 39.

But looking back at James’ journey before making it into the league, there was a reason why he was labeled ‘The Chosen One’ by Sports Illustrated in a star-studded NBA draft class that had players like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. To put things in perspective, here is what LeBron James, as a freshman, was doing on the hardwood floor.

“As a freshman, LeBron averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game and led his team to a 27-0 record and a Division III state title. The following year he averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 steals per game.”

LeBron James led his team to back-to-back state championships. And that wasn’t even the end of his high school basketball career as he went on to average 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals during his junior year, all the while making the cover of SLAM Magazine and Sports Illustrated.