George Russell Would Rather Play in NBA Over Most Followed American Sport

George Russell is one of the most popular drivers in F1 today. The young Brit made his debut for Williams in 2019 and spent three years with the British team before moving to Mercedes in 2022. He was always considered a world champion in the waiting, but could not show his real talent because of Williams’ poor mechanical package.

That’s why when Russell joined Mercedes, the expectations from him were very high. He did live up to them by finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings but failed to challenge for the championship because Red Bull & Ferrari had the faster car.

During his first year at Mercedes, Russell appeared in a promotional video where he had to choose between things. The presenter asked him if he would choose between playing in the NBA or playing in the NFL. Russell ended up snubbing the most popular sport in America thereafter.

Also read: Lewis Hamilton Makes His Choice Between Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg

George Russell chooses between NBA and NFL

The NBA and the NFL are two of the biggest sporting tournaments in the USA. They are both followed with deep interest throughout the country, and their popularity exceeds American boundaries on several occasions.

Despite both the NBA and NFL being huge tournaments, the latter is bigger. American Football is the most followed sport in the US and also draws in the most amount of money. However, when the host asked if Russell would like to play in the NBA or NFL, the Brit chose basketball. In fact, the 24-year-old did not hesitate before choosing the NBA as his go to destination.

Also read: F1 Twitter Goes Into Frenzy Over $400 Max Verstappen AlphaTauri Merchandise on Sale

F1 drivers travel to Paris for NBA game

Earlier this year, NBA hosted a game in Paris that was very widely covered by media outlets. Some of the biggest celebrities in France and Europe, turned up to the event and F1 fans need look no further to find the stars of their sport.

The Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were courtside and Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc joined the French drivers for the event. The matchup was between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons which the Bulls won by 126-108.