“Allen Iverson and Maybe Deion Sanders!”: Magic Johnson Explains Why the Two Athletes Could’ve Played in Both NBA and NFL

Magic Johnson recently appeared on The Dan Patrick Show. On the show, the two discussed a variety of topics, including one that had to do with the NFL and the NBA. Over the years, many people have wondered if an NBA player could make it in the NFL and vice versa. However, these sorts of debates have been quickly dismissed. Speaking about his own short-lived career in football, Magic was asked for his thoughts on the subject. Here, he revealed that perhaps Allen Iverson and Deion Sanders could’ve played in both leagues.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend may be on to something. Deion Sanders was one of the most versatile athletes in the history of sports. A genetic freak of nature, Sanders played in the NFL and the MLB at the same time. Having once been on both the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Yankees, Prime Time nearly played in the NBA, too. He himself has stated that he regrets not teaming up with Dominique Wilkins on the Atlanta Hawks.

Magic Johnson names two athletes who could’ve played both in the NFL and NBA

A legend in the world of sports, Magic Johnson has seen many a great athlete in his time. Recently, he commented on the possibilities of an athlete who could play both in the NFL and the NBA. Over the years, the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have been name-dropped. However, Magic does not believe they would be up to the task.

Speaking to Dan Patrick, Magic stated that both football and basketball are unique sports. As such, the athletes require different skill sets in order to succeed at a high level. With that in mind, no one athlete can easily switch from one sport to another. Why? Because while they may have some success, they will never be capable of becoming an all-time great.

However, in the Hall of Famer’s eyes, there are two players who could’ve made the switch and dominated. The first is NBA legend and fellow Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. And the other is NFL great turned college coach, Deion Sanders.

“Now if anybody can probably pull it off, it would have probably been AI. He played football, he played quarterback. And, as you said, he’s a special athlete. And, maybe Deion Sander could have went from football to basketball.”

Both AI and Deion were incredible athletes in their time. While Sanders did play multiple sports at the professional level, Iverson was a different case. ‘The Answer’ played both football and basketball in college. But, he chose to go the basketball route after his chances of becoming a professional footballer hit a dead end.

AI had to give up on his football dreams after being hit with an unfair 15-year jail sentence

Magic Johnson was right on the money when he suggested Allen Iverson could have made it in the NFL. In reality, AI was actually deeply interested in going pro. He was a high-school phenom in football and excelled at the quarterback position. In fact, he could have even preceded the likes of Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the first dual-threat QB.

Unfortunately, at the age of 13, he was robbed of this possibility. Iverson had to give up on his footballing career after he was hit with an unfair 15-year jail sentence. Convicted of being involved in a brawl back in 1993, his hopes and dreams vanished into thin air.

Now, one can only imagine what the NBA and even the NFL would have looked like if AI had continued playing football. But yesterday is history, and now, Iverson is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball rather than a football.