Having had an ‘Itch to Play in the NFL’, LeBron James Once Revealed an Insane Story of Scoring 18 Touchdowns as a 9-Year-Old

LA Lakers star LeBron James is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Since he was a little kid, LeBron was gifted in multiple sports. The 38-year-old has often been said to be perfectly capable of playing in the NFL. Speaking on an episode of Thursday Night Football, LeBron claimed in November 2022 that he still has the itch to play in the NFL. And his love for the game and his real skillset might have been found out when he was just 9 years old!

According to SI, back when he was only 9 years old, James played for a Pop Warner team back in Akron. He ended up scoring 18 touchdowns in just 6 games and quickly realized that he had a natural talent for multiple sports. With his 6-foot-9-inch frame and overall physique, James always had the build to excel in other sports.

LeBron James realized he was talented at sports at the age of 9!

Back when he was 9, James showed a natural talent in football. In his hometown of Akron, Ohio LeBron played for a team called East Dragons and had 18 touchdowns in 6 games.

Speaking to SI, James revealed that it was then that he realized he was talented. By the time he was a freshman at the St. Vincent Mary High School, the “King James” moniker had already been born:

“That’s when I first knew I had talent”, he says. When he was a freshman at St. Vincent–St. Mary High, a basketball coach confided in friends that the best player of all time was on his roster. When he was a sophomore, a local newspaper dubbed him King James, and never again did he play in front of a gym that wasn’t jammed.”

LeBron James still wants to join the NFL

Speaking to Thursday Night Football last November, James claimed that he still has the itch to play in the NFL. James has already rejected two franchise offers, namely the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks.

"LeBron has no chance"@jalenramsey has NO FEAR lining up against @KingJames in the red zone 😤

🏈: @Titans vs. @Packers#TNFonPrime | Watch #TNFinTheShop NOW on @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/XiZVNzfbo8

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) November 18, 2022

It is a known fact that James could easily have been an NFL great, had he chosen it over basketball. LeBron also explained that he would want to play as a wide receiver:

“Yeah, yeah, I still got the itch to play. I got the itch, man. Wide receiver, for sure. If I was in the red zone, especially in the red zone. One-on-one… me out there with one of those small lil’ cornerbacks. Just throw it up, just throw it up.”